Stop Using 'Natural' Deodorants Until You Read This

Some of the most popular natural deodorants are the "crystal" deodorant stones and sprays. But most people don't know that these crystal deodorant products contain aluminum.
The crystal deodorant stones are made from alum. The most widely used form of alum used in the personal care industry is potassium alum. The full chemical name of potassium alum is potassium aluminum sulfate.
The reason that most people try to avoid aluminum in deodorant is because of its possible link to Alzheimer's disease. There is some strong evidence of a link -- for instance, in 1988 a truck driver accidentally dumped 20 tons of aluminum sulfate in to a town's drinking water.
Now, over 20 years later, they are finding a higher incidence of Alzheimer’s in the people of this town.
Incidentally, the article linked below notes that, “many doctors such as popular web guru and natural health expert Dr. Mercola suggest avoiding aluminum as much as possible.”

Sources:
Bubble and Bee January 21, 2010



Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Let’s get this straight. Even though aluminum is widely distributed in the earth’s crust, it is NOT needed in ANY amounts in your body. All evidence to date points to aluminum as a poison that serves no beneficial role in your body and should be avoided.
Aluminum is widely recognized as a neurotoxin, which has been found in increased concentrations in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Unfortunately, if you use antiperspirants or some deodorants, you are most likely exposing yourself to aluminum.
Aluminum salts can account for 25 percent of the volume of some antiperspirants.
A review of the common sources of aluminum exposure for humans found that antiperspirant use can significantly increase the amount of aluminum absorbed by your body. According to the review, after a single underarm application of antiperspirant, about .012 percent of the aluminum may be absorbed.
Multiply this by one or more times a day for a lifetime and you can have a massive exposure to aluminum -- a poison that is not meant to be in your body.
Antiperspirants work by clogging, closing, or blocking the pores that release sweat under your arms -- with the active ingredient being aluminum. Not only does this block one of your body’s routes for detoxification (releasing toxins via your underarm sweat), but it raises concerns about where these heavy metals are going once you roll them (or spray them) on.
In some cases, it is clear that they may be wreaking havoc directly on your brain. In 1988, for instance, a truck driver accidentally poured 20 tons of aluminum sulphate into a tank containing drinking water.
Some 20,000 people in the village of Camelford were exposed to the chemical for several weeks, and then went on to develop a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, along with showing the presence of high levels of aluminum in their tissues.

Deodorants and Antiperspirants Linked to Cancer
Alzheimer’s disease is not the only reason to ditch your aluminum-containing antiperspirant and deodorant, as this heavy metal has also been linked to cancer.
A 2006 study found that aluminum salts can mimic the hormone estrogen, and chemicals that imitate that hormone are known to increase breast cancer risk. Animal studies have also found that aluminum can cause cancer.
Given that antiperspirants are used on your armpits, the aluminum salt concentration is highest near your breast tissue. Further, when women shave under their arms it can result in a higher aluminum-salt absorption rate due to the damaged skin.
In a 2007 study published in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, researchers tested breast samples from 17 breast-cancer patients who had undergone mastectomies. The women who used antiperspirants had deposits of aluminum in their outer breast tissue. Concentrations of aluminum were higher in the tissue closest to the underarm than in the central breast.
Aluminum is not normally found in the human body, so this study was a pretty clear sign that the metal was being absorbed from antiperspirant sprays and roll-ons.
It’s worth mentioning that deodorants are not the same thing as antiperspirants. Deodorants may actually be less problematic than antiperspirants, as they work by neutralizing the smell of your sweat and by antiseptic action against bacteria, but do not prevent sweating.
However, many deodorants also contain aluminum, along with chemicals called parabens, which have also been linked to breast cancer. So, you’re clearly better off avoiding both antiperspirants and deodorants.

Supposedly “Safe” Crystal Alum Antiperspirants
“Crystal” deodorant stones are a popular natural deodorant alternative, often used by health-conscious shoppers looking to avoid the aluminum and other chemicals common in most antiperspirants and deodorants.
However, if you’re looking to avoid aluminum, crystal deodorants may not be your best choice.
While many claim to be aluminum-free, they are referring to aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum chloride, aluminum hydroxybromide or aluminum zirconium.
These types of aluminum are widely used in antiperspirants and deodorants. The aluminum is taken into sweat ducts in the top layer of your skin where they act as a plug, stopping the flow of sweat to your skin’s surface.
There is evidence, however, that this aluminum is absorbed into your body where it may cause serious damage.
The aluminum in crystal deodorant stones is a different type of compound known as an alum, the most common form being potassium alum, also known as potassium aluminum sulfate.
Potassium Alum or Ammonium Alum are natural mineral salts made up of molecules that are too large to be absorbed by your skin. They form a protective layer on your skin that inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria. These deodorants are recommended by many cancer treatment centers.
But while this may be a better alternative to most antiperspirants and deodorants on the market, it is not completely aluminum-free.
I’ll share with you my top tips for staying odor-free naturally shortly, but first I want to explain why I stopped using any antiperspirants or deodorants over 25 years ago … and suggest you also do the same.

Final Recommendation:
Please note that this recommendation is for antiperspirants only, not deodorants. Many confuse the two. Nearly all antiperspirants use aluminum or alum-based salts to achieve their sweat reduction effect.
It is an absolute no brainer for you and your family to avoid all conventional aluminum-based antiperspirants. The evidence is very clear that these are absorbed and will contribute to aluminum in your body.
Regarding purportedly safe “alum” based antiperspirants found in most health food stores, the companies that produce these claim that the mineral salts are too large to be absorbed and thus provide no danger. However, we have been unable to uncover any solid evidence that supports this claim so it would seem prudent to avoid using them.
While these crystals are probably better than using a conventional antiperspirant, they are clearly not aluminum-free and it still poses a possible Alzheimer's risk and contributes to background toxicity in your body.
It would seem best to exercise the precautionary principle at this time and avoid these crystal-based alum antiperspirants.
Personally, I have not used antiperspirants for over 30 years, once I realized that they were actually causing the stains in the underarm area of my shirts and that wasn’t due to my own sweat. That was a major clue to me to avoid them.
All I do is use simple soap and water and that seems to work well enough that my friends and relatives do not tell me I have any offensive body odor. I typically will wash under my arms in the morning and after I workout.
This approach has served me well for over three decades, however if you find you need a more aggressive approach, then try a pinch of baking soda mixed into water as an effective all-day deodorant.
Additionally, there are many non-aluminum or alum-based alternatives in your local health food store that would likely serve your needs, but I would encourage you to at least TRY going without before making your mind up.
Remember you will need to check the label not only for “aluminum” but also for potassium alum or potash alum, as the full chemical name of potassium alum is potassium aluminum sulfate.

Related Links:
Does Your Antiperspirant Cause Cancer?
Do You Still Use An Antiperspirant?
Concern Over Deodorants & Breast Cancer

ALERT: Special Swine Flu Update

Urgent and vital information you need to know about the massive amount of disinformation that the media has recently escalated as best demonstrated by 60 Minutes segment on Swine Flu which aired this past Sunday.
Normally our editorial process has us test, research and review articles over a three week period before it finally reaches the newsletter. However, this article is an exception which is why it is coming out as a special alert.
Read my special report on this vital topic so you can avoid deception and manipulation by the conventional media.
The last time we sent out a special report like this over one million people viewed the page and it was the sixth most viewed page on the Internet that day. So our apologies if our servers are not giving you the page as quickly as you would like. Just be patient and keep trying.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/21/Special-Swine-Flu-Update.aspx

Simple Way to Lower Your Blood Pressure -- Just Avoid THIS…

A diet high in fructose, a form of sugar found in sweetened soft drinks and junk food, raises blood pressure in men.
Two recent studies provided the first evidence that fructose helps raise blood pressure. One study further suggested that people who consume junk foods and sweetened soft drinks at night could gain weight faster than those who don't.
Fructose accounts for about half the sugar molecules in table sugar and in high-fructose corn syrup, the sweetener used in many packaged foods.

Sources:
Reuters September 23, 2009
American Journal of Nephrology August 21, 2009; 30 (5): 399-404
Experimental Physiology June 1, 2009; 94: 648-658


Dr. Mercola's Comments:
In some circles these days, it’s becoming increasingly fashionable to claim that the many ills attributed to fructose are overblown. After all, you might hear, it’s just sugar, no better or worse than any other sort of sugar, right? It’s a natural substance found in fruit, after all, so how bad could it possibly be?
The delusion that fructose is an acceptable form of sugar is quite prevalent even in many nutritional circles.
You can thank the Corn Refiners Association for that line of thought. The CRA has been pouring millions of dollars into an ad campaign designed to create the notion that fructose, and especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), is nothing more than a harmless snack.
This could not be farther from the truth.
Fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals, and it leeches micronutrients from your body. A mountain of evidence has accumulated demonstrating that it is absolutely terrible for your health.

Fructose and Fruit
It is true that fructose is found in fruit. However, eating small amounts of whole fruit does NOT provide tremendous amounts of fructose and is not be a problem for most people, unless diabetes or obesity is an issue. Berries, especially blueberries, raspberries and cranberries, are some of the healthiest fruits around, as they are loaded with powerful antioxidants -- and have relatively small amounts of sugar.
But in fact, you can get too much fructose from fruit sources, especially if you consume your fruit in the form of juice.
When fruit is intact and whole, its fiber will somewhat moderate the release of fructose into your bloodstream, as well as somewhat moderate insulin release. Fruit juice contains little to no fiber -- but it does contain about eight full teaspoons of sugar per eight-ounce glass. This fructose is brought rapidly in your body, promoting obesity and other problems. Humans were not meant to drink their calories.

Even Worse Than Table Sugar
Table sugar (sucrose) is far from being a food I recommend; all sugar can cause serious health problems. But the fact is, fructose is the worst of the lot. It is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar, and, because most fructose is consumed in liquid form, as fruit juice or as soda, its negative metabolic effects are significantly magnified.

Those negative effects include:
Diabetes
Obesity
Metabolic Syndrome
An increase in triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels
Liver disease

And now, according to the research described above, it appears that fructose can lead to high blood pressure as well. High blood pressure is a serious health concern that can cause heart disease and increase your risk of having a stroke. It’s especially danger­ous because it often has no warning signs or symptoms.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
Until the 1970’s, most sugar was sucrose derived from sugar beets or sugar cane. But sugar from corn, especially HFCS, is now more popular because it is much less expensive to produce. As a result, the use of HFCS in the U.S. diet increased a staggering 10,673 percent between 1970 and 2005! HFCS also contains nearly twice the fructose of the sugars that came before it.
HFCS is now present in a dizzying array of products, especially processed foods, and it is the sweetener used in most sodas. It is a prime factor behind the current obesity epidemic, which is largely fueled by sugary sweet soft drinks.
Soft drinks are the leading source for calories in America, and the major reason why about 9 percent of average dietary energy intake in the United States now comes from fructose. Think about that -- very nearly one in ten calories! Would a meal look healthy to you sitting on your plate if nearly 10 percent of it were pure sugar?
But HFCS isn’t only a problem because it’s a nutrient-free source of endless calories. It also harms organs like your liver and pancreas, leading to bone loss, anemia and heart problems, just to name a few. HFCS has been found to inhibit the action of your immune system's white blood cells. Unbound fructose, which is found in large quantities in HFCS, can interfere with your heart's use of minerals such as magnesium, copper and chromium.
Still think fructose is harmless?

Avoiding Fructose
The average American drinks an estimated 60 GALLONS of soda every year, and one extra can of the sweet stuff can add up to 15 extra pounds over the course of a year. Right off the bat, you can greatly reduce your fructose intake by eliminating all soda and sugary drinks from your life.Since HFCS is present in many processed foods, to avoid it completely you need to focus your diet on whole foods. And if you do purchase any processed foods, make sure you read the label -- and put it back on the shelf if it lists high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient.However, like most areas in life, you want to choose your poisons carefully. Even though fructose is clearly something you want to avoid, except for the small quantities obtained through the moderate consumption of whole fruit, it is not as bad as artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners damage your health even more rapidly than HFCS. So ideally avoid ALL sodas, even diet sodas.
One of the best steps you can take to improve your health is to replace all soda and sweet drinks with pure, clean water.

Related Links:
Fructose is No Answer for a Sweetener
More Problems with Fructose
How High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages Your Body
Why Mammograms Can Actually Increase Your Risk For Breast Cancer…

The best way to beat cancer and other chronic illnesses is to prevent them in the first place. Now there’s a revolutionary, new high-tech diagnostic tool called thermography that can help detect cancer and disease anywhere in your body. It’s safe, painless, and reliable. Why take the chance of developing a serious illness when you can stop it in its tracks. Don’t procrastinate – schedule your thermogram today!

Flu Vaccine Exposed

Studies show that flu vaccines are unsafe and ineffective. This presentation by the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute includes a visual depiction of flu vaccine production -- how the flu vaccine is made and what it contains.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCBlxqmOMKM&feature=player_embedded#t=17

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The video by Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute offers a good summary of what every person should know about the seasonal flu vaccine; how it’s made, and its effectiveness.

Signs and Symptoms of Influenza

As most of you probably know, influenza is a contagious viral respiratory infection.

Symptoms include:

• Fever



• Chills



• Runny nose



• Sore throat



• Cough



• Muscle aches



• Fatigue



• Decreased appetite

Typically, the condition will improve after two to three days of bed rest, although some symptoms may persist for about a week.
What many people do NOT know, however, is that death caused directly by the flu virus is very rare. The vast majority of so-called “flu deaths” are in fact due to bacterial pneumonia – a potential complication of the flu if your immune system is too weak.
Other complications can include ear- or sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic health conditions.
The elderly and people with other pre existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, are at higher risk of developing pneumonia after a bout of the flu.

The Flu Vaccine Does Not Prevent the Flu, nor Protect Against the Vast Majority of Flu-Related Deaths

The conventional treatment for bacterial pneumonia is an antibiotic, not a viral flu drug, so to think that taking a flu vaccine will prevent death from pneumonia doesn’t really make sense.
“But the vaccine will prevent the flu, which will prevent the possibility of developing pneumonia,” some might say.
That sounds good in theory, but the statistics simply do not support this assertion.
Because study after study, and master studies that compile the results from several studies to get a more objective result, keep coming to the same conclusion: Flu vaccines DO NOT WORK, and in many cases do more harm than good.
In fact, one shocking statistic brought to light in this video is that BEFORE the CDC advocated vaccinating children under the age of five, the number of children dying from the flu was very low, and on the decline.
Then, in 2003, just after children aged five and under started getting vaccinated, the number of flu deaths SKYROCKETED. The death toll was enormous compared to the previous year, when the flu vaccine was not administered en masse to that age group!
How anyone can consider a strategy that yields a higher death toll to be a “success” is a mystery to me.

The Problem with Flu Death Statistics
However, as frightening as much of this may sound, it’s important to keep things in perspective. According to the statistics shown in the video above, more Americans die from asthma, and even malnutrition each year, than the flu.
Unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grossly distort the facts about flu deaths, making the flu virus seem far more dangerous than is warranted. On the CDC’s main flu page, they state that about 36,000 people die from the flu in the United States each year. But if you search a little harder, you can find the actual number of people who died from the flu in 2005 (this is the most recent data that’s available) was 1,806. The remainder was caused by pneumonia. In 2004, there were just 1,100 actual flu deaths.The statistics the CDC gives are skewed partly because they classify those dying from pneumonia as dying from the flu, which is inaccurate.

How is the Flu Vaccine Made?
This is another area that many people do not understand or take into consideration before getting a seasonal flu shot.
In January or February of each year, health authorities travel to Asia to determine which strains of the flu are currently active. Based on their findings in Asia, they assume that the same strains of viruses will spread to the U.S. by fall.
At this point, U.S. vaccine manufacturers start making that season’s flu vaccine, which will contain the strains found in Asia. However, if the viral strains circulating in the U.S. that season are not identical to those in Asia, the vaccine you receive is a complete dud.
And to add insult to injury, you’ve just been injected with a laundry list of harmful ingredients.

What’s in the Seasonal Flu Vaccine?
The flu strains selected are cultivated in chick embryos for several weeks before being inactivated with formaldehyde, which is a known cancer-causing agent. Then they’re preserved with thimerosal, which is 49 percent mercury by weight.
Even many health care professionals are confused about this and are not aware that the preservative thimerosal is mercury. As a quick side note, one of my chief writers told me that, “the doctor’s office told me the vaccine does not contain mercury, just something called thimerosal.”
Please, don’t be fooled by this incredible ignorance. If you have carefully studied this issue there is a great possibility you may know more than your physician about this topic. Don’t back down if they tell you something you otherwise know to be true.
According to the CDC, the majority of flu vaccines contain thimerosal. Some contain as much as 25 mcg of mercury per dose. This means that it may contain more than 250 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit for mercury.
By now, most people are well aware that children and fetuses are most at risk of damage from this neurotoxin, as their brains are still developing. Yet the CDC still recommends that children over 6 months, and pregnant women, receive the flu vaccine each year.
In addition to mercury, flu vaccines also contain other toxic or hazardous ingredients like:

• Aluminum -- a neurotoxin that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease



• Triton X-100 -- a detergent



• Phenol (carbolic acid)



• Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)



• Betapropiolactone - a disinfectant



• Nonoxynol - used to kill or stop growth of STDs



• Octoxinol 9 - a vaginal spermicide



• Sodium phosphate

How Safe is the Flu Vaccine?

Serious reactions to the flu vaccine include, but are not limited to:
Life-threatening allergies to various ingredients
Guillain-Barre Syndrome (a severe paralytic disease that is fatal in about 1 in 20 cases)
Encephalitis (brain inflammation)
Neurological disorders
Thrombocytopenia (a serious blood disorder)

How Effective is the Flu Vaccine?

Remember that the potential effectiveness of a flu vaccine is dependent on the ASSUMPTION, made nearly a year in advance, that Asia’s viral strains will be the ones hitting the U.S. When they guess wrong, the vaccine is worthless from the very start.
But does that mean they withdraw the flu vaccine when they discover it contains the wrong strains? NO! They just keep giving it out anyway.
But even if they were to overcome that hurdle and actually select the correct strains, there’s still no evidence that it does anyone any good to get a flu vaccine.
Study after study comes back showing the same dismal results: the flu vaccines are not an effective method of prevention of the flu, and they do not save lives. As mentioned earlier, they may even be responsible for an increased death rate in some groups.
Sometimes determining efficacy is as easy as reading the information coming straight from the vaccine manufacturer.
How about this quote taken directly from the flu vaccine FLULAVAL’s package insert (which you likely never see when getting the flu shot) for the 2009-2010 formula:

" FLULAVAL is an influenza virus vaccine indicated for active immunization of adults 18 years of age and older against influenza disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and type B contained in the vaccine. This indication is based on immune response elicited by FLULAVAL, and there have been no controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL.”

That’s right, NO controlled trials demonstrating ANY decrease in your risk of contracting the flu at all after vaccination! (It also states that each dose contains a total of 25 mcg of mercury.)
For those of you who are still unconvinced, know that there’s plenty of scientific evidence available to back up the recommendation to avoid flu vaccines. In addition to studies mentioned in the video, here are several other examples showing that flu vaccines do not work for any age group:

• A study published in the October 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons.
  The researchers concluded that "significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting" examined.



• A 2008 study published in the Lancet found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people.
  This supports an earlier study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
  Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia in the elderly, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.



• In 2007, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
  Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases: “We conclude that frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause mortality,have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits.”



• A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.
  

Last but not least, I think it says a lot that 70 percent of doctors and nurses, and 62 percent of other health care workers do NOT get the yearly flu shot.
The reasons why they opted to not get vaccinated were:

• They didn't believe the vaccine would work


• They believed their immune systems were strong enough to withstand exposure to the flu


• They were concerned about side effects

Might Influenza be Little More Than a Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin,” may very well be one of the most beneficial vitamins there is for disease prevention. Unfortunately it’s also one of the vitamins that a vast majority of people across the world are deficient in due to lack of regular exposure to sunshine.
Published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006, the hypothesis presented by Dr. John Cannell and colleagues in the paper Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D raises the possibility that influenza is a symptom of vitamin D deficiency.
The vitamin D formed when your skin is exposed to sunlight regulates the expression of more than 2,000 genes throughout your body, including ones that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. Hence, being overwhelmed by the “flu bug” could signal that your vitamin D levels are too low, allowing the flu virus to overtake your immune system.
At least five studies show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and 25(OH)D levels. That is, the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections:

1. A 2007 study suggests higher vitamin D status enhances your immunity to microbial infections. They found that subjects with vitamin D deficiency had significantly more days of absence from work due to respiratory infection than did control subjects.


2. A 2009 study on vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) confirmed a strong, positive correlation between newborns’ and mother’s vitamin D levels. Over 87 percent of all newborns and over 67 percent of all mothers had vitamin D levels lower than 20 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state.
   Newborns with vitamin D deficiency appear to have an increased risk of developing ALRI, and since the child’s vitamin D level strongly correlates with its mother’s, the researchers recommend that all mothers’ optimize their vitamin D levels during pregnancy, especially in the winter months, to safeguard their baby’s health.


3. A similar Indian study published in 2004 also reported that vitamin D deficiency in infants significantly raised their odds ratio for having severe ALRI.


4. A 2009 analysis of the Third National Health andNutrition Examination Survey examined the association between vitamin D levelsand recent upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in nearly 19,000 subjects over the age of 12.
   Recent URTI was reported by:
   17 percent of participants with vitamin D levels of 30ng/ml or higher
   20 percent of participants with vitamin D levels between 10-30 ng/ml.
   24 percent of participants with vitamin D levels below 10ng/ml
   The positive correlation between lower vitamin D levels and increased risk of URTI was even stronger in individuals with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.


5. Another 2009 report in the journal Pediatric Research stated that infants and children appear more susceptible to viral rather than bacterial infections when deficient in vitamin D. And that, based on the available evidence showing a strong connection between vitamin D, infections, and immune function in children, vitamin D supplementation may be a valuable therapy in pediatric medicine.
   

How to Prevent the Flu without Getting a Flu Shot

For most people the flu shot does not make you healthy; it does just the opposite and weakens your immune system.
If you follow a healthy lifestyle, you will not have to worry about getting the flu. Take it from me -- I’ve never received a flu shot, and I haven’t missed a day of work due to illness in over 20 years. The key steps that I follow to stay flu-free, which I suggest you follow too, include:

• Get plenty of sunshine, safe tanning bed exposure or supplemental vitamin D3


• Eat right for your nutritional type, including avoiding sugar


• Exercise


• Get adequate sleep


• Address emotional stress


• Wash your hands regularly

Related Links:
Do Flu Shots Work? Ask A Vaccine Manufacturer
Prominent Physician Advises Against Flu Shots
U.S. Government Ignores Flu Vaccine Death

FREE Book Documenting the Horrors of Vaccination

At the link below, you will find a PDF of the book Horrors of Vaccination Exposed and Illustrated. This seminal work was published in 1920, and is an eye-opening examination of the dangers of compulsory vaccination.
According to the book, vaccinations were causing far more deaths than smallpox itself at that time.
It contains a petition to then-President Woodrow Wilson, asking him to stop the practice of compulsory vaccination. Alas, the warning was not heeded.
This is just one of more than one million public domain books now made available for free download by Google Books. The books are in a format known as EPUB. By adding support for EPUB downloads, they hope to make these books more accessible by helping people around the world to find and read them in more places.
EPUB is a lightweight text-based digital book format that allows text to automatically conform to smaller screens like netbooks. And because EPUB is a free, open standard, works you download from Google Books as EPUBs won't be tied to or locked into a particular device.To get started, just find any public domain book on Google Books, then click on the Download button in the toolbar.

Sources:
Horrors of Vaccination Exposed (PDF)
Inside Google Books August 26, 2009

Related Links:
How You Can Now Search All the Books in the World--Quickly!
Re-Kindle Your Love for Reading
One in Four Americans Have Not Read a Book in the Past Year

Warning: Swine Flu Shot Linked to Killer Nerve Disease

A warning that the swine flu vaccine has been linked to a deadly nerve disease has been sent by the UK Government to senior neurologists in a confidential letter.
The letter from the Health Protection Agency, the official body that oversees public health, was leaked to The Daily Mail, leading to demands to know why the information has not been given to the public before the vaccination of millions of people, including children, begins.
It tells the neurologists that they must be alert for an increase in a brain disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which could be triggered by the vaccine. GBS attacks the lining of the nerves, causing paralysis and inability to breathe, and can be fatal.

The letter refers to the use of a similar swine flu vaccine in the United States in 1976 when:

• More people died from the vaccination than from swine flu


• The vaccine may have increased the risk of contracting GBS by eight times


• The vaccine was withdrawn after just ten weeks when the link with GBS became clear


• The U.S. Government was forced to pay out millions of dollars to those affected
  

Concerns have already been raised that the new vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and that the effects, especially on children, are unknown.

Sources:
The Daily Mail August 15, 2009


Dr. Mercola's Comments:
As mentioned in this article, the 1976 swine flu vaccine campaign caused more harm than good, and there are indications that the current campaign may end up being a devastating repeat or worse.
At that time, one person died from the actual swine flu, while 25 people died from adverse reactions to the vaccine, and several hundred people developed crippling Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
According to The Daily Mail, the British Health Protection Agency sent letters to 600 neurologists on July 29th, warning them to be on the lookout for cases of Guillain- Barré Syndrome once the swine flu vaccine campaign begins.
Why the warning was not sent out to general practitioners, who will be administering the shot, seems an odd choice if public safety is indeed the main concern.
This confidential correspondence between the British public health agency and neurologists in the U.K. is the first clue that all is probably not well with this fast-tracked pandemic vaccine.

Are You Willing to Let Them Experiment on Your Child?
According to a recent report from CNN, the U.S. is set to receive as many as 600 million doses of swine flu vaccine, enough for 300 million Americans.
Based on the recommendations from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) advisory group on immunization matters, the top priority groups that stand to receive the vaccine first include:

• Pregnant women


• Children over the age of 6 months with chronic health conditions


• Adults with chronic health conditions such as chronic respiratory disease, asthma, or obesity


• Health care workers
  

However, pregnant women, children, and those whose immune systems are already compromised are also at even greater risk to suffer severe side effects from the vaccine, as the adjuvants in the vaccine are designed to reduce your immune function.
Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) recently warned about the campaign underway to turn schools into virtual vaccination clinics. In many U.S. states, school has already started, so the decision of whether or not to vaccinate your child may become an issue you’ll have to deal with in the coming weeks.

Swine Flu Drug of Choice Causes Side Effects in Half of All Children
In the U.K. the hysteria over swine flu led to flu drugs being offered online, without a doctor’s prescription. This is incomprehensible, considering their risk. Just a couple of weeks ago I reported on brand new study findings that the swine flu drug of choice, Tamiflu, caused one or more side effects in OVER HALF of all children who received it!

Side effects included:

• Nausea – 29 percent


• Stomach pain or cramps – 20 percent


• Neuropsychiatric side effects including inability to think clearly, nightmares, and “strange behavior” – nearly 20 percent


• Sleep problems – 12 percent
  

The British Medical Association’s lead expert on swine flu went on the record stating that Tamiflu is now being overused.
Keep in mind that, although the swine flu has spread across the world it appears to have decreased in severity. The vast majority of cases are very mild, requiring only a few days in bed.
In fact, the regular seasonal flu is still far worse, and more deadly, than the swine flu.

How Vaccines Can Cause so Much Harm
The intended effect of a vaccination is to help you build immunity to a potentially harmful organism. However, your body’s immune system is already designed to do this in response to organisms that invade your body naturally.
Most disease-causing organisms enter your body through the mucous membranes of your nose, mouth, pulmonary system or your digestive tract. These mucous membranes have their own immune system, called the IgA immune system, which fights off invading organisms at the point of entry, reducing or even eliminating the need for activation of your body’s immune system.
A vaccination, however, delivers either live or attenuated (dead) viruses directly into your tissues and blood stream through injection, completely bypassing your body’s first line of defense. And when combined with an immune adjuvant, your body’s immune system kicks into high gear in response to the vaccination. If your immune system is too weak to deal with the assault, severe side effects can occur.
Injecting organisms into your body to provoke immunity is contrary to nature, and vaccination carries enormous potential to do serious damage to your health.
To emphasize this point further, when ingested, the vaccine adjuvant squalene is actually recognized by your immune system as an oil molecule native to your body. It has antioxidant properties and is found throughout your nervous system and brain.
The difference between “good” and “bad” squalene is the route by which it enters your body. Injection is an abnormal route of entry which incites your immune system to attack all the squalene in your body, not just the vaccine adjuvant.
As a result, your immune system will attempt to destroy the molecule wherever it finds it, including in places where it occurs naturally, and where it is vital to the health of your nervous system.
For more information about squalene, and the hazards it poses when included in flu shots, please review my recent special report on the topic, if you have not already done so.

In the Meantime Consider Vitamin D as it Prevents Seasonal Flu
Just last week I reported on Canada’s decision to investigate the role of vitamin D in protection against the swine flu. This is great, but there are already overwhelming evidence showing that your vitamin D levels play a significant role in your likelihood of getting the flu.
Vitamin D has been a hot research topic these past few years, and has been shown to have remarkable impact on nearly every single disease studied.
Here is a list of four studies published this year, showing an inverse association between respiratory tract infections and 25(OH)D levels. That is, the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections:

1. A 2007 study suggests higher vitamin D status enhances your immunity to microbial infections. They found that subjects with vitamin D deficiency had significantly more days of absence from work due to respiratory infection than did control subjects.
2. A 2009 study on vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) confirmed a strong, positive correlation between newborns’ and mother’s vitamin D levels. Over 87 percent of all newborns and over 67 percent of all mothers had vitamin D levels lower than 20 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state. Newborns with vitamin D deficiency appear to have an increased risk of developing ALRI, and since the child’s vitamin D level strongly correlates with its mother’s, the researchers recommend that all mothers’ optimize their vitamin D levels during pregnancy, especially in the winter months, to safeguard their baby’s health.
3. A 2009 analysis of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey examined the association between vitamin D levels and recent upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in nearly 19,000 subjects over the age of 12.

Recent URTI was reported by:

• 17 percent of participants with vitamin D levels of 30 ng/ml or higher
• 20 percent of participants with vitamin D levels between 10-30 ng/ml.
• 24 percent of participants with vitamin D levels below 10 ng/ml
  

The positive correlation between lower vitamin D levels and increased risk of URTI was even stronger in individuals with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

1. Another 2009 report in the journal Pediatric Research stated that infants and children appear more susceptible to viral rather than bacterial infections when deficient in vitamin D. And that, based on the available evidence showing a strong connection between vitamin D, infections, and immune function in children, vitamin D supplementation may be a valuable therapy in pediatric medicine.
   

Granted, so far none of the research has focused on vitamin D’s impact on pandemic flu. If your body has never been exposed to the antigens there is chance that vitamin D might not be enough.
However, there’s no evidence suggesting that vitamin D supplementation would cause you any harm or make your illness any worse.
On the contrary, if you are coming down with flu-like symptoms and have not supplemented with vitamin D, Dr. Cannell, one of the world’s leading vitamin D experts, recommends taking 50,000 IU’s a day for three days to treat the acute infection.
Some researchers, including Dr. Cannell, believe the dose could even be as high as 1,000 units per pound of body weight for three days.
Ultimately, your best bet is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D around 60 ng/ml year-round. Please note that this is far higher than most doctors will refer to as “normal.” Rather it is the optimal level you’ll want to maintain for disease prevention.
I strongly recommend you watch my one-hour free vitamin D lecture along with my video on vitamin D’s role in flu prevention for more in-depth information about vitamin D’s role in flu prevention.
Taking care of your health to reduce or eliminate your risk of contracting the flu is always going to be your safest bet. In addition to optimizing your vitamin D levels, this past article details my other recommendations for avoiding the flu naturally, and I strongly urge you to start incorporating these changes into your life today.

Related Links:
Warning: Swine Flu Vaccine Coming Soon
Canada Looks at Vitamin D for Swine Flu Protection
Half of Kids Given Flu Drug Have Side Effects

Another Shocking Warning About Swine Flu Vaccine

The swine flu vaccine has been hit by new cancer fears after a German health expert gave a shocking warning about its safety.
Lung specialist Wolfgang Wodarg has said that there are many risks associated with the vaccine for the H1N1 virus. The nutrient solution for the vaccine consists of cancerous cells from animals, and some fear that the risk of cancer could be increased by injecting the cells.
The vaccine can also cause worse side effects than the actual swine flu virus.

Sources:
Bild.com August 21, 2009
Reuters August 22, 2009
Socio-Economics History Blog July 15, 2009


Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Finally some good news to report about the swine flu mess.
This site, and many others seeking to shed light on this deceptive manipulation, are making a huge impact and the people are refusing to believe the government propaganda.
Vaccine safety advocates everywhere are beginning to make a serious dent. According to a recent Fox News poll, the majority of people in the US now believe the swine flu vaccine may be deadlier than the actual virus.
Additionally, there is more good news when it comes to what health care professionals believe. Research published in the August 25 issue of the British Medical Journal reveals that more than half of doctors and nurses in public hospitals would also refuse the H1N1 vaccine, due to concerns about side effects and doubts about its efficacy.


New Potential Health Risks of the Swine Flu Vaccine Emerge
Just last week I reported on the confidential correspondence between the British Health Protection Agency and 600 neurologists, warning them to be on the lookout for cases of Guillain- Barré Syndrome once the swine flu vaccine campaign begins.
I’ve published earlier articles about some of the more dangerous ingredients in this vaccine, such as mercury, and squalene, which has been linked to the development of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
Now, German lung specialist Wolfgang Wodarg has come out about even more potential health risks associated with the swine flu vaccine. Interestingly, Dr. Wodarg also holds political office, as the chairman of the health committee in the German parliament and European Council.
According to Dr. Wodarg, the swine flu vaccine contains animal cancer cells, and there’s no data indicating whether or not this may cause an allergic reaction when injected.
It also raises questions about the risk of contracting cancer.
He also told the German press that the widespread fear of the pandemic was an “orchestration,” stating,
“It is great business for the pharmaceutical industry. Swine flu is not very different from normal flu. On the contrary, if you look at the number of cases it is nothing compared to a normal flu outbreak.”


More Documentation about Swine Flu Vaccine Safety
A recent article by Dr. Blaylock also highlights the many reasons why the vaccine may be far more dangerous than the virus. If you have interest in this issue I would strongly encourage you to read Dr. Blaylock’s article.
He states that the Baxter swine flu vaccine, called Celvapan, uses cultured cells from the African green monkey, which has previously been implicated as having transmitted a number of vaccine-contaminating viruses, including the HIV virus.
Likewise, Johannes Löwer, president of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, believes the side effects of the vaccine can be far worse than the actual swine flu virus, which typically causes only mild symptoms, requiring just a few days in bed.
As you may already know, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) consistently claim the seasonal flu kills about 36,000 Americans each year. After investigating that figure, it has been found to be a gross exaggeration based on flawed data compilation, but still, the swine flu has claimed FAR fewer lives than the seasonal flu in any given year, and no draconian measures have ever been taken to curtail the seasonal flu.
Based on a rational view of the numbers involved, the widespread fear over the swine flu certainly appears completely unwarranted.
I’d also like to point out that even though the World Health Organization’s web site claims that there has been at least 2,185 deaths from the swine flu worldwide, stating that: “Given that countries are no longer required to test and report individual cases, the number of cases reported actually understates the real number of cases,” the truth is likely quite different..
Why?
Because some countries, such as Great Britain, are now recording any and all cases of flu as the swine flu, based on nothing more than an online questionnaire.
How would this practice lead to an understatement of the real number of swine flu cases?
Without laboratory verification, it’s quite likely that a very large number of these so-called swine flu cases are in fact cases of seasonal flu.


Industry Versus Independent Research Findings -- Who are You Going to Believe?
Dr. Blaylock claims to have reviewed a number of studies on the immune adjuvant squalene, and found that several of the human test studies found it to be very safe. However, upon further investigation, they were all done by the pharmaceutical companies using the adjuvant.
However, a great number of the studies done by independent research facilities all found a strong link between squalene or MF-59 (which contains squalene) and autoimmune diseases.
Dr. Blaylock warns,
“Studies of other immune adjuvants using careful tracer techniques have shown that they routinely enter your brain following vaccination.
What most people do not know, even the doctors who recommend the vaccines, is that most such studies by pharmaceutical companies observe the patients for only one to two weeks following vaccination—these types of reactions may take months or even years to manifest.”
This is a major point.
If you were to develop an autoimmune disease years down the line, how would you ever be able to prove that your disease originated in a needle?
And worse, even if you could prove it, it wouldn’t do you any good, because vaccine manufacturers have cleverly manipulated government into granting them immunity against lawsuits, should any harm be caused by this experimental vaccine.


Why You Should Avoid Other Anti-Virals as Well
British researchers recently warned that the antiviral medication Tamiflu is “inappropriate for healthy adults.”
"Recommending the use of antiviral drugs for the treatment of people presenting with [flu] symptoms is unlikely to be the most appropriate course of action," they concluded.
The study, published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, recommends that healthy people who get the swine flu should NOT be treated with antivirals like Tamiflu or Relenza, unless they suffer complications from the flu.
Based on their findings, either drug will reduce your illness by about HALF A DAY.
For people with health conditions like diabetes or asthma, Relenza was able to cut sickness by just under one full day, and Tamiflu by three-quarters of a day, on average.
Seriously… Are the potentially serious side effects really worth the risk, to gain maybe half a day? You’ll STILL spend five or six days in bed, with or without the shot, as it does not necessarily PREVENT the flu, it just reduces the length of your illness by a few hours if you do get it!

Free Book on Vaccine Dangers
All truth passes through 3 stages:

1. First it is ridiculed


2. Second, it is violently opposed


3. Third, it is accepted as self evident
   

This famous quote by Arthur Schopenhauer is one of my favorites, and is, I believe, how history will in the end view the issue of vaccines.
Right now, we are in the second stage, and you can see that by statements such as the one made by the chief medical editor at NBC News, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, who is quoted as saying that “people should reject conspiracy theories about the vaccine’s safety, trust the government, and get your damn vaccine.”
Don’t fall for such irrational attempts to emotionally manipulate you away from the facts.
For a great review of why mandatory vaccinations are unconstitutional and illegal, I recommend the book “Horrors of Vaccination Exposed and Illustrated; Petition to the President to Abolish Compulsory Vaccination in the Army and Navy,” by Charles M. Higgins.
Written in 1920, the book is now in the public domain and can be read and downloaded for free by clicking this link. It discusses the dangers of vaccinations, the cover-ups of vaccine deaths, and explains your constitutional rights and the medical trends that are stripping those rights away, and is every bit as relevant today as it was when it was first written.
If you prefer a hardcopy version, you can also purchase the book, as it has recently been republished

Related Links:
WHO Admits to Releasing Pandemic Virus into Population via 'Mock-Up' Vaccines
Warning: Swine Flu Shot Linked to Killer Nerve Disease
Canada Looks at Vitamin D for Swine Flu Protection

One of the Key Herbs that Prevents and Treats Swine Flu

Ayurveda, India’s traditional 'science of life,' has the remedy for swine flu in the form of the basil leaves commonly known as Tulsi.
Tulsi is well known in India for its remarkable healing properties. But the anti-flu property of Tulsi has been discovered by medical experts across the world quite recently. Tulsi improves your body's overall defense mechanism, including its ability to fight viral diseases.Apart from acting as a preventive medicine, Tulsi can also help a patient recover faster.

Sources:
Yahoo News August 12, 2009


Dr. Mercola's Comments:
It’s no coincidence that Tulsi is known by the names:

• The Queen of Herbs



• The Incomparable One



• Elixir of Life



• The Mother Medicine of Nature



• Holy Basil

The stimulating powers of Tulsi have been recognized by ancient healers and sages, and Indians have long worshipped Tulsi as a sacred plant, using its branches, leaves and fragrance for purification purposes and to heighten spiritual awareness.
One of the reasons why I personally drink Tulsi tea, however, aside from the fragrant flavor, is that it is one of the most effective adaptogens (an agent that helps your body adapt more efficiently to stress) ever known.
But Tulsi also has another very beneficial “side effect,” and that is helping to prevent and treat swine flu.

According to the article linked above, Tulsi may:

1. Improve your body’s overall defense mechanisms, including its ability to fight viral diseases
2. Help speed up your recovery process if you do get the swine flu
3. Strengthen your immune system
   

These benefits may stem from Tulsi’s highly complex, unique chemistry. It contains beneficial compounds called phytochemicals -- naturally occurring compounds that plants produce to protect themselves against bacteria, viruses and fungi -- that interact and have strong antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and immune-enhancing properties that promote general health and maintain your body's natural defense against germs, stress and disease.
If you are concerned about the swine flu, I would highly recommend trying Tulsi over any of the flu drugs or vaccines now being offered.

Putting Swine Flu into Perspective
Even though swine flu appears to be continuing to spread, you need to know that this is typically a MILD illness. Most cases resolve with no medical care needed whatsoever.
If you are still considering taking the swine flu vaccine, please take a few minutes to get informed on the reasons why I don’t recommend it by reading these important articles:
Swine Flu is NOT the Problem -- It is the Vaccine that May Harm or Kill You
Squalene: The Swine Flu Vaccine’s Dirty Little Secret Exposed
Swine Flu Vaccine Makers to Profit $50 Billion a Year!!
Next, stay calm and do not buy into the ensuing paranoia and hysteria. To put this into perspective, look into the past Swine flu epidemic that NEVER materialized … or the Bird Flu Pandemic that never was either.
At the same time, do take care of your health to reduce or eliminate your risk of contracting any strain of influenza.
I am currently consulting with some of the leading experts on a swine flu product that I hope to have by the end of the year that will use completely natural ingredients that build your immune system.
In the meantime, the following 10 steps will typically be all you need to stay healthy, even in the midst of a pandemic:

1. Optimize your vitamin D levels.
   Optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency is likely the TRUE culprit behind the seasonality of the flu -- not the flu virus itself.
   This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. I would STRONGLY urge you to have your vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are therapeutic at 50-70 ng/ml and done by a reliable vitamin D lab like Lab Corp.
   For those of you in the US we hope to launch a vitamin D testing service through Lab Corp that allows you to have your vitamin D levels checked at your local blood drawing facility, and relatively inexpensively, soon. It the meantime, you can also take part in the D*Action Project to have your levels tested as part of a five-year study for public health.
   If you are coming down with flu-like symptoms and have not been on vitamin D you can take doses of 50,000 units a day for three days to treat the acute infection. Some researchers like Dr. Cannell, believe the dose could even be as high as 1000 units per pound of body weight for three days.
   However, most of Dr. Cannell's work was with seasonal and not pandemic flu. If your body has never been exposed to the antigens there is chance that the vitamin D might not work. The best bet is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D around 60 ng/ml.



2. Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness.



3. Get Enough Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. rest.



4. Use Effective Tools to Address Stress. We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using a tool such as the Meridian Tapping Technique (MTT), which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma.



5. Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads.



6. Take a high-quality source of animal-based omega-3 fats like Krill Oil. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are in trans fats and processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.



7. Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this -- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Also be careful not to over-wash your hands, which can damage your skin and allow an entryway for pathogens.



8. Eat Garlic Regularly. Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, virus, and protozoa in the body. And unlike with antibiotics, no resistance can be built up so it is an absolutely safe product to use. However, if you are allergic or don't enjoy garlic it would be best to avoid as it will likely cause more harm than good.



9. Avoid Hospitals and Vaccines. In the case of swine flu, I recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you're having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds, and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to this new bug. Vaccines, when available, will likely be ineffective and may lead to crippling paralysis like Guillain-Barré Syndrome just as it did in the ‘70s.



10. Take a High-Quality Probiotic or eat plenty of naturally fermented foods. Eighty percent of your immune system is located in your digestive system, so enhancing your gut health with probiotics is a very effective method to ward off cold and flu viruses.

Related Links:
Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic – Fact or Fiction?
Swine Flu Vaccine Makers to Profit $50 Billion a Year!!
Good Bacteria Fight the Flu

Green Tea Protects Against Heart Disease

A few cups of green tea each day may help prevent heart disease, Greek researchers found. Green tea improves both blood flow and the ability of arteries to relax.

When volunteers were given green tea, they experienced almost immediate benefits.

Other studies have shown that black tea also has benefits for cardiovascular health. However, green tea might be even better because it had higher quantities of beneficial compounds called flavonoids, some of which are lost in the oxidation process that black tea undergoes.

Flavonoids are also found in cocoa, tomatoes and grapes..

Sources:
European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation June 2008, 15(3):300-305
Reuters July 2, 2008


Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Other than water, high-quality green tea is one of the most beneficial beverages you can consume. The evidence just keeps pouring in as to why you should pour yourself a cup of this green drink.

Green tea catechins are a class of polyphenols, which are naturally occurring antioxidants.

The health benefits of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) -- the main active component of tea polyphenol's biological activity – are plentiful, including the prevention of:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• High blood lipid
• Arteriosclerosis
• Cerebral thrombus
• Prostate cancer
  Heart attack and stroke

Several studies have also found that EGCG can improve exercise performance, increase fat oxidation and prevent obesity, as it’s known to have a regulatory effect on fat metabolism. It can even help you to digest better!

Because green tea is the least processed tea, it contains the most EGCG of all tea varieties.

Are All Green Teas Healthy?

Absolutely not! Many green teas have been oxidized, and this process may take away many of the valuable properties. The easiest sign to look for when evaluating a green tea’s quality is its color: if your green tea is actually brown, it’s likely been oxidized.

When I drink green tea, I prefer matcha tea, and the color is a vibrant bright green and it is far less processed and of much higher quality than most green teas.

If you’re not familiar with tea you may have never heard of matcha tea. Rather than being steeped and strained like typical tea, matcha tea is made of tea leaves ground into a powder, and the powder gets added right into the water.

Because you are actually consuming the whole leaf, matcha tea is said to be one of the healthiest green teas out there.

Another thing to watch out for is purity. High-quality teas should be free of the potentially high levels of fluoride, lead, and aluminum that can be found in inferior green tea.

How Much Tea Can I Drink?!

There is a misconception that it takes pot upon pot of green tea to add up to any significant benefits. In reality, much of the research on green tea has been based on about three cups daily, including the study linked above. A cup of green tea will give you anywhere from 20-35 mg of EGCG, so three in a day will supply you with 60-105 mg. There are some studies that have used much higher doses than this -- upwards of 1,500 mg a day -- but as of now there’s now clear-cut evidence of exactly how much is best.

My advice? If you enjoy green tea, add a few cups to your day. And as always, listen to your body. If green tea doesn’t appeal to you, it’s probably not the best thing for your body.

Related Links:
Is Tea a Powerful Health Tonic?
Why Use Vaccine for HPV When Green Tea Works?
Healthy Green Tea Soda

Olive Leaf Extract Lowers Blood Pressure

The leaves of the olive tree have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times, and research has suggested that olive leaf extracts have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Now it also appears that a supplement containing olive leaf extract could help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

A study looked at 20 sets of identical twins with "borderline" hypertension -- blood pressure that is above the optimal level of 120/80, but below the cutoff of 140/90 used to diagnose high blood pressure. One member of each twin pair was given tablets containing olive leaf extract, while the other received no supplements but did get lifestyle advice on lowering blood pressure.

After eight weeks, supplement users taking 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract per day showed a substantial dip in their blood pressure overall, and lowered levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol. The twins who received no supplements showed no significant change in their blood pressure and a smaller improvement in cholesterol.

Sources:
Reuters September 3, 2008
Phytotherapy Research September 2008; 22(9):1239-42


Dr. Mercola's Comments:
The medicinal use of the leaves from the olive tree (Olea europaea) dates back thousands of years. In fact, it’s the first botanical healing herb cited in the Bible (Ezekiel 47:12): “The fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” There’s also recorded evidence that the ancient Egyptian and Mediterranean cultures used the leaves to treat a variety of health conditions.

The Traditional Uses of the Olive Plant
According to an in-depth phyto-pharmacological plant review of the olive plant in the January-May 2007 issue of Pharmacognosy Reviews, olive fruit, oil and leaves can be a significant natural source for treating a wide variety of health ailments.

Traditionally, the olive plant has been used as a:

• Diuretic
  
• Hypotensive


• Emollient


• Laxative


• Skin cleanser
• Treatment of urinary infections, gallstones, bronchial asthma and diarrhea
  

Most of the plant parts of the olive tree have been used in the traditional system of natural medicine throughout the world, for example:

Traditional uses of olive leaves include

• Orally for stomach and intestinal diseases
• Chewed as a mouth cleanser
• Decoctions of the dried fruit and leaves taken orally for diarrhea and to treat urinary tract infections
• Hot water extract of the fresh leaves taken orally to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and to induce urination (diuresis)
• Hot water extract of the dried plant taken orally for bronchial asthma
• Infusion of the fresh leaf taken orally as an anti-inflammatory

Traditional uses of olive oil include

• Seed oil taken orally with lemon juice to remove gall stones, and for kidney inflammation associated with lead intoxication
• Seed oil applied to the scalp nightly to prevent hair loss
• Seed oil taken orally as a laxative
• Applied externally as an emollient and skin moisturizer

Confirmed Heart Health Benefits of Olive Leaf Extracts

The possibility of a natural agent being able to help prevent heart disease and lower blood pressure is certainly worth noting, especially when you consider the damage that many, if not most, drugs can do. For example, beta-blockers -- a class of drugs frequently prescribed to manage high blood pressure and as cardioprotection after a heart attack -- have been found to cause type 2 diabetes by decreasing your insulin sensitivity.

As molecular biologist and lead researcher Tania Perrinjaquet-Moccetti stated in the article above, no single ingredient of the olive leaf extract can fully account for its confirmed blood pressure benefits. Rather she attributes the benefits seen in this study to the synergistic blend of various bioactive components of the olive leaf, the most significant of these being a compound called oleuropein.

The cardiovascular benefit of oleuropein is actually not a new discovery. Oleuropein was isolated back in the 1950s by Panizzi et al, who established that it was one of the primary compounds responsible for the bitter taste of the olive fruits and the leaves. They also determined that oleuropein was the active agent responsible for the hypotensive action of the extracts of the olive plant, which acts as an antioxidant and helps relax and dilate your blood vessels.

What this latest research does do, however, is confirm the effectiveness of this traditional remedy and establish an effective dosage: 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract per day.

Participants taking half that amount, or 500 mg/day did not achieve any substantial drop in their blood pressure.
Epidemiological data obtained from other clinical studies indicate that oleuropein may also play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases by limiting the formation of arterial plaque, by inhibiting LDL oxidation. Other studies have shown that olive leaf extracts may also possess antispasmodic, vasodilator, and anti-arrhythmic properties.

The Anti-Viral, Anti-Microbial Benefits of Olive Leaves
But the usefulness of olive leaf extract doesn’t end there. It has also been found to be a potent broad-spectrum antiviral agent, active against all viruses tested, including:

• Rhinovirus
• Myxoviruses
• Herpes simplex type 1and 2
• Herpes zoster
• Encephalomyocarditis
• Polio 1, 2 and 3
• Two strains of leukemia virus
• Numerous strains of influenza and para-influenza viruses.
  

One 2005 study published in the journal Antiviral Research proposed that olive leaf extracts could be used as a safe and natural antiviral. Common antiviral uses in the field of natural medicine include fighting colds and flu, yeast infections, and viral infections such as the hard-to-treat Epstein-Barr disease, shingles and herpes.

In-vitro studies have also established that olive leaf extract is an effective antimicrobial agent against a variety of pathogens that cause intestinal or respiratory infections, including:

• Salmonella typhi
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus
• Stapholycoccus aureus, including penicillin-resistant strains
• Klebsiella pneumonia
• Escherichia coli
  

It works by inhibiting the replication process of the pathogens, which disables the infection long enough for your immune system to eliminate it and prevent it from spreading.

And, if all of that wasn’t enough, olive leaves also have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-diabetic properties; have a beneficial impact on your thyroid; and the ability to inhibit cancer growth.

Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it?
But then again, maybe it was mentioned in the Bible for good reason. Nature is certainly full of powerful preventative treatments and potential cures for a host of diseases.

How to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally, Without Drugs
Before I get into how you can lower your blood pressure, it’s important to make sure you’re getting an accurate reading to begin with.

A significant number of people may actually be receiving altered blood pressure readings because the arm cuff used is the wrong size – which is a problem particularly for overweight or obese patients -- or because your arm is incorrectly placed while your blood pressure is taken.

You’ll want to make sure your arm is slightly flexed at the elbow with your wrist held at heart level, and that the blood pressure cuff is an appropriate fit for your arm. Also do not move your arm while the test is conducted as this may also lead to a faulty reading.

High blood pressure is a serious issue that can kill or permanently impair you, and it should not be ignored. It usually kills people slowly, over time, but very elevated blood pressures can surely cause a stroke.

Normally, high blood pressure goes down quite quickly and easily by addressing these three important factors:

1. Eliminate grains and sugars as described in my nutrition plan. This will lower insulin levels and normalize blood pressure in about 75 percent of people.
2. Address the common stresses in your life that tend to elevate blood pressure. EFT is a simple, effective, and inexpensive tool that you can use to help in this area.
3. Getting one hour of exercise a day seems to be an important contributor to the long-term benefits of those currently suffering from high blood pressure.

If you want to incorporate olive leaves as a natural adjunct, I’d recommend sticking with the fresh leaf liquid extracts for maximum synergistic potency. You can also prepare your own olive leaf tea by placing a large teaspoon of dried olive leaves in a tea ball or herb sack. Place it in about two quarts of boiling water and let it steep for three to 10 minutes. The tea should be a medium amber color when done.

Related Links:
How To Treat High Blood Pressure Without Drugs
Do You Have a Good Blood Pressure?
Arm Position May Alter Blood Pressure Readings