Blood pressure—we do want some

May is Blood Pressure Awareness Month. You may not know if yours is in a safe range or not, but if you are reading this, you do have some.

There is a common term “what goes up must come down”. That applies to things affected by gravity but not necessarily to blood pressure. Blood pressure can go higher than normal and increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidneys and damage to the brain. It will likely stay high if nothing is done to bring it down. Most often, that “something” is medication…sometimes more than one and they can save the day. However, remember that pharmaceuticals are omnidirectional. That means they force a process one direction, e.g. blood pressure only down and if overdone, could send it to zero! Obviously, having NO blood pressure would be more than inconvenient because of the death problem.  Even lowering the blood pressure of seniors to the alleged ideal (120 / 80 which is appropriate for a 40-year-old) can cause brain problems. (Read more.) Natural approaches have a much greater chance of encouraging blood pressure into the normal range. The Mayo Clinic offers these 10 ways to control blood pressure without drugs. Our fine sponsor Kyolic has an excellent article on natural approaches to blood pressure management. The wonderful thing is that these steps can help prevent other diseases and make you feel better in the process.

The following was taken from the HBN Library article on cardiovascular health.  “By using diet and lifestyle adjustments instead [of medication], folks would be spared not only the known side effects of the drugs, but also surprise problems from interactions with their other medications. LINK. Natural remedies for high blood pressure such as fish oil and magnesium offer added protection for many other health issues. Celery Seed Extract is another good choice. LINK.“

I wrote specifically about blood pressure in this post.  One of the first supplements I think to recommend is Kyolic Formula #109 and their website explains why:

“Supplements. If you’re looking for additional support, reinforcing your BP health with a few targeted supplements can be a smart move. One supplement in particular, Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract (AGE), has been scientifically shown to lower blood pressure while improving arterial stiffness, inflammation, and gut microbial composition. In a 2018 study, participants with uncontrolled hypertension who were given a daily AGE supplement for 12 weeks saw a significant drop in both systolic and diastolic pressure compared to those who got the placebo.¹¹ Better still, a 2021 clinical trial that paired AGE supplementation with regular exercise enhanced the supplement’s blood pressure-lowering effects even further.¹²

But AGE isn’t the only supplement that can lower pressure. Research suggest that two additional nutrients, nattokinase and l-theanine, may also have a positive effect on preventing and treating hypertension. Fortunately, you can get all three in one convenient supplement with Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Formula 109.”

Satisfying sweet tooths (teeth?)

Does it seem that the more sweets you eat the more you want? Well, it really does work that way for at least couple of reasons. One is that when your blood sugar spikes because of a sugar load, insulin brings it down but it can over-compensate. Then, when your blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia), survival instincts kick in and tell you to get blood sugar back up. (At that point, celery just won’t do the job.) Another reason is that a regular diet of sweets and refined carbohydrates encourages an overgrowth of yeast. Yeasts have a sneaky way of sending your brain messages to eat more of what they like. (They basically order their lunch.)

“Lemonade” conjures up wholesome images of grandma pouring you an icy glass on the porch of the old farmhouse on a warm summer day. However, research shows that lemonade along with other sweet drinks are linked to early death in type 2 diabetics.

It is easier to be fooled into eating more sugar than you think that you are because it is in so many of grocery items and goes by so many names: cane sugar, beet sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. Then there is fructose, dextrose, glucose and other names ending in “ose”. If a word ends in “ol” it is a non-caloric sugar substitute that is a sugar alcohol. Examples include sorbitol, maltitol and mannitol. One, xylitol, is valued because it is antimicrobial. Science has recently suggested (but not proven) that frequent consumption of another sugar alcohol, erythritol, may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. (I checked the actual study to see if it was funded or influenced by the competing sugar industry. It was not directly. This article details the errors in that study.) Excess intake of most any sugar alcohol at one sitting may cause gas and a loose stool. I still think those are preferred to the chemical artificial sweeteners like Splenda® (sucralose), NutraSweet® (aspartame), and saccharin.

Natural is still better. I like the herbal sweetener, Stevia which has health benefits and Monk fruit (also sometimes called “lo han guo” or just “lo han”).

Craving something sweet? Maybe eat an apple or a date so you get some fiber and other nutrients.

Too bad your dentist can’t fix a “sweet tooth”

I did a quick internet search for the origin of “sweet tooth”. Vocabulary.com reported “The phrase has been used in English for hundreds of years, since the late fourteenth century, and it comes from toothsome, an even older word meaning ‘delicious or tasty’. This sense of tooth standing in for taste gave rise to sweet tooth, or ‘particularly enjoying sweet tastes.’”

We probably always knew there wasn’t just a tooth to blame for sweet cravings. And it is not surprising that the origin goes back to the 13^th century. Actually, the cravings themselves most likely go back to early humans. Think about it. If we were not genetically programed to seek foods with some sweetness, our species might have eaten only leaves and died off thousands of years ago from starvation. Foods with a bit of sweetness in the flavor, like nuts, root vegetables and obviously fruits, have more calories and other nutrients.

Unfortunately, modern food technology and product availability have thrown us a big curve. These days, we are much more likely to die from the effects of obesity than starvation. Although in the past, thanks to industry lobbying not science, the government blamed fat in the diet instead of sugar. If we understand the science as alluded to in this authoritative article by the Harvard School of Public Health, sugar intake should be controlled to reduce the risk of obesity and heart disease. (I might add: diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s.)

Americans eat more sugar than any other population on the planet! (Yay us? Is it a coincidence that we also pay more for sickness care?) Most estimates have us eating well over 100 pounds a year on average. And, since that average includes some people who eat no sugar, other folks must eat boatloads. Probably few people have a sugar bowl on the table and must refill it every two days. Most of the intake is hidden in foods and beverages. Even an apple contains sugar, but I doubt that anyone is getting fat eating apples. The biggest offenders are not naturally occurring sugars like that but rather refined sugar added to beverages. Examples of sugar in these: 12 ounces of Dr. Pepper = 10 teaspoons, Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino® or Monster Energy drink = 14 teaspoons (almost a quarter cup). Look up your personal beverage temptation on this website. Of course, we all know that candy, cookies, cakes, donuts, pies, and ice cream are sources of sugar. But it is important to read labels on catsup, BBQ sauce, salad dressing, yogurt, peanut butter, chicken pot pies…well, everything. Little by little it adds up. Learn more about sugar on this page in our Library.

At the market, I was inspired to do this blog when another customer (who said that her husband is diabetic) asked me about a brand of bread that had the least sugar. I think we are better off without bread in general, but at least this variety of Dave’s bread had good organic ingredients, decent fiber, low  sugar content and is sliced thin.

If your sweet tooth is getting you into trouble, know that there is hope. Stopping cold turkey can cause withdrawal symptoms. Reducing gradually may be easier. Be of good cheer—after  you are off for a week, it becomes much easier to resist sugar. Yes, you still know it tastes good but it doesn’t have power over you. I ran across a supplement product that, based on my experience in the past with its ingredients, should help reduce cravings.  (I’ve never used this particular one, so I can’t say for sure.)

Chocolate!

I have been curious about AI (artificial intelligence) being used to write articles (and term papers!). So, just for fun, I thought I’d give it a try on a topic of general interest but where no great harm would be done if the robot got the info wrong. (E.g. I wouldn’t ask a bot for help with D.I.Y. brain surgery!) Except for italic text, the following blog was written by Microsoft’s Bing AI. Since we’ve just been through the seasons of chocolate hearts and chocolate bunnies, I picked this subject. I started by asking the benefits. AI automatically added the link.

Chocolate has several health benefits. It contains flavanols like epicatechin and catechin, as well as anthocyanins and phenolic acids which help protect your cells from inflammation, improve your brain function, and boost your immune and cardiovascular health¹.

Some of the benefits of eating chocolate include:

• TASTES GOOD
• Lowering cholesterol levels
• Preventing cognitive decline
• Reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems
• Appetite control
• Improved memory
• Mood elevation
• Treating cough and cold
• Smooth functioning of the nervous system
• Stress relief
• Improved vision
• Increased energy
• Protecting against sunburn
• Curing diarrhea

MW: I believe that some of the benefit of chocolate comes from the magnesium it contains. Knowing that there had been some recent news about contamination in dark chocolate, I asked a separate AI question about that and it came up with these two links but no wraparound thoughts of its own:

• A test of dark chocolate found traces of lead and cadmium. Do you need to give it up? | CBC News
• Your Easter candy may be contaminated. Heavy metals found in most dark chocolate brands. (yahoo.com)

MW: Well, this was fun and it did save a little time. Sadly, I must use that time to see if I can gain some control of my emails. (After getting my Outlook reinstalled by tech support, it immediately downloaded 3,340! emails that apparently backed up on the server while the program was not working. I can easily delete half, but will have to at least look at them to decide that.)

Breathing can be good for your health!

Yes, I know…you’ve been breathing regularly all your life. But…there is more to that story.

This week’s blog is an extension of last week’s, Think your way to better health! Thinking about our breathing helps our health in many ways as is pointed out in the following article by Andrew Shepherd, DC. Also, check out what I added at the bottom about a simple but effective breathing technique.

“Proper breathing decreases the risk of disease AND improves immune system strength! It also can:

✅Reduce stress levels in your body
✅Lower your heart rate
✅Lower your blood pressure
✅Improve diabetic symptoms
✅Reduce depression
✅Better manage chronic pain
✅Better regulate your body’s reaction to stress and fatigue

Many people are “shallow breathers” as a reaction to environmental stressors.

Breathing in a shallow way keeps the body in a cyclical state of stress; stress causing shallow breathing and shallow breathing causing stress. This activates the sympathetic nervous system which then keeps the body in constant “fight or flight” mode. That’s why shallow breathing in the long run can have serious health consequences. 

According to John Luckovich, an Integrative Breathwork Facilitator in Brooklyn, NY, ‘the chronic stress that is associated with shallow breathing results in lower amounts of lymphocyte, a type of white blood cell that helps defend the body from invading organisms and lowers the amounts of proteins that signal other immune cells. The body is then susceptible to contracting acute illness, aggravating pre-existing medical conditions, and prolonging healing times. It is also a precursor for cardiovascular issues’. (Source: Headspace)

This is important information with the contagious diseases that pop up in the news.

Working on proper breathing techniques will calm the sympathetic nervous system and keep you less susceptible to illness and disease. 

It’s also important to note that chiropractic adjustments will help reduce the stress on your nervous system and facilitate relaxation in the body which will allow you to take fewer breaths per minute. 

Practicing proper breathing techniques AND getting adjusted regularly are two of the best things you can be doing for your health.” 

Martie adds this: As noted above, simply focusing on your breathing can reduce stress and it can help with sleep (better than counting sheep). I like a technique called “box” or “square” breathing that is said to be used by Navy Seals, professional athletes, nurses and police officers when they are anticipating a stressful event. Here are instructions from the Cleveland Clinic for that technique:.

1. Breathe out slowly, releasing all the air from your lungs.
2. Breathe in through your nose as you slowly count to four in your head. …
3. Hold your breath for a count of four.
4. Exhale for another count of four.
5. Hold your breath again for a count of four.
6. Repeat for three to four rounds.

I think it is pretty cool that there is something so powerful for health that is FREE and has no unpleasant side effects. Thank you, Dr. Shepherd for writing about this fundamental health factor.

…………………………………………..

Dr. Shepherd’s Sources:

• Front Hum Neurosci. 2018; 12: 353.
• Am J Hypertens. 2009 Dec;22(12):1326-31. doi: 10.1038/ajh.2009.184. Epub 2009 Oct 1.
• JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Mar;174(3):357-68. doi: 10.1001 /jamainternmed .2013.13018.
• Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Nov;1056:242-52.

Think your way to better health!

Does that sound silly? It should not since you know at the least what you think determines your actions. Your actions can obviously either build health (e.g. go for a walk in nature) or destroy it (e.g. swallow a back alley discount pain killer that turns out to contain fentanyl).

Beyond that, the brain tells the body what to do. (Has your brain ever told your stomach to do a sickening flip when you found out that you would have to give a speech?) In many and marvelous ways that we may not even notice, the brain controls the body. Surprisingly, mainstream science acknowledges the power of the mind. As you may know, they factor in the placebo effect in studies. That, of course is when simply the belief that a therapy will provide help itself causes improvement. Not as well known, there is a corresponding negative—the nocebo effect…i.e. thinking that a therapy will cause harm results in a negative health outcome.

The world of mind/body medicine is rich in connections between thought or emotions and how the physical body reacts. As an example, one of Healthy by Nature’s revered sponsors, the late Gus Kotsanis, MD, told me that he had a very hard time helping people overcome cancer until they stopped harboring anger and resentment. Below are a few more thoughts on the power of the mind:

• Heart health. In her interview this week about Women’s Heart Health, Sherry Torkos gave her 7 steps for prevention of heart disease and 2 where related to attitude:

1. Be optimistic. Research conducted in over 97,000 women found that optimists have lower rates of heart disease.

7. Stress less and laugh more. Stress is a major risk factor for heart disease, especially in women. Laughing relaxes and expands blood vessels, which protects the heart.

• Speaking of stress, it shows up in the mirror. You might see a noticeable difference in your appearance in photos taken on vacation compared to one from a work meeting. I like this quote from the late humorist Erma Bombeck, “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”
• Mindfulness. The University of California, Berkely defines the term this way “Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” There are many benefits attributed to mindfulness and books and even magazines at the grocery checkout counter about it.

* Many practitioners recommend meditation as a kind of extra purposeful mindfulness. I suspect that prayer has the same calming benefits (in addition the expectation that the prayer will be answered).

* A simple but proven example of mindfulness is to focus on a meal and enjoy various aspects of it and notice how it makes you feel. That may result in more satisfaction and a delay in wanting more food…and cumulatively in weight loss.

* In a practical sense, it is also paying attention. Too often we are distracted, e.g. by phones. How many times do we “forget” a name or where we parked, but rather had paid no attention to begin with? Also, obviously, accidents happen when we are not tuned in. Case in point…one evening I was getting ready to use my Waterpik® flosser, but was thinking about something else when I clicked on the motor before putting the tip in my mouth. I was brought back to the present by a blast of water in my face.

• Gratitude. My 11/23/22 blog was a somewhat personal piece on gratitude. In it I noted that “On Pubmed.gov I searched the database for ‘gratitude and health’. I got back 1,261 results!” (Today that number is up to 1,326 and articles cover a great many health issues.) That blog also had this quote: “A deliberate change in perspective can turn annoyances into reasons to be grateful. It is like the quote from Abraham Lincoln, ‘We can complain that rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.’ A practical application—If my errands are slowed down by road construction, I remind myself that I’m lucky to live in an area that even has paved roads and that my city works to fix them”. Also “Happiness is not having what you want, it is appreciating what you have.”

EXPECT health because you get more of what you focus on.

D is Dramatic

The consequences of vitamin D deficiency are indeed dramatic and not at all good. For far too long (according to Jeff Bowles, since the 1930’s), vitamin D has been underrated and even unfairly disparaged apparently to avoid distracting from drug approaches to health. We won’t be able to give the sunshine vitamin its due here, but let’s make a start with a few facts:

• A very large and lengthy study showed that low levels of vitamin D are associated with greater incidence of dementia. Blood test levels told the story. Those with levels of 25(OH)D at <25 nmol/L [low!] were half again as likely to experience a stroke or dementia as compared to those with 50–75.9 nmol/L [more favorable level]” There are many possible ways in which vitamin D can help the brain, including improving circulation and reducing inflammation.
• A controlled trial showed that daily supplementation with 5000 IU vitamin D3 reduces influenza-like illness in healthcare workers. [Note that the FDA recommends supplementing only 800 IU of vitamin D and pegs the safe upper limit at 4,000.]
• Randomized controlled trials showed that vitamin D₃ supplementation was associated with a 33% lower risk of COVID-19 infection that ended in death within 30 days. (Dark skinned individuals received more benefit from supplementation.) One possible reason for th benefit is that vitamin D seems to dampen the cytokine storm [immune over reaction] that can be deadly. The other type of vitamin, D₂ did not provide statistically significant results. Dosages ranged from 20 IU [why bother?] to 50,000 IU [that’s what I take when infection threatens]. Sometimes hospitals use ultra-high inject-able doses of another form.
• A ten-year study of more than 12,000 older adults found that those taking vitamin D supplements were 40 percent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia during that time frame. The association was somewhat stronger in women likely due to D’s relationship to estrogen.

The unwelcome costs of low vitamin D levels include high blood pressure, arthritis, infection, kidney disease, immune system problems, respiratory diseases, osteoporosis, and diabetes to name a few. [No, I do not sell vitamin D or even have a sponsor that does. I’m just a believer!] Learn more about vitamin D from this page in the HBN Library.

25 Weight Management Ideas

Photo from Harvard Health Letter

Still recovering from bad eating behavior on a recent cruise, I needed to review these ideas and see which ones might speed my process. You may already use some of these tricks, but hopefully there is something useful.

1. The best results for weight and health are had by planning to improving your eating habits for a lifetime, rather than going on a short term “diet”.
2. Get in the habit of eating real food (Honestly, following the recommendations on that link may be ALL that you need to do!) Refined processed foods (e.g. those containing flour, white rice, sugar, artificial sweeteners, partially hydrogenated fats and artificial ingredients) do not nourish your cells, or your good bacteria and you will be hungry again soon. Veggies are extremely important for disease prevention and are low in calories but high in water and fiber that feed the good bacteria. In time they make you crave more veggies.
3. Keep a simple “diary” and see if patterns emerge and you can figure out what emotions trigger you to overeat or eat comfort foods that you know are not in your best interest. It can be as simple as making a running list on a notepad. Or, if it is easier, this linked form can be printed out and copied (or used as a guide for one you make).
4. Planning meals ahead of time and shopping when you are not hungry helps a lot. Once a food is in the cupboard or fridge, it becomes a temptation. Research shows that when people buy large size packages (e.g. at the club stores) they eat more.
5. As noted at the Real Food link in #2 above, sugar plays havoc with your blood sugar, thereby creating fatigue and cravings. Each meal should contain protein because it helps metabolism and reduces between-meal hunger. Learn about low glycemic foods. Remember that liquids can be calories too.
6. Don’t be afraid of dietary fat—good fats actually burn body fat. (More details in the Real Food Link—see #2)
7. Drink plenty of pure water because the body is 70% water and uses water in virtually every chemical reaction. Water improves metabolism, reduces appetite and helps detoxification. Of course, you want filtered water without toxins.
8. Don’t skip meals if you find that makes you hungrier later, e.g. breakfast. (Just make sure it isn’t a toaster pastry!) Some people do better without breakfast and the research makes it seem you shouldn’t force yourself. In any case, eat often enough that you don’t get overly hungry. (When you do, your survival instincts take over and good judgment goes out the window.)
9. Blunt your appetite with water 30 minutes before meals. (For extra benefit, add a scoop of Sweet Wheat. Feeding your cells all those nutrients will make you less likely to overindulge.)
10. Select portion sizes that are less than you think you need. You can go back! Use a smaller plate because research by Brian Wansink, PhD has shown that it and other physical cues help. If eating out, ask for a to-go box when you order and set aside half of what are so oftent giant portions. Stop eating when you are full even if your plate is not clean. (No matter what guilt mom might have implied, those starving children in the 3rd world will still be hungry even if you are uncomfortably stuffed.)
11. Just like the advice to avoid grocery shopping when hungry, don’t go to a party hungry. When your blood sugar gets low, survival instincts don’t want celery…it wants instant gratification like a brownie. Eating even a few almonds or part of a protein bar may be enough preventive eating.
12. Pay attention to where and how you eat. Don’t eat in the car or in front of the TV where you will be distracted from the rest of these factors. Get yourself into a peaceful mood (saying Grace perhaps?).
13. Try to avoid eating around people who have bad eating habits—those are contagious.
14. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly, focusing on the food with all your senses. This helps digestion and the psychological satisfaction from a meal.
15. Stop eating at 6 PM if you can. Besides the unneeded extra calories (late night grazing is probably not broccoli, right?), your metabolism should be shutting down for the night. The extra food also short circuits Leptin, the signaling mechanism that tells your body to burn or store fat.
16. Of course, you know that you should do aerobic exercise, but don’t forget strength training. Muscle burns fat even when you are not exercising. Vigorous exercise helps with the blue moods that can drive us to comfort foods. Read more.
17. Good digestion and even the right type of microorganisms in your digestive tract help boost metabolism and reduce appetite. It has been found that obese people have a different blend of probiotic organisms in their digestive track than do slim folk. Read about probiotics.
18. Check your thyroid function because that gland regulates metabolism and therefore how much fat you can burn. Learn more about iodine that is needed to make thyroid hormone. This links to a show on iodine.
19. Also pay attention to the liver. If it is congested with toxins, fat storage increases. The liver loves fresh vegetables. Also consider the supplement Reg’ Activ DETOX & LIVER HEALTH.
20. Food sensitivities can lead to weight gain. Read more.
21. A good supplement program will keep your chemistry running smoothly and help avoid cravings. Consider adding chromium to your basic plan because it helps regulate blood sugar and therefore reduces cravings. Ceylon cinnamon does as well. Here is a product that contains both.
22. Forgive yourself if you break a rule you set for yourself. Start over again. Getting blue about failure may itself lead to more eating…the proverbial vicious cycle.
23. Read about the motivating benefits of movement.
24. Be more concerned about the percentage of your body that is fat than what the scale says. (It is not healthy to be a skinny fat person.) Doing strength training adds lean tissue that burns fat.

1. Perhaps try an app to change how you view food and your cravings. EatRightNow is an example. (Check reviews.)

Photo from Harvard Health Letter

Please be clear about “Science”

Two weeks ago in the newsletter, I said I was skipping the blog to work instead on a letter to the editors of the Dallas Morning News because it was a very important matter. The paper asked me to verify my sources which I did. They said they would publish the letter on Thursday but did not. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I may have confused matters by asking what the requirements were for submitting an “op ed” article. I followed those rules, but my article was not printed either. I suspect that the real reason I was ignored was that they just did not want to hear my message. Throughout the pandemic, the paper behaved as though they are part of the 2020 Trusted News Initiative. That is a coalition of media that circled the wagons, supposedly “to combat spread of harmful vaccine disinformation.” Compliant media censored any reporting or opinions contrary to the government propaganda. They even blocked legitimate questions, effectively combating the spread of lifesaving information.

I cannot make the paper print my article, but I can publish it here and reach a lot of open-minded people who will hopefully pass it on to others. Here is the would-be op ed;

Please be clear about “Science”

February 4, 2023 Terri Burke, director of a pro-immunization organization, wrote: “Stop anti-vaccine madness in Texas Senate”, sharply criticizing the Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee’s hearing on covid-19. Reader Carol McNatt wrote to the editor “Stop denying science”. Both submissions seemed plausible, but apparently relied on faulty assumptions.

The first errant assumption is common. During the pandemic, we were implored to “follow the science” … implying that “science” is established fact. However, science is not so much a thing as a process. It often evolves dramatically after years or even centuries of debate, data, studies, and usage. (Note, science pronounced thalidomide safe for pregnant women until horrific birth defects appeared. It took 8 years to ban the drug and 60 years to understand what happened.)

Debate distills the truth. Being too quick to declare that a scientific theory is a fact has led institutions and media to kill careers of conscientious “whistleblowers”. Terri Burke accused Peter McCullough, MD of “perpetuating misinformation”. That slur has been used against virtually all medical pioneers—even Dr. Semmelweis who simply proposed hand washing to control hospital infections. Dr. McCullough correctly pointed out that FDA safety requirements for covid vaccine were significantly weaker than those for other vaccines. He courageously saved thousands of lives by advocating safe FDA-approved drugs to keep covid patients out of hospitals. (In hospitals, financial incentives encouraged the use of Remdesivir and ventilators despite their dismal track records). Dr. McCullough is a renowned cardiologist, researcher, and medical journal editor. Logically, his advice should be heard, especially regarding vaccine-induced blood clots and heart inflammation which he sees in his practice.

The second faulty assumption is believing that if vaccines have been historically useful and assumed safe, all future vaccines will be. (Wait a minute…the federal government has awarded over $4.4 Billion to victims of vaccine harm from the entrenched vaccine schedule. Also, why aren’t we curious that Japan uses many fewer vaccines but has a lower rate of childhood deaths?) Changes in type make assuming safety even riskier. Covid mRNA vaccines are an entirely new concept—essentially genetic therapies that program the body’s cells to manufacture the spike protein (the damaging part of the virus). We now know that the shots do not prevent infection or transmission of covid. It is unsettling that the shot material does not stay in the arm as advertised. Rather, it gets to and remains for some time in organs, including ovaries. Many independent experts have serious questions about potential adverse effects on fertility, pregnancy, and the health of the brain, nerves, arteries, kidneys and more.

Data informs decisions if openly discussed. Unfortunately, the government and media have not generally tolerated even questions about covid response. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is an “early warning system to detect possible safety problems in U.S.-licensed vaccines.” Hello! As of 2/3/2023, the database lists 34,107 deaths and 62,854 cases of permanent disability from covid shots. Previously, 5 deaths sounded an alarm. The CDC notes that it does not investigate submissions, but it should also mention that as few as 1% of vaccine injuries are reported to the FDA. I declined the shots.

I’m proud that the Texas HHS committee resisted political pressure and openly discussed covid issues. Sunlight like that will help us be better prepared and more cautious when, inevitably, the next health emergency is proclaimed.  I enjoyed Dr. McCullough’s book, “The Courage to Face Covid-19”, and believe it is a great resource that clearly and unemotionally documents the many failures in pandemic response.

Selected sources:

Remdesivir: https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/who-recommends-against-the-use-of-remdesivir-in-covid-19-patients

Financial incentives to hospitals: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/04/24/fact-check-medicare-hospitals-paid-more-covid-19-patients-coronavirus/3000638001/

Japan comparison: https://fullfact.org/health/Japan-US-vaccine-comparisons/

Adverse events: https://www.medalerts.org/vaersdb/findfield.php?TABLE=ON&GROUP1=CAT&EVENTS=ON&VAX=COVID19

Under reporting of side effects. https://digital.ahrq.gov/ahrq-funded-projects/electronic-support-public-health-vaccine-adverse-event-reporting-system

Sardi interview review

On the replayed show this week, Bill Sardi explained some things what our doctors should tell us about our health from just seeing us walk in the door. Listeners and I had also asked questions and since the show was so packed with valuable information, I thought it would be helpful to do a review.

Aspirin. Studies seem to indicate new benefits for low dose (81 mg) aspirin such as during cancer treatment and pregnancy. I mentioned that anti-inflammatory supplements like resveratrol, magnesium, fish oil and a diet lower in inflammatory sugars might be better than aspirin for inflammation. He said that for cardiovascular protection, the low dose is not enough to thin the blood. The full 325 mg dose does and reduces iron overload. However, it does so by causing GI blood loss and can lead to ulcers and thousands of bleeding deaths each year. Another reason he does not recommend any regular use of aspirin is that it depletes vitamin C. That might in turn lead to weak capillaries—e.g. in the brain, possibly risk of a brain bleed.

Moles on your skin, white moons and spots on finger nails? You may be deficient in the mineral zinc. Low zinc also reduces the effectiveness of your immune system.

Loss of short-term memory plus fatigue? (Especially if combined with burning feet, chronic cough, sore back, and sore tongue.) Those are classic symptoms of low levels of B₁₂ even if blood tests show that you are in the “normal” range. (Up to 40% of the subjects used to create that supposedly adequate range were low in this critical vitamin.) B₁₂ can be low because of inadequate stomach acid, the use of acid blocking drugs or a vegetarian diet.

Redheads? They have a marked increased risk for Multiple Sclerosis which is related to low vitamin D levels. (They don’t get much sun exposure.)

Dark skin? (e.g. Eastern Indian or African descent) Those folks need 10 times as much sun exposure as light skinned people to form adequate vitamin D. Vitamin D reduces the risk of diabetes, breast cancer and even dental cavities.

A man over age 50 (or post-menopausal woman)? You are likely overloaded with iron which may double the risk for premature aging, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Blood tests for ferritin in the serum should be between 20-90 ng/mL but a large percentage of the population is in the 200-1000 range. Moderating consumption of red meat and donating blood are ways to reduce iron overload. Resveratrol and IP6 help remove the free iron (but do not take needed iron from red blood cells) and loose calcium that is also an aging factor. Those ingredients are in Longevinex and in smaller but significant amounts in Molecular Multi.

Vegan? You are at risk of being low in iron as well as vitamin B₁₂, zinc and omega 3 fatty acids.

Skin tags / overweight? (E.g. more than 30 lbs over our weight in high school.) Those problems lead to diabetes and heart disease, but can go away with a diet that limits fast-burning carbohydrates like bread, rice, pasta, cereals, cakes, pancakes, cookies, soft drinks, buns, donuts, bagels, pretzels, corn chips and so on. It makes sense to avoid grains (corn wheat, etc.) that farmers use to fatten animals for market. Processed foods also contain ingredients designed to deactivate leptin, the hormone that tells us when we are full.

Pap smear abnormal? Half those issues resolve on their own. The doc should prescribe folic acid and vitamin C [and check vitamin D levels] rather than rush to do a hysterectomy.

Numbness? If due to poor circulation, Bill recommended magnesium, garlic, and resveratrol. May also be due to repetitive postures and movements. B₁₂ helps nerve health. Hyaluronic acid helps build the cushioning around the nerves. Note that estrogen is required to make hyaluronic acid.

Dry skin, elbows, eyes, mouth? Sardi recommended borage oil. 

Hair loss. Make sure the thyroid gland is functioning well (and take digestive enzymes). Hair loss can be due to overgrowth of the stomach bug H. pylori which shuts off stomach acid and leads to nutrient malabsorption. Zinc carnosine supplements help with that. (I also cover those topics in both of my gut related books.) Spotty sudden hair loss can be due to an autoimmune condition caused by “leaky gut” which is due to an imbalance of gut bacteria. Reduced estrogen levels with age can cause hair thinning and loss. Resveratrol is a safe plant estrogen balancer.

Wow. We covered a lot! For more details on some of these items, read Bill Sardi’s article.