Newsletter Archive

CELLPHONES ARE HARMFUL

Yes, there I've gone and said it. Mobile phones do cause ill-

ness and there is a variety of data that proves it. The

occasional brief use of the phone held against your head

is of no concern and isn't a problem. But the studies show

that the risk of tumors of the brain and head increase with

length and duration of use. In other words there is a dose

response relationship likeany other irritant or poison.

The more you use it the more likely the harmful effect.

I recommend that you look at the information presented

at this website: www.radiationresearch.org.

It's hard to find reliable and unbiased data. Like we have

seen with trials of medications negative studies aren't

published and drug companies underwrite many that are

designed to get the results the sponsor desires. But it seems

clear to me that independant research shows that for every

100 hours of cellphone use, the risk of brain cancer

increases by 5%, and for every year of use the risk goes up 8%.

Afterall the phone has power to send a signal for miles via

microwaves. That is significant energy,and it's held against the

head. The research is so convincing that a fewEuropean countries have limitedsales of the devices to children,allowing use only for texting ormandating earphone use.

I recommend that you only use your mobile phone routinely

with an earpiece, and consider a text only device for your child.

That will keep it off of your heads where it does its damage.

We will deal with the early thumb arthritis prevention from

texting and gaming with thumbs at another time.

VITAMINS: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Vitamins are necessary for health and longevity. The health food industry promotes vitamins vigorously selling them as prevention for various diseases. There is a lot of money to be made, but what about the claims? For at least two vitamins, Folic Acid and A (Beta-carotene) studies have shown that in high doses these essential nutrients can actually be harmful.

Vitamins are micronutrients needed for well being in tiny amounts compared to macronutrients like protein, fat or carbohydrates. Most vitamins act as catalysts which allow certain chemical reactions or functions to occur. In my opinion when our bodies have quite enough of a vitamin then the excess is gotten rid of or can act as an irritating or toxic chemical. Many of you have noticed that a few hours after taking a high potency B vitamin your urine turns bright yellow or chartreuse. That is the body getting rid of excess water soluble B.

In a number of studies Vitamin A and Beta-carotene have been proved to increase the incidence of lung cancer among smokers. The doses were 25,000 IU of A and 30 mg. of Beta-carotene (ATBC trial, CARET study). Also in another large trial there was no benefit or harm found in healthy men taking supplements (Physicians’ Health Study).

A recent study on Folic Acid and cancer in Norway found that after about 7 years of use those people taking the test supplement with Folic Acid developed cancer 21% more often than others. This is a disturbing finding as Folic Acid deficiency is not uncommon and known to cause various blood illnesses and even Spina Bifida in newborns of mothers who don’t have enough.

The same may be true for other vitamins given in large doses. But they haven’t been subjected to clinical trials. Certainly the health food industry isn’t interested in such. For these reasons I do not routinely recommend high potency vitamins. Rather I advise an insurance formula preparation that has just 100% of the Daily Allowance. That way both deficiency and toxicity are avoided. Of course the best way to get micronutrients is through whole foods.

H1N1 Influenza Update

Now that the global south has experienced the flu season, there is more to report about what might happen here in the Bay Area. Countries with excellent public health reporting systems have documented that their influenza outbreaks reached near epidemic levels. It is also quite clear that although widespread the violence of the flu illness has not been severe.

As the summer ends in the northern hemisphere there have already been H1N1 influenza outbreaks at schools, particularly colleges as students return to campus. I think we can expect a robust flu season, but not one that is especially lethal. Studies of deaths of children from H1N1 illness that occurred in the US last spring showed that those who died most commonly had preexisting conditions that made them susceptible to the dire consequences of influenza.

It is very important to get early treatment for any illness that has fever above 101 particularly for youth and those with chronic illness, emphysema or immune dysfunction. Of course homeopathic treatment is the preferred medicinal approach.

Flu prevention can never be perfect as it is passed by droplet from coughing and sneezing as well as close contact like hand shakes and hugs/kisses. The usual measures should be followed:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other measures to keep our distance from each other to lessen the spread of flu.

DHEA Not the Fountain of Youth

The hormone DHEA is produced in generous amounts in women and men until the third decade of life, when production begins to markedly and progressively decline with age. The decrease of DHEA production as we age has led to the marketing of various supplements that claim to do everything from increasing the ability to exercise and express sexual power to reversing the aging process itself. To test these claims studies were done in 2006 and 2008. Postmenopausal women were prescribed exercise with and without DHEA. Both studies revealed that the administration of DHEA to postmenopausal women did indeed increase blood levels of DHEA and also total testosterone, estradiol, estrone and insulin-like growth factor-1. But exercise alone resulted in similar changes both with and without DHEA. It was clear from these studies that exercise improves physical performance and hormone function in women, and that DHEA does not result in further improvement. The bottom line is clear: EXERCISE, not drugs is the way to go. Other research suggests that the decline of hormones as we age actually has an anti-cancer effect. So adding hormones artificially might cause cancer.

Cell Phones and Male Fertility

There is great controversy over whether the use of mobile phones is harmful to humans. The subject is muddled by the incredible amount of money made through sales of phones and products related to them. Also confusing the issue is the popularity of these phones in our daily lives. I have been very concerned over potential health effects because of how close to the head the phone’s small but powerful transmitter is held. For safety I advise my patients who use these devices routinely to ONLY use them with an ear piece, and never hold the phone up to the head. Some studies have shown that the phones increase users’ blood pressure because the transmitter causes the arteries in the brain to contract. A study reported in 2008 was conducted at a fertility clinic. They looked at mobile phone use by men undergoing infertility evaluations. It was found that sperm quality decreased as the usage of the phones increased in the men studied. Another reason to be wary of the safety claims of the telephone industry.

Antibiotics Don’t Work for Sinusitis

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (12/5/2007, p298) showed that neither antibiotics nor nasal steroid sprays were any better than placebo in treating Acute Bacterial Sinusitis that was diagnosed clinically in a primary care setting. Clear evidence of infection was required to be included in the study. This study adds to a growing body of clinical data that proves that in isolated acute sinus infection the usual treatment given is useless. The same is shown by studies of acute ear infections in children. Homeopathy is an excellent first line treatment for these conditions as it encourages a natural healing effort without toxicity.

Hard Plastic Causes Disease

Studies done by everyone except the plastics industry show hard plastics that contain a chemical called BPA cause a variety of illnesses. These polycarbonates are tough and lightweight and used for baby bottles, sippy cups, water bottles, food storage containers, plastic eating utensils and liners for food and soda cans. Polycarbonates are one of the plastics that have the number 7 symbol on them. BPA mimics estrogen so disrupts our hormone balance. It is linked increased rates of breast and prostate cancer, early puberty in girls, diabetes, ADHD and urogenital problems in male babies. AVOID BPA by using baby bottles of glass or BPA free plastic; storing food in glass, porcelain or stainless steel; never microwaving food in plastic containers and replacing canned foods with fresh, frozen or new boxed or non-BPA lined canned foods.

Selective Publication of Positive Drug Trials

Researchers looked at 12 anti-depressants approved by the FDA in the last 20 years. Of 38 clinical trials with positive results 37 were published. But of 36 with negative results only 14 were published and in 11 of those the authors drew positive conclusions that conflicted with the FDA’s analysis. As a result doctors can overestimate the benefit of the drugs studied.

DO ANTIDEPRESSANTS WORK? When researchers looked at many studies on anti-depressants they concluded that the medications showed only modest benefit over placebo. If unpublished but well done studies were included in the analysis the benefit fell below criteria for clinical significance. It had been thought that while not useful for mild or moderate depression that these drugs still helped those with severe depression. But this analysis showed that it was not that the severely depressed were helped more, but that the severely depressed were less responsive to placebo, so falsely appeared to be helped more.

FOOD ADDITIVES AND HYPERACTIVITY

A recent study in the United Kingdom exposed 153 children to placebo and to two mixtures of fruit drinks with different amounts of various common food colorings and additives. Parents and teachers were asked to rate the behavior of each child while on each of the three drinks. One drink had additives equivalent to that from about 4 ounces of candy and the other from 8 ounces. The smaller amount was given to younger children and had significant negative effect on their behavior and the larger amount given to older kids had a significant negative effect on them.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND H. PYLORI

H. pylori is a bacteria that lives in our stomachs. It is present in more that 50% of the people over the age of 60. Most have no symptoms, but just carry the bacteria as a normal part of their digestive tract. About 15% of the people who carry H. pylori develop ulcers. In standard medicine the treatment for ulcers and even for the carrier state once discovered is antibiotics, believing that H. pylori is the cause of the ulcer. Of course, homeopathy can be used as an alternative. And natural medical theory says that the bacteria is not the cause but once an ulcer develops enjoys living in the diseased area more easily than its usual niche.

In 2007 a large study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (167:821-827) which uncovered that this common bacteria has important influences on human health in a positive way. It clearly showed that those who harbor H. pylori (especially cagA+ strains) were significantly less likely to have asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever). This was most true for children.

It is quite possible that the rise in asthma rates have to do with the wholesale antibiotic eradication of H. pylori as well as the rise in air pollution.