Flonase and Aspergillus: Related? Yep

Flonase (fluticasone propionate) is an inhaled nasal steroid designed to shut down your immune system from reacting to whatever is in the environment thereby preventing allergy symptoms.

Research and case studies have shown that repeated uses of Flonase, or high doses, may lead to aspergillus infecting the lungs.

Today in clinic:
A 60 year old female with long history of asthma as a child and adult-onset allergies presented today with an aspergillus lung infection in both lobes which began in 2003.

Brief history of onset:
She worked near a construction site where they were stirring up soil for a huge foundation project. Concurrently, she was using Flonase for 3 years as her allergies were acting up while working next to this construction site.

In 2002 she began having symptoms of coughing progressing to smelly, sticky, green mucous casts being coughed up. It wasn't until 9 months later that her MD ordered a X-ray and found odd findings in her lungs. Finally, 4 months after the X ray, MRIs and her demanding the MDs to evaluate the mucous, she had an infectious disease specialist say, "That looks like fungus." The MD analyzed it and sure enough, it was aspergillus. The MRI clusters in her lungs also confirmed it.

That was in 2003 and she still has the aspergillus today. She has been on numerous anti-fungals which have significantly improved her symptoms and even had part of her lung on one side removed in an attempt to remove an aspergillus colony. However, the surgery failed as she continues to cough green mucous if she stops taking the anti-fungals.

She told the MDs about the connection of Flonase (fluticasone) and Aspergillus in the lungs. They denied it. In fact, they told her to keep using it.

What I found:

• Study 1: Aspergillosis related to long-term nasal corticosteroid use.
• Study 2: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis associated with high-dose inhaled fluticasone.
• Study 3: Laryngeal aspergillosis following high dose inhaled fluticasone therapy for asthma.
  

So we found a potential link to why she has aspergillus in her lungs. Now to get it out. Her oral anti-fungal treatment is working but it is not killing all of the aspergillus.

So I dug further and found that nebulized liposomal amphotericin B is quite effective for many patients with aspergillosis. Along with that, n-acetyl cysteine has been shown to inhibit germination of conidia and growth of Aspergillus spp.

Good old garlic is effective as well according to research. We also prescribed an anti-fungal herbal tincture. We also gave her nebulized glutathione it is high in individuals with healthy lung function. The nebulized glutathione is mixed with the nebulized n-acetyl cysteine.

The n-acetyl cysteine will make her cough up all sorts of mucous and at the same time thin the green mucous allowing it to come up easily. Thus, we told her to do the nebulized glutathione and n-acetyl cysteine in the morning and the nebulized amphotericin B at night.

Along with that we told her to do contrast hot and cold towels on her chest to encourage blood flow to her lungs. Hot towels brings blood and lymph carrying the immune system in and cold towels flush out toxins by pushing out blood and lymph. Basically the hot and cold towels are a pump.

She returns in two weeks and we will see how she is doing.

Next time you reach for Flonase and you've been using it for years, consider visiting a naturopathic physician. A qualified ND may be able to assist you in overcoming asthma and your allergies potentially freeing you from Flonase and other steroids.

Until you visit a physician, absolutely do not cease the use of Flonase or other steroid inhalers. Doing so may kill you. Never stop the use of medications without talking with your doctor.

You may find a naturopathic physician by visiting the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians website.

If you find yourself not getting better or you are not being heard by your doctor, you have the right to find a different doctor. This woman did. It may have saved her life.

Cat Seizures: Gone in one treatment

For the last 9 months or so, my cat had minor seizures. They were getting progressively worse. I'd see her sleeping and then her whole head would shake along with her front legs. This would occur about every minute.

Being concerned I thought about what vet I would take her to and what they would do for her. I then figured that they likely would put her on an anti-seizure medicine like they would people.

So - I thought about what I'd do for a patient of mine with seizures and what would the first treatment be.

I knew her problem was neurological - obviously.

Next - was her problem an environmental one? Was she exposed to some pesticide or herbicide from my neighbor's yard? Something in her organic cat food? It wasn't her water as I give her filtered water. I don't feed her farmed fish or tuna as there is mercury in those.

Does she have a brain tumor?

I couldn't determine that right away so I went forward and treated her.

I got a dropper and filled it full of liquid EPA/DHA oil - a very concentrated form of it. I stabilized her head and squeezed the contents of the dropper into the back of her throat.

I watched her over the next few days.

Her seizures were significantly significantly less. I had to really study her to see a very slight tremor every now and then.

I re-dosed her a few days ago again with another dropperful of highly concentrated EPA/DHA fish oil.

I have not seen her seize or shake once since.

I still need to determine the cause of her seizures but at least I can rest that she is significantly better. I am less concerned now that it is a brain tumor as if it was, she would still have the seizures.

Why did the concentrated EPA/DHA fish oil work so well?

Brains and nerves are loaded with fatty acids. EPA/DHA omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and healing which the brain and all cell membranes feast upon.

Read about natural approaches for epilepsy - written by Alan Gaby, MD - a world-renowned nutritional scientist, researcher and physician.

Some EPA research:

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with chronic epilepsy: a randomized trial.

Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.

Animal studies and a preliminary clinical observation suggest that nutritional supplementation with long chain omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3 FAs) may be useful in the nonpharmacological treatment of patients with epilepsy. Omega-3 FAs increase seizure thresholds, and lower inflammatory mediators, which are increased in patients with epilepsy. In this first randomized, placebo-controlled parallel group trial of omega-3 FA supplementation with 1 g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 0.7 g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) daily, 57 patients completed a 12-week double-blind phase. Seizure frequency was reduced over the first 6 weeks of treatment in the supplement group, but this effect was not sustained. The supplementation produced a significant increase in EPA and DHA concentrations and a reciprocal fall in arachidonic and linoleic acid concentrations.

Food Additives: European E-Numbers Defined

You know what sodium benzoate is, tartrazine and MSG. If you're conscious of how harmful they are, you don't buy products with that crap in it.

Yet if you go to Europe, you cannot see those ingredients defined. They use numbers and codes over there.

To help you:

• E211 is sodium benzoate, a nasty preservative and when it is mixed with vitamin C (ascorbic acid), it reacts to form benzene which is cancer-causing. These ingredients are commonly found in soda. Many companies are removing them but many also keep it in.
  
• E621 is monosodium glutamate, the "flavor enhancer"
• E110 is sunset yellow which is an azo dye
  
• E104 is quinoline which is an azo dye
• E102 is tartrazine which is an azo dye. The azo dyes are problematic in many children
• E122 is carmoisine which is a dye
  
• E124 is ponceau 4R which is a dye
• E129 is allura red AC which is a dye

Coke contains no sodium benzoate, but it is found in many of Coca-Cola's other brands such as Oasis, Dr Pepper and Sprite.

A spokesman for Coca-Cola said: "We use preservatives in some of our products - particularly those that include fruit - to ensure that they remain unspoiled throughout their shelf life, whether people are able to store them in a fridge or not.

Tartrazine is known to cause the most allergic and/or intolerance reactions of all the azo dyes, particularly in those with an aspirin intolerance and asthmatics. Other reactions may include migraine, blurred vision,itching, rhinitis and purple skin patches, (because of this more use is now being made of Annatto which is E160b.

In conjunction with Benzoic acid, tartrazine appears to create an over-activity in children. Not recommended for consumption by children.

A great resource for E-Numbers and their definitions:
The UK Food Guide

Print out the list and take it with you next time you head for the EU.

Taurine: An excellent nutrient

Even though it is abused by the energy drink industry, taurine has many therapeutic applications which many physicians fail to recognize.

Taurine can:

• reduce bad cholesterol
• lower elevated liver enzymes
• improve skin healing
• improve heart function and strength
• reduce blood pressure
• increase the effect of insulin
• increase breastmilk production
• reduce seizures
• assist with drinking cessation
  
• reduce toxicity of environmental exposures
• reduce malabsorption of nutrients
• reduce lung problems
• reduce liver damage during total parenteral nutrition
  

That's a huge list and I'm not even done. I spent 4 hours researching taurine today and I'm overwhelmed.

It's good.

Well, taurine is good unless you have or are susceptible to:

• migraines
• hypothyroidism
• low blood sugar
• prolactinoma
• perhaps infertility - depends on why you're infertile as it may help - it is known to be good for infertile men as it makes sperm healthy
  

Infertility: Alternative Therapies for Infertile Women

Being infertile may not be the end-all diagnosis and it may not have to require $10,000 dollars which may or may not correct the problem. If you find that you are not ovulating (which is anovulation), there are many causative factors.

During Endocrinology this morning, a naturopathic physician brought up some interesting points regarding anovulation:

• sleep with your room absolutely black as this blocks melatonin production. If you cannot get your room black, get an eye mask.
• evaluate serum prolactin levels as elevated prolactin stops ovulation. (this is why breastfeeding mom's do not ovulate)
• evaluate thyroid hormone levels because if they are elevated, then TRH is elevated which then elevates prolactin.
• if you are taking melatonin supplements, this may be a factor as melatonin slows the release of GnRH which triggers sex hormones to be released
• have a full spectrum light and stare into it for 30 minutes every morning
• as mentioned above, make sure your bedroom is pitch black every night except for nights 12-14 have a 5 watt night light plugged in. This little light acts as artificial moonlight which is known to trigger ovulation. Make sure that the night light is only 5 watts and on for nights 12-14 of your cycle.

A case study of an infertile woman:

A woman of child-bearing age who was not ovulating was evaluated for infertility. The doctors found that she had a fibrotic fallopian tube which prevented her from getting pregnant. They said the only way she could get pregnant is if they surgically repaired the tube.

I guess they forgot that woman have two fallopian tubes.

She came to see a naturopathic physician as she didn't want the surgery. The ND ordered the following labs: TSH, prolactin, CBC, chem panel, female sex hormones along with a few others. Her labs showed she was hypothyroid, had elevated prolactin and her estrogen and progesterone levels were fine.

The ND prescribed armour thyroid, multivitamin, and told her about how to sleep properly with a dark bedroom except for nights 12-14 with the night light, stop taking her melatonin supplement and to stare into the full spectrum light each morning for 30 minutes.

In 3 months, she was pregnant as her thyroid stabilized, prolactin went back to normal levels and allowed her body to ovulate.

If you're diagnosed as infertile, locate a physician who will work with you to find the cause. Why are you infertile? That is the question and then it is up to your physician to assist you in finding ways to resolve it.

It is not always necessary to have expensive treatments.

Schools of Natural Health

Natural health is becoming the area to become a professional.

The question is:
How do you become a natural health professional that is legitimate?

There are many natural health schools out there and many natural health schools say they are accredited.

Are they truely? No.

The real accredited natural health schools in the USA are:

• Bastyr University located in Seattle, WA (my school)
• National College of Natural Medicine located in Portland, OR (the first natural health school)
• Southwest College of Natural Medicine located in sunny Arizona
• Bridgeport School of Natural Medicine located in CT

That is it folks.

If you are thinking that you can get an online natural health degree and be respected in the medical world, think again.

If you want to become a primary care physician within the realm of natural health, then the 4 accredited schools above are your only credible choices.

If you think natural health is cool and you want to learn a bit about it without spending 5 years of your life post-graduate, without becoming a licensed primary care physician and without much cost, then perhaps Clayton College of Natural Health is for you.

Clayton College of Natural Health is an online program where you sit at home and in about 6-8 months and about $9 grand later, you can call yourself a naturopathic doctor. Well - that isn't too cool as my title is also a naturopathic doctor and I went to school for 5 years to get it. They didn't.

I will soon graduate from Bastyr University and be a primary care physician heavily trained in medicine. The online graduates of Clayton are certificate holders which basically means they read some books at home and call themselves doctors.

Be careful out there.

If you want to know more about true naturopathic physicians, visit the American Association of Naturopathic Professionals - called the AANP

Ask your natural health doctor from where they graduated. If they don't say either Bastyr, NCNM, Southwest (SCNM) or Bridgeport, run the other way.

Blood Sugar Imbalanced? A common issue...

Imbalanced blood sugar is a common issue for many people. While many think this is only related to diabetes, it is not - far from.

Three common causes of imbalanced blood sugar are inadequate dietary protein intake, infrequent eating or long term stress causing what I call 'trashed adrenals.'

Imbalanced blood sugar may cause (the ones in italics are very common):

• excessive fatigue
• nervousness and irritability
• pms
• salt craving
• mental depression
• sugar cravings
• allergies
• headache
• alcohol and caffeine intolerance
• neck and shoulder pain
• muscle aches
• confusion
• poor memory
• heart palpitations
• anger and frustration
• stomach problems
• lightheadedness
• constipation or diarrhea
• fainting or fainting spells
• insomnia
  
• Waking early early in the morning like 2-4 am and having to eat something
• night time person - love the late nights
• cannot get up out of bed
  

Warning signs of imbalanced blood sugar are:

• You get dizzy or lightheaded when you get up from sitting or laying down.
• Getting cold, shivering and then sweating hot
• Faster heart rate
• Losing body hair
• Losing weight
• Fainting
• Sudden anger
  
• Dry skin and thinner skin

What to do about imbalanced blood sugar?

• Eat more frequently and have a protein portion with every meal and snack
• Limit simple sugars
• Eat a hearty protein breakfast like eggs, meat, or protein powder smoothie
• Exercise
• Proper rest
• Remain calm as much as you can - supplements and herbs can assist with this.
• remaining calm is easier to do once your blood sugar is stablized with proper protein.

A couple patients I've seen with imbalanced blood sugar:

• 50 year old man with a 10 year history of alternating severe anger, followed by depression leading to suicidal thoughts of stepping in front of a bus every 2 weeks. Reported cold sweats, sugar cravings, commonly skipped breakfast, diet consisting of mainly carbohydrates and sugary foods as he felt they gave him energy.
  
• Advised he eat a protein smoothie breakfast, have protein with every single meal, and eat every 2 hours.
• Three weeks later he followed up and reported no more sugar cravings, no more cold sweats, no more severe anger and no more depression. His wife was in tears as her husband was emotionally stable.
• Cost: only 2 patient visits and a high quality protein powder.

• 26 year old female diagnosed with BiPolar. History of nausea and vomiting improved with marijuana. Vomiting after every meal unintentionally. Easily stressed or sad from the slightest provocation. 8 cups of coffee daily, intense headaches daily, no lunch, energy bar for snack, lightheaded, dizzy upon standing from sitting.
• Advised protein smoothie breakfast, eat every 2 hours with some form of protein, go to bed at 10pm and no later, reduce coffee intake, multivitamin, cod liver oil, high B vitamin complex
• First return in one week: no more headaches and stopped marijuana as felt she didnt need it anymore. Sleeping well, reduced coffee to 4 cups a day, diet still lacking in protein intake but eating breakfast protein smoothie.
• We ordered a fasting 2 hour post-prandial glucose tolerance test with fasting insulin and fasting glucose.
  
• Likely test result: reactive hypoglycemia secondary to adrenal exhaustion.
• Future treatment: support her adrenals with herbal tincture and ensure protein every 2 hours.
• Most likely she is not BiPolar at all. Rather she is suffering from hypoadrenocorticism. According to Dr John Tintera:
• "Dr Tintera found pateints with hypoadrenocorticism have blood sugar instability that leads some of them to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar or neurotic. The hypoadrenocorticism in these patients is typically observed on glucose tolerance testing to cause functional reactive hypoglycemia.

Gout, Diuretics and High Blood Pressure: Connected?

Patient came in today reporting recurring monthly episodes of gout causing such intense pain that she has to go to the ER and get treated ASAP.

Her diet is impeccable without the typical deli meats which so many gout sufferers consume regularly.

I had to find a link and am considering the fact that her commonly prescribed loop diuretic drug, hydrochlorothiazide, is causing her gout.

According to the standard medical bible, Merck Manual, hydrochlorothiazide may cause hyperuricemia...which is...gout. Hydrochlorothiazide also increases glucose intolerance which a diabetic definitely does not need. And while we're at it, we may as well add that it causes low blood potassium levels which she also has.

Folks - when you wonder what your symptoms are caused from always consider your prescribed medications AND the over-the-counter medications like Sudafed, Aspirin, Prilosec OTC, and so on.

I find time and time again that the symptoms reported by the patients I see are caused by the medications they are on.

This does not mean you stop taking the meds. It means you go to the physician who prescribed the medications to you and politely ask, "Doc, please look at the medications I am taking and see if they are causing any of my symptoms. If they are, let's see if there is another medication that I may use instead."

There are natural potential alternatives to hydrochlorothiazide. Depending on the dose and on the patient, dandelion leaf and parsley root are known for their diuretic effects.

But she may not even need a diuretic if we are able to find the cause of her high blood pressure. Maybe she has high stress in her life (ding - she does), maybe she has low potassium which is known to trigger high blood pressure (ding - she does), maybe she has low magnesium which is known to trigger high blood pressure (she's stressed so yes she does have low magnesium)......

Sometimes the symptoms, ie. side effects, of meds cannot be helped as life and death are on the line.

However, in my patient's case, it is not life or death. She is going to have a chat with her prescribing doc.

Have a question about a drug? Visit: Drug Digest

Neti Pots & Oprah: She's at it again!

Do you suffer from chronic sinus congestion? Allergies? Sinus headaches? Taking over-the-counter meds to dampen the congestion?

The neti pot does help loads of folks with sinus issues. I guess so much so that Oprah put in a good word - twice!

I thank you Oprah for informing the world about a simple possible alternative to antibiotics, anti-histamines, decongestant medications and sinus surgeries.

I have the plastic neti pot in my shower and use it whenever I feel congested in the morning - which is rare now as I stopped drinking dairy products.

Maybe you should stop dairy as well...and add a neti pot to your routine.

Asthma Sufferers: Simple Easy Tips

I've seen too many asthma patients suffering recently. Our air is becoming more polluted daily leading to more asthmatics.

Doctors commonly forget one simple suggestion:
Drink 8-10 cups of filtered water daily.

Why is this important?
Water assists in thinning the thick sticky mucous which pains so many asthmatics. Click the image below to see the details. See the inflamed bronchial tube filled with mucous?

Water also assists in diluting blood histamine. Histamine is what causes sudden fast inflammatory reactions. If one can block histamine, then sudden immune reactions can also be blocked.

Other supplements which assist in reducing histamine:
Vitamin C, quercetin, MSM, water!

There are also some items which assist in reducing asthma attacks:
HEPA air filters (do not get ozone forming ones!!!), HEPA vacuum, water filters, shower filters, dust mite covers for your bed and pillows.

Lifestyle tips for reducing asthma attacks:
Wash your bedding weekly in hot water to kill dust mites and remove dust.

Toss your pillow in the dryer weekly to kill dust mites and remove dust.

Put air filters in your bedroom, workplace and other areas where you reside most often.

Avoid smokers and smoking

Determine food allergens: wheat, dairy products and eggs are common foods which do not cause an immediate allergy but do create a low level chronic inflammatory process. This leads to mucous formation and histamine.

Breathe deeply and calmly. Shallow upper chest breathing is not providing oxygen. There is a special method of breathing which has helped many asthmatics. This breathing technique is called the Buteyko Method.

Yet the easiest thing you can do is what???

Drink 8-10 cups of pure water daily. Every day Drink pure Water.

Simple. Effective. Easy.

Obviously this is no substitute for your inhalers or other meds. Hopefully you'll be able to reduce the amount of times you use it.

For more natural approaches to asthma treatment, visit a naturopathic physician.

Drugs, Docs and Diggs: Conflict? You bet.

I read the weekly email from American Family Physician. The letter to the editor this week is especially cool and needs to be shared to all.

Many medical doctors are fed up with drug reps as well - and these two docs let AFP know this loud and clear.

Letters to the Editor of American Family Physician

Medicine and the Pharmaceutical Industry:

A Call to Action

TO THE EDITOR:

At our practice, we continue to regularly receive a barrage of invitations to free dinners, offers to attend professional athletic venues, and all-expenses-paid consultant meetings at five-star hotels. These events are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies under the umbrella of medical education and research. Why is this still occurring? In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the major medical organizations and medical journals established guidelines to address the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and medicine. Studies and literature reviews show that gifts to physicians from the pharmaceutical industry influence prescribing patterns of residents and physicians, and the formulary requests of physicians.1

Despite this, the amount of money pharmaceutical companies spend on direct marketing to physicians continues to rise at a rapid pace. According to the U.S. General Accountability Office, drug companies spent $16 billion on direct marketing to physicians in the United States in 2001, more than $19,000 per physician. Promotions to physicians accounted for more than 80 percent of all marketing spending by drug companies in 2001. Direct-to-consumer spending by pharmaceutical companies was $2.7 billion in 2001, up 145 percent since 1997.2

The amount of money spent on promotional activities affects prescribing habits and the cost of medications. Systematic reviews have confirmed that prescribing patterns of physicians differ depending on the frequency of contacts with pharmaceutical representatives. Physicians who have more frequent contact with the pharmaceutical industry are less likely to prescribe generic drugs and more likely to prescribe new drugs.3

The pharmaceutical industry may be influencing clinical practice guidelines and are beginning to fund postgraduate education. Major medical journals require authors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical companies; however, there is no similar requirement for clinical practice guideline panel members. In a cross-sectional survey of 192 authors of 44 clinical practice guidelines published between 1991 and 1999, 87 percent had some tie with the pharmaceutical industry, and 58 percent had received financial support to perform the research. Another concerning trend is that residency and fellowship programs are using pharmaceutical monies to fund residency activities.4,5

Where are the major medical associations on these issues? Major journals are dominated by pharmaceutical advertisements, and continuing medical education (CME) is increasingly being underwritten by pharmaceutical companies. At major medical meetings, physicians are enveloped in the embrace of the pharmaceutical industry from registration to the exhibition hall to "breakfast and dinner lectures." It is time for our major associations to step forward and address the effect the pharmaceutical industry has on rising drug costs and rational prescribing patterns. Our leaders need to address the industry influence on publication bias, clinical practice guidelines, CME, and medical education. If we continue to slip backward, every facet of our profession is in danger of being dominated by pharmaceutical industry agendas.

Melissa M. Stiles, MD

bruce barrett, md, phd
University of Wisconsin

Department of Family Medicine

777 South Mills
Madison, WI 53715

Skin Care Products: Which ones are toxic? Find out.

From my buds at the Environmental Working Group:

Dear Friends,

Today we are releasing a dramatically expanded and improved version of our popular cosmetics and personal care products database, Skin Deep. The site has been redesigned top to bottom, and we've added ratings for nearly 10,000 more products.

Now in its fourth year and third major update, our Skin Deep product safety database provides safety ratings for nearly 25,000 personal care products - almost a quarter of all products on the market - and the 7,000 ingredients they contain. Due to gaping loopholes in federal law, companies can put virtually any ingredient into personal care products. Even worse, the government does not require pre-market safety tests for any of them. Our aim is to fill in where companies and the government left off.

Skin Deep is the only tool available to consumers to assess and compare the safety of personal care products.

Looking for safer sunscreen to protect the kids this summer? Or shampoos without dangerous preservatives? Skin Deep helps you learn what not to buy, and helps you find safer options for you and your family.

And along with adding thousands of products and a dozen new toxicity databases, we have also overhauled the look and feel of Skin Deep. You'll find it easier to search for products and find answers about how chemicals affect our health.

While we believe that making informed shopping decisions matters, the lack of safety testing reveals major gaps in our system of public health protections. So how can you make a difference?

• First, please visit Skin Deep and sign the EWG Action Fund petition to Congress demanding that manufacturers prove the safety of their products before they are allowed to sell them.

• Second, make a donation to support our work. We rely on individuals to provide us with the funds to update the database and make a difference in Congress.

At about one million page views per month and growing, Skin Deep is the world's most popular online product safety guide. Many thanks for your support. Enjoy the new and improved Skin Deep.

Jane Houlihan
VP for Research

Brominated Vegetable Oil. In your beverage? Don't drink it.

Brominated Vegetable Oil is banned in over 100 countries. We lovely Americans only 'limit' it in our foods and drinks.

Why?

Without brominated vegetable oil in your soda, the soda would not look so good or taste so good. You wonder how those diabetic-causing beverage companies can squeeze in so much sugar? 11 teaspoons per can?

Brominated Vegetable Oil.

You can find Brominated Vegetable Oil near you in:
Squirt, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Gatorade, Sundrop, Squirt, Fresca or any other citrus-flavored crap.

Bromine also has shown to interfere with thyroid function - so well in fact that researchers used bromine to reverse iodine toxicity.

Folks - you need iodine to bind to your thyroid - not bromine. If you're hypothyroid and drink lemon-flavored soda - stop will ya?

People have been sent to the Emergency Room with bromine poisoning as they drank so much of that soda stuff.

Read what Wikipedia has to say about Brominated Vegetable Oil.

Cause of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): Pollution & Toxic Exposure

So you have heard of Lupus - the infamous disease which causes a raccoon-like mask. I wish that was all it caused.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus was found in many people living in homes built on an old oilfield.

Connection? You bet.

Read the excerpt from the article:
"An alarmingly high number of people living in houses built on top of a disused oilfield in New Mexico have been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus. It is the latest in a growing number of lupus clusters near polluted areas, and points towards the environmental triggers for this complex disease."

If you know of someone who has Lupus, please attempt to find the cause of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

There is typically a cause for everything isn't there?

The old phrase of 'cause-n-effect' applies to disease as well - at least it should.

Read the full article at New Science:
Lupus cluster at oilfield points finger at pollution

Learn more about environmental problems which are being fought daily by the Environmental Working Group.

Our Environment & Our Chemicals. Our Health??

You hear it all the time. Our planet is becoming more toxic. Our water, our food, our toys, our homes, our everything.

Well - it is true.

Maybe I am more aware of it as I am going to specialize in Environmental Medicine. But you should also be aware of it. My goal is to educate people on how to limit daily toxic exposures.

I recommend subscribing to this daily newsletter if you have:
asthma, cancer, want to prevent disease, autism, cfs, fibromyalgia, arthritis, autoimmune disease and so on.

Check out:
Environmental Health News

Another great website:
Environmental Working Group

I support EWG every month with a $100.00 cash. Some people by lattes every day. I save up, don't drink coffee and give it back EWG. They are blowing the whistle on many big toxic punk companies out there.

Ever hear of DuPont? Ever hear of how toxic Teflon is? Well, EWG informed the world how toxic Teflon is.

Practice the basics:

• Filtered water
• Organic foods
• Air filters
• No perfumes, food colorings, nasty paints
• No carpet in your home
• No gas stove or gas furnace
• Breathe deeply with fresh air daily
• Multivitamin
• Shower filter to remove chlorine
• Bowel movement daily
• 8 hours sleep
• Castor oil packs on your liver once a week perhaps
• Find a good naturopathic physician
• Play!