Positive Health Online

Obituary and Tribute to Michael Endacott: 1935-2005

by Sandra Goodman PhD
It is with huge regret and sadness that we announce the death of Michael Endacott, who recently retired as Director, Institute for Complementary Medicine (ICM) in order to continue his fight with oesophageal cancer during this past year.


Michael’s death is a monumental loss to the entire Complementary Medicine community. There is hardly an aspect of complementary medicine that he has not been involved with over the past 30 years, since 1974 when he was appointed Administrator for the National Federation of Spiritual Healers. Since then he:

•    Contributed to the Healing Research Trust Report to the Royal Commission on the Future of the NHS;
•    Negotiated with the General Medical Council to accept Spiritual Healing in the hospitals;
•    Was appointed Trustee of the Healing Research Trust .

In 1982, Michael helped to found the Institute for Complementary Medicine (ICM) on the basis that Complementary Medicine ‘complements’ the patient by treating the body, mind, vital force and spirit. In 1984 he was appointed the ICM’s Research Director, in 1989 Hon Secretary, British General Council for Complementary Medicine (BGCCM) and in 2001 Michael was appointed Director, Institute for Complementary Medicine.

Michael played a pivotal role in a number of important initiatives which form an important part of the Complementary Medicine community today:

•    In 1986 he developed the ICM policy of working towards a centralised approach to multi-discipline regulation and registration;
•    In 1986 Michael was Organising Secretary for the first conference on the National Council of Vocational Qualifications and its part in developing Standards for Complementary Medicine.
•    1987/8 Welsh Joint Education Committee. The ICM joined with others to develop a PRELIMINARY FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS that was published by the Welsh Joint Education Committee in June 1989. This was the first report on the feasibility of using NVQs for a number of Complementary disciplines;
•    In 1989 the ICM established Councils for each of the Complementary professions, i.e. The ICM Council for Aromatherapy Organisations (CAO) and eighteen other autonomous councils;
•    In 1989 The British Register of Complementary Practitioners was formed with eighteen autonomous Divisions. The ICM began the process of developing course accreditation for Complementary Medicine; Michael has also been involved with the following educational programmes:
•    He advised on course content and completed four years as External Examiner for the BSc Honours Degree in Health Sciences for Complementary Medicine at the University of Central Lancashire, at Preston;
•    He advised on course content and was External Examiner for the BSc(Hons) Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine – University of Salford;
•    He is an Adviser to Complementary Medical Services for Prisoners;
•    He is an Honorary Adviser to many organisations in Complementary Medicine.

Michael was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a Member of the Royal Society of Medicine. Many people may not have realized Michael Endacott’s considerable achievements in the theatrical world prior to his involvement in Complementary Medicine:

Born in Southampton in l935, Michael served in the RAF and was involved during the late 50s until 1970 in BBC TV, including set and costume design in the theatre. In 1960 he joined BBCTV Costume Department. In 1962 he was appointed Senior Costume Designer (BBC TV) with responsibility for a group of eight other designers. In 1969 The Charlie Drake TV Show won the French Golden Rose international prize. This was one of the first television shows designed for colour transmission. In 1970 as a freelance designer, Michael managed the period costume department of Bermans Costumiers and acted as consultant for films and television productions. In 1979, Michael’s last theatre production was Barnardo at the Royalty Theatre, London.

Michael was a larger-than-life complex and entirely original character, whose sharpness, passion and encyclopaedic memory regarding every aspect of Complementary Medicine cannot be replaced. I have many fond memories of long and philosophical discussions regarding policies and personalities within the orbit of complementary medicine. His death is a massive lost to us all, personally and professionally.

His approach to his cancer is a testament to the character of the man. A researcher to the end, he was determined to explore and decide the best treatment approach for his condition. Having been aware of the extremely grave prognosis told him (3 months), he chose conservative, rather than radical treatment; he was trialing nutritional supplements, as well as other complementary treatment approaches.

According to the latest cancer statistics from Cancer Research UK, “oesophageal cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in men and women combined with more than 7,000 deaths annually. Unfortunately, even when diagnosed at an early stage, cancer of the oesophagus has a poor prognosis…” The five-year relative survival for men diagnosed with oesophageal cancer is less than 10% and in men over 50, about 5%.[1]

Testimonials to Michael Endacott
It has only been a brief while since Michael’s passing. In time, we are certain that testimonials to his life will abound. According to Anthony Baird, Co-founder of the ICM and Director 1982-2001, “For 25 years he devoted his whole heart and all his waking hours to help forward the knowledge and use of complementary medicine. It is impossible to know all the lives that have been altered because of his work: we only are certain Michael gave what he had to give and left this world a better place.”

And, according to George Hill, Past Chairman of Trustees, The Institute for Complementary Medicine “Michael was totally committed to his work and the advancement of the spiritual and complementary aspect of medicine and his involvement has undoubtedly accelerated the progress of the whole movement to create the recognition and following it has today.

“Having an intense distrust of the integrity and motivation of a medical fraternity dependent on drugs, he worked tirelessly to achieve his objective, which was to create an awareness of the authenticity of natural products and therapies as an alternative means of survival.

Many will miss him as a loving friend. Many will wish that they had listened to his practical advice and given him more support. Time will reveal that he was a man with ideas in front of his time.”

Reference

1.    CancerStats - Oesophageal Cancer - UK (c) Cancer Research UK 2005.

The European Council for Classical Homeopathy (ECCH) Critique of the Lancet Paper: Many Questions are Unanswered

by Kate Chatfield MSc RSHom,
Clare Relton MSc RSHom
Research Academics and Homeopaths

The article by Shang et al1 concludes that their findings are compatible with the notion that the clinical effects of homeopathy are placebo effects, but it raises more questions than answers.

In this report the authors thoroughly examine 110 trials of homeopathy and 110 matched trials of allopathic medicine, comparing effects and the looking for presence of bias resulting from inadequate methods and selective publication.

When they examined the 220 trials they find no evidence of more bias in the homeopathy trials than in the allopathy trials. They then go on to estimate the treatment effects in a very small subset of 14 trials that they deem to be least likely to be affected by bias, and base their conclusions upon these estimates.

Of the total 220 trials the authors identify 21 homeopathy trials and 8 allopathic trials that are of higher standard according to their own set criteria. They then proceed to further select the small subset of purportedly larger and higher methodological quality trials (8 homeopathy trials and 6 conventional medicine trials) from which the paper’s conclusions are drawn. The authors do not provide an explanation as to how they chose the particular cut off point that they used to select the 14 trials, nor do they reference the selected trials.

Since this small subset of trials form the basis for their conclusions, it merits more explanation in description of method and is of fundamental importance when assessing the validity of the authors’ conclusions for many reasons including the following:

•    The authors generalise from an extremely small pool of data to draw their apparently broad and damning conclusions;
•    Identification of the particular trials that are used in the final analysis would enable a fair critique of the validity of the included trials. The conflict between internal and external validity which plagues research in CAM has resulted in some homeopathy trials being of high internal validity but bearing little or no resemblance to the practice of homeopathy, leading to spurious results. Such results may then feed into wider meta-analyses when selection criteria are based purely upon internal validity as is the case in this study.

Elucidation of the rationale for choosing this small number of studies as well as a list of which studies this seemingly comprehensive interpretation was drawn from is essential.

Other questions that this piece of research raises:

1.    The authors conclusions are premised upon the supposition that the placebo controlled randomized trial represents the gold standard against which all research should be judged. It is becomingly increasingly understood that there are considerable problems in using this method to test complex interventions such as homeopathy;
2.    It is always going to be difficult to adopt reductionist research method of RCT to measure effects of complex intervention such as homeopathy. Two primary concerns for homeopaths are that the treatment is holistic and that it is individualized. Treatment cannot be standardized and patient response is unpredictable. Some patients may take months to show any improvement. RCTs are looking for specific effects whereas homeopathy is attempting to treat the whole person;
3.    Many different types of prescribing method for homeopathy trials are all considered equally. Of the 100 trials selected only 18 (16%) deemed classical homeopathy i.e. the type of individualized prescribing that occurs in real life, and there is no indication of how many of the selected 8 trials involved this type of prescribing;
4.    The authors define 4 different types of homeopathic intervention whilst the majority of the allopathic trials are pharmaceutical. Hence in their attempt to match pairs of trials the authors will have been forced to match some homeopathy trials of complex intervention with simple intervention of the allopathic trials;
5.    Assessment of study quality focuses upon 3 key domains of internal validity with apparently no regard to external validity. Hence the selected trials may have been deemed highest quality without actually bearing any relation to the practice of homeopathy;
6.    Any meta-analysis of homeopathy will necessarily be considering only a small number of trials as there are relatively few for any one condition. This leads to the pooling of heterogeneous data;
7.    The authors display their own bias in interpretation when they dismiss out of hand the substantially beneficial pooled effect from 8 trials of homeopathic remedies in upper respiratory tract infections. This in spite of the fact that the trials perform well in the authors’ own set test of funnelplot asymmetry which demonstrated that there was no significant difference between effects in the higher quality trial and the lower quality trials. Here the authors speak of biases prevalent in these publications to excuse the effect, without specifying in any way how they relate to these trials, and indicate that conclusions from these trials cannot be trusted;
8.    21 homeopathy trials and 9 allopathic are identified as being of higher quality; why are so few
allopathic trials of higher quality? We know that research in homeopathy is seriously under-funded and undermanned but this is not the case for pharmaceutical research;
9.    Since they have already established that a far higher percentage of homeopathy trials (21%) than allopathy trials (8%) were of highest quality it does beg the question as to how we are ever able to trust the conclusions of allopathic drug trials.

Conclusion
Far from being the ultimate test of homeopathy this meta-analysis leaves many questions unanswered. In summary, the conclusions that the authors draw are premised upon the supposition that the placebo-controlled RCT is the highest standard against which we should measure quality of research method, and takes no account of the complex nature of the homeopathic intervention. In addition, broad conclusions are drawn from a small pool of data from a total of 8 homeopathy trials and 6 allopathic trials. The trials selected for final analysis are not referenced and we are therefore unable to establish their external validity and verify the authors statements that these represent trials of homeopathy of highest quality available.

References:

1.    Aijang Shang, Krain Huwiler-Mûntener, Linda Nartey, Peter Juni, Stephan Dörig, Jonathon A C Sterne, Daniel Pewsner, Matthias Egger. Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Lancet. 366: 726-32. 2005.

Further Information

For further information on Homeopathy and the Homeopathy Profession please contact The European Council for Classical Homeopathy (ECCH) via ecch@homeopathy-ecch.org; www.homeopathy-ecch.org

Critics Say Lancet Homeopathy Study Flawed

by Cathy Wong ND

A study published in the August 27 issue of The Lancet contends that homeopathic remedies are no better than placebo. However, the study has been criticized by peer researchers and homeopathic experts for being scientifically flawed.

It’s one of a recent string of negative studies about alternative medicine that fail to properly test the hypothesis in question. For example, a $2.2 million echinacea study, which found that echinacea had no effect on preventing or treating colds, did not use an adequate therapeutic dose of echinacea.

The Lancet study was a meta-analysis —a study that compares a selection of research studies to see what the overall consensus is. On page two (p. 727), researchers led by Aijing Shang PhD of the University of Berne, described the four types of homeopathy studies they included in their meta-analysis:

•    Studies using ‘clinical homeopathy’. Patients did not receive a comprehensive homeopathic history and all patients received a single, identical remedy. This accounted for 48, or 44% of the homeopathy studies analyzed in the Lancet meta-analysis;
•    Studies using ‘complex homeopathy’. Patients did not receive a comprehensive homeopathic history and all patients received a mixture of different commonly used homeopathic remedies. This accounted for 35, or 32% of the homeopathy studies analyzed;
•    Studies using ‘classical homeopathy’. Patients were given a comprehensive patient history and received a single, individualized remedy. This accounted for 18, or 16% of the homeopathy studies analyzed;
•    Studies using ‘isopathy’. Patients did not receive a comprehensive homeopathic history and all patients received a diluted substance that was believed to be the cause of the disorder (e.g pollen in seasonal allergies). This accounted for 8, or 7% of the homeopathy studies analyzed.

The problem is there is no such thing as clinical homeopathy. No one trained and licensed in homeopathy would recommend a single, identical remedy for patients with a certain disease or condition.

Homeopathy is based on the belief that ‘like cures like’. Diluted medicinal substances (which look like tiny white pellets) are prescribed to treat an individual’s unique symptoms.

For example, if we brought together a hundred people with rheumatoid arthritis and interviewed them, they would not all have the same symptoms. Certain factors would aggravate symptoms in some but not others. A homeopath distinguishes between these various subtypes and finds a suitable, individual remedy that matches all of that person’s symptoms (hence like cures like).

To give everyone with a certain disease or condition the same remedy is not considered homeopathy. The Lancet meta-analysis included studies that may have been statistically sound, but should have been excluded because they lacked a fundamental understanding of what homeopathy is.

In addition, many view the use of complex homeopathy and isopathy as merely ‘educated guesses’, because patients receive remedies that again are not individualized but are commonly used for such conditions. There is no guarantee that the remedy is correct.

Such a major problem in the study should have been detected before the article was published.

This should not be the end of homeopathy. Instead, our understanding of whether it does or doesn’t work should continue to grow with better, properly designed research studies.

And the lesson to be learned from this particular study is simple—in order to properly evaluate homeopathy, get someone who actually knows what it is.

References and Sources

Shang A. Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. The Lancet. 366: 726-732. Aug. 27, 2005.
Vandenbroucke JP. The Lancet. 366: 691-692. Aug. 27, 2005.
News release, National Center for Homeopathy.
Matthias Egger MD Director, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Berne, Switzerland.
Jan P Vandenbroucke MD PhD. Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands.
Joyce Frye DO MBA. President, American Institute of Homeopathy and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Source

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/alternativemedicinebasics/a/lancet_homeopat.htm

Sauna Therapy for Detoxification & Healing

I came across Dr Lawrence Wilson’s book through an article titled: Light Saunas and Tesla in the Extraordinary Technology magazine some time back and was very impressed with his no-nonsense approach to Sauna therapy. The article highlighted a case history where a strict dietary regiment and the light Sauna stopped the progression of bone cancer!

One sensed that Dr Wilson’s primary goal above all was to first help us improve our health. I could not help but admire his efforts to self-empower his patients and others with one of the most profound tools. His unique approach and ability to cut through the mumbo jumbo on Sauna therapy and provide a highly effective, if not the most effective Sauna design and its associated methodology readily into everyone’s hand is exactly the kind of data that is central to the theme of my Share the Wealth site.

The beauty of the Sauna is that it offloads the liver and the kidneys from their endless duty of detoxification; this then allows them to rest and rebuild. This is particularly important if the kidneys and the liver are not working optimally. In addition there are certain substances, discussed in the book, that are excreted better in sweat. Light Sauna is the only way to repair ionizing radiation damage (such as X-Rays and nuclear etc.)

“To be most effective the sauna needs to use red infrared heat lamps, not conventional electric heaters or the newer zirconium ceramic elements that produce mainly far-infrared energy. The wide spectrum of the red infrared heat lamps includes the entire infrared spectrum, not just far infrared, and light frequencies of red, orange and yellow. It also includes ultrasound and radio frequencies, both short and long wave. It also includes some audible sound frequencies.” Every one of these components has healing properties which are explained in the book.

The problem with Sauna therapy has been the expense and the associated space required for one. Dr Wilson’s, multifaceted approach, has not only resolved this but may have provided one of the most effective designs to boot.

Infrared electric light sauna therapy is one of the least costly, safest and most powerful ways to eliminate toxic metals, toxic chemicals and chronic infections. The benefits include:

•    Skin rejuvenation
•    Exercise benefits
•    Decongesting the internal organs
•    Fever therapy (hyperthermia) for infections
•    Tumours, radiation poisoning and mutated cells

While I am not treating myself for any particular ailment, my goal is to develop a lifelong method for detoxifying. Safe and clean – good nutrition (the building blocks), air, and water are rapidly disappearing, hence detoxification is essential for all, no matter how healthy we maybe or think we are… and Dr Wilson’s plans, for a light Sauna that anyone can build at home so cost effectively, fit the bill exactly!

All components are off the shelf, low cost, and easily available. I was able to build my own for $150 Canadian; strangely it took me a day and a half to round up the all the components and only an afternoon to construct it!

Dr Wilson is also an expert hair analyst. Hence, he first tested the efficacy the Sauna on himself thorough the use of hair analysis, the striking results of which are in the book, and subsequently used it on his patients. It was this work that inspired him to recommend sauna therapy for all clients.

Further Information

We also refer to Dr Wilson’s article Hair Mineral Analysis published in Positive Health. Issue 43 (August 1999) – www.positivehealth.com/articles.asp?i=546&b=1
Source: Chris Gupta chrisgupta@alumni.uwaterloo.ca   http://tinyurl.com/8vmr4

Letter for Mrs Sandra Desorgher (Please see PH Issue 57 October 2000)

Hi. I met you on of your visits here in Dubai in 2000. I came and brought my son who was then 6 years old. You advised me to try Sara’s diet which I did religiously till to date. As expected on the tenth day there were some changes; he fell ill with vomiting and I called you and reassured me that by the following day he would be fine. I followed your instruction and it really work wonders. From the first week of trying this diet. there were no more sleepless night for him and of course for me.

I lost your contact but fortunately the other day while surfing the net I came across your whereabouts. I am really glad and gain back my confidence.

There’s a big difference from him now. There’s a slight hyperactivity from time to time, even normal children does.

I don’t follow any therapy except your diet. He had a teacher few months back who taught him activities of daily living. The main thing now is his speech. I don’t ask for more.

In November 2003 he had a fit which was very mild; it was aggravated by noise. I observed him and just ignored nothing came after that. Then came last May 2005 he had again one attack which was really mild. But then he has continuous tics and jerks that he required admission. He was given Depakine and pumped with Valium. He required investigation under general anaesthesia. He got well after 4 days in the hospital. He is now on Depakine 250mg 2X a day, Rivotril 0.5 mg daily.

I was against with this medications knowing the long term side effect but this helps him. Kindly, if you can suggest something on this matter. Looking to hear from you often.
Our best regards to all of you.
Thank you and more power.
Jennifer Caro   jenn_caro@hotmail.com

Vitamin C for Asthma

People with severe asthma have low blood concentrations of ascorbate (vitamin C), particularly men[1] and children.[2]

Effective asthma treatment is readily available with cheap, safe and convenient vitamin C. The only requirement is to take enough vitamin C to be effective. Typical dietary quantities and low supplemental doses do not work. Robert F Cathcart III MD, who has treated many asthma sufferers, says “Asthma is most often relieved by bowel tolerance doses of ascorbate (vitamin C). A child regularly having asthmatic attacks following exercise is usually relieved of these attacks by large doses of ascorbate. So far all of my patients having asthmatic attacks associated with the onset of viral diseases have been ameliorated by this treatment.”[3]

If you want asthma relief, consider trying this:

Go to a discount store and buy a large bottle of 1,000 mg vitamin C tablets. The cost should be less than $15.

Beginning when you awake in the morning, take 1,000 to 2,000 mg of vitamin C every 30 minutes and continue doing so until you have a single episode of loose stool (not quite diarrhoea). If you haven’t had loose stool after 15 hours on this dosage, increase the vitamin C to 3000 mg every 30 minutes.

After you have a loose bowel movement, reduce the dosage to 2,000 mg of vitamin C every hour. You will quickly find the dosage that is right for you. Adjust the dosage of vitamin C downward to stay below the dosage that will cause loose stool and adjust it upward to relieve asthma symptoms. The usual maintenance dosage to remain asthma-free is 15,000 to 50,000 mg of vitamin C per day taken in eight equally divided doses.

People with asthma should also avoid tobacco smoke, minimize stress in their lives and minimize their consumption of junk foods, meat and dairy products.

Remember: Vitamin C replaces antibiotics, antihistamines, antipyretics, antitoxics, and antiviral drugs at saturation (bowel tolerance) levels. It reduces inflammation.

A vitamin can act as a drug, but a drug can never act as a vitamin.

The reason one nutrient can cure so many different illnesses is because a deficiency of one nutrient can cause many different illnesses.

There are not many, if any deaths per year from vitamins. Pharmaceutical drugs, properly prescribed and taken as directed, kill over 100,000 Americans annually. Hospital errors kill still more. Unlike drugs, with vitamins, the range of safe dosages is extraordinarily large.

What is Orthomolecular Medicine?
Linus Pauling defined orthomolecular medicine as “the treatment of disease by the provision of the optimum molecular environment, especially the optimum concentrations of substances normally present in the human body.” Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness.

Further information

The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.
Editorial Review Board: Abram Hoffer MD; Harold D. Foster PhD; Bradford Weeks, MD; Carolyn Dean MD ND; Eric Patterson MD; Andrew W. Saul PhD
Contact: omns@orthomolecular.org . www.orthomolecular.org

References

1.    Misso NL, Brooks-Wildhaber J, Ray S, Vally H, Thompson PJ. Plasma concentrations of dietary and nondietary antioxidants are low in severe asthma. Eur Respir J. Aug: 26(2): 257-64. 2005.
2     Harik-Khan RI, Muller DC, Wise RA. Serum
vitamin levels and the risk of asthma in children. Am J Epidemiol. 159(4): 351-7. 2004.
3.    Robert Cathcart MD Vitamin C, Titrating to bowel tolerance, asascorbaemia and acute induced scurvy. Medical Hypotheses. 7: 1359-1376. 1981. www.orthomed.com/titrate.htm
Source: Orthomolecular Medicine News Service noreply@orthomolecular.org

Anti-Cancer Properties Of Flaxseed

by Greg Arnold DC CSCS

As the second biggest cancer killer of American women after lung cancer, breast cancer killed an estimated 40,580 women in 2004.[1] While exercise may improve breast cancer survival,[2] nutrition’s role in breast cancer is preventive, with higher intake of apples,[3] broccoli,[4] olive oil,[5] soy,[6] and kelp[7] all found to help prevent breast cancer.

Now a new study[8] may expand nutrition’s role in breast cancer to also include treatment, thanks in large part to flaxseed oil.

Flaxseed is commonly found in three forms: as a whole seed, a ground seed, or oil.[9] Flax has been used for thousands of years but not for nutrition but instead to make cloth.[10] But the nutrition value of flax that has been uncovered in recent years has led to a marked increase in flax for nutrition, with flax sales increasing by 177% in 1999.[11]

In the study, 32 breast cancer patients were given either a 25 g flaxseed muffin (19 patients) or a control muffin (13 patients) for a little over one month. Researchers analyzed tumour tissue for the rate of tumour cell division and tumour cell death.

The researchers found that, while the rate of cell division was reduced by 34.2%, cell death increased 30.7%. Finally, the gene that is expressed during breast cancer (c-erbB2) decreased by 71%.

For the researchers, “Dietary flaxseed has the potential to reduce tumor growth in patients with breast cancer.”

Reference

1.    Fact Sheet Cancer Registries: The Foundation for Cancer Prevention and Control posted on the CDC website www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/about2004.htm. 2004/2005.
2.    Chlebowski RT M, Pettinger et al. Insulin, physical activity, and caloric intake in postmenopausal women: breast cancer implications. J Clin Oncol 22(22): 4507-13. 2004.
3.    Liu RH, J. Liu, et al. Apples prevent mammary tumors in rats. J Agric Food Chem. 53(6): 2341-3. 2005.
4.    Jackson SJ and KW Singletary. Sulforaphane inhibits human mcf-7 mammary cancer cell mitotic progression and tubulin polymerization.
J Nutr. 134(9): p. 2229-36. 2004.
5.    Menendez JA. Oleic acid, the main monounsaturated fatty acid of olive oil, suppresses Her-2/neu (erbB-2) expression and synergistically enhances the growth inhibitory effects of trastuzumab (Herceptin) in breast cancer cells with Her-2/neu oncogene amplification. Ann Oncol. 16(3): 359-71. 2005.
6.    Rattanamongkolgul SK, Muir et al. Diet, energy intake and breast cancer risk in an Asian country. IARC Sci Publ. 156: 543-5. 2002.
7.    Skibola CF. Brown kelp modulates endocrine hormones in female sprague-dawley rats and in human luteinized granulosa cells. J Nutr. 135(2): 296-300. 2005.
8.    Thompson LU. Dietary flaxseed alters tumor biological markers in postmenopausal breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 11(10): 3828-35. 2005.
9.    Bloedon J. Flaxseed and cardiovascular risk. Review. Nutr Rev. 62(1): 18-27. 2004.
10.    Judd A. Flax-some historical perspective. In: Cunane SC, Thompson LUE, eds. Flaxseed in Human Nutrition. Toronot, CA: AOCS. Press; 1-10. 1995.
11.    Blumenthal M. Herb sales down 3% in mass market retail stores – sales in natural food stores still growing, but at low rate. HerbalGram. 49: 68. 2000.

Further Information

Abstracted from Dietary flaxseed alters tumour biological markers in postmenopausal breast cancer. Clinical Cancer Research. April 2005.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practising in Danville, CA. He can be contacted via ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com; www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Source:

 

Ozone – A Medical Breakthrough?

Ozone is a molecule formed by three atoms of oxygen instead of the usual two. Ozone therapy consists of pure oxygen mixed with a tiny amount of ozone. Researchers in many nations have been reporting benefits from the treatment for a variety of medical conditions including arthritis, cancer, rheumatism, diabetes, gangrene, strokes and AIDS, but in North America, the treatment remains unapproved and largely ignored by the medical mainstream.

Ozone – a Medical Breakthrough? Takes a critical look at the science behind this controversial treatment. Some people claim ozone has saved their lives, and a growing number of Canadian and American doctors are quietly using the treatment, despite the risk of losing their license and freedom.

Some source material will come from the award-winning film Ozone and the Politics of Medicine, which was selected as one of the outstanding documentaries of 1994 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The 29 minute film received very limited distribution, and new information and footage will make a new important feature documentary.

The documentary is endorsed by the National Film Board of Canada, but has received no direct funding. It is also supported by Cineworks Independent Filmmakers Society, a Canadian charitable organization.

 

The Story

After decades of use throughout the world, most North Americans still remain largely unaware of a medical treatment that is being used for an astonishing spectrum of disorders including arthritis, gangrene, cancer, hepatitis and more recently, AIDS. Scientific and clinical evidence indicate ozone therapy could be a significant breakthrough in the battle against major deadly diseases, yet there has been little media attention in North America, and it remains unapproved and largely ignored by the medical mainstream.

Many people are aware of ozone as an atmospheric layer that protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, and some also know of ozone’s role in urban air pollution, but few are aware of ozone’s sterilizing properties. A small amount of ozone, mixed with pure oxygen, has been used for decades to successfully inactivate bacteria and viruses both in industry and in medicine.

Water quality engineers consider ozone to be the safest and most effective form of water purification; three thousand cities and towns around the world use ozone to sterilize their drinking water, including Paris, Moscow, Montreal, London and Los Angeles.

The principal reference book on the subject The Use of Ozone in Medicine by Dr R Viebahn PhD (Haug, 2nd Rev. English Ed, 1994) cites over 300 medical references that support the use of ozone for more than forty different medical conditions, from bed sores to brain strokes, herpes, cancer, circulatory
disorders and AIDS. More than 10,000 medical practitioners are now using ozone therapy extensively worldwide.

A 1980 study ( MT Jacobs) verified by the German Society of Pathologists, tallied results from a survey of the treatment of 384,000 patients who had received more than 5 million ozone applications. 90% of the therapists surveyed reported “good to very good” results, and the side effects rate was .0007 per application – one of the lowest of any medical treatment!

Two peer-reviewed journals (Blood 1991 and the Journal of Hematology 1992) have published evidence that ozone will inactivate HIV in vitro without harming healthy cells. Hospital studies in London UK and Montreal Canada have shown the benefits of ozone use in certain circulatory conditions.

Russia and Cuba already use ozone extensively in their medical systems, and these two countries are responsible for some of the most compelling recent studies. A Russian delegate at the 12th World Ozone Congress in France (1995) stated that 100,000 patients have been treated in Russian hospitals.

Canadian researchers have been investigating ozone for more than ten years through the Ministry of health, Agriculture Canada, the National Research Council and the Ministry of National Defence. In 1993, the Ministry of National Defence used monkeys to show that ozone could achieve 100% sterilization of blood contaminated with a deadly version of HIV, and make it safe for transfusions. Other research indicates ozone’s ability to strengthen key factors of the immune system including interferon and Interleukin-2. However, ozone remains unapproved for general medical use, the media have ignored the issue, and the public remains uninformed.

In the United States the National Institutes of Health, with a mandate to investigate promising new treatments, has yet to initiate any ozone research. Despite extensive submitted documentation, the Food and Drug Administration refuses to recognize any therapeutic merit for ozone. Until expensive controlled human trials are conducted, ozone will remain unapproved in the United States.

Every day, people are suffering and dying of treatable diseases, and thousands are obtaining ozone from doubtful sources in the medical underground with obvious risks.

The potential impact of ozone therapy on modern medicine is staggering. No other therapy has reported benefits in so many different areas of medicine, but much basic science still needs to be done. Who will do it? And when?

The Project
Ozone, a Medical Breakthrough? Has now been released in film and video intended for international television broadcast and distribution.

Filming began in 1986, and seven years later resulted in a half hour version, Ozone and the Politics of Medicine. This film won Best Informative Documentary at the 1994 Atlanta Film Festival, as well as a Silver Award from the U.S. Educational Film Festival, and the Chris Award from the 1994 Columbus International Film Festival. Its greatest distinction was selection as One of the Outstanding Documentaries of 1994 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which publicly presented the film in Los Angeles in March 1996.

Why make a new version? The original half hour film remains un-broadcast, and the story deserves to be expanded. Filming started up again in 1995 in England, France, Germany, the United States and Canada to update the story. Additional trips to Russia and Cuba have resulted in documentation of fascinating medical results. The project will also develop a broader and more compelling perspective directly addressing the concerns of broadcasters.

The essence of the story is the scientific and clinical evidence of the doctors and scientists who have blazed the trail, as well as the response from the medical mainstream. We also visit with patients who believe ozone has saved their lives, as well as with patients for whom it was too late to help.

The project is so far the only broadcast-quality, feature length documentary on the subject. The international broadcast and distribution potential is contingent on properly promoting the release, with press kits to reviewers and journalists, and follow-up with newspapers, magazines, radio and TV. The objective of the campaign is to create greater public awareness of the subject and to position the story on the international agenda.

Key Players
•    Commodore Mike Shannon, MD, Former Deputy-Surgeon General of Canada, Coordinator of government ozone research 1986-1995;
•    Dr Anthony Fauci Director, U.S. National Institute For Allergies and Infectious Diseases, the U.S. government department responsible for AIDS research;
•    Dr Michael Carpendale, Former Chief of Rehabilitative Medicine, San Francisco Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Co-author, Ozone Inactivates HIV at Non-Cytotoxic Concentrations (The Journal of Anti viral Research, 1991);
•    Dr Bernard Poiesz, Director of Syracuse University Oncology Center, Co-author, Inactivation of HIV Type 1 by Ozone In Vitro (Blood Journal Oct. 11, 1991, p. 1882);
•    Dr Horst Kief Director, The Kief Clinic Iffezheim, Germany. Dr Kief has treated thousands of patients with ozone;
•    Dr R Viebahn PhD, Author The Use of Ozone in Medicine (2nd Rev. English Edition 1994). Director, Hansler Company Iffezheim, Germany;
•    Dr Manual Gomez Moraleda, Former Director The Ozone Research Center of Cuba;
•    Mr Ed Marshall Current President and CEO Medizone International Inc. Stinson Beach CA.

Project Advisors
Production Advisor

Kalle Lasn has produced documentaries which have won awards at more than twenty major festivals, including The American Film Festival, The Chicago International Film Festival and The Competition for Films on Japan. His projects have been produced primarily through the National Film Board of Canada, and screened on PBS, CBC, NHK, and other networks internationally. Titles include Crime in Japan, The Rise and Fall of American Business Culture, Rituals, Children of the Tribe and Japan, Inc: Lessons for North America.

He is Executive Director of The Media Foundation, an award-winning public media advocacy group which has been the subject of stories by The New York Times, the BBC and Paris-TV, and whose magazine Adbusters has won the prestigious Utne Readers Award for Service Journalism.

Medical Advisor
Dr R Hayward Rogers MD has more than forty years of hands-on medical experience with an emphasis on nutrition and holistic therapies, and was the first medical doctor in Canada to use ozone therapy. He has degrees in sociology, social work and medicine from the University of British Columbia, where he is Assistant Clinical Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Medicine. He has won the Canadian Lifestyle Award from the Canadian Ministry of Health, as well as The Bronze Award the highest honor for community service from the Greater Vancouver Medical Association. He is also Founder of the Center for Integrated Healing, the first clinic of its kind in Western Canada to receive government funding for a facility advocating the use of integrated healing modalities. In June 2001, he was awarded the Order of British Columbia as a pioneer of alternative cancer therapies.

Medical Advisor
Dr Michael Carpendale MD is former Chief of Rehabilitative Medicine at the Veterans Administration Hospital in San Francisco and has conducted ozone research for 23 years. In 1991 he co-authored the landmark paper Ozone Inactivates HIV at Non-Cytotoxic Levels (with Dr. J Greenberg, Journal of Anti-viral Research Vol.16 Number 3). He was also chairman of the medical sessions of the 11th World Ozone Congress held in San Francisco Sept. 1993.

This film is a must-see for anyone and in every case gets incredible and positive reviews; ordering and other info can be seen at the following link: http://ozoneuniversity.com/geoffozonepay.htm

Source

Professor Peter Ozone Jovan <peter@ozoneuniversity.com>
via Chris Gupta <chrisgupta@alumni.uwaterloo.ca>

Link in Women between Heart Disease and Periodontal Disease

There have been several studies which have demonstrated a link between periodontal disease and heart disease. Up until now however, research has been strictly limited to men. This is the first study evaluating the connection between gum disease and heart disease in women. Women who presented at two large hospitals in Stockholm, Sweden with angioplasty or bypass surgery were recruited for the trial. 143 women with heart disease were compared to 50 randomly selected women who were found to be heart healthy. Women with heart disease were found to have more periodontal disease and fewer teeth, with an average of 19 teeth compared to the 23 of those without heart disease.

Buhlin K, Gustafsson A, Ahnve S, Jansky I, Tabrizi F, Klinge B. Oral Health in Women with Coronary Heart Disease. J Perio. 76: 544-550. 2005.

Bleeding Upon Probing Predicts Disease Progression in Pregnant Women

We know that pregnancy does not cause periodontal disease but it does contribute to its progression. There is also growing evidence of a link between periodontal disease and preterm, low birth weigh. Researchers at the University of Carolina wanted to know what changes can be seen in periodontal health during pregnancy. 891 women aged between 14 and 46 years of age were recruited to take part in the study between December 1997 and July 2001. Both an antenatal and postpartum dental examination were conducted for the study and pocket depths and bleeding scores recorded. The changes in probing depth and bleeding were monitored and the percentage of women found with changes in periodontal health was 46%. Disease occurred or progressed primarily on molars and premolars. Bleeding upon probing significantly increased the risk for disease progression.

Moss K, Beck J, Offenbacher S. Clinical Risk Factors Associated with Incidence and Progression of Periodontal Conditions in Pregnant Women. J Clin Perio. 32: 492-498. 2005.

Smokers Under Stress Have Deeper Pockets Than Non-Anxious Smokers

Past studies have demonstrated that people with psychiatric disorders have more periodontal disease. Stress is also associated with lifestyle choices, such as smoking. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden wanted to know if stress influenced periodontal conditions. Study subjects were 144 men and women with untreated periodontal disease. The control group was a random sample of 26 periodontally healthy people. Just one question was asked to assess stress level: "Do you feel anxious in your everyday life?" Response choices were a) no, never, b) yes, sometimes and c) yes, often. Smokers comprised 56% of the test subjects with periodontal disease, compared to 23% of the healthy controls. Smokers who reported higher levels of everyday stress had more deep pockets and more inflammation. Smoking appears to be a greater risk factor than stress, as non-anxious smokers had more deep pockets than anxious non-smokers. High stress levels combined with smoking may lead to more periodontal infection.

Johannsen A, Asberg, M, Söder P, Söder B. Anxiety, Gingival Inflammation and Periodontal Disease in Non-Smokers and Smokers – An Epidemiological Study. J Clin Perio. 32: 488-491. 2005.

Treatment of Periodontal Disease Improves Metabolic Control of Diabetes

A connection exists between diabetic control and oral infections. When periodontal infection establishes itself, metabolic control of diabetes worsens. When diabetes is exacerbated, periodontal infection progresses. Researchers in Turkey evaluated the effects of non-surgical therapy on the metabolic indicators of periodontal disease. 44 patients were included in the study, half in the control group and half in the test group. During the 3-month study, patients in the control group received no periodontal treatment. Test group subjects received oral hygiene instructions and scaling and root planning with local anesthesia. Following treatment statistically significant differences were observed between the groups. Evidence showed improved glycaemic control following non-surgical therapy.

Kiram M, Arpak N, Unsal E, Erdogan M. The Effect of Improved Periodontal Health on Metabolic Control Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. J Clin Perio. 32: 266-272, 2005.

Further Information

Sarah Kidman Tel: 01480 862080, Fax: 01480 862080 SarahK@oraldent.co.uk

Source:

Louisa Cronin Louisa.Cronin@hsdcomm.com