Xeno, thanks again. I had polio vaccines and recently read that during the time I got them, they were contaminated with something that is now shown to cause cancer. More evidence that seeking good health is a crap shoot, karma driven IMHO. And like you said before, though in different words, then one gets mowed down by badly driven vehicle anyway! So I consider all the options and make my choices. For example, back in 2000, people told me not to have my gall bladder removed. Two physicians recommended it, one of them being an ayurvedic doc. Plus I read about death from stones in common bile ducts. That sealed the deal. I went ahead with the surgery and felt immensely better afterwards.
Butting in to your post to Judy, Ann, Ravi: It is beautiful this morning. Sunlight is filtering through the sugar maple in front of my townhouse, the dapples on the venetian blinds like some shadow puppet show performed by playful aliens. A breeze is jiggling the glass of an outside lamp making a noise that should annoy me but doesn't. From west to east, fresh air is filling my little abode. This is all the grandeur I need. And yes, it would probably bore many to death. Yet this is the fullness of life that fills me up over and over again. Best of all: I can't really tell if it's coming from the inside or the outside. Gratitude big time. ________________________________ From: Xenophaneros Anartaxius <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2013 10:04 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Is Sugar Really Toxic? The scientific evidence for the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing disease, and in fact epidemics, is very strong. A few people have adverse reactions to some of the ingredients in vaccines, for example, eggs. Occasionally these reactions are very damaging. On the whole though, the anti-vaccination crowd has very little solid evidence to bolster their case which seems to be largely an emotional issue with them. When a licensed physician is recommending some treatment that is out of the mainstream of scientific knowledge, it pays to be very careful, and to do some independent research on the subject. I think when a non physician recommends something that is out of the mainstream of scientific knowledge, one ought be even more suspicious. Traditional medical systems have the pretense of authority because they have been handed down for so long, but that does not in any way constitute evidence of effectiveness, since it has been repeatedly shown that people are strongly influenced by the placebo effect, and that non medical fake treatments can produce substantial effects in people. So a treatment that has been around for a long time is not necessarily any better than nothing. And there are many treatments in modern medicine that have also not been scientifically screened for effectiveness, particularly in the field of surgery. --- In [email protected], Share Long <sharelong60@...> wrote: > > Xeno, thank you for the info. I like Mercola's courage and persistence. OTOH > I think the FDA probably has only 1 or 2 people at the top who really care > about helping people be healthier. I don't believe Mercola about everything, > but I appreciate the presence of his opposing voice, which offers people > another take on issues like vaccines and mammograms for example. Also I think > the govt would love to put him out of business. What better way to do that > than to discredit him? I currently use and am grateful for his spray Vit D, > especially when there are 2 or 3 cloudy days in a row. > > > I'm sure Mercola has his flaws as we all do. But I think he provides a > valuable service and he often offers useful info about the best way to > exercise, etc. I've never had any problems with his company or products. > > He pushes buttons on a big scale (-: > > > ________________________________ > From: Xenophaneros Anartaxius <anartaxius@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Friday, July 26, 2013 9:40 PM > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Is Sugar Really Toxic? > > > > Â > > > Mercola shows a lot of quack tendencies. I would not trust him. Sugar > obviously affects the body, our evolutionary history indicates that high > amounts of sugar were not part of our diet until some 10,000 years ago, at > which time, human stature dropped about 6 inches in height and many modern > diseases began to show up. But that is not necessarily all caused by diet. > Agriculture resulted in larger groups of people living together, and probably > not walking and running as much as previously as humans began to settle in > one location rather than constantly traveling. > > Sweet cake knocks me for a loop, but peanut m&ms don't affect me so much. > Research on the effect of food is very difficult to perform, but any > physician or pseudo-physician that starts claiming that there is a single > source for myriads of problems is probably wrong, particularly if it applies > to diet. Not necessarily always, but usually. > > Rats (or mice) fed pure fructose show enlarged hearts. But they metabolise > fructose differently than humans. We like sugar. Even so-called natural > cereal vendors now are lacing their products with extra sugar, because > without it they taste like cardboard. > > 'If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and > exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way > to health.' > --Hippocrates > > 'Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance.' > --Hippocrates > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <authfriend@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], Share Long <sharelong60@> wrote: > > > > > > Hi Xeno, thanks for this. Well there will always be some 96 year old > > > woman who "smoked every day of her life and wasn't bothered by the > > > harmful effects of cigarettes." Yay for her, you go girl! But I'm gonna > > > go with the statistics on this one, thank you! And with the stats on > > > sugar. > > > > You mean the statistics in Xeno's article, right? > > > > > OTOH, maybe Woody Allen got it right in Sleeper: > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yCeFmn_e2c > > > > > > What sugar MIGHT be doing to your brain: > > > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/02/fructose-affects-brain-health.aspx > > > > I believe I told you awhile back that Mercola is > > considered a quack. > > > > From Wikipedia: > > > > Views and controversy > > > > Mercola operates mercola.com, which he has described as the most popular > > alternative-health website on the Internet.[3] The site reportedly brought > > in about $7 million in 2010 through the sale of a variety of alternative > > medicine treatments and dietary supplements. An article in BusinessWeek was > > critical of his website's aggressive direct-marketing tactics and > > complained of Mercola's "lack of respect" for his site's visitors, writing: > > > > Mercola gives the lie to the notion that holistic practitioners tend to be > > so absorbed in treating patients that they aren't effective businesspeople. > > While Mercola on his site seeks to identify with this image by > > distinguishing himself from "all the greed-motivated hype out there in > > health-care land", he is a master promoter, using every trick of > > traditional and Internet direct marketing to grow his business... He is > > selling health-care products and services, and is calling upon an > > unfortunate tradition made famous by the old-time snake oil salesmen of the > > 1800s.[3] > > > > Phyllis Entis, a microbiologist and food safety expert, highlighted > > Mercola.com as an example of websites "likely to mislead consumers by > > offering one-sided, incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading information."[12] > > The Better Business Bureau, responding to complaints including allegations > > that Mercola did not honor an advertised money-back guarantee, gave the > > website a grade of 'F'.[4] > > > > Mercola has also received three warning letters from the U.S. Food and Drug > > Administration for violations of U.S. marketing laws. The first two > > letters, dated 2005 and 2006,[13][14] charged Mercola with making false and > > misleading claims regarding the marketing of several natural supplemental > > products, which violated the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.[5] In the > > most recent letter, sent in March 2011,[15] Mercola was accused of > > violating federal law, by making claims about the efficacy of certain uses > > of a telethermographic camera exceeding those approved by the FDA > > concerning the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of the device > > (regulation of such claims being within the purview of the FDA). Dr. > > Mercola has challenged the FDA's order stating that "We believe that the > > FDA's warning letter is without merit and is an attempt to regulate the > > practice of medicine, which the agency does not have the regulatory > > authority to do. Our use of the > thermography device is consistent with its 510(k) clearance for use by > health care professionals in their diagnosis and treatment of patients."[16] > > > > Food consumption > > Mercola advocates a diet consisting mostly of unprocessed foods. He sees > > value in paleolithic diets and advocates metabolic typing, and is a > > proponent of vegetable juicing.[17] Mercola argues fervently against > > over-consumption of sugar, especially high-fructose corn syrup, which is > > the predominant sweetener of many commercial sodas and soft drinks, and > > processed flour and grains, which the body rapidly converts into sugar. He > > has also been an advocate of increasing the consumption of Omega-3 fats and > > of strategies to greatly increase blood levels of Vitamin D3. > > > > Mercola's dietary recommendations often put him at odds with mainstream > > dietary advice.[12] Mercola encourages the ingestion of unprocessed > > saturated fats, including unrefined coconut oil in place of polyunsaturated > > fats such as vegetable, corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola oils.[18] > > > > Food preparation > > Mercola's website has called microwave ovens dangerous, claiming both that > > they emit dangerous radiation and that microwaving food alters its > > chemistry.[19][20] In contrast, academic reviews have concluded that "no > > significant nutritional differences exist between foods prepared by > > conventional and microwave methods."[21] Other studies have suggested that > > food cooked in microwave ovens can be more nutritious than conventionally > > cooked food.[22][23] The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide states > > that "as a general proposition, cooking with a microwave probably does a > > better job of preserving the nutrient content of foods because the cooking > > times are shorter."[24] > > > > Mercola is also against homogenization,[25] claiming that it leads to > > xanthine oxidase absorption and oxidative stress.[26] This idea has been > > described as "tenuous and implausible" in the Journal of the American > > Medical Association.[27] A review published in the American Journal of > > Clinical Nutrition concluded that "Experimental evidence has failed to > > substantiate, and in many cases has refuted, the xanthine > > oxidase/plasmalogen depletion hypothesis".[28] > > > > HIV and AIDS > > Mercola has questioned whether HIV is the cause of AIDS. He has argued > > instead that the manifestations of AIDS (including opportunistic infections > > and death) may be the result of "psychological stress" brought on by the > > belief that HIV is harmful.[29] Mercola.com has featured positive > > presentations of the claims of AIDS denialists, a fringe group which denies > > the existence of AIDS and/or the role of HIV in causing it.[29][30][4] > > > > The scientific community considers the evidence that HIV causes AIDS to be > > conclusive[31][32] and rejects AIDS-denialist claims as pseudoscience based > > on conspiracy theories,[33] faulty reasoning, cherry picking, and > > misrepresentation of mainly outdated scientific data.[31][32][34] > > > > Drugs and supplements > > Mercola opposes the use of most prescription drugs and immunizations, > > favoring better food choices, especially unprocessed, organic produce and > > elimination of most sugar and grains from our diet, lifestyle > > modifications, especially regular exercise, better sleep, and removing > > household toxins from cleaning supplies and cosmetics, and energy > > psychology tools to address emotional challenges.[35] He promotes and sells > > numerous dietary supplements, including krill oil, vitamin K, probiotics, > > and anti-oxidant supplements. > > > > Mercola is especially critical of new drugs, as well as of the U.S. Food > > and Drug Administration.[36] > > > > Sunscreen > > Mercola has also claimed that the use of many commercial brands of > > sunscreen increases, not decreases, the likelihood of contracting skin > > cancer with high UV exposure. He advocates the use of "natural" sunscreens, > > some of which he markets on his website.[37] This view is not held by > > mainstream medical science; in 2011, the National Toxicology Program stated > > that "Protection against photodamage by use of broad-spectrum sunscreens is > > well-documented as an effective means of reducing total lifetime UV dose > > and, thereby, preventing or ameliorating the effects of UV radiation on > > both the appearance and biomechanical properties of the skin".[38] > > > > Vaccinations > > Mercola has been highly critical of vaccines and vaccination policy, > > claiming that too many vaccines are used too soon during infancy.[39] He > > hosts vaccine critics on his website, advocates preventive measures rather > > than vaccination in many cases, and strongly criticizes influenza vaccines. > > > > Mercola argues that thimerosal, previously widely used as a vaccine > > preservative, is harmful.[40][41] Thimerosal is no longer present in most > > vaccines given to young children in the USA, though it is still present in > > some vaccines approved for adults.[42] Extensive evidence has accumulated > > since 1999 showing that this preservative is safe,[43] with the World > > Health Organization stating in 2006 that "there is no evidence of toxicity > > in infants, children or adults exposed to thiomersal in vaccines".[44][43] > > > > In his book The Great Bird Flu Hoax,[45] Mercola appears to take a stronger > > anti-pharmaceutical industry stance by accusing them of a fear-mongering > > marketing campaign against the public. In supporting this stance, Mercola > > often has wholly critical views of those working in governmental health > > care, as well as towards international health organizations. He argues at > > length that concern over swine flu and the resulting immunizations were > > actually false alarms put forth to terrify the public.[46] The World Health > > Organization reports that by August 1, 2010, about 18,500 deaths have been > > caused by the H1N1 pandemic influenza.[47] > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola > > > > (See the page above for links to the references.) > > > > Also see: > > > > http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/mercola.html > > > > http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/February-2012/Dr-Joseph-Mercola-Visionary-or-Quack/index.php?cparticle=1&siarticle=0#artanc > > http://tinyurl.com/mxqt6dg > > > > http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/9-reasons-to-completely-ignore-joseph-mercola-and-natural-news/ > > http://tinyurl.com/kz3yyqb > > >
