Category: Special Reports

Mercury in Drugs

This is a must read for everyone from www.mercola.com

Why do drugmakers still defend the use of mercury in their drugs? Click on the link below to read the article.

http://www.mercola.com/2007/mar/15/why-do-drugmakers-still-defend-the-use-of-mercury-in-their-vaccines.htm    

Hoodia Gordonii

Hoodia Gordonii, the latest diet pill to help you achieve your perfect weight. If you are now using Hoodia or considering the possibility you should read this review by Cathy Wong.

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/hoodia1.htm?nl=1   

The Facts About Vitamin E

In November there was a prepublication released of a John Hopkins School of Medicine study to appear in the Annals of Internal Medicine about the possible hazard from the use of vitamin E. Not prepared to take this report at face value I proceeded to investigate further to find out if the whole story had been told. In just a matter of minutes I found report after report on the flaws of the study done by John Hopkins School of Medicine.

This particular study on vitamin E was nothing more than a “meta-analysis”, a study of studies that have already been performed. This type of study is widely criticized because it involves a set of statistically analyses based on manipulations of existing data.

One of the major criticisms of this particular report is that the results are from studies that have been done on those who are already at an increased risk for advanced heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and kidney disease. Synthetic vitamin E was used in this study even though for decades this type of vitamin E has been thought unsafe. Physicians who practice both conventional and alternative medicine (complementary) recommend natural mixed tocopherols which supply gamma tocopherol and tocoriends.

Why synthetic vitamin E is still used in studies is not clear. There are those who think it is because the synthetic form is cheaper and the drug companies may provide it.

As a result of this report it is thought that 18% of Americans are less likely to take vitamin E. Barbara Levine PhD., director of Nutritional Information Center, is concerned that there will be an increased risk in cardiovascular disease, cancers, and aged-related macular degeneration in an otherwise healthy population.

In response to all the attention given to the latest report on vitamin E, the Dietary Supplement Information Bureau (DSIB) has launched a new web site; check out www.vitaminEfacts.org.

Experts like C. Wayne Callaway MD., Internal medicine, Endocrinology, metabolism and clinical nutrition, state that you should not throw away your vitamin E; one study does not prove all the others wrong.