Mercola.com

July 25, 2011

A single glass of milk can contain a mixture of as many as 20 painkillers, antibiotics and growth hormones.  Using a highly sensitive test, scientists found the chemicals in samples of cow, goat and human breast milk.

The results show how man-made chemicals are now found throughout the food chain.  The highest quantities of medicines were found in cow’s milk.

The Daily Mail reports:

“Researchers believe some of the drugs and growth promoters were given to the cattle, or got into milk through cattle feed or contamination on the farm … [The] breakdown … revealed that cow’s milk contained traces of anti-inflammatory drugs niflumic acid, mefenamic acid and ketoprofen … It also contained the hormone 17-beta-estradiol”.

Sources:

The Daily Mail July 7, 2011

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry May 11, 2011; 59(9):5125-32

Dr Mercola’s Comments:

Milk is thought of as a wholesome food, which is why so many parents give it to their children with every meal. And the truth is, it is wholesome when it’s in its raw form and sourced from cows fed non-contaminated grass and raised in clean conditions.

Unfortunately, the milk that winds up in most Americans’ glasses is far from this unadulterated state and, as the study above revealed, instead may be a veritable chemical cocktail.

What’s Really in Your Milk?

Spanish and Moroccan researchers used a highly sensitive test to determine what types of medications could be found in a variety of milk (cow, goat and human breast milk), and they hit the chemical jackpot. Medications used to treat diseases in both humans and animals were revealed. Among the drugs and hormones detected were:

While all types of milk tested contained chemicals, including breast milk, cow’s milk contained the highest levels. Some of these drugs and hormones were given to the cows directly, while others were likely ingested from the cattle food or contamination on the farm.

The truth is, chemical contaminants are now showing up throughout the entire food chain, which is why it’s so important to choose your food wisely, from farmers who make efforts to avoid toxins like these and certainly don’t add to the problem by supplying them directly. Unfortunately, if you buy your milk in most supermarkets, you can rest assured that it will probably contain contaminants you’d be better off avoiding.

Read Full Article….

So much for the GOT PMS/Milk campaign…..

Read the complete article and related information at Who Knew this Cocktail of up to 20 Chemicals Was in Your Glass of Milk?

Sydney Morning Herald

smh.com.au

Rachel Browne, Jill Stark
July 17, 2011

HOT flushes, night sweats, mood swings and the end of a woman’s natural fertility – all before age 40. This is the disturbing reality of premature menopause, and a new study shows it may be much more common than doctors realised.

A British study of almost 5000 women, one of the most comprehensive yet into premature menopause, showed that 7.4 per cent of women experienced the condition. Previous international studies suggested only 1 per cent of women were affected.

The average age of menopause is about 51 but premature menopause, or premature ovarian failure, affects women under 40, in what is supposed to be their reproductive prime. The figures have intrigued medical experts. They are unable to say whether the condition is becoming more common – perhaps a result of modern lifestyles – or has previously been under-diagnosed.

The data, presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Stockholm, reveal that about 6 per cent of women in the study had unexplained premature menopause. Another 1.4 per cent had had surgery that had brought on the condition.

A co-author of the study, Rumana Islam, from Imperial College in London, said more research was needed into the condition.

In cases of unexplained premature menopause, the study found that smokers and women from a lower socio-economic background were more likely to be affected.

”Most cases of unexplained premature ovarian failure have no identified cause, although a minority are due to genetic or auto-immune problems,” Dr Islam said, adding: ”As we learn more about premature ovarian failure, we should be able to identify which aspects of low socio-economic status are associated with this problem.”

Many women with premature menopause go undiagnosed, as the condition is not widely recognised by GPs.

As well as experiencing symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings and sleep problems, women who go through premature menopause have an increased risk of cardio-vascular disease, dementia, osteoporosis and premature death.

Read Full Article…

Read the complete article and related information at Mystery of menopause before 40

MedIndia

Saturday, July 16, 2011, 12:24 PM

Women with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) have greater frequency of secondary seizures during anovulatory cycles, says study. Anovulatory cycles – menstrual cycles where an egg is not released than in cycles where ovulation occurs. The study published in the journal Epilepsia.

Medical evidence has shown that sex hormones, estradiol and progesterone, have neuroactive properties that can affect seizures. Previous studies by Andrew Herzog, MD, MSc, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts and colleagues found that ratios of hormone levels in the blood differ in relation to the ovulatory status of menstrual cycles, with anovulatory cycles having higher estradiol-progesterone ratios during the second half of the menstrual cycle (luteal phase) compared to ovulatory cycles. Further studies have determined that anovulatory cycles are more common among women with epilepsy than in the general population.

To expand on their prior research, Dr. Herzog and colleagues used data collected during the Progesterone Trial Study – a 3-month investigation of progesterone therapy for focal onset seizures that are difficult to control. Of the 281 women who participated, 92 had both anovulatory and ovulatory cycles during the study period, with progesterone levels of 5 ng/ml measured in the latter part of the menstrual cycle, designating ovulation.

Among the 281 study participants, 37% had GTCS, 81% had complex partial seizures (CPS) and 38% had simple partial seizures (SPS). In the 92 women who had both ovulatory and anovulatory cycles, the seizure percentages were slightly lower, but not significantly different. Researchers determined that the average daily seizure frequency was 30% greater in the women during their anovulatory cycles than in those cycles were ovulation occurred. Seizure frequency did not differ significantly for CPS, SPS, or for all seizures combined.

“Our results showed that GTCS frequency during anovulatory cycles correlate with proportional increases in estradiol-progesterone level ratios, suggesting sex hormones contribute to seizure incidence,” concluded Dr. Herzog. “Efficacy results from the phase 3 clinical trial of a progesterone supplement that generated the data for the current study are forthcoming, and may provide a much needed treatment option to control seizures in women with epilepsy.”

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), tonic-clonic seizures, formerly known as grand mal seizures, are the most common type of generalized seizure and cause symptoms that include stiffening of the body, repeated jerking of the arms or legs, and loss of consciousness. The Epilepsy Foundation estimates that 200,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed each year in the U.S., and roughly half of those are generalized onset seizures.

Source-Eurekalert

Read More…

Read the complete article and related information at Seizure Frequency Higher During Anovulatory Cycle

Natural News

Thursday, April 14, 2011 by: Dr. Carolyn Dean

While reading Blinded by Science, an amazing book that you can download for free on the internet at http://www.blindedbyscience.co.uk/ until April 30, 2011, I realized that most of the work I’ve done for the past 30 years has been ignored by science. I beat my head against the brick wall of medical and scientific complacency because people continue to suffer from the following conditions, and the best that doctors can do is offer them tranquilizers!

1. Yeast overgrowth
2. Magnesium deficiency
3. IBS caused by poor diet and lifestyle
4. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
5. Undiagnosed hypothyroidism
6. Underdiagnosed Adrenal fatigue
7. Heavy metal toxicity

In this article I focus on…

Yeast Overgrowth

I studied yeast overgrowth after medical school during my naturopathic training. It made sense to me that people who take antibiotics kill off good bacteria as well as bad bacteria and set up an hospitable environment for yeast to overgrow. But for some reason, medicine chooses to ignore yeast overgrowth.

Candida albicans is a fungus living in our intestines that produces 180 chemical toxins that can be absorbed through the intestines into the blood. Just think of what 180 toxins can do to your immune system. Any “foreign chemical” in the blood stream will create an inflammatory reaction that can be measured by various blood tests. These toxins are capable of making you feel dizzy and fatigued, shutting down your thyroid, throwing your hormones off balance, causing you to gain weight and crave sugar and alcohol. It’s associated with PMS, loss of libido, painful intercourse, infertility, numbness, tingling, MS, Crohn’s, colitis, IBS, acne, Lupus, insomnia, drowsiness, white tongue, breath bad, body odor, sinusitis, bruising, sore throat, bronchitis, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, spots in front of eyes, and dozens more symptoms.

Medicine, by ignoring yeast overgrowth and just thinking it’s a pesky vaginitis, doesn’t realize how deeply yeast is involved with our current epidemic of inflammation.

Inflammation is a ‘hot’ topic. An Internet search on the word turned up an overwhelming 43.4 million hits. Journals of inflammation, inflammation research associations, and drug companies are all scrambling to find a drug to treat this scourge. Inflammation is the body’s first defense against infection, but when it goes awry, it can lead to heart attacks, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s and a host of other diseases.

How can a simple infection lead to heart attacks and cancer? That’s exactly where inflammation begins; it’s the first response of your immune system to an infecting organism or foreign material that trips a switch leading to a “cascade” of biochemical events. Fluid floods the infected area along with a dozen different chemicals including white blood cells and histamine -all capable of producing the signs of inflammation – redness, swelling, and pain.

To the great detriment of the health of our society, this fungus is growing rampant in a large proportion of the population – both men and women. It’s one of the many diseases of civilization – the culmination of the side effects of drug and food technology and the disservices of our stressful way of life. The miracle of antibiotics has its downside as an underlying cause of yeast overgrowth. The refining of sugar and wheat has its downside by creating a simple food source for yeast. The tremendous levels of stress hormones that flood our bodies daily, hourly, and every minute in our sped up world also make us prey to yeast.

Candidiasis (yeast overgrowth) has been around for decades, ever since we began to use antibiotics but neglected to replace the good bacteria that are destroyed along with the bad. Yeast itself, a cousin to molds, has grown in human bodies since Adam and Eve. Candida albicans is the main yeast in the human body; it lives there happily enough, kept in check by beneficial bacteria in the intestines. These bacteria make small amounts of vitamin K and B12 and help digest excess sugar that gets past the small intestine. A very special group of bacteria also make lactic acid, which protects the gut and vagina against yeast.

Candida is one of the 400 organisms that make their home in our mouth, digestive tract, vagina and on our skin. For the most part, yeast get along with their neighbors. When you begin taking antibiotics, however, the whole delicate balance is lost. Antibiotics don’t discriminate, they wipe out most of the good along with the bad bacteria leaving yeast unharmed.

Read More…

Gardasil + Yeast + Histamine…hmmm….
Yeast thrives in an acidic environment.

Read the complete article and related information at Yeast and chronic inflammation

Daily Monitor

Uganda
By Gloria Kemigisha
Thursday, April 14 2011

Read the complete article and related information at Mysterious flow: Those confusing irregularities during menstruation

Study Suggests Exposure to Chemicals Called PFCs May Be Associated With Earlier Menopause

WebMD

March 25, 2011

Women exposed to high levels of chemicals called perfluorocarbons (PFCs) may enter menopause earlier, new research suggests.

PFCs are man-made chemicals found in many household products such as food containers and stain-resistant clothing as well as in water, soil, and plants.

”Before this study, there was strong evidence from animal research that PFCs were endocrine disruptors,” says researcher Sarah Knox, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown.

For the study, she evaluated the levels of two PFCs, called PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoate) in nearly 26,000 women, ages 18 to 65.

Overall, she found, ”the higher the perfluorocarbons, the earlier the menopause.” Women between ages 42 and 64 with the highest blood levels of the PFCs were more likely to have experienced menopause than those with the lowest levels.

One of the chemicals, PFOS, affected levels of the hormone estradiol, a form of estrogen. “The higher the levels of PFOS, the lower the levels of estradiol,” she says. As estradiol declines, menopause approaches.

The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

PFCs and Menopause

The 26,000 women were participants in the C8 Health Project. It collected information on more than 69,000 people from six public water districts contaminated by PFOAs from the DuPont Washington Works Plant near Parkersburg, W. Va., between August 2005 and August 2006. (C8 is another name for PFOA).

The work was funded by the settlement agreement arising from the water contamination case, Leach vs. E.I.Dupont de Nemours & Co.

Knox asked each woman about her menopausal status and then looked at blood levels of the PFCs. She found an association between high blood levels and menopause onset, she says, but not cause and effect.

Read Full Article…

Read the complete article and related information at Chemicals Linked to Early Menopause

C&EN
Chemical and Engineering News

March 4, 2011

Study finds that even BPA-free products leach potentially problematic compounds

From plastic bags to water bottles, most plastic products—even those that don’t contain the estrogen mimic bisphenol A—leach chemicals that trigger a bioassay for estrogenic activity, according to an analysis of more than 450 common plastic products (Environ. Health Perspect., DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1003220). The researchers who carried out the study, which only tested for estrogenic activity and did not identify any specific chemicals, suggest that this ubiquitous estrogenic activity could be eliminated by carefully reformulating plastics.

The study didn’t center on BPA, but instead focused on quantifying the biological effect of estrogenic activity, irrespective of the chemical causes, explains neurobiologist George D. Bittner of the University of Texas, Austin, who led the study. “Although BPA is the most notorious chemical with estrogenic activity used in plastics, it is not the only one, nor does it have the highest biological effect,” Bittner says.

The research was carried out by a team including researchers at CertiChem and PlastiPure, two contract firms founded by Bittner. CertiChem uses its estrogenic activity assays to test plastics, foods, chemicals, and packaging for clients. PlastiPure is a technology company that works with clients to design plastic formulations so that products can be certified to be free of estrogenic activity. The study was funded in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which publishes Environmental Health Perspectives.

The scientists extracted small pieces of plastic with saline or with ethanol, then added MCF-7 human breast cancer cells to samples of the extracts. After an incubation period, the researchers used ultraviolet spectroscopy to quantify the amount of DNA produced by the cells, which proliferate in response to estrogenic chemicals.

Bittner’s team found that about 70% of the plastic items tested positive for estrogenic activity. But when the researchers stressed the materials under “real world” conditions of simulated sunlight, microwaving, and dishwashing, about 95% of the products tested positive, including products labeled as BPA-free.

Read Full Article…

Read the complete article and related information at Most Plastics Release Estrogenic Chemicals

Geraldine O’Sullivan-Hogan suffered agony every month for 28 years, says Joy Orpen, and she is convinced doctors would have treated her more seriously had she been a man

Independent.ie

February 20, 2011

Having a chronic condition is bad enough, but when the medical profession fails to take it seriously, then a grave injustice is done. This, it would seem, is quite common in an illness that is exclusively confined to women.

Endometriosis is intrinsically linked to the menstrual cycle. It occurs when the endometrium — the tissue which lines the uterus — grows elsewhere, usually within the pelvic region. It behaves in much the same way as the lining of the uterus does, thickening and then bleeding during the menstrual cycle in response to hormonal changes.

However, unlike the tissue in the uterus, this waste matter has nowhere to go and causes scarring, tissue damage and adhesions.

If Geraldine O’Sullivan-Hogan, 50, had been diagnosed with this condition when she was much younger, she might have been spared untold suffering and confusion.

She says her childhood growing up on a small farm in rural Kerry was quite normal, until the age of 11, when she had her first menstrual period.

“That was fine, but the second was very painful,” she says. “It felt as if my insides were going to fall out.”

There was very little Geraldine’s mother could do beyond giving her daughter aspirin when she was menstruating. “I went to school dying from the pain. I also had a lot of diarrhoea, so it was difficult,” Geraldine recalls. Her problems were discussed with a doctor who said putting her on the contraceptive pill might ease her symptoms, but he refused to prescribe it as she was under 16.

So Geraldine had to soldier on.

“I dreaded getting my periods. I’d go around doubled over or I’d go to bed with a hot-water bottle. All there was in those days was aspirin. But, to be honest, even when I was given stronger painkillers later on, I soon discovered they didn’t touch that pain,” she says.

The Endometriosis Association of Ireland (EAI) says the condition is relatively common.

“A lot of women have endometriosis and never know about it because it doesn’t cause any problems. It is graded from one to four. In more severe cases the disease can behave in an aggressive manner and may spread to surrounding tissue, causing significant pain and infertility. The severity of the symptoms seems to depend on the location of the endometrial growths, if there are cysts, where the cysts have formed and if there are adhesions.”

The cause of the condition is unknown. One theory is that the endometrium escapes from the uterus into the pelvic area; another hypothesis suspects a genetic predisposition. What is certain is that there is no cure — all doctors can do is treat the symptoms.

Geraldine says an extensive survey in the US found that among endometriosis sufferers there was a high incidence of auto-immune type diseases, including lupus, MS, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, as well as muscular and skeletal issues. The condition could also affect the ability to conceive.

Read More…

Read the complete article and related information at Endometriosis: A cycle of pain

One of severe repercussions of progesterone deficiency is an unsuccessful pregnancy, also known as miscarriage. Know about it in greater detail.

Buzzle.com

February 2011

Before coming to the segment of progesterone deficiency, let me brief you on the basic aspects of progesterone. It is a steroid hormone, known for its major role in creating a fertile environment for conception, and the process that ensures the continuous development of the embryo. It is manufactured by the ovary during the process of ovulation. As this hormone increases in its production, it causes more vaginal mucus. This in turn decreases the mortality of the sperm, so that it can reach the egg for fertilization. This is to boost the possibility of becoming pregnant. Also, some of its production also takes place in the adrenal glands. Men also produce it, but in small amounts. It is more important for a woman’s health, as it is responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle. Certain factors causes the levels of progesterone to go down. And if this decrease takes place significantly, then, as mentioned, miscarriage could be the most likely outcome. This article will help you understand the symptoms of progesterone deficiency, its possible causes, and treatment options available to deal with it.

Progesterone Deficiency Symptoms

The number, types and nature of progesterone deficiency symptoms may vary from one person to another. The most common ones, as observed by patients and doctors are as follows:

• The most important symptom may be infertility, as it is obvious from the explanation above.
• Depression may set in, and the person may gain weight.
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), water retention, and disease of the gallbladder are some other symptoms.
• Lack of sleep, memory loss, irregular menstrual cycle, vaginal dryness, and breast tenderness are also common.
• Some more symptoms may include panic attacks, blood clots during menstruation, deficiency of magnesium in the body, reduced sex drive and joint pain.

Progesterone Deficiency Causes

Factors which cause progesterone deficiency in women, could be many in number. Some of the most possibles ones include:

• Stress happens to be among the most common factors which hampers the production of progesterone.
• The second common cause is the production of high levels of estrogen. Women whose diet includes a lot of non-vegetarian food, commonly face this problem.
• Side effects of certain medication are also some of the causes.
• Other causes include lack of exercise, birth control pills, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, adrenal gland disorders, hormone replacement therapy, etc.

As far as the tests and diagnosis are concerned, doctors do it by determining the fertility cycle, and blood test that is taken post ovulation. Also, there is a period that is counted after the start of ovulation till the day before the next period. If this period happens to be of short duration, then even this indicates low progesterone levels.

Read Full Article…

Read the complete article and related information at Progesterone Deficiency

The Health Sciences Institute

Angry young men
February 10, 2011

In 2006, when I first told you about Gardasil, the only danger we knew for sure was the danger of wasting your money on an overpriced vaccine that might not even work.

Even then, the medical mainstream knew that this human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine offered–at BEST–incomplete protection from cervical cancer.

Within a year, everything changed. Three girls had died after receiving Gardasil shots, and about 1,600 adverse reactions had been reported to the FDA.

People started calling me crazy when I sounded the battle cry and told them “Do not get the Gardasil shot for your daughters.” The Gardasil defenders certainly weren’t worried. They chalked those deaths up to coincidence and moved on.

But more “coincidental” deaths and adverse reaction reports continued to mount, year after year.

Today the death toll is 89 and the adverse reaction reports number more than 21,000!

Over the past five years, thousands have been hospitalized and hundreds are disabled with symptoms that include seizures, muscle spasms, paralysis, lupus, pelvic pain, joint pain, extreme weight loss, vision loss, hair loss, enlarged liver, migraines, painful menstruation, and slurred speech.

So, at what point does all this cross the line from “coincidence” to public health crisis?

Clearly we’re already there. And I hate to think of how many deaths the FDA will require before they do anything.

Pulling focus

In 2007, I was standing alone on my soapbox when I called out the FDA to take action and protect young women from the Gardasil vaccine.

Today the soapbox is pretty crowded.

In fact, one adverse reaction case in particular may finally push the Gardasil controversy into the mainstream spotlight.

When 18-year-old Donielle Richardson suffered long-range side effects after one injection of Gardasil, her family was stunned to discover how many other young girls had been victimized by this hazardous vaccine.

Donielle’s brothers–Ryan and David Richardson–were so disturbed by their sister’s experience that they wanted to do something to make people aware of Gardasil’s grave risks.

They’ve now started work on a Gardasil documentary titled “One More Girl”–a twist on Merck’s “One Less Girl to get Cervical Cancer” advertising campaign.

When finished, “One More Girl” will explore the unique impact that Gardasil adverse events have on young victims and their families.

For instance, the Richardsons found that many doctors are reluctant to treat post-Gardasil patients. Those docs don’t want to buck the system (or anger Merck?) with any sort of acknowledgment that the vaccine might cause serious health issues.

In other words, doctors may actually be helping Merck keep news of Gardasil risks from getting out to the general public.

And that’s why a film like “One More Girl” is so urgent–and long overdue.

You can watch a short preview of the film on a website (onemoregirlfilm.com) the Richardson brothers have set up to raise money for production costs.

Meanwhile, there’s still room on the soapbox and you can help. Tell your family and friends, because whenever someone finds out about the realities of Gardasil, we’re one step closer to where we want to be: Getting this dangerous and unnecessary vaccine taken off the market.

Sources:
“One More Girl Unveils Truth behind HPV Vaccine Travesty” Press Release, 1/11/11, prlog.org

Read the complete article and related information at A review of a movie that hasn’t been made yet: Two thumbs up–way up!