AlkalizeForHealth
 "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."
- Thomas Edison
Weight gain
triggers early puberty.
Children eat more vegetables when a variety of colors are
presented, such as a mixture of peas, carrots and corn.
Project Censored comments on
"Early
Puberty Onset for Girls May be Linked to Chemicals in the Environment and
Increases in Breast Cancer". Hormone traces in the meat of chemically fattened livestock are causing girls to mature sexually at least three years earlier than in the past. - Health Bulletin, Nov. 6, 1965, page 6. Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen hormone used to fatten animals, causes human cancer even in the smallest possible doses. Now illegal in the US, many factory farms continue to use DES illegally. DES was known be a carcinogen in the 1930's. While DES was being used in the United States, twenty foreign countries had already banned DES and many Europeans would not eat American beef because of its DES content. This is the kind of situation that creates trade wars. The United States now uses international organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) in an attempt to FORCE other countries to import contaminated American products. US dairy products contaminated with genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (associated with breast cancer and other problems) are a current problem. Global trade in genetically engineered grains and legumes is another problem area, as is asbestos. During the 1950's to early 1970's, DES was given to 2 million pregnant women to "prevent miscarriage". The research indicating a benefit turned out to be false, but the resulting breast cancer is very real. Health problems are also found in the children of these mothers. This is "iatrogenic" or "doctor caused" disease. - Moss page 367. Sexual orientation is largely a function of hormones. Feeding estrogen to children is a good way to create gender confusion. 55% of the delinquent behavior in minors can be attributed to oxygen starvation. - Philip Rice, M.D. "And with such a (vegetarian) diet they may be expected to live in peace and health to a good old age, and bequeath a similar life to their children after them." Socrates in Plato, The Republic, Book II You're not too young to take calcium even as a teenager: One study of 94 adolescent white girls averaging 12 years old found bone-building to be significantly greater in those who took calcium supplements compared to those who didn't. Researchers are increasingly becoming convinced that greater bone mass in adulthood lowers the risk of osteoporosis problems later in life. Calcium isn't just for women, either: I recommend it also for men starting in their mid-forties who want to protect against bone loss. - www.drweil.com Black pepper is the whole, partially ripened fruit; green is the unripe fruit; and white is the peeled seed. The concern about pepper arises from one of its components, called safrole. Large amounts of injected safrole triggered cancerous growths in laboratory animals...For a hot spice, I prefer cayenne, or red pepper. Red pepper comes from a different plant, doesn't have any natural carcinogenic activity and has a long history of medicinal use. - www.drweil.com Radon is a natural radioactive element that is produced by the breakdown of uranium in the Earth's crust. It's an odorless, colorless gas, and it seeps out of the earth more commonly in some places on the planet than others. It sometimes enters the basements of houses through cracks and pipes and becomes trapped there, concentrated in the air that we breathe. Radon is strongly carcinogenic, and is believed to be the second leading cause of lung cancer - after cigarette smoking. - www.drweil.com More than 400 toxic chemicals - some found in household products and foods - have been identified in human blood and fat tissue. Some cause cancer, birth defects, or damage the nervous system. - Safe Shopper's Bible The risk of leukemia increases four to seven times for children whose parents use home or garden pesticides. - Safe Shopper's Bible Childhood brain cancer is associated with use of pesticide "bombs" in the home, pesticides to control termites, flea collars on pets, insecticides in the garden, and herbicides to control weeds. - Safe Shopper's Bible In 1990, more than four thousand toddlers under age four were admitted to hospital emergency rooms because of household cleaner-related poisonings. - Safe Shopper's Bible In 1990, there were nearly 18,000 pesticide-related hospital emergency room admissions, and 74% of them were for children age 14 and under. - Safe Shopper's Bible Of greater concern is the risk of cancer and long-term nervous system damage following prolonged exposure to unlabeled industrial chemicals or pesticides in household products, cosmetics, and foods. - Safe Shopper's Bible We have discovered many excellent brands that are safe and effective. - Safe Shopper's Bible The Safe Shopper's Bible would not be necessary if government and industry would either ban toxic substances or provide full label disclosure of toxic chemicals. I think the life of my old dog Coca, who had bone cancer, was much prolonged by a variety of herbal remedies, including the immunity-boosting maitake and reishi mushrooms. The vet was very surprised that she lived as long as she did. - www.drweil.com Both the birth control pill and abortions may be associated with increased risk for cancer. Researchers at Oxford
University found that the risk of cervical cancer was
related to the length of time spent using oral
contraceptives. Women who used oral contraceptives for
less than five years had a 10 percent increased risk,
those who used them from five to nine years had a 60
percent increase, while those who used them for more
than ten years had a 120 percent increased risk. The
risk was even greater in women who were infected with
the human papilloma virus (HPV). - Lancet 2003;361:1159. "With young male animals, their testicles and neighboring glands are defunct of semen within eight weeks of being fed solidified fat - solidified peanut butter. Abnormalities appear in the skin, hair is lost and the animal is altogether in bad condition. This is also confirmed by the extreme changes in the kidneys." - Dr. Johanna Budwig "The fine filter systems in the kidneys consist of extremely thin lipoid membranes which contain unsaturated fats existing there because, as filters, their surface activity is essential." - Dr. Johanna Budwig "When a cell divides, its surface area is larger and must, of necessity, contain enough material in this surface with its (essential) fatty acids, to be able to divide the cell completely from the original...(In the absence of essential fatty acids) in those body areas which normally host many growth processes, such as in the skin and membranes, the glandular organs, for example, the liver and pancreas or the glands in the stomach and intestinal tract - it is here that the growth processes are brought to a standstill." - Dr. Johanna Budwig Healthy children need sunlight.
| This page contains a number of topics of interest to families including: early puberty, soy foods & infant formula, holiday meals, birth control, and peanut butter. Puberty is when the body begins to produce large amounts of sex hormones. Puberty used to occur at about 16 or 17 years of age and over the course of this century has been occurring at younger ages in children in certain cultures. In the United States some girls are now becoming sexually active and pregnant as young as age 9. Early puberty, or "early menarchy" (or menarche or menarch) as it is called, is thought to be caused by diet and lifestyle factors including estrogen-mimicking chemicals (such as pesticides and plasticizers), shampoos and cosmetics that contain estrogen, over-eating
and being over-weight, lack of exercise, consumption of soy foods, and unnatural stimulation resulting from the invention of the electric light and television. Early menarchy is a situation that can be prevented, but is difficult to reverse after it has happened. It shocks me that no one is alarmed that 14-month old babies can grow pubic hair and develop breasts simply from using shampoo...I would certainly suggest that you check the labels of your shampoos, hair conditioners, skin creams, and facial products to see if they contain placenta, a common source of estrogen in these products. Some may list "estrogen," "estriol," "estradiol," or "natural hormones" as an ingredient. - Dr. David Williams, Alternatives Newsletter, June 2002. |
Problems arise from early puberty due to the fact that the large quantity of sex hormones stops bone growth and girls are at increased risk for breast cancer. Women who have earlier menarche (under thirteen years of age) may have over four times the incidence of breast cancer as women who have a later menarche (over seventeen years of age). "The chemical structure of many pesticides is such that it tends to act like the female hormone estrogen in the body. This chemical action can have a very dramatic effect on the development of young children. In young boys, testosterone levels can be offset by the chemicals that mimic estrogen, which can result in the development of feminine characteristics, lower fertility, and impaired growth. Girls can experience earlier puberty and increased rates of breast and other female cancers." - Dr. David Williams In North America, hundreds of thousands of teenage girls become pregnant each year. Half of these pregnancies will end in abortion. Most of the remainder will be raised by their young parents. Young people who drop out of school to raise their children are destined for a lifetime of poverty. When young children reach puberty they are filled with drives and desires which cannot be legitimately fulfilled within the family. This is not useful for harmonious family life. Vegetarian children reach puberty between the ages of 15 and 19, averaging about age 17. Vegetarian children reach puberty later, live an average of 6 to 12 years longer and are healthier throughout their lives. "Children are flowers in the garden of God and must be nourished. It is for the parents to lead them on to a path which is free from suffering". - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi |
Child Marriages
In poorer areas
of the world, child marriages can cause great suffering. The pelvis of the
young bride is too small to allow passage of the newborn. The infant becomes
stuck, resulting in prolonged labor that can go on for weeks. The mother
experiences great agony. The infant dies. Eventually the dead infant
decomposes to the point where it is soft enough to pass through. In the
meantime, some of the tissue of the mother's uterus has died, which can
create a fistula or passage between the uterus and the anus. The result is
an unsanitary and offensive condition that causes the child bride to be
rejected by her husband. |
What do we recommend to prevent early menarchy? 1. Excess body fat causes the production of
excess estrogen. We recommend the low calorie, nutrient-dense diet as described on our longevity page. 2. There are only two proven ways to reduce levels of body fat: 1) reduce intake of food calories, 2) daily exercise. Therefore, in addition to the low calorie, nutrient-dense diet we recommend a minimum of 30 minutes daily exercise to everyone, as described on our rebounder page. 3. A survey of 300 people who lost 50 pounds and then kept it off for 2 years showed only two lifestyle differences: daily exercise, and less watching television. Therefore, in addition to the low calorie, nutrient-dense diet and daily exercise we recommend limiting the time children and adults spend watching television each day. Plus, in bed and lights out by 10 PM every day for everyone. 4. All external sources of hormones and hormone-mimicking chemicals should be avoided to the extent possible. These include meat, non-organic dairy, agricultural chemicals, plasticizers, suntan lotion, shampoos & other personal care products, and drugs. Sunscreens and Early Menarchy "Researchers at the University of Zurich have just informed us that five of the most popular chemicals used in sunscreens, lipsticks, and cosmetics to block UV light from the sun behave like estrogen and make estrogen-dependent breast and uterine cancer cells grow more rapidly in test animals. If you want to check your sunscreens and cosmetics, the chemicals involved include octyldimethyl - PABA (OD-PABA), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), homo salate (HMS), octyl - methoxycinnamate (OMC) and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC). This last chemical, 4-MBC, was particularly potent. For test purposes, it was mixed with olive oil, at concentrations normally used in sunscreens, and applied to the skin of immature rats. At those concentrations, it doubled the normal uterine growth rate before puberty. In what appears to be a huge, unregulated human experiment, the sunscreen industry is altering both children and adults with creams exhibiting hormonal activity." - Dr. David Williams, Alternatives Newsletter, June 2001. |
Early menarchy is a problem for families and schoolteachers. Children become independent and willful, wanting adult rights long before they are ready to assume responsibility for their actions (every "right" has a corresponding "responsibility"). While early menarchy cannot be reversed, many of the problems associated with early menarchy can be successfully solved by our 8 step program to prevent cancer. The result is calmer emotions, clearer thinking, more harmonious family and social life, greater success in school, less stress for everyone, and less cancer. (See also our page for attention deficit disorder ADD/ADHD) | | 8 Step Cancer Program | Impact on Precocious Children and Teenagers | | 1. | More oxygen | Increased mental alertness. | | 2. | More alkalinity | Alkaline minerals bring mental and physical relaxation. | | 3. | Less free radicals | Toxic chemicals that create free radicals are an irritant in the system. Antioxidants such as MAK and various nutrients help to neutralize free radicals. | | 4. | More exercise | Improved circulation of the lymph resulting in nourishment and purification of the body tissues. | | 5. | Hyperthermia | Helps to remove toxic chemicals from the body. Some of these chemicals mimic natural hormones, helping to cause early menarchy. | | 6. | More enzymes | Enzymes facilitate all metabolic activities. | | 7. | Nutrient-dense diet, B17, F, C,
D & Glyconutrients | Relief from many "hidden hungers" that cause agitation and discomfort at the cellular level. Increased calmness. Non-organic meats and dairy products produced in the United States may contain residues of hormones used to accelerate animal growth and milk production. | | 8. | Transcendental Meditation | Release of stress resulting in calmness of mind, body and emotions, together with increased attention span. |
"Human breast milk provides a good measure of the amount of fat-soluble carcinogens retained in body fat. A recent study has shown that vegetarians have lower levels of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, particularly DDE, in breast milk than their matched meat-eating controls, and that the more high-fat dairy products eaten by vegetarians, the higher the level of pesticides in their breast milk...From this standpoint, a low-fat vegetarian diet, provided it is carefully balanced, would be the diet of choice for a nursing mother." - Dr. Samuel Epstein |
Anything that increases cell division is going to increase the risk of cancer. DES is certainly suspect -- as are other synthetic hormones. DES is an estrogen that was given to millions of women from the 1940s through the '60s as a way to prevent pregnancy complications; it was banned in 1972 because it was found to cause birth defects. Daughters of women who were given DES have a higher risk of vaginal cancer. DES is also believed to be linked to cancer in males, though the evidence is less clearcut. Sons of women who were given DES definitely have a higher risk of an undescended testicle, which in turn carries a greater risk of testicular cancer even after it has been surgically brought down. - www.drweil.com |
Reprinted from www.drweil.com: Can Animal Hormones Harm Kids? Q: A friend told me her 9-year-old daughter already has had her first period, as have most of her classmates! She says it's because of the estrogen they consume from additives in dairy and beef. Is this true? Are these girls typical?
-- Terry McMahon
A: (Published 8/28/96) You're correct that the onset of menstruation has been getting progressively earlier among girls in the United States. No one is sure of why, but one possibility is that commercially produced meat and milk products contain residues of growth-promoting hormones. These have estrogenic activity, so they could stimulate early menstruation. Some years ago, there was an epidemic of premature puberty in very young girls (under 4 years old) in Puerto Rico. This was traced to chicken carrying unusually high residues of estrogenic hormones. There's reason to be concerned about early onset of menstruation because it's linked as a factor of significant risk for breast cancer. Women who menstruate early will have more years of exposure to their own estrogens, which stimulate the cells of the breasts and reproductive system to proliferate. I would minimize the amount of animal food fed to children, or use only organically produced meat, poultry, or dairy products certified to be free of hormones. Dr. Andrew Weil |
The following information is summarized from www.mercola.com Be Careful With Soy Products! - Avoid all soy unless fermented or sprouted
- Avoid tofu, soy protein (textured vegetable protein, TVP)
- Miso, tempeh, natto, soy sauce and soy sprouts are acceptable
(Organic soy products are fashionable among vegetarians as a substitute for meat and dairy. However, the Alkalize For Health web site is for cancer patients and people who want to avoid cancer, so we are going to follow the "precautionary principle" and warn you about the downside of soy. Even though we advocate a vegetarian diet, we acknowledge that organic dairy products in limited quantity are OK, and even tofu in small quantity may be alright. But textured vegetable protein, soy milk for infants, or consumption of large quantities of soy products are another matter. - editor's note) For most of the history of the far east, soy was planted in rotation with other crops to increase nitrogen in the soil. It was a fertilizer, not a food to be eaten directly by humans. Then two to three thousand years ago it was discovered that fermented soy is digestible, resulting in the evolution of fermented soy foods (tempeh, natto, miso and soy sauce). Then about two thousand years ago it was discovered that a puree of cooked soybeans could be precipitated with calcium sulfate or magnesium sulfate to make a curd (tofu). Tofu was mixed into other dishes in small quantities, for its texture and flavor. It was not eaten as a main dish. Nor was soy milk (filtered, unprecipitated liquid from the puree of cooked soybeans) popular until recently. (It is interesting that while these soy products spread through the far east, they never became popular in India. Ayurveda disapproves of fermented products, and Ayurveda prefers organic cows milk and a homemade cheese called "panir" that is somewhat similar in appearance, taste and texture to tofu. - editor's note.) Much of the present soy harvest is genetically engineered and contains residues of toxic agricultural chemicals. However, all soy including organically grown soy contains things you do not want to eat:
1. Enzyme inhibitors
2. Haemagglutinin
3. Phytic acid
4. Goitrogens (causing goiter and hypothyroidism) and assorted other chemicals (A consequence of hypothyroidism is weight gain. - editor's note) (Let's consider them briefly and if you have read the other pages of this web site concerning the importance of enzymes to prevent cancer, oxygenation to prevent cancer, an alkaline diet to prevent cancer, toxic chemicals and cancer, you will see the problems with soy. - editor's note) 1. Enzyme inhibitors - Soybeans contain enzyme inhibitors in far greater quantity than other legumes such as lentils. In test animals, diets high in these enzyme inhibitors cause enlargement of the pancreas and even cancer. 2. Haemagglutinin - This is a substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. This may interfere with circulation and the transfer of oxygen to and from the cells. The enzyme inhibitors and haemaglutinin concentrate in the soaking liquid rather than the curd, so tofu contains them in reduced quantity, but they are not completely eliminated. They are not separated out of soy milk. 3. Phytic acid is present in the bran or hulls of all seeds, and it has the effect of blocking the uptake of essential minerals - calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. (You may recall the mention of deficiencies in magnesium, iron and zinc on our page regarding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also the importance of the alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium for cancer prevention - editor's note) The soybean has one of the highest phytate levels of any grain or legume and the phytates in soy are highly resistant to normal phytate-reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking. Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans. Vegetarians who consume tofu and other soy products risk severe mineral deficiencies. In recent years textured vegetable protein (TVP) made from soybeans has become popular. This is an industrial product that cannot be made in your kitchen. TVP contains small quantities of enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, nitrites (a carcinogen), lysinoalanine (a toxin), and numerous flavorings such as MSG. In animal experiments, TVP caused increased requirements for vitamins E, K, D and B12, and deficiency symptoms of calcium, magnesium, molybdenum, copper, iron and zinc. These test animals developed enlarged organs, particularly the pancreas and thyroid gland, and increased deposition of fatty acids in the liver. While the Japanese have a lower incidence of cancers of the breast, uterus and prostate, they also have much higher rates of cancer of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas and liver. Asians have high rates of thyroid cancer. Soy causes these types of cancers in laboratory animals. Soy based animal feeds result in decreased fertility, precocious maturation, deformed / stunted / stillborn babies, premature deaths, bone deformities, goiter, immune system disorders, and pathological aggressive behavior. The soy industry hired Norman Robert Associates, a public relations firm, to "get more soy products onto school menus". The USDA responded with a proposal to scrap the 30 per cent limit for soy in school lunches. Soy consumption has been linked to infertility, increased cancer and infantile leukemia, and the phytoestrogen genistein in soy causes endocrine disruption in animals. Twenty five percent of bottle fed babies in the United States receive soy-based formula. An infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of at least five birth control pills per day. By contrast, almost no phytoestrogens are in dairy-based infant formula or in human milk. Soy-based formula can cause thyroid problems in babies. There are also changes in the hormonal development of both male and female infants. Normal male infants undergo a "testosterone surge" during the first few months of life, during which time the infant is programmed to express masculine physical and mental characteristics after puberty. Exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES), environmental estrogens (PCB's, DDE - a breakdown product of DDT), and soy infant formula cannot be ignored as possible or even probable causes for problems with testes, learning disabilities, and sexual orientation. One percent of girls now show signs of puberty (breast enlargement and / or pubic hair) before age three. By age eight, nearly 15% of white girls and almost 50% of African-American girls have one or both of these characteristics. Other problems in children fed soy-based infant formula include extreme emotional behavior, thyroid disorders, immune-system problems, pituitary insufficiency and irritable bowel syndrome. The New Zealand Government issued a health warning about soy-based infant formula in 1998. Scientists in the FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research have called for warning labels but were overruled by FDA management. Soy has become Big Business. All food additives not in common use prior to 1958 must have GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status from the FDA before being used in food. Soy protein does not have GRAS status, so it is questionable whether its use in food is even legal. The industry (merchants, manufacturers, scientists, publicists, bureaucrats) right now is extremely exposed to litigation. The story to be told in court will go something like this: "The industry has known for years that soy contains many toxins. At first they told the public that the toxins were removed by processing. When it became apparent that processing could not get rid of them, they claimed that these substances were beneficial. Your government granted a health claim to a substance that is poisonous, and the industry lied to the public to sell more soy." For more information on soy see the full article at www.mercola.com and for more information go to www.soyonlineservice.co.nz. See also the article FDA Scientists Against Soy. *** Post menopausal women who supplement their diet with flaxseed, as opposed to soy, have a greater chance of reducing their risk of osteoporosis and hormone-sensitive cancers. The structural similarity of the phytoestrogens enterolactone and enterodiol from flaxseed and genistein and daidzein from soy suggests that they may interfere with estrogen metabolism. Modulation of estrogen metabolism has the capacity to influence tissue estrogen exposure and therefore affect chronic disease. - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February, 2004;79(2):318-325. |
Reprinted with permission from the June 1999 issue of Alive, Canadian Journal of Health and Nutrition, 7436 Fraser Park Drive, Burnaby BC V5J 5B9 BIOTECH NEWS
by Richard Wolfson, Ph.D., Health Advisor to the Natural Law Party of Canada* Soy Allergies Up 50 Percent A study by the York Nutritional Laboratory, Europe's leading specialists on food sensitivity, showed that soy allergies have increased 50% in the past year. It is the first time in 17 years of testing that soy has crept into the top 10 foods to cause allergic reactions. As soy is the most common genetically engineered food, the researchers say their findings indicate that genetically modified food could have a tangible, harmful impact on the human body. * Consumer Pressure Pays Off Hostility to genetically engineered food reached a highpoint across Europe in March when leading supermarket chains bowed to consumer pressure and removed "Frankenstein food" from their shelves. In Britain, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer supermarkets removed all genetically modified (GM) ingredients from their own-brand products. Other European chains removing GE foods included the French hypermarket retailer Carrefour, Delhaize of Belgium, Migros in Switzerland, Effelunga in Italy and the Irish group Superquinn. Regulations that recently went into effect in UK require all food-sellers, from restaurants to hot-dog stands, to inform their customers about any genetically modified ingredients contained in their food. Violators can face fines of up to £5,000. * Industrial Enzymes Top Allergens In a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), allergies and asthma were linked to industrial enzymes, many of which are genetically engineered. For 90% of asthma patients and 80% of patients with allergy problems, the symptoms either disappeared or were strongly reduced by eliminating industrial enzymes from their diet and from laundry detergents. The enzymes are often produced from genetically modified molds and bacteria. Biotech enzymes are used in the processing of a wide range of foods, including flour, starches, soda pop, fruit juices, oils, beer, wine, and cheese. Residues of the molds and bacteria can be the main culprits of allergies. |
Adapted from www.drweil.com: Hearty Helping of Cancer Prevention? Q: I'm very mindful of following an "anticancer" diet including lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and plenty of fiber, but I dread the holidays because healthy foods just seem to disappear and I'm the cook! Any ideas?
-- Anonymous A: (Published 11/18/98) In addition to following an "anticancer" diet, I hope you've adopted an anticancer lifestyle to go with it. Cancer doesn't come from just one cause. Unhealthy lifestyles and environmental pollutants can also promote cancer. Examine all areas of your life to optimize your chances of living cancer-free. That said, I think the problem many people are facing is how to integrate healthy eating with the traditionally unhealthy meals of the holidays. It's really not that hard. There's no law that says you have to serve the traditional Thanksgiving menu loaded with fat, heavily refined ingredients and very little to redeem it. For starters, consider your appetizers. Why not put out shelled Brazil nuts, the richest source of selenium, an antioxidant shown to be quite potent at stopping cancer growth. Next get an organic, free-range turkey raised without the estrogenic hormones used to promote growth in animals raised for the table. Hormonal and pesticide residues in produce raise the risk of breast and reproductive cancers. Better yet, serve salmon or even go vegetarian this year and surprise yourself and everyone else with a variety of satisfying dishes. Next, include plenty of dark, leafy green vegetables, but don't drown them in butter or overcook them. Greens such as collards, bok choy or beet greens are best served lightly steamed or briefly stir-fried. Forget the canned cranberry sauce and instead make your own cranberry relish without all the refined sugar. Putting red and orange veggies such as tomatoes, roasted peppers, carrots and sweet potatoes is another way to insure that mixed carotenes are well represented. Don't be afraid to experiment. Wild mushrooms have suddenly become very popular, and with good reason. Varieties like shiitake and maitake taste fantastic, and science continues to discover evidence of their cancer-killing, immune-boosting power. After dinner, serve green tea as a final touch to your anticancer holiday meal. Enjoy! Dr. Andrew Weil |
Reprinted from www.drweil.com: See also: Male Birth Control. Natural Methods of Birth Control? Q: I have been on the Pill for eight years. First Triphasil and now, for the last year, Marvelon. I'm tired of the mood swings, increase in yeast infections, etc. A close friend uses a natural method involving the monitoring of vaginal discharge together with an awareness of stages of her cycle - and manages to avoid having intercourse during ovulation time. I have decided - with my husband's agreement - to try this. Do you know anything about this natural method?
-- Anonymous A: (Published 10/18/96) I think it's a good idea to go off the Pill if you can find other ways to practice contraception. The current generation of oral contraceptives is safer than those of the past because they use lower doses of hormones. But you are still exposing the body to the very general effects of hormones, rather than getting the specific effect on fertility that you desire. High levels of female sex hormones favor the development of cancer of the breast and of the reproductive system. Oral contraceptives also increase the risk of blood clots, and many women experience side effects such as nausea, breast tenderness, fluid retention, weight gain, and depression. The Pill reduces interest in sex over time, although triphasic versions, which vary the amount of synthetic progesterone and estrogen over the month, have less of this effect. If you smoke, have a family history of breast cancer, have a history of benign breast disease, did not have a first child until after age 35, are over 45 and still menstruating, or are at increased risk of cervical cancer because of multiple sex partners, I'd definitely say stay off the Pill. If a woman becomes very aware of her body's cycles and pays attention to things like temperature and the texture of her cervical mucus, I think it's possible to rely on a natural method. Certainly there are advantages, because a lot of women can't tolerate the side effects of the Pill. You do need to recognize, however, that the natural method is less reliable and requires conscientious effort by both partners. The calendar rhythm method is the least reliable method. Measuring the woman's basal body temperature each morning is more accurate, as is watching for texture changes and an increased amount of cervical mucus. The sympto thermal method that combines these techniques is the most effective, but the failure rate is still about 10 percent a year after training in ways to monitor ovulation. Tracking ovulation is easier for some women than others, depending on the nature of their cycle. But the natural method isn't the only way to go if you decide not to take the Pill. You can also choose condoms, foam and condoms, a contraceptive sponge, a diaphragm, or a cervical cap, which is similar to a diaphragm but can be left in the vagina longer. Dr. Andrew Weil |
Reprinted from www.drweil.com: Does Peanut Butter Cause Cancer? Q: How much should I be concerned about aflatoxin (a toxin) in peanut butter? My children, like most kids, love peanut butter.
-- Danniel Ward-Packard A: (Published 10/6/98) Aflatoxin is a natural toxin produced by certain strains of the molds Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus that grow on peanuts stored in warm, humid silos. Aflatoxins have also been found in milk, Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts. In regions of the world (Africa especially) where peanuts are a dietary staple, it's relatively common for aflatoxin to cause a type of poisoning called aflatoxicosis. Aflatoxin is also recognized as a potent carcinogen that causes liver cancer in laboratory animals. According to a Consumers Union study done a few years ago, eating peanut butter that contains an average level of only two parts per billion of aflatoxin once every 10 days would present a cancer risk of seven in one million. Small as that may seem, it's higher than the estimated risk of cancer from most pesticides. And that's if you can restrict your children's peanut butter consumption to once every 10 days! The Consumer Union study also discovered that the amount of aflatoxin in peanut butter varies from brand to brand. Ironically, the four best-selling supermarket brands -- Jif, Peter Pan, Skippy and Smuckers -- contained the lowest levels of aflatoxin among all the products tested, while the fresh ground peanut butters sold in health food stores had aflatoxin levels about 10 times higher than those big supermarket brands. Thus we arrive at the peanut butter paradox. While big-brand peanut butters are relatively low in aflatoxins, they're quite high in hydrogenated oils -- chemically altered fats that I strongly discourage you from eating as they pose their own health risks. The only solution is to shop around and read labels carefully. Feel free to call the producers of your favorite peanut butter and ask about aflatoxins in their product. As more people become sensitive to the issue you can be sure producers will respond. In the meantime, you could switch to freshly ground almond butter, which doesn't carry an aflatoxin risk at all. I myself eat almond butter and sesame tahini and use peanut butter very rarely. Dr. Andrew Weil |
|
Soft Drinks
The caffeine in soft drinks creates high blood pressure in
children.
- Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 04;158(5):473-7.
Soft
drinks are linked to both obesity and type 2 diabetes.
- JAMA 04;292:927-934. Soft drinks are now the
largest single source of calories in the American diet.
The
rise in soft drink consumption parallels the rise in diabetes and obesity in
the U.S. |
References: Demarkwahnefried, Wendy, MR Conaway, CN Robertson, BJ Mathias, EE Anderson, DF Paulson. "Anthropometric risk factors for prostate cancer." Nutrition and Cancer - an International Journal 28: 3(1997):302-307. Hill, P. "Diet, Life-Style, and Menstrual Activity," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 33:1192, 1980. Hill, P. "Environmental Factors of Breast and Prostatic Cancer," Cancer Research, 41:3817, 1981. Kagawa, Y. "Impact of Westernization on the Nutrition of Japan: Changes in Physique, Cancer..." Preventive Medicine, 7:205, 1978. Women who have earlier menarche (under thirteen years of age) have over four times the incidence of breast cancer as women who have a later menarche (over seventeen years of age). Robbins, John, Diet For A New America, Stillpoint Publishing, Walpole, NH, 1987. This book and the video with the same title are highly recommended. Staszewski, J., "Age at Menarchy and Breast Cancer," Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 47:935, 1971. Stoll, BA. " Western Diet, Early Puberty, and Breast Cancer Risk." Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 49: 3 (JUN 1998):187-193.
Better Food, Part 1 of 3We now begin a three page mini-series on agriculture to prevent cancer. If you are not interested in agriculture, then you might prefer to skip ahead to our Nutritional Supplements & Superfoods page or have a look at the Table of Contents to see if there are other pages of greater interest to you. Better agricultural methods are essential if our society is to become free of cancer. We will examine the important role of trace minerals and humus in the growth of healthy plants, the use of a simple device called "refractometer" to measure the nutritional value of food, and some interesting ideas regarding sustainable agriculture and sustainable communities. OK, so now you are monitoring your saliva pH, exercising, bathing or using a sauna, meditating, supplementing your mostly vegetarian diet, and eating or juicing lots of fruits and vegetables to get the alkaline minerals and other nutrients that they contain. That's all you need to be healthy, right? Well, not necessarily. "The soil must be kept in good health if the animal is to remain in good health. The same is true of man. Soil science is the foundation of protective medicine, the medicine of tomorrow." - Andre Voisin You may be eating lots of fruits and vegetables, but what if the minerals and other nutrients are not in the fruits and vegetables? Why did Dr. Max Gerson find it necessary to switch his cancer patients to organically grown fruits and vegetables? A carrot is a carrot, isn't it? To answer this very basic question we reprint an article by Rex Beach that was first published in Cosmopolitan Magazine in 1936. The information in this article is as true now as it was then, perhaps even more true now. To grow better food we need Better Farms.
 In 1904 there was very little cancer. Now there is an abundance of cancer. What has changed? Can this be reversed? If you have cancer or do not want to get cancer the information you and your family need is on this web site. Note: there are two ways to navigate this site. You can follow the pages in their logical sequence, or you can access every page from "Contents". For your assistance, there is a Google search box on each page that will allow you to search this web site or the entire Internet for more information.
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