Articles posted on July 2007 (15)
Avendia should remain, advisers say!
This is one of the headlines on Yahoo news today. In case you haven't been kept up to date with this issue, Avendia is a drug given to Type 2 diabetics to help control blood sugar. However, like all drugs it has side effects, some of them alleged to be fatal.
According to information previously released by the FDA there have been dozens of studies which point to an increased risk of heart attack through the use of Avendia. One of the FDA's chief researchers suggested that the risk was so high and the benefits were so small that the continued sale of the drug could not be justified.
Mannatech in trouble with Texas!
Mannatech which is an MLM company with more than 500,000 distributors is in hot water again due to continued use by their distributors of dubious testimonials related to their products.
Last time I mentioned something negative about Mannatech on this blog I had a series of emails from some irate customers who are also distributors of Mannatech and whom had been buying our Omega 3. Then as now I was only reporting facts, and so what I personally experienced then was a case of people 'shooting the messenger'. Never mind, there will always be people who get upset when the truth on a matter is exposed.
China starts to clean up its Act...
In the wake of recent scandals involving contaminated foods coming out of China the Chinese National Food Regulator has taken steps to clean up the industry. Part of these steps will require food processors to upgrade their facilities or face closure.
It is estimated that half of all Chinese food processors will go out of business as a result of these new measures! That will be a lot! Whereas it is always sad to see people lose their business there is however no excuse for any business who produces contaminated or unsafe goods.
Drug Company says: No Cure, No Charge
This is an interesting bit of news. A drug company in the UK has agreed to refund the country’s National Health Service for the cost of its multiple myeloma drug Velcade (bortezomib) if it doesn’t cure the patient.
If a patient doesn’t respond to the drug, provided it is prescribed according to the company’s specifications there will be no charge. Apparently Doctors should only use the drug if other drugs have failed, and the patient is not suitable for bone marrow transplantation.
A correspondent for the British Medical Journal commented: “The announcement was a sobering reminder that most medicines do not work in all patients.”
Surgery for a tear in the knee...
I have pubished this exchange between Joanna our Medical Nutritionist and Jo a customer, not only because it may be of interest to dog owners but because the principles within this exchange also apply to us as humans.
Question: from Jo
I was wondering if I could give some Arthrit-eze to my dog. She is going to have surgery for a Crucia tear in her knee, this Monday. Is this an arthritic condition? If so, would I be able to help her by giving her some Arthrit-eze? If so, how many pills per day?
Isoflavones may Halve Prostate Cancer Risk...
I don't very often talk about studies giving this result or that, unless they are badly flawed and unfairly reflect negatively on one nutrient or another. However, I thought this positive one was appropriate to bring to your attention. It is well known that isoflavones are a very important nutrient for overall health in an adult, in particular in helping the prevention of all types of cancer.
This study confirms the benefits of this nutrient for helping men avoid prostate cancer. Virtually no one who eats a normal western diet gets adequate isoflavones! In fact, a high percentage of men get none at all! This is quite likely a contributing factor in the steady increase of prostate cancer.
Dr Mercola has got it wrong this time!
I have the greatest respect for Dr Mercola and the work that he does, but I have to disagree with him regarding an article that he posted recently.
It was entitled ‘FDA announces plan to Eliminate Vitamin Companies’. This was an article written by Byron Richard and endorsed by Dr Mercola.
I have read a number of articles by Byron Richards and he writes some good stuff, but this one is way off the mark and is grossly sensationalized.
So, what was this all about and what is the plan to eliminate Vitamin Companies?
Is President Bush going to Veto the Continued Ban on Mercury in Vaccines?
You may have seen some headlines in recent days saying "Bush to Veto Ban on Mercury in Vaccines".
Whilst I have not been able to verify the accuracy of this statement it does appear to be true. You can access a link to an article about this by clicking here.
The issue of using Thimerosal which is a mercury based preservative is a pretty hot one. Some scientists say that it is the cause of autism whilst others say that this is nonsense and it is perfectly safe. Personally I go with those who believe that any form of mercury derivative has no place in the body. That applies to everyone and most of all infants and pregnant women.