\n Mercola.com

New Film \“Second Opinion\” Exposes the Truth About a 40-Year\nLong Cover-Up of Laetrile Cancer Treatment

\n\n \nSecond Opinion: Laetrile At\nSloan-Kettering - by Eric Merola (Watch free from Oct. 18 - Oct.\n24, 2014) from \nMerola Films on \nVimeo. \n \nBy Dr. Mercola\n \n\n If you are old enough, you might recall a controversy in the\nearly 1970s regarding the compound Laetrile, purported to prevent\nthe spread of \ncancer. New York’s\nMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was ground zero in that\nfirestorm. \n In the early 1970s, America’s \n\nwar on cancer was in full force, and Sloan Kettering was\nregarded as one of the world’s leading cancer research centers. \n But Sloan Kettering’s Board of Directors swept positive findings\nabout Laetrile under the rug when it became unprofitable and\npublicly unpopular for them to support it. \n Their Laetrile research was done under their own roof by one of\nthe world’s most respected cancer researchers of the day—Dr.\nKanematsu Sugiura. One person—and only one—has come forward with\nthe truth about what turned out to be one of the most reprehensible\ncover-ups in the history of cancer research. \n In 1974, young science writer Ralph Moss had just netted his\nfirst big-time job in Sloan Kettering’s public relations\ndepartment, but he soon found himself smack dab in the middle of\nthe Laetrile fiasco. \n In July 1977, Moss was no longer willing to lie on behalf of his\nemployer, so he exposed the truth about Sloan Kettering’s conduct\nat a highly publicized press conference. The next business day he\nwas fired and swiftly escorted to the door by armed guards. \n This story is personally recounted in a new documentary \nSecond Opinion: Laetrile at Sloan Kettering,\n\n1, \n\n2\n in which Moss reveals the full extent of the Laetrile\ncover-up, in its entirety, as an insider. He’s also written a book\nabout it, called \nDoctored Results. \n Eric Merola is an award winning documentarian whose prior work\nincludes \n\n\nBurzynski: The Movie\n and \n\n\nBurzynski—Cancer is Serious Business, Part II.\n The experience was life changing for Ralph Moss, who has since\ndevoted his career to independently evaluating the claims of\nconventional and nonconventional cancer treatments. \n The fact that mainstream media has embraced this documentary\nwith positive reviews is rather astonishing, and perhaps a sign of\nchanging times. \n\n \n\“Though a documentary, it’s dramatic enough to be reminiscent\nof ‘The Insider,’ the whistleblowing thriller about Big\nTobacco.\”\n
—Graham Fuller, \nNew York Daily News, August 28, 2014 \n\n\n What Is Laetrile? \n\n Laetrile is the patented drug made from the natural compound\namygdalin, found in the seeds of many fruits, such as \napricot, plum\nand peach pits, apple seeds, and quince, as well as in almonds.\nLaetrile is also known as Amigdalina B-17 or vitamin B17, although\nthere is very little evidence it warrants classification as a\nvitamin. \n Amygdalin contains glucose, benzaldehyde, and cyanide. Cyanide\nis believed to be the active cancer-toxic ingredient in Laetrile.\nHowever, cyanide is toxic to all cells, so Laetrile’s overall\ntoxicity is a concern.\n\n3\n \n Some Laetrile proponents claim that it’s more toxic to cancer\ncells than to normal cells.\n\n4\n Getting cyanide poisoning from apple seeds or almonds is\nextremely unlikely.\n\n5\n \n In 1924, Laetrile was synthesized from amygdalin and promoted as\na cancer treatment. By 1978, it was estimated that more than 70,000\nAmericans had tried it—despite its being banned in the US since\n1963. Most people obtain Laetrile from Tijuana clinics, as the\nagent is still legal in Mexico.\n\n6\n \n\n Dr. Sugiura’s Research \n\n Dr. Kanematsu Sugiura\n\n7\n spent most of his career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer\nCenter, authoring more than 250 papers and receiving numerous\nawards, including the highest honors from the Japan Medical\nAssociation for outstanding contributions in cancer research. \n While studying Laetrile, which was previously written off as\n\“quack medicine,\” Dr. Sugiura discovered Laetrile to have very\npositive effects in preventing the spread of malignant lung tumors\nin laboratory mice. \n In control groups, which received only plain saline, the lung\ntumors spread in 80 to 90 percent of the animals. But in those\ngiven Laetrile, the tumors spread in only 10 to 20 percent.\n\n8\n \n\n Then, the Cover-Up \n\n By 1974, the findings were so positive that Sloan Kettering had\nsigned off on clinical trials—\nbut suddenly everything changed.\n\n9\n The center began shifting their Laetrile experiments\naway from Dr. Sugiura to other scientists. But every time new\nexperiments even hinted at a positive outcome, the research was\nscrapped, for ridiculous reasons. \n Even the scientists at Sloan Kettering who had previously been\nsupportive of Sugiura’s studies began to characterize Laetrile as a\nfraud—yet nothing had changed \nscientifically to negate Sugiura’s findings. Despite the\nopposition, Dr. Sugiura stood firmly by his work. \n Ralph Moss had befriended Dr. Sugiura from the beginning of his\nemployment at Sloan Kettering, and Sugiura had excitedly shared his\nfindings about Laetrile with Moss. When things went south, Moss was\nsuddenly caught in a dilemma. \n His only choices were to lie, in order to support his employer,\nor tell the truth and sacrifice his job and potentially his career.\nHe tried leaking the documents of Sugiura’s work to the editor of\nthe \nNew York Times, but they never saw the light of day. \n Ultimately, Moss chose to come clean at a press conference in\nJuly 1977, which ended up being the final day of his employment at\nSloan Kettering. He was admonished to never set foot in the\nfacility again. What happened to cause this sudden, drastic shift\nabout Laetrile? \n\n Embarrassment Over Patchwork Mice \n\n \n\n \n
\n Just prior to the Laetrile controversy, Sloan Kettering was\nalready reeling in embarrassment from research fraud, courtesy of\ndermatologist William T. Summerlin. \nIn 1974, Summerlin was supposedly studying transplantation\nimmunology and claimed to have successfully performed the first\nskin transplant from a black mouse onto a white mouse—quite a\nscientific feat, as they were genetically unrelated\nanimals. \n Shortly thereafter, technicians noticed that the black\n\“pigmentation\” on the white mice wiped off with a cotton swab,\ntipping them off that Summerlin had merely colored the skin patch\nwith a black permanent marker. Further investigation revealed that\nmany of Summerlin’s prior studies were equally bogus.\n\n10\n \n Sloan Kettering did not want to be in the spotlight for anything\nelse even remotely resembling quackery, and Laetrile was considered\ntoo controversial. The problem was compounded by the fact that the\npro-Laetrile movement had been commandeered by the extreme right\nwing John Birch Society, with whom the center did not want to be\nassociated. And then, you must consider the individuals comprising\nSloan Kettering’s Board of Directors. \n\n Sloan Kettering’s Board Included Drug and Petrochemical\nIndustry Big-Wigs \n\n According to Ralph Moss, the Laetrile cover-up really only makes\nsense when viewed through the lens of \“the politics of cancer.\”\nAccording to Moss:\n\n11\n \n\“The individuals on Sloan Kettering’s Board of Directors were a\n‘Who's Who’ of investors in petrochemical and other polluting\nindustries. In other words, the hospital was being run by people\nwho made their wealth by investing in the worst cancer-causing\nthings on the planet.\” \n The Board was dominated by CEOs from top pharmaceutical\ncompanies that produce cancer drugs, whose interest was in\npromoting chemotherapy and undermining natural therapies. For\nexample, both the Chairman and Vice President of Bristol-Myers\nSquibb (the world’s leading manufacturer of chemotherapy drugs)\noccupied high positions on the Board. Of the nine members of the\nhospital’s powerful Institutional Policy Committee, seven had ties\nto the pharmaceutical industry. Even the hospital itself invested\nin stock of these drug companies. The Board also included directors\nof the biggest tobacco companies in the US—Phillip Morris and RJR\nNabisco. Moss writes: \n\n \n\“With this background in mind, it should come as no surprise to\nlearn that Sugiura’s findings did not please his employer. What\ngoes on inside the laboratories is generally of little interest to\nboard members. It is assumed that, whatever it is, it will result\nin a new patented drug that will keep the cash flow moving in their\ndirection. They were slow to pick up on the implications of\nSugiura’s work, but when they did, all hell broke loose in the\nboard room. If a cure for cancer were to be found in an extract\nfrom the lowly apricot seed, it would be a terrible economic blow\nto the cancer-drug industry.\”\n \n\n Related to this is one very telling quote that comes near the\nend of the film, attributed to William W. Vodra, the former\nAssociate Chief Counsel for Drugs at the USFDA: \n\“Nobody is going to pay $70,000 for a new cancer drug if they\ncan buy Laetrile for 75 cents.\” The Sloan Kettering Board\nlikely realized that Laetrile offered no hope as a \nprofitable cancer treatment—so it had to be squelched. \n\n Corporate Greed Knows No Bounds \n\n The Laetrile story is not unlike the Stanislaw Burzynski and \n\nNicholas Gonzalez stories, where potentially powerful cancer\ntreatments are silenced by those whose real agenda is to protect\ncorporate bank accounts. The cancer paradigm is based on toxic\ndrugs, dangerous surgeries, and expensive machines. There's an\nenormous amount of money to be made in this system, and those who\nthreaten to overturn it will pay a steep price. \n Conventional medicine purports to be beholden to science-based\nmedicine, yet it resists and denies solid science-based evidence\nagain and again. Things have not changed much since the 1974\nLaetrile cover-up—in fact, they may getting worse. \“Science\” may\nnot be as trustworthy as we would all like to believe. We continue\nto see one case after another of shocking \n\nmedical science fraud, particularly in the extremely profitable\ncancer industry. \n Our current medical system has been masterfully orchestrated by\nthe drug companies to create a system that gives the perception of\nscience based medicine when it is really a heavily manipulated\nprocess designed to boost their profits, and more accurately\nlabeled science biased medicine. One review of retracted biomedical\nand life-science research found that only 21 percent of \n\nretractions were due to errors—the rest were due to misconduct,\nfraud, or plagiarism. \n The more respected or influential the journal was, the more\nlikely its retractions were attributed to fraud or suspected fraud!\nEven the prestigious \n\nMayo Clinic is not immune to this type of scandal, retracting\n19 papers from nine research journals due to shady research a few\nyears back. Ralph Moss was very clear in saying he’s not an\nadvocate for Laetrile, but rather an advocate for truth in medical\nscience. An interesting aside is that another laetrile researcher,\nDr. Harold Manner, was head of the biology department at Loyola\nUniversity in the late 70s. Two of his graduate students, Dr. Tom\nMichalson and Dr. Steve Disanti, were in my medical school class\nand their Laetrile stories confirmed the details in this story. \n\n Contemporary Laetrile Studies Confirm Sugiura’s Work—But an\nApology from Sloan Kettering Is Nowhere to Be Found \n\n The research into Laetrile did not stop just because Sloan\nKettering buried it 40 years ago. Many recent studies confirm Dr.\nSugiura’s work, supporting his conclusion that Laetrile shows\npotential in \nreducing the spread of cancer, although it’s not a cure.\nLaetrile and amygdalin may also have benefits for other medical\nissues, such as kidney disease. Here are just a few of the more\nrecent studies that substantiate Dr. Sugiura’s work: \n \n August 2014: In a new German study, amygdalin dose-dependently\nreduced growth and proliferation of bladder cancer\n\n12\n \n May 2013: Amygdalin inhibits renal fibrosis in chronic kidney\ndisease; researchers conclude it is a \“potent antifibrotic agent\nthat may have therapeutic potential for patients with fibrotic\nkidney diseases\”\n\n13\n \n February 2013: Amygdalin induces apoptosis in human cervical\ncancer cells; authors conclude it may offer a new therapeutic\noption for cervical cancer patients\n\n14\n \n August 2006: Amygdalin also induces apoptosis in human prostate\ncancer cells\n\n15\n \n February 2003: Amygdalin from \nPrunus persica seeds (peach pits) shows anti-tumor effects\ncomparable to epigallocatechin gallate in green tea\n\n16\n \n \n Despite contemporary research findings, you will find no\nretraction (or apology) by Sloan Kettering, and sadly, the vast\nmajority of cancer information sites claim that Laetrile is useless\nas a cancer treatment. Laetrile was a lost opportunity. This type\nof misinformation is rampant in the industry, and the people who\nreally suffer are those battling cancer and denied access to\ntreatments that could potentially save them or extend their lives.\nThe facts show that Dr. Sugiura was both competent and honest, but\ninstead of accolades, he received nothing but grief because he just\nhappened to step into the middle of a political hornets’ nest. \n\n Sign the Petition Now! \n\n Ralph Moss’s organization Second Opinion has a petition urging\nMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to acknowledge its positive\nresults about Laetrile from the 1970s. You can sign that petition \n\nhere. Since being fired by Sloan Kettering in 1975, Ralph Moss\nhas written or edited 12 books and three film documentaries about\nissues related to cancer research and treatment. He currently\ndirects The Moss Reports, an up-to-date library of detailed reports\non more than 200 types of cancer. You can obtain further\ninformation about Dr. Moss and his work on his \nwebsite. \n If you liked this documentary, you can support this project by\nrenting or buying the entire package which also includes an\nadditional 74 minutes of 'extras' exploring many other parts to\nthis story \nhere. \n Or purchase the DVD or Blu-ray at a reduced price \nhere. \n\n \n

\n \nBy Dr. Mercola\n \n\n If you live in the US, there’s a good chance your bathroom does \nnot contain a bidet. Yet, if you travel to certain parts\nof Europe, South America, the Middle East, or Japan, bidets are\ncommonplace – and they wouldn’t have it any other way. \n For those who aren’t familiar with how they work, a bidet looks\nsimilar to a toilet but it is designed to help you freshen up \nafter toilet use. Most modern bidets have one or more jets\nthat spray water, allowing you to straddle the device for a\ncleansing far superior to toilet paper. \n In fact, the word \“bidet\” comes from the French stout pony by\nthe same name. It got its name because sitting astride a bidet is\nvery similar to the position you would take if riding the small\nhorse. \n Today, there are even better and easier to use bidet seats\n(which you can put atop a regular toilet) and bidet toilets, which\nare like a toilet and a bidet in one (a wand under the seat sprays\nwater). \n Bidet seats are far less expensive to purchase and install and\nalthough some high-end ones retail for $1500, many can easily be\nfound for well under $100 (with no need for a plumber). For me,\nthey are an essential part of my hygiene. \n In fact, the thing I miss most when I travel is having access to\nmy bidet, so I always bring along my portable travel bidet (which\nis similar to a plastic spray bottle, but much easier to direct the\nwater flow) when I leave home for an extended period. \n Bidets are easy to use, hygienic, gentle on your skin, and good\nfor the environment… so why haven’t Americans adopted this form of\npersonal cleansing? \n\n Why Bidets Aren’t Popular in America \n\n There are a number of theories why bidets haven’t taken off in\nthe US the way they have in other countries. The device is said to\nhave originated in France in the early 1700s. At that time, the\nbidet was basically a bowl full of water, from which you could\nsplash water using your hand. \n Around 1750, a hand pump was added that allowed water to be\nsprayed upward.\n\n1\n From there, the modern bidet was born. As reported by \nToday I Found Out:\n\n2\n \n\n \n\“\nThe modern bidet that resembles a toilet was developed in the\n19th century, and the very popular bidet seat came about in the\n1960s, with one of the most popular invented by an American, Arnold\nCohen…\n \n \nIn the 1980s, the modern seat was improved with the creation of\nthe ‘washlet.’ Using remote-controlled wands that spout water jets\nand finish with a warm-air dryer, the washlet is hugely popular,\nparticularly in Japan.\n \n \nSo why don’t Americans use this? After all, if fecal\nmatter got on just about anywhere else on your body, you wouldn’t\njust wipe it off with toilet paper and call it good. Why should\nyour derrière be any different?\”\n \n\n The most plausible theories for why Americans prefer to be\nsans-bidet include:\n\n3\n \n \n \nHistory: In the 18th century, Britons had a\ndisdain for French aristocracy (which were among the first to\nchampion the use of bidets). When the early colonists came to\nAmerica, they may have brought this sentiment with them. \n \nWorld War II: During this war, US soldiers likely\nsaw bidets in French brothels (and probably nowhere else), which\nspread the idea that they were \“dirty\” or \“immoral\” \n \nConservatism: The first bidets involved using your\nhand to cleanse your genitals directly. Americans have,\ntraditionally, been conservative in this area and probably\npreferred the \“shield\” of toilet paper between one’s genitals and\nhands (in fact, the US was so conservative that the first toilet\nflushing wasn’t seen on film until the 1960 film \nPsycho)\n\n4\n \n \n\n Are Bidets Becoming More Popular? \n\n According to Kohler, which is the largest manufacturer of bidets\nin the US, yes, especially among the elderly.\n\n5\n If you have arthritis or are unsteady on your feet (which\nmeans you may have a difficult time showering regularly or even\ntwisting to wipe properly on a toilet), a bidet can provide\nexcellent personal hygiene. \n There is also a theory that using a bidet may help prevent\nurinary tract infections due to better cleansing, and this is\nanother reason why they’re becoming popular among older\npopulations. \n But that’s not all. Others in the bathroom industry say bidets\nare catching on as a high-end luxury… a way to upgrade the last\n\“bastion\” that hasn’t yet been upgraded: the toilet.\n\n6\n Indeed, you can find bidets, bidet toilets, and bidet seats\nwith \nmany spa-like luxuries, from digital temperature controls\nand \“precision\” warm air dryers to even motion-activated lids. \n\n Do You Know How Much Toilet Paper Americans Are Wasting? \n\n If the idea of increased freshness and less irritation doesn’t\nappeal to you, consider this: Americans use close to \n8 million tons of toilet paper every year,\n\n7\n and forests are being destroyed to keep up with this demand.\nAs reported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):\n\n8\n \n\n \n\“Giant paper producers are forcing the destruction of our\ncontinent's most vibrant forests, and devastating the habitat for\ncountless wildlife species in the process.\n \n \nInstead of making better use of materials such as post-consumer\nrecycled fiber and agricultural residue to meet the escalating\ndemand for toilet paper, paper towels and other disposable tissue\nproducts, these companies buy virgin pulp from suppliers that reach\ndeep into North American forests for timber, from northern Canada\nto the southeastern United States.\”\n \n\n If every US household replaced even \none roll of virgin fiber toilet paper with one made from\n100% recycled fibers, 423,900 trees would be saved.\n\n9\n You can also opt to choose toilet paper sourced from forests\ncertified by the Forest Stewardship Council. \n However, even toilet paper that comes from specially planted\ntree plantations is not a sustainable choice in the long run, as\nthese single-species plantations cannot compare with the\nspecies-rich forests that have formed a natural habitat for\ncenturies. \n Aside from the waste, the process of bleaching toilet paper\nwhite leads to the creation of \ncancer-causing chemicals\nlike dioxins and furans, which not only enter the air but also\nwaterways, soil, and the food chain. Exposure to even low levels of\ndioxins has been linked to hormone alterations, immune system\nimpairments, reduced fertility, birth defects, and other\nreproductive problems. \n\n Are You Missing Out on the ‘Luxury’ of a Bidet? \n\n Obviously, toilet paper hasn’t been around that long. Before its\ninvention, people around the world turned to their environment for\nthe best ways to clean up, using whatever items were most practical\nand available. This included objects like corncobs, leaves, and\ncoconut shells to handfuls of snow… but \nno, I’m not suggesting you give this a try (unless you’re\nso inclined!). \n A bidet makes far more sense and pays for itself in no time with\nthe money saved on toilet paper, and helps save valuable\nenvironmental resources while reducing pollution. \n When you use a bidet, you may still need a sheet or two of\ntoilet paper to dry yourself (unless yours has a built-in dryer),\nbut that is a tiny fraction of what you would need to clean\nyourself. This can easily be done using reusable cloths made from\ncut up flannel, sheets, or even an old t-shirt, too. \n The bidet may be making an emergence in the US as a \“luxury\”\nitem, but once you try it you’ll view it more as a necessity. Most\npeople I know who’ve tried one \nlove it and only wish they’d gotten one sooner. \n\n \n

Worry and Obsession Linked to Alzheimer's Risk

\n \nBy Dr. Mercola\n \n\n Are you often anxious, fearful, and moody? Do you worry often or\nhave feelings of envy, jealousy, and loneliness? These are\ncharacteristics of neuroticism, a personality trait might increase\nyour risk of Alzheimer’s disease significantly. \n The association between neuroticism and Alzheimer’s later in\nlife was so strong that researchers suggested people with such\ntraits seek cognitive behavioral therapy to help reduce their\nrisk. \n It’s not that being neurotic directly \ncauses Alzheimer’s. However, it certainly increases your\nstress levels and may drive you to engage in unhealthy behaviors,\nlike smoking, which further increase your risk. \n As cases of Alzheimer’s continue to rise, the finding is\nactually \ngood news, because if you tend to worry excessively you\ncan do something about it \nnow rather than later. \n\n Being Neurotic May Double Your Risk of Alzheimer’s \n\n Women who scored highest on a test for neuroticism were twice as\nlikely to develop Alzheimer’s than women with the lowest scores,\nthe new study found.\n\n1\n \n Women who were extroverted, meanwhile, had a lower degree of\nlong-term distress, and while this wasn’t directly applicable to\nAlzheimer’s, the research found women who were both the most\nneurotic and the \nleast extroverted had the highest risk of Alzheimer’s\ndisease. \n The implication is that the distress associated with neuroticism\nis likely what’s driving its tie to Alzheimer’s, and this was shown\nin a previous study conducted by the same researchers last\nyear. \n That study found that women who faced common psychosocial\nstressors often experienced long-standing distress, and were more\nlikely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, than those who did not. \n The stressors included in the study were divorce, widowhood,\nwork problems or illness in a relative… hurdles that many people\nmust overcome in their lives. \n\n Stress Is Well Known to Promote Dementia \n\n The connection between neuroticism and Alzheimer’s isn’t\nsurprising, because this type of personality is a harbinger for\nchronic stress. Studies have found links between acute and/or\nchronic stress and a wide variety of health issues, including your\nbrain function. \n Most recently, an animal study reveals that higher levels of\nstress hormones can speed up short-term memory loss in older\nadults.\n\n2\n The findings indicate that how your body responds to stress\nmay be a factor that influences how your brain ages over time. As\nreported by \nBusiness Standard:\n\n3\n \n\n \n\"[R]ats with high levels of the stress hormone corticosterone\nshowed structural changes in the brain and short-term memory\ndeficits… older animals with higher levels of stress hormones in\ntheir blood have 'older' frontal cortexes than animals with less\nstress hormones, thus, stress may act as a pacemaker of aging in\nthis key brain region.\"\n \n\n Previous research has also linked chronic stress with working\nmemory impairment.\n\n4\n Other recent research suggests that stress may even act as a\ntrigger for or speed up the onset of Alzheimer's disease, which\ncurrently afflicts about 5.4 million Americans, including one in\neight people aged 65 and over.\n\n5\n \n Specifically, 72 percent—nearly three out of four—Alzheimer's\npatients have experienced severe emotional stress during the two\nyears preceding their diagnosis.\n\n6\n In the control group for the study, only 26 percent, or one\nin four, had undergone major stress or grief. Most of the stresses\nencountered by the Alzheimer's group involved: \n \n Bereavement; death of a spouse, partner, or child \n Violent experiences, such as assault or robbery \n Car accidents \n Financial problems, including \"pension shock\" \n Diagnosis of a family member's severe illness \n \n\n Normalizing Your Cortisol Levels Might Help Protect Your\nBrain \n\n Elevated levels of cortisol, one of your body’s stress hormones,\naffect your memory by causing a gradual loss of synapses in your\nprefrontal cortex. This is the brain region associated with\nshort-term memory. \n Cortisol—a stress hormone—basically has a \"corrosive\" effect,\nover time wearing down the synapses responsible for memory storage\nand processing. According to researchers:\n\n7\n \n\n \n\"Short-term increases in cortisol are critical for survival.\nThey promote coping and help us respond to life's challenges by\nmaking us more alert and able to think on our feet.\n \n \nBut abnormally high or prolonged spikes in cortisol—like what\nhappens when we are dealing with long-term stress—can lead to\nnegative consequences that numerous bodies of research have shown\nto include digestion problems, anxiety, weight gain, and high blood\npressure.\"\n \n\n The researchers suggest that you may be able to protect your\nfuture memory function by normalizing your cortisol levels. Such\nintervention would be particularly beneficial for those who are at\nhigh risk for elevated cortisol, such as those who show traits of\nneuroticism, are depressed or are dealing with long-term stress\nfollowing a traumatic event. \n For this, I highly recommend the \nEmotional Freedom Technique\n(EFT). It's an energy psychology tool that can help reprogram\nyour body's reactions to everyday stress, thereby reducing your\nchances of developing adverse health effects. \n For a demonstration, please see the following video featuring\nEFT practitioner Julie Schiffman, in which she discusses EFT for\nstress relief. For serious or deep-seated emotional problems, I\nstrongly recommend seeing an experienced EFT therapist, as there is\na significant art to the process that requires a high level of\nsophistication if serious problems are to be successfully\ntreated. \n \n\n \n\n Did You Know a High-Carb Diet Increases Your Risk of Dementia\nby 89 Percent? \n\n Stress certainly should be kept to a minimum to protect your\nhealth in all facets as you age. Yet, this is only one piece of a\ncomplex puzzle. Your diet also plays a very important role. In\nfact, neurologist \n\nDr. David Perlmutter, MD insists that being very strict in\nlimiting your consumption of sugar and non-vegetable carbs is one\nof THE most important steps you can take to prevent Alzheimer's\ndisease. He cites research from the Mayo Clinic, which found that\ndiets rich in carbohydrates are associated with an \n89 percent increased risk for dementia. Meanwhile,\nhigh-fat diets are associated with a 44 percent reduced risk.\nAccording to Dr. Perlmutter: \n\n \n\"[Alzheimer's] is a preventable disease. It surprises me at my\ncore that no one's talking about the fact that so many of these\ndevastating neurological problems are, in fact, modifiable based\nupon lifestyle choices… What we've crystallized it down to\nnow, in essence, is that diets that are high in sugar and\ncarbohydrates, and similarly diets that are low in fat, are\ndevastating to the brain.\n \n \nWhen you have a diet that has carbohydrates in it, you are\npaving the way for Alzheimer's disease. I want to be super clear\nabout that. Dietary carbohydrates lead to Alzheimer's disease. It's\na pretty profound statement, but it's empowering nonetheless when\nwe realize that we control our diet. We control our choices,\nwhether to favor fat or carbohydrates.\"\n \n\n His book, \nGrain Brain, reveals how and why sugars and carbohydrates\ndestroy your brain, and how to eat for neurological health. The\ncombination of very little sugar and carbs, along with higher\namounts of healthy fats is KEY for addressing not only Alzheimer's,\nbut diabetes and heart disease as well. All of these conditions are\nrooted in insulin and leptin resistance, and the dietary answer is\nidentical for all of them. \n\n If Your Blood Sugar Is Even a Little High, You’re at an\nIncreased Risk of Dementia \n\n \n\n \n
\n \n\nDownload Interview Transcript\n \n The importance of a healthy diet cannot be overstated, as a\nstudy published in the \nNew England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that even\nmild elevation of blood sugar—a level of around 105 or 110—was\nalready dramatically associated with an elevated risk for\ndeveloping dementia.\n\n8\n Dr. Perlmutter believes it's very important for physicians\nto become cognizant of this link, and to stop downplaying the risks\nassociated with even mildly elevated blood sugar. \n If your fasting blood sugar is even mildly elevated (over 95\nmg/dl), it's time to address your diet to lower it. Dr. Perlmutter\nmakes a very important point here, noting that \"normal\" blood sugar\nreally should not be the same as the average. It should be the\noptimal or ideal level. You do not want to be right smack in the\nmiddle \"average\" when the population sample is severely diseased!\nSo what is an ideal fasting blood sugar level? Dr. Perlmutter\nsuggests that anything over 92 or 93 is too high. He believes the\nideal fasting blood sugar level is around 70-85, with 95 as the\nmaximum. If you're fat adapted, there's no reason to shun even\nlower fasting blood sugar levels. According to Dr. Perlmutter: \n\n \n\"It really depends on whether you have adapted your body to\nburning fat. People who have been on a high-fat, low-carb diet are\nable to tap into body fat as an energy resource. They've undergone\na change called keto-adaptation. It means they're burning fat and\nthey can get by with much lower blood sugar because they're burning\nfat and don't need to worry about blood sugar as much.\n \n \nThis notion that your brain needs sugar is really old news as\nwell. Fat, specifically ketones, which your body produces by\nmetabolizing your fat, is now called a 'brain superfuel.' There is\neven a pharmaceutical product; a medical food that you can write as\na prescription, which raises the level of ketones or fat in the\nbloodstream of patients, offered up now as a treatment for\nAlzheimer's disease. Who knew? The point is the brain loves to burn\nfat. That's what we have to shift it over to...\"\n \n\n One of the tools I've found particularly useful here is \n\nintermittent fasting, which can really help jumpstart your body\ninto burning fat instead of carbs as its primary fuel. In his book,\n\nGrain Brain, Dr. Perlmutter also starts off the\nintervention section with a period of fasting, which can be viewed\nas pressing the Reset button. He's particularly aggressive about it\nin patients who are insulin/leptin resistant. \n\n So What’s the ‘Recipe’ for Healthy Brain Function? \n\n According to Dr. Perlmutter, fat avoidance and carbohydrate\noverconsumption are at the heart of the Alzheimer's epidemic. To\nlearn more about how you can protect your brain health by\neliminating non-vegetable carbs from your diet, I highly recommend\nreading his book, \n\nGrain Brain\n. In order to reverse the Alzheimer's trend, we simply \nmust relearn how to eat for optimal health. Processed\n\"convenience foods\" are quite literally killing us, inducing\ndiabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia. \n The beauty of following my \noptimized\nnutrition plan is that it helps prevent and treat virtually ALL\nchronic degenerative diseases, including diabetes, heart disease,\nand Alzheimer's. Other lifestyle factors, particularly stress\nrelief, sun exposure and exercise, are also potent allies against\nall forms of dementia. Ideally, you'll want to carefully review the\nsuggested guidelines below and take steps to incorporate as many of\nthem as you can into your daily lifestyle. The sooner you begin,\nthe better. \n\n Dietary Strategies to Help Prevent Alzheimer’s \n\n \n \nAvoid sugar and \nrefined \n\n\nfructose\n. Ideally, you'll want to keep your sugar levels to a\nminimum and your total fructose below 25 grams per day, or as low\nas 15 grams per day if you have insulin/leptin resistance or any\nrelated disorders. \n \nAvoid gluten and casein (primarily wheat and pasteurized\ndairy, but not dairy \nfat, such as butter). Research shows that your\nblood-brain barrier is negatively affected by gluten. Gluten \nalso makes your gut more permeable, which allows proteins\nto get into your bloodstream, where they don't belong. That then\nsensitizes your immune system and promotes inflammation and\nautoimmunity, both of which play a role in the development of\nAlzheimer's. \n \nOptimize your gut flora by regularly eating\nfermented foods or taking a high-potency and high-quality probiotic\nsupplement. \n \nIncrease consumption of all healthy fats, including\nanimal-based omega-3. Sources of healthy fat include\navocados, butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk, organic\npastured egg yolks, coconuts and coconut oil, raw nuts, raw dairy,\ngrass-fed meats, and pasture-raised poultry. Also make sure you're\ngetting enough animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil. High\nintake of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA help by preventing cell\ndamage caused by Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing down its\nprogression, and lowering your risk of developing the\ndisorder. \n \nReduce your overall calorie consumption, and/or\nintermittently fast. Ketones are mobilized when you\nreplace carbs with coconut oil and other sources of healthy fats.\nAs mentioned above \n\nintermittent fasting is a powerful tool to jumpstart your body\ninto remembering how to burn fat and repair the inulin/leptin\nresistance that is also a primary contributing factor for\nAlzheimer's. To learn more, please see this previous \n\narticle. \n \nImprove your magnesium levels. There is some\nexciting preliminary research strongly suggesting a decrease in\nAlzheimer's symptoms with increased levels of \n\nmagnesium in the brain. Unfortunately, most magnesium\nsupplements do not pass the blood-brain barrier. \n \nEat a nutritious diet, rich in folate. Vegetables,\nwithout question, are your best form of folate, and we should all\neat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day. Avoid supplements like\nfolic acid, which is the inferior synthetic version of folate. \n \n\n General Lifestyle Guidelines for Alzheimer's Prevention \n\n Besides diet, there are a number of other lifestyle factors that\ncan contribute to or hinder neurological health. The following\nstrategies are therefore also important for any Alzheimer's\nprevention plan: \n \n \nExercise regularly. It's been suggested that\nexercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor\nprotein is metabolized,\n\n9\n thus, slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer's.\nExercise also increases levels of the protein PGC-1alpha. Exercise\nalso leads to hippocampus growth and memory improvement.\n\n10\n I would strongly recommend reviewing the \n\nPeak Fitness Technique for my specific recommendations. Also,\nbe sure to do regular walking. New studies suggest you need between\n7,000-10,000 steps a day, in addition to your high-intensity\nexercise, to stay healthy. \n \nOptimize your vitamin D levels with safe sun\nexposure. Strong links between low levels of vitamin D in\nAlzheimer's patients and poor outcomes on cognitive tests have been\nrevealed. Researchers believe that optimal vitamin D levels may\nenhance the amount of important chemicals in your brain and protect\nbrain cells by increasing the effectiveness of the glial cells in\nnursing damaged neurons back to health. Vitamin D may also exert\nsome of its beneficial effects on Alzheimer's through its\nanti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. Sufficient \n\nvitamin D (50-70 ng/ml) is imperative for proper functioning of\nyour immune system to combat inflammation that is also associated\nwith Alzheimer's. \n \nAvoid and eliminate mercury from your body. Dental\namalgam fillings, which are 50 percent mercury by weight, are one\nof the major sources of heavy metal toxicity, however you should be\nhealthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to\nfollowing the diet described in my optimized \nnutrition\nplan, you can follow the \n\nmercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to\nhave your amalgams removed. \n \nAvoid and eliminate aluminum from your body.\nSources of aluminum include antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, \n\nvaccine adjuvants, etc. For tips on how to detox aluminum,\nplease see my article, \"\nFirst\nCase Study to Show Direct Link between Alzheimer's and Aluminum\nToxicity.\" \n \nAvoid flu vaccinations as most contain both\nmercury and aluminum, well-known neurotoxic and immunotoxic\nagents. \n \nAvoid anticholinergics and statin drugs. Drugs\nthat block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have\nbeen shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include\ncertain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids,\ncertain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and\ncertain narcotic pain relievers. \n\nStatin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress\nthe synthesis of cholesterol, deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10\nand neurotransmitter precursors, and prevent adequate delivery of\nessential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain by\ninhibiting the production of the indispensable carrier biomolecule\nknown as low-density lipoprotein. \n \nChallenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation,\nespecially learning something new, such as learning to play an\ninstrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk\nof Alzheimer's. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to\nbuild up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions\nassociated with Alzheimer's disease. \n \n\n \n

Prescription Drugs Now Factor in Higher Percentage of Fatal\nCar Crashes Than Alcohol or Marijuana

\n\n \nBy Dr. Mercola\n \n\n Prescription drugs, marijuana, and multiple drug combinations\nare frequently found in the blood of drivers involved in fatal car\ncrashes on US roads, according to a new study in \nPublic Health Reports.\n\n1\n \n Drivers today are more likely to test positive for drugs than\ndrivers 20 years ago, and drugged drivers are now likely to be\nolder than 50. \n Gone are the days when drunk drivers were our only\nconcern—alcohol is but one of MANY drugs that can make you\ndangerous behind the wheel. And now many people are on multiple\ndrug cocktails, especially prescription drugs, which \nmultiplies their impairment. \n In 1993, about one in eight drivers were using more than one\ndrug, but by 2010, it was closer to one in five. The number of\ndrivers with three or more drugs in their system nearly doubled in\nthis period, increasing from 11.5 to 21.5 percent. Study author\nFernando Wilson of the University of Nebraska Medical Center adds:\n\n2\n \n\n \n\"Beyond that, we're also seeing more and more people using\ndrugs and alcohol together. About 70 percent of drivers who tested\npositive for cocaine had also been consuming alcohol, and almost 55\npercent of drivers who tested positive for cannabis [marijuana]\nalso had alcohol in their systems.\"\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \nSource: \n\nWhite House Report, Drug Testing and Drug-Involved Driving of\nFatally Injured Drivers in the United States: 2005-2009\n(PDF)\n \n\n\n The Hidden Dangers of Pill-Popping \n\n The study identified several drug use trends. Almost 60 percent\nof marijuana-only users were younger than 30, but 39 percent of\nprescription users were 50 or older. \n This trend seems to be in line with the overall increased\nreliance on prescription medications, especially among \n\nlower income and older segments of the population. Ninety\npercent of people age 65 and up now use prescription medications.\n\n3\n \n It is mind-boggling that the average person may have taken\n14,000 prescription pills by age 70—and this doesn't include\nover-the-counter drugs! By the time you reach your 70s, you could\nbe taking five or more pills every day, according to the\ndocumentary \n\n\nPill Poppers\n. Virtually no drug is side effect-free, and drug side effects\nare often treated with even more drugs, perpetuating a vicious\ncycle. \n Even drugs such as over-the-counter cold medications can make\nyou sleepy and potentially dangerous behind the wheel. A 2013 CDC\nreport estimated that up to 33 percent of all fatal car crashes\ninvolve a drowsy driver.\n\n4\n \n Many people assume that the combination of drugs prescribed to\nthem is safe to take while driving, because their doctor did not\nspecifically warn them otherwise. The researchers suggest\nprescribers should take more care to warn patients about potential\ndrugged driving impairment—a point also made by AAA in their 2009\nreport on this topic.\n\n5\n \n \n\nPolypharmacy—using multiple drugs simultaneously—has numerous\npotentially adverse effects in your body, beyond impairing your\noperation of a motor vehicle, and typically a combination of drugs\nresults in more impairment than any one single drug. \n\n Even Small Amounts of Some Drugs Can Impair Your Driving \n\n Use of a psychoactive (mind-altering) drug makes driving\npotentially unsafe—just like driving after drinking alcohol. The\neffects of specific drugs differ depending on how they act in your\nbrain, but all can impair faculties necessary for the safe\noperation of a vehicle. \n This includes motor skills, balance and coordination, spacial\norientation, attention, reaction time, and judgment. According to\nNational Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):\n\n6\n \n\n \n\"Even small amounts of some drugs can have a measurable effect\non driving ability...\n \n \nIt is hard to measure the exact contribution of drug\nintoxication to driving accidents, because blood tests for drugs\nother than alcohol are inconsistently performed, and many drivers\nwho cause accidents are found to have both drugs and alcohol in\ntheir system, making it hard to determine which substance had the\ngreater effect.\"\n \n\n Drugs commonly implicated in accidents include opiates\n(narcotics), amphetamines (stimulants), benzodiazepines\n(depressants), cannabinoids, and cocaine. Many people are still\nunder the illusion that prescription drugs are somehow safer than\nstreet drugs, but it's important to realize that prescription\nmedications like hydrocodone and oxycodone are opioids—\n\nvery similar to heroin\n. \n Many prescription drugs, including opioid pain relievers and\nbenzodiazepines prescribed for anxiety or sleep disorders, come\nwith warnings about the operation of machinery—including motor\nvehicles—for a specified period of time after use. When\nprescription drugs are abused (taken without medical supervision),\nimpaired driving and other harmful reactions are even more\nlikely. \n \n\n \n \n \n
\n
\nSource: \n\nWhite House Report, Drug Testing and Drug-Involved Driving of\nFatally Injured Drivers in the United States: 2005-2009\n(PDF)\n \n \n\n \n\n 18 Percent of Fatally Injured Drivers Test Positive for\nMultiple Drugs \n\n Eighteen states currently have zero tolerance laws for drugged\ndrivers. However, recent studies suggest these laws may not be\nmaking our roads much safer. One of these studies is the 2007\nNational Roadside Survey, performed by the National Highway Traffic\nSafety Administration (NHTSA).\n\n7\n The survey found that more than 16 percent of weekend,\nnighttime drivers tested positive for illegal, prescription, or\nover-the-counter drugs. \n More than 11 percent tested positive for illicit drugs. In 2009,\nanother NHTSA survey found that 18 percent of fatally injured\ndrivers tested positive for at least one illicit, prescription, or\nover-the-counter drug (an increase from 13 percent in 2005).\n\n8\n These statistics are clearly trending in the wrong\ndirection. According to a government report,\n\n9\n in 2009 narcotics and cannabinoids accounted for almost half\nof all fatally injured drivers testing positive for drugs. The\nreport, which includes an impressive array of statistical graphs\nand charts, includes the following facts: \n \n Fatally injured male drivers outnumbered fatally injured female\ndrivers by approximately 3:1 \n The younger age groups (15 to 24 and 25 to 34) accounted for\nalmost half of all fatally injured drivers (each group with 23\npercent) \n Cannabinoid-positive drivers were younger, peaking at age group\n15 to 24, while narcotic-positive drivers peaked at age group 45 to\n54 \n Alcohol was involved in about one-third (34 percent) of all\nfatal crashes, yet among drivers who tested positive for any drug,\n48 percent also tested positive for alcohol \n Driver inattentiveness was associated with 10 percent of all\nfatally injured drivers but was slightly more common among\nnarcotic, depressant, and other drug-positive drivers;\ndrug-positive drivers are also less likely to wear seatbelts \n \n\n Prescriptions Can Be Fatal if Used While Driving \n\n In the CDC's \nPublic Health Reports study, prescription drugs were\ninvolved in fatal car crashes at \nthree times the rate of marijuana. In half of the fatal\ncrashes, alcohol was also a factor. This is not meant to be an\nargument that driving under the influence of marijuana is safe, but\nthis latest study clearly shows that combining prescription drugs\nand alcohol is even MORE dangerous when you're on the road.\n\n10\n \n People involved in car accidents are more likely to have taken \n\npsychotropic drugs for a period of days, weeks, or months,\naccording to a study published in the \nBritish Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.\n\n11\n Psychotropic drugs are those that alter your mental\nprocesses and are typically prescribed for anxiety, depression,\ninsomnia, and other psychiatric disorders. Benzodiazepines,\nantidepressants, and insomnia drugs known as Z-drugs (including\nSonata, Ambien, Imovane, and Lunesta) all have the potential to\nimpair your driving. \n Impaired driving is just one of the many risks of these drugs.\nSince 2009, deaths from properly prescribed drugs have \n\noutnumbered traffic fatalities in the US, largely from\noverdoses. Prescription medications are also killing more people\nthan illegal drugs these days. Psychotropic drugs are associated\nwith a variety of serious mental and physical problems, including\nbut not limited to the following: \n \n \n\nBenzodiazepines are associated with an increased risk of\ndementia, certain cancers, and premature death; hypnotics such as\nAmbien, Lunesta, and Sonata (\"\nsleeping\npills\") have been linked to certain forms of cancer and overall\nreduced lifespan \n \n\nOpioid pain relievers (narcotics) are associated with an\nincreased risk of depression; the use of these painkillers has \nquintupled in recent years, and addiction to painkillers\nhas reached \n\nepidemic levels \n \n\nDeaths from prescription painkillers increased five-fold among\nwomen between 1999 to 2010, largely as a result of overdoses; a\n2011 CDC report stated that prescription painkiller overdoses now\nexceed the number of deaths from heroin and cocaine combined\n\n12\n \n \n\nADHD drugs (stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall, and\nStrattera) have been linked to permanent brain damage, liver, heart\nand blood vessel damage, heart attack, stroke, sudden death,\ndepression, suicide, and increased cancer risk; yet these\npsychotropic drugs are still being \n\nprescribed to children at alarming rates \n \n\nAntidepressants such as Prozac and Paxil have been associated\nwith a disproportionate number of violent acts, including assaults,\nsuicides, and homicides \n \n\n Alcohol Kills One in 10 Working-Age Adults \n\n According to a recent CDC study, alcohol accounts for one in 10\ndeaths among working-age adults.\n\n13\n In addition to alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents, the\nstudy also took into account deaths from homicides, falls, and\nchronic diseases, such as alcoholic \n\nliver disease, stroke, and \n\nbreast cancer. The report emphasizes alcohol is the\nfourth-largest cause of preventable death, behind smoking, poor\nnutrition, and lack of exercise. The report also estimates that the\nravages of alcohol cost the US $224 billion each year, or $1.90 per\ndrink.\n\n14\n \n\n Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana May Double Your Risk\nof an Accident \n\n THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the most psychoactive compound in\nmarijuana) can also cause serious driving impairment, especially at\nhigher blood levels. Studies in several localities have found that\nbetween four and 14 percent of drivers who sustained injury or died\nin traffic accidents tested positive for THC.\n\n15\n A large study in the \nBritish Medical Journal found that marijuana nearly\ndoubles your risk of having a vehicle collision.\n\n16\n \n In the 2007 NHTSA survey, 8.7 percent of weekend nighttime\ndrivers tested positive for marijuana—four times as many as had\nblood alcohol concentrations exceeding the legal limit.\n\n17\n This should be a wake-up call, particularly now that\nmarijuana has been legalized in some states. According to NIDA:\n\n18\n \n\n \n\"Considerable evidence from both real and simulated driving\nstudies indicates that marijuana can negatively affect a driver's\nattentiveness, perception of time and speed, and ability to draw on\ninformation obtained from past experiences. Research shows that\nimpairment increases significantly when marijuana use is combined\nwith alcohol.\"\n \n\n\n Cannabis and Alcohol Produce Different Types of Driving\nImpairment \n\n Cannabis and alcohol acutely impair several driving-related\nskills in a dose-dependent fashion, but the effects of cannabis\nvary more between individuals than alcohol because of individual\ntolerance, varying methods of ingestion (smoking, eating, etc.),\nand differences in THC absorption and metabolism.\n\n19\n Alcohol and THC produce different patterns of impairment.\nThe detrimental effects of THC are more pronounced with your\nautomatic driving functions (such as spatial location) than with\nmore complex tasks that require your conscious control. With\nalcohol, the opposite is true. \n Some scientists believe that moderate marijuana smokers tend to\nbe more aware of their impairment than drinkers, so they tend to\ncompensate more effectively while driving by utilizing a variety of\nbehavioral strategies. Alcohol impairs reaction time and increases\nrisk-taking behavior (driving faster, tailgating, and passing\nrecklessly), whereas moderately stoned drivers tend to slow down\nand be more cautious. However, as THC levels rise, \nthese compensation strategies fail. The differences in\nimpairment between alcohol and cannabis are further elucidated by\nSlate:\n\n20\n \n\n \n\"Real-world data from auto accidents indicate that a drunk\ndriver is approximately 10 times more likely to cause a fatal\naccident than a stoned driver. Pot makes drivers worse at mindless\ntasks like staying in a lane, while alcohol undermines behaviors\nthat require more attention, like yielding to pedestrians or taking\nnote of stop signs.\"\n \n\n Epidemiological studies show that drivers with THC blood levels\nexceeding 10 ng/mL—equivalent to smoking about one-half of a\njoint—are far more likely than sober drivers to cause an accident.\n\n21\n One study found that blood THC concentrations of only 2 to 5\nng/ml were associated with substantial driving impairment,\nparticularly in occasional smokers.\n\n22, \n\n23\n The most consistent finding in driving studies is that\nmarijuana and alcohol together pose a much greater risk than using\neither one alone, which is very concerning as the two drugs are\nfrequently used together.\n\n24, \n\n25\n \n Some forms of \n\ncannabis have powerful medicinal effects due to their\ncombination of cannabidiol (CBD), medicinal terpenes, and\nflavonoids. But THC is also present in medical cannabis in varying\nconcentrations, so if you use it, please don't underestimate its\npsychoactive effects, and err on the side of caution—especially\nwhen it comes to operating a vehicle. \n\n Lesson: Don't Get Behind the Wheel if You Are Taking\nPsychotropic Medication \n\n The risk of driving impairment from prescription medications has\nlikely been underestimated for many years. There is no way to know\nhow many of the accidents attributed to \"drunk driving\" have really\nbeen a combination of alcohol AND prescription drugs. When you take\ncombinations of drugs, even those prescribed by your doctor, the\nmental and physical effects can be complex and unpredictable. If\nyou do choose to take psychoactive medications, exercise good\njudgment and avoid getting behind the wheel. \n\n \n

Study Warns That Losing Your Sense of Smell May Mean You May\nNot Live Much Longer

\n\n \nBy Dr. Mercola\n \n\n Inside your nasal passages are two odor-detecting patches made\nup of about 6 million cells known as olfactory receptors. These\nallow you to detect \nthousands of different smells, and although other animals’\nsenses of smell are far more acute (a dog has 220 million olfactory\nreceptors, for comparison), a human’s sense of smell is still\nremarkably sensitive.\n\n1\n \n For instance, humans can detect certain substances in air even\nwhen they’re diluted to less than one part in several \nbillion, according to the Social Issues Research Center’s\n(SIRC) Smell Report.\n\n2\n \n Your sense of smell is intricately tied to your emotions, your\nability to taste, and even sexual attraction… and it’s also\nintricately tied to your health. \n According to some research, your sense of smell may peak at age\n8 and start to decline in sensitivity by the age of 15. Other\nstudies suggest smell sensitivity begins to deteriorate from your\nearly 20s.\n\n3\n \n That being said, healthy 80-year-olds have been found who have\njust as keen an ability to smell as much younger adults, which\nsuggests that your sense of smell doesn’t just degrade as a matter\nof course, but rather may be dependent on your overall physical and\nmental health.\n\n4\n \n New research, in fact, showed that smell is a powerful \“canary\nin the coalmine\” for predicting your future longevity, and if you\nlose yours, it’s a very bad sign… \n\n Losing Your Sense of Smell May Predict Death Within Five\nYears \n\n Olfaction, or sense of smell, is strongly linked to many diverse\nphysiological processes, and so researchers from the University of\nChicago set out to determine if it is a harbinger of five-year\nmortality. \n Using data from a nationally representative sample of more than\n3,000 older US adults, the study found those with an inability to\nperceive odor (known as anosmia) were more than four times as\nlikely to die in five years, compared to those with a healthy sense\nof smell.\n\n5\n \n Specifically, 39 percent of the participants who failed the\nfirst smell test (which consisted of identifying five common\nscents) died in the next five years, compared to 19 percent of\nthose who had moderate smell loss and 10 percent of those with a\nhealthy sense of smell. \n\n Why Might Your Sense of Smell Serve as a Bellwether of Your\nHealth? \n\n A loss of the sense of smell was a remarkably strong indicator\nof approaching death, even more so than known leading causes of\ndeath, and independent of known risk factors like nutrition,\ncognitive function, mental health, smoking, alcohol abuse, or\nfrailty. \n Loss of sense of smell was a stronger predictor of death than\neven a diagnosis of cancer, heart failure, or lung disease.\n\n6\n Loss of olfactory function is probably not a \ncause of death, but rather may \“serve as a bellwether for\nslowed cellular regeneration or as a marker of cumulative toxic\nenvironmental exposure,\” the researchers said. \n As \nThe Guardian reported:\n\n7\n \n\n \n\“\nThe tip of the olfactory nerve, which contains the smell\nreceptors, is the only part of the human nervous system that is\ncontinuously regenerated by stem cells.\n \n \nThe production of new smell cells declines with age, and this\nis associated with a gradual reduction in our ability to detect and\ndiscriminate odors. Loss of smell may indicate that the body is\nentering a state of disrepair, and is no longer capable of\nrepairing itself.\n \n \nThe olfactory nerve is also the only part of the nervous system\nthat is exposed to the open air. As such, it offers poisons and\npathogens a quick route into the brain, and so losing smell could\nbe an early warning of something that will ultimately cause\ndeath.\”\n \n\n\n Check for Zinc Deficiency if You Are Losing Your Sense of\nSmell \n\n \n\nZinc, an essential trace mineral, is required to produce an\nenzyme called carbonic anhydrase (CA) VI, critical to taste and\nsmell, which is why loss of sense of smell is one of the classic\nsigns of chronic zinc deficiency. This might be yet another reason\nwhy a dwindling sense of smell is linked to impending death, as\nzinc is important for a number of life-sustaining functions,\nincluding: \n \n Strong immunity \n Important component of the enzymes involved in tissue\nremodeling and prevention of cancer \n Maintenance of your mood, mental clarity, and restorative\nsleep \n Prostate and intestinal health \n \n Zinc is a constituent of at least 3,000 different proteins in\nyour body and a component of more than 200 different enzymes. In\nfact, zinc is involved in more enzymatic reactions in your body\nthan any other mineral. \n Zinc increases your production of white blood cells and helps\nthem fight infection more effectively. It also increases killer\ncells that combat cancer, helps your immune system release more\nantibodies, and supports wound healing. \n Mild zinc deficiency is relatively common, especially in infants\nand children, pregnant or breast-feeding women, elderly, people\nwith poor gastrointestinal absorption or bowel disease like Crohn's\ndisease, and for those eating vegetarian or vegan diets. A number\nof factors contribute to the overall problem of zinc\ndeficiency: \n \n Years of industrial farming practices, such as monocropping\n(planting large expanses of land with the same crop year after\nyear) and tilling the soil, have left our soils deficient in\nnatural minerals, like zinc. \n Certain drugs deplete your body of zinc, such as ACE\ninhibitors, thiazide diuretics, and acid-reducing drugs like\nPrilosec and Pepcid. \n Certain diets, such as vegetarian/vegan diets and high-grain\ndiets, are low in bioavailable zinc and high in phytic acids, which\nimpair zinc absorption. \n \n If you are deficient in zinc, your body may become less able to\nrepair genetic damage caused by oxidative stress. Having low levels\nof zinc has even been found to cause strands of DNA to break and\nstudies have linked zinc deficiency to various types of cancer,\ninfection, and autoimmune diseases. \n Along with frequent infections, such as cold and flu, and a\ndiminishing sense of smell, white spots on your fingernails can\nindicate you're not getting enough zinc. \n\n What Are the Best Food Sources of Zinc? \n\n For adults, the RDA for zinc is about 11 milligrams per day for\nadult men and 8 milligrams for women. If you are lactating or\npregnant, you need about 3 mg more. For children, 4-8 year olds\nneed about 5 mg, and 9-13 year olds need 8 mg, while infants need\nonly about 3 mg. Good sources of dietary zinc include meats,\noysters and wild-caught fish, raw milk, raw cheese, beans, and\nyogurt or kefir made from raw milk. \n If you are healthy and you eat a well-balanced diet, you will\nrarely need supplements to complete your body's zinc needs, and you\nshould strive to get zinc from dietary sources. Taking too much\nzinc in supplement form can be dangerous, as it can interfere with\nyour body's ability to absorb other minerals, especially copper. If\nyou decide to use a zinc supplement, \n\nchelated forms are better absorbed than inorganic forms, or\nzinc salts. \n\n Tips to Improve Your Sense of Smell \n\n About 3 million to 4 million Americans have been diagnosed with\nanosmia (a complete inability to smell) or hyposmia (a reduced\nability to smell).\n\n8\n If you notice your sense of smell slipping, and you know\nyou’re not zinc deficient, there are steps you can take to improve\nit. First, I’d suggest reading through my \nnutrition\nplan for a comprehensive dietary plan that will support your\nhealth on multiple levels. Next, try these tips that are known to\nboost your sense of smell:\n\n9\n \n \n \nExercise: Research shows that the more you\nexercise, the less likely you are to develop problems with your\nsense of smell as you age. Exercising even one time a week was\nfound to reduce the risk of losing your sense of smell.\n\n10\n \n \nBecome scent conscious: Make a point to smell your\nfood before you eat it, and notice the scent of flowers, cut grass,\nor even rain. Doing this regularly will help increase your sense of\nsmell. \n \nTry \“sniff therapy\”: Choose three or four\ndifferent scents, such as floral, fruity, and coffee. Sniff them\nfour to six times a day, which will help the different receptors in\nyour nose to work better. \n \n\n How to Use Your Sense of Smell to Your Advantage \n\n If your sense of smell is working fine, why not use it to your\nadvantage? Through the use of \n\naromatherapy, you can harness certain scents that trigger real\nphysical and emotional responses. For instance, research shows: \n \n A systematic review of 16 randomized controlled trials\nexamining the anxiolytic (anxiety-inhibiting) effects of\naromatherapy among people with anxiety symptoms showed that most of\nthe studies indicated positive effects to quell anxiety (and no\nadverse events were reported).\n\n11\n \n People exposed to bergamot essential oil aromatherapy prior to\nsurgery had a greater reduction in pre-operative anxiety than those\nin control groups.\n\n12\n \n Sweet orange oil has been found to have anxiety-inhibiting\neffects in humans, supporting its common use as a tranquilizer by\naromatherapists.\n\n13\n \n Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduced anxiety and\nimproved mood in patients waiting for dental treatment.\n\n14\n \n Compared to the controls, women who were exposed to orange odor\nin a dental office had a lower level of anxiety, a more positive\nmood, and a higher level of calmness. Researchers concluded,\n\“exposure to ambient odor of orange has a relaxant effect.\”\n\n15\n \n \n Anxiety, of course, is only one use for aromatherapy. Other\npotential uses are varied and include the following: \n \n \nGreen apple scent for migraines: One study found\nthat the scent \n\nsignificantly relieved migraine pain. This may also work with\nother scents that you enjoy so consulting with an aromatherapist\nmight be beneficial. \n \nPeppermint for memory: The aroma of \n\npeppermint has been shown to enhance memory and increase\nalertness. \n \nNausea and vomiting: A blend of peppermint,\nginger, spearmint, and lavender essential oils has been found to\nhelp relieve post-operative nausea.\n\n16\n \n \nLavender for pain relief: Lavender aromatherapy\nhas been shown to lessen pain following needle insertion.\n\n17\n \n \n\n \n

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