Children should not be treated routinely with flu drugs such as Tamiflu because there is no clear evidence that they prevent complications and the medicines may do more harm than good, British researchers said on Monday.

They called for a reconsideration of the widespread use of antivirals among those under 12 in light of an analysis of clinical data from previous seasonal flu outbreaks showing scant benefits and potentially harmful side effects.

Governments around the world have built up large stockpiles of Roche’s Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline’s Relenza to deal with the H1N1 swine flu pandemic.

In Britain, hundreds of thousands of doses of Tamiflu have been handed out to people with the disease, around half of whom are children.

But Dr. Matthew Thompson from the University of Oxford said that, while antivirals shortened the duration of flu in children by around a day, they didn’t reduce asthma flare-ups or the likelihood of children’s needing antibiotics.

Tamiflu also was linked to an increased risk of vomiting, which can be serious in children because it can result in dehydration.

The analysis was based on a systematic review of seven clinical studies looking at use of Tamiflu and Relenza in seasonal flu outbreaks in 2,629 children aged 1 to 12 years.

There is no reason to think that the conclusions would not apply to the present relatively mild outbreak of swine flu, Thompson said.

Fellow Oxford researcher Dr. Carl Heneghan told reporters, “The strategy of giving out this treatment in a mild infection is inappropriate.”

The researchers also found that 13 people need to be treated to prevent one additional case, meaning that antivirals reduce transmission by a modest 8 percent.

“While morbidity and mortality in the current pandemic remain low, a more conservative strategy might be considered prudent, given the limited data, side effects such as vomiting, and the potential for developing resistant strains of influenza,” they wrote in the British Medical Journal.

Copyright Reuters

I have been trying to clue the people I know and love in on the severe conflict of interest the government and big pharma are involved with for a long time, but I get the feeling there is going to be more and more bell ringers exposing this kind of deceit. Just last month it came out that drugmaker AstraZeneca “buried” unfavorable studies on its antipsychotic drug Seroquel that showed it may cause diabetes and other health problems.

You and only you are responsible for you and your families health. Be very cautious toward prescription drugs, don’t always rely on your doctor or medical journals. If your gut instinct says “beware” then search for alternatives because most likely there are always a better ways lurking out there, only you won’t usually find them within mainstream medicine…

Read more below and for the entire story from Dr. Mercola

Scott S. Reuben, a prominent Massachusetts anesthesiologist, allegedly fabricated 21 medical studies that claimed to show benefits from painkillers like Vioxx and Celebrex.

Baystate Medical Center said Reuben had faked data used in the studies, which were published in several anesthesiology journals between 1996 and 2008. The hospital has asked the medical journals to retract the studies. The studies reported favorable results from the use of painkillers Bextra and Vioxx — both since withdrawn — as well as Celebrex and Lyrica. Dr. Reuben’s research work also claimed positive findings for the antidepressant Effexor XR as a pain killer.

The retractions, first reported in Anesthesiology News, have caused anesthesiologists to reconsider the use of certain practices adopted as a result of Dr. Reuben’s research. His work was considered important in encouraging doctors to combine the use of painkillers like Celebrex and Lyrica for patients undergoing common procedures such as knee and hip replacements.

Sources:

Wall Street Journal March 11, 2009

So by now you’ve heard that drinking bottled water is harmful because of the very real potential to leach the chemicals from the plastic into the water. Now we are reminded again that you should be very wary of buying and drinking bottled water since the industry is largely very unregulated. When you are buying bottled water at least make sure it is stated on the bottle that it has been through a RO system or distilled or ran through a ionic system. Read more about what chemicals you can find in your bottled waters…

Bottled water contains disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue and pain medication

Bottles water quality investigation: 10 major brands, 38 polutants: EWG’s guide to safe drinking water

Walmart water exceeds safety limits

Ok, I have 2 rants on my mind this week:

One is ever present and if you have ever got me on the subject you will know how passionate I am about my disdain for one of the most evil companies in this world. I fear for our future as long as the Monsanto corp. carries the power and resources it does. The government loves them, the pharmaceutical companies love them (they are also owned by them), the pesticide companies love them (oh yea, they own those too). They are intimately involved in everything evil having to do with ruining our environment, poisoning our food and water supplies, and making it a goal to make us all die of liver failure from taking their “life saving” drugs. I could honestly go on and on, but the great Dr. Mercola has often addressed this subject and has a lot of great information on Monsanto on his website www.mercola.com so you can read more there. What I want to share with you all is a very important documentary that has been released. I want everyone in the world to see this video, I feel it is so important for everyone to at least be informed that there are companies like Monsanto lurking out there and slowly taking control of your health from every aspect. There are links to 2 videos about Monsanto, PLEASE WATCH THEM BOTH! But be prepared, they will make you furious, but share your information and eventually we will get enough aware consumers that maybe we can someday take down this Goliath!

Watch \”The future of food\”

Watch \”the world according to Monsanto\”

Ok, Now on to rant #2:

I don’t know if you noticed a tiny little article towards the bottom of yesterday’s front page in the Arizona Republic, but the title reads “cholesterol drugs being touted for some children as young as 8″. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? My blood pressure shot through the roof when I read that. Do a google search for “cholesterol drugs for children” and you will find hordes of sites talking about it. Most of them act like this is a great idea, and a wonderful way to help our obese children. One thing that really struck me was that the doctor quoted, Dr.Daniels, now serves on the nutrition committee of the American Academy of pediatrics. But before the recent research came out that declared “cholesterol drugs are generally safe for kids” he worked as a consultant for Abbott labs (hmmm, maybe he also took part in that “research”) then he also “consulted” for Merck Pharmaceuticals (hmmm, can anyone say kick backs for pushing cholesterol lowering drugs to a new population?) It makes me crazy. There is such corruption in the “health” industry, this kind of stuff happens every day…

So, bottom line, if you have or even don’t have a history of heart disease or high cholesterol in your family, FEED YOUR CHILDREN WELL! Don’t drug them because you don’t have the ability to tell your children “no, we aren’t going to eat that because it doesn’t help your body be strong and healthy”. Take the time to feed your family well, don’t resort to cheap packaged products and fast food because we are too busy doing other things in life, our children have to be more important than that! Studies have suggested that the newest generation of children will be the first to have a lifespan shorter than their parents. I choose to let that statistic not apply to my children, I hope you do to! If you need more information, read all I have posted here, sign up for my newsletter for important updates, take natural health classes, educate yourself, and then take what you have learned to help others, we have to help each other learn more about living a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life.

End of rant, thanks for reading…

1. Sodium Nitrate (also called Sodium Nitrite) This is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef. Studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer.

2. BHA and BHT Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydrozyttoluene are used to preserve common household foods. They are found in cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils. They are oxidants, which form potentially cancer-causing reactive compounds in your body.

3. Propyl Gallate Another preservative, often used in conjunction with BHA and BHT. It is sometimes found in meat products, chicken soup base, and chewing gum. Animals studies have suggested that it could be linked to cancer.

4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) MSG is an amino acid used as a flavor enhancer in soups, salad dressings, chips, frozen entrees, and restaurant food. It can cause headaches and nausea, and animal studies link it to damaged nerve cells in the brains of infant mice.

5. Trans Fats Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease. Restaurant food, especially fast food chains, often serve foods laden with trans fats.

6. Aspartame Aspartame, also known by the brand names Nutrasweet and Equal, is a sweetener found in so-called diet foods such as low-calorie desserts, gelatins, drink mixes, and soft drinks. It may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness or hallucinations.

7. Acesulfame-K This is a relatively new artificial sweetener found in baked goods, chewing gum, and gelatin desserts. There is a general concern that testing on this product has been scant, and some studies show the additive may cause cancer in rats.

8. Food Colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 6 Five food colorings still on the market are linked with cancer in animal testing. Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods and pet food, have been linked to cancer in mice. Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, candy, and baked goods, has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. Green 3, added to candy and beverages, has been linked to bladder cancer. The widely used yellow 6, added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods, and candy, has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney.

9. Olestra Olestra, a synthetic fat found in some potato chip brands, can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and gas. Olestra also inhibits healthy vitamin absorption from fat-soluble carotenoids that are found in fruits and vegetables.

10. Potassium Bromate Potassium bromate is used as an additive to increase volume in some white flour, breads, and rolls. It is known to cause cancer in animals, and even small amounts in bread can create a risk for humans.

11. White Sugar Watch out for foods with added sugars, such as baked goods, cereals, crackers, sauces and many other processed foods. It is unsafe for your health, and promotes bad nutrition.

12. Sodium Chloride A dash of sodium chloride, more commonly known as salt, can bring flavor to your meal. But too much salt can be dangerous for your health, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.

Studies show that tap water across the U.S. is contaminated with many industrial chemicals, and now we know that millions of Americans are also drinking low-level mixtures of pharmaceuticals with every glass of water.

I would really recommend that you install a RO water system in your home and ideally a whole home system since even showering in tap water is not real great for your health.

Read more here!