Lower Calorie, Nutrient-Dense Diet Slows Aging

A recent article in The Money Times by Abhishek Garg reports that life expectancy is declining in some areas of the United States. One of the main reasons given for lowered life expectancy in these regions was obesity. Other reasons mentioned were smoking and high blood pressure. The good news is that even though obesity is known to lower life expectancy, there is considerable evidence that a lower-calorie, nutrient-dense diet can actually slow aging.

Dogs That Ate Less Lived Longer

One new study published in the Journal of Proteome Research and reported in ScienceDaily examined the effects of calorie restriction on Labrador Retriever dogs. Researchers from Imperial College London, Nestlé Research Center (NRC) and Nestlé-Purina used 24 dogs in the study. The dogs were divided into pairs; one dog in each pair was given 25% less food than the other. The dogs given less food lived, on average, 1.8 years longer than the dogs given more food. In addition to living longer, the dogs given less food had a lower incidence of diseases like diabetes and osteoarthritis. They also had a later median age before experiencing the onset of late-life diseases. Researchers determined that the dogs given less food also had healthier gut flora, which they believe is responsible for their better health and increased lifespan.

Calorie Restriction Slows Aging Process

According to a press release, another new study conducted by University of Washington scientists uncovered some of the details about how calorie restriction slows the aging process. Using yeast cells, the researchers have connected ribosomes, which are cellular components responsible for protein synthesis, and Gcn4, a protein utilized in the expression of genetic information, to the pathways associated with dietary response and aging. University of Washington faculty member, Brian Kennedy, who led the study, explained that while it is still unknown whether or not Gcn4 works the same way in organisms other than yeast, other organisms like worms, flies, mice and humans all have similar Gcn4-like proteins that seem to function in a comparable fashion.

Fast Food Gluttony Not The Path To Longevity

In addition to the various scientific studies concerning dietary restriction and aging, there are numerous lessons that can be learned from looking at the lifestyles of people in areas of the world that are known for longevity. Interestingly enough, when one observes the people in the world who live the longest, obesity is certainly not a characteristic that they share. See a lot of fat people out and about who are over 90? Gorging one’s self at all-you-can-eat buffets and a life of fast food gluttony is clearly not the path to longevity.

The Secrets Of The Okinawa People

In a wonderful book called The Blue Zone, Dan Buettner discusses the people of Okinawa who have one of the highest centenarian ratios in the world (perhaps 5 per 10,000 people). The people of Okinawa practice something known as “hari hachi bu.” This is a Confucian-inspired saying that serves as a reminder to eat only until one is eighty percent full. Since it takes some time for the stomach to get the message that it is full to the brain, this practice ensures that one doesn’t overeat. Compare this method of eating to the method of eating until one can’t force down another bite of food and American mothers nagging their children to clean their plates. Using the “hari hachi bu” technique of restricting calories by 20 percent at each meal may not seem like a big deal, but it will also help people to lose weight, which is one of the best things one can do to prevent disease.

Other Longevity Secrets

As one might guess, restricting calories is not the whole story. In her excellent book 50 Secrets of the World’s Longest Living People, Sally Beare notes that while the people of Okinawa may only eat about 1500 calories daily, they also eat a very nutrient-dense diet. The people eat meat very sparingly and enjoy lots of fresh, organic, locally-grown vegetables. They don’t eat a lot of processed foods or refined sugar. Instead of drinking soda, they drink green tea and mineral-rich water. They also eat fish and soy protein regularly. These are just some of the health secrets of the people of Okinawa, and there is much more information in the aforementioned books.

Convenience Has A Price

Sadly, fast food restaurants have found their way to Okinawa these days, and there has been a dramatic increase in the number of obesity-related diseases. According to Buettner, Hormel now exports five million pounds of SPAM per year to Okinawa. There is a price to pay for convenience and prosperity.

(Author's note: Remember that children need a certain number of calories because they are growing. While restricting a child's access to junk foods with no nutritional value is always advisable, children should be offered plenty of healthy foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables.)

© 2008 by Joanne Waldron. Feel free to link to this post. It is ok to quote the first paragraph and then provide a clickable link. All other uses require the author's permission. If you enjoyed this article, please use the e-mail feature to send it to your friends!

FDA Report Exposes Troubles at Merck Vaccine Plant

A new FDA report, obtained and brought to the attention of the public by Karl Stark of the Philadelphia Inquirer and available to anyone via the federal Freedom of Information Action Act (FOIA), reveals that a Merck vaccine plant located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania was cited for 49 items, including failure to follow good manufacturing practices and some contaminated vaccines for children. Merck, the maker of the very controversial Gardasil vaccine, has been in the news quite a bit. Recently, they have also been under investigation for crafting numerous studies (a practice known as ghostwriting) for their Vioxx drug and then getting preeminent doctors to agree to allow them to use their names in conjunction with these studies.

Many of the details in the FDA inspection document are redacted, including lot numbers of vaccines and the names of various patients. The report indicates that Merck is required to investigate Product Quality Complaints (PQCs) for all deaths and life-threatening adverse experiences and perform lot checks and batch record reviews. The FDA notes that this procedure is not always followed by Merck and provides several examples in the report.

One example of this given in the report noted that an individual (name removed from the report) was vaccinated with Pneumovax (lot number removed from the report) on October 6, 2005. On November 1, 2005, the same individual was treated with IV antibiotics for an abscess at the injection site that had grown to the size of a half-dollar and was surrounded by redness. This was reported to VAERS, but Merck failed to conduct the required lot check and batch record review. A second example provided in the report involved an intrauterine death (victim’s name removed from the report) after the receipt of Gardasil (lot number removed from the report). Again, Merck failed to conduct the required lot check and batch record review.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. The report also notes that leaky Gardasil syringes have been a problem. Merck’s packing methods for products shipped with dry ice permitted the ingress of some substance (the name of which was redacted from the report) to replace another substance (the name of which was also redacted from the report) in the head-space of vials of lyophilized product. The products involved included ProQuad, Varivax, Zostavax, M-M-R II, Mumpsvax, Attenuvax, M-M-VAX, and Meruvax. According to the report, Merck was aware of this ingress as early as 2003. Numerous issues concerning sterilization were also mentioned in the report. Another item in the report specifies that vials that were rejected by automated inspection equipment in the first pass had to be rejected once again in a second pass in order to be discarded. Many procedural deficiencies were also noted in the FDA report. Obviously, all of the problems that were found are too numerous to list here, but the report is available for anyone who would like to see it through the FOIA.

Most people would not want to feed their children in a restaurant if health department inspectors observed that the restaurant had contaminated food or a dirty kitchen or bathroom. Few parents would allow a child to eat with a dirty fork. This would be a surefire recipe for indigestion. Perhaps parents should show the same concern about vaccinations.

© 2008 by Joanne Waldron. Feel free to link to this post. It is ok to quote the first paragraph and then provide a clickable link. All other uses require the author's permission. If you enjoyed this article, please use the e-mail feature to send it to your friends!

Merck Plant Dumps Vaccine Waste and Chemicals Into Water Supply

Merck, the maker of the very controversial Gardasil vaccine, has a pharmaceutical plant located in West Point, Pennsylvania, that discards pollutants from this facility into the Upper Gwynedd Township Publicly Owned Treatment Works (UGT POTW), according to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice. The treated wastewater is released into the Wissahickon Creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River. A federal court complaint was filed alleging that Merck violated the Clean Water Act with various discharges that caused numerous pass through and interference violations at the UGT POTW.

Extensive Fish Kills

On June 13, 2006, Merck released potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) into the water that reacted with the chlorination at UGT POTW which resulted in extensive fish kills in the Wissahickon Creek on June 14th and 15th. The Philadelphia Water Department had to shut down its Schuylkill River drinking water intake for several days, and a health advisory was issued stating that all recreational uses on the Wissahickon Creek were prohibited from June 14th – July 10th. Then, on August 8th and 9th, Merck released a batch of spent substrate used in vaccine production which caused large-scale foam discharge into the creek. Later, on the 16th, Merck released a massive amount of cleaning agents that when treated at UGT POTW caused another major foam discharge.

Merck Fined

Merck has agreed to settle the violations of federal and state water pollution regulations. Merck will pay $10 million to institute a system that will prevent future hazardous discharges from their plant. They will also spend approximately $9 million for environmental projects and will pay $1,575,000 in penalties and civil damages for past violations. "Merck’s actions led to an extensive fish-kill and caused the Philadelphia Water Department to temporarily shut down its drinking water operations," stated Acting Assistant Attorney General Tenpas. "This settlement ensures that Merck will take steps to prevent future illegal discharges including installing an early warning system to protect drinking water."

Drinking Water Shouldn't Make You Sick

There have been many stories in the news lately concerning the problems with municipal water systems. "Perhaps more than anything else, this settlement says to every company that discharges dangerous chemicals as part of its operations that it is accountable to the environment and the community," said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Pat Meehan. "Because when you get right down to it, no one should have to wonder, when they walk into the kitchen for a glass of water, if what they are about to drink is going to make them or their children sick."

© 2008 by Joanne Waldron. Feel free to link to this post. It is ok to quote the first paragraph and then provide a clickable link. All other uses require the author's permission. If you enjoyed this article, please use the e-mail feature to send it to your friends!

The HPV Vaccine: Herd Immunity or Human Sacrifice?

Reports of adverse reactions to the new HPV vaccine are escalating. One particularly heart-wrenching example is the story of an active 12-year-old little girl named Brittany who recently lost all feeling in her leg and collapsed two weeks after receiving the Gardasil vaccine. Although she once had dreams of earning an athletic scholarship, she now struggles to hobble around each day with the aid of braces and a walker, First Coast News reports. According to the article, she has been diagnosed with Acute Demyelinating Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), a condition characterized by inflammation of the brain and associated with the vaccination.

Parents Aren't Warned About Vaccine's Side Effects

Like many other parents, this girl’s mother had no idea that this kind of reaction to the vaccine was possible and never would’ve allowed her daughter to receive it had she been made aware of this. To add insult to injury, people who are injured by the vaccine cannot even sue Merck, the maker of the Gardasil vaccine, because the vaccine is part of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund. Unfortunately, the only recourse for those injured by this vaccine is to file a claim with the government. Translation: compensation of the victims becomes the responsibility of taxpayers.

Side Effects Are Scary

While the FDA may claim that adverse reactions to this vaccine are rare, a review of the U.S.’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) data shows that thousands and thousands of adverse reactions have been reported in the United States alone. Girls from other countries have been injured by this vaccine, as well. Hundreds of Australian girls have experienced side effects like paralysis, dizzy spells and seizures, but Australia’s Department of Health and Ageing won’t release any of the details. According to LifeSiteNews, The European Medicines Agency reports that there were two more women who died not long after they received the vaccine, one in Austria and one in Germany. The Financial Times reports that there have been eleven deaths and a wide array of other adverse reactions, including Bells Palsy, Guillan-Barre syndrome, seizures, blood clotting, heart problems, and even miscarriages and fetal abnormalities amongst pregnant women who received the vaccine.

Many Doctors Opposed To This Vaccine

Many doctors are not recommending this vaccine, because in addition to the serious adverse reactions and deaths that have been reported, they have concerns about the vaccine’s long-term safety and efficacy. In her well-written book called The Parents’ Concise Guide to Childhood Vaccinations, Dr. Lauren Feder notes that the pain that many girls experience after the shot is probably due to the aluminum adjuvants in the vaccine. She also cautions that the vaccine contains polysorbate 80, a substance linked to infertility in mice. After some deliberation, it was her opinion that the vaccine had more risks than benefits.

Researcher Speaks Out About Vaccine

One vaccine researcher, Diane M. Harper, a physician and someone who has spent twenty years on the development of the HPV vaccine, has publicly stated through a KPC News report that giving this vaccine to young girls is a “great big public health experiment,” as this vaccine’s safety and efficacy for young girls is unknown. She notes that HPV is a skin infection and can be spread in ways other than sex, and it’s quite possible that tiny girls have already been exposed to the strains of HPV covered by the vaccine which would render the vaccine ineffective. She thinks the vaccine should only be offered to women 18 and older, and only if they have first tested negative for the strains of HPV covered by the vaccine. Of course, testing tiny girls with a vaginal swab to see if they’ve already been exposed would be wholly inappropriate. Harper has many other concerns, as outlined in the news report, but she is having trouble getting her views heard through mainstream media. Another concern voiced by Harper and many other doctors is that even if someone gets the HPV vaccine, regular pap smears are still needed, as the vaccine doesn’t protect against all strains of HPV.

CDC: Genital Warts Don't Cause Cancer

The reason many doctors like this vaccine is because HPV can cause cervical cancer. According to the CDC, certain types of HPV can cause genital warts, and certain types of HPV can cause cervical and other cancers. The types of HPV that can cause genital warts are considered low-risk and are not the same as the types that cause cancer. Again, genital warts will not turn into cancer. However, the CDC reports that in 90% of all cases of HPV, including both the wart-causing and the cancer-causing varieties, the body’s immune system will clear the infection naturally within two years. In fact, the CDC maintains that most people who contract HPV will not have any symptoms at all.

Cervical Cancer Rare in the U.S.

But just how common is cervical cancer in the United States? To answer this question, it is useful to look at some statistics that Kaiser has posted on its website concerning the incidence of cervical cancer in the United States. The statistics are available by state and by ethnicity. For example, in the state of Maryland, 9.3 out of every 100,000 women contracted cervical cancer in 2003. Without considering any of the personal risk factors (like cervical cancer in the family), the general risk for someone living in Maryland would be 9.3/100000 or .0093% chance of contracting this disease. It is important to note that many people have pre-cancerous lesions that are treated by their doctors and that data is not reflected here. However, generally speaking, assuming that a woman gets regular pap smears, the risk for developing cervical cancer seems relatively small. Using the state of Maryland as an example again, according to the statistics provided by Kaiser, only 2.5 out of every 100,000 women or .0025% actually died from cervical cancer in the state of Maryland in 2004.

80% of Cervical Cancer Deaths Happen in Developing Countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 80% of all cervical cancer deaths happen in developing countries. The remaining deaths from cervical cancer are divided amongst all of the other developed nations. However, there is currently a big push in the United States for girls to have this vaccine. According to CorpWatch.org, Merck even lobbied to make the vaccine mandatory. Given that each course of the vaccine would cost hundreds of dollars, Merck would stand to make billions if this vaccine were required for all young girls. After all of Merck’s problems with its Vioxx drug that was taken off the market, this vaccine would certainly allow Merck to recoup its losses.

Preventing Precursor Lesions Isn't The Same As Preventing Cancer

For all of these reasons and many more, parents naturally have grave concerns about this vaccine. Even girls who receive the HPV vaccine still need regular pap smears, because 30% of cervical cancers won’t be prevented by this vaccine (and that’s assuming the vaccine works all the time for the other types). Numerous doctors have also pointed out that just because a vaccine may seem to prevent precursor lesions from developing doesn’t mean it will prevent cervical cancer –- this, along with many other long-term variables concerning the vaccine, won’t be known for many years.

No Good Reason To Risk Death

Given all of the adverse reactions associated with this vaccine and even the possibility of death, one has to question if young girls should be given a vaccine whose long-term effects are unknown in a country where women have good access to medical care and are able to get regular pap smears. This whole vaccine mentality is eerily reminiscent of the story told in Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” which recounts the tale of a young maiden being sacrificed in pagan Russia as an offering to the gods in order to have abundant crops. Is the suffering and possible death of some girls for the purpose of “herd immunity” really worth it? Go ask Brittany.

© 2008 by Joanne Waldron. Feel free to link to this post. It is ok to quote the first paragraph and then provide a clickable link. All other uses require the author's permission. If you enjoyed this article, please use the e-mail feature to send it to your friends!