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(Health Secrets) If you are worrying about cancer, including beans in meal planning could go a long way to ease your mind. Research has shown that beans and other legumes work in many ways to stop cancer, and provide plenty of other health benefits as well.

Beans belong to the legume group of vegetables, which includes lentils and pulses. Most of the health benefits to be gotten from eating beans extends to the entire group.

The link between eating beans and lowered risk of cancer was established several years ago. In a broad reaching study using data from 41 countries, researchers found that eating beans reduced incidence of death from breast, prostate and colon cancer.  As the years have gone by, more and more studies have linked bean eating with reduced risk for many other types of cancer.

Eating beans stops breast cancer

More recently data from the Nurses Health Study II, among the largest and longest running investigations of factors influencing women’s health, was evaluated to see which flavonol-rich foods were protective of breast tissue in premenopausal women age 26 to 46.  Researchers found that among the major food groups tested, beans and lentils were most protective, while tea, onions, apples, string beans, broccoli, green pepper and blueberries showed no ability to provide protection.

The 4 Corners Breast Cancer Study was unique in having  Hispanics, Native Americans, and non-Hispanic white women as participants. Scientists found a relationship between consumption of beans and a reduction in breast cancer risk in Hispanic women consuming a native Mexican diet characterized by high bean and other legume intake. These women showed a breast cancer risk only two-thirds that of non-Hispanic whites eating the typical American diet high in processed foods, red meat and sugar.

Beans and other legumes are a food staple in many regions of the world, where they are consumed quite frequently and in large quantities to provide low glycemic energy, protein and fiber. Almost across the board, incidence of breast cancer is significantly lower in these regions.

Men can benefit from frequent bean eating too  

Lifestyle factors play a role in a diagnosis of prostate cancer, just as they do in a diagnosis of breast cancer. French researchers assessed the association of fiber and prostate cancer in 3313 men followed for a median time of 12.6 years, during which 139 developed prostate cancer.

When the researchers compared men in the highest quartile of consumption of dietary fiber, such as found in beans and other legumes, to consumption of men in the lowest quartile, they discovered that risk of prostate cancer was cut almost in half in those eating the most beans and other legumes. However, no association between lower prostate cancer risk and consumption of cereal, vegetable and fruit fiber was observed. Study authors suggested the mechanism of action was reduction of inflammation.

Beans stop renal, gastric and colon cancer

Plant-based fiber-rich foods such as beans and legumes have a positive effect on renal (kidney) carcinoma and the chronic conditions associated with it, according to recent research. Significantly lowered risk of renal cell carcinoma was observed  in those eating beans and other high fiber foods.

People eating dried beans, other legumes, and bean soup show a significantly reduced risk of colon cancer. Data from the Polyp Prevention Trial indicated that eating more beans provides strong protection against recurrence of colon polyps.

Women who ate four or more servings of beans and other legumes weekly had their risk of colon cancer lowered by one-third, in a study with 35,000 participants. A related study found that people who once had colon cancer were able to reduce their risk of recurrence by 45 percent by frequent bean eating.

There’s a secret at work in these studies

What’s the secret that lets beans turn out results like these? It’s called inositol hexaphosphate, or IP6 for short, and it’s a powerful cancer fighting compound found in abundance in beans. Another feature of beans known as inositol pentakisphosphate (IP10) is so powerful that was found to inhibit the growth of tumors in mice all by itself!

Beans top the list in antioxidants

Beans and all the legumes are anti-aging superstars because of their high antioxidant levels. Pinto, kidney and red beans fill three of the four top slots for overall best antioxidant protection, beating out other fruits and vegetables, according to the Department of Agriculture. If they had rated black beans, they surely would have taken the fourth slot.

Why these particular beans? As it is throughout the plant world, color is key. The darker and more intense the color, the greater the antioxidant protection to be had by those eating them.

Beans are a terrific protein source. Add some cheese to make a complete protein. Beans are super versatile, and a pound of organic beans can be bought for about a dollar. What could be better?

(Health Secrets) Gluten has gotten a bad rap for a reason. Eating foods containing gluten may lead to rheumatoid arthritis, a disease characterized by inflammation and pain in the joints. In addition, gluten intolerance leads to damage in the small intestine when products containing gluten have been eaten.

Gluten is a protein found in most grains. Bread, pasta and pretzels are just some of the foods that contain it. Many people who are gluten intolerant experience side effects from eating it, but some people do not have symptoms and could unknowingly be increasing their risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Gluten intolerance

Having a gluten intolerance means that the body has a hard time digesting the gluten found in grains like wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats. If not managed, this intolerance may lead to serious conditions such as diabetes and intestinal cancer. A gluten intolerance may cause aching joints, which is also a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis. Additional symptoms include muscle cramps, hair loss, nausea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, mouth ulcers and seizures.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, meaning it causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy tissue. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, but it is found most commonly in middle-aged women, though men can get it too. Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain and stiffness in the joints on both sides of the body. Most often this affects the fingers, wrists, knees, feet and ankles. Joints may also feel tender or warm during periods of inactivity. Deformity in the joints can occur over time.

Autoimmune attack

When bacteria enter the body, the immune system recognizes the invader as something foreign. It attacks this invader to prevent illness. Unfortunately, in people with rheumatoid arthritis, the body thinks that their own body tissue is an invader and attacks it. The intestinal lining gets damaged during autoimmune attacks, which allows large food particles to pass through the damaged intestinal wall and get into the body. This condition is known as leaky gut and it is an autoimmune response. It may contribute to rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, according to Robb Wolf, a former research biochemist and the author of the New York Times bestselling book The Paleo Solution. For someone who is gluten intolerant, the body attacks grains that contain gluten, leading to intestinal damage. This allows the gluten particles to get into the bloodstream and to the joints, which the immune system then attacks and damages as well.

Dietary therapy

Dietary therapy may reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms by eliminating foods that trigger an autoimmune response, according to an article published in the British Journal of Rheumatotology. This therapy may even slow the progression of the disease by eliminating all trigger foods from the diet. Dietary therapy is also useful as a diagnostic tool to discover unique food triggers. The therapy begins with eliminating every possible food trigger for arthritis from the diet, such as beef, eggs, wheat, oranges, milk, peanuts, malt and soy. Food is then reintroduced one at a time to see if a person reacts to a particular item.

For more information:
http://robbwolf.com/faq/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001467/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001280/

(Health Secrets) Having optimal levels of thyroid hormone is essential for  preventing and recovering from heart disease says Dr. Kathy Maupin, a pioneer in anti-aging medicine and founder of BioBalance Health. While many conventional physicians seem to think that elevated thyroid is a risk factor for heart disease, the real culprit is actually low thyroid.   When the thyroid gland does not make optimal levels of thyroid hormone, a downward cascade is set off in the body that can lead to death.

The connection between thyroid and heart disease

Hormones are the great communicators of the body. They are chemical messengers that transfer signals and instructions from one set of cells to another.  Thyroid is the most important hormone because it simulates energy production. Thyroid strengthens muscles, and the heart is the most important muscle in the body. Thyroid also works to keep your heart healthy by:

• Keeping weight in the normal range
• Reducing water retention and swelling
• Powering a robust heartbeat
• Normalizing blood pressure
• Maintaining body temperature in the normal range
• Speeding up sluggish metabolism
• Helping the heart muscle achieve optimal functioning
• Providing more blood and oxygen when you are exercising

The chemical messages sent by the thyroid to the heart tell it to beat at a normal rate, which is between 60 and 80 beats per minute.  The heart works like a pump, and this is the pumping rate necessary to ensure blood fully circulates throughout the body oxygenating tissues and organs. Any number above or below this range signals malfunctioning.  The objective is to maintain a steady and consistent blood flow to all the parts of the body, without fluctuation. Thyroid promotes a positive ejection fraction, the measure of how much blood goes out of the heart with each beat and is available for oxygenating.

The low functioning heart is the most dangerous heart

Many practitioners worry about heart arrhythmias, but Dr. Maupin stresses that the low functioning heart is the real sleeper, and hypothyroidism (low thyroid) is the culprit. There are four kinds of damage a heart can undergo:

Arrhythmia is a cadence issue in which there is inability to fill up the atrium and ventricle so that blood can be effectively pushed out of the heart. If this goes on long enough, it can cause damage to the heart and also the tissues and organs because they cannot become fully oxygenated.

Narrowing of blood vessels is the result of plaque build up. Normally the heart (think circulating pump again) is strong enough to send blood to nourish the lungs and the rest of the body, and return it to then nourish the heart itself. But if blood vessels are blocked or occluded, the vessels at the end of the line will die because not enough blood can get to them. The longer this goes one, the more in danger the whole body becomes.

Heart attack occurs when blood vessels become completely occluded, and no blood is able to reach the heart. It’s sort of like a garden hose with a kink in it allowing pressure to build up but the water is trapped. This can cause the heart to stop beating, and can cause long term damage in which parts of the heart become dead. The heart a person is born with and had all their life becomes no longer capable of pushing blood out, and the ejection fraction plummets. Without a healthy ejection fraction, a person is no longer healthy.

Poor muscle tone can occur without a heart attack. This can happen from years of low thyroid as your life force drifts away. The heart without adequate thyroid becomes lax, the pulse is slowed, and nothing in the body is getting quite enough blood. It is why you are tired, cold and out of breath if your thyroid is low.

Symptoms of low thyroid as it relates to the heart include weight gain or loss, slow heart rate, dysregulated blood pressure, swelling of the hands and feet, and feeling abnormally cold. Thyroid keeps the body warm, and all the bodily functions work better when you are warm.

Documenting low thyroid

In addition to presenting your symptoms anecdotally and being observed by your practitioner, there is a simple blood test that can determine low thyroid. This test measures thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and provides and indirect look at thyroid function. The theory behind it is that when the body is producing enough T3 and T4 (the two types of thyroid hormone the body naturally produces), TSH should be within a defined optimal range. However, when the thyroid gland has become sluggish and levels of T3 and T4 decline, the body mounts an effort to get the thyroid gland to produce more hormone. This is the function of TSH, and its elevation is a marker for low thyroid.

If a woman’s TSH reaches 2.5 on the lab test, it means tyroid hormone replacement is needed. The tipping point for men is higher, at 4.0. Yet most doctors still do not replace thyroid in women until their TSH is at 4.0, the men’s value. They say if they go to 2.5 they would be treating too many people! Lab reports still show only the 4.0 value as normal, dating back to the 1940s when male medical students were tested to determine a reference range. Later, it was determined that the sexes were different in their thyroid needs, but most doctors don’t seem to care. As a result, women can present with all the symptoms of low thyroid but are told by their doctors that their thyroid function is adequate unless their TSH reaches 4.0. If the woman persists, the next step is usually for the doctor to treat her with antidepressants.

Another way to determine low thyroid is through basal body temperature, which should be taken orally first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. A temperature reading below 97.9 indicates the need for attention to be paid to the thyroid. Start by supplementing your diet with iodine, a mineral sorely lacking in our food supply. Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormone, and you must have adequate iodine to produce healthy thyroid hormone. If this does not produce results, thyroid hormone replacement is indicated.

There is a tendency not to treat low thyroid because it is seen as having no relationship to the cardiovascular system by the medical establishment. But replacing it is critical to heart health, and overall health and well being. Replacement is easily done orally with natural thyroid hormone, the form of thyroid replacement that suits most women best. This form replaces both T3 and T4, unlike the synthetic replacement drugs which replace only T4 and assumes the body can convert T4 to T3, a situation that becomes more iffy as we age. And when women become stressed physically or mentally, they lose the ability to convert T4 to T3. At the cellular level, T3 is the more active form and it actually simulates everything that the body’s own thyroid hormone once did, but it needs to be balanced with T4 to make us as we were meant to be. The natural thyroid is pig thyroid, harvested from pigs raised strictly for medical use. It is well accepted by almost all women.

“There is a lot hanging on this,” says Dr. Maupin. “When all those symptoms are getting better, I know the heart is getting better. They [her patients] won’t be out of breath when they work out and the heart muscle is not getting lax, like an old pair of hose you just keep wearing and it doesn’t form on your legs anymore, it just hangs.”

According to a recent study in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, diet and the acidity of urine may impact how well bacteria can proliferate in the urinary tract. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections and are often caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli).  The standard of care has been treatment with antibiotics; however, increasing bacterial resistance has lead researchers to search for alternative treatments.

Many physicians see patients who are particularly susceptible to urinary tract infections but they often don’t know the reason behind their increased susceptibility. Antibiotics have worked very well for quite some time, but over the last ten to fifteen years there has been a significant increase in bacterial infections that are resistant to many of these antibiotics.

As a result, researchers investigated how the body naturally fights bacterial infections. They cultured E. coli in urine samples and noted major differences between them. The urine samples that prevented bacterial growth promoted more activity of siderocalin, a key protein that the body naturally makes in response to infection. Previous research has suggested that it helps the body fight infections by depriving bacteria of iron, a mineral necessary for bacterial growth.

Of all the factors assessed, the only one that was significantly different between the two groups was the pH of the urine. The urine samples that were less acidic (closer to a neutral pH) demonstrated an increased activity of siderocalin and were more effective at restricting bacterial growth than those with higher acidity.

After analyzing thousands of compounds in the samples, the researchers discovered that the presence of small metabolites called aromatics, which vary depending on an individual’s diet, also contribute to bacterial growth. Samples that restricted bacterial growth were shown to have more aromatic compounds present. Researchers suspect that some of these aromatics are good iron binders, depriving the bacteria of iron, and are produced by a person’s gut microbes as they process the food they eat.

This study suggests that the body’s immune system harnesses dietary plant compounds to prevent bacterial growth that are associated with specific dietary components and with gut microbes.

Their results suggest cranberries as one possible dietary intervention. D-Mannose, an active component in cranberry, enhances the removal of bacteria from the urinary tract and bladder by blocking their adhesion to the mucosal walls. Also, Hibiscus sabdariffa has powerful antimicrobial and bacterial anti-adhesive properties, especially against E. coli.

Researchers also studied the bacteria’s methods for resisting the body’s innate immunity. E.coli makes a compound called enterobactin that binds strongly to iron. This study demonstrated that enterobactin is particularly good at binding iron in urine, therefore, discovering ways to block it may open up new opportunities for developing alternatives that work differently than traditional antibiotics.

Bacteriophages, a forgotten therapy, is the ideal option here. With the growing levels of antibiotic resistance and the exit of major pharmaceutical companies from antibiotic development, phage therapy becomes a great treatment of choice for the growing number of infections. They are not very well known but are one of the most abundant naturally-occurring organisms on earth. They can be found everywhere from the soil to drinking water. They only prey on bacteria, never human cells, and the bacteria have a difficult time becoming resistant to them. Phages are great because they are species specific – meaning different strains attack different bacteria. This makes them harmless to human cells and even to non-targeted bacteria. This is much different than antibiotics that can wipe out all the beneficial bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract along with the harmful bacteria. Phages are classified as prebiotics, and there are specific phages that can infect and inhibit the growth of E. coli only.

Phages can be used to support overall urinary tract health and can be used for both prophylactic and therapeutic applications against bacterial infections. Phage therapy has an 80 to 90 percent success rate against bacteria likely to show antibiotic resistance, such E. coli. In contrast, many antibiotics fail against evolved forms of these pathogens.

Crohn’s disease (CD) is an autoimmune condition where part of the digestive tract becomes inflamed, ulcerated, and marked with sores. Along with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease is part of a group of diseases known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Crohn’s disease may involve the immune system. The immune system of a person with CD may treat bacteria, food, or other substances as foreign invaders, leading to chronic inflammation from the accumulation of white blood cells in the lining of the intestines, and resulting in ulcerations and injury to the tissues.

Data is emerging which shows that vitamin D supplementation may lengthen the remission in CD. A new study just published in this month’s edition of United European Gastroenterology Journal suggests that vitamin D supplementation may impact the intestinal barrier dysfunction associated with Crohn’s disease and play a role in the treatment of the condition.

The researchers assessed changes in gut barrier function and disease markers in CD in response to vitamin D supplementation. In this double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study, 27 CD patients in remission were given 2000 IU/day of vitamin D or placebo for 3 months. They found that patients treated with vitamin D were more likely to maintain their intestinal barrier integrity, whereas intestinal permeability increased in the placebo group. Increased intestinal permeability has been demonstrated to predict and precede clinical relapse in CD patients. In addition, those with the highest blood levels of vitamin D showed signs of reduced inflammation, measured by C-reactive protein and antimicrobial peptides.

A previous study had shown a clear chain of cellular events, from the binding of DNA, through a specific signaling pathway, to the reduction of proteins known to trigger inflammation. The vitamin D receptor appears to bind directly to DNA and activate a gene known as MKP-1. MKP-1 interferes with the inflammatory cascade triggered by lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which includes a molecule known as p38, and results in higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha.

Autoimmune disorders occur when the body’s immune system is tricked into producing antibodies that attack its own tissues. Vitamin D helps autoimmune disorders by regulating T cells in the immune system. This makes the body more tolerant of itself and less likely to mount autoimmune responses.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to many autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn’s disease, as research shows a higher prevalence of these diseases in those who are deficient in vitamin D. The severity of Crohn’s disease has been linked to the lowest vitamin D levels.

There is plenty of evidence regarding the benefit of vitamin D supplementation for a multitude of health benefits besides autoimmune disorders. Given the fact that supplementation of vitamin D in its natural form is harmless and inexpensive, many patients may benefit by having their vitamin D levels checked regularly and supplementing accordingly.

Adenosine triphosphate: Textbooks tell us ATP is the universal energy currency for life on Earth. In plain English, it’s how organisms get things done. In human terms, ATP is required to accomplish just about everything. From the macro level—running a marathon, for example—to the micro level—powering sodium-potassium pumps in cell membranes—ATP is what makes it all happen. And except for the small amounts of ATP created through glycolysis, the majority of ATP is generated inside mitochondria. Considering the myriad requirements for ATP throughout the body, mitochondria that malfunction or decline in number present a cellular energy crisis that, when amplified to the level of the whole body, may contribute to some of the chronic illnesses that are currently reaching epidemic levels.

A growing body of evidence now links mitochondrial dysfunction to cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and neurodegenerative disease in general. With this in mind, cultivating healthy mitochondria can be considered an important part of maintaining energy generation and cellular signaling from the bottom up. Fortunately, the biosynthesis of mitochondria isn’t a matter of luck or chance. Deliberate activities can lead to mitochondrial biogenesis—the building of new mitochondria. If “necessity is the mother of invention,” as the saying goes, then necessity is also the mother of functional mitochondria. If we give the body a reason to make more—impart a need for more mitochondria—the body will make them.

Exercise is one of the most effective stimulators of mitochondrial biogenesis. Animal models show that exercise and stimulation of muscle contractions increase levels of mitochondrial enzymes employed in the ATP-generating citric acid cycle and fatty acid oxidation pathways, resulting in proportional increases in cells’ capacity to oxidize fuel substrates and generate ATP through the mitochondrial electron transport chain.

High intensity training seems to be especially beneficial for strengthening mitochondria. In a study of young males doing interval training involving one-legged cycling (to isolate findings to the exercising muscles only), just two weeks of high-intensity activity led to increases in mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle. An interesting finding to note is that these beneficial changes were independent of detectable increases in mitochondrial synthesis. This suggests that the bouts of exercise made existing mitochondria more effective at generating higher amounts of ATP, rather than this being a result of an increase in the total number of mitochondria.

The benefits of exercise on mitochondrial biogenesis and maintenance aren’t limited to the skeletal muscles actually performing the work. Animal studies have shown that exercise can induce the generation of new mitochondria even in the brain. This could be a boon for addressing age-related dementia and other forms of cognitive decline and impairment. Researchers speculate that brain mitochondrial biogenesis might be a two-way street: exercise leads to synthesis of new mitochondria, and the resulting improvements in brain mitochondrial respiratory capacity may lead to increased exercise endurance. Reaching exhaustion may not be solely the result of physical fatigue. With the brain being such an energy-hungry organ, with constant requirements for high amounts of ATP, “hitting the wall” may be due to central fatigue as well as physical exhaustion. Central fatigue is “the progressive reduction in voluntary drive to motor neurons during exercise, which can include both mental and physical factors. Decreases in cerebral metabolic ratio, impaired oxygenation, reduced central motor drive, altered neurotransmission, and impaired mood state have all been implicated in the development of centrally mediated fatigue.” Thus, increasing brain mitochondrial capacity might increase physical endurance capacity, too.

It is possible to get too much of a good, thing, however. Like many things that support good health, exercise has a U-shaped curve. That is, too little isn’t good, but too much can be harmful. Some is helpful; more isn’t always better. Appropriate levels of exercise promote health, but over-training can have the opposite effect. Too much exercise—whether in volume, intensity, or frequency—without adequate rest, recovery, and nutrient replenishment—can lead to levels of oxidative stress that overwhelm the body’s capacity to repair and regenerate.

When it comes to mitochondrial function, a good rule of thumb might be: “Use ‘em or lose ‘em, but don’t abuse ‘em!”

As with women’s hormones, there are many misconceptions and myths when it comes to men’s hormones. Women have an obvious marker of hormone decline when their menstrual cycles begin to change and eventually stop all together. For men, the changes in their hormones are often more subtle and less specific, leaving room for confusion, misdiagnosis and lack of treatment. Though not a myth, the first misconception about men’s hormones is the lack of understanding of the symptoms of testosterone decline and the incredible prevalence with which it happens. Studies indicate that nearly 40% of men over the age of 45 have overtly low testosterone levels. Recent pharmaceutical advertising campaigns have brought this subject some much needed attention, although there are still many common misconceptions when it comes to testosterone and men’s health.

Myth #1: The primary symptom of low testosterone is erectile dysfunction or low libido.

FALSE: Though low or suboptimal testosterone levels can contribute to changes in libido and the ability to achieve or maintain an erection, symptoms are varied and often include fatigue, apathy, difficulty concentrating, weight gain, depression, sleep disturbances and, most importantly, changes in metabolism including an increased risk for metabolic and cardiovascular disease.

Myth #2: Testosterone replacement increases risk of adverse cardiovascular events.

FALSE: There were two articles published at the end of 2013 and in the early part of 2014 which purported that men on testosterone supplementation had an increased risk of heart attack, however neither of these studies was particularly well run. They were both observational and retrospective, which severely limits the ability to control variables and is not sufficient to establish causation. Furthermore, one of the studies found that the mean level of men who were ON SUPPLEMENTATION was still only 332 ng/dL, and nearly 40% of the cases didn’t even have post therapy levels measured. While there is no agreed upon “low” for serum testosterone levels, most labs have a reference range that goes from approximately 300-1100 ng/dL, so a measurement of 332 is quite low. Conversely there exists a multitude of studies that link LOW testosterone to increased cardiovascular disease, and furthermore that testosterone replacement improves cardiovascular and metabolic markers. The NIH conducted one of these studies for the express purpose of investigating the findings of the JAMA study that linked testosterone replacement to increased risk. This follow up study looked at over 24,000 patients and found no increased risk of heart attack in those treated with testosterone.

Myth #3: Men should only be treated with testosterone if their measured levels are overtly low.

FALSE: As is typical with laboratory medicine, the reference range parameters don’t always equate with the optimal clinical outcomes. Studies indicate that men who maintain their testosterone levels in the mid to upper range have reduced incidence of cardiovascular events compared with those in the overtly low, or high ranges. The threshold of benefit appears to be greatest when levels are maintained above 500 ng/dL in serum.

Myth #4: Testosterone supplementation causes or contributes to prostate cancer.

FALSE: In the 1940s it was observed that castration reduced the incidence of prostate cancer. From this observation, it was extrapolated that testosterone must play a role in the pathophysiology of prostate cancer. The testicle produces several hormones other than testosterone, and it is now believed that the improvement seen in those patients was due to a decrease in estrogen production rather than testosterone. Prostate cancer is uncommon in young men, who generally have higher levels of testosterone, and becomes more prevalent with age, as testosterone levels fall. Over the past decade or so, there have been many investigations that have disproven the link between testosterone and prostate cancer.

Myth #5: The only way to increase testosterone levels is with hormone replacement.

FALSE: Though testosterone replacement can be a very powerful and effective treatment, there are many natural ways to boost endogenous testosterone production. For many men, weight loss will go a long way to boost testosterone levels. This is further improved with the building of muscle mass, therefore weight or resistance training is highly recommended. Short term, moderate intensity endurance training can also significantly increase testosterone levels. There are several nutritional and herbal supplements that improve testosterone levels including zinc, Tribulus terrestris, and Epimedium grandiflorum. Additionally, supplementation with DHEA, a hormonal precursor to testosterone can be effective in many cases.

(Health Secrets) What is vaccine junk science?  A recent outbreak of mumps surprised many because virtually all those infected had been vaccinated for the diseases. Most of those afflicted had received the required two shots of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. But amazingly, regional health authorities’ answer was to recommended a third dangerous shot as the solution, a logic that defies reason.

Questioning medical authority

Even a CDC vaccine FAQ site admits that mumps in children is a mild disease, and once they’ve had the mumps, they won’t get it again. This is because they’ve been immunized by having it!

In rural communities years ago, parents intentionally exposed their kids to children with measles, mumps, or chickenpox to confer future immunity, often successfully and without exposing them to toxins and side effects.  Today, we have to wonder if the risk of immediate or future negative effects from vaccinating against usually harmless childhood diseases makes sense.

Mumps and measles used to occur naturally in children well before puberty. In this recent outbreak among completely vaccinated youngsters, the average age for the afflicted was 15, leading to the conclusion that they came down with mumps as a result of being vaccinated.

Administering a third MMR shot raises the stakes that injury or long term health issues will occur as the result of vaccination to purportedly prevent this mild childhood disease. Vaccines are loaded with toxic ingredients such as thimerasol (mercury), aluminum and formaldehyde. The immune system is bypassed when live attenuated viruses are directly injected into the blood stream. Many vaccine authorities have concluded that a three phase vaccination provides the greatest risk of a cytokine storm, which occurs when an overly stimulated immune system feeds on the host with terrible, often life crippling and even lethal consequences.

Double speak and double think

In his novel 1984, George Orwell explained double speak as expressing contradictory comments in one statement. Later the notion of double think arose to describe the ability to hold contradicting views simultaneously.

An example of contradicting views held at the same time: Newborns are required to receive hepatitis B vaccinations; hepatitis B is transmitted sexually or by sharing needles. 

Obviously newborns are not having sex and sharing needles.  And hepatitis B vaccinations have caused nightmarish consequences for many inoculated in the past. That’s with short term results. Longer term side effects remain to be seen.

The CDC has told mainstream media (MSM) reporting the mumps outbreak that the MMR vaccine was not 100% effective against mumps, but actually only 75% to 85% effective. And strikingly, the percentage range of the mumps victims who did receive both MMR vaccinations was 75% to 85%! These two statements were printed very near each other in the same body of an MSM report, a blatant case of double speak.

Think about it.  When an attenuated live virus is injected into the blood stream, the very disease vaccinated against can be contracted. So if a third shot is administered, maybe closer to 100% of the “immunized” will come down with mumps!

Vaccine industry scientist blows the whistle

Sanitizing vaccines by removing the preservatives thimerosal (mercury) and formaldehyde, or even withholding the squalene and aluminum (both dangerous neurotoxins) from vaccines simply won’t do. Those who truly understand the immune system and vaccinations will tell you that vaccination science is flawed at its foundation. Investigative journalist Jon Rappaport has interviewed a former vaccine scientist who used the pseudonym Dr. Mark Randall to avoid harassment and pension loss since he was once of the inner circle. Here’s a small sampling of Mark Randall’s remarks from this revealing interview:

“The decline of disease is due to improved living conditions. [After investigating] I realized I was working in a sector based on a collection of lies. Most dangerous?  The DPT shot.  The MMR.  As far as I’m concerned, all vaccines are dangerous.  They can actually cause the disease they are supposed to prevent. They can cause other diseases.”

Whether you think those who oppose vaccinations are conspiracy nuts or you’re sitting on the fence regarding vaccinations, and even if you already know they’re dangerous, it may be helpful to read the complete interview of Dr. Randall by Jon Rappaport, which is available at the following link:  http://www.alternative-doctor.com/vaccination/rappaport.htm

For more information:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/08/mumps.outbreak.northeast/?hpt=Sbin

http://www.vacfacts.info/the-mechanisms-of-vaccine-injury-and-via-cytokine-storm.html

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm