Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2021 i What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

“It is our duty to help nonspeaking autistic children break free from their prison of silence” Imagine growing up with the full capacity for normal—possibly even superior—thoughts and cognition, but never being able to communicate to the outer world, even to your parents. And then imagine being considered cognitively impaired—what used to be referred to as ‘retarded’—and forever treated like a small, highly unruly child because even the most loving caretakers do not know about the person trapped inside. That is the sorry fate of many nonspeaking autistic children, young people and adults, as father-son duo J.B. and Jamie Handley lay bare in their extraordinary new book Underestimated (Skyhorse Publishing, 2021). Although autism is discussed as a‘spectrum’ disorder—everything from requiring full care to being a bit antisocial—as J.B. puts it,…

Drinking two cups of coffee every day can reduce your chances of heart failure by as much as 30 percent, and it’s the caffeine in the drink that is producing the healthy benefits. Decaffeinated coffee didn’t help and could even increase the risk. The tipping point seems to be at two cups. Drinking just one cup a day didn’t protect the heart, say researchers who took another look at three studies. The results were surprising, say researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, especially as coffee is usually thought to be bad for the heart. “People associate coffee with palpitations and high blood pressure, but these findings turn the assumption on its head,” said researcher David Kao. The three studies had recruited a total of more than 21,000…

Our actual age is one thing—but our biological age could be more significant, and that is determined by factors such as being overweight, smoking and having chronic depression. It’s bad news for men: our gender also helps determine our biological age, say researchers from the Amsterdam UMC, and being male is another factor that makes us age faster. Our biological age can be measured by the length of our telomeres, the caps on the end of chromosomes that shorten as we age; by chemical changes to our DNA, or epigenetics; and by changes to RNA, proteins and metabolites. Although scientists don’t know if these factors work synergistically, they have uncovered four major ones that influence our biological age. The researchers analyzed blood samples from 3,000 volunteers to work out their…

Green and black tea help reduce high blood pressure (hypertension)—and researchers have finally discovered how they do it. Compounds in the teas relax blood vessels by activating a protein known as KCNQ5, say researchers from the University of California at Irvine. The protein is found in the smooth muscles that line blood vessels, and it is activated by two of the tea’s flavonoid compounds, epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). It doesn’t seem to matter whether the tea is black or green, if it’s served hot or cold, or if milk is added—they all have the same beneficial effects on the blood vessels. It’s because they all come from the leaves of the evergreen Camellia sinensis plant, and the differences between the teas are determined by the fermentation process.…

Although the emphasis is on getting people vaccinated against Covid-19, most people have their own natural protection from severe infection. The key is our immune system’s ability to produce antibodies that neutralize the SARS-COV-2 virus responsible for Covid-19 and make infection less deadly. This also stops us from spreading it. In particular, the antibodies target the virus receptor-binding domain (RBD), and this biological process, more than anything else, will determine how long Covid remains a deadly epidemic, say researchers from Tel Aviv University. They compared the B-cell responses of eight patients with severe Covid-19 and 10 others with mild symptoms. Very ill patients had the highest levels of RBD antibodies, and six of the 22 antibodies taken from the patients had strong neutralizing capabilities. Most people naturally produce these neutralizing…

Lateral flow testing—the quick and easy way to see if someone without symptoms has a Covid-19 infectionisn’t fit for purpose, doctors warn. The test delivers the result in just 30 minutes and can give the all-clear for key employees to continue working. Only around 76 percent of the tests are producing accurate results, and it falls to just 57 percent when self-trained staff use it at track-and-trace centers. But people aren’t being told that their test results are likely to be wrong—either telling them they have Covid-19 when they don’t (false positive) or reassuring them they are healthy when, in fact, they have the virus (false negative). The test is more likely to produce a false negative result, and this could be as high as 23 percent of all tests.…

What is undoubtedly bad news for most people in the world seemed to be good news for Pfizer Chief Financial Officer Frank D’Amelio. During a virtual meeting hosted by Barclays Bank in March, D’Amelio told investors that the reports of emerging new, more virulent strains of the Covid-19 virus that had been reported across the globe this spring were a “significant opportunity” for the company. “We’ve got the UK variant, the South Africa variant, the Brazilian variant. And so is there the possibility for more variants to emerge? I think the answer is clearly, there is,” he said. All of these emerging new virus strains mean more shots. Pfizer is already looking into a third booster to accompany its two-part vaccination, D’Amelio reported, and it’s “increasingly likely that an annual…

Our gastrointestinal tract is basically a pipe that runs from mouth to exit. It includes our esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, rectum and digestive organs, the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. It’s meant to be a mostly sealed tube that has its own food factory and defense system, with friends and partners to make it all work seamlessly. A healthy adult gut harbors a complex community of around 100 trillion microbial cells, referred to as the gut microbiome. That’s about 10 times the number of human cells we have in our bodies. In return for a safe and comfortable home, our gut microbes are meant to help us digest our food and make nutrients (including folate, vitamin B12 and short-chain fatty acids) and other cofactors to see us through…

1 Macronutrient contribution by energy (kcal or kJ) should be approximately 20 percent protein (4 kcal/g), 25 percent carbohydrates (4 kcal/g) and 55 percent fats (9 kcal/g) (see page 34 for more on the Food4Health “daily plate” recommendations) 2 Minimize consumption of highly processed foods and avoid all refined carbohydrates 3 Consume plenty of fresh, raw or lightly cooked plant foods (in a roughly 4:1 ratio of vegetables and fruit) that include all six color groups each day (green, red, yellow, orange, blue/black/purple, white/tan/brown) 4 Avoid high-temperature cooking methods (frying, grilling, BBQ) unless brief. Minimize heat damage to proteins, fats, starches and other carbs by using slow cooking methods 5 Healthy fats for cooking include virgin coconut oil, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, virgin avocado oil, safflower oil, and butter…

1 40% vegetables (unprocessed) with ample healthy fats 2 10% fruits (unprocessed) 3 10% grains (gluten-free whole grains and pseudo-grains) e.g. amaranth, buckwheat, millet, oats, quinoa, teff, rice, sorghum 4 10% high ‘healthy fat’ foods e.g. avocado, tree nuts (almond, walnut, brazil, macadamia, etc.), seeds (chia, flax, etc.), coconut (or dairy, if tolerant) yogurt, egg (yolk) 5 25% protein-rich foods with ample healthy fats 6 5% concentrated nutrients e.g. non-irradiated herbs and spices, herbal teas, food supplements 1 40% vegetables (unprocessed) with ample healthy fats 2 10% fruits (unprocessed) 3 10% grains (gluten-free whole grains and pseudo-grains) e.g. amaranth, buckwheat, millet, oats, quinoa, teff, rice, sorghum 4 10% high ‘healthy fat’ foods e.g. avocado, tree nuts (almond, walnut, brazil, macadamia, etc.), seeds (chia, flax, etc.), coconut yogurt 5 25% protein-rich…

There are several mechanisms by which toxic pollutants can harm us, by: • Acting as anti-nutrients • Occupying active sites on enzyme molecules • Occupying hormone receptor sites • Interfering with cell signaling • Causing abnormal protein formation and autoimmune reactions • Leading to production of even more toxic metabolites • Damaging DNA, altering gene expression • Damaging cell membrane structure • Promoting inflammation and oxidative damage to cells…

I suspect adrenal fatigue is part of metabolic syndrome. Wobbly blood sugar levels are stressful to the body. Sugar is a very damaging molecule. It is ‘sticky,’ and that results in sticky blood and damage to the lining of arteries. Insulin is employed to control high blood sugar, so down come the levels. Suddenly there may be insufficient sugar to fuel the sugar-adapted mitochondria, and energy delivery starts to shut down. Panic! Release the instant panic hormone adrenalin, which is followed by cortisol, DHEA and others. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by spiking adrenal hormones so, not surprisingly, the adrenal gland gets fatigued. This increases its need for raw materials, especially vitamin C, and this is the commonest micronutrient deficiency in humans.…

A 67-year-old woman came to Dr Dale Bredesen, founder of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, suffering from two years of progressive memory loss. She had a demanding analytical job, and gradually found herself unable to analyze data or prepare reports. She couldn’t recall what she’d just read and was no longer able to remember numbers. She also began to have trouble driving her car even on familiar roads. She confused the names of her pets and forgot where the light switches were in her home. Upon consulting her physician about her problems, she was told there was nothing he could do about it. In despair and on the verge of suicide, she was referred by a friend to Dr Bredesen, who put her on a program that included…

According to herbalist Meilyr James, owner of the Herbal Clinic in Swansea, Wales (www.herbalclinic-swansea.co.uk), ginger is useful when you start to feel a migraine coming on. The herb can help prevent its progression as it’s an anti-inflammatory and relaxes tightness of the blood vessels, he says. (Constriction of the vessels in the brain is thought to contribute to the pain of migraine.) It also has painkilling properties and can help with any associated nausea. What to do: • Grate a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger (around 10 g) and infuse in one pint of boiling water for 20 minutes. • If the ginger is organic, there is no need to peel it first, simply wash it well. • Sweeten with honey and drink while hot (reheat in a pan if…

In the natural world, animals are exposed to a huge variety of smells, and they have an innate response to aromas, tastes and touch. You may well observe a change in your pet’s behavior and body language when you use some of the healing plant remedies listed below, with signs of licking, chewing, yawning, or relaxation. These are all indications that your pet is processing the aromas of the plants. Simply inhaling the aromas can be a trigger to allowing healing to commence. Bladderwrack ( Fucus vesiculosus ) Parts used: Whole plant Common uses and key properties: The common bladderwrack, part of the seaweed family, can be found washed up on beaches around the world. It’s packed with beneficial nutrients and, fed in small amounts, is a wonderful…

Dr Damien Downing, a specialist in allergy, environment and nutrition, is current president of the British Society for Ecological Medicine, on the editorial board of Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, Chief Medical Advisor of cancer charity Yes to Life (www.yestolife.org.uk), and author of numerous books including The Vitamin Cure for Allergies. Dr Harald Gaier is a UK-registered osteopath, homeopath, acupuncturist, naturopath and medical herbalist. Former director of medical research at The Hale Clinic and a committee member of the Prince of Wales’ Foundation for Integrated Health, Dr Gaier has authored numerous scientific papers and The Encyclopedia of Homeopathy. Dr Michel Odent, a French-trained surgeon and obstetrician, is a pioneer of the natural birth movement, emphasizing home and water birth. Founder of the Primal Health Research Centre in the UK, he has…

Eating leafy green vegetables will help keep you mentally sharp by the time you reach your late 70s. The vegetables seem to be the most important element of the Mediterranean diet when it comes to maintaining brain health, although reducing the amount of red meat in the diet can also help, say researchers. A research team from the University of Edinburgh tested the thinking skills of more than 500 people who were 79 years old, and assessed their ability to solve problems, their memory and word association, and then analyzed what they had been eating in the previous 12 months. Those who closely followed the Mediterranean diet recorded high cognitive function scores, and those who ate leafy green vegetables and cut down on the amount of red meat had the…

Official health guidance tells us to eat five portions of fruits and vegetables a day. Although the amount is absurdly low, should we eat more fruit than vegetables, or the other way round? According to the American Heart Association (AHA), vegetables are more health-giving than fruit, and so they should be making up the majority of our five-a-day servings. Researchers at Harvard University, commissioned by the AHA, looked at the results of the Nurses’ Health Study, which had tracked the health and diets of more than 100,000 nurses for 30 years. They added to that the results from 26 other studies that had included nearly 2 million participants. In their findings, the researchers discovered: • People who ate at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day were also…

Giving high-dose vitamin D to Covid-19 patients could reduce the numbers needing intensive care treatment by as much as 60 percent. It could also halve the number of Covid deaths. A form of the vitamin, calcifediol or D3, which is usually given to treat chronic kidney failure, could help reduce the severity of a Covid-19 infection, a new study claims. It’s been tested on 551 Covid patients at a hospital in Barcelona, who were given 532 mcg calcifediol on admission and 266 mcg on four further days, and were compared to 379 other Covid patients who were instead given standard treatment. Around 15 percent of those given standard care died, compared to 6.5 percent given calcifediol, while 5 percent given the vitamin needed intensive care treatment compared to 21 percent…

The benefits of pharmaceuticals may all be in the mind—quite literally. A placebo, or dummy drug, works just as well as a painkiller at reducing pain, and will even induce the same physical changes to areas of the brain linked to pain management. If a placebo can have such profound effects, it could also be the case that a patient’s mind is having as big an influence with an actual pharmaceutical—and so it’s the patient’s state of mind that will determine whether any pill, placebo or otherwise, will work as intended. Scientists at Dartmouth College analyzed MRI data from the brains of 600 people who were given a placebo while they were in pain. The researchers discovered there were clear and significant changes in brain areas associated with pain. Those…

People with heart problems should pay special attention to the health of their gums. Gum disease, or periodontitis, increases the chances of a heart attack. Even people who don’t have heart disease, but are in the age range when heart problems are more likely, shouldn’t be ignoring unhealthy gums, say researchers from Harvard University. Periodontitis is a big warning that the person is at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The disease causes inflammation, and this can affect the health of the arteries and eventually lead to heart disease. The researchers used PET and CT scans of 304 people to gauge their level of inflammation in the arteries and gums, and 13 of those with the worst periodontitis developed major heart problems, including heart attacks and stroke, over the four…

Cancer should be a rare disease. Cancer cells defy biology by getting their energy from glucose (sugar), not oxygen—and researchers have now discovered how they do it. Cancer cells contain a ‘powerhouse’ molecule, PI3 kinase, that acts as a communicator once the disease begins. It’s part of cancer’s metabolism, and that’s why other researchers haven’t noticed it. Instead, they have been concentrating on cancer’s signaling capabilities. But when researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center started to look instead at cancer’s metabolic processes, they discovered the importance that PI3 plays in its growth. And understanding this could open the door to different cancer therapies that concentrate on the disease’s metabolism. Scientists have had most of the pieces of the cancer puzzle for years, ever since German physicist Otto Warburg recognized…

Researchers are a step closer to understanding, and treating, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a digestive problem that affects around one in five adults. They have discovered that the release of histamine, a chemical that fights allergic reactions, is responsible for typical IBS symptoms such as stomach pains and discomfort. IBS often starts after a stomach infection and makes us intolerant to some foods. When these foods are eaten, mast cells release histamine, which causes digestive problems. Scientists at research university KU Leuven in Belgium proved the theory when they infected laboratory mice with a stomach bug before feeding them ovalbumin, a protein in egg white. Only the mice that had been infected had the immune response that included histamine release. The immune response was only in the part of the…

Doctors trust a new drug. After all, it’s gone through rigorous and expensive safety tests, there are reassuring studies that demonstrate the drug is effective—even if they have been paid for by the drug company—and salesmen will reward a prescription or two of the new drug with a new PC for the office. And there’s always the razzamatazz that accompanies the arrival of a drug that’s celebrated as the great new hope for some chronic condition. Everyone likes a new drug, especially the manufacturer, who looks to get a third of its profits from it. But there’s a dark side to the lucrative market in new drugs. Nearly one in three of these new drugs will kill the patient or cause life-threatening side-effects—even though it has gone through years of…

Yellow foods Apples, banana, bell peppers (yellow), corn, chickpeas, ginger root, lemon, millet, pineapple, popcorn Benefits: Cancer protective, healthy inflammatory response, cell protection, cognition, skin health, eye health, heart/vascular health Green foods Apples (green), artichoke, asparagus, avocado, bamboo shoots, beans, bean sprouts, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, edamame (soybeans), green tea, “greens” (arugula, beet leaves, chard, dandelion leaves, kale, lettuce, mustard leaves, spinach, etc.), lettuce, limes, okra, olives (green), pak choy, peas, rosemary, spinach, watercress Benefits: Healthy inflammatory response, brain health, cell protection, skin health, hormone balance, heart health, liver health Blue/Purple/Black foods Blueberries, blackberries, cabbage (purple), carrots (purple), cauliflower (purple), eggplant, figs, grapes (purple), kale (purple), olives (black), plums, potatoes (purple), prunes, raisins, rice (black/purple) Benefits: Cancer protective, healthy inflammatory response, cell protection, cognitive health, heart health, liver…

The first major step toward better gut health is to provide the plant foods, fiber and phytonutrients, like polyphenols, that not only feed our friends (prebiotics), but also ensure that we have the right ones setting up home. That includes cutting out or down on refined, starchy carbs and sugar, both of which cause yeasts to flourish and the overgrowth of less beneficial bacteria in places they shouldn’t be, like your small intestine (creating SIBO—small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). 1 Maintain a 12-hour overnight fast on at least 5 days a week, but longer if you can. Fifteen to 18 hours is optimal, but it may take six to eight weeks to achieve this with ease. 2 Leave at least 5 hours between meals or any form of food intake to…

In the polluted twenty-first century, we live surrounded by artificial chemicals that our bodies are not evolved to cope with. Some 80,000–100,000 have been synthesized since the Industrial Revolution. They are in common use, and find their way into our air, water, soil and food, and ultimately into us. Car fumes, industrial waste, pesticides, heavy metals—we are exposed to all these and many more with very little choice. Then there are the toxic chemicals to which we expose ourselves voluntarily, but in blissful ignorance—our perfume or aftershave, deodorant and hair spray, the kitchen cleaning fluids under the sink, the stain remover, the car oil, the air freshener we spray in the toilet. All of these substances are alien to the human body, and they accumulate over the years, potentially doing…

Get a good-quality vitamin C in the form of ascorbate, not ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid may be cheaper, but it can be rough on the stomach. In the ascorbate form, vitamin C is “buffered” by being combined with a mineral such as magnesium or potassium. So you are looking for magnesium ascorbate or potassium ascorbate powder. Don’t get an effervescent, colored, flavored variety; you don’t want the artificial additives in there. Just pure ascorbate. Why powder, not capsules? Because the large doses of vitamin C you need for detox and antimicrobial purposes (as opposed to the much lower dosage for regular nutritional maintenance) would require you to swallow too many capsules, overloading your digestive system with methyl cellulose (the stuff most capsules are made of). Dissolve the vitamin C powder…

The evolutionarily correct diet is the paleo-ketogenic (PK) diet. It’s a non-negotiable part of my treatment plan. Paleo means no dairy and no gluten grains; ketogenic means that the body is powered by fat and fiber, not sugar and starch. All our energy delivery mechanisms evolved to run primarily on fat, and the human gut, brain, immune system, heart, muscles and liver further benefit. For all the details on the what, why and how, see my book The PK Cookbook (Hammersmith Books, 2018), but here are the basic guidelines. What to eat Eat as much as you like of the following: • Fats—saturated fats for energy such as lard, butter, ghee, goose fat, coconut oil, palm oil. • Oils—unsaturated fats that are also fuels but contain essential omega-3 and -6…

For general brain health and dealing with cognitive issues, Edson suggests the following approaches. Lifestyle Research indicates that the Mediterranean diet improves cognitive function while reducing amyloid-beta accumulation and lowers the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.4 Caloric restriction is also effective, increasing lifespan and promoting neurogenesis and plasticity.5 It aids in the reduction of inflammation and reduces neural oxidative stress. Edson also recommends testing for and removing heavy metals, which have been shown to mimic symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, triggering issues such as brain fog, insomnia and depression. Exercise is also tremendously important according to Edson. “Exercise is everything,”he says. Dr Julie Brush, ND, a functional medical doctor with the Amen Clinic in Los Angeles, is even more forthright about the importance of exercise in improving…

“There are plenty of holistic options for dogs with Cushing’s” Q Our eight-year-old dog, Walter, has been diagnosed with Cushing’s disease. Our vet wants him to go on a drug called Vetoryl. Can you offer any holistic advice? J.W., via email A Cushing’s disease is when the adrenal glands produce too much of the hormone cortisol. Also known as hyperadrenocorticism, or HAC, it’s a common condition in middle-aged or elderly dogs. However, many holistic vets, including myself, believe this syndrome is overdiagnosed, as some tests give too many false-positive results. There are three types of canine Cushing’s disease: Pituitary dependent. Enlargement of the pituitary gland due to a tumor causes it to secrete increased amounts of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which stimulates the adrenal glands to secrete more and more cortisol.…

In 1959, the English scientist and writer C. P. Snow famously delineated the disparate worlds of the arts and sciences as “the two cultures.” Each had its own language and reference points, and the world was the poorer for their separation. Medicine, too, has its two cultures, and they have come into stark contrast by the response to the Covid-19 epidemic.‘Natural’ remedies, such as high-dose vitamin C and D as preventatives and cures, have not been generally adopted in intensive care units, but instead have been dismissed as unproven or unscientific. The view has been supported by studies that have been set up to fail. And one study that did demonstrate success—it reported that vitamin D reduced the number needing intensive care treatment by as much as 60 percent and…

Keep on questioning In the Apr/May issue of WDDTY, Rob Verkerk’s column was amazing. It should be sent to every household in the country and even put up in doctor’s clinics.  Unfortunately, the fear people have of getting ill makes them rely on doctors. They take their diagnosis, prescription, vaccine, etc., and don’t question the medical knowledge. As the article states, the vast majority don’t know about informed consent. Doctors don’t have time for it and probably think their patients won’t understand anyway.  Doctors don’t want knowledgeable patients as it could bring their lack of knowledge into the light, or take up more time in the clinic.   I have reached an age when all doctors look too young. I now always ask questions, and if I don’t get an answer that I am…

Most women with a urinary tract infection (UTI) are getting the wrong treatment from their doctor. Around 75 percent are given a prescription for longer than is needed to treat uncomplicated cases, and half get the wrong antibiotic altogether, a new study has discovered. Incorrect prescribing can have serious implications for the women and increases antibiotic resistance, say researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. They looked at insurance claims made by 670,400 women between 18 and 44 years old who had been treated for uncomplicated UTI. Of these, 47 percent were given an inappropriate antibiotic, and 76 percent were treated longer than necessary. Long-term treatment was more common in women who were living in rural areas. Doctors should be prescribing a narrow-spectrum antibiotic for a UTI,…

Nearly 90 percent of Covid-19 deaths could be linked to a vitamin D deficiency, researchers have discovered—and those lives would have been saved with high-dose supplements. In one study, 64 percent of 185 Covid patients needing hospital treatment were deficient in the vitamin, say researchers from the German Cancer Research Centre, and 16 of them died. This would suggest that a vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of dying from a Covid infection 11-fold. Extrapolating that across the general population, around 87 percent of Covid deaths are linked to a vitamin D deficiency. The researchers say it is “highly debatable and potentially even unethical” to wait for further evidence that vitamin D supplements can help Covid patients, and they should be introduced as part of standard care immediately. Nutrients, 2020;…

Breast cancer could be a disease of vitamin D deficiency. Women who spend hours outdoors—and so are exposed to more sunlight, one of the main sources of the vitamin—run a far lower risk of developing the cancer. The benefits of long sun exposure become apparent once a woman reaches the age of 50, and the cancer risk could fall by 17 percent for those who have spent the most time outdoors, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered. They analyzed the lifestyles of more than 38,000 women under the age of 70 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and compared them with healthy women. To assess sunlight exposure, the researchers looked for occupations that were mainly based outdoors, and especially between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when our…

People who suffer badly from a Covid-19 infection have one thing in common—and it’s not their age or having underlying health problems. They all tend to have much shorter telomeres, the caps on the ends of DNA strands that have been closely linked to aging. Researchers from Spain’s National Cancer Research Center suspected severe Covid cases had short telomeres after learning that long-lasting lung and kidney damage was a common legacy for the worst affected. The organs couldn't regenerate, which pointed to a telomere problem. Telomeres protect chromosomes in cells, and each time a cell divides, its telomeres shorten until they can no longer protect the cell’s function. Once the damaged cell stops dividing, new tissue is no longer generated. The result is body aging and health problems such as…

A fecal transplant could kick-start a compromised gut, and even help patients overcome advanced cancers, a new study has discovered. Stool or fecal transplants can repopulate the gut microbiome with ‘good’ bacteria that help cancer patients respond to immunotherapy, a treatment that harnesses the healing powers of the immune system. In one study, patients with advanced melanoma were successfully treated with immunotherapy after a fecal transplant. They had not initially responded to the treatment because their gut had become compromised, say researchers from the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research. Six of the 15 patients in the study responded to the transplant and went on to be successfully treated by immunotherapy. One patient is still showing positive responses two years later. The gut of those who responded had higher…

When Pfizer-BioNTech shareholders and execs met online at a conference hosted by Barclays Bank in March to discuss how the biggest campaign with the fastest-produced vaccine in world history was progressing, adverse events did not make the agenda. The discussion was primarily focused on manufacturing and rollout, projected revenues, pricing, the power of franchise and growth opportunities. There was no mention of the headlines across the globe about nursing home residents dying suddenly after injections of Covid vaccine or people testing Covid positive after the shot or those who had anaphylactic shock reactions or data finding high rates of facial paralysis. Blood clots Investors are not generally interested in product side-effects unless they impact the bottom line. European stock markets fell in March, however, as one after another, government regulators…

It baffles me how myopic we humans can be when trying to find solutions to some of our biggest challenges. Many thought nuclear power could be a one-stop replacement for fossil fuel, but it turned out to come with numerous problems, especially the risks of nuclear waste disposal and reactor meltdowns. A diversified complex of renewable energy sources using solar and wind seems to be a more sustainable, long-term option, now close to getting consensus from scientists, industry, politicians and the public. Our latest challenge is how to exit decisively and smoothly from the pandemic. I believe it’s a big mistake to put all our eggs in one basket—that basket representing vaccine-based solutions. This isn’t an anti-vax position; it’s a cautionary one. We have a number of signals now that…

Gregory Tino was 24 years old, and he had not spoken to anyone since he was a toddler. Not in the ordinary way, in any case. A nonspeaking autistic person, his language consisted mostly of mimicking snippets of television and movie scripts. He couldn’t ask for what he wanted to eat, much less hold a conversation. Gregory’s mother Linda doted on him, however, and was patient through his youth. She and her husband cared for him through his seizures, his emotional meltdowns and his violent outbursts; once he pummeled her because there was no hot water for a shower. She never understood these fits from her sensitive son, but his family loved him and cared for him like he was a child, even while his body grew into a man.…

An overarching message from people with autism who use letterboards to speak, as well as their parents and the practitioners in the field, is belief in the potential of the method to unlock just about anyone who wants to try. “Anyone who is nonspeaking or minimally speaking can learn to do this,” said Honey Rinicella, who never imagined the things her 20-year-old son Vince has revealed about himself in under two years since he was given the opportunity to communicate via Spelling to Communicate If you have a child or know someone who is nonspeaking autistic and might be trapped in a prison of silence, here are some resources to get started with Spelling to Communicate. Growing Kids Therapy Center in Herndon, VA, founded and run by Elizabeth Vosseller, who…

A healthy, robust gut can manage a certain number of foods containing so-called “antinutrients.” Depending on your cultural background, ethnicity and the foods you’ve become used to, you may not experience any adverse effects at all. But if you have a sensitive gut, autoimmune disease in your family history, or other health or fatigue issues, try to avoid overloading your body with the following antinutrients. Saponins Vegetables and grains that cause a foam on the water as you cook them (onions, rice, potatoes, soy beans, legumes) contain saponins, which can take out whole sections of your epithelial layer.3 Rinsing rice and soaking legumes (pulses and beans) overnight before cooking them rids them of most of the saponins—cooking legumes for over six hours can destroy the lectins, too, and you can…

For those of you who are, or think you might be, sensitive to lectins, the biggest offenders include: • grains • legumes (including peanuts) • seeds (including cashews) • some of the much-loved members of the deadly nightshade family—tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, even goji berries. Rid yourself of lectins through long cooking times or by using a pressure cooker, which kills lectins but preserves most nutrients. With legumes, think long cooking times, just like a traditional dahl. A true dahl is often slow cooked for several hours, substantially reducing the lectin content. It takes time (up to about 6 hours) at a gentle boil to destroy these audacious chemical weapons. Opt instead for low-lectin vegetables including avocados, leafy greens, the entire cruciferous family (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, pak choy, kale,…

Some of the main synthetic compounds of concern include: • Air pollutants, both outdoors and indoors • Biocides—pesticides, herbicides (weed-killers), fungicides, insecticides • Plastics and plasticisers • Personal care products • Perfumes • Hair products • Laundry chemicals • Dry-cleaning fluids • Building materials • Decorating materials • Paints, varnishes, glues • Domestic cleaning chemicals • Detergents and disinfectants • Drugs • Food additives…

The close matching of energy demands to delivery is fundamental for survival. When a saber-toothed tiger jumped out on one of our primitive ancestors, they would need to put in an Olympic-performance sprint requiring maximal energy delivery. On the other hand, resting up in a warm nest means energy delivery can be reduced. This balancing all happens courtesy of the adrenal and thyroid glands. Broadly speaking, the thyroid gland base-loads to establish the basal metabolic rate, and the adrenals fine tune. For a seconds- to minutes-level response we have adrenalin, which may be followed by a minutes- to hours-level response determined by cortisol. Hibernating bears have low levels of thyroid hormones; we see levels of thyroid hormones in humans increase in the summer. This makes perfect evolutionary sense. Doctors have…

Most people have experienced what is termed “brain fog,” the sense of being forgetful, with a clouded mind, poor concentration and difficulty thinking and communicating, accompanied by low overall motivation. Michael Edson attributes the causes of brain fog and poor cognitive function in general to several factors including hormonal changes, chronic fatigue, inflammation and oxidative stress, dehydration, food allergies, exposure to toxins, celiac disease and, last but not least, poor diet and nutrition. If this sounds like you, here are some of the nootropics to consider, which Edson suggests specifically for brain fog. Acetyl l-carnitine—500 mg Alpha-lipoic acid—crosses the blood brain barrier to support production of acetylcholine, the most prominent neurotransmitter in the brain linked to learning and memory; 600 mg daily B vitamins—follow label instructions Bacopa monnieri extract—150 to…

“We are conducting arguably the largest psychological experiment ever,”wrote clinical psychologist and stress expert Dr Elke Van Hoof in April 2020, when 2.6 billion people around the world were plunged into some form of lockdown or quarantine due to COVID-19.1 One year on, the mental health impact of the pandemic and its control measures is just beginning to be seen. According to a recently published study of eight countries, the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with “highly significant levels of psychological distress,” with soaring rates of stress, anxiety and depression being reported in the general population.2 This is bad news for physical health too, as stress, anxiety and depression are known to wreak havoc on the immune system.3 To coincide with Stress Awareness Month, we’ve put together a guide to some…