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The Main Cause of Death in America: Red Meat

April 12, 2009 – 5:19 pm

Americans are literally eating themselves to death. We have the greatest percentage of obese population than any other country in the world. Our children are becoming obese and diabetic as young as 5 years old. The biggest consumer of meat products is our obese population. Therefore it seems logical to assume that the more meat in the diet, the greater chance of becoming obese and dying a premature death. Even those of average weight should heed this warning of the dangers of meat in our diet.

Some of the highest priced items in the grocery store are found in the meat department. In contrast, the less pricey foods can be found in the produce section full of fresh fruits and vegetables. With our economy on a down hill spiral, wouldn’t it be a good time to change from meat to the more healthy foods? You could save money and live much longer.(Author)

Red Meat Linked to Early Death

From pcrm.org

Another large study has shown that eating meat increases your risk of mortality. Red meat, long associated with cancer and heart disease, is now linked to increased risk of death from ALL CAUSES.

In this new study, National Cancer Institute researchers looked at the diets of more than half a million people aged 50 to 71 and found that those who ate 4 ounces of red meat a day—about the size of a small hamburger—were the most likely to die from heart disease, cancer, and all causes over the next 10 years. Beef, pork, bacon, sausage, cold cuts, hot dogs, and other red or processed meats all increased the odds of premature death.

The study authors also noted that the increased death rates found in study participants may be “conservative estimates because red and processed meat consumption may be higher in the general population.”

White meat intake was similarly associated with increased cardiovascular disease mortality in men overall. Among both male and female nonsmokers, higher white meat intake was associated with increased cardiovascular disease mortality but with slightly reduced cancer mortality.

While risks are, in some cases, higher for red meat consumption, compared with white meat, there is no evidence that risks associated with white meat intake are outweighed by benefits.

Science continues to confirm the benefits of plant-based diets. This is a great time to start a meat-free diet—and to bring friends and family along to enjoy good health and longevity.

You can find thousands of recipes on www.NutritionMD.org, and can tune in to Food for Life TV for live webcasts about healthy eating, including cooking demonstrations by chefs and nutritionists. Also, sign up to receive PCRM’s Breaking Medical News to be the first to hear about other landmark studies.

By Dr. Garrett | Posted in Food Industry, Healthy Living, Obesity | Comments (0)

Are Government Controlled “School Lunches” Making Our Kids Sick?

April 2, 2009 – 11:22 am

 Meat Study Highlights Need for School Lunch Reform

From PCRM.org  (Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine)   

A huge new study shows that meat—especially red and processed meat—increases the risk of early death from heart disease and cancer. So why is the federal government still encouraging schools to serve students hamburgers, hot dogs, and pepperoni pizza? Let Congress know that students deserve healthful food. Sign PCRM’s petition asking for healthful vegetarian options in school lunches.

In a study published last month, National Cancer Institute researchers looked at the diets of more than half a million people aged 50 to 71 and found that those who ate 4 ounces of red meat a day—about the size of a small hamburger—were the most likely to die over the next 10 years. Beef, pork, bacon, sausage, cold cuts, and other red or processed meats all increased the odds of premature death from causes including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

White meat intake was similarly associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in men overall and among both male and female nonsmokers. Among individuals who had never smoked, higher white meat intake was associated with increased cardiovascular disease mortality in both men and women but with reduced cancer mortality.

The study authors also noted that the increased death rates found in study participants may be “conservative estimates because red and processed meat consumption may be higher in the general population.”

These findings should be compelling enough to make the general population rethink their McDonald’s and Pizza Hut lunches. Unfortunately, many students have trouble finding a healthful alternative to meat-heavy meals in the school lunchroom. Every year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture buys up millions of pounds of surplus beef, pork, and other high-fat meat products to distribute to cash-strapped food service programs.  The consequences of these unhealthy foods on children’s health are as dire as those found in the study participants.

The artery walls of overweight children are looking more like those of an average 45-year-old, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s 2008 convention. And one in three young people born in 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in his or her life.

Congress will soon have an opportunity to change those grim numbers when lawmakers revise the Child Nutrition Act, which regulates the National School Lunch Program.

“Students deserve healthy vegetarian alternatives to high-fat meat products,” says PCRM nutritionist Kathryn Strong, M.S., R.D. “This study clearly confirms the link between meat-heavy diets and increased risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. The federal government must encourage schools to serve healthful foods.”

Studies show that a low-fat vegetarian diet can help prevent obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Both the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association have passed resolutions supporting vegetarian options on school lunch menus.

You too can support vegetarian options on school lunches. Visit www.HealthySchoolLunches.org to sign PCRM’s petition asking Congress to help schools give students more vegetables, fruits, vegetarian foods, and healthful nondairy beverages. Then visit the HealthySchoolLunch.org cause on Facebook for a chance to win an iPod Touch or Shuffle.

By Dr. Garrett | Posted in Food Industry, Healthy Living, Obesity | Comments (0)

FDA OKs Dangerous “Ineffective” Antidepressants for America’s Children

March 22, 2009 – 11:27 am

Another example of the drug companies’ control of the FDA.

On March 20 the FDA approved the use of the antidepressants Celexa and Lexapro for children from 7 years old and up. Even though there was no solid evidence that these drugs were effective on children.  Even though these drugs have been known to lead to suicide thoughts and suicide. Even though drug’s manufacturer, Forest Laboratories, was under investigation for bribing pediatricians to induce them to prescribe these drugs to children. In view of all these facts, The FDA still approved these drugs for helpless children.

The term “off label” means the prescribing  of a drug for a use other than the use specifically determined by the FDA. The FDA approval wasn’t really necessary since the “off label” use of a drug is rarely prosecuted when the doctor makes the decision to prescribe the drug for use contrary to FDA instructions. But when drug company’s representatives bribe doctors to go “off label” and prescribe a drug for other uses, legal action can be the result. Forest Labs was under investigation for this crime.

“On February 25, after a five-year probe, the U.S. Justice Department accused Forest of wrongly attempting to sway pediatricians to prescribe Celexa and Lexapro (for children), including inducements like spa visits, fishing trips and tickets to sporting events and Broadway shows. Neither drug had been approved for kids until Lexapro won the FDA’s nod on Friday.

The federal complaint accused Forest of pushing aside a study showing that Celexa was ineffective for pediatric use and instead urging its sales staff to promote a second, more positive study.The federal prosecutors, based in Massachusetts, last month said Celexa was no more effective than a placebo when taken by children or teenagers, and that more patients taking Celexa reported suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide.”

They alleged that federal health care programs have paid “thousands of false and fraudulent claims for Celexa and Lexapro prescriptions that were not covered for off-label pediatric use and/or were ineligible for payment as a result of illegal kickbacks paid by Forest.”

It is unconscionable that the FDA approved these drugs with all the negative information available to them. Not only the criminal marketing practices of the drug company’s representatives , but also the lack of solid proof that the drugs were even effective.

The FDA has a history of approving deadly drugs as evidenced by the long list of FDA “approved” drugs that were later taken off the market for killing thousands of innocent patients. The latest being Vioxx. By the time these drug related deaths are revealed and reach the news media, it’s too late!

Forest Labs was in trouble for encouraging pediatricians to prescribe “off label” dangerous, ineffective antidepressants to 7 year old kids. The FDA  changed the “label”  to approve the drugs for kids. Now Forest Labs is off the hook. And another politician gets campaign funds from Forest. It’s all about money! The patient be damned!   (Author)

 

Depression pill OK’d for kids but probe goes on

 Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:25pm EDT By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Just weeks after prosecutors accused Forest Laboratories Inc of illegally marketing its anti-depressants Celexa and Lexapro to children and paying pediatricians kickbacks, U.S. health regulators have approved Lexapro for depression in kids.

Forest said Lexapro, its biggest product with annual sales of more than $2 billion, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat major depressive disorder in adolescents aged 12 to 17 and as a maintenance therapy, meaning to maintain control of symptoms. It is already approved for adults.

But federal prosecutors have said that Lexapro and Celexa have long been used improperly to treat depression in children.

On February 25, after a five-year probe, the U.S. Justice Department accused Forest of wrongly attempting to sway pediatricians to prescribe Celexa and Lexapro, including inducements like spa visits, fishing trips and tickets to sporting events and Broadway shows. Neither drug had been approved for kids until Lexapro won the FDA’s nod on Friday.

The federal complaint accused Forest of pushing aside a study showing that Celexa was ineffective for pediatric use and instead urging its sales staff to promote a second, more positive study.

The FDA on Friday approved Lexapro’s use for adolescents based on favorable results in two clinical trials, one involving adolescents taking Lexapro and another involving children and adolescents taking chemically similar Celexa, Forest said.

But effectiveness was not shown in another pair of studies, Forest said, one a Lexapro trial involving patients aged 7 to 17 and the other a study of Celexa in adolescents.

Moreover, the company said on Friday that Lexapro’s ability to maintain control of symptoms in adolescents had not been demonstrated.

But the FDA concluded that maintenance efficacy can be “extrapolated” from adult data and from comparisons of how Lexapro is absorbed among adults and adolescents, Forest said.

“A lot of these kinds of trials are not successful because it’s very difficult to do depression studies,” said Forest spokesman Frank Murdolo.

“But we have two studies that were successful” and will provide patients another treatment option, Murdolo said.

Lexapro, the 15th biggest drug in the United States by sales, is a derivative of Celexa, an older product that was once a blockbuster treatment but is now widely sold by generic drugmakers.

The FDA had approved Celexa to treat adult depression but declined to approve it for children.

The federal prosecutors, based in Massachusetts, last month said Celexa was no more effective than a placebo when taken by children or teenagers, and that more patients taking Celexa reported suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide.

They alleged that federal health care programs have paid “thousands of false and fraudulent claims for Celexa and Lexapro prescriptions that were not covered for off-label pediatric use and/or were ineligible for payment as a result of illegal kickbacks paid by Forest.”

New York-based Forest said depression affects about 2 million adolescents in the United States and that Lexapro is only the second anti-depressant approved for such younger patients.

Shares of Forest Labs closed down one cent at $21.13 on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Toni Reinhold)

By Dr. Garrett | Posted in Dangerous Drugs, Drug Companies, Mental Health | Comments (0)

Check Your Genes. You May be Defective!

February 28, 2009 – 11:30 pm

This is a story I find hard to describe. “Take a gene from a shark to grow a tooth in a mouse?” Absurd, comical, harebrained?

There’s a movement in the ’scientific’ community focusing on ‘gene therapy’, with abundant funding from our tax dollars. A large percentage of man’s illnesses might be traced to a genetic defect. They have found these gene defects to be involved in obesity, bi-polar disorders, ADHD, heart disease and multitude of other maladies. Eventually all diseases of man could be cured by gene therapy. At least that seems to be their contention.

Now these brilliant researchers have taken a gene from a shark and used it to grow a tooth in a mouse. At what cost and for what purpose? I don’t own a mouse. And if I did, I would surely take him to his mouse dentist regularly so he wouldn’t have lost a tooth. Who’s to say that, if the ’shark gene’ were used on a human and there were a gene mixup, the person might grow a fin on their back instead of a tooth and be able to breathe under water?

The gene stories make great headlines, promising a possible cure for all sorts of diseases, but the adverse effects of gene manipulation are rarely reported. Such as the boy who recently died of multiple brain tumors after being treated with gene therapy. They are now in the process of requiring a “gene scan’ of all patients sometime in the near future.

They are now examining the genes of fetuses to determine whether the baby will be ‘normal’ and not be cursed with Downs Syndrome or other defects. This gives the parents a chance to decide whether or not to abort the child. Many have!

Gene alteration of corn is a good example of the affects on humans by messing with Mother Nature. By changing the corn gene two things have happened. 1. The size of the crop is increased nearly four fold. 2. The nutritional value of the corn is decreased while the sugar content has increased. This was the start of the widespread use of ‘high-fructose corn sweetener’ used in thousands of products. Hershey has recently switched from sugar to the cheaper corn syrup in all it’s products.This strong sweetener has been linked to the current rise in diabetes.

The company who produced the gene altered corn has received a patent. The patent forbids the sale of any corn seeds except the genetically altered seeds from Monsanto. This is the first time in history that a food crop has been patented.

If you have a headache, or indigestion, or blurred vision, or big ears, check your genes. Start with the back pockets. (Author)

 ‘Finding genes that make teeth grow all in a row’

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard, Ap Medical Writer Thu Feb 26, 9:27 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Ever wonder why sharks get several rows of teeth and people only get one? Some geneticists did, and their discovery could spur work to help adults one day grow new teeth when their own wear out.

A single gene appears to be in charge, preventing additional tooth formation in species destined for a limited set. When the scientists bred mice that lacked that gene, the rodents developed extra teeth next to their first molars — backups like sharks and other non-mammals grow, University of Rochester scientists reported Thursday.

If wondering about shark teeth seems rather wonky, consider: Tooth loss from gum disease is a major problem, here and abroad, and dentures or dental implants are far from perfect treatments. If scientists knew exactly what triggers a new tooth to grow in the first place, it’s possible they could switch that early-in-life process on again during adulthood to regenerate teeth.

“It’s exciting. We’ve got a clue what to do,” said Dr. Songtao Shi of the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, who said the Rochester discovery will help his own research into how to grow a new tooth from scratch.

Also intriguing: All the mice born without this gene, called Osr2, had cleft palates severe enough to kill. So better understanding of this gene might play a role in efforts to prevent that birth defect, the Rochester team reported in the journal Science.

Teeth may not be visible until long after birth, but they start to form early in embryo development. Teeth ultimately erupt from a thickened band of tissue along the jaw line called the dental lamina, a band that forms in a top layer of the gum called the epithelium. Scientists have long thought the signals for tooth formation must lie in that tissue layer as well.

By Dr. Garrett | Posted in Drug Companies, Food Industry, Healthy Living | Comments (0)

Antidepressants Linked to Hundreds of Deaths, Suicides and Murders

February 15, 2009 – 2:53 pm

This article gives the facts of several murders and suicides that can be directly linked to antidepressants. The following  stories are just snow cones  compared to the icebergs of horror stories resulting from deadly adverse reactions to these drugs.

To see hundreds of documented cases of heart wrenching alarming stories, go to “List of Deaths, Murders and Suicides Caused by Antidepressants.” under our “Resources” column. Or go to http://ssristories.com/index.php.

These ‘mind bending’ drugs were virtually unheard of 2 decades ago. But, in 1997, the FDA approved “direct to consumer” (DTC) advertising, which included television. America is now the only country in the modern world that allows drug companies to go directly to the people with their misleading TV ads. Since being allowed DTC ads, sales for antidepressants have sky rocketed into a multi-billion dollar windfall for the conscienceless drug companies.

Anyone who watches a TV ad for an antidepressant will surely become depressed. In the beginning are scenes of actors with ‘down-in-the-mouth’ looks on their faces. Moping around like zombies with barely the energy or the will to walk. Watching these woeful actors is enough to make anyone sad and depressed.

Then, like a miracle, after taking the ‘mind pill’, all the actors start dancing and working and smiling and kissing their kids. Then, if you will notice, while all this positive activity is taking place, a small voice in the background is quietly reciting the unending list of the side effects of these dangerous drugs. The antics, of the now happy actors, are purposely choreographed to distract the viewer from listening to the side effects.

We all remember the story of Andrea Yates who drowned her five children in a bath tub. She had been given antidepressants.

“Andrea filled the tub with water and beginning with Paul, she systematically drowned the three youngest boys, then placed them on her bed and covered them. Mary was left floating in the tub. The last child alive was the first born, seven-year-old Noah. He asked his mother what was wrong with Mary, then turned and ran away. Andrea caught up with him and as he screamed, she dragged him and forced him into the tub next to Mary’s floating body. He fought desperately, coming up for air twice, but Andrea held him down until he was dead. Leaving Noah in the tub, she brought Mary to the bed and laid her in the arms of her brothers.”

Tens of millions of Americans are now taking antidepressants. Pills that have never been scientifically proven to cure anything!  Nor has it been determined how they effect the brain! The vast majority of this medication is prescribed by doctors who have absolutely no training in the psychiatric field. Goaded and rewarded by the drug companies representatives, doctors are prescribing this dangerous ‘mind’ medication with unprecedented frequency. “Dog got run over? Here’s a ‘pill”. “Grandpa passed away? Here, take this, you’ll feel better.” No consoling, no hugs, no talks with your preacher or family members. Just, “Here, take this.” 

There is no easy way to deal with our problems. Facing the challenges in our lives is what makes us stronger. Antidepressants aren’t the answer. (Author)

Murder:
Woman Kills her three children:
By JORDAN ROBERTSON  Associated Press Writer
A woman who tossed her three young children off a pier into San Francisco Bay near Fishermen’s Wharf has been arrested, authorities said Thursday, and the Coast Guard searched for the bodies of two of the children. The body of a third child was recovered Wednesday. The woman had been on antidepressants.

Expert: Boy had psychotic ‘mood disorder’ when he Killed his grandparents:
By John Springer Court TV Updated Feb. 10, 2005, 7:06 p.m. ET
“The defense’s 20th and final witness, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official familiar with the effects of Zoloft and other antidepressants, was unwavering in his opinion that Christopher Pittman did not know right from wrong when he used a shotgun to kill Joe Pittman, 66, and Joy Pittman, 62, as they slept.

16 year old Kills her mother and her father:
From Patti Murphy  Times-News correspondent  BOISE, Idaho

Sarah Johnson, now 18, is accused of shooting her mother, Diane, in the head while she slept and then turning the rifle on her father, Alan, killing him as he came out of the shower. She was 16 years old at the time of the Sept. 2, 2003, murders.

“Dr. Leslie Lundt, who specializes in psychopharmacology, said Sarah was taking Zoloft for depression and Ambien to help her sleep. Neither of these drugs has been approved for use in adolescents, making it more difficult to predict how they would affect a 16-year-old, she said.”

Suicide:

Three Soldiers Commit Suicide:

The Hartford Courant, May 16, 2006   By Lisa Chedekel and Matthew Kauffman:
Antidepressant medications with potentially serious side effects are being dispensed with little or no monitoring and sometimes minimal counseling, despite FDA warnings that the drugs can increase suicidal thoughts.

When Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark C. Warren was diagnosed with depression soon after his deployment to Iraq, a military doctor handed him a supply of the mood-altering drug Effexor.

Marine Pfc. Robert Allen Guy was given Zoloft to relieve the depression he developed in Iraq.  And Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart was dutifully taking the Celexa she was prescribed to ease the anxiety of being separated from her young daughter while in Baghdad.
All three were given antidepressants to help them make it through their tours of duty in Iraq - and all came home in coffins.

The three are among a growing number of mentally troubled service members who are being kept in combat and treated with potent psychotropic medications - a little-examined practice driven in part by a need to maintain troop strength.

14 year old, Korinne Shroyer, Kills herself after taking Paxil:
Cynthia T. Pegram / cpegram@newsadvance.com  April 9, 2005

“She was having mood swings, which may or may not have been typical of a normal teenage girl going through puberty,” said her dad. “She did not like feeling sad and did not understand why she felt that way.”

“That’s why we took her to the doctor,” said Kristie Shroyer, mother of Korinne and younger daughter Kolby. The pediatrician prescribed Paxil, an antidepressant not FDA approved for children.

Woman dives from plane, FATAL FALL A SUICIDE, CORONER SAYS -
FINDINGS SHOW CARPINTERIA WOMAN UNSTRAPPED PARACHUTE HERSELF
Daily News of Los Angeles (CA)  January 5, 1996 Author: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

A 33-year-old Carpinteria woman committed suicide while diving 3,500 feet out of an airplane, officials said Thursday. Preliminary Kern County coroner’s reports indicate that Robin Leslie Sampson intentionally let herself out of her parachute harness during a jump Saturday.

“Everything was fine, her parachute had opened automatically as it should but then she worked her way out of it,” said Bob Celeya, operations manager at the California City Skydive Center. “She disassembled her chest strap, took off her gloves and helmet and undid her leg straps and fell out of her harness. It’s a sad situation.”

“Later, officials discovered a carpet knife in a pocket within the jacket and found a bottle of Prozac, an antidepressant drug, in her rental car.”

Murder-Suicide:
DEATHS OF ELDERLY MERCER COUPLE A MURDER-SUICIDE:
The Record (New Jersey) June 5, 1994

An elderly Mercer County woman plunged a knife into her husband 35 times before stabbing herself 50 times, according to autopsy results released by the Prosecutor’s Office. Investigators said Friday they will wait for toxicology results to determine why Hazel Powell, 77, killed her 81-year-old husband, Mason Powell, and then herself.

Hazel Powell had undergone treatment for an emotional disorder. Law enforcement sources said the woman recently had a prescription filled for the antidepressant Prozac.”

Student Kills 5 then kills himself:
BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN, LISA DONOVAN AND MITCH DUDEK Staff Reporters
February 18, 2008
Hours before he walked into a Northern Illinois University lecture hall and inexplicably started a shooting rampage that ended five lives and his own, Steve Kazmierczak called one of the people he was closest to and said what would be a final goodbye. He was on antidepressants.

That’s what the gunman’s girlfriend of two years, Jessica Baty, recalled Sunday in an interview with CNN. “He called me at midnight and told me not to forget about him,” she told CNN.

Man Kills 3 family members, then himself:
Guardian Unlimited  (England)  Thursday August 9, 2001
Don Schell, the non-violent family man and doting grandfather, took a .22 calibre pistol and a 357 magnum in the middle of the night and shot dead the three people in the world dearest to him - his wife Rita, his daughter Deb and baby Alyssa. Then he killed himself. The following afternoon Tim Tobin found the scene of carnage that will stay with him as long as he lives.

Don Schell was taking a Prozac-type antidepressant when he killed his wife, daughter and granddaughter, then turned the gun on himself. His son-in-law sued the drugs company - and won £5m. Sarah Boseley meets him

By Dr. Garrett | Posted in Dangerous Drugs, Drug Companies, Drug Deaths, Mental Health | Comments (0)