According to a new research study, refined sugar is far more addictive than cocaine — one of the most addictive and harmful substances currently known. An astonishing 94 percent of rats who were allowed to choose mutually-exclusively between sugar water and cocaine, chose sugar. Even rats who were addicted to cocaine quickly switched their preference to sugar, once it was offered as a choice. The rats were also more willing to work for sugar than for cocaine. The researchers speculate that the sweet receptors (two protein receptors located on the tongue), which evolved in ancestral times when the diet was very low in sugar, have not adapted to modern times’ high- sugar consumption. Therefore, the abnormally high stimulation of these receptors by our sugar-rich diets generates excessive reward signals in the brain, which have the potential to override normal self-control mechanisms, and thus lead to addiction. Additionally, their research found that there’s also a cross-tolerance and a cross-dependence between sugars and addictive drugs. As an example, animals with a long history of sugar consumption actually became tolerant (desensitized) to the analgesic effects of morphine. -Source PLosONE www.PLoSONE.org

This recipe makes 4-6 generous portions. You may eat the grapes in the salad but you should also use portion control and measure the grapes correctly when you add them ensuring you don’t exceed the 1 cup amount. If you eat ¾ to 1 cup of the salad, you will most likely only eat about 4-5 grapes at the very most, which does not elevate blood sugar.

From Dr. Mercola’s Newsletter For an in-depth education on the many dangers of GM foods, I highly recommend reading Jeffrey Smith’s books, Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette. Smith documents at least 65 serious health risks from GM products of all kinds, including:
• Offspring of rats fed GM soy show a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce
• Male mice fed GM soy have damaged young sperm cells
• The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice have altered DNA functioning
• Several US farmers have reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties
• Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffalos fed GM cottonseed products
• Animals fed GM foods have developed bleeding stomachs,potentially precancerous cell growth, damaged organs and immune systems, kidney inflammation, problems with blood and liver cells, and unexplained deaths
• Soy allergies have skyrocketed after the introduction of GM soy
• Genes from GM crops transfer to human gut bacteria, which might transform your intestinal flora into a living pesticide factory.
No one knows the full extent of what happens to the end product when you splice in new genes, and then eat that product for several generations. The only thing that is guaranteed is that it will create surprise side effects. However, according to Smith’s research, what we do know is that between 1994 and 2001 — the same time that GMOs flooded the market –food related illnesses DOUBLED. GMO foods can be:
• Allergenic
• Toxic
• Carcinogenic
• Anti-nutritional
It may also create brand new diseases that we’ve never seen before, in addition to spurring on the disease rate of some we already have, such as cancer. Moratorium Called on GM Foods! On May 19th, 2009, the The American Academy Of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) sent out a press advisory calling for Immediate Moratorium On Genetically Modified Foods and for physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible, and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks. They also advised that physicians should consider the role of GM foods in their patients’ disease processes. In their position paper, the AAEM states that several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM foods, including:
• Infertility
• Immune problems
• Accelerated aging
• Insulin regulation
• Changes in major organs
• Gastrointestinal changes and problems
The AAEM concludes, There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation, as defined by recognized scientific criteria. The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies. Educate your doctor!
Many physicians are still completely unaware of this problem, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with handing them a printout of the moratorium, or suggesting they take a look at the research. The Institute for Responsible Technology also offers two full audio lectures on the dangers of GMOs. They’re free, and you’re even allowed to burn them onto CDs to give away. Why not give a copy to the members of your family, friends, and yes, even your doctor? Playing with Technology We Don’t Fully Comprehend Dr. Mae-Wan Ho of the Institute of Science in Society (ISIS) explains the heart of why GM foods are so dangerous: The genome is remarkably dynamic and fluid, and constantly in conversation with the environment. This determines which genes are turned on, when, where, by how much and for how long. Moreover, the genetic material itself could also be marked or changed according to experience, and the influence passed on to the next generation. But when genetically modified rogue genes are inserted into a genome, it cannot possibly mimic the complex processes – the dance of life — that’s necessary for survival in nature.
The rogue genes inserted into a genome to make a GMO could land anywhere; typically in a rearranged or defective form, scrambling and mutating the host genome, and have the tendency to move or rearrange further once inserted, basically because they do not know the dance of life. That’s ultimately why genetic modification doesn’t work and is also dangerous.
Four Ways to Avoid GM Foods As stated by Smith, there are four main ways to avoid GM foods:
• 1.Buy organic
• 2.Only buy products that carry a Non-GMO label
• 3.Only buy products listed in the non-GMO shopping guide
• 4.Avoid products that contain these at-risk ingredients: Soy, Corn, Cotton, Canola
The offspring of these products include items such as maltodextrin, soy lecithin, and high fructose corn syrup. As for fresh produce, you’ll want to avoid some varieties of zucchini, crookneck squash, and papayas from Hawaii, as these are mainly GM. Other common GM-containing foods to avoid include:
• Milk containing rbGH
• Rennet (containing genetically modified enzymes) used to make hard cheeses
• Aspartame (NutraSweet)
Avoiding GM products in your diet means avoiding all of the foods and ingredients mentioned above, or choosing organic versions of them. If your diet consists largely of processed foods, you can be sure you’re eating about 70 percent GM foods, as the ingredients listed above (particularly corn and soy) are in a vast majority of all processed food products!
I highly recommend downloading the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, issued by the Institute for Responsible Technology. They also offer some helpful basic advice for how to avoid GMOs when eating in restaurants!

A recently published study evaluated the potential benefits of supplementation of EGCG, a constituent of green tea, on inflammation associated with an atherogenic (artery-plaque-promoting) diet. Elevated levels of inflammatory markers, such as cardiac C- reactive protein (cCRP), are strongly associated with increased risk of heart attack, predicting recurrent coronary events, sudden cardiac death and peripheral artery disease.

In this new study, rats were fed an atherogenic diet, an atherogenic diet plus daily EGCG, or a standard diet to serve as the control group. After 45 days, the rats were evaluated for inflammatory markers and hematological indicators of inflammation including cCRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), total white blood cell count (WBC), differential white blood cell count and platelet count.
The results showed that the rats fed the atherogenic diet had significantly increased levels of cCRP, ESR, total WBC, differential white blood cell counts, and platelet counts compared to the rats fed the standard diet. The group of rats fed the atherogenic diet plus EGCG administration showed significantly lower levels of the inflammatory markers than the rats fed the atherogenic diet alone. Furthermore, the rats fed the atherogenic diet had the highest levels of cCRP protein expression compared to either the rats fed the standard diet or the rats receiving EGCG.

The researchers concluded, “These results suggest that EGCG, a major component of green tea catechins, may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing inflammatory markers in rats fed an atherogenic diet.”
Article obtained from cpmedical.net

At last, a natural and delicious alternative to wheat and grain that’s packed with dietary fiber and is a good source of protein too!!
If you are serious about living healthier, then you will want to consider coconut as a regular part of your diet. Fortunately when it comes to coconut, there are endless ways to indulge! The best way to experience the many health-giving gifts of coconut is to use virgin coconut oil. It’s a small investment in your health that yields tremendous returns!
Virgin coconut oil is one of the smartest oils you can eat. Rich in lauric acid, coconut oil contains NO trans fat, strengthens your immune system and boosts your metabolism! Coconut flour is unlike any other consisting of 14% coconut oil and 58% dietary fiber! The remaining 28% consists of water, protein, and carbohydrate. If you haven’t tried coconut flour yet, here are some more excellent reasons to start:
• Coconut Flour is ideal for baking. It has fewer digestible (net) carbs than other flours, and it even has fewer digestible carbs than some vegetables!
• Coconut Flour is gluten-free and hypoallergenic. With as much protein as wheat flour, coconut flour has none of the specific protein in wheat called “gluten”.
This is an advantage for a growing percentage of the population who have allergies to gluten or a wheat sensitivity.
• Coconut Flour consists of the highest percentage of dietary fiber( 58%) found in any flour. Wheat bran has only is 27% fiber.
Coconut Flour can help you reach a healthy weight. Ideal for those who follow a low-carb eating plan, coconut flour works well as part of a weight loss program because it has high fiber, and foods with high fiber can help promote a feeling of fullness.
Whoever said “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” was definitely in the dark about the benefits of coconut flour!

Say YES to Your Favorite Foods Again with GLUTEN-FREE Coconut Flour!
Studies that show celiac disease, a genetic disease that is a severe form of gluten intolerance that results in intestinal complications, may affect as many as one in thirty-three people. Most people are unaware that there are many reactions to wheat, aside from celiac disease, that can cause health problems. Most of us are addicted to breads, bagels, pizza, pasta, waffles and pancakes and would rather die than give them up, and many people do just that – – die from the side effects of eating wheat! But eliminating gluten from your diet is no small task. The good news is that food manufacturers are finally realizing there’s a growing need for a variety of gluten- free breads and foods. The bad news is that large portions of commercially prepared gluten-free foods are made using soy flour. I cannot emphasize enough that soy is not the health food that you think it is. If you are still using soy, I urge you to consider how some studies are linking soy to serious health conditions including:
• Increased risk of breast cancer in women, brain damage in both men and women, and abnormalities in infants
• Contributions to thyroid disease, especially in women
• Weakening of your immune system
• Severe, potentially fatal food allergies
It appears that the tide is beginning to turn against the soy craze and many people are now wisely looking for healthier alternatives. Nut flour is becoming more popular but it is expensive and few people can afford to use it regularly. There are a variety of other flours like potato, garbanzo, and rice flour, but like soy, these can present a host of health challenges for many people too. Coconut flour is a healthy and delicious alternative for most anyone who is allergic to nuts, wheat, milk or other common foods that trigger sensitivities. Because so few people are allergic to coconut, it is regarded as hypoallergenic. If you are looking for a gluten-free way to make your favorite baked foods, coconut flour is a delicious, safe, healthy, relatively low-cost, and easy way to do it. You can make a variety of breads and pastries using little more than coconut flour, eggs, and coconut oil!

Coconut Flour: The Secret Weapon to Managing Your Weight
Food contains two types of carbohydrate: digestible and non-digestible. Digestible carbohydrate consists of starch and sugar and provides calories. Non- digestible carbohydrate is the fiber and provides NO calories. Coconut meat is composed primarily of non- digestible fiber with a beneficial amount of water and smart oil. Dietary fiber acts like a broom, sweeping your intestinal contents along your digestive tract aiding in elimination, regularity and helping to promote digestive health. Since you cannot digest the dietary fiber in coconut flour, you derive no calories from it. Studies have shown that an additional 14 grams of fiber daily (the amount in about ¼ cup of coconut flour) is associated with a 10% decrease in calorie intake and a resulting loss in body weight. The health benefits of dietary fiber include:
• Promotes heart health and supports your immune system
• Facilitates better digestion and promotes digestive comfort
• Promotes absorption of vitamins and minerals
• Assists in detoxifying your body
• Helps promote cholesterol health

Dietary Fiber Can Help You Support Blood Sugar Health While dietary fiber helps support a healthy weight, it also plays a role in supporting blood sugar health. Dietary fiber slows down the release of glucose and therefore requires less insulin to utilize the glucose and transport it into the cell where it is converted into energy. Foods rich in soluble dietary fiber are low glycemic index foods. In contrast, foods without dietary fiber allow for a fast release of glucose creating a need for more insulin. The excess glucose can also be stored in your body and increase your weight. One research study (at the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology in collaboration with the Philippine Coconut Authority) was done on bakery products supplemented with increasing amounts of coconut flour using human subjects. The study found that increasing levels of coconut flour in bakery products resulted in a lower glycemic index. Numerous studies like this one have shown that the abundance of dietary fiber found in coconut flour helps support blood sugar health and helps support a healthy weight. If you are interested in becoming more weight-conscious, adding coconut flour to your daily meals is a delicious and smart choice!

Cleansing the Body at an Important Time of Year
Our bodies have the enormous task of processing all of the chemicals that we are exposed to in our environment. During the holiday season, our bodies take on an even larger burden with increased intake of unhealthy food and drinks. Thus, the end of the year is an ideal time for detoxification, both to undo some of the damage we have incurred, and to get a head start on optimizing overall health for the New Year. The liver is an amazing organ primarily responsible for metabolizing all of the chemicals, toxins, and drugs we ingest. The liver also has various other functions such as producing numerous proteins and hormones, bile production, glucose regulation and storage, and cholesterol and triglyceride synthesis. In addition, the liver is the only organ capable of regenerating lost tissue.

Nearly one-third of the total body blood flow is pumped through the liver each minute. The liver filters this blood, including the blood coming directly from the intestines, which is carrying various chemicals, bacteria and nutrients. This filtration minimizes the amount of bacteria, toxins, chemicals, foreign proteins and antigen-antibody complexes in the blood prior to the blood entering the general circulation. The liver then processes these chemicals and toxins through multiple pathways.
Phase 1 reactions involve processing chemicals to prepare them for phase 2 of detoxification. Phase 1 metabolites are often highly reactive and potentially even more toxic intermediates. Phase 2 reactions involve conjugating these highly reactive molecules to render them harmless and ready for excretion in the urine or feces. An important enzyme in phase 2 detoxification is glutathione transferase, which
uses reduced glutathione to neutralize the reactive intermediates from phase 1 reactions. Ideally, phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification is in balance, and toxins, drugs, environmental and endogenous chemicals are metabolized and excreted from the body. However, imbalance in these two pathways can result in an increase of free radical production resulting in cellular damage and increasing the need for antioxidants to neutralize these free radicals. An individual’s ability to detoxify chemicals varies greatly, as research indicates that phase 1 detoxification not only decreases with aging, but research has also demonstrated a five-fold variability of phase 1 functioning in healthy individuals.

Decreased liver function for any reason can result in any number of symptoms including fatigue, allergies and chemical sensitivities, acne or broken blood vessels on the skin, intolerance to fatty foods or alcohol, changes in mood or weight, changes in cholesterol or triglyceride levels, nausea and constipation. Overt liver disease presents with more obvious symptoms such as yellowing of the skin, liver enlargement, itchy skin, dark urine, pale stool, easy bleeding, blood sugar problems and gallstones. Our constant exposure to environmental chemicals increases the demand on the liver. These chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Food additives and preservatives, pharmaceuticals, solvents, alcohol, tobacco smoke, herbicides, pesticides and heavy metals such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel are only a few of the chemicals that adversely affect our health. In fact, even our water supply is loaded with chemicals including pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, pesticides and agricultural and industrial chemicals. An investigation by the Environmental Working Group detected 260 contaminants in U.S. public water supplies, and more than half of those chemicals are unregulated and without set safety standards.
(Please also see our supplement of the month- HeptoGen for help with Detoxification.)

Glutathione’s Crucial Role
Another method to enhance detoxification pathways is to increase levels of glutathione, a potent antioxidant required for proper detoxification of pollution, radiation, drugs, carcinogenic chemicals, heavy metals and other toxins from water and food. Reduced glutathione interacts with toxins such as heavy metals to make them less reactive and thereby less damaging to cells. In doing this, the glutathione becomes oxidized and is no longer functional. Thus, glutathione needs to be constantly replenished. In the liver, glutathione conjugation in the phase 2 detoxification pathway makes fat-soluble toxins water-soluble, allowing the toxins to be excreted in the urine. Toxins such as mercury are removed from the body by direct conjugation with glutathione.18 Glutathione can be depleted with increased free radical production during phase 1 detoxification, resulting in decreased glutathione conjugation in phase 2 detoxification and the build up of toxins and heavy metals in the liver. Liposomal Glutathione can be supplemented to increase glutathione levels and promote detoxification. Liposomes are a fat-soluble “bubble” that allows for increased absorption and protects the glutathione so it remains in the reduced or active state. Cells serve as a gathering place for most toxins because the toxins are able to pass through fatty membranes. Glutathione directly binds with toxins, especially if the correct type of enzyme is present. However, approximately 10-30 percent of the population is lacking this glutathione-enhancing enzyme.19 In these people, increasing glutathione through supplementation may help increase the chance of a glutathione molecule pairing up with a toxin. When glutathione binds with toxins, the combination becomes water soluble, allowing for its removal.

Helping Toxins Leave the Body
When undertaking a detoxification program, it’s important to also consume adequate fiber to help escort toxins out of the body. Fiber is necessary for proper bowel transit time by increasing the frequency of bowel movements. If toxins remain in the intestines for a prolonged period, as with constipation, the toxins are reabsorbed. Also, in the intestines, fiber binds to excreted toxins to help reduce reabsorption and promote toxin elimination. Furthermore, increased fiber intake helps positively balance the intestinal microflora, which aids in reducing endotoxin production from pathogenic bacteria.

Conclusion
With the New Year fast approaching, it is an ideal time to address detoxification. Optimizing liver health by using the botanicals and nutrients found in HepatoGen combined with Liposomal Glutathione will assist the body in detoxification of all of the chemicals and toxins we eat, drink and breathe. Furthermore, consuming a high-quality fiber supplement will help the body fully eliminate all toxins.
Article Written By Nieske Zabriskie, ND

How worried are you about flu season? Well, there’s no need to panic. Don’t believe the hype. There are 2 ways to lie. With statistics, and without! Last statistics I heard were that 1,000,000 had been infected with swine flu, and about 500 have died. That is 0.05%. And the majority of those killed had chronic health problems such as asthma or cerebral palsy.
I found an article that was so well written, it saved me the work, so instead of writing a lengthy article and reinventing the wheel, I’m inserting this link and I highly encourage you to read this!!
Are you confused about vaccines? to vaccinate, or not to vaccinate? I found another great resource and encourage you to visit www.homefirst.com. This is Dr. Eisenstein’s website and I had the pleasure of speaking with him at a conference I recently attended where he was a speaker.
So what can you do about flu season? First of all, if you are not healthy/well, you need to get there, and fast. If you are on a wellness path which includes eating right and taking vitamins, you have little to worry about.
I have a few recommendations to help you make it through flu season without a hitch:
• Vitamin D (make sure you serum level of 25-OH vitamin D is at least 50)*
• carry hand sanitizer and use it often
• Don’t eat with your hands! Think about where they’ve been and everything you’ve touched prior to picking up that food and putting it in your mouth
• Silver Sol-for prevention and/or treatment**
• zinc-25mg a day through the season (Oct thru March)
• Multivitamin
• Vitamin C 1,000mg 2 to 3 times a day***

*I’ve talked to experts recently at a conference who recommend 50,000iu vitamin D3 daily for 3 to 5 days at first signs of flu/cold, and then 5,000 to 10,000iu daily thereafter for maintenance for an adult. And for a child, up to 1000iu per pound per day for 3 to 5 days, then 2000-5000iu daily thereafter. It’s important to have your serum levels followed by your healthcare provider. Please remember that the normal reference range for vitamin D is HUGE and you want to avoid being in the lower half.

**Silver Sol is something I discovered recently. It’s much more potent than regular colloidal silver. We carry it in the liquid form and the gel form. You can apply it to wounds, use it as a nasal spray, drink it, douche with it, and even nebulize it! There are numerous studies proving its efficacy in killing bacteria, parasites, yeast, and viruses. It’s perfectly safe, non-toxic, and has no drug interactions. Consider using this for flu season as a preventative. Keep in mind, however, that it will also kill good bacteria so it’s important to take a probiotic while you are using this orally. I recommend a probiotic (at least 10 billion potency) twice daily while using Silver Sol, and take it between Silver sol doses, NOT with them.

***Vitamin C is very important for the immune system and supports the adrenal glands. It may cause diarrhea in sensitive individuals, typically at doses higher than 4000mg a day, but sometimes with as little as 500mg. Vitamin C is also important for heart health and has natural antihistamine properties at higher doses.
article by Mila McManus MD
Disclaimer: Do not add any supplements to your current regimen without first discussing with your health care provider.

Here is the conclusion of our article from last month’s newsletter.
Lifestyle Changes
It takes less than a gram per day of gliadin, which is less than 2 percent of a single ounce, to cause a reaction. Consequently, the only way to alleviate the symptoms of celiac disease is the total elimination of all grains and foods containing gluten, like pastas, breads, sauces, cakes, pies, and crackers. This can be a daunting task, as much of the American and western diets are essentially based on the gluten cereals. The cereal grains that contain gluten include wheat, barley, rye, triticale, spelt, and kamut. Also note there is some controversy as to whether or not oats have an effect on celiac disease. Findings are inconclusive; however many times oats are stored in the same facility as wheat and flour, so there is the possibility of trace amounts of wheat gluten found in oats.
Wheat isn’t just found in grain products. Wheat flour is used as a filler in cold cuts and deli meats, used to dust frozen vegetables, and is used as a thickener for soy sauce and many pharmaceutical medications use gluten as a filler or a binding agent. It is a common additive in soups, packaged products, and even found in sausages. It is important to keep in mind that if you have celiac disease, there is a risk every time you buy a packaged food. It is recommended that whole and unrefined foods are purchased and cooked to avoid any possibility of consuming a food containing hidden wheat gluten.
Going to a restaurant can be challenging for those with celiac disease or wheat sensitivities, since wheat products make up much of most restaurants’ menus. Be sure to ask a lot of questions, and if there is any doubt, don’t order it. Some restaurants, such as the Italian chain Carabbas, have a gluten free menu, and Budweiser even makes a beer from a gluten free grain called sorghum.
This may all seem very upsetting to those who like breads and pastas, but there are alternatives. There are many companies that make 100 percent wheat and gluten free pasta, bread, muffins, and other “wheat-type” items. A popular wheat-pasta alternative is rice pasta, which is a delicious change of pace for those even without gluten sensitivity. Also, a great way of circumventing all of this confusion is to buy and eat whole, unrefined, non-gluten grains, like brown rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, and many others. Not only are these grains all 100 percent gluten free, but you can make amazing pilafs and simple, tasty dishes that are quick and easy. The gluten free grains tend to cook quicker and are easier to digest then the gluten grains.

Celiac Disease Induces Mal-Absorption of the Following Nutrients
• Minerals
• Iron
• Zinc
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Vitamins B1, B6, B12, Folic Acid, A, D, E, K
• Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids
Screening For Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity
The testing for celiac disease is somewhat obscure, but the “gold standard” is an intestinal biopsy. This biopsy examines to see if the villi, which are tiny finger- like protrusions in the walls of the small intestine that aid in nutrient absorption, have flattened and shriveled. Other testing includes the IgG ELISA test, which is a simple blood test that measures immune reactions mediated by the IgG antibody, and the very expensive and sophisticated IgA anti-endomysium test. It is recommended and encouraged to get some sort of testing done if you have any of the related symptoms listed here.
There is, however, a blood test called the IgA Anti- Tissue Transglutaminase Test, or tTG for short, and also known as the TGA ELISA or Celiac Antibody Profile. This test measures anti-transglutaminase IgA antibodies in human serum, and a positive test means that a positive diagnosis for celiac disease is very likely. According to studies in the USA and in Europe, this test is as accurate as the IgA antiendomysium test, but is much less expensive.
The importance of getting tested cannot be understated, even if obvious symptoms are not presented. Undiagnosed celiac disease or gluten sensitivity can increase one’s risk for abdominal cancer, lymphoma, and other diseases such as diabetes, especially if ones close relative has been diagnosed with celiac disease. A popular television personality was interviewed recently and she spoke about a more than ten-year struggle to find the source of her symptoms, and it wasn’t until a positive diagnosis for celiac disease, when she eliminated wheat gluten from her diet, that she was able to find relief. Because of the prevalence of gluten sensitivities and celiac disease that commonly goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, it is recommended that everyone have an IgG ELISA general food allergen panel done in addition to an anti-gliadin tTg test. These tests along with a food diary and a symptom scorecard can greatly assist a health care practitioner or nutrition consultant fine tune a non-allergic diet for the patient.
Remember, the only cure for celiac disease is strict avoidance.
Article obtained from Michael Joseph, HHC, AADP

Celiac disease is one of the most sinister and insidious of food allergies. It is estimated that as many as 3 million people in the US may have been diagnosed with the disease, and countless more, at least 97 percent, go undiagnosed and untreated. It should also be noted that as many as 30 million Americans or 10 percent of the American population have some kind of sensitivity to wheat or wheat gluten. Studies have shown that celiac
disease is most prevalent in Ireland, Finland, and northern Italy. It is truly a pandemic of the 21st century, so much so that the Italian government has recently considered having all children under the age of six tested for celiac disease.

Celiac disease (also known as CD or celiac sprue) is a permanent genetic syndrome of the small intestine caused by an extreme allergic reaction to the gluten protein found in wheat and wheat derivatives. It is the gluten sub-fraction gliadin that attacks the lining of the small intestine causing cellular deterioration. This then leads to the chronic inflammation of the small bowel, which results in poor absorption of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. This chain reaction of events can cause a great deal of damage to not just the digestive system, but also the entire body, including the nervous system and the vital organs.

Statistics on the Prevalence of Celiac Disease
• 1 in 167 supposedly healthy school children
• 1 in 111 healthy, asymptomatic adults
• 1 in 39 adults with celiac disease are positively diagnosed

Among those reported with gastrointestinal symptoms:

• 1 in 40 children
• 1 in 30 adults

According to a study published in the Lancet: 19 out of 20 cases go undetected and untreated

Prevalence in ethnicities:
• 1 in 250 Italians
• 1 in 122 Irish
• 1 in 85 Finnish
• 1 in 70 Sardinians
• 1 in 18 Algerian Saharawi refugee children

Among those with a parent, grandparent, or sibling diagnosed with celiac disease: 1 in 11 people.

Some of the symptoms and conditions associated with celiac disease are depression, overweight/underweight, rashes, diarrhea or constipation, abnormal elevation of liver enzymes, neuropathy, osteoporosis, diabetes, increased prevalence of autoimmune diseases, abdominal cancer, and thyroid conditions. It is important to note that some individuals with celiac disease will have very minor GI symptoms. Some health authorities state that clinical depression is the most commonly presenting symptom of undiagnosed celiac disease.

Commonly Reported Symptoms Presented with Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Allergy and Sensitivity

• Chronic Depression (some authorities say this is the most common presenting symptom of celiac disease, especially if the patient hasn’t responded well to medication or other treatments)
• Abnormal elevation of liver enzymes of unknown cause
• Permanent teeth with horizontal grooves and chalky whiteness
• Chronic nerve disease of unknown cause (such as ataxia and peripheral neuropathy)
• Osteoporosis in women not responding to conventional therapies
• Repeated low-impact bone fractures
• Intestinal Cancers
• Short stature in children
• Down Syndrome in children
• Chronic or recurring respiratory tract problems like ear infections and sinusitis
• Chronic fatigue caused by malabsorbtion of nutrients
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Mouth ulcers/canker sores
• Anemia, including, iron, folic acid, B12 and B6 deficiency anemia
• Osteoporosis
• Unintended weight loss
• Chronic diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal bleeding
• Crohn’s disease
• Diverticulitis
• Depression
• ADD/ADHD and behavioral problems in children
• Insulin Dependent Diabetes
• Autism
• Thyroid disease, over and under active
Stay tuned for the conclusion of this article in next month’s newsletter.

Article obtained from Michael Joseph, HHC, AADP

Eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat, and it’s a shame they’ve been vilified for so long in the United States. As a result, egg consumption has been going down for the last 40 years, all because of concerns about cholesterol. But the idea that eggs are unhealthy is a complete myth, one that’s easily debunked if you look at the evidence.

In this latest study, researchers identified several different peptides in eggs that act as potent ACE inhibitors, which are drugs used to lower high blood pressure. This means they may actually lower your risk of heart disease, not raise it as health officials like to say they do. One particularly skewed belief is that eggs are bad for your heart; however, eating eggs on a daily basis may prove to hold numerous health benefits, especially
a decreased risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol is in every cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps in the formation of memories and is vital for your neurological function. We would not be here without it. No wonder lowering cholesterol too much increases one’s risk of dying. Cholesterol also is a precursor to all of the steroid hormones. You cannot make estrogen,
testosterone, cortisone, and a host of other vital hormones without cholesterol.

And anyway, numerous studies have supported the finding that eggs have virtually nothing to do with raising your cholesterol. For instance, research published in the International Journal of Cardiology showed that, in healthy adults, eating eggs every day did not produce:

• A negative effect on endothelial function, an aggregate measure of cardiac risk
• An increase in cholesterol levels

This misguided lipid hypothesis — developed in the 1950s by nutrition pioneer Ancel Keys — linked dietary fat to coronary heart disease. The nutrition community of that time completely accepted the hypothesis, and encouraged the public to cut out butter, red meat, animal fats, eggs, dairy and other “artery clogging” fats from their diets — a radical change at that time

What you may not know is that when Keys published his analysis that claimed to prove the link between dietary fats and coronary heart disease, he selectively analyzed

information from only six countries to prove his correlation, rather than comparing all the data available at the time — from 22 countries. As a result of this “cherry-picked” data, government health organizations began bombarding the public with advice that has contributed to many of the disease epidemics going on today: eat a low-fat diet.

Not surprisingly, numerous studies have actually shown that Keys’ theory was wrong and foods like eggs are healthy. Sadly, as Americans cut out nutritious animal foods like eggs from their diets, they were left hungry. So they began eating more processed grains, more vegetable oils, and more high-fructose corn syrup, all of which are nutritional disasters. It is this latter type of diet that will actually lead to increased inflammation, and therefore cholesterol, in your body. So don’t let anyone scare you away from eggs (and other animal foods) anymore.
But Wait, The Type of Egg DOES Matter!

Eggs are an incredible source of high-quality nutrients that many of us are deficient in — especially high-quality protein and fat. And it is my strong belief that they are a nearly ideal fuel source for most of us. One caveat: Please choose the higher quality free-range organic varieties. An egg is considered organic if the chicken was only fed organic food, which means it will not have accumulated high levels of pesticides from the grains (mostly Genetically Modified corn) fed to typical chickens.

Article obtained from DR. MERCOLA ,
www.mercola.com