--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00087Date: 06/25/97 From: ALAN FLETCHER Time: 09:58pm \/To: SARAH DURIS (Read 1 times) Subj: Milk allergies Hi Sarah, > AF> One of the main causes of secretory otitis media in young children > AF> is the consumption of cow's milk and dairy products derived from it. > We found this out a couple years ago and we stopped cow's milk right > away. You would be surprised at how many people (including many nutritionists and the dairy industry of course) hotly deny that cow's milk is a major cause of ear infections in young children. Here we have another example from real life. ;-) > While it stopped the ear infections, Jonathan still had problems with > a speach delay. This would take more time to normalise I would expect. > As far as milk went, I continued to breastfeed him > until he was 3, and then started him on goat's milk which hasn't > given him an ear infection, yet. Goats have a similar growth pattern and size and weight to human beings and so their milk is much better suited. There is still no health case for drinking any milk after a child is weaned off though. > Recently, I started him on cow's milk because our > source for goat's milk sold their goats! Sure enough, we are both > suffering the consequences. Nothing like self-experimentation to confirm suspicions. > I have found another source for goat's milk so we are switching again. > I don't think milk is necessary to survival, Certainly not after being weaned off. Which other wild mammal drinks the milk of its own species (let alone the milk of another species) after being weaned off? > but it sure is nice. We like our yogurt and ice-cream I sometimes eat a home-made yoghurt innoculated with lactobacillus acidophilus now and again to refresh the bowel flora and also get a good supply of vitamin B12 (which can only be obtained through the intake of live bacteria). > BTW, my mother gave me *only* goat's milk, since my family raised raised > goats, until I was 5 or 6. I still had a speach delay and slight > hearing > impairment. Hearing impairments run in my family, so I wonder how much > of my son's is really caused by fluid. I have never heard of hearing impairments being passed on genetically but it is true that eating habits are passed on from one generation to the next. > AF> the production of excess mucous. Ear, nose and throat infections > AF> in children as a result are certainly not natural as many seem to > We certainly found this out 2 years ago. As soon as I stopped the milk > the infections cleared up. This is after 6 months of one ear infection > after another, bronchitis, asthma, etc. At one point, we even counted > the > white blood cells to make sure we weren't dealing with a more serious > cause of these infections (ie, leukemia). This six months coincided > with the introduction of cow's milk. I hope some of the milk addicts and supporters read this. ;-) > AF> but good for the profits of the medical profession) having his > AF> or her tonsils removed. The tonsils are lymph nodes (guardians > Didn't know about this connection. I wonder if tubes are also pretty > much the same thing. What do you mean by tubes...the Eustachian tube perhaps? If so this has nothing to do with the lymph system but is certainly a drainage system (and also a means of equalising pressure in front of and behind the ear drum). > AF> Hopi candles are mumbo-jumbo in my opinion...they may bring slight > AF> relief (as does warm oil in the ear) but they are certainly not a > AF> cure for the complaint. > I'm pretty skeptical, too, just thought I'd look into it. I don't think > I'll go this route. They are certainly not dangerous as far as I am aware..although probably better for softening a wax bung than anything else (using Q-Tips are largely responsible for this increasing complaint in both children and adults). > AF> "cause"....after all..you can not take antibiotics forever). > No, but some doctors like to think you can :( Meat-eaters get them often unknowingly and on a much more regular basis than those prescribed by the docs now and again. Best regards, Alan --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: The Bear's Cave (2:2461/161.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00088Date: 06/25/97 From: ALAN FLETCHER Time: 10:06pm \/To: DIA SPRIGGS (Read 1 times) Subj: No "Red Indians" here ! Hi Dia, > What does red, green, purple or any other color have to do with > alternative medicine....I didn't see any reference to INDIAN medicine at > all..Please drop the thread. I actually was speaking about alternative medicine when I spoke about the Red Indians (some just decided to object to the term..which is still used over here today and was all the fault of ol' Christopher Columbus in the first place). ;-) Best regards, Alan --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: The Bear's Cave (2:2461/161.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00089Date: 06/25/97 From: ALAN FLETCHER Time: 10:32pm \/To: GAYLE LICARI (Read 1 times) Subj: Red Rasberry/Nettles for Endometriosis Hi Gayle, > Endometriosis is basically what you read. It is when the tissue from > the uterus grows outside attaching to other organs---ovaries, bladder, > colon I had gathered that but do not know enough about the complaint to be able to provide a qualified comment. Thanks for the info though. > Back to endometriosis. It can cause infertility too in women. Doctors > like to do hysterectomy quickly, but I am going to keep what I was born > with unless something drastic happens. I don't plan to take HRT so I > need my uterus and ovaries for a long time to come. That is why I was > asking if there is a herbal remedy. One report says women in Germany > use Black Cohosh for menstrual disorders. Yes....according to the literature I have researched for my own database, Black Cohosh is/was used..as well as Lady's Mantle, St. John's Wort and Motherwort. I am always rather cautious when speaking about wild plants as treatments though because they can not cure anything and are certainly dangerous if they can produce a physiological effect against the will of the body. It is also significant that there are quite a number of different disorders in connection with menstruation or the menopause etc. and none of the literature I have seen so far is all that specific in this respect. > Anyway I am drinking the Red Rasberry Tea. Sounds quite healthy I would have thought..made from the leaves I presume rather than the berries. > Tea is okay if you don't drink too much. Are you moticing any positive reactions? > Thank you for the history lesson on Fletchers. I didn't know that. > My husband finds lots of arrowheads made by the indians, but no > athnetic arrows. I wouldn't wonder, by the time the Europeans started emigrating to the U.S.A. the bows and arrows were replaced by firearms. ;-) > Only see those in museums. I am into indian history too. I make the indian > dream catchers. I think of all races they have been treated poorly > especially in our country. So were the aboriginees in Australia and the Maoris in New Zealand. ;-) > hope you have learned more about the condition endometriosis. Always like to learn..although I doubt whether I personally will ever suffer from this complaint. I must admit (to my shame) that I tend to concentrate on illnesses common to both sexes rather than on strictly female complaints. Best regards, Alan --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: The Bear's Cave (2:2461/161.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00090Date: 06/25/97 From: ALAN FLETCHER Time: 11:18pm \/To: TERRY RICKS (Read 1 times) Subj: Virus Hi Terry, Thanks for the reply. >> A virus is an obligate intracellular parasite. >> >> A buzzword maybe....but true according to state-of-the-art knowledge. >> IOW a virus is an opportunistic cell parasite. > Not a "buzzword", but a fact. How do you define "opportunisitic"? > Every know cellular form of life has at least one viral parasite, most > have > more than one. Not every virus can attack every cell; the cell has to > have > the appropriate protein receptor site. The virion attaches to the > appropriate site. There is no "opportunity", as in attacking the cell > at a > weak, or unprotected, moment, which is what your statement implies. Not exactly...the success of a viral infection depends on them being able to overcome the defense offered by the immune system. To state that a virus "attacks" a cell is to do it an injustice. There are even some schools of thought who are seriously considering the possibility that many viruses are actually NECESSARY for the health of some cells (read Guy Claude Burger on his Internet page umontreal.ca/~gaumondp/anopsology/guy claude burger...for example). >> All true according to state-of-the-art knowledge..but where is this >> knowledge getting us?....absolutely nowhere Terry. So where do we >> (you) go from here? Do you seriously believe that you may someday >> develop a means (other than our own immune system) of destroying >> viruses? Does your research concentrate on improving/strengthening >> the immune system? > How can you say that this knowledge gets us nowhere? This knowledge > has > allowed the development of anti-viral drugs that block receptor sites, > or > help cells fight viral reproduction. Most viruses are easily destroyed > by > natural materials such as sunlight, heat, or simple chemicals such as > chlorine (as a chlorite solution). We can already destroy viruses! > What's your point? My point is that viruses are only a hazard to unhealthy people and more research should be concentrated on improving health rather than attempting to eliminate the viruses themselves (thus speeding up their evolution..as with bacteria...and promoting more resistant strains much quicker than humans are able to adjust). I also work for a company which has just had a new AIDS drug (with side-effects just as with most other drugs) sanctioned by the FDA. As with all other anti-viral drugs...it is merely a treatment and certainly not a cure. Only the body itself is able to rid itself of unwanted viruses (as well as other natural phenomena such as sunlight and heat as you quite rightly pointed out) and this was why, for example, the British Cold Research Unit was finally closed down after decades of misguided and totally useless research and after pouring millions of British pounds of taxpayer money down the drain. The only finding they came up with is that it is easier to get a cold from shaking someone's hand than any other way...i.e. including droplet infection. >> So you are at a college Terry....what would industry expect of you >> when you leave? >> > You lost me here! What industry? Why would this industry expect > anything from me whether I'm at a college or not. My position at the > college is Adjunct Faculty. My fulltime job is with the Food Sanitation > Division of the local health department. Does that count as your > "industry"? What I was implying was that industry is only interested in applied research which leads to a saleable product. All the rest is merely propaganda. >> I am surrounded by a couple of hundred of you guys (a few are also >> good friends of mine) and it is enlightening to hear their own >> goals in life (rather than the goals of their peers). There are >> many people in this world who need to think about what they are >> doing...for whom..and why. > OK, again, what's your point?!! You probably missed it as you are new to the echo. My point is/was that industrial researchers in this field (at least those that I know as well as those that they know) seem to be really hesitant about taking their own pills and preparations. The fact that the majority of the members of alternative organisations such as the German (and also the U.S.) Natural Hygiene Society (of which I am also a member) are industrial and university medical researchers health would seem to also indicate that there is a hell of a lot of inner unrest among this faction. It has long been established (but is still often ignored) that health starts in your gut (the cradle of the immune system so to speak) and that people who were originally downright unhealthy can live to a ripe old age of 116 at least (your very own Dr. Norman W. Walker) if they respect this fact and do something about it. It has also been established (even officially certified by the allopaths) that cancer (terminal stomach cancer in the case I am particularly thinking about) can be cured by merely changing to a diet of wild plants only. The question is...who wants to do that? Whilst I have every sympathy for unhealthy people wanting to be relieved of their aches and pains..this should not by any means be the main direction of research..and it is shame on both your nation and mine (and most others) that interfering with Nature is given a higher priority than nursing and encouraging it. Best regards, Alan --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: The Bear's Cave (2:2461/161.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00091Date: 06/26/97 From: KLAUS WIEGAND Time: 12:00am \/To: MARK PROBERT (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: FDA Acts hello mark. MU>>-> dead in the L-tryptophan fiasco and that there have been MU>>-> 18 deaths and MU>>Fiasco is a good description: it was a one-time event. The MU>>batch of tryptophan that caused damage and death was MU>>manufactured in a facility (in Japan) whose machinery was MU>>contaminated during the manufacture of that batch. The MU>>people harmed by taking it (my sister was one of them) who MU>>survived, and some of the survivors of the dead, wrote to MU>>the FDA to protest the removal of tryptophan from the open MU>>market. It wasn't tryptophan that did the damage: it was MU>>contamination. MP>It wasn't contamination. It was blind faith in an "oriental" MP>product where there was little, if any, quality control. whether you are the "voice of reason", might still be discussed (per net mail. may others discuss it, certainly not me. the fact, that 7 of your last 10 mails were nothing but insults to others, does'nt support your assumption at all. maybe you looked up the word "reason" in another dictionary than me), but certainly you are not the "voice of knowledge". it was !! a contamination with a toxic metabolite. In 1989 the japanese company showa denko k.k. marketed tryptophan as a nutritional supplement in your country. It had been produced in genetically engineered bacteria (does medical mystery threaten biotech? science, page 619, 2. Nov 1990). thousands of people fell ill - 1500 being permanently disabled and 37 (not 18!!) died. hplc showed this product was more than 99.6% pure tryptophan ("an investigation of the cause of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome associated with tryptophan use", new england journal of medicine, 323: 357- 365, 1990). however, they also contained traces of a highly toxic contaminant (a stereometric isomere, read nejm and science !) which accounted for less than 0.01% of the total mass of the product (ems and tryptophan production: a cautionary tale, tibtech,12:346-352, 1994). the process of production made the key difference as previously synthesised tryptophan by another batch of bacteria of the same species had been safe. a small genetic abberation made the difference. in this case of the genetically minimal different bacteria for producing tryptophan, many patients are still in a chronic phase of eosinophilia- myalgia syndrome today. afaik your national EMS newsletter still mails to approximately 800 survivors, which is about half the initial EMS victims identified. The total number of victims is estimated in the thousands. (you can find information on EMS and tryptophan on the EMS home page http://www.nemsn.org/ems/html/, or refer to the scientific article: "eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome and tryptophan production: a cautionary tale", trends in biotechnology, Sept., 1994, pp. 346-352.) now you still might say, that science, neym and trends in biotech are no "grave" journals..... and stop crying for ms. moderator for name-spelling, as long as YOU name duesberg a swine !! i do not at all agree with his theories (there are some quite weak parts in his theses), but since the galileo-case i have never, never read, that the scientific community has been sooo agressive, ignorant, rejective and in a hurry for censorship against someone with a theory, which does not fit in the usual way of research/thinking. fact is: an issue of nature (362:103-104, 1993) contained a commentary in which ascher et al. concluded that hiv infection, but not drug use, is significantly correlated with the risk of developing aids. Their article was based on epidemiological data gathered by the sf men's health study, and written *expressly* to refute duesberg's drug-aids hypothesis. despite this, and the fact that the article mentioned him by name 19 times, nature *refused* to publish duesberg's reply. instead, the 13 May issue carried an unusually long editorial with the title "has duesberg the right of reply?," in which the editor attempted to justify this (by himself acknowledged) censorship. the conduits for scientific debate should be open and the free exchange of ideas never be censored, but instead openly critisized. consequently that gives me enough doubts about his fellow researchers and their "honorable" motives. they might find themselfes some day to bark up the wrong viral tree. and i did not even start to talk about the parallel gallo fraud.. klaus PGP-fingerprint: C8 62 0E A5 1D 33 FD 3D E1 41 15 47 C1 B4 83 41 --- CrossPoint v3.11 R * Origin: spider or fly (2:2468/6700.104) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00092Date: 06/26/97 From: KLAUS WIEGAND Time: 12:00am \/To: ALLE (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: A.d.d. ## forwarded from: /FIDO/HERBS-N-SUCH F D A seeks restrictions on herbal diet supplements (Associated Press) WASHINGTON --- After at least 17 deaths and 800 illnesses linked to ephedrine-laced dietery supplements, the government said Monday it will crack down on the pills, tablets and teas that promise to help people lose weight, build muscle and feel more energetic. The Food and Drug Administration plans to dramatically cut the dose of the herbal stimulant that can be put into any dietary supplement and to ban the marketing of ephedrine-containing products as weight loss or body building agents. In addition, many of the supplements would bear warnings that too much of the product can kill, the FDA announced. No one with heart disease, high blood pressure or neurological disorders should use ephedrine supplements because the amphetamine like stimulant can cause heart attack, stoke,seizure or death, the FDA said. To back its case, the FDA detailed how a previously healthy 23-year- old Boston college student used an ephedrine-containing "proteindrink" for bodybuilding for two years. One day he dropped dead because, the coroner ruled, the drink killed portions of his heart. **** F D A proposals **** * Banning supplements with more than 8 milligrams of ephedrine or related alkaloids per serving, and setting the maximum daily dose at 24 milligrams. * Prohibiting use of ephedrine products for more than seven days. That would essentially ban ephedrine weight-loss or bodybuilding supplements, because getting those purported health effects requires weeks of use. * Requiring many supplements to bear the warning: " Taking more than the recommended serving may result in heart attack, stroke, seizure or death. * Banning caffeine or other stimulants in combination with ephedrine. (Published in the "Waterbury Republican " newspaper on June 3 1997 from Waterbury, Connecticut ) PGP-fingerprint: C8 62 0E A5 1D 33 FD 3D E1 41 15 47 C1 B4 83 41 --- CrossPoint v3.11 R * Origin: spider or fly (2:2468/6700.104) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00093Date: 06/26/97 From: ALAN FLETCHER Time: 12:14am \/To: TY MEISSNER (Read 1 times) Subj: Asthma' contrib [2/2] Hi Ty, > AF> Whereas I can understand Peter's concern...he sure seems to be > AF> putting a load of eggs into a load of different baskets. Sure..he has > AF> every right to be worried..about acid rain..about everything else > AF> he mentions. But he he should perhaps calm down a bit and try to > AF> address each problem individually with the knowledge (and common > AF> sense) at hand. Scaremongering sells newspapers and magazine > AF> articles but it doesn't provide feasible solutions. The statistics > AF> certainly do show that we are flying blind..and most are even > AF> prepared to accept death at around 75 as long as they have been > AF> monetarily and religiously blessed. Is this the answer? > One answer would be to switch to less toxic alternatives in > various chemical fabrication preocesses. They certainly exists. Sure they do..but we are deviating from ALTMED here I think. > One other answer would be to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels > in favor of renewable energy sources. Yeah...everyone wants to get back to Nature...but not on foot! > Another would be to use bio-intensive farming instead of chemical > intensive methods promoted by global chemical mining/oil > corporations. Even in a densely populated nation such as Germany it is perfectly possible to feed both the population as well as export produce gained from bio-intensive farming. This study was mentioned recently by the German Ministry of Agriculture and I am trying to get the source at the mo. Bio-intensive (organic) farming is currently subsidized here in Germany (although this will probably cease as it is now more lucrative than non-organic farming..although only if a population can afford it). > It just so happens that the means of energy and food production > that > are most destructive of our environments are also the most > profitable > for the global corporations that own the TV networks, the > newspapers, > and who fund universities, and who print yoour childrens' > schoolbooks. Sadly true. Best regards, Alan --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: The Bear's Cave (2:2461/161.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00094Date: 06/26/97 From: ALAN FLETCHER Time: 12:42am \/To: TY MEISSNER (Read 1 times) Subj: Bill White Hi Ty, > AF> Do you really still believe that the Chinese or Outer Mongolians > AF> or whoever have the answer to your problems? Or do you still > AF> believe in an alternative medicine rather than an allopathic > AF> medicine. If you use the word "medicine", what is the difference > AF> (considering that allopathic medicine is still largely based on > AF> natural herbs)? Are you interested in "treatment" (which is > AF> the role of both allopathic and alternative medicine) or "cure", > AF> which only the body itself is capable of bringing about? I still > AF> find it difficult to "know where I am" in this echo because it > AF> would seem that many (mostly Americans) still believe that > AF> treating symptoms (the allopathic approach) is synonymous with > AF> curing. I had hoped that the alternatives over there (or at > AF> least in here) had progressed beyond this disillusionary > AF> stage. Just so's you know who you are talking to when you talk > AF> to me..alternative medicine to me (and the Natural Hygiene > AF> Society which I support) is simply the attainment of what > AF> we believe to be true health and wellbeing based on current > AF> knowledge. We also have a branch in the U.S.A. BTW (no I'm > AF> not trying to sell you anything as the Natural Hygiene > AF> movement is a non-profit organization...just letting you know). > I believe that preventive medicine, i.e. that medicine that best > supports and enhances then body's own disease fighting mechanisms. In that case the word medicine is perhaps badly chosen. One can not medicate onesself without side-effects but one can "treat" onesself to nourishing foods and a better environmental location etc. > I think that part of chinese medicine which regards diet geared to > support this function is probably of some value. The Chinese are not renowned for either health or longevity. It is true, however, that the majority of rural Chinese do not drink milk and also do not suffer from ailments attributed to low calcium levels such as osteoporosis etc. I have yet to see any real proof that the Chinese (even the ancients) are able to contribute anything tangible towards the goal of better health. They are certainly good at selling tiger bones and rhino horn etc. as a professed means of attaining better virility (when they would most certainly get much better results by merely cutting down on smoking...and drinking). The Chinese (and particularly the modern Chinese) are obsessed with health because they are unhealthy. > I believe there is some truth in the saying "you are what you eat." There is a hell of a lot of truth in that saying (as has been proven time and again)..but merely eating right is not the only answer. > The trouble with allopathic medicine is that it is concerned with > sickness rather than health. I totally agree. There is no profit to be made from healthy people. Sick (unhealthy) people are obviously totally dependent on the allopaths..and they all know it deep down. But they are all also aware that they are being treated rather than cured (although many sick people confuse the two terms). > Its very helpful when the body's mechanisms have broken > down in the face of some disease process, but its preferable to > avoid getting to that stage of disrepair. You said it! > I don't think there are any magical wonder drugs or herbs or > crystals > that will let the blind see, the lame walk, and the dying find new > life. I think many of the illnesses from which we suffer are > the > results of human activity and man made substances pervading our > environment. I think modern food production methods are > profoundly > unhealthy. We, collectively are poisoning ourselves and though > we > know what we are doing, and what the ultimate cost of our actions, > we > just don't care to change our ways. Whilst I would agree with all that I am not so sure about your statement that people don't care to change their ways. They all would (as is being demonstrated here in Germany (in Austria and Switzerland even more so) if they are given better and healthier alternatives. On the political front..the "green" parties have gained considerable ground and are now represented in many European parliaments. As a result, people here have become extremely health conscious when it comes to the food they are eating and also on general environmental issues. It was...OTOH...extremely disappointing to see again at the last recent WHO environmental summit that Clinton refused to agree to a program of successive air pollution reduction (particularly CO2 and S02) in the face of all worldwide warnings on the so-called "greenhouse effect". Best regards, Alan --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: The Bear's Cave (2:2461/161.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00095Date: 06/26/97 From: ALAN FLETCHER Time: 12:52am \/To: ALEX VASAUSKAS (Read 1 times) Subj: Marijuana [2/3] [02/15] Hi Alex, >>>> Part 2 of 15... > subject persuasive in arguing that the weight of the evidence is > against the current attempt to prohibit drugs. But NATIONAL REVIEW > has not, until now, opined formally on the subject. We do so at this > point. To put off a declarative judgment would be morally and > intellectually weak-kneed. Have never as yet read this but it does seem to tally with my opinion on the whole drug issue. Thanks for your efforts. :-) Best regards, Alan --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: The Bear's Cave (2:2461/161.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EAY00096Date: 06/26/97 From: ALAN FLETCHER Time: 01:00am \/To: MELISSA LEVITT (Read 1 times) Subj: sores Hi Melissa, Welcome back!! :-) > Hi all, > I haven't been in here in a while (busy, you know how it is), and I > asked a friend of mine to post a message in here to query y'all about > sores (canker sores, to be specific) and their cause. Not cold sores. > And I haven't seen any replies to her since I re-ordered this echo. Did > anyone reply to a post like that? My sister is having a major case of > hives and the doctor believes she is allergic to something within > herself which could possibly be related to the canker sores. Apparently > her hives show up at the same time that she gets canker sores. So I just > wondered if anyone could shed any light on their cause so she could > maybe figure out what to do about them or what to change in her diet or > lifestyle to stop them, and maybe stop the extremely annoying and > difficult hives. Thanks for any info anyone can provide, and sorry I > haven't been joining in lately. Life has caught up with us, and it takes > precedence over mail *most* of the time. (: Are you talking about urticaria? If so....there are many causes and it is most difficult (if not impossible) for anyone to diagnose it via FIDO. I would recommend that your sister consults a good (who is good?) naturopath..if she does not want to be dosed with cortisone (the one and only answer that the allopaths have). Best regards, Alan --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: The Bear's Cave (2:2461/161.5)