There’s no pure water any more. The waterways throughout the world have become polluted and filled with toxins. More exposure to toxins means more health problems. We’re already seeing an increase in toxin-related illnesses like dementia, neurological diseases, and low immune conditions. People are getting sicker more easily and staying sick longer. Now I’ve uncovered some alarming information on toxins in our waters. Instead of improving, the situation is getting worse. Recent nuclear plant meltdowns, flooding rivers carrying sewage and other contaminants into pastures and farmlands, along with heavy metal leaks from mining, has made contamination worse.

The last source for clean water was from glaciers. Now it, too, has become contaminated. In a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, Swiss researchers looked at the runoff from rapidly melting glaciers in the Swiss Alps. They found that these glaciers are releasing pesticides that were trapped in the ice for decades. And the pesticides are running straight into the lakes. So even our only remaining “pure” water is now toxic.

You can’t escape these toxins. But there are steps you can take to protect yourself from some of them — and improve your health. Or restore it. These poisons are insidious. They are not eliminated during the body’s routine detoxification process. They’re stored in tissues and become a health hazard unless you take specific measures to remove them. This isn’t easy.

You may feel secure because you have a water filter on your faucet. I’ve got news for you. They’re not enough. Household water filters have their place in cleaning some contaminants like chlorine and bacteria from water. But they’re useless in removing most heavy metals. An exception is a water distiller, which removes both toxic and essential substances. But distilled water lacks healthful minerals and leads to mineral deficiencies. Bottled water, juice drinks, and canned soups could be unfiltered tap water and may contain arsenic.

Here are some of the problems with this essential liquid along with my recommendations that can save and protect your health.

The riskiest environmental toxin

Of all heavy metals, arsenic is the most lethal. It occurs naturally in the earth’s crust and unnaturally from industrial waste and agricultural use. It gets into our bodies through well water. But more than 34 million people in our country drink tap water that has an unacceptable amount of arsenic in it. One out of ten people who drinks water with high concentrations of arsenic die of heart disease.
It also causes bladder, lung, and skin cancers. Most people are unaware of this silent killer, because arsenic has no taste or odor.

A study published in the British Medical Journal followed nearly 12,000 participants for more than six-and-a-half years. It found that people who drank water containing higher than 12 parts per million had a nearly 50% higher risk of dying of heart disease than those with less or no arsenic in their water. The higher the level of arsenic, the higher their risk for heart problems. Past or present smoking increased their risk. Current smokers were 300% more likely to die of heart disease if they drank water high in arsenic.

If you live in the country and drink well water, have your water tested yearly for arsenic. Don’t drink it or use it for cooking if it contains more than 12 parts per million. It should contain none.

Unfortunately, arsenic isn’t all you have to watch for in your water. Mercury is a big problem too.

The most toxic form of mercury

There are several forms of mercury; some are more toxic than others. For instance, inorganic mercury, which is in the waste produced by burning coal and industries like mining. It’s considered to be relatively harmless. But new research has found that exposure to seawater transforms this inorganic mercury into a lethal substance. Canadian scientists discovered that microscopic organisms that live in the ocean and other waterways turn this relatively harmless substance into methylmercury — a potent neurotoxin.

Almost all of the dangerous mercury in fish is methylmercury. The most toxic form of mercury gets into our system whenever we eat fish. The larger the fish, the higher they are on the food chain and the more toxic mercury we consume by eating them. So shark and tuna are more dangerous than tilapia, salmon, and trout.

Although fish is theoretically one of the most healthful foods you can eat, I recommend eating it only twice a week to limit your exposure to this toxic form of mercury. That is unless you’re taking specific steps to remove heavy metals from your blood and tissues.

Your body absorbs methylmercury easily when you ingest it orally. And it stays in your body for a long time. Fifty percent of it remains in your bloodstream for 50 days. Researchers have linked it to heart disease and heart attacks, as well as to autism.

The most beneficial nutrient in fish is its oil, which is a natural anti-inflammatory. The trick is to get plenty of fish oils — high in omega-3 fats — without any contaminants. Most fish oil manufacturers purify their supplements to eliminate any mercury. Once they purify the fish oil, it’s safe. Ask supplement companies whether or not their fish oil is mercury-free. The fish oil from Advanced Bionutritionals (Daily Omega) is certified pure. They have tested it and found it to be safe.

Massive ocean toxin

Plastics are killing our oceans, and our very existence is dependent upon their health. We don’t think of plastic debris as being a major source of toxins, but it is. It is virtually indestructible in the ground, but the combination of seawater, sun, and rain causes a plastics to break down rapidly. Then they release bisphenol A (BPA), and other toxins into the water. BPA is the plastic used in water bottles. We know it can cause infertility and a number of abnormalities in infants. And newer studies show it disrupts your hormone balance. In fact, researchers are looking to see if there’s an association between BPA and breast cancer. I’ll have more on this in the future.

Plastic debris in our oceans is a huge problem. Between California and Hawaii
is a floating mass called the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” that’s twice the size of Texas. Most of it consists of discarded plastics. And around 150,000 tons of plastics wash up on Japan’s shores each year! Much of it is Styrofoam. These are not the only piles of plastic waste in our oceans.

Don’t add to the problem. Stop using Styrofoam and plastics containing BPA. This can give the message to plastics manufacturers to keep known toxins out of their products. When you’re finished with them, discarded plastics should always be recycled — not put in the trash.

Your best solution

These and other toxins build up in your body every time you drink a glass of water. It's almost impossible to avoid. So you have to remove these toxins from your body. Start with PectaSol Chelation Complex (PCC). It is the most effective oral chelator I've found for heavy metals. And it's the only one I know of that human studies have proven effective.

PCC can remove arsenic in your blood and tissues and lower your body's burden of this contaminant. A study published in Phytotherapy Research found that the patented modified citrus pectin found in PCC increased the urinary excretion of arsenic 130% in the first 24 hours.

Begin by taking three capsules of PCC twice a day on an empty stomach. It contains modified citrus pectin and sodium alginate from seaweed. This combination removes heavy metals, pharmaceutical drugs, and other contaminants from your bloodstream and digestive system.

After one month, add another product called Detox Complete. Take two capsules of Detox Complete two times a day with food. This formula combines sulfur-containing phytonutrients with detoxifying herbs. It binds to heavy metals buried deep within your tissues and supports your liver during detoxification.

Take both products for at least six months. After that, I recommend taking one capsule of PCC twice a day, every day, for maintenance. This is important because exposure to these toxins is ongoing and unavoidable.

You can find both products at AdvancedBionutritionals.com or by calling 800-791-3395.

British Medical Journal, May 6, 2011.

Eliaz, I., et al. “The effect of modified citrus pectin on urinary excretion of toxic elements,” Phytotherapy Research, October 20, 2006.

Environmental Science and Technology, 2009.

Natural Resources Defense Council, February 12, 2009.

University of Alberta (2011, April 27). “Mercury converted to its most toxic form in ocean waters.” ScienceDaily, Retrieved May 19, 2011.

www.medicalnewstoday.com, 20 August 2009.

The Healthiest Milk — After Mother’s Milk — Is Hypoallergenic and Naturally Lower in Lactose

Many people are either allergic or sensitive to cow’s milk. It’s high in casein, a protein that can trigger an immune response, and lactose, a milk sugar that can cause bloating and other digestive complaints. If dairy products make you sick or uncomfortable, you may need to avoid them. But you could find relief simply by choosing dairy products from a source other than cows.

Nearly two-thirds of people worldwide drink the milk and eat dairy products from goats. Once difficult to find in this country, now dairy from goats is everywhere: in milk, kefir, cheeses, yogurt, and even ice cream. And before you turn up your nose, I want to assure you that goat dairy products are delicious, with no gamey taste.

Half of all people who are lactose intolerant to cow’s milk can drink goat’s milk and eat its by-products with no symptoms. This is because it’s similar to human mother’s milk in composition.

Here are some reasons why goat’s milk is gaining in popularity. They explain why I have switched over to goat dairy products whenever possible. I’ve replaced cow’s milk products in my diet with goat and sheep cheeses and yogurt and my digestion has improved.

Goat dairy advantages

The fat molecules in goat dairy are smaller than those in cow’s milk. And goat dairy is higher in medium chain fatty acids (MCTs). This means that the fats break down faster and are easier to digest, which explains why they cause fewer digestive problems. The MCT fats produce energy rather than being stored as body fat. Its total fat content is higher than that found in cow’s dairy products. Does this mean that goat milk raises cholesterol? On the contrary. The fat in goat milk actually lowers total cholesterol due to its composition!

Its protein is more digestible. Goat milk has only trace amounts of casein —
an allergenic protein called alpha-S1. Cow’s milk contains about 89% more of this protein. The more casein a dairy product contains, the more difficult it is to digest.

Its protein has a softer curd than cow’s dairy. This also makes it more easily digested. But better digestion is not the only benefit of goat dairy. It is considerably higher in potassium, vitamin A, selenium, and vitamin B6, as well as many minerals.

It protects your DNA. A study out of the University of Granada in Spain found that goat milk protects DNA stability. DNA molecules carry genetic instructions throughout the body. We’re now seeing that our genetics are responsible for many chronic illnesses from cancers to dementia. Protecting your DNA may turn out to be an important step in treating some of these dreaded genetic-based conditions.

If you’re looking to boost your intake of dietary nutrients, begin today to replace cow’s milk dairy products with those from goats and sheep. Cheeses and yogurt have different nutritional compositions from one another. Some are higher than others in specific vitamins and minerals. This is why I use both and choose them over cow’s milk products.

Goat milk has another advantage over cow’s milk. Goats are not given artificial growth hormones like rBST. Dairy farms often use these to increase milk production. These hormones increase infections in cows’ udders and can cause various cancers in humans. Dairy products from goats and sheep, on the other hand, are hormone-free.

I’ve written about the dangers of dairy in past articles. They include an association to cancers and two types of casein — A1 and A2 — linked to diabetes and other illnesses. These articles contain important information to help you understand that cow’s milk and its products are not the healthful foods you’ve been told they are. If you include dairy in your diet, make it dairy from goats or sheep as often as possible.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/225797.php.

The Simple Reason Your Antidepressant Isn’t Working

The numbers are staggering. Seven million women in this country alone are clinically depressed. One in five will experience depression at some time in her
life. There are numerous known causes for depression, including genetic factors, chemical imbalances, diet, lack of exercise, and environmental stressors. Some respond to lifestyle changes. But for many, prescription medications are the best
solution. When they work.

Sometimes, however, they don’t, even when they should. And doctors often wonder why. The reason could be simple. You may be inadvertently turning off your antidepressant, making it useless. A new study explains why — and points to a safer solution. Here’s what’s happening:

A common cause for depression is having a low level of serotonin, one of three major brain neurotransmitters. Some prescription drugs, like Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil, effectively control depression by enhancing the production of serotonin. They’re called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. If SSRIs are working for you, by all means continue taking them.

But if you’re taking SSRIs and they’re not working, a new study may explain why. A common anti-inflammatory drug could be rendering your antidepressant useless.

The prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published this new study. The researchers found that anti-inflammatory drugs can interfere with SSRIs both in animal and human studies. The antidepressants reduced depression in more than half of the people (and mice) when they didn’t take anti-inflammatory drugs. Significantly more people continued to suffer from depression when they also took the anti-inflammatories.

This explains why so many people who are taking SSRIs are still depressed. Many of them are seniors who also take several anti-inflammatory medications for arthritis, bursitis, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes.

The inflammation connection

As you may know, inflammation is at the root of many chronic illnesses. This includes everything from heart disease and diabetes to arthritis and every other kind of “itis.” But before you can get these conditions under control, you need to cool the fires of inflammation. That’s where anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxin come in. Taking these drugs could be a mistake if you’re already taking SSRIs. That’s because they cause SSRI antidepressants to become less effective.

What about natural anti-inflammatories?

You can see why this new study is extremely important for seniors. But will natural anti-inflammatories have the same effect? Since there are no studies on this subject, and we don’t understand the biochemical pathways that cause this interaction yet, we just don’t know how appropriate natural anti-inflammatories are. They may be appropriate ... or not. Here are a few suggestions you may want to try along with the input of a knowledgeable health care practitioner.

First, begin by stopping your anti-inflammatory medication for a month or two if your doctor agrees to this. See if your antidepressant works any better. Try using a topical ointment with capsaicin and eliminate foods that trigger inflammation. These include sugar and refined grains. This one step can significantly reduce pain from inflammation.

At the same time, increase your intake of foods that fight inflammation. Eat plenty of cold-water fish, curry, and sweet or tart cherries. You can find a more complete list of pro- and anti-inflammatory foods on the Internet. And I’ve written several articles on inflammation that you can read on my website.

Don’t stop taking your antidepressant, even if it isn’t working well for
you. Withdrawal symptoms may be worse than an ineffective drug. Work with your doctor or your neighborhood pharmacist to slowly decrease the dosage of your SSRI and find out how little you need to take to reduce your depression. It’s probably much less than you’d expect. Once you have your SSRI dosage figured out, then you can begin taking a natural anti-inflammatory substance under the direction of your doctor or pharmacist. If you notice a change in the SSRI’s effectiveness, tell your doctor.

Next, consider taking a natural substance that can take the place of your SSRI. One that works particularly well is 5-HTP, an amino acid that increases seratonin levels naturally. Tryptophan, SAM-e, and St John’s wort are other natural substances that may be able to take the place of your SSRI. Don’t fool around with them on your own. Take them under the direction of an integrative doctor. Do not take any of them along with pharmaceutical SSRIs. They work in different ways and could cause side effects.

If you need a natural anti-inflammatory, try one with such ingredients as turmeric, rosemary, and celery seed. You can find these in Reduloxin from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395), InflaThera from ProThera (888-488-2488), and other similar formulas.

Warner-Schmidta, Jennifer L., Kimberly E. Vanoverb, Emily Y. Chena, John J. Marshalla, and Paul Greengard. “Antidepressant effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are attenuated by anti-inflammatory drugs in mice and humans,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1104836108, 2011.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

The Best Honey for Killing Serious Wound Infections Like MRSA

You probably already know that honey is a great health food. And you may know that it has powerful antibacterial properties. In fact, Hippocrates and the ancient Egyptians used it to heal infections. But until recently doctors didn’t take this application seriously.

As more infections became resistant to antibiotics, some doctors began to explore other options. They found that Hippocrates and the other ancient doctors had, indeed, discovered a valuable medicine. Honey has antibacterial properties. And, more importantly, it doesn’t become resistant to drugs.

But Peter Molan takes it a step further. He’s the director of the Honey Research Unit at a New Zealand University. He says laboratory tests have failed to induce a bacterial resistance to any honey. This is likely because honey contains around 600 different compounds. One of these is an enzyme that makes bacteria-killing hydrogen peroxide. But there are many other active ingredients researchers have not yet identified.

All honey has antibacterial properties, but some are more potent than others. If you’ve heard about the healing qualities of honey you may think that Manuka honey is strongest. You’d be half right. Honey made from Leptospermum flowers from the Manuka shrub grown in New Zealand and Australia outperforms almost all others. But there is one that’s stronger.

Honey from a different variety works best. Molan says the Australian native myrtle (Leptospurmum polygalifolium) is even more effective.

Medical professionals have successfully dressed advanced wounds using this honey. These include wounds like leg ulcers as well as skin grafts and burns. So if you have any chronic wounds, burns, or slow-healing sores, you need to give honey a try. You can buy commercial medical honey on the Internet or in stores throughout the country.

You also can find gauze pads impregnated with honey that are perfect for medical use. They may be handy for doctors, but you can purchase gauze pads and slather them with Manuka or myrtle honey. Honey definitely belongs in your medicine cabinet as well as in your pantry. It’s safe, inexpensive, and effective.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/217753.php.

LETTERS

Q: I have had cataracts removed and implants put in both eyes. Would lutein or bilberry still be beneficial to me? — M.F., e-mail

A: Yes. In cataract surgery, the clouded lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. But your eyes have many parts to them, including the macular and retina. These parts need nourishment, especially as we get older.

Lutein helps protect your macula from damaging free radicals and boosts your macular pigment. Simply speaking, it protects against macular degeneration — one of the primary causes of blindness in seniors.

Bilberry can improve night vision and has even improved near-sightedness
in as little as two weeks. It promotes better circulation in the capillaries of your eyes. This gives nutritional support to your retina.

But I don’t recommend that you take lutein and bilberry alone. There are many other nutrients that feed the eyes and help keep them healthy. They include gingko biloba, alpha-lipoic acid, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, and many others.

That’s why I suggest you take a formula designed to support good eye health. You can find them in drug stores and health food stores.

However, some are made with synthetic nutrients and many are too low in potency to have much of an effect.

The one I prefer is Advanced Vision Formula from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395). It’s almost identical to formulas I’ve seen from ophthalmologists — at a greatly reduced cost.

Q: I just had a CT calcium scoring test. My score was over 700. It indicated that I have significant plaque buildup and a high probability of occlusive coronary artery disease. What do you recommend to clean the plaque out of my arteries? — D.L., e-mail

A: I had the same test several years ago. Heart disease runs in my family.
Yet my score was 0.00. How could that be possible?

I attribute my score to taking an herbal formula call Padma Basic. Padma increases circulation and reduces plaque. It’s an ideal formula to protect the heart.

Padma has been proven effective in 38 separate published studies over 35 years.

Padma worked for me as well as it worked in the many studies I read.
You may need to take two tablets of Padma three times a day for two years to clean out your arteries. But you can clean them out using this formula.

Padma Basic is available from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395).
By the way, I was so impressed with Padma that I wrote a booklet on this formula called Padma: An Ancient Tibetan Herbal Formula (Basic Health Publications, 800-610-2107).