The Cancer Hoax

 

Cancer is curable!  It's not a death sentence, like most of us have been led to believe.  Every year thousands of people conquer cancer by using natural approaches.  In fact, those who go the natural route have a tremendously higher rate of cancer remission, and experience much less pain, discomfort and expense to boot!  Usually they end up getting rid of most of their other ailments as well, and rarely have a recurrence of cancer if they continue the healthy approach that got them well.

 

But the modern, established cancer-industry (yes, it is an industry, and an extremely profitable one at that) would not like you to believe that there exists any other treatment but their woefully inadequate one.  And it is not that they are ignorant of the fact that chemo and radiation don’t work, for a survey of oncologists revealed that over 80% of them would not use chemo or radiation on themselves or their family. Quite an indictment of the whole system, if you ask me!

 

There have been a number of doctors over the past 70 plus years who have discovered and used very effective natural cures for just about every type of cancer.  Max Gerson, MD., to name one, was outstandingly successful in curing cancers in Germany through the use of nutrition, natural supplements and juices back in the 1940's. When he came to the United States and had just as much success curing cancer, the medical powers that be became worried that the profitable status quo of treating cancer was being threatened. 

 

Through the backing of the AMA  they were successful in having Dr. Gerson labelled as a "quack" and were able to shut down the cancer treatment facilities that Dr. Gerson had set up. Strange that a man whom Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Laureate, stated was "one of the most eminent geniuses in the history of medicine" (after Dr. Gerson cured Schweitzer's wife of diabetes) should turn out to be a "quack" when cancer-treating profits were involved! 

 

I could write pages on how medical science has become stuck in using the allopathic approach (use of toxic substances to get rid of the symptoms or fight bacteria) instead of the more natural (homeopathic) approach, which instead focuses on building the health of the patient. To quote from "Healing Cancer the Gerson Way: Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases" (by Charlotte Gerson [Max's granddaughter], copyright 2007) page xxiii: "It is often said that modern allopathic medicine is the only major science stuck in the pre-Einstein era.  Indeed, it still operates in the spirit of Louis Pasteur, the 19th century French scientist and so-called "father of the germ theory." 

 

Pasteur maintained all his life that diseases were caused by germs (which he was the first to identify) and that cure was achieved by destroying the germs (bacteria).  Unlike his contemporary and opponent, Antoine Bechamp, who claimed that what mattered was not the germ but the condition of the organism which it attacked, Pasteur stuck to his dogma until the very end.  Only on his deathbed did he admit that "the germ is nothing, the terrain is everything."  Unfortunately, this late change of mind has remained largely unknown, leaving modern medicine in the trap of the germ theory, the neglect of the "terrain" and relentless specialization." (end of quote)

 

The modern standard devastating treatment for cancer (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy) only attempt to get rid of the symptoms (the tumor or growth) versus the natural, wholistic approach, which realizes that the cancer is only a symptom of the problem, and to cure the cancer problem itself the health of the patient must be restored.

 

If you want to really get educated on the current treatments for cancer (which don't work, but actually devastate the body) versus the nutritional approach, which does work amazingly well, then let me recommend some resources you need to examine.  Following these recommendations, I will post a number of very informative articles dealing with cancer and nutritional healing.

 

Videos:

 

"Healing Cancer From Inside Out" - Jan 2008 - Mike Anderson, RaveDiet.com - A TRULY AWESOME, jaw-dropping  2 hr documentary video that will expose the hoax behind the current conventional cancer treatments, and then show you that diet can cure not only cancer, but most of our diseases.  $17.95.  Available thru www.amazon.com (be sure to read the 7 comments by buyers) or www.ravediet.com (for qty discounts). Get this resource, if you get nothing else!

 

"Dying to have Known" - Kroschel Films, 2006.  An 80 minute documentary by nature film maker Steve Kroscel, which picks up where “Healing Cancer from Inside Out” leaves off.  He travels the world talking to various doctors (such as Dr. Dean Edell, etc.) on both sides of the cancer healing issue.  A real sleeper of a film, really good - possibly even better than the "Healing Cancer from Inside Out" video, if that is possible (but should be watched after “Healing Cancer from Inside Out.” ).  $24.95.  Available thru www.amazon.com (be sure to read the 2 buyer comments).

 

"Super Size Me" - 2004, 100 minutes, with Morgan Spurlock.  For those that think what you eat doesn't really matter, this video will help set you straight.  Morgan goes on a 30 day "McDonald's food only" diet, with 3 doctors checking his health every 7 days.  This is a classic film, very entertaining and enlightening. $7.95. Available thru www.amazon.com and others.

 

 

Websites:

 

www.hacres.com - Excellent website of Hallelujah Acres, with pastor George Malkmus.  Great info on how to eat, and a great list of testimonials by those who have gotten rid of their health problems thru diet. He offers a number of books that he has authored, which are very good.

 

www.naturalnews.com - Great website for up-to-date articles of every aspect of health thru nutrition.

 

www.mercola.com - Great website by Dr Joseph Mercola.  Many good articles and source of info.

 

And of course, my website where you are right now:  check out article # 29 – “Eat to Live” – my 32 page condensed version of Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s very informative 292 page book, with my comments added.

 

By the way, a great place to buy natural supplements is at www.iherb.com They carry hundreds of top quality brands discounted by 25-50%, and usually ship the same day (free shipping with $60 orders).  They also have very useful comments by the users, who rate each product from one to 5 stars.  MegaFoods supplements, available at this website, are 100% whole food derived, and my favorite.  Use the promo code WIL572 and get a $5 discount off your first internet order with iHerb.

 

 

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Can You Trust Chemotherapy to Cure Your Cancer?

by Andreas Moritz (see all articles by this author)


(www.NaturalNews.com / July 2008)

 

Former White House press secretary Tony Snow died in July 2008 at the age of 53, following a series of chemotherapy treatments for colon cancer. In 2005, Snow had his colon removed and underwent six months of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with colon cancer. Two years later (2007), Snow underwent surgery to remove a growth in his abdominal area, near the site of the original cancer. "This is a very treatable condition," said Dr. Allyson Ocean, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Weill Cornell Medical College. "Many patients, because of the therapies we have, are able to work and live full lives with quality while they're being treated. Anyone who looks at this as a death sentence is wrong." But of course we now know, Dr. Ocean was dead wrong.

The media headlines proclaimed Snow died from colon cancer, although they knew he didn't have a colon anymore. Apparently, the malignant cancer had "returned" (from where?) and "spread" to the liver and elsewhere in his body. In actual fact, the colon surgery severely restricted his normal eliminative functions, thereby overburdening the liver and tissue fluids with toxic waste. The previous series of chemo-treatments inflamed and irreversibly damaged a large number of cells in his body, and also impaired his immune system -- a perfect recipe for growing new cancers. Now unable to heal the causes of the original cancer (in addition to the newly created ones), Snow's body developed new cancers in the liver and other parts of the body.

The mainstream media, of course, still insist Snow died from colon cancer, thus perpetuating the myth that it is only the cancer that kills people, not the treatment. Nobody seems to raise the important point that it is extremely difficult for a cancer patient to actually heal from this condition while being subjected to the systemic poisons of chemotherapy and deadly radiation. If you are bitten by a poisonous snake and don't get an antidote for it, isn't it likely that your body becomes overwhelmed by the poison and, therefore, cannot function anymore?

Before Tony Snow began his chemo-treatments for his second colon cancer, he still looked healthy and strong. But after a few weeks into his treatment, he started to develop a coarse voice, looked frail, turned gray and lost his hair. Did the cancer do all this to him? Certainly not. Cancer doesn't do such a thing, but chemical poisoning does. He actually looked more ill than someone who has been bitten by a poisonous snake.

Does the mainstream media ever report about the overwhelming scientific evidence that shows chemotherapy has zero benefits in the five-year survival rate of colon cancer patients? Or how many oncologists stand up for their cancer patients and protect them against chemotherapy treatment which they very well know can cause them to die far more quickly than if they received no treatment at all? Can you trustingly place your life into their hands when you know that most of them would not even consider chemotherapy for themselves if they were diagnosed with cancer? What do they know that you don't? The news is spreading fast that in the
United States physician-caused fatalities now exceed 750,000 each year. Perhaps, many doctors no longer trust in what they practice, for good reasons.

"Most cancer patients in this country die of chemotherapy... Chemotherapy does not eliminate breast, colon or lung cancers. This fact has been documented for over a decade. Yet doctors still use chemotherapy for these tumors... Women with breast cancer are likely to die faster with chemo than without it." - Alan Levin, M.D.

An investigation by the Department of Radiation Oncology, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Australia, into the contribution of chemotherapy to 5-year survival in 22 major adult malignancies, showed startling results: The overall contribution of curative and adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy to 5-year survival in adults was estimated to be 2.3% in
Australia and 2.1% in the USA." [Royal North Shore Hospital Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2005 Jun;17(4):294.]

The research covered data from the Cancer Registry in
Australia and the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results in the USA for the year 1998. The current 5-year relative adult survival rate for cancer in Australia is over 60%, and no less than that in the USA. By comparison, a mere 2.3% contribution of chemotherapy to cancer survival does not justify the massive expense involved and the tremendous suffering patients experience because of severe, toxic side effects resulting from this treatment.

 

With a meager success rate of 2.3%, selling chemotherapy as a medical treatment (instead of a scam), is one of the greatest fraudulent acts ever committed. The average chemotherapy earns the medical establishment a whopping $300,000 to $1,000,000 each year, and has so far earned those who promote this pseudo-medication (poison) over 1 trillion dollars. It's no surprise that the medical establishment tries to keep this scam alive for as long as possible.

In 1990, the highly respected German epidemiologist, Dr. Ulrich Abel from the Tumor Clinic of the
University of Heidelberg, conducted the most comprehensive investigation of every major clinical study on chemotherapy drugs ever done. Abel contacted 350 medical centers and asked them to send him anything they had ever published on chemotherapy. He also reviewed and analyzed thousands of scientific articles published in the most prestigious medical journals. It took Abel several years to collect and evaluate the data.

 

Abel's epidemiological study, which was published on August 10, 1991 in The Lancet, should have alerted every doctor and cancer patient about the risks of one of the most common treatments used for cancer and other diseases. In his paper, Abel came to the conclusion that the overall success rate of chemotherapy was "appalling." According to this report, there was no scientific evidence available in any existing study to show that chemotherapy can "extend in any appreciable way the lives of patients suffering from the most common organic cancers."

Abel points out that chemotherapy rarely improves the quality of life. He describes chemotherapy as "a scientific wasteland" and states that even though there is no scientific evidence that chemotherapy works, neither doctor nor patient is willing to give up on it. The mainstream media has never reported on this hugely important study, which is hardly surprising, given the enormous vested interests of the groups that sponsor the media, that is, the pharmaceutical companies. A recent search turned up exactly zero reviews of Abel's work in American journals, even though it was published in 1990. I believe this is not because his work was unimportant -- but because it is irrefutable.

The truth of the matter would be far too costly for the pharmaceutical industry to bear, thus making it unacceptable. If the mass media reported the truth that medical drugs, including chemotherapy drugs, are used to practically commit genocide in the
U.S. and the world, their best sponsors (the pharmaceutical companies) would have to withdraw their misleading advertisements from the television media, radio stations, magazines, and newspapers. But neither group wants to go bankrupt.

Many doctors go as far as prescribing chemotherapy drugs to patients for malignancies that are far too advanced for surgery, with the full knowledge that there are no benefits at all. Yet they claim chemotherapy to be an effective cancer treatment, and their unsuspecting patients believe that "effective" equals "cure." The doctors, of course, refer to the FDA's definition of an "effective" drug, one which achieves a 50% or more reduction in tumor size for 28 days.

 

They neglect to tell their patients that there is no correlation whatsoever between shrinking tumors for 28 days and curing the cancer or extending life. Temporary tumor shrinkage through chemotherapy has never been shown to cure cancer or to extend life. In other words, you can live with an untreated tumor for just as long as you would with one that has been shrunken or been eliminated by chemotherapy (or radiation).

Chemotherapy has never been shown to have curative effects for cancer. By contrast, the body can still cure itself, which it actually tries to do by developing cancer. Cancer is more a healing response than it is a disease. The "disease" is the body's attempt to cure itself of an existing imbalance. And sometimes, this healing response continues even if a person is subjected to chemotherapy (and/or radiation). Unfortunately, as the previously mentioned research has demonstrated, the chances for a real cure are greatly reduced when patients are treated with chemotherapy drugs.

The side effects of the treatment can be horrendous and heartbreaking for both patients and their loved ones, all in the name of trustworthy medical treatment. Although the drug treatment comes with the promise to improve the patient's quality of life, it is just common sense that a drug that makes them throw up and lose their hair, while wrecking their immune system, is doing the exact opposite. Chemo-therapy can give the patient life-threatening mouth sores. It attacks the immune system by destroying billions of immune cells (white blood cells). Its deadly poisons inflame every part of the body.

 

The drugs can slough off the entire lining of their intestines. The most common side effect experienced among chemo patients is their complete lack of energy. The new additional drugs now given to many chemo patients may prevent the patient from noticing some of the side effects, but they hardly reduce the immensely destructive and suppressive effect of the chemotherapy itself. Remember, the reason chemotherapy can shrink some tumors is because it causes massive destruction in the body.

If you have cancer, you may think that feeling tired is just part of the disease. This rarely is the case. Feeling unusually tired is more likely due to anemia, a common side effect of most chemotherapy drugs. Chemo drugs can dramatically decrease your red blood cell levels, and this reduces oxygen availability to the 60-100 trillion cells of your body. You can literally feel the energy being zapped from every cell of your body -- a physical death without dying. Chemo-caused fatigue has a negative impact on day-to-day activities in 89% of all patients. With no energy, there can be no joy and no hope, and all bodily functions become subdued.

One long-term side effect is that these patients' bodies can no longer respond to nutritional or immune-strengthening approaches to cancerous tumors. All of this may explain why cancer patients who do not receive any treatment at all, have an up to four times higher remission rate than those who receive treatment. The sad thing is that chemotherapy does not cure 96% to 98% of all cancers anyway. Conclusive evidence (for the majority of cancers) that chemotherapy has any positive influence on survival or quality of life does not exist.

To promote chemotherapy as a treatment for cancer is misleading, to say the least. By permanently damaging the body's immune system and other important parts, chemo-therapy has become a leading cause of treatment-caused diseases such as heart disease, liver disease, intestinal diseases, diseases of the immune system, infections, brain diseases, pain disorders, and rapid aging

.

Before committing themselves to being poisoned, cancer patients need to question their doctors and ask them to produce the research or evidence that shrinking a tumor actually translates to any increase in survival. If they tell you that chemotherapy is your best chance of surviving, you will know they are lying or are simply misinformed. As Abel's research clearly demonstrated, there is no such evidence anywhere to be found in the medical literature. Subjecting patients to chemotherapy robs them of a fair chance of finding or responding to a real cure and deserves criminal prosecution.

Andreas Moritz's book, Cancer is not a Disease - It's a Survival Mechanism, explains the root causes of cancer and how to eliminate them for good. Available through (www.ener-chi.com) or (www.amazon.com).

 

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Exposed: 10 Facts about the Breast Cancer Industry You're Not Supposed to Know (opinion)

by Mike Adams (see all articles by this author)



(NaturalNews.com) With Breast Cancer Awareness month fully upon us once again, retail stores have been invaded with everything pink, including "pink ribbon" candies and personal care products made with blatantly cancer-causing ingredients. Retail grocery stores like Safeway even hit up customers for donations at the cash register, promising to raise funds to find "the cure for cancer."

Consumers of course, have virtually no idea where the funds they donate actually go, nor do they know the truths about breast cancer they'll never be told by conventional cancer non-profit organizations. In this article, I'll reveal ten important myths about breast cancer, and the truths that can save your life.

Myth #1: Breast Cancer is not preventable


The Truth: Up to 98% of breast cancer cases can be prevented through diet, nutritional supplements, sunshine and exercise

It's true: Breast cancer can be almost entirely prevented through commonsense changes in diet, the addition of anti-cancer nutritional supplements, boosting vitamin D creation from sunlight, avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals in consumer products, pursuing regular exercise and eating a live foods diet.

The breast cancer industry -- which depends on the continuation of cancer for its profits and employment -- has so far refused to teach women even basic cancer prevention strategies (such as increasing the intake of vitamin D, which prevents 77% of all cancers). See: http://www.naturalnews.com/021892.html

Myth #2: Pink ribbon products are sold to raise money to support breast cancer victims.


The Truth: Nearly 100% of the funds are used to recruit more breast cancer patients into highly-lucrative treatments that do more harm than good.

You know where all that money goes that you donate to the "search for the cure" and other cancer scams? Virtually none of it goes to actually teach women how to prevent cancer. The World Health Organization says 70% of all cancers are preventable, but the breast cancer industry helps zero percent of women actually prevent it.

Those funds actually go to recruiting breast cancer patients by offering "free" mammograms. This is the clever recruitment strategy of the cancer industry. It's sort of like a greasy garage mechanic offering a "free" checkup on your car's transmission. It's in his financial interest to find something wrong (or to break something), just like it's in the financial interests of the cancer industry to diagnose a women with cancer and scare her into expensive, high-profit treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy or cancer surgery. (Mammogram false positives are commonplace...)

Want proof of where these funds go? Check out this grant list at the Komen for the Cure organization, and you'll see it's almost entirely spent on recruiting more women with mammograms: http://www.komenphoenix.org/site/c.nsKZ...

When you read that list, note that there is not a single grant provided for nutritional education to teach women how to prevent cancer with vitamin D, cruciferous vegetables, anti-cancer herbs, supplements or to avoid dangerous cancer-causing food ingredients like sodium nitrite, MSG and chemical sweeteners.

Myth #3: The only proven treatments for breast cancer are chemotherapy and radiation


The Truth: Chemotherapy doesn't work and radiation causes cancer

Chemotherapy is a fraud, plain and simple. It's as ludicrous as poisoning patients with mercury and calling it medicine (which is something doctors did a hundred years ago, by the way). There is absolutely no reliable scientific evidence showing that chemotherapy has any positive effect whatsoever on breast cancer. Try to find the science yourself: It doesn't exist!

Sure, there's evidence that chemotherapy shrinks tumors. Too bad, however, that tumor size is irrelevant. Artificially reducing the size of a tumor does nothing to reverse the physiology of cancer in a patient's body. It doesn't initiate the healing that needs to take place to reverse cancer and stay cancer free. And this doesn't even take into account the quality of life issues here: Chemotherapy doesn't help people LIVE any longer, but it sure does make them DIE longer!

 

Myth #4: Chemotherapy is safe and doesn't cause permanent damage to your health


The Truth: Chemotherapy causes vomiting, hair loss, muscle loss, brain damage, heart damage, kidney damage and liver damage. Much of this damage is permanent. Read these stories to learn more:

Cancer Drug Causes Permanent Brain Damage
http://www.naturalnews.com/024475.html

Chemotherapy Causes Brain Shrinkage
http://www.naturalnews.com/021200.html

Chemotherapy Found to Cause Permanent Brain Damage
http://www.naturalnews.com/020665.html

Myth #5: Regular mammograms are the best way to detect cancer


The Truth: Mammograms harm 10 women for every one woman they help

Here's part of a story we published in 2006, called Breast Cancer Screening Harms Ten Women for Every One That it Helps (http://www.naturalnews.com/020829.html)

"A new study by researchers from the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Denmark found that mammograms may harm ten times as many women as they help.

The researchers examined the benefits and negative effects of seven breast cancer screening programs on 500,000 women in the
United States, Canada, Scotland and Sweden. The study's authors found that for every 2,000 women who received mammograms over a 10-year period, only one would have her life prolonged, but 10 would endure unnecessary and potentially harmful treatments."

Got that? For every 2,000 women receiving mammograms, only ONE would have her life extended at all. TEN women, though, would be harmed with chemotherapy, radiation or mastectomies.

What the study didn't point out, by the way, is that all these treatments are highly profitable for the cancer industry. That's the real reason why mammograms are pushed so aggressively onto women. It's not because mammograms detect cancer; it's because mammograms make them money.

To the breast cancer industry, a woman is nothing more than a piece of meat with a cash reward attached to it. The push for mammography is a marketing ploy designed to keep women scared, misinformed and lined up to be poisoned with chemotherapy while they shell out their life savings for treatments that, for most of them, aren't even medically justified!

That's why I say the breast cancer industry is, by any honest assessment, a crime against women. In America, husbands who beat their wives are considered criminals. They're arrested and locked away. But those very same men, when wearing a doctor's coat, can assault women with chemicals, slice off their breasts with scalpels and even kill those women... all with impunity. There's not a single breast cancer doctor who has ever been arrested for the death of a patient.

The true history of western medicine's violence against women

In time, of course, this will change. Medical violence against women is a crime, regardless of whether the weapon is a fist, a baseball bat or a syringe full of chemicals that will cause permanent damage to her vital organs. In time, chemotherapy will be outlawed and breast cancer doctors will be put out of work or prosecuted for their crimes against women. Perhaps they'll even be castrated as part of a "fitting" punishment.

To all the women reading this, note carefully the history of western medicine and its numerous assaults on women over the years. Do you know where the term "hysterectomy" comes from? It comes from the belief by male doctors that women's emotions were "hysterical," and they believed the best way to "cure" women of their hysteria was to violently cut her reproductive organs out of her body.

The procedure was widely adopted by male surgeons and used for well over a hundred years to treat women who were diagnosed as suffering from virtually every kind of emotional variance you can imagine. Doctors who didn't use scalpels to remove these organs from a woman's body often resorted to so-called "pelvic massages" -- a medicalized raping of the female patient by the male doctor, of course.

Even today, tens of thousands of hysterectomies are performed each year with no medical justification whatsoever. Doctors continue to view women's bodies as diseased and abnormal, surgically removing their breasts and reproductive organs for no justifiable reason whatsoever. It's even being done today as a cancer prevention procedure, against women who have no cancer at all!

Western medicine's treatment of breast cancer patients today is little more than an extension of hundreds of years of medical violence against women by the male-dominated medical establishment.

Want proof? Notice that cancer doctors never advise men to surgically remove their testicles as a way to "prevent" testicular cancer? That's because the male surgeons performing these operations prefer to maim women, not men.

If you have the stomach for it, read the rest of the truth about how conventional doctors and surgeons commit outrageous medical violence against women and children even today: http://www.naturalnews.com/019930.html

Myth #6: BRCA-positive women should consider mastectomies to prevent cancer


The Truth: Cruciferous vegetables target BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, preventing cancer with nutrition

Women who are BRCA positive are being scared into utterly unnecessary double mastectomies -- a procedure that benefits no one except the surgeon. What nobody is telling these women is that cruciferous vegetables contain anti-cancer nutrients that specifically target BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, protecting these women from breast cancer.

All it takes is a single ounce of fresh broccoli juice each day, or fresh sprouts, superfoods or other nutrient-dense foods or juices consumed daily.

Cancer doctors, of course, conveniently forget to tell women about these little facts. It would hurt their business if women knew how to prevent cancer on their own, at home, with everyday groceries and simple herbs.

Here's text from one study that might interest you. It shows that I3C (from broccoli) and genistein (from fermented soy) inhibit estrogen-stimulated receptor activity in a dose-dependent fashion:

"...we showed that I3C induces BRCA1 expression and that both I3C and BRCA1 inhibit oestrogen (E2)-stimulated oestrogen receptor (ER-) activity in human breast cancer cells. We now report that both I3C and genistein induce the expression of both breast cancer susceptibility genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) in breast (MCF-7 and T47D) and prostate (DU-145 and LNCaP) cancer cell types, in a time- and dose-dependent fashion.

http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v94/n...

Conventional cancer doctors, of course, refuse to tell women about scientific evidence like this. If women could prevent breast cancer with I3C, why would they need cancer doctors? The answer, of course, is that they wouldn't. You can buy I3C, but the way, right here: http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-I3C-Indole-...

The FDA, of course, won't allow companies selling I3C supplements to tell you the scientifically-validated truth about their anti-cancer benefits. It's all part of the censorship and oppression that characterizes today's cancer industry. The
U.S. government, of course, is the co-conspirator in this sad tragedy of misinformation.

It is the job of the FDA and the cancer industry to keep women stupid, uninformed and scared when it comes to breast cancer. The last thing they want is for women to be nutritionally literate.

 

Myth #7: The cancer non-profits are searching for a cure for cancer


The Truth: Even if one was found, they would never allow a cure to be publicized: It would destroy the cancer treatment industry

It's the great scam of the cancer industry: We're searching for a cure, they claim! Never mind the fact that they've been using this same con since the late 60's, when they claimed to be only a few million dollars away from curing cancer forever.

The search for "the cure" is pure deception. It's a clever con to take money from people for all those silly pink ribbon activities, but the truth is that the cancer industry doesn't believe there's such a thing as cure. Just ask the FDA, the AMA or any state health licensing board: Anyone claiming to have a cancer "cure" is immediately considered a quack. Over the last several decades, countless doctors researching genuine cancer cures have been arrested, imprisoned or run out of the country. Read about Stanislaw Burzynski to learn about just one example: http://www.cancure.org/burzynski_instit...

Finally, even if they actually find a "cure" (which they won't, since that would destroy the profits of the cancer industry), do you think they would give it away for free? Of course not! They'd charge hundreds of thousands of dollars for it, milking the maximum profits out of a terrified population for their newest wonder drug.

Notice, by the way, that not a single conventional breast cancer non-profit group -- nor any drug company -- has announced that its breakthrough cancer drugs will be given away for free. And that leads me to this question: If they're not planning on giving away the cure for free, then why are you giving them money for free to pay for their R&D?

Why should people donate money to the wealthiest corporations in the world (the drug companies) who are going to take their money and use it to develop a new wave of drugs that are sold to cancer victims at outrageous price markups sometimes exceeding 550,000% of the cost of the chemical ingredients?

The truth is, anyone who donates money for any such "search for the cure" is being conned outright. There's a sucker born every minute, P.T. Barnum famously said. What he neglected to add is that most of them are now buying pink products and thinking they're helping find a "cure" for cancer.

Don't be suckered. Keep your money, or invest it in vitamin D supplements or anti-cancer herbs. You want to cure cancer? Cure it in your own body first. It's a lot less expensive, and you get to keep your hair, too.

Myth #8: There is no cure for breast cancer


The Truth: There are MANY natural cures for breast cancer available right now

Just a few hours of research will turn up numerous natural cures for cancer: Vitamin D, cat's claw herbs, the Essiac formula, medicinal mushrooms, spirulina, cruciferous vegetables, green tea, graviola herbs, Chinese medicinal herbs, oxygen therapy, alkalizing water therapies and much more.

All these cures have one thing in common: They are ALL suppressed by the FDA and FTC. Telling the truth about anti-cancer foods, herbs or supplements is now a criminal offense in
America.

Myth #9: If my mother had breast cancer, I'll get it too


The Truth: Breast Cancer is not caused by bad genes; it's caused by bad diets

This is another common lie told to woman by cancer doctors to scare them into medically unnecessary cancer "treatments" (which can kill you or harm you). Did you know that radiation treatment for one breast actually causes cancer in the OTHER breast? See: http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000366_...

Your genes don't control your health, but what you put in your mouth and on your skin has near-total control over your health! If your parents had cancer, they were no doubt eating cancer-causing foods (processed meats) and not using anti-cancer foods, superfoods, herbs and supplements. They were also likely deficient in vitamin D, and they probably didn't drink fresh anti-cancer vegetables on a daily basis (www.JuiceFeasting.com). Lastly, they no doubt had regular exposure to cancer-causing chemicals: Cigarette smoke, chemical solvents, perfume chemicals, household cleaners, pesticides, skin care products, conventional cosmetics, etc.

Read the truth about processed meats: http://www.naturalnews.com/022288.html

Myth #10: Sunlight causes cancer


The Truth: Sunlight generates Vitamin D in your skin, which prevents 78% of ALL cancers

The disinformation put out by the cancer industry about sunlight has reached a level of absurdity that's virtually unmatched in the history of medicine. If you believe what the American Cancer Society tells you (still being suckered?), sunlight causes cancer!

Yes, that's right: Sunlight causes cancer, they claim. According to the entire cancer industry (and most dermatologists, too), you'd be much better off hiding in a cave, or living your life under fluorescent lights or smothered in a layer of toxic sunscreen chemicals (which actually DO cause cancer, by the way).

Somehow, the human race has miraculously managed to survived 350,000 years of natural sunlight without be obliterated. This is nothing short of astonishing, given that sunlight is so deadly. It sort of makes me wonder how the human race survived at all, with sunlight striking any given area of the Earth, say, 50% of the time. Did our ancestors live underground?

The ploy here is so obvious that it's child's play to expose their strategy: Cancer industry authorities know that vitamin D prevents 77% of all cancers. Since sunlight exposure causes the skin to generate vitamin D in the human body (for free, no less), the cancer industry has come to the realization that in order for it to continue surviving (and exploiting cancer patients), it has to scare people away from anything that might actually prevent or cure cancer.

This is the whole reason behind the sunlight scare campaigns, of course. It's all just a clever profit strategy to keep people sick and diseased by enforcing widespread vitamin D deficiency across the human population. Note, too, that this deficiency is especially prominent in men and women of darker skin color, which means the cancer industry's whole campaign against sunlight is filled with disturbing racial overtones that smack of genocide. (Ever wonder why breast cancer is FAR more aggressive in black women and white women? It's the vitamin D deficiency caused by the skin color, of course. But cancer docs never tell their black patients anything about it...)

Remember this: Healthy people with abundant vitamin D levels in their blood don't get cancer and they almost never catch colds. They also don't need vaccines, by the way. These are three huge profit centers for conventional medicine: Cancer, vaccines and colds. This is why the industry goes to such great lengths to (hilariously) try to discredit the sun.

It's hilarious because the sun, of course, is the source of ALL life on our planet. Without the sun, there would be no plants, no bacteria, no animals, no fish and certainly no humans. The sun is the single most important source of life on our planet, and without it, we'd all die in a matter of a few hours (from the cold alone). That the cancer industry would declare war on the sun is just a disturbing example of how far removed modern medicine is from the real world.

Why the cancer industry is dangerous to women

The cancer industry people are living in a world of self-reinforced fictions, where sunlight is bad and chemotherapy chemicals are good; where food is useless but pharmaceuticals are essential. Almost everything said to you by a conventional cancer doctor is the opposite of what's real, and yet they believe their own delusions only because those delusions are so widely shared by their colleagues. It is circular logic at its worst, driven by arrogance and greed, and totally lacking any discernable degree of intellectual honesty or compassion for the value of a human life.

The cancer industry is, in a very real way, a danger to the safety of men and women alike. It is a kind of home-grown medical terrorism, through which the application of fear and disinformation results in massive corporate profits that are only exceeded by the body count of our dead women; our mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and nieces who fall victim to conventional cancer treatments. They are being lost to a medical regime wielding weapons of mass destruction: Chemical weapons (chemotherapy), radiological weapons (radiation) and weapons of sharp steel (scalpels).

These weapons of medical violence are being directed at our women for one purpose only: To secure profits that go into the hands of a few wealthy men who sit at the top of these organizations, raking in fifty-million-dollar salaries while the cancer treatment centers send women home in body bags.

It is the ultimate act of cruelty to promise a woman "treatment" and then deliver poison.

It is the ultimate act of violence to promise a woman "healing" and then mutilate her body.

The cancer industry, as operated today, is ultimately a criminal organization engaged in acts of medical violence against women.

Why women should revolt against the cancer industry

Even worse, it is being staffed by women, cheered by women and supported by women. In World War II, before the Jews were exterminated, Nazi soldiers pried the gold fillings out of their mouths. The fillings were sold off, and the money went to two places: The pockets of the top Nazi commanders, and the continued funding of the prison camps and extermination chambers. The Jewish prisoners, in other words, paid for their own gas chamber treatments using the gold right out of their own mouths.

Today, women are paying for their own cancer industry chemical assaults using the dollars right out of their own pockets. Those who support the conventional breast cancer non-profits are feeding the very beast that may someday destroy them and send them home poisoned, emaciated, or mutilated beyond repair.

And you know what the pink ribbon non-profits will do to help these women? WIGS. They'll give them wigs to cover their hairless heads.

 

It is no coincidence that women who receive chemotherapy visually resemble the women of the Nazi concentration camps. They become emaciated through dangerous losses of muscle mass and bone mass. They lose their hair, vomit their food and suffer the devastating effects of massive nutrient loss.

They are, in effect, both prisoners of the same system of control and violence against women. It is a system that has existed for thousands of years, taking on new names and new faces as it shifts from one corner of the planet to another.

Today, that system of abuse and violence against women has a corporate logo, a cute pink symbol and a clever slogan. It has hundreds of offices all across the country, and thousands of pink products in retail stores. It is a system of violence against women, painted pink and repackaged as something that cares for women; and in that disguise, aided by the purchasing dollars of gullible consumers, it is ensnaring women in a system of such great evil that it can only be accurately compared to historical events like the Holocaust.

May God save our women from the cancer industry, lest we lose four generations to this modern chemical holocaust that has been unleashed against our mothers, daughters, grandmothers and sisters. And if our government will not protect us from this home-grown terrorism that seeks to turn the bodies of women into corporate profit centers, I hope that the People of America will one day wake up and take all justified (non-violent) measures to protect themselves from the cancer industry.

It is odd, I think, that women will protest in front of abortion clinics in order to save the life of an unborn child, and yet that same woman will say nothing when a cancer doctor destroys the life of her own mother or daughter. It is time to start protesting the cancer clinics and cancer non-profits. It is time to end this chemical holocaust and this medical violence against women. The women should be marching against mammograms and chemotherapy, demanding the arrest and prosecution of cancer surgeons who perform unjustified double mastectomies.

Throughout history, women have fought hard for the right to vote, to pursue an education and to be heard. I believe it is time that women exercised those rights to protect their freedoms and their lives from the conventional cancer industry.

 

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Women Remain Uninformed about the Hazards of Mammograms

by Barbara L. Minton (see all articles by this author)


(www.NaturalNews.com) It takes a long wait to get a mammogram these days, sometimes up to a month. The waiting rooms are jammed despite the opening of new mammography centers. It is clear that more women than ever are operating under the delusion that mammograms reduce the risk of death from breast cancer, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that radiation causes all types of cancer including that of the breast. The more radiation a woman receives in her lifetime, whether it is during a dental exam, at an airport, or during her yearly mammogram, the more likely it is that she will develop breast cancer. In fact, the spiraling rates of breast cancer seen in the last 25 years may be directly tied to the increased use of mammography.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) began to encourage the use of mammography in the early 1980's. Mammography fit right in with their financial objectives and even the advertising rhetoric at the time urged "a checkup and a check". For the past 25 years, women have paid the price for compliance to a cancer industry that failed to have their best interests at heart.

The harmful effects of radiation and mammograms have been known for decades

In 1974, while mammography was in its infancy, the National Cancer Institute was warned by Professor Malcolm C. Pike at the University of Southern California School of Medicine that a number of specialists had concluded that "giving a women under age 50 a mammogram on a routine basis was close to unethical". This warning was ignored.

Also in the 1970's, the Director of Biostatistics at Rosewell Park Memorial Institute for Cancer Research, Dr. Irwin Bross, headed a study involving data from 16 million people. This ground breaking study found that the main cause of the rising rates of leukemia was medical radiation in the form of diagnostic medical X-rays. Applying his findings to the breast cancer screening program, Dr. Bross later elaborated that "women should have been given the information about the hazards of radiation at the same time they were given the sales talk for mammography."

In the early 1980's as the mammogram began to be rolled out to women across the country in the face of this research, the NCI and ACS jointly urged annual breast X-rays for women under age 50. Doctors assumed there was good evidence supporting the recommendations and enthusiastically ordered mammograms for all their female patients, even though they should have known better.

In 1985, the Lancet, one of the five leading medical journals in the world, published an article condemning the mammography recommendations under which "Over 280,000 women were recruited without being told that no benefit of mammography had been shown in a controlled trial for women below 50, and without being warned about the potential risk of induction of breast cancer by the test which was supposed to detect it.

Dr. John Gofman, Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology at the
University of California at Berkeley, in the early 1990's found that three-quarters of the annual incidence of breast cancer in the United States was caused by earlier ionizing radiation, primarily from medical sources. He did not underestimate the role played by pesticides, synthetic hormones, fatty diets and other environmental stressors, stating "There is no inherent conflict or competition between carcinogens," because they multiply each other's carcinogenic effects. Dr. Gofman abhorred the fact that although X-rays and radiotherapy were among the few environmental contaminants known unequivocally to cause many forms of cancer, they were routinely recommended and used with many cancer patients although there was no proven benefit to survival.

The media and the government health officials stayed silent regarding the mounting evidence that mammograms caused cancer, and the ACS and the NCI continued to recommend mammograms. In 1992 Samuel Epstein, professor at the University of Illinois Medical Center along with 64 other distinguished cancer authorities opposed this status quo thinking and warned the public about what the ACS and NCI were up to.

The next month, the Washington Post broke the story into the mainstream media, exposing what the ACS and the NCI had done to countless women for several years. In this article Dr. Epstein was quoted, "The high sensitivity of the breast, especially in young women, to radiation induced cancer was known by 1970. . . the establishment ignores safe and effective alternatives to mammography." He saw this as a conscious, chosen, politically expedient act by a small group of people for the sake of their own power, prestige and financial gain, resulting in suffering and death for millions of women. He regarded them as committing "crimes against humanity".

In December, 1992, the New York Times published facts about mammography and concluded that women were not being told the truth.

In 1995, the Lancet again blasted the ACS and NCI mammography scam by concluding: "The benefit is marginal, the harm caused is substantial, and the costs incurred are enormous."

Meanwhile, women's health advocate Susan Weed began to publish her findings. In Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way, she reports that "scientists agree that there is no safe dose of radiation. Cellular DNA in the breast is more easily damaged by very small doses of radiation than thyroid tissue or bone marrow; in fact, breast cells are second only to fetal tissues in sensitivity to radiation. As an added risk, one percent of American women carry a hard-to-detect oncogene which is triggered by radiation: a single mammogram increases their risk of breast cancer by a factor of 4-6 times."

Sister Rosalie Bertell, a highly respected world authority on the dangers of radiation wrote that one rad of radiation increased breast cancer risk one percent and is the equivalent of one year's natural aging. "If a woman has yearly mammograms from age 55 to 75, she will receive a minimum of 20 rads of radiation. Women surviving the blast in
Hiroshima absorbed 35 rads.

As a result of all this pressure, Dr. Charles B. Simone, a former clinical associate in immunology and pharmacology at the National Cancer Institute finally came out and said "Mammograms increase the risk for developing breast cancer and raise the risk of spreading or metastasizing an existing growth. The annual mammographic screening of 10,000 women aged 50-70 will extend the lives of, at best, 26 of them; and the annual screening of 10,000 women in their 40s will extend the lives of only 12 women per year."

Radiation is not the only danger posed to women by mammograms

Although mammography is widely used for early cancer detection screening, remarkably little attention has been paid to the techniques of breast compression used in the mammography procedure, according to William Campbell Douglass, Jr., writing for the Weston A. Price Foundation. He saw that although the principal of handling cancer very gently so as not to spread it is widely accepted by the medical profession, it doesn't apply to breast screening. During mammography the techniques used are designed for maximum detection of abnormalities without regard to the possible consequences of the action. Douglass notes a survey that found mammographers used as much compression as the patient could tolerate and had no idea how much compression they were using. In fact, the guidelines for mammography state that "adequacy of the compression device is crucial to good quality mammography." That force is 300 newtons, the equivalent of placing a 50 pound weight on the breast.

Cambell reports one animal study that found that the number of metastases will increase by 80 percent if the tumor is manipulated. A human study reported in the British Medical Journal found that death rates were increased by 29 percent in women whose breasts were squeezed during mammography. This is likely to be the result of the rupture of small blood vessels in or around small yet undetected breast cancers. This squeezing into the blood stream of malignant cells is why many women with breast cancer have cancer cells in their lymph nodes.

Mistaken false positive diagnoses are common in pre-menopausal women and post-menopausal women on estrogen replacement therapy because the breast tissue of these women is dense and glandular in nature. These mistakes result in needless anxiety, more mammograms, and highly dangerous biopsies that will cause cancer cells to metastasize if indeed there is a cancer. For the group of women with multiple high-risk factors, such as a strong family history, prolonged use of contraceptives, early menarche, and no history of breast feeding, the cumulative risk of false positives increases to as high as 100 percent over a decade of screening due to this being the group most strongly urged to participate in multiple screenings.

Over diagnosis and subsequent over treatment are major risks of mammography. The unchallenged use of screening has resulted in a huge increase in the diagnosis of ductal carcinoma-insitu (DCIS), a pre-invasive form of cancer which has about 40,000 diagnoses annually. DCIS is composed of micro-calcifications and treated by lumpectomy plus radiation or even mastectomy and chemotherapy. However, over 80 percent of DCIS do not become invasive if left untreated. The mortality rate from DCIS is the same as for women diagnosed and treated early and for those diagnosed later, following the development of invasive cancer.

The Lancet reported that, since mammographic screening was first introduced, the incidence of DCIS, which represents 12% of all breast cancer cases, has increased by 328% for all women, and 200% of this increase is due to the use of mammography. The increase in incidence for women under the age of 40 has gone up over 3000%. Without any screening and intervention, many DCIS situations are able to be positively resolved by the body, leaving women in blissful ignorance of their situation.

Mammograms fail to reduce breast cancer mortality

Despite all evidence to the contrary, the mantra remains that routine mammography screening allows early detection and treatment of breast cancer and reduces mortality. In reality, the vast majority of breast cancers are unaffected by early detection, either because they are aggressive or because they are not. The aggressive cancers will continue to kill women no matter how much surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy they have, unless the source of their cancer is addressed. The cancers that are not aggressive suggest a well functioning immune system that would be compromised by traditional treatments. Cancerous tumors should serve as a wake up call.

Mammograms divert women's attention from addressing the real issues

The mammogram industry has made women passive participant in their own health. If the result of the mammogram is positive, the woman moves on to the next phase in the cancer machine. She has even more mammograms followed by biopsies. If a cancer is found she enters the belly of the machine where she undergoes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. She is prescribed a regimen of debilitating drugs to carry her through the rest of her life, and she is spit out the other end of the machine completely ignorant of what caused her to have cancer in the first place and what she can do to try to regain her health.

If the result is negative, she breathes a sigh of relief, schedules another mammogram for next year, and goes about her business as usual. Again, she is given no information with which to empower herself about how to avoid cancer.

In a world where women were well treated, these actions of the cancer industry would be abhorrent. In this kind of world, a woman would be allowed to discover breast irregularities on her own and come to treatment center where a physician would help her examine her physical situation, personal history and psychology, and lifestyle. A treatment protocol would be designed specifically for her based on her situation. This protocol would address how best to restore balance and health to all aspects of her body, mind and spirit.

Sources:

Samuel S. Epstein, Rosalie Bertell, and Barbara Seaman, "Dangers and Unreliability of Mammography," International Journal of Health Services.

William Campbell Douglass, Jr. "Mammography Madness," The Weston A. Price Foundation.

Chris Gupta, "The Depths of Deceit Mammography," Share the Wealth.

Rcik Ensminger, "Alert - Mammograms Cause Cancer," Rense.com.

James Howenstine MD, "Do Mammograms Cause Breast Cancer?" newswithviews.com.

 

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Breast Cancer Rates Soar after Mammograms and Some Cancers may Heal Naturally

by Sherry Baker, Health Sciences Editor
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(NaturalNews) A report just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's Archives of Internal Medicine (Arch Intern Med. 2008;168[21]:2302-2303) reaches a startling conclusion. Breast cancer rates increased significantly in four Norwegian counties after women there began getting mammograms every two years. In fact, according to background information in the study, the start of screening mammography programs throughout
Europe has been associated with increased incidence of breast cancer.

This raises some obvious and worrisome questions: Did the x-rays and/or the sometimes torturous compression of breasts during mammography actually spur cancer to develop? Or does this just look like an increase in the disease rate because mammography is simply identifying more cases of breast cancer?

The answer to the first question is that no one knows (and it isn't addressed in the Archives of Internal Medicine study). But the second question has an unexpected and – for those interested in the human body's innate ability to heal itself – potentially paradigm-shifting answer. The researchers say they can't blame the increased incidence of breast cancer on more cases being found because the rates among regularly screened women remained higher than rates among women of the same age who only received mammograms once after six years.

 

Bottom line: the scientists conclude this indicates that some of the cancers detected by mammography would have spontaneously regressed if they had never been discovered on a mammogram and treated, usually with chemotherapy and radiation. Simply put, it appears that some invasive breast cancers simply go away on their own, healed by the body's own immune system.

Per-Henrik Zahl, M.D., Ph.D., of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health,
Oslo, and his research team studied breast cancer rates among 119,472 women (age 50 to 64). These research subjects were asked to participate in three rounds of screening mammograms between 1996 and 2001, as part of the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program.

 

The scientists then compared the number of breast cancers found in this group to the rate of malignancies among a control group of 109,784 women who were the same ages in 1992, and who would have been invited for breast screenings if the program had been in place that year. Cancers were tracked using a national registry. Then, after six years, all participants were invited to undergo a one-time screening to assess for the prevalence of breast cancer.

The researchers were surprised to find that the incidence of invasive breast cancer was 22 percent higher in the group regularly screened with mammography. In fact, screened women were more likely to have breast cancer at every age.

"Because the cumulative incidence among controls never reached that of the screened group, it appears that some breast cancers detected by repeated mammographic screening would not persist to be detectable by a single mammogram at the end of six years," the authors stated in their report. "This raises the possibility that the natural course of some screen-detected invasive breast cancers is to spontaneously regress."

The researchers also conclude that their findings "provide new insight on what is arguably the major harm associated with mammographic screening, namely, the detection and treatment of cancers that would otherwise regress."

This does not mean breast cancer should be ignored or not treated. After all, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among American women. But the extraordinarily good and hopeful news is that it appears invasive breast cancer sometimes can be destroyed naturally -- at least in some people -- by the body's own innate defenses.

"Although many clinicians may be skeptical of the idea, the excess incidence associated with repeated mammography demands that spontaneous regression be considered carefully," the scientists wrote in their report. "Spontaneous regression of invasive breast cancer has been reported, with a recent literature review identifying 32 reported cases. This is a relatively small number given such a common disease.

 

However, as some observers have pointed out, the fact that documented observations are rare does not mean that regression rarely occurs. It may instead reflect the fact that these cancers are rarely allowed to follow their natural course."

In an editorial in the Archives of Internal Medicine that accompanies the breast cancer study, Robert M. Kaplan, Ph.D., of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Franz Porzsolt, M.D., Ph.D., of Clincal Economics University of Ulm, Germany, wrote that the most important concern raised by the study is "how surprisingly little we know about what happens to untreated patients with breast cancer.


In addition to not knowing the natural history of breast cancer for younger women, we also know very little about the natural history for older women. We know from autopsy studies that a significant number of women die without knowing that they had breast cancer (including ductal carcinoma in situ). The observation of a historical trend toward improved survival does not necessarily support the benefit of treatment."

 

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Studies show reishi mushrooms benefit people stricken with a variety of ailments, from high blood pressure to AIDS

by Dani Veracity, citizen journalist

(www.naturalnews.com) Hailed in ancient Eastern medicine as the "mushroom of immortality" and the "medicine of kings," you'd expect reishi to offer you some pretty astounding health benefits, right? Your assumptions are correct. This prized fungus may be able to boost your immune system, fight cancer, ward off heart disease, calm your nerves and relieve both allergies and inflammation.

 

"Reishi indeed sounds like a cure-all," writes Rebecca Wood in her book "New Whole Foods Encyclopedia." She goes on to explain reishi's wide range of uses: "An immunostimulant, it is helpful for people with AIDS, leaky-gut syndrome, Epstein-Barr, chronic bronchitis and other infectious diseases. It is used as an aid to sleep, as a diuretic, as a laxative and to lower cholesterol." It almost seems too good to be true.

 

How can one fungus help the human body in so many ways? Traditional Eastern medical science explains reishi's wide range of medicinal applications better, perhaps, than mainstream medicine ever could. According to Eastern thought, the body needs to defend itself against threats to its "equilibrium." These threats can be physical, such as viruses and bacteria that cause infection; emotional, such as stressors that cause anxiety; or energetic, in that they reduce alertness. Whatever the threat, reishi helps the body maintain its defense against these threats to its equilibrium, helping the body to maintain balance. In this sense, diseases like heart disease and cancer mean that the body is out of balance, which is why an equilibrium-enhancing remedy such as reishi can help so many diverse ailments.

 

Skeptics can doubt the previous explanation as Taoist "mumbo jumbo," but laboratory research proves many of reishi's medicinal applications. As Dr. Andrew Weil writes, reishi "has been the subject of a surprising amount of scientific research in Asia and the West." Research shows that the polysaccharide beta-1,3-D-glucan in reishi boosts the immune system by raising the amount of macrophages T-cells, which has major implications for people suffering from AIDS and other immune system disorders.

 

This immune-boosting action also works wonders in the prevention and treatment of cancer, as the T-cells are then able to fight cancer cells more effectively. However, reishi may help the body defeat cancer in not just one, but four ways. In addition to boosting the immune system, the glucan in reishi helps immune cells bind to tumor cells.

 

Many experts believe that it also actually reduces the number of cancerous cells, making it easier for T-cells and macrophages to rid the body of them. Another substance in reishi, called canthaxanthin, slows down the growth of tumors, according to "Prescription for Dietary Wellness" author Phyllis A. Balch and other experts. As a result of these amazing anti-cancer abilities, laboratory research and traditional medicinal usage of reishi to fight cancer is so positive that the Japanese government officially recognizes it as a cancer treatment.

 

Besides cancer, reishi can help and treat another of America's top killers: cardiovascular disease. The protection reishi offers against heart disease and stroke is truly remarkable because it helps prevent so many different risk factors, due to its high content of heart-saving substances like sterols, ganoderic acids, coumarin, mannitol and polysaccharides. Experts believe that the ganoderic acids in particular lower triglyceride levels, remove excess cholesterol from the blood, lower blood pressure, reduce platelet stickiness and even help correct arrhythmia. In fact, for 54 people with hypertension unresponsive to medication, taking reishi extract three times a day for four weeks was enough to significantly lower blood pressure, according to a study reported by Burton Goldberg in "Heart Disease." Just imagine how the incidence of cardiovascular disease could be reduced if using reishi really caught on in the Western hemisphere.

 

While you protect your body against infectious disease, cancer and heart disease, your use of reishi can also help relieve your everyday discomforts. Do you have allergies? Japanese researchers discovered that the lanostan in reishi acts as a natural antihistamine. Do you suffer from muscle aches or arthritis? Dr. William B. Stavinhoa of the University of Texas Health Science Center found that reishi is as powerful as five milligrams of hydrocortisone, but with minimal side effects. What about anxiety or insomnia? According to "Mind Boosters" by Dr. Ray Sahelia, the reishi mushroom can calm the mind, as well as improve memory, concentration and focus. With all these benefits, reishi truly is the "medicine of kings."

Different types of reishi

Though there are six different types of reishi, all classified by color, herbalists generally call red reishi the most potent and medicinal variety, and thus it is the most commonly used form of reishi in North America, Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. In the wild, the mushroom grows on deciduous trees in heavily forested areas of China and Japan, but it's now easily and widely cultivated commercially, so you don't have to venture into the forest to enjoy the benefits of what "Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook" author James Green calls a "remarkably beneficial fungus for the human body."

 

However, keep in mind that reishi isn't exactly the kind of mushroom you'll want to put in your next salad, either. Since it's more than 90 percent indigestible fiber, reishi has an extremely wood-like texture and to top it off, it's unpleasantly bitter. In spite of this bitter flavor, many reishi enthusiasts use ground reishi to make a life-enhancing tea or even use the mushrooms in soups. For the less daring, many health food stores offer reishi capsules, tablets and extracts, and Japanese research suggests taking vitamin C along with it may enhance reishi's medicinal effects.

 

So, how much reishi should you take? In the "Vitamin Bible for the Twenty-first Century," vitamin expert Earl Mindell advises an average dose of 100 milligrams of reishi extract daily to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation and ease joint pain. On the other hand, Dr. Linda B. White recommends up to three 1,000-milligram tablets up to three times per day in her book "The Herbal Drugstore."

 

Because of this wide range of dosage suggestions and additional risks it might pose for pregnant or lactating women (even though reishi has no known toxicity) you should check with a physician, preferably a naturopath, before adding reishi to your regimen. Similarly, you should be aware that reishi does have some side effects, including abdominal upset, dizziness, nose bleeds and dry mouth and throat, according to "Natural Pharmacy" author Schuyler W. Lininger. In other words, it's up to you and your naturopath to decide which dose of reishi is right for you.

 

 

The experts speak on reishi:

 

Reishi's wide range of medicinal applications

Health Benefits: Reishi indeed sounds like a cure-all. An immunostimulant, it is helpful for people with AIDS, leaky gut syndrome, Epstein-Barr, chronic bronchitis, and other infectious viruses. It is used as an aid to sleep; as a diuretic; as a laxative; and to lower cholesterol. Reishi mushrooms are antioxidants and liver protectants..
New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood, page 288

 

One key function, identified long ago by Eastern medical science, is defense--that is, the body has the need and ability to defend itself against threats to its equilibrium, whether they be physical, emotional, or energetic. Having noted and studied the body's defensive capabilities, Chinese doctors then explored the natural world to find ways of maintaining and enhancing them, and they discovered a number of ways to do so, including the administration of herbal remedies. Among these remedies are ginseng, astragalus, and several mushrooms that grow on trees, such as Ganoderma lucidum (known to the Chinese as ling chih and the Japanese as reishi).
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 15

 

Not all of the active components in reishi have been isolated; like many other organic substances, the molecules in this plant are quite complex, though they are probably mostly polysaccharides and peptides. Dr. Terry Willard, a proponent of the medical uses of this mushroom, maintains that reishi also decreases free radicals by 50.4 percent through an as yet, unidentified antioxidant. ... Other researchers suspect that reishi may not have an antioxidant of its own but rather stimulates production of the body's own free radical scavenger, an enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD). According to the Bulletin of the Oriental Healing Arts Institute, reishi acts as an agent for promoting an increase in leukocytes, phagocytosis which in turn increase the number of disease-fighting T-cells in the bloodstream.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

 

These powerful adaptogens -- Siberian ginseng, schisandra, ginseng, astragalus, and reishi--are among what Teeguarden calls the "superstars of Chinese tonic herbalism . . . incomparable, legendary herbal substances [that] have withstood the test of time." These five herbs also tend to be the ones with the most scientific backing for their strengthening and normalizing effects.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 291

 

Reishi and the immune system

Reishi is a purely medicinal mushroom, not a culinary one, both because it is hard and woody and because it tastes very bitter. But it is nontoxic and has been the subject of a surprising amount of scientific research, both in Asia and the West. Although most of the research has been in animals, the results are so promising that I think human studies will soon follow. Like maitake and other related mushroom species, reishi improves immune function and inhibits the growth of some malignant tumors. Additionally, it shows significant anti-inflammatory effect, reduces allergic responsiveness, and protects the liver.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 140

 

Reishi is a supreme immune tonic. Because of its neutral energy, it is fine for anyone to take. It treats immune disorders including AIDS as it raises the T cell levels (an index of AIDS and immune disorders). It is also specific for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It inhibits bacteria and viruses, treats cancer and tumors and its adaptogenic quality protects the body against stress. It treats heart disease, reduces cholesterel and lowers high blood pressure.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 195

 

Maitake, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms possess beta-1,3-D-glucan, a type of polysaccharide that stimulates the immune cells. Their immune-boosting power makes them essential for fighting the flu.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 469

 

In addition to being an effective energizer, reishi is an antioxidant that protects the body from the harmful effects of radiation and free radicals. It contains polysaccharides and other compounds that may combat bacteria and viruses and boost the immune system
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 56

 

Reishi Mushrooms Known as kisshotake or the "lucky fungus," in Japan, reishi mushrooms were originally used in China in both cooking and traditional healing. However, for several thousand years the Japanese have used these delicately flavored mushrooms in their cuisine. reishi mushrooms, which are quite pricey, are available in Asian markets and gourmet shops. However, they may be worth their weight in gold. Recent studies show that reishi may stimulate the immune system, which increases the body's ability to ward off disease. In addition, reishi mushrooms contain compounds that are natural antihistamines and have strong anti-allergic activity. Other studies show that reishi can lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent the formation of dangerous blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke..
Earl Mindells Soy Miracle Earl Mindel RPH PHD, page 107

 

reishi is a supreme immune tonic. Because of its neutral energy, it is fine for anyone to take. It treats immune disorders including AIDS as it raises the T cell levels (an index of AIDS and immune disorders). It is also specific for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It inhibits bacteria and viruses, treats cancer and tumors and its adaptogenic quality protects the body against stress. It treats heart disease, reduces cholesterel and lowers high blood pressure.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 195

 

Herbal Medicine: There are numerous herbs useful in the care of infections. Some are directly antibacterial or antiviral while others are immune potentiators. Some herbs do both. Examples include goldenseal, licorice, astragalus, garlic, Panax ginseng, reishi and shiitake mushrooms, slippery elm, and echinacea.
Alternative Medicine by
Burton Goldberg, page 1112

 

The third is reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), currently available in US health food stores. It is said to have been used as a "fountain of youth" elixir for centuries. A novel protein with immunomodulating activity in vivo has been isolated from the mycelial extract of reishi.
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 248

 

reishi tones the immune system, supports nerve function, scavenges free radicals, protects the liver, and quells inflammation and allergies. According to Hobbs (1996), "reishi has the unique ability among medicinal mushrooms to calm and support nerve function." In his practice, he recommends reishi to people with chronic stress, anxiety, or insomnia.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 116

 

Reishi, shiitake, and maitake mushroom extracts or powders are all proven antivirals and are used as immunostimulants around the world for everything from colds to cancer.
Herbal Defense by Ralph T Golan ND, page 180

 

Immunity (increases) astragalus, codonopsis, cinnamon, ginger, ginseng, bayberry, schisandra reishi echinacea and American ginseng.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 231

 

The most common herbs used in fu-zheng are blood-vitalizing herbs, including astragalus, milletia, reishi, panax ginseng, schizandra, jujube, ligus-ticum, hoelen, salvia, ho shou wu, cordyceps, atractylodis, and codonopsis. Studies continue to demonstrate that these herbs have a dramatic impact on the enhancement of an immune system weakened by chemo and radiation therapies. They not only protect the immune and endocrine systems but also inhibit such diseases as influenza, upper respiratory infections, fungal infections, and chemically induced hepatitis. These diseases can cause serious complications for the person with cancer, requiring an interruption in treatment and a course of antibiotics that can lead to diarrhea and other debilitating problems.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 85

 

If yeast or other vaginal infections keep coming back, your best bet is to see a natural health practitioner who'll recommend an herbal tonic program that you'll use for a series of months. It will likely include herbs such as astragalus, reishi, shiitake, nettles, or burdock -- botanicals that gently and gradually rebuild the immune system and the many organs it involves. Such a program will likely include some diet changes as well, such as cutting down on caffeine and sugar.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD, page 535

 

The once extremely rare and precious reishi mushroom is now cultivated and widely available. It is a very potent immune system and longevity tonic. Traditionally used to "nourish the heart and pacify the spirit," it has also been found to have numerous other health benefits.
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 190

 

Use one of the immune-boosting tonics, like maitake, reishi, or astragalus. In cities, people live in close proximity and come into contact with each other more frequently than in rural areas. Germs spread easily in dense populations, so give your immune system some help.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 229

 

HERBS: Herbal medicine is best administered under the guidance of a professional trained in their use. The following herbs can be used safely as a self-care protocol, however. Dr. Bock recommends astragalus, ginseng, and maitake and reishi mushrooms for general immune support.
Alternative Medicine by
Burton Goldberg, page 1043

 

Mushrooms, particularly Eastern varieties, revitalize the body. Various cultures consider them to contain the secrets of staying young. Reishi and shiitake mushrooms build resistance to stress by strengthening the immune system. They also provide key B vitamins to the liver and stimulate the adrenals with their high concentration of pantothenic acid. The common American button mushroom contains methionine, an amino acid high in sulphur. When combined with tofu, the result is a more complete protein.
Food Swings by Barnet Meltzer MD, page 258

 

Several species of mushroom -- including shiitake (Lentinus edodes), reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), and maitake (Grifola frondosa) -- are considered immune system stimulants. They contain compounds called polysac-charides that are similar to those found in other immune-boosting plants, such as astragalus and echinacea. These compounds increase the ability of white blood cells to devour germs.
Anti-Aging Prescriptions by James Duke PhD, page 163

 

This is the type of herbal tea I drink most frequently. After all, on a day-to-day basis, we mostly need to keep our good health intact. If I feel "immune challenged" or I want to start my day with an immune boost, I'll drink a cup of a blend that contains any of the following tonic herbs, known as adaptogens (herbs that strengthen or enhance the immune system, nervous system, and/or glandular system while they help the body cope with stress): Siberian ginseng, Panax ginseng, astragalus, shizandra, echinacea, ashwagandha, reishi mushrooms, licorice.
Caffeine Blues By Stephen Cherniske MS, page 324

 

Therapeutic and Healing Powers: reishi and shiitake mushrooms boost the immune system by producing interferon-like effects that fight viral infection. Mushrooms are also being studied for their anti-cancerous capabilities.
Food Swings by Barnet Meltzer MD, page 216

 

Mushrooms from Japan -- specifically, shiitake as a food, and reishi and maitake (which are currently available in the United States only as extracts) -- offer a host of immune-system benefits.
Herbal Defense by Ralph T Golan ND, page 152

 

All edible mushrooms contain both medicinal and nutritional qualities. Scientific research indicates that the major actions of medicinal mushrooms are stimulating the immune system and protecting against cardiovascular disease, free radicals, mutagens, and toxins. Most medicinal mushrooms contain polysaccharides (complex sugar molecules) called beta-glucans that increase RNA and DNA in the bone marrow where immune cells, like lymphocytes, are made. The combination of compounds in mushrooms is believed to target the immune system and aid in neuron transmission, metabolism, and the transport of nutrients and oxygen. Three mushroom varieties -- reishi, shiitake, and maitake -- have been studied intensively and have proven to possess strong medicinal properties. All mushrooms must be cooked to get the nutritional value. The cell walls cannot be digested unless they are tenderized by heat.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 167

 

If you have a family history of cancer, have been a smoker, have worked in a hazardous occupation, or know that you have had toxic exposures, take one or more of the tonics that are cancer-protective and immune-enhancing. My first choices would be maitake and reishi mushrooms.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 251

 

Ganoderma: Ganoderma lucidum, the Chinese "mushroom of immortality" called ling zhi (in Japan, reishi) has been extensively studied in the laboratory for antiviral activity and is well known for its immune-modulating activity. My teacher of Chinese medicine, the late Dr. York Why Loo, kept a specimen of dried wild Chinese ling zhi in a jar for use in his old age. So revered by Chinese doctors is ling zhi that it is frequently pictured on their business cards or displayed in their shop windows as a sign of respect for its importance.
Viral Immunity by J.E, page 292

 

In China, many pharmacological, chemical, and biochemical studies have been conducted with this remarkable mushroom. Results show that reishi meets all qualifications of being an ad-aptogen and tonic. Its use bolsters the immune system, stimulates health, and improves or prevents allergic conditions and a variety of degenerative and other disease conditions.
Miracle Medicine Herbs by Richard M Lucas, page 9

 

Try shiitake or reishi mushrooms with your veggies -- the Chinese use them to bolster the immune system.
Prescription Alternatives by Earl Mindell RPh PhD and Virginia Hopkins MA, page 283

 

Preliminary human research demonstrates some efficacy for the mushroom reishi in treating chronic hepatitis B, although this use still needs to be confirmed.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 80

 

Many researchers are now recommending a combination of mushrooms to maximize effects on the immune system. "A complex blend of medicinal fungi can offer a powerful therapeutic punch," says internationally renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, known by some as "Mr. Medicinal Mushroom."1 Two other mushrooms that hold great therapeutic promise are reishi, or Ling zhi (Ganoderma lucidum), and maitake (Gri-Jola frondosa).
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 335

 

Improves conditions of viral hepatitis (70% of all cases with this condition showed marked improvement after taking reishi).
Miracle Medicine Herbs by Richard M Lucas, page 9

 

Chinese herbalists have long considered mushrooms to be the most beneficial of all medicinal foods; however, the ordinary culinary mushrooms found at the supermarket are not as advantageous to the immune system as the more exotic reishi, maitake, or shiitake mushrooms. Modern research has determined that these mushrooms can support immune function. Extracts of these mushrooms can be purchased in capsule form.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 10

 

Immune tonics: reishi, astragalus, schisandra liver tonics: dandelion, fennel nerve tonics: scullcap, valerian nutritive tonics: comfrey, marshmallow.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 139

Immune-modulating plants often used by doctors of herbal medicine include Asian ginseng, eleuthero (Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha, and the medicinal mushrooms shiitake and reishi.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 89

 

The reishi mushroom is traditionally used in Chinese medicine for asthenia-type syndromes, characterized by a deficiency of vital energy and functions of the lower body. reishi is the perfect remedy for the typical American suffering from constant stress. This type of individual has depressed vital force and is likely to be both deficient and toxic. When a person in such a state develops cancer and is then faced with the toxicities of chemotherapy, the situation calls for reishi. reishi's overall effects could be described as regulatory and beneficial to the restoration of homeostasis. Its effect on the immune system is total enhancement of immune function: increase of white blood-cell count, platelets, hemoglobin, and various tumor-fighting cells. reishi also improves both energy and sleep.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 156

 

Master the language of mushrooms. Forget those bland, almost tasteless specimens that you find in the typical mushroom omelet. Your immune system craves exotic mushrooms, notably shiitake, maitake, and reishi. "Shiitake and maitake mushrooms strengthen the immune system," notes Santa Cruz, California, herbalist Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., the author of several authoritative herb guides. "reishi mushrooms build up bone marrow, where white blood cells are made."
Blended Medicine by Michael Castleman, page 10

 

Reishi is one of the most versatile medicinal mushrooms. It has long been used in Asia as an energy tonic to promote longevity and overall health. Studies indicate that reishi is an antioxidant and contains polysaccharides and other compounds that may boost the immune system. reishi is taken to counter bacteria and viruses and has shown promise as an agent to help prevent or treat cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other conditions. Russian researchers at the Cancer Research Center in Moscow have had positive results using reishi extracts to boost the immunity of cancer patients.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 88

 

The fruiting body of reishi mushroom is sweet in taste and neutral to slightly warming in action. It calms the spirit; strengthens immunity; slows aging; strengthens the heart, lungs, and liver; and relaxes spasms.
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 190

 

Reishi and cancer

For the past decade, reishi has also been used as a cancer treatment in Japan, with some success. reishi appears to inhibit cancer via its beneficial effect on the immune system. Compounds in reishi can boost immune function by activating macrophages and T-cells, the disease-fighting cells that help rid the body of all foreign invaders, including viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells.
Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible by Earl Mindell RPh PhD, page 167

 

One of the reishi polysaccharides, called glucan, shows anti-tumor potential according to some researchers. Researchers speculate that glucan reduces the number of cancerous cells making it possible for the body's immune system to handle them more effectively.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

 

Carbohydrate-proteins, called mucopolysaccharides, which are found in many herbs, such as echinacea and reishi mushrooms, not only activate macrophages but actually help them to bind to the antigen or tumor cell.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr., page 93

 

Canthaxanthin acts as an antioxidant, boosts immunity, slows the growth of cancer cells, and may help to prevent skin and breast cancers. Food sources include mushrooms, particularly reishi, maitake, and shiitake.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 50

 

Studies done at the Cancer Research Center in Moscow have found reishi to act as a host defense protector. It helps the body to fight cancer and slow down tumor growth.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 166

 

Ancient Chinese herbalists considered the reishi mushroom the most beneficial of all medicines and the emperors of Japan believed the reishi granted them immortality. Today, the Japanese government officially recognizes the reishi mushroom as a substance for treating cancer.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 167

 

Because it is called ling zhi in Chinese, the scientists called this protein ling zhi-8. And Prof. H. Maruyama called the antitumor activity of a water extract of reishi as well as two other mushrooms "remarkably effective for inhibition of tumor growth."
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 248

 

Scientific studies report this food's effectiveness in controlling cancers of the breast, lung, and prostate, and in minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy. Shiitake and reishi mushrooms, also called ganoderma mushrooms, exhibit anticancer properties as well, and are used by Orientals to enhance longevity. Animal research done in Japan showed a highly significant rate of tumor elimination in animals fed extracts of maitake, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 82

 

Besides its anti-tumor and immuno-modulatory properties, reishi also helps counteract stress. The crude extract of reishi has been found to be more effective in fighting free radical damage than isolated, synthetic compounds. reishi also contains bitter triterpenes. These strengthen the circulatory and immune systems, tone the liver and protect the body from physical stress. Triterpenes work as adaptogenics, antihypertensives and to control allergic reactions.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 166

 

Shiitake and reishi mushrooms will be magic because they help prevent cancer.
Asian Health Secrets by Letha Hadady DAc, page 477

 

The reishi and maitake mushrooms are two other fungi for which researchers are cheering in their fight against cancer and viruses.
The Complete Book Of Alternative Nutrition by Selene Y Craig, page 225

 

Other Herbs -- Other herbal medicines have been identified as potentially useful adjuncts to cancer treatment, including: pearl barley (Hordeum vulgare); reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum); shiitake mushroom (Lentin-ula edodes); cauliflower (Brassica oleracea); wax gourd (Benincasa hispida); calendula (Calendula qfficinalis); chaparral (Larrea divaricata and Larrea tridentata); white mulberry (Moms alba); Japanese pepper (Piperfutokadsura); thyme (Thymus serpyllum); Chinese cucumber (Tri-chosanthes kirilowii); and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica).
Alternative Medicine by
Burton Goldberg, page 612

 

The reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) has a sweet and warm energy, is both sedative and tonic, is a supreme deep immune system tonic, and nourishes the spirit, essence, and vital energy. It has strong anticarcinogenic properties and is rich in a number of complex phyto-chemicals, including ergosterol, fumaric acid, aminoglucose, and man-nitol; coumarins; alkaloids; lactone; and various enzymes.
The Way Of Herbs by Michael Tierra, page 313

 

Finally, evidence has shown that reishi, shiitake, and maitake mushrooms can serve as formidable opponents of cancer cells.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 72

 

If you have cancer, you should work with a knowledgeable physician or natural healer. As a cancer treatment, doses are much higher than those for pain control -- you will need to take about 10 grams of reishi daily. But reishi is considered safe even at the highest levels; there is no known toxicity.
Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible by Earl Mindell RPh PhD, page 167

 

According to researchers at the National Cancer Center in Japan, there was complete tumor elimination in about 80% of cancer-induced animals fed extracts from maitake, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms. Compounds in each of these mushrooms increase the tumor-fighting activity of NK cells and improve antibody responses, but maitake seems to have the strongest and most consistent effect.
Alternative Medicine by
Burton Goldberg, page 613

 

As with other medicinal mushrooms, this herb is rich in polysaccharides that increase white blood cells; it serves as a potent free radical scavenger and generally exerts broad anticancer and antitumor properties. Reishi contains the immune stimulating polysaccharide, beta D-glucan, which has been shown to be effective against sarcoma. The polysaccharide stimulates macrophage activity to produce tumor-necrosis factor (TNF-a), together with cancer killing interleukins. In another study the polysaccharides (PS) from fresh fruiting bodies of G. lucidum (PS-G) were isolated and used to potentiate cytokine production by human mono-cytes-macrophages and T lymphocytes.

 

Results demonstrated that the levels of interleukins (IL)-l beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha, and IL-6 in macrophage cultures treated with PS-G (100 micrograms/ml) were 5.1, 9.8 and 29 fold higher, respectively, than those of untreated controls. In addition, the release of interferon (IFN)- gamma from T lymphocytes was also greatly promoted in the presence of PS-G (25-100 micrograms/ml). Furthermore, these cytokine-containing mononuclear cell-conditioned media (PSG-MNC-CM) suppressed the proliferation of both the HL-60 and the U937 leukemic cell lines. Further, a process of DNA labeling was able to induce cell death (apoptosis) only of cancer cells.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 166

 

Two other types of medicinal fungi, which have received considerable attention in the scientific community in the last few decades, are the reishi (pronounced REE-she) and shiitake (pronounced SHE-taw-key) mushrooms. They are venerated throughout the Orient for their marvelous healing properties, especially in the treatment and prevention of cancer. Laboratory and clinical studies done with both of them in man and beast alike have shown remarkable regression of malignant tumors, particularly through the injection method.
Encyclopedia Healing Herbs Spices by John Heinerman, page 243

 

Adding foods to the diet which contain significant amounts of the trace element germanium, which enhances the action of oxygen in the body. Germanium foods and supplements are commonly used as cancer remedies and for immune restoration in general. Among the more concentrated food and herb sources: "turkey tails" and related shelf or punk mushrooms that grow on the sides of decaying trees; other mushrooms including shiitake, ling zhi or reishi (Ganoderma luddum), and champignon; garlic; the herbs Suma (Pfaffia paniculata), ginseng, and unrefined aloe vera juice; chlorella micro-algae, and barley.
Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, page 40

 

Medicinal mushrooms with immunomodulating activities have been traditionally used as tonics in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). They are now used in cancer treatments to counteract the toxic effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Mushrooms used in cancer therapies are generally processed into liquid or powder in order to obtain the necessary potency. It takes about 15 pounds of reishi mushrooms to produce 1 pound of the powdered concentrate. Medicinal mushrooms make a significant contribution to the healing process by enhancing and stimulating the body's own immune system. This is a very important factor in diseases like cancer and HIV, which have components unique to each individual. In my protocols for people with cancer, I always include one or more medicinal mushroom extract products. Descriptions of some of the more frequently used mushrooms follow.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 155

 

It is believed, they are more accessible to the immune system cell called the macrophage. Remember, these are nonspecific "Pac Man"-like immune cells that literally gobble up invaders. When the macrophage becomes activated, it signals helper T cells to get to work. From research in China and Japan, the immune cells being activated by reishi to kill tumor cells are primarily the macrophages and helper T cells.
Healing Pets With Nature's Miracle Cures By Henry Pasternak DVM CVA, page 114

 

Reishi calms the central nervous system, exerting a blood-pressure-lowering effect beneficial to the heart. It is now employed in China for treatment of autoimmune diseases and to calm hypersensitivity. Like many other medicinal mushrooms, reishi mushroom can be used to treat cancer patients due to its ability to activate NK cells, macrophages, T-lymphocytes, and cytokines, all important immune system components. Kee Chang Huang reports that reishi "exerts a synergistic effect with other anticancer chemothera-peutic agents or radiotherapy, to augment the clinical therapeutic effect in the treatment of cancer patients."
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 191

 

reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) contains carbohydrates, fiber, amino acids, protein, steroids, triterpenes, lipids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, glucoside, coumarin glycoside, volatile oil, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and ascorbic acid. It also contains the minerals calcium, zinc, magnesium, copper, and germanium. Additionally, reishi contains ganoderic acid, which is a free-radical scavenger, giving reishi antioxidant powers. The polysaccharides in reishi mushrooms appear to activate a type of white blood cell known as a macrophage. These cells filter the blood, destroying cancer cells, viruses, bacteria, and other large particulate material. Macrophages also signal other white blood cells to seek out and destroy tumor cells.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 168

 

Reishi is also being studied for its effects against arthritis, bronchitis, asthma, acute hepatitis, diabetes, allergies, insomnia, and altitude sickness
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 335

 

reishi. Several species of ganoderma have traditionally been used by the Chinese to prevent or treat cancer of the esophagus and other organs. Studies show that certain steroidlike compounds in reishi can help kill liver cancer cells. reishi extracts have also been shown to boost the immunity of cancer patients.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 226

 

One study showed that reishi strongly inhibited the growth of sarcoma 180, with an inhibition rate of 95.6 to 98.6 percent at an interperitonial dosage of 20 mg/kg for ten days in mice.116 Another study demonstrated that reishi polysaccharides significantly inhibited the proliferation of JTC-26 tumor cells, a human cancer-cell strain. Ganodermic acids U through Z, which are six types of cytotoxic triterpenes found in reishi, showed significant cytotox-icity on hepatoma cells grown in vitro.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 156

 

Reishi mushroom has impressive antioxidant and anti-cancer benefits, as do shiitake and maitake mushrooms.
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 421

 

Medicinal Mushrooms: Especially maitake, reishi, shiitake and turkey tail mushrooms. Maitake D- fraction has been shown to enhance the effects of chemotherapy as well as having anticancer and immune strengthening properties. New research shows maitake D-fraction also has apoptosis (cancer cell death) inducing properties. Planetary formulas Maitake Mushroom and reishi Mushroom Supreme have shown themselves to be very efficacious.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 374

 

Like the shiitake, reishi extract -- known as G. lucidum -- has shown immune-enhancing ability and may curb the growth of tumors, according to proponents. They also believe that reishis can help to fight a host of ailments, including high blood pressure, allergies, asthma, fatigue, arthritis, high cholesterol, dizziness, liver problems and congestion.
The Complete Book Of Alternative Nutrition by Selene Y Craig, page 225

 

Immune tonics such as reishi mushroom and astragalus can be given in higher dosage during the early stages of disease or to prevent recurrence. In the more advanced stages, tonics are also used but to a lesser extent, with greater emphasis on the use of eliminative, heat clearing herbs. In the middle stages of cancer one combines tonification and elimination substances equally.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 117

 

Kelp, reishi, and St. John's wort may help protect against the adverse effects of x-ray radiation.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 730

 

Antitumor: Prevents or helps alleviate tumors. Examples: chaparral, red clover, astragalus, reishi,fu ling.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 137

 

Cancer and HIV/AIDS Foods: beans and legumes; blueberries; carrots; cherries; cruciferous vegetables; flaxseeds; garlic; kelp; all leafy greens; maitake, reishi, and shiitake mushrooms; millet; papaya; peaches; red grapes; vegetables; soy foods; wheatgrass.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 288

 

Herbal and nutritional therapies can make chemotherapy more sensitive to the particular cancer being treated. For example, bromelain and quercetin are especially compatible with most chemotherapies used in cases of breast, ovarian, and colon cancers, as well as leukemia and most melanomas, while reishi, coriolus, astragalus, and Siberian ginseng work well with all chemotherapies for all types of cancers.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 281

 

The immune potentiating effects of the astragalus polysaccharide was validated through research at the M.D. Anderson hospital in Houston, Texas during the 1980's. No patentable drug resulted from this research because of the difficulty of patenting plant polysaccharides. However, both in China and Japan a wide range of anticancer herbs rich in immune potentiating polysaccharides are used including a variety of medicinal mushrooms such as ganoderma (reishi), lentinus (shiitake), grifola (maitake) and coriolus ver-sicolor (turkey tails) and cordyceps (dong chong xia cao).
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 77

 

Sabley said that reishi contains two major groups of organic compounds: Ganodermic acids (compounds with a structure similar to steroid hormones) and polysaccharides (long chains of naturally occurring sugar molecules or carbohydrates). Many believe that polysaccharides, commonly found in mushrooms, seaweed and numerous plants, have immune-enhancing properties, possibly capable of treating some forms of cancer.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

 

Popularized by the Chinese and Japanese, ganoderma, also known as the reishi mushroom, is a general energy stimulant that also possesses cancer-fighting abilities. It is particularly effective when used along with astragalus and legustrum.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 108

 

< p> reishi: immune booster, cancer preventive, system balancer
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 19

 

The beta-glucans lentinan, grifolan, schizophyllan and SSG are available in Japan. Lentinan and schizophyllan are approved in Japan as drugs for the treatment of cancer. … Non-edible mushrooms that are rich in beta-glucans include the reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) and the coriolus mushroom (Coriolus versico-lor).
PDR For Nutritional Supplements by Sheldon Saul Hendle and David Rorvik, page 316

 

Various types of mushrooms can be good sources of vitamin D, Bi (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), minerals, and amino acids. They have the ability to enhance the body's immune system T cells that seek and destroy cancer cells. Shiitake, zhu ling, enoki, reishi, and maitake mushrooms have all been reported to have anti-cancer properties.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 253

 

reishi MUSHROOM (Canoderma lucidum) Ling zhi All types of cancers when there is qi weakness, blood deficiency, low and/or threatened immune system, dampness, nervousness and anxiety. It is also used to offset the adverse effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Dose: 9-30g
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 81

 

Ling zhi, the famous reishi mushroom, is not known for its sweet flavor so much as for its cleansing, anticancer effects. Although the mushroom itself is not sweet, the instant cube is.
Asian Health Secrets by Letha Hadady DAc, page 52

 

Reishi and cardiovascular disease

 

Reishi contains several constituents, including sterols, coumarin, mannitol, polysaccharides, and triter-penoids called ganoderic acids. Ganoderic acids may lower blood pressure as well as decrease low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels. These specific triterpenoids also help reduce blood platelets from sticking together -- an important factor in lowering the risk for coronary artery disease. While human research demonstrates some efficacy for the herb in treating altitude sickness and chronic hepatitis B, these uses still need to be confirmed.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 456

 

Because there is some evidence that reishi extract lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and reduces platelet stickiness, another cardiovascular risk factor, it is being studied for its potential in the treatment of heart disease.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 56

 

This mushroom is prized in Japan and China, where its rejuvenating qualities have been known for over 4,000 years. Scientific studies have confirmed its medicinal properties. Published studies in humans show that it lowers blood pressure and reduces "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, another type of blood fat. It also reduces the tendency of blood platelets to accumulate, thus making blood less likely to clot and provoke heart attacks and strokes. Since the raw mushroom is woody and inedible, the traditional method of preparing reishi is to make a tea by simmering it for a long time in water. Fortunately, it is also available in a powdered form. Typical dosage: 1,000 to 9,000 milligrams in capsules per day,- or 50 to 75 milligrams in concentrated capsules three times per day.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD, page 327

 

Chinese herbal medicine physicians regard the reishi mushroom as an "elixir of immortality." Research confirms that reishi is an effective cardiotonic. In a study of 54 people (average age, 58.6) whose blood pressure was over 140/90 and who were unresponsive to hypertension medication, those taking reishi mushroom extract in tablet form three times a day for four weeks experienced a significant drop in their blood pressure compared to the control group. The blood pressure of all the test subjects fell below 140/90.
Heart Disease by
Burton Goldberg, page 205

 

Today, both shiitake and reishi mushrooms are used to treat a variety of disorders and to promote vitality. They are used to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, to control and lower cholesterol, to build resistance to disease, and to treat fatigue and viral infections. They are also known to have anti-tumor properties valuable in treating cancer.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 80

 

Reduces excessive levels of cholesterol in the blood, thus improving circulation.
Miracle Medicine Herbs by Richard M Lucas, page 9

 

reishi has been shown in several studies to lower cholesterol levels, helping to prevent atherosclerotic changes in the blood vessel walls (reported in Huang, 1999).
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 191

 

Today, both shiitake and reishi mushrooms are used to treat a variety of disorders and to promote vitality. They are used to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, to control and lower cholesterol, to build resistance to disease, and to treat fatigue and viral infections. They are also known to have anti-tumor properties valuable in treating cancer.
The A-to-Z Guide to Supplements by James F Balch MD, page 157

 

Reishi is a variety of mushroom that also fights infection and has traditionally been used to treat heart disease and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Alternative Medicine by
Burton Goldberg, page 192

 

High Blood Pressure hawthorn berries ginkgo leaf, reishi dandelion, echinacea, chamomile, plantain
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 231

 

Clinical studies at the Tongji Medical University, Wuhan, China, involving 15 healthy volunteers and 33 patients with atherosclerotic disease suggest that the mushroom may offer help for other diseases as well and the team reported that reishi also inhibited platelet aggregation.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 197

 

Reishi (Ganoderma luciduni). Sixteenth-century Ming Dynasty texts say that this marvelous Chinese medicinal mushroom "mends the heart." And my good friend, pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D., says in his Better Health with (Mostly) Chinese Herbs and Food that reishi has considerable value in preventing and treating arrhythmia.
The Green Pharmacy by James A Duke PnD, page 121

 

This medicinal mushroom has long been used in China as a general heart tonic, as well as for a host of other conditions. If your arrhythmias are caused by stress, reishi is a good choice to add to your routine because it acts on the many body systems that can be affected by stress. Typical dosage: up to five 420-milligram capsules per day,- or up to three 1,000-milligram tablets up to three times per day.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD, page 155

 

Morel, reishi, shiitake, and maitake are mushrooms that were touted by the ancient Chinese as superior medicines that give eternal youth and longevity. They prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, lower cholesterol, prevent fatigue and viral infections, and much more. They are found in supplement form as well as fresh.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 138

 

Since heart disease is America's most serious health risk, any program designed to maintain and optimize health must start with protecting the cardiovascular system. This means reducing artery-clogging cholesterol, preventing the oxidation of blood fats, and maintaining a strong, steady heart beat. The best-researched herbal remedies for reducing blood fat levels (cholesterol) and for obtaining other cardiovascular benefits include garlic, hawthorn, ginger, horse chestnut, bilberry, reishi mushroom, and the Ayurvedic herb
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 12

 

Reishi is a heart tonic, like hawthorn and ginkgo. It improves blood flow to the heart, reduces coronary demand for oxygen and helps ease the chest pain of angina. I make reishi tea using three to six teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water.
The Green Pharmacy by James A Duke PnD, page 121

 

Reishi is a type of mushroom, contains several constituents that seem to help decrease triglyceride levels based on preliminary reports.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 88

 

Perhaps one of the reasons the Chinese regard mushrooms as spirit medicine is the claim found in the oldest recorded botanical monograph on another powerful Chinese medicinal mushroom, the ling zhi or reishi mushroom (Canoderma lucidum). The Chinese claimed that it made the body lighter, which may refer to its ability to reduce cholesterol and blood lipid levels. Shiitake mushrooms have immune-potentiating properties similar to those of reishi mushrooms.
The Way Of Chinese Herbs by Michael Tierra LAc OMD, page 431

 

Reishi as an antihistamine

 

Japanese researchers have also found that reishi acts as an antihistamine, making it useful for treating allergies. Lanostan, a compound found in reishi, appears to control the release of transmitting chemicals in the body, thereby inhibiting the release of histamine. Since reishi also promotes the adrenal function and immune reaction, it has added effectiveness in controlling the body's reaction to an allergen.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

 

reishi is a true adaptagen, enhancing health and normal functions of the body. For example, while it increases some components of the immune response to cancers, it also inhibits pathological immune functions in autoimmune diseases. It has also been reported to reduce the histamine release associated with allergic reactions, and even to help prevent life threatening ana-phylactic reactions.
Healing Pets With Nature's Miracle Cures By Henry Pasternak DVM CVA, page 112

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[The article below could help you save the life or health of someone you know - maybe even yourself. I know it’s an anecdotal story, and Snopes.com and truthorfiction.com do not confirm it, but deftly sidestep the real issue.  This article does, however, agree with the mountain of evidence accumulated over the years. I've read numerous well-documented and well-footnoted articles on this topic and this article rings true in every respect. Be sure to see my closing comments at the bottom of the page.  Whistler]

 

 

SWEET POISON  (A must read)

 

 

In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick. She had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around. Walking was a major chore. It took everything she had just to get out of bed; she was in so much pain. By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies and was on 24 various prescription medications. The doctors could not determine what was wrong with her. She was in so much pain, and so sick...she just knew she was dying. She put her house, bank accounts, life insurance, etc., in her oldest daughter’s name, and made sure that her younger children were to be taken care of. She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to FL (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd.

 

On March 19th I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and she said they didn't find anything on the test, but they believe she had MS. I recalled an article a friend of mine E-mailed to me and I asked my sister if she drank diet pop? She told me that she did. As a matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment... I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet pop!!! I E-mailed her the article my friend, a lawyer, had sent.

 

My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and told me she had stopped drinking the diet pop AND she could walk!! The muscle spasms went away. She said she didn't feel 100% but she sure felt a lot better. She told me she was going to her doctor with this article and would call me when she got home. Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed! He is going to call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial sweeteners of any kind... In a nutshell she was being poisoned by the Aspartame in the diet soda... and literally dying a slow and miserable death.

 

When she got to FL March 22nd, all she had to take was one pill, and that was a pill for the aspartame poisoning! She is well on her way to a complete recovery... and she is walking!!! No wheelchair!!! This article saved her life. If it says "SUGAR FREE" on the label, DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!! I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on "ASPARTAME," marketed as 'NutraSweet,' 'Equal', and 'Spoonful.' In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United States 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing this to be rampant.

 

I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject. I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. Many people were being diagnosed in error. Although multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence... methanol toxicity is! Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers.

 

The victim usually does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a life-threatening condition. We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once taken off diet sodas. In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, (when in reality, the disease is methanol toxicity), most of the symptoms disappear. We've seen many cases where vision loss returned and hearing loss improved markedly.

 

This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia. During a lecture, I said, "If you are using ASPARTAME (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc.) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss...you probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!" People were jumping up during the lecture saying, "I have some of these symptoms. Is it reversible?" Yes! Yes! Yes! STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for aspartame food labels! Many products are fortified with it!!!

 

This is a serious problem. Dr. Esparto (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem to be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice; a nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!

 

Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you crave carbohydrates. It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight! These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin and is used primarily to preserve "tissue specimens." Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT store it IN our body!!!

 

Dr. H.J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the "diet products" and with no significant increase in exercise, his patients lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period. Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics. We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by aspartame. The aspartame drives the blood sugar out of control.

 

Thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without the other amino acids necessary for a good balance. Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE. Especially with diabetics, the Aspartame passes the blood/brain barrier and it then deteriorates the neurons of the brain; causing various levels of brain damage, seizures, depression, manic depression, panic attacks, uncontrollable anger and rage.

 

Consumption of aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics as well. Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of children diagnosed with ADD and AHD have had complete turnarounds in their behavior when these chemicals have been removed from their diet. So called "behavior modification prescription drugs" (Ritalin and others) are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in the first place! Most of these children were being "poisoned" on a daily basis with the very foods that were "better for them than sugar."

 

It is also suspected that the aspartame in thousands of pallets of diet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-know Gulf War Syndrome. Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early pregnancy. Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should NEVER be given artificial sweeteners. There are many different case histories to relate of children suffering grand mal seizures and other neurological disturbances due to the use of NutraSweet.

 

Unfortunately, it is not always easy to convince people that aspartame is to blame for their child's illness. Stevia, which is a sweet herb, NOT A MANUFACTURED ADDITIVE, helps in the metabolism of sugar, which would be ideal for diabetics. It has now been approved as a dietary supplement by the FDA. It is known that for many years the FDA outlawed this "true sweet food," due to their loyalty to MONSANTO Chemical Company.

 

Books on this subject are available: EXCITOTOXINS: THE TASTE THAT KILLS written by Dr. Russell Blaylock (Health Press 1-800-643-2665) AND: DEFENSE AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE -written by DR H. J. Roberts, also a diabetic specialist.

 

These two doctors will soon be posting a position paper with case histories on the deadly effects of Aspartame on the Internet.

 

According to the Conference of the American College of Physicians, "We are talking about a plague of neurological diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly poison." Herein lies the problem: There were Congressional Hearings when aspartame was included in 100 different products and strong objection was made concerning its use. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings and still, nothing has been done.

 

The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets. Sadly, MONSANTO'S patent on aspartame has EXPIRED! There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced. Everybody wants a "piece of the aspartame pie."

 

I assure you that MONSANTO, the creator of aspartame, knows how deadly it is. And isn't it ironic that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and the Conference of the American College of Physicians? This has been recently exposed in the New York Times.

 

These Associations cannot criticize any additives or convey their link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food industry and are required to endorse their products. Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would require label warnings on products containing aspartame, especially regarding pregnant women, children and infants.

 

The bill would also institute independent studies on the known dangers and the problems existing in the general population regarding seizures, changes in brain chemistry, neurological changes and behavioral symptoms. The bill was killed. It is known that the powerful drug and chemical lobbies are responsible for this, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on an unsuspecting and uninformed public.

 

Well, now you're informed!

 

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CLOSING COMMENTS:

 

I know that www.truthorfiction.com says that these assertions are 'disputed', as the author of this letter is unknown.  But aspartame IS the FDA's NUMBER ONE complained about food product, with many experiencing severe side effects, including those listed in the article above! In 1995, FDA Epidemiology Branch Chief Thomas Wilcox reported that aspartame complaints represented 75% of all reports of adverse reactions to substances in the food supply from 1981 to 1995 [Food Chemical News, June 12, 1995, Page 27].

 

Concerns about aspartame frequently revolve around symptoms and health conditions that are allegedly caused by the sweetener. A total of 92 different symptoms and health conditions were reported by physicians and consumers [Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), 1993, April 1, Adverse Reactions Associated With Aspartame Consumption (HFS-728). Chief, Epidemiology Branch]. I've read various doctor's accounts in a number of books that verify the article above. Perhaps this product is still on the market because so many are getting so rich from its sale.

 

Snopes says the allegation that aspartame is responsible for 'an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and lupus' is false. In the Snopes article, they are only addressing MS and lupus, and the key words they've used that makes it false are 'proved responsible.' No, the FDA has not 'proved' that aspartame has caused these two problems....yet. Nor do they currently seem too interested in doing so.

 

But there is ample evidence that aspartame does cause these and many more problems, hence the mountain of complaints about this sweetener.  The FDA is famous for finally admitting that products they earlier approved are not safe years down the road, after the body count finally gets large enough to catch their attention. Aspartame is certainly shaping up to be another such product!

 

Aspartame has been linked with seizures to such an extent that the US Air Force issued an alert in 1992, warning air force pilots about drinking diet drinks containing aspartame before flying [US Air Force 1992. 'Aspartame Alert.' Flying Safety 48(5):20-21 (May 1992)]. Having a seizure during flight could well end the career of a pilot, if not his life. I think most of us know that a seizure could just as easily end our lives, given the right circumstances.

 

Here's the official "last word" on aspartame from the Centers for Disease Control:

 

"In summary, currently available information, based on data with limitations as described in the report, indicates a wide variety of complaints that are generally of a mild nature. Although it may be that certain individuals have an unusual sensitivity to the product, these data do not provide evidence for the existence of serious, widespread, adverse health consequences attendant to the use of aspartame. Reported by Div of Nutrition, Center for Health Promotion and Education, CDC."

 

Apparently the complaints "that are generally of a mild nature,"  according to the CDC, include: disorientation, hyperactivity, extreme numbness, excitability, memory loss, seizures, suicidal tendencies, and severe mood swings. Thank goodness there were no complaints of a serious nature!

 

Notwithstanding the above assurances, apparently the state of New Mexico is not too swayed by the CDC's whitewashing of aspartame, as according to a press release distributed by Newswire Today on January 17, 2006, a bill to ban the neurotoxin artificial sweetener aspartame was introduced in the New Mexico legislature by state senator Jerry Ortiz y Pinto.  This action was based on the Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology's study that proved aspartame causes 6 kinds of cancer. Doesn't sound like aspartame is all that safe, now does it, even if the FDA and CDC aren't too concerned.

  

WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE IS THIS: If you know someone who is having unexplained health problems and is using aspartame in some manner or form, PLEASE suggest that they discontinue using it to see if the problem lessens or goes away completely! Also, each of us should personally consider using products that contain much safer low-cal sweeteners, such as agave nectar, stevia or xylitol. Or just eat sugar-sweetened products, but eat less of them, (and brush your teeth afterward. :0)

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Post Script:

 

I sent this e-mail out to several hundred people about a month ago, and I recently heard back from an old high school classmate whose husband has had a lot of health problems, accompanied by a lot of constant pain.

 

She e-mailed me back several weeks ago, thanking me profusely for the warning about aspartame.  Her husband, a diabetic, had been drinking 3 cans of diet root beer (containing aspartame) every day and had also been putting Equal (which contains aspartame, dextrose and maltodextrin) on his corn flakes each morning.  He stopped taking anything with aspartame in it immediately after my warning.  Within a week his pain level dropped considerably! They are very thankful, and passing the word on to others.

 

I also learned that a lady at work, whom I had sent this e-mail to, also had some dramatic improvements.  After eliminating aspartame and sucralose from her diet, within a week her energy level improved so much that she was able to work on cleaning her house and working on her yard for the first time in 2 years.  Her occasional leg cramps disappeared, and a slight trembling of her hands cleared up several weeks later.

 

I mention these events, not to toot my own horn, but to let everyone know that the aspartame danger is very real, and not just some sort of over-blown scare, as some would view it.  And Splenda (sucralose) is not much better, (it was discovered by British scientists working with chlorine derivates, looking for a new pesticide!).  One of sucralose’s primary side effects is hot flashes.  In fact, I work with a fellow in his 50’s who was experiencing occasional hot flashes, which went away when he stopped using sucralose in his tea. 

 

But that's another story, available to anyone via www.google.com.

 

 

Miracle Mineral Supplement / by Jim Humble

 

Get a free download of the first half of his book by doing a google search for “MMS Humble” and then looking for the free download address.

 

Jim has found a common mineral (sodium chlorite – a mineral which contains natural chlorine) which can kill malaria in 4 hours.  He’s used it in jungle areas to cure thousands of cases of malaria, usually in 4 hrs, up to 48 hrs for hard cases.

 

This is an amazing mineral that can be bought and made at home into the MMS formula, or bought over the internet as MMS.  It has to be mixed with lemon juice or citric acid to release the chlorine, and can be ingested after waiting 3 minutes.  Totally safe.  Do yourself a favor and check this out.  W

 

With all the super germs now out there, this could be a life-saver.

 

 

The Original Four-herb Formula for Essiac Tea

by Lanny Messinger

 


Rene Caisse and her Herbal Cancer Treatment, Essiac

 

By Lanny Messinger --  http://www.HealthFreedom.info

 

 

On a fateful day in 1922 Canadian nurse Rene Caisse happened to notice some scar tissue on the breast of an elderly woman.  The woman said that doctors had diagnosed her with breast cancer years before.  However, the woman didn't want to risk surgery nor did she have the money for it. 

 

As luck would have it, she had met an old Indian medicine man who told her that he could cure her cancer with an herbal tea.  The woman took the medicine man's advice, and consequently she was still alive nearly thirty years later to pass on this herbal remedy to Nurse Caisse. 

 

About a year later, Rene Caisse was walking beside a retired doctor who pointed to a common weed and stated:  "Nurse Caisse, if people would use this weed there would be little cancer in the world."  Rene later stated:  "He told me the name of the plant.  It was one of the herbs my patient named as an ingredient of the Indian medicine man's tea!"  The "weed" was sheep sorrel. 

 

In 1924 she decided to test the tea on her aunt who had cancer of the stomach and was given about six months to live.  Her aunt lived for another 21 years, cancer free.

 

Rene Caisse (pronounced "Reen Case") later gave the tea to her 72-year old mother who was diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the liver, with only days to live.  Her mother recovered and lived without cancer for another 18 years.

 

In the ensuing years Nurse Caisse refined and perfected the original "medicine man's" formula.  She tested various herbal combinations on laboratory mice and on human cancer patients.  She eventually reduced the tea to four herbs:  burdock root, sheep sorrel, slippery elm and turkey rhubarb.  She called the formula Essiac, which is her surname spelled backwards. 

 

Rene Caisse devoted over fifty years of her life to treating thousands of cancer patients with Essiac.  So effective were her free treatments that in 1938 her supporters gathered 55,000 signatures for a petition to present to the Ontario legislature to "authorise Rene Caisse to practice medicine in the Province of Ontario in the treatment of cancer and conditions therein".  Unfortunately, due to the machinations of the Canadian Medical Association, the bill failed to pass by just three votes. 

 

WHAT DID DOCTORS SAY ABOUT RENE CAISSE'S TEA?

 

Rene Caisse operated her cancer clinic under the supervision and observation of a number of doctors.  Based on what those doctors saw with their own eyes, eight of them signed a petition to the Department of National Health and Welfare at Ottawa, asking that Nurse Caisse be given facilities to do independent research on her discovery.  Their petition, dated at Toronto on October 27, 1926, read as follows:

 

To Whom It May Concern:

 

"We the undersigned believe that the 'Treatment for Cancer' given by Nurse R.M. Caisse can do no harm and that it relieves pain, will reduce the enlargement and will prolong life in hopeless cases.  To the best of our knowledge, she has not been given a case to treat until everything in medical and surgical science has been tried without effect and even then she was able to show remarkable beneficial results on those cases at that late stage.

 

"We would be interested to see her given an opportunity to prove her work in a large way.  To the best of our knowledge she has treated all cases free of any charge and has been carrying on this work over the period of the past two years."

 

Initially, Rene was not aware of the control that the medical/pharmaceutical establishment had over governments.  After the petition was delivered to the National Health and Welfare Department, she was continually threatened with arrest until she finally withdrew from public view.  Unlike Nurse Caisse, the medical establishment was more interested in making money than in helping people.  Essiac was cheap.  It could cut into the lucrative profits from radiation, chemotherapy and surgery--treatments that often did more harm than good.  Essiac is non-toxic.  Rene said, "Chemotherapy should be a criminal offense." 

                                                 

The story of Rene Caisse's struggle to make Essiac an official cancer treatment was told by Dr. Gary Glum in his book CALLING OF AN ANGEL:  ESSIAC, NATURE'S CURE FOR CANCER.  In a telephone conversation Dr. Glum stated that people who take Essiac on a regular, preventive basis do not get cancer.  Dr. Glum interviewed JFK's personal physician, Dr. Charles Brusch, who stated:  "I know Essiac has curing potential.  It can lessen the condition of the individual, control it, and it can cure it."      

 

Dr. Ralph Moss was appointed to the Cancer Advisory Panel that evaluates alternative cancer therapies for the government.  On his web site and in his book CANCER THERAPY, Dr. Moss points out that each of the herbs in Essiac has been scientifically shown to contain anticancer substances.  In his "Cancer Chronicles" [www.ralphmoss.com/essiac], Dr. Moss notes Essiac's rising popularity by comparing Essiac's low cost to a $150,000 bone marrow transplant. 

 

ESSIAC--MORE THAN JUST A CANCER TREATMENT

 

Dr.Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of insulin became interested in Essiac and even offered Nurse Caisse research facilities to test it.  According to Rene, Dr. Banting stated that "Essiac must actuate the pancreatic gland into normal functioning".  Even today diabetics are using Essiac to improve their condition and many have gone off insulin entirely. 

 

Essiac has become widely known for its remarkable ability to boost the immune system and detoxify the body.  Many people who drink Essiac tea regularly report feeling healthier with less incidence of colds and flu.  Burdock, for example, has a well-established reputation for detoxification and support of the liver and organs of elimination. 

 

BURDOCK ROOT

(Arctium lappa)

 

For centuries burdock root has been regarded as an effective blood purifier that neutralizes and eliminates poisons from the body.  Burdock contains a volatile oil--especially in the seeds--that is eliminated through the sweat glands, taking toxins with it and alleviating skin problems.  Burdock contains niacin, which is known to eliminate poisons from the body, including radiation.  Burdock also supports the bladder, kidney and liver and has been said to dissolve kidney stones.  It also contains an abundance of minerals, particularly iron.  Studies have shown anti-tumor activity in burdock.  Japanese scientists have isolated an anti-mutation property in burdock, which they call the "B factor".  The Japanese grow burdock root for food as well as medicine.  A memorandum from the World Health Organization revealed that burdock was active against HIV. 

 

SHEEP SORREL

(Rumex acetosella)

 

Rene Caisse isolated sheep sorrel as the main Essiac herb that caused regression of metastasized cancer and reduction of tumors.  She used the whole herb including the roots.   Dr. Ralph Moss points out that sheep sorrel contains aloe emodin, a natural substance that shows significant anti-leukemic activity.  Sheep sorrel contains antioxidants, is diuretic and has been used to check hemorrhages.  It has also been used for food.

 

SLIPPERY ELM

(Ulmus rubra/fulva)

 

The inner bark of the slippery elm tree is well-known for its soothing and healing properties.  It reduces inflammations such as sore throat, diarrhea and urinary problems.  It has been regarded as both a food and medicine.  Dr. Moss noted that "slippery elm contains beta-sitosterol and a polysaccharide, both of which have shown [anti-cancer] activity.

 

TURKEY RHUBARB ROOT

(Rheum palmatum)

 

Turkey Rhubarb has been shown to have anti-tumor activity.  It is diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and has been used extensively to relieve constipation.  It is medicinally more potent than garden rhubarb root and is more palatable. 

 

CAVEAT EMPTOR

 

Due to the ever-increasing popularity of Essiac, numerous entrepreneurs have jumped on the Essiac bandwagon with their own four, six, or eight-herb products.  Unfortunately, Rene never published the formula and it appears that she experimented with different herbal combinations.  Therefore, it is understandable that there would be controversies over who has the correct formula or the best product.  Curiously, Essiac didn't become a trademark name until several years after Dr. Glum published the Essiac recipe.  Yellow dock or garden sorrel is sometimes substituted for sheep sorrel.  Imported turkey rhubarb may be irradiated, fumigated or both.  So how do you know if you are buying the real, unaltered Essiac? 

 

I often receive emails from people who report being confused about Essiac tea after visiting various web sites with conflicting information.  This wealth of misinformation that has obfuscated the Essiac formula has compelled me to help clarify the issues with documented evidence.  Unfortunately, Rene is not alive today to remind people that it's all about "helping suffering humanity", not money.  As Rene stated in "I Was Canada's Cancer Nurse", "respect and love of our fellow man are more important than riches."  Sheila Snow, author of ESSIAC ESSENTIALS, knew Rene Caisse personally and fortunately has obtained a great deal of documentation to dispel much of the confusion about Essiac tea.

 

Essiac is truly a multi-cultural phenomenon.  So here are the plain, non-commercial facts:

 

1) Essiac marketers often claim that Essiac is an Ojibway Indian formula.  Unfortunately, there is no evidence to substantiate this common belief.  In "I Was Canada's Cancer Nurse" Rene Caisse referred only to "a very old Indian medicine man" without naming any specific tribe.  Sheila Snow has researched this issue and found that the "old Indian medicine man" could have been a member of the "Algonquin, Cree, Cherokee, Huron, Iroquois or Ojibwe" tribes living in northern Ontario in the late 1800s.

 

2) Turkey rhubarb (rheum palmatum) is native to China and Tibet, not northern Ontario, so it appears unlikely that it was a part of the original medicine man's formula of indigenous herbs in the late 1800s.  Even today turkey rhubarb has still not established itself as a wild herb of North America.  "The [turkey] rhubarb rhizome official in the British Pharmacopoeia, 1914, must be collected in China and Thibet.  English-grown rhubarb is inferior to the official rhubarb in medicinal qualities."*  Even the 1931 edition of A MODERN HERBAL reports that "We still depend upon Northern China and Thibet for Rhubarb."* It appears then that turkey rhubarb was an Asian-sourced modification made by Rene Caisse in her efforts to refine the formula. 

 

Since the modern North American diet of over-processed foods can cause chronic constipation which can promote cancer, Rene Caisse's decision to include turkey rhubarb in the formula appears to have been a wise one.  One of the first benefits that I noticed when I first began drinking Essiac tea was that my bowel movements normalized.  After drinking Essiac tea for four years, I embarked on a thorough colon cleanse and discovered that my colon was already clean from daily use of Essiac tea.  Several well-known American herbalists believe that 80 to 95 percent of all illnesses are due to unclean colons.  Turkey rhubarb is now being grown commercially in North America, and that may very well be due to the ever-increasing popularity of Essiac tea. 

 

3) Burdock and sheep sorrel are not native to North America.  It appears that both burdock and sheep sorrel were brought to this continent from Europe by early settlers who then passed on their knowledge of these two herbs to the local tribes.  Since both burdock and sheep sorrel are somewhat invasive herbs, they eventually spread throughout North America.  Unfortunately, they are often referred to as "weeds". 

 

4) Slippery elm is the only Essiac herb native to North America

 

In spite of the numerous, conflicting claims as to what the original Indian medicine man's formula was, no one has yet offered any verifiable evidence to settle that issue.  Some claim it was a four-herb formula while others claim it was an eight-herb or six-herb formula.  Many of these claims state that turkey rhubarb was one of the original herbs.  Rene Caisse did experiment with a number of herbs and changed the formula through time.  She finally settled on her four-herb formula.  Since this four-herb formula was demonstrated by Rene Caisse and untold cancer patients to be an effective, health-giving remedy that has stood the test of time, the debate over what the original formula was may very well be a moot point.  

 

The only person Rene Caisse trusted to help her make Essiac tea was her best friend, Mary McPherson.  Mary had worked alongside Rene since the 1930s and knew the formula by heart.  However, Mary had made a deathbed promise to Rene never to reveal the formula to anyone.  Mary would have taken the Essiac formula to her grave, too, had it not been for Dr. Gary Glum.  He purchased the formula for $120,000 from one of Rene's former patients.  Dr. Glum could have kept the formula secret and become very wealthy selling bottles of Essiac.  However, he unselfishly released the formula into the public domain in 1988.  At first he offered the formula on a video tape that he advertised in his book, CALLING OF AN ANGEL, but the feds unlawfully seized the tapes before he could sell very many of them.  He then gave out the formula and recipe free of charge to anyone who mailed him a request for the Essiac formula.  

 

When Dr. Glum met Mary McPherson in Bracebridge, Ontario and told her what the Essiac formula was, she was more than a little surprised.  According to Dr. Glum, Mary eventually revealed the formula in 1994 because it was no longer a secret, and she wanted to end the controversy over the Essiac formula before she died.

 

In "I Was Canada's Canada Nurse" Rene Caisse stated one reason why she wanted to keep the formula secret:  "I wanted to establish my remedy, which I called ESSIAC or my name spelled backward, in actual practice and not in a laboratory only.  I knew it had no bad side affects, so it could do no harm.  I wanted to use it on patients in my own way.  And when the time came, I wanted to share in the administration of my own discovery."

 

Another reason why Rene kept the Essiac formula secret was that she didn't trust people to make it properly and she thought that it would be altered.  She was right.  For example, in the 1980s, Canadian talk show host Elaine Alexander marketed her own altered version of the formula containing eight herbs, which she called "FLOR ESSENCE" [TM].  She subsequently died of cancer.  Even today a common misconception still exists that Elaine Alexander's formula is Rene Caisse's authentic Essiac formula. 

 

Every herbal formula has its own synergy and therefore creates a specific effect.  Rene Caisse spent her life refining the formula with her hands-on research.  No one else has done such extensive research on Essiac tea.  Essiac works--Why change it by adding more herbs that may diminish its healing properties? 

 

THE FORMULA

 

The following formula and recipe for Essiac (in italics) is a word-for-word transcription of the Essiac formula from the affidavit which Mary McPherson filed with the Town of Bracebridge.  The formula below is also the one which Dr. Gary Glum released to the public in 1988 when he published CALLING OF AN ANGEL:  ESSIAC, NATURE'S CURE FOR CANCER.  Mary McPherson’s affidavit can be viewed at http://www.HealthFreedom.info.

 

Essiac

 

6 ½ cups of burdock root (cut)   (upper left)

1 pound of sheep sorrel herb   powdered  (upper right)

1/4 pound of slippery elm bark   powdered  (lower left)

1 ounce of Turkish rhubarb root    powdered  (lower right)

 

Mix these ingredients thoroughly and store in glass jar in dark dry cupboard.

Take a measuring cup, use 1 ounce of herb mixture to 32 ounces of water depending on the amount you want to make.

 

I use 1 cup of mixture to 8 x 32 = 256 ounces of water.  Boil hard for 10 minutes (covered) then turn off heat but leave sitting on warm plate over night (covered).

 

In the morning heat steaming hot and let settle a few minutes, then strain through fine strainer into hot sterilized bottles and sit to cool.  Store in dark cool cupboard.  Must be refrigerated when opened.  When near the last when its thick pour in a large jar and sit in frig overnight then pour off all you [can] without sediment.

 

This recipe must be followed exactly as written.

I use a granite preserving kettle (10 – 12 qts), 8 ounce measuring cup, small funnel and fine strainer to fill bottles.

 

ADDITIONAL TIPS & INFORMATION

 

The preparation of Essiac is as important as the formula itself.  Essiac is a decoction, not an infusion.  An infusion is what people make when they put a tea bag in a cup of hot water.  Generally speaking, an infusion tends to extract vitamins and volatile oils.  A decoction is used to extract minerals, bitter components, etc. from hard materials such as roots, bark or seeds by boiling for a few minutes and then allowing the herbs to steep for several hours. 

 

Entrepreneurs often sell Essiac imitations in tincture form (herbs in alcohol) or in gelatin capsules; neither form is Essiac because Essiac is a tea and, more specifically, a decoction that must be made in a certain way in order to be effective. 

 

People often substitute stainless steel for an enameled pot and lid.  The main concern is not to use an aluminum pot.  Also, be sure not to use chlorinated water.  The formula above can be reduced to 1/2 cup of herb mix to one gallon of water.   [Optional:  Dr. Glum suggests adding 2 or 3 cups of extra water to replace water lost through evaporation during boiling.  Also, the dry herbs will absorb water as well.]   After boiling for ten minutes, let the tea steep about 12 hours.  Then heat up tea to steaming, but not boiling.  (Do not boil twice.)  The remaining pulp can be used for healing poultices. 

 

Don't use cheese cloth to strain Essiac.  Likewise, do not use a kitchen sieve that has a very fine mesh as this may filter out the slippery elm.  Slippery elm gives the tea a slight viscous [syrup-like] consistency when poured.  If you do not notice this consistency after refrigerating your tea, you may be using a sieve that is too fine.  Don't worry about herb particles in your Essiac; they will settle to the bottom of the jars.  Some people drink the Essiac dregs, others don't.  Some people give the Essiac dregs to their pets or farm animals.  Many people have reported the same or similar health benefits with their pets that humans are reporting. 

 

I have found from experience that it is best to refrigerate the Essiac tea as soon as it has cooled.  Discard the tea if mold appears on the surface or if the tea does not taste right.   

 

For preventive purposes, people often take about 2 oz. (1/4 cup) per day once or twice a day diluted with about 1/2 cup hot water.  Herbalists recommend increasing daily water intake due to diuretic and detoxifying action; it takes lots of water to detoxify.  People who are using Essiac to treat an illness or to eliminate toxins, sometimes take Essiac three or four times a day, depending on the situation.  

 

 [Note:  Rene Caisse recommended one ounce of Essiac, once or twice each day, but it is not certain how concentrated she was making the tea when she made that recommendation.  She was using Essiac primarily to treat cancer.  Today many people use Essiac to detoxify their bodies as well.  We are exposed to a great deal more toxins in our environment and food today than when Rene operated her clinic in the 30s & 40s, so perhaps the increase in today's dosages may be well justified.] 

 

Essiac has a well-earned reputation for being non-toxic and people often take 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of Essiac taken three times each day.  Do not eat or drink anything (except water) one hour before to one hour after taking Essiac.  Rene Caisse recommended that Essiac tea be taken at bedtime, but it can be taken any time of day.  Some people don't like to take any liquids before bedtime because it makes them have to urinate during the night, thus interrupting a good night's sleep.

 

Make sure that the sheep sorrel you use is the small, wild variety of sheep sorrel and not a substitute like yellow dock or garden (French) sorrel.  According to letters written by Rene Caisse to Dr. Chester Stock of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center it is necessary to include sheep sorrel roots in the formula.  Burdock root is harvested in the fall of the first year.  Slippery elm bark is wildcrafted and organically grown in North America and is easy to buy. Turkey Rhubarb is the only herb in Essiac that cannot be wildcrafted in North America.  The Chinese use six year old turkey rhubarb roots for maximum potency.  However, imported turkey rhubarb root could be fumigated or irradiated.  Organically grown turkey rhubarb is readily available in the US.  For more information and documentation about Essiac tea visit http://www.healthfreedom.info

 

*Quotes are from A MODERN HERBAL, first published by Jonathan Cape, 1931

SOURCES FOR ESSIAC

Lanny Messinger
Lanny@HealthFreedom.info
301 Chicken Rd
Endicott, Washington
(herbs, seeds, live plants)

 

Calling of an Angl: Rene Caisse and Essiac Tea--14 by Dr. Gary L. Glum

 

 

Cancer is not a Disease - It's a Survival Mechanism (Book Excerpts)

by Andreas Moritz, citizen journalist
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(www.NaturalNews.com) What you are about to read may rock or even dismantle the very foundation of your beliefs about your body, health and healing. The title, “Cancer Is Not a Disease” may be unsettling for many, provocative to some, but encouraging for all. This book will serve as a revelation for those who are sufficiently open-minded to consider the possibility that cancer and other debilitating illnesses are not actual diseases, but desperate and final attempts by the body to stay alive for as long as circumstances permit.

It will perhaps astound you to learn that a person who is afflicted with the main causes of cancer (which constitute the real illness) would most likely die quickly unless he actually grew cancer cells. In this work, I provide evidence to this effect.

I further claim that cancer will only occur after all other defense or healing mechanisms in the body have failed. In extreme circumstances, exposure to large amounts of cancer-producing agents (carcinogens) can bring about a collapse of the body’s defenses within several weeks or months and allow for rapid and aggressive growth of a cancerous tumor. Usually, though, it takes many years, or even decades, for these so-called “malignant” tumors to form.

Unfortunately, basic misconceptions or complete lack of knowledge about the reasons behind tumor growth have turned “malignant” tumors into vicious monsters that have no other purpose but to kill us in retaliation for our sins or abusing the body. However, as you are about to find out, cancer is on our side, not against us. Unless we change our perception of what cancer really is, it will continue to resist treatment, particularly the most “advanced” methods. If you have cancer, and cancer is indeed part of the body’s complex survival responses and not a disease, as I suggest it is, you must find answers to the following pressing questions:

* What reasons coerce your body into developing cancer cells?

* Once you have identified these reasons, will you be able to change them? What determines the type and severity of cancer with which you are afflicted?

* If cancer is a survival mechanism, what needs to be done to prevent the body from taking recourse to such drastic defense measures?

* Since the body’s original genetic design always favors the preservation of life and protection against adversities of any kind, why would the body permit self-destruction?

* Why do almost all cancers disappear by themselves, without medical intervention?

* Do radiation, chemotherapy and surgery actually cure cancer, or do cancer survivors heal due to other reasons, despite these radical, side-effect-loaded treatments?

Cancer has always been an extremely rare illness, except in industrialized nations during the past 40-50 years. Human genes have not significantly changed for thousands of years. Why would they change so drastically now, and suddenly decide to kill scores of people? The answer to this question is amazingly simple: Damaged or faulty genes do not kill anyone. Cancer does not kill a person afflicted with it! What kills a cancer patient is not the tumor, but the numerous reasons behind cell mutation and tumor growth. These root causes should be the focus of every cancer treatment, yet most oncologists typically ignore them. Constant conflicts, guilt and shame, for example, can easily paralyze the body’s most basic functions, and lead to the growth of a cancerous tumor.

After having seen thousands of cancer patients over a period of three decades, I began to recognize a certain pattern of thinking, believing and feeling that was common to most of them. To be more specific, I have yet to meet a cancer patient who does not feel burdened by some poor self-image, unresolved conflict and worries, or past emotional trauma that still lingers in his/her subconscious. Cancer, the physical disease, cannot occur unless there is a strong undercurrent of emotional uneasiness and deep-seated frustration.

Cancer patients typically suffer from lack of self-respect or worthiness, and often have what I call an “unfinished business” in their life. Cancer can actually be a way of revealing the source of such inner conflict. Furthermore, cancer can help them come to terms with such a conflict, and even heal it altogether. The way to take out weeds is to pull them out along with their roots. This is how we must treat cancer; otherwise, it may recur eventually.

The following statement is very important in the consideration of cancer: “Cancer does not cause a person to be sick; it is the sickness of the person that causes the cancer.” To treat cancer successfully requires the patient to become whole again on all levels of his body, mind and spirit. Once the cancer causes have been properly identified, it will become apparent what needs to be done to achieve complete recovery.

It is a medical fact that every person has cancer cells in the body all the time. These cancer cells remain undetectable through standard tests until they have multiplied to several billion. When doctors announce to their cancer patients that the treatments they prescribed had successfully eliminated all cancer cells, they merely refer to tests that are able to identify the detectable number of cancerous cells. Standard cancer treatments may lower the number of cancer cells to an undetectable level, but this certainly cannot eradicate all cancer cells. As long as the causes of tumor growth remain intact, cancer may redevelop at any time and at any rate.

Curing cancer has little to do with getting rid of a group of detectable cancer cells. Treatments like chemotherapy and radiation are certainly capable of poisoning or burning many cancer cells, but they also destroy healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, etc., which often leads to permanent irreparable damage of entire organs and systems in the body. A real cure of cancer does not occur at the expense of destroying other vital parts of the body.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people who were once “successfully” treated for cancer die from infections, heart attacks, liver failure, kidney failure and other illnesses because the cancer treatments generate a massive amount of inflammation and destruction in the organs and systems of the body. Of course, these causes of death are not being attributed to cancer. This statistical omission makes it appear we are making progress in the war against cancer. However, many more people are dying from the treatment of cancer than from cancer. A real cure or cancer is achievable only when the causes of excessive growth of cancer cells have been removed or stopped.

Power in the Word

Cancer is the second leading “cause” of death for Americans. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1.2 million cases will be diagnosed with cancer in the
U.S. in 2008. More than 552,000 Americans will die of it. Among men, the top three cancer diagnoses are expected to be prostate cancer (180,400 cases), lung cancer (89,500 cases), and colorectal cancer (63,600). The leading types of cancer among women are breast cancer (182,800 cases), lung cancer (74,600), and colorectal cancer (66,600 cases).

Cancer is not just a word, but also a statement that refers to abnormal or unusual behavior of cells in the body. However, in quite a different context, cancer is referred to as a star sign. When someone tells you that you are a “cancer”, are you going to tremble with fear of dying? It is unlikely, because your interpretation of being of the cancer sign does not imply that you have cancer, the illness. But if your doctor called you into his office and told you that you had cancer, you would most likely feel paralyzed, numb, terrified, hopeless, or all of the above.

The word “cancer” has the potential to play a very disturbing and precarious role, one that is capable of delivering a death sentence. Being a cancer patient seems to start with the diagnosis of cancer, although its causes may have been there for many years prior to feeling ill. Within a brief moment, the word “cancer” can turn someone’s entire world upside down.

Who or what in this world has bestowed this simple word or statement with such great power that it can preside over life and death? Or does it really? Could it actually be that our collective, social belief that cancer is a killer disease, in addition to the aggressive treatments that follow diagnosis, are largely responsible for the current dramatic escalation of cancer in the Western hemisphere? Too far fetched, you might say! In this book, however, I will make the point that cancer can have no power or control over us, unless we unconsciously allow it to grow in response to the beliefs, perceptions, attitudes, thoughts, feelings we have, and the life choices we make.

Would we be just as afraid of cancer if we knew what caused it or at least understood what its underlying purpose is? Unlikely so! If truth were told, we would most probably do everything to remove the causes and, thereby, set the preconditions for the body to heal itself.

A little knowledge (which is what we call ignorance) is, in fact, a dangerous thing. Almost everyone, at least in the industrialized world, knows that drinking water from a filthy pond or polluted lake can cause life-threatening diarrhea, but still only few realize that holding on to resentment, anger and fear, or eating fast foods, chemical additives, and artificial sweeteners, is no less dangerous than drinking polluted water; it may just take a little longer to kill a person than tiny amoeba can.

Mistaken Judgment

We all know that if the foundation of a house is strong, the house can easily withstand external challenges, such as a violent storm. As we will see, cancer is merely an indication that there is something missing in our body and in life as a whole. Cancer shows that life as a whole (physical, mental and spiritual) stands on shaky grounds and is quite fragile, to say the least. It would be foolish for a gardener to water the withering leaves of a tree when he knows so well that the real problem is not where it appears to be, namely, on the symptomatic level (of withered leaves). By watering the roots of the plant, he naturally attends to the causative level, and consequently, the plant regenerates itself swiftly and automatically.

To the trained eye of a gardener, the symptom of withering leaves is not a dreadful disease. He recognizes that the dehydrated state of these leaves is but a direct consequence of withdrawn nourishment that they need in order to sustain themselves and the rest of the plant.

Although this example from nature may appear to be a simplistic analogy, it offers a profound understanding of very complex disease processes in the human body. It accurately describes one of the most powerful and fundamental principles controlling all life forms on the planet. However skilled we may have become in manipulating the functions of our body through the tools of allopathic medicine, this basic, highly evolved principle of evolution cannot be suppressed or violated without paying the hefty price of side-effect-riddled suffering and pain - physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I fervently challenge the statement that cancer is a killer disease. Furthermore, I will demonstrate that cancer is not a disease at all. Many people who received a “terminal” cancer sentence actually defied the prognosis and experienced total remission.

The Need for Answers

There is no cancer that has not been survived by someone, regardless how far advanced it was. If even one person has succeeded in healing his cancer, there must be a mechanism for it, just as there is a mechanism for creating cancer. Every person on the planet has the capacity for both. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you may not be able to change the diagnosis, but it is certainly in your power to alter the destructive consequences that it (the diagnosis) may have on you. The way you see the cancer and the steps you take following the diagnosis are some of the most powerful determinants of your future wellness, or the lack of it.

The indiscriminate reference to “cancer” as being a killer disease by professionals and lay people alike has turned cancer into a disorder with tragic consequences for the majority of today’s cancer patients and their families. Cancer has become synonymous to extraordinary suffering, pain and death. This is true despite the fact that 90-95 percent of all cancers appear and disappear out of their own accord. There is not a day that passes without the body making millions of cancer cells. Some people, under severe temporary stress make more cancer cells than usual and form clusters of cancerous cells that disappear again once they feel better. Secretions of the DNA’s anticancer drug, Interleukin II, drop under physical and mental duress and increase again when relaxed and joyful. Thus, most cancers vanish without any form of medical intervention and without causing any real harm.

Right at this moment, there are millions of people walking around with cancers in their body without having a clue that they have them. Likewise, there are millions of people who heal their cancers without even knowing it. Overall, there are many more spontaneous remissions of cancer than there are diagnosed and treated cancers.

The truth is, relatively few cancers actually become “terminal.” However, once diagnosed, the vast majority of all cancers are never even given a chance to disappear on their own. They are promptly targeted with an arsenal of deadly weapons of cell destruction such as chemotherapy drugs, radiation and the surgical knife. The problem with cancer patients is that, terrified by the diagnosis, they submit their bodies to all these cut/burn/poison procedures that, more likely than not, lead them to the day of final sentencing, “We have to tell you with our deepest regret there is nothing more that can be done to help you.”

The most pressing question is not how advanced or dangerous a cancer is, but what we need to do to not end up dying from it. Why do some people go through cancer as if it were the flu? Are they just lucky or is there a mechanism at work that triggers the healing? In other words, what is that element that prevents the body from healing cancer naturally, or what is that hidden element that makes cancer so dangerous, if it is dangerous at all?

The answers to all these queries lie with the response of the person who has the cancer, and not with the degree of “viciousness” or advanced stage it appears to have progressed to. Do you believe that cancer is a disease? You will most likely answer with a “yes,” given the ‘informed’ opinion that the medical industry and mass media have fed to the masses for many decades. Yet, the most pressing yet rarely asked question remains: “Why do you think cancer is a disease?” You may say: “Because I know cancer kills people every day.” I would question you further: “How do you know that it is the cancer that kills people?” You would probably argue that most people who have cancer die, so obviously it must be the cancer that kills them. Besides, you may reason, all the expert doctors tell us so.

Let me raise another question, a rather strange one: “How do you know for sure that you are the daughter/son of your father and not of another man?” Is it because your mother told you so? What makes you think that your mother told you the truth? Probably because you believe her; and you have no reason not to. After all, she is your mother, and mothers do not lie about these things. Or do they? Although you will never really know that the person you believe to be your father is, in fact, your father, you nevertheless have turned what you subjectively believe into something that you just "know," into an irrefutable truth.

Although there is no scientific proof whatsoever that cancer is a disease (versus a survival mechanism), most people will insist that it is a disease because this is what they were told to believe. Yet their belief is only hearsay information based on other people’s opinions. These other people heard it from someone else. Eventually, the “truth” of cancer being a disease can be traced to some doctors who expressed their subjective feelings or beliefs about what they observed and wrote about in some review articles or medical reports. Other doctors agreed with their opinion, and before long, it became a “well-established” fact that cancer is a vicious illness that somehow gets hold of people in order to kill them. However, the truth of the matter may be quite different.

Wisdom of Cancer Cells

Cancer cells are not part of a malicious disease process. When cancer cells spread (metastasize) throughout the body, it is not their purpose or goal to disrupt the body’s vitals functions, infect healthy cells and obliterate their host (the body). Self-destruction is not the theme of any cell unless, of course, it is old and worn-out and ready to be turned-over and replaced. Cancer cells, like all other cells, know that if the body dies, they will die as well. Just because some people assume that cancer cells are there to destroy the body does not mean cancer cells have such a purpose or ability.

A cancerous tumor is neither the cause of progressive destruction nor does it actually lead to the death of the body. There is nothing in a cancer cell that has even remotely the ability to kill anything. What eventually leads to the demise of an organ or the entire body is the wasting away of cell tissue resulting from continued deprivation of nutrients and life force. The drastic reduction or shutdown of vital nutrient supplies to the cells of an organ is not primarily a consequence of a cancerous tumor, but actually its biggest cause.

By definition, a cancer cell is a normal, healthy cell that has undergone genetic mutation to the point that it can live in an anaerobic surrounding (an environment where oxygen is not available). In other words, if you deprive a group of cells of vital oxygen (their primary source of energy), some of them will die, but others will manage to alter their genetic software program and mutate in a most ingenious way: the cells will be able to live without oxygen and derive some of their energy needs from such things as cellular metabolic waste products.

It may be easier to understand the cancer cells phenomenon when comparing it with the behavior of common microorganisms. Bacteria, for example, are divided into two main groups, aerobic and anaerobic, meaning, those that need to use oxygen and those that can live without it. This is important to understand since we have more bacteria in our body than we have cells. Aerobic bacteria thrive in an oxygenated environment. They are responsible for helping us with the digestion of food and manufacturing of important nutrients, such as B-vitamins. Anaerobic bacteria, on the other hand, can appear and thrive in an environment where oxygen does not reach. They break down waste materials, toxic deposits and dead, worn-out cells.

The body sees the cancer as being such an important defense mechanism that it even causes the growth of new blood vessels to guarantee the much-needed supply of glucose and, therefore, survival and spreading of the cancer cells. It knows that cancer cells do not cause but, prevent death; at least for a while, until the wasting away of an organ leads to the demise of the entire organism. If the trigger mechanisms for cancer (causal factors) are properly taken care of, such an outcome can be avoided.

It is commonly believed that our immune system protects us against cancer. However, this is only partially true. On the one hand, the immune system readily destroys the millions of cancer cells that a healthy human body produces as part of the daily turnover of 30 billion cells. On the other hand, the immune system takes no action to eradicate cancer cells that develop in response to a build up of toxins, congestion and emotional stress.

Cancers and all other tissues in the body are larded with cancer-killing white cells, such as T-cells. In the case of kidney cancer and melanomas, for example, white cells make up 50 per cent of the mass of the cancers. Since these T-cells easily recognize foreign or mutated cell tissue such as cancer cells, you would expect these immune cells to attack cancer cells right away. However, the immune system allows cancer cells to recruit it to actually increase and spread the cancer to other parts of the body. Cancer cells produce specific proteins that tell the immune cells to leave them alone and help them to grow

Why would the immune system want to collaborate with cancer cells to make more or larger tumors? Because cancer is a survival mechanism, not a disease. The body uses the cancer to keep deadly carcinogenic substances and caustic metabolic waste matter away from the lymph and blood and, therefore, from the heart, brain and other vital organs. Killing off cancer cells would in fact jeopardize its survival. Cleansing the body of accumulated toxins and waste products through the various cleansing methods advocated in my book Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation (www.ener-chi.com) removes the need for cancer.

Cancer is not a disease; it is the final and most desperate survival mechanism the body has at its disposal. It only takes control of the body when all other measures of self-preservation have failed. To truly heal cancer and what it represents in a person’s life we must come to the understanding that the reason the body allows some of its cells to grow in abnormal ways is in its best interest and not an indication that it is about to destroy itself. Cancer is a healing attempt by the body for the body. Blocking this healing attempt can destroy the body. Supporting the body in its healing efforts can save it.

Andreas Moritz’s book, Cancer is not a Disease - It's a Survival Mechanism, explains the root causes of cancer and how to eliminate them for good. Available through www.amazon.com or www.ener-chi.com.

 

 

CBS Interview Peddles Misinformation on Melanoma, Vitamin D and Deficiencies

by Ella Andersen, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) In an effort to drum up fear and to push Big Pharma propaganda, CBS did a piece on how skin cancer, particularly melanoma, is increasing in young women. The interview goes on to blame the sun instead of really looking at what really causes melanoma: niacin deficiency.

I am now beginning to understand why many nutritionists believe doctors are ignorant when it comes to nutrition, vitamins, and how macro- and micro-nutrients relate to overall health. In a startling interview, Dr. Downie, while talking to Katie Couric on the CBS evening news, proclaimed some mistruths about American nutrition and melanoma. The first falsehood the doctor stated, “
America is not a nutritionally depleted country. If anything, Americans tend to be heavy,” That statement alone is highly unfounded and surprisingly ignorant for someone who spent a great deal of time in school learning about the human body. All you have to do is go to the mall or the supermarket or wherever, and you can easily pick out the nutritionally depleted people.

It is true though that Americans do tend to be heavy, further pointing to their nutritionally depleted status. However, if the doctor meant that Americans are heavily supplied with good nutrients, I along with many others would strongly disagree. In fact, as stated above, melanoma is caused by a nutrient deficiency: vitamin B-3 or niacin deficiency. That alone disproves the doctor’s position that Americans are okay concerning overall nourishment.

Secondly, the doctor states, “So we can get vitamin D from our diet and if not we can get it from nutritional supplements, i.e. vitamins, and that would be fine”. Since we have nutritionally depleted people, it’s not a great leap to say that we have nutritionally depleted food. Furthermore, since the typical American diet is mostly devoid of proper nutrients, getting any sort of beneficial vitamins is extremely difficult. This doctor, when talking about supplements, probably means the synthetic, toxic versions as well, meaning less effective vitamins that do virtually nothing for health improvement. Additionally, this doctor must not have read the recent research published in the JAMA journal(1) that demonstrated how Vitamin D levels are Common in healthy looking children; or the study conducted by Boston University showing vitamin D deficiency to be common and widespread. These children are apparently not getting adequate levels of vitamin D from their diet (even with all the pasteurized, homogenized, and fortified poison, a.k.a milk, they drink).

The Vitamin D Council has a preponderance of valuable information on how widespread vitamin D deficiency is, and steps on how to solve this problem. Furthermore, the solution is not to slather on cancer-causing chemicals to protect yourself from your environment; rather, the solution is moderate and careful sun exposure (approximately 15 minutes daily).

In this interview, the doctor promotes more of the same malarkey about nutrition and vitamin deficiencies, and I am truly disappointed that those who viewed this interview most likely bought into these false-hoods. Whether this interview was to actually bring awareness to melanoma in young women, or to slow the already burgeoning progress of vitamin D and nutrition research, no one can tell. But what we can garner from this interview is that misinformation is still being publicized and promoted so that real cures and real help can never reach those who need it.

Sources:

1. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...)

2. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...)

3. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/...)

4. (http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/)

5. (http://www.naturalnews.com/np/melanoma.html)

 

 

Feel Better, Live Longer with Vitamin B-3

Dr. Abram Hoffer, MD, FRCP (C) and Dr. Harold D. Foster, PhD
See book keywords and concepts

The great majority of dermatologists have accepted that exposure to the sun is the major cause of melanoma. There are exceptions to this generalization. Dr Bernard Ackerman, after reviewing the literature and drawing on his own experience in dermatology, concluded that the connection is both inconclusive and inconsistent.^0 To illustrate, melanoma usually develops in skin that has not been exposed. Ackerman also questions the use of sun screens, and points out that sunburns do not necessarily lead to melanoma.

This increase in cancer in the skin of niacin-deficient individuals raises the issue of the link, if any, between exposure to the sun and the development of melanoma. The great majority of dermatologists have accepted that exposure to the sun is the major cause of melanoma. There are exceptions to this generalization. Dr Bernard Ackerman, after reviewing the literature and drawing on his own experience in dermatology, concluded that the connection is both inconclusive and inconsistent.^0 To illustrate, melanoma usually develops in skin that has not been exposed.

 

 

Heal Yourself With Sunlight (Part 1 of Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation)

by Andreas Moritz, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) The time when one’s immediate natural impulse on the first sunny spring day was to get outside and enjoy it is long gone. Only the very courageous or “careless” who defy the grim warnings from medical mandarins and cancer specialists, wholeheartedly endorsed by the sunscreen industry, dare to venture forth into the “dangerous” sun. Unless they are covered head to toe with sun protection factor (SPF) 60, they gamble with their lives, or so they are made to believe, by those who serve their own vested interests. Fortunately, this view is beginning to crumble in the blatant absence of scientific proof that sunlight causes disease. What is being discovered instead is that lack of sun exposure is one of the greatest risk factors for disease. Very few people know that not getting enough sun kills 50,000 people from cancer deaths every year in the
US alone. As shown later, these are deaths that are easily preventable through the Vitamin D produced by the body in response to regular sun exposure.

Unfortunately, it is the ultraviolet portion of sunlight that is the most easily eliminated by windows, houses, spectacles, sunglasses, sun lotions, and clothing. Before antibiotic drugs were discovered in the 1930s – penicillin having been the first one – the healing power of sunlight was favored by the medical community, at least in
Europe. Sunlight therapy, called heliotherapy, was indeed considered to be the most successful treatment for infectious diseases from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Studies revealed that exposing patients to controlled amounts of sunlight dramatically lowered elevated blood pressure (up to 40 mm Hg drop), decreased cholesterol in the bloodstream, lowered abnormally high blood sugar in diabetics, and increased the number of white blood cells, which people need to help resist disease. Patients suffering from gout, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, arteriosclerosis, anemia, cystitis, eczema, acne, psoriasis, herpes, lupus, sciatica, kidney problems, asthma, and even burns, have all received great benefits from the healing rays of the sun.

The medical doctor and author, Dr. Auguste Rollier, was the most famous heliotherapist of his day. At his peak, he operated 36 clinics with over 1,000 beds in
Leysin, Switzerland. His clinics were situated 5,000 feet above sea level, the high altitude allowing his patients to catch a lot more UV light than was possible at the lower levels of the atmosphere. Dr. Rollier used the UV rays of sunlight to treat diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), rickets, smallpox, lupus vulgaris (skin tuberculosis), and wounds. He followed in the footsteps of Danish physician Dr. Niels Finsen, who won a Nobel Prize in 1903 for his treatment of TB using ultraviolet light. Rollier found that sunbathing early in the morning, in conjunction with a nutritious diet, produced the best effects.

The miraculous complete cures of tuberculosis and other diseases facilitated by these doctors made headlines at the time. What surprised the medical community most was the fact that the sun’s healing rays remained ineffective if the patients wore sunglasses. [Sunglasses block out important rays of the light spectrum which the body requires for essential biological functions.] Note: your eyes receive these rays even if you are in the shade.

By the year 1933, there were over 165 different diseases for which sunlight proved to be a beneficial treatment. However, with the death of Rollier in 1954 and the growing power of the pharmaceutical industry, heliotherapy fell into disuse. By the 1960s, man-made “miracle drugs” had replaced medicine’s fascination with the sun’s healing powers, and by the 1980s the public was increasingly being bombarded with warnings about sunbathing and the risks of skin cancer.

Today, the sun is considered the main culprit for causing skin cancer, certain cataracts leading to blindness, and aging of the skin. Only those who take the “risk” of exposing themselves to sunlight find that the sun makes them feel better, provided they don’t use sunscreens or burn their skin. The UV-rays in sunlight actually stimulate the thyroid gland to increase hormone production, which in turn increases the body’s basal metabolic rate. This assists both in weight loss and improved muscle development. Farm animals fatten much faster when kept indoors, and so do people who stay out of the sun. Therefore, if you want to lose weight or increase your muscle tone, expose your body to the sun on a regular basis. The use of antibiotics, which has practically replaced heliotherapy, has in recent years led to the development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria, which defy any treatment other than the balanced use of sun, water, air, and food. Cutting out or substantially reducing any of these four essential constituents of life, results in disease.

Any person who misses out on sunlight becomes weak and suffers mental and physical problems as a result. His vital energy diminishes in due time, which is reflected in his quality of life. The populations in Northern European countries like
Norway and Finland, which experience months of darkness every year, have a higher incidence of irritability, fatigue, illness, insomnia, depression, alcoholism, and suicide than those living in the sunny parts of the world. Their skin cancer rates are higher, too. For example, the incidence of melanoma (skin cancer) on the Orkney and Shetland Isles, north of Scotland, is 10 times that of Mediterranean islands.

UV light is known to activate an important skin hormone called solitrol. Solitrol influences our immune system and many of our body’s regulatory centers, and, in conjunction with the pineal hormone melatonin, causes changes in mood and daily biological rhythms. The hemoglobin in our red blood cells requires ultraviolet (UV) light to bind to the oxygen needed for all cellular functions. Lack of sunlight can, therefore, be held co-responsible for almost any kind of illness, including skin cancer and other forms of cancer. As you are about to find out, it may be highly detrimental to your health to miss out on sunlight.

Can UV-Radiation Prevent and Cure Skin Cancer?

A major concern of our scientists today is the dramatic increase of skin cancers around the world. There are three main types of skin cancer, two of which, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma (non-melanomas), are increasingly prevalent, whereas the third, malignant melanoma, is much rarer but far more lethal. The most pressing question is why would the sun suddenly become so vicious and try to kill scores of people after thousands of years of harmlessness?

The medical community claims that ultraviolet light (UV) is the major cause of skin cancers. This theory is based on the assumption that our thinning ozone layer permits too much of the germicidal UV to penetrate to the surface of the earth and causes destruction of all kinds, including damage to our skin and eye cells. Yet the theory has major flaws and no scientific backing. Contrary to general belief, there is no evidence that reduction in the ozone layer, observed at the poles, has caused any increase in melanomas.

The germicidal frequency of UV is destroyed or is filtered out by the ozone layer in the Earth’s stratosphere, and only small amounts—necessary to purify the air we breathe and the water we drink— actually reach the surface of the earth. To that effect, a study of
Punta Arenas, the largest South American city close to the Antarctic ozone hole, showed no increase in health problems related to depleted ozone. In fact, UV measures were too small to have any noticeable effect. Actual measurements taken in the United States since 1974 show that the amount of UV radiation reaching the surface of the earth is decreasing and continues to decrease slightly each year. This research was conducted to detect the frequency of UV radiation that causes sunburn. UV radiation had dropped an average of 0.7 percent per year over the period from 1974 to 1985 and continued to do so afterwards.

The fact that the number of skin cancers in the
United States had doubled within this period of 11 years contradicts the theory that UV light is the reason behind the skin cancer epidemic. The number of malignant skin cancers (melanomas) discovered in 1980 in the United States was 8,000, and eight years later it had increased by 350 percent to 28,000. In 1930, the expectancy of developing melanoma was as low as 1 in 1,300 people. Since 2003, 45,000 to 50,000 new cases are diagnosed every year in the United States. Melanomas, which account for 75 percent of all skin cancer deaths, make up only 5 percent of all reported skin cancers. The most striking fact about this lethal form of cancer is that it can occur in parts of the body that are not necessarily exposed to the sun such as the eye, the rectum, vulva, vagina, mouth, respiratory tract, GI tract and urinary bladder.

Overall, since the beginning of the new millennium, each year one million Americans are being diagnosed with some form of skin cancer. There are millions of sufferers now, all of whom have been made to believe that the sun is the culprit for their skin diseases. But since UV radiation is decreasing every year and skin cancers were extremely rare 100 years ago when UV intensity was much higher and people spent much more time outdoors, what other factor could be held responsible for causing skin cancer?

The More UV, the Less Cancer

Even if UV penetration to the surface of the Earth did actually increase by, for example, one percent each year (which is not the case), such slight increases would still be hundreds, if not thousands, of times less than the normal variations which people experience because of differences in geography. Let’s assume that you move from an area near either one of the
Polar Regions, e.g. Iceland or Finland, toward the equator, e.g. Kenya or Uganda in East Africa. By the time you reach the equator, you will have increased your body’s exposure to UV light by a whooping 5,000 percent! If you live in England and decide to move to Northern Australia you will increase your exposure by 600 percent! Calculations show that for every six miles you move closer to the equator, you increase your exposure to UV light by one percent.

Today, millions of people around the world travel from low exposure places to areas of high exposure near the equator. Many thousands of tourists travel to areas that are located at much higher altitudes than where they normally live. For every 100 feet of elevation there is a significant increase in UV radiation. But this does not prevent people from climbing mountains or living in countries like
Switzerland or at the high altitudes of the Himalayan Mountains. According to the UV/cancer theory, most Kenyan, Tibetan, or Swiss residents should be afflicted with skin cancer today. Yet this is not the case at all. The fact is that those who reside at high altitudes or near the equator where UV radiation is the most concentrated are virtually free of all cancers, not just skin cancers! This shows that UV radiation does not cause cancer; in fact, it can even prevent it.

The human body has a unique ability to become accustomed to all kinds of variations in the environment. It is equipped with perfect self-regulating mechanisms that protect it against damage from the natural elements. Overexposure to swimming in the sea or in a lake can lead to extensive skin swelling, shivering, and circulatory problems. Our body will let us know when it is time to get out of the water. Getting too close to a fire will heat us up and encourage us to move away from it. Rainwater is natural, but standing in the rain for too long can drain our immune system and make us susceptible to catching a cold. Eating sustains our lives, but overeating can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Sleeping recharges our “batteries” and revitalizes the body and mind, yet too much of it makes us sluggish, depressed, and ill. Likewise, sunlight has healing properties unless we use it to burn holes into our skin. Why should any of these natural elements or processes cause us harm unless we abuse or overuse them?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to say that a preference for unnatural things like junk food, stimulants, alcohol, drugs, medical intervention (unless it is for an emergency), as well as pollution, irregular sleeping and eating habits, stress, excessive greed for money and power, and the lack of contact with nature, are more likely to cause such diseases as skin cancer and cataracts than natural phenomena that have ensured continued growth and evolution on the planet throughout the ages?

It is very encouraging to see that new treatments using light are increasingly being recognized as breakthrough methods for cancer and many other diseases. The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved “light therapy” to fight advanced esophageal cancer and early lung cancer—with fewer risks than are found with the use of surgery and chemotherapy. Although it has been known for over 100 years that light can kill diseased cells, it is only since a number of convincing research studies have been conducted that there has been a sudden resurgence of interest in light therapy. There is promising success with bladder cancer, infertility-causing endometriosis, advanced lung and esophageal cancers, skin cancer, and diseases leading to blindness, psoriasis, and autoimmune disorders. In one study, light therapy eliminated 79 percent of early lung cancers. Regular exposure to sunlight still seems to be one of the best measures one can take to prevent cancer, including cancers of the skin.

Now Even Doctors And Scientists Say, “It’s Not True!”

Like myself, there have always been some health practitioners who didn’t buy into the theory that the sun causes deadly diseases. It warms my heart to hear that now even some of the top authorities in the field are standing up for the truth, despite intense criticism from their colleagues. In an article written in the New York Times in August 2004, a high-profile dermatologist, Dr. Bernard Ackerman (a recent winner of the
American Academy of Dermatology's prestigious, once-yearly Master Award), publicly questioned the commonly accepted assumption about the sunlight/melanoma link. According to Dr. Ackerman, who in 1999 founded the world's largest center for dermatopathology training, there is no proof whatsoever that sun exposure causes melanoma. To substantiate his arguments, he cites a recently published article in the Archives of Dermatology concluding that no evidence exists supporting the notion that sunscreen prevents melanoma, a claim the mega-million dollar sunscreen industry and those in the medical mainstream have falsely made for decades.

Dr. Ackerman didn’t stop at exposing this decades-long deception of the masses; he also cast doubt on the increase in the incidence of melanoma cases medical mainstream doctors insist is happening. He found that an expansion of the diagnostic definition of “melanoma” has allowed a much broader array of symptoms to be classified as the deadly disease compared to just 30 years ago. Melanoma has to a large extent “grown” to epidemic proportions because of statistical manipulations. In other words, if the same diagnostic definition applied 30 years ago were applied today, melanomas would have increased only insignificantly.

Furthermore, this respected physician challenged the medical mainstream to explain why nearly all cases of melanoma among certain races (black African, Asian and South American) occur in areas of the body that are almost never exposed to sunlight—places like the palms, soles of the feet, and mucous membranes. Should it not raise doubts among physicians and patients alike when even among pale-faces, the most common sites for melanoma (legs in women, torso in men) get significantly less sunlight exposure than other parts of the body? To make a point, based on this and other evidence, your best chance of avoiding melanoma is to move to areas of higher UV-concentration, such as mountainous regions or the equatorial tropics and become a nudist! Since sunlight boosts the immune system, you may find that such a move would also help with many other health issues from which you may be suffering. Naturally, all this data raises the question, what actually causes skin cancer? The answer may surprise you greatly.

More in the author's book, Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation, (www.amazon.com) or (www.ener-chi.com)

 

 

 

Discovering the Truth Behind the Sunshine/Skin Cancer Myth

 

 

 

Sun TanningContrary to popular belief, exposing skin to the sun may stop certain cancers from growing, including skin cancer.

While previous studies have implied this protection comes from skin cells (damaged by the sun) committing suicide, cutting the risk of cancer, two studies propose the reduced cancer risk stems from an increased production of vitamin D made by sun-exposed skin.

The two studies found:

  • Sunshine helped beat the deadly skin cancer malignant melanoma: Melanoma patients with increased levels of sun exposure were less likely to die than other melanoma patients; also patients who already had melanoma and a lot of sun exposure were prone to a less aggressive tumor type.
  • The sun helped with non-Hodgkin lymphoma: The risks of developing cancer was reduced by 30 percent to 40 percent when exposed to UV rays from the sun and sun lamps; findings were based on interviews with more than 3,000 lymphoma patients and 3,000 healthy members of the public.

Despite findings, experts do not promote extremely high levels of sun exposure, as too much sun could also cause cancer. Therefore, it is important to remember to cover up during peak sunshine hours, seek shade and wear factor 15-plus sunscreen.

BBC News February 1, 2005

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mercola

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

One of the most persistent health myths circulating is health "experts" and the media preaching the dangers of sun exposure to your health. Unfortunately, this long-standing recommendation of avoiding sun exposure has increased cancer deaths, not just non-fatal skin cancers, by more than 50,000 per year in the United States due to lowered vitamin D levels.

That is why I was glad to see that more physicians are starting to appreciate that maintaining optimal vitamin D levels -- by having them tested -- is one of the most important things you can do to prevent and treat not only skin but all cancers. Receiving appropriate amounts of sunshine that optimizes vitamin D levels is the key, as it keeps your cell growth and activity in proper balance.

Obtaining Vitamin D

The safest way to obtain vitamin D is, of course, through appropriate sun exposure. Yet many of us are not able to do that in the winter, and some of us prefer to stay indoors (or work indoors) in the summer. For those who struggle with getting enough exposure, taking a high-quality cod liver oil, which contains vitamin D, is one reasonable alternative, and more important than any supplement because it is an essential food.

When choosing your cod liver oil, be sure to choose a brand that has been purified of mercury and other toxins, and has the independent laboratory testing to prove it. You will also want to make certain that it has more than insignificant quantities of vitamin E. Most manufacturers put only enough vitamin E to prevent the omega-3 fats from being oxidized while in the bottle, but once you swallow the liquid you will need about 10 times as many vitamin E as most manufacturers put in their formulas. You could easily compensate for this by taking some extra vitamin E, but Carlson fish and cod liver oils is one of the few brands that put the extra vitamin E in right from the get go.

You will likely find Carlson's cod liver oil in your local health food store. They may even have some other good brands to recommend to you. But if you are unable to locate a high-quality brand locally, for your convenience we offer Carlson's cod liver oil in our store.

When Exposing Your Skin, Do So With Caution

While exposure to sunlight can reduce your risk of cancer, please understand that sunlight has the potential to cause skin cancer if you are not careful.

Therefore, at the beginning of the season, go out gradually and limit your exposure to perhaps as little as 5-10 minutes a day. Progressively increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be able to have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer. If you are really sensitive you can start by exposing only your feet and progressively more skin on your legs and then your arms. More details on this are available in my absolute favorite book on this topic The Healing Sun.

And remember to never get burned, that is the key. However, using sunscreen is not a good way to limit your sun exposure either. In fact, sunscreen is generally one of the last things you want to put on your body. That is because it is a toxic chemical that can cause problems in your system and increase your risk of disease. I must admit that I occasionally violate this principle. I usually spend most of January in Maui to recharge my batteries as I absolutely love the sunshine and surf there. I love to body board and am typically in the water for a few hours a day. So I will use a waterproof sunblock around my eyes to limit my UV exposure as there really aren't many practical alternatives if I am out between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. But most of the time I am able to stay out of the water from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

You can also creatively use your clothing to block the sun's rays during your exposure time with the use of hats and long sleeve shirts and pants or simply stay in the shade once you have reached your dose. Complete avoidance of the sun is nearly a guarantee that you will suffer health complications in the future.

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