'Alternative' Medicine Goes Mainstream - NewsGrabs 18 January 2009
'Alternative' Medicine - More Mainstream than Complementary?
In mid-February, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Bravewell Collaborative are convening a "Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public." This is a watershed in the evolution of integrative medicine, a holistic approach to health care that uses the best of conventional and alternative therapies such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture and herbal remedies. Many of these therapies are now scientifically documented to be not only medically effective but also cost effective.
Nearly a century later, new findings support Warburg theory of cancer
German scientist Otto H. Warburg's theory on the origin of cancer earned him the Nobel Prize in 1931, but the biochemical basis for his theory remained elusive.In contrast to healthy cells, which generate energy by the oxidative breakdown of a simple acid within the mitochondria, tumors and cancer cells generate energy through the non-oxidative breakdown of glucose, a process called glycolysis. Indeed, glycolysis is the biochemical hallmark of most, if not all, types of cancers. Because of this difference between healthy cells and cancer cells, Warburg argued, cancer should be interpreted as a type of mitochondrial disease.
... which fits well with the results of more recent research by Kremer and others. See Cancer: The ATP-Photon Hypothesis.
Common soil mineral degrades the nearly indestructible prion
a team of Wisconsin researchers has found that a common soil mineral, an oxidized from of manganese known as birnessite, can penetrate the prion's armor and degrade the protein.That the birnessite family of minerals possessed the capacity to degrade prions was a surprise, Pedersen says. Manganese oxides like birnessite are commonly used in such things as batteries and are among the most potent oxidants occurring naturally in soils, capable of chemically transforming a substance by adding oxygen atoms and stripping away electrons.
This study's findings remind us of the work of British farmer-turned-scientific-investigator Mark Purdey, who linked the prions, or malformed proteins, which are found in BSE to manganese and other minerals years ago. His findings that documented the non-infective nature of BSE and hypothesized possible environmental causes, were largely disregarded by the scientific community.
Caring Mothers Strike Fatal Blow against Genetic Determinism
Is it our genetic makeup or the environment that determines who we are? Startling new research results on how maternal care has lasting influence in the offspring’s behaviour that perpetuates for generations [1] are saying that’s not even the right question to ask.. . .
These experiments raise the possibility that diet can affect the phenotype through shaping the epigenotype. Thus, reversal of epigenetic damage may be triggered by stable variations in environmental conditions such as nutrition, and not just by pharmacologic agents.
All in all, these remarkable findings on the epigenetic effects of maternal care show how important it is for societies to look after the welfare of children and mothers to be, in order to ensure both mental and physical health of future generations.
Stevia Makes Sweet Progress with FDA Approval
All major food companies are familiar with the possibilities of stevia. However until the recent FDA decision the manufacturers of artificial sweeteners have been successful in blocking the entry of stevia to the sweetener market. They have used a lot of money and bad science to prevent the entry of stevia, which - as a plant - contrary to the artificial sweeteners cannot be patented.
Medicinal plants on verge of extinction
Most people worldwide, including 80 per cent of all Africans, rely on herbal medicines obtained mostly from wild plants. But some 15,000 of 50,000 medicinal species are under threat of extinction, according to a report this week from international conservation group Plantlife.Commercial over-harvesting does the most harm, though pollution, competition from invasive species and habitat destruction all contribute. "Commercial collectors generally harvest medicinal plants with little care for sustainability," the Plantlife report says.
Human Bodies Produce Salicylic Acid
"It is, we suspect, increasingly likely that SA is a biopharmaceutical with a central, broadly defensive role in animals as well as plants," they state. "This simple organic chemical is, we propose, likely to become increasingly recognized as an animal bioregulator, perhaps in a class of its own."Article: "Salicylic Acid sans Aspirin in Animals and Man: Persistence in Fasting and Biosynthesis from Benzoic Acid", (LINK)
No need for condoms – GE corn can do the job
Monsanto’s GE corn hurts mouse reproduction. So what is it doing to human reproduction? Considering the severity of the potential threat, Greenpeace is demanding a recall of genetically-engineered food and crops from the global market.
2008: A Bad Year for the GM Multinationals
Far from moving closer towards the GM industry’s cherished dream of seeing foods grown from patented GM seeds becoming the norm on our dinner plates, it would seem that consumers are, if anything, becoming more suspicious than ever regarding these products.
Zyprexa: Lilly Settles With Feds, States, Pleads Guilty To Criminal Charge
Eli Lilly has settled claims against it by the feds and numerous states for illegal off-label marketing of its antipsychotic Zyprexa. The company also pleaded guilty to a criminal misdemeanor charge of violating the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by promoting Zyprexa as a dementia treatment. The total settlement comes to $1.42 billion, bringing the company's total Zyprexa settlements to date to about $2.7 billion.
Study criticizes FDA's screening system
An internal watchdog finds that financial conflicts involving outside researchers who test experimental drugs often remain hidden.The inspector general's report found that in 2007, only 206 of 29,691 clinical investigators disclosed potential financial conflicts. By comparison, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. reported that between 23% and 28% of university researchers had financial ties to the drug industry.
For scientists who did report, the most common financial rewards were consulting fees or honoraria, with a midpoint payment of $47,252.
Video: Prescription for Violence
Newer Antipsychotic Drugs Double Heart Risk, Just Like Older Meds
Sales of atypical antipsychotics have grown sharply in recent years, reaching $13 billion through the first 11 months of 2008, according to IMS Health, as quoted by the WSJ. The atypicals are supposed to help patients avoid side effects associated with the older meds, including involuntary, sometimes irreversible tremors and tics and increased risk of sudden cardiac death.
HIV/AIDS: How the Media invariably gets it wrong
TB was never regarded as an opportunistic infection, which is (or used to be) the sort of thing HIV was supposed to bring about — until, that is, the fact that TB patients often test “HIV-positive” was misinterpreted and TB was added to the list of “AIDS-defining” diseases. TB was widespread in Africa long before “HIV/AIDS”.
Seigniorage Reform: How to make a new monetary system
The monetary system we know has run into serious trouble and it is very unlikely that more of the same policies that got us into the current bind will be sufficient to get us out of it again. Alternatives to the debt based system of bank-created-money have been discussed for decades, but reforms were put off because for certain people at the top of the pyramid, the system is extremely profitable. With the collapse of major banks and the need for taxpayers to step in to save the day, the calls for reform are getting louder and more articulated...
- - -More information out there...
There is much I cannot cover but other sources for this kind of information exist and are active.
...
Dr Mercola's health blog and Mike Adams' Natural News have good health information.
The Alternative Medicine Yahoo Group and the healthfreedom ning group are places where you can discuss and exchange information on what is happening in the world of natural health.
For the influence of electromagnetic waves from radio, mobile phones and other radio emitting devices, check out the emr-updates group on Yahoo.
A few sites to keep up to date with the other side of world affairs, the stuff you won't necessarily find on your tv or in the papers:
http://therealnews.com/
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com
http://www.commondreams.org
http://www.globalresearch.ca/
http://rawstory.com/
http://www.truthout.org/and remember ...
The individual is supreme and finds its way through intuition
posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Sunday January 18 2009
updated on Wednesday August 15 2012URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2009/01/18/alternative_medicine_goes_mainstream_newsgrabs_18_january_2009.htm