Artificial Sweeteners Are BAD News! [1 of 2]

Nowadays, many individuals turn to artificial sweeteners as a substitute for their sugary counterparts. What most of us aren’t aware of, however, is how dangerous these chemicals have been demonstrated to be in countless scientific studies. Aside from the many neurological implications brought about by these artificial sweeteners, a surprising finding is the fact that they can actually cause you to GAIN weight – rather than lose it. If this is so, then that would defeat the purpose of consuming these zero-calorie sweeteners in the first place.

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THE BAD, BAD, AND THE UGLY!

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by Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN

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Nowadays, many individuals turn to artificial sweeteners as a substitute for their sugary counterparts. What most of the public isn’t aware of, however, is how dangerous these chemicals have been demonstrated to be in countless scientific studies.

Aside from the many neurological implications brought about artificial sweeteners, a surprising finding is the fact that can actually cause you to GAIN weight – rather than lose it.

If this is so, then that would defeat the purpose of consuming these zero-calorie sweeteners in the first place.

But before we jump into the negative consequences of artificial sweeteners, let’s have a quick look at how rampant they’ve become in our food supply…

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THIS FIRST GRAPH REPRESENTS THE GROWING GLOBAL MARKET FOR ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS  (in US $billions)

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THIS SECOND GRAPH SHOWS THE “SWEETENERS” MARKET SHARE IN RELATION TO SUGAR…

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THIS NEXT GRAPH SHOWS THE RACE BETWEEN THE BIG 3 ZERO-CALORIE SWEETENERS

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WEIGHT GAIN – AN UNKNOWN ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER SIDE EFFECT

 Contrary to popular belief, replacing blatant sugar with artificially sweeteners like splenda, aspartame, or others won’t necessarily not help you lose weight. A 2008 study from  PurdueUniversity compared rats eating yogurt that had been sweetened with glucose (simple sugar), compared to rats eating yogurt sweetened with a zero-calorie substitute called saccharin.

The study showed that the rats consuming the zero-calorie substitute gained more body fat, more overall weight, and that even after cessation of the saccharin intake, they were unable to make up for this weight gain.

The question that this brings to mind for most people is how does something that contains zero calories cause you to gain more weight than something loaded with sugar?

The answer lies in how the intake of these sneaky chemicals confuses your body’s sensory systems. Normally, sweet foods provide a “salient orosensory stimulus” that strongly predicts that you are about to take in a lot of calories.

Ingestive and digestive reflexes gear up for that intake but when false sweetness (such as by using artificial sweeteners) isn’t followed by lots of calories, the system gets confused. Thus, people may eat more or expend less energy than they otherwise would.

The researchers in the Purdue study stated that by breaking the connection between a sweet sensation and high-calorie food, the use of saccharin changes the body’s ability to regulate intake, and that this change is heavily dependent on experience.

Problems with self-regulation might explain in part why obesity has risen in parallel with the use of artificial sweeteners. It also might explain why research on the human use of artificial sweeteners is inconclusive, with various studies finding evidence of weight loss, weight gain or little effect.

Because people may have different experiences with artificial and natural sweeteners, human studies that don’t take into account prior consumption may produce a variety of outcomes.

Nonetheless, in this particular, the authors concluded that…

“The data clearly indicate that consuming a food sweetened with no-calorie saccharin can lead to greater body-weight gain and adiposity than would consuming the same food sweetened with a higher-calorie sugar.”

And even though this study was done on rats, they noted that their findings match emerging evidence that people who drink more diet drinks are at higher risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome, a collection of medical problems such as abdominal fat, high blood pressure and insulin resistance that put people at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Though an increase in appetite is one contributing factor to the weight gain caused by artificial sweeteners, the chemical imbalances and confusion they create inside your body work in other ways as well.

For instance, frequent consumption of zero-calorie artificial sweeteners can impair your body’s normal metabolic response to food intake. Since your body begins to realize it can no longer predict with accuracy when it is getting foods with calories, as opposed to foods that only taste like they do, the typical metabolic boost you get from eating food (ie. thermic effect of food) decreases. This makes it harder to expend more calories from dietary intake.

Needless to say, there are studies that show weight loss is possible when substituting artificial sweeteners for sugar but in many cases these studies have been influenced or funded by corporations with a vested interested in their results (more on this later).

ASPARTAME – THE CONTROVERSIAL ORIGINS OF THE  “SUPER” ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER

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Aspartame, which is by far the most prominent artificial sweetener currently used in diet products, is also the most controversial of them all (you’ll see in the next section). Its origins are questionable, to say the least. Many claim it never should have been allowed on the market. The few who argue it is safe, have very little ground to stand on for those educated on how it became approved.

Many of the studies done to determine the safety of aspartame, in the process of its approval as a food additive, have had severe conflicts of interest mainly due to inappropriate by Searle, the very same company that produces NutraSweet (their “street name” for aspartame).

Dr. Robert Walton investigated the claims made that Searle essentially bought their way into the market. The results he found were quite shocking. In the 166 studies that he found to have relevance in regards to human safety, 74 of those studies had been funded by Searle. The 92 remaining studies were funded independently.

Unsurprisingly, of the 74 studies that were funded by Searle, 100% of them claimed that aspartame was safe for human use. As far as the independently funded studies, 92% of them found health concerns in regards to aspartame, and found it to be unsafe for human consumption.

Even before aspartame had come to this point, it encountered numerous legal, political, ethical, and moral barriers. Aspartame was inadvertently discovered back in 1965, by a chemist working on an ulcer medication. The timeline between when aspartame was discovered to when it was released on the market is blemished with countless actions of deception from Searle.

One of the earliest tests, done by the University of Wisconsin in 1967 by Dr. Harold Waisman, had been conducted on monkeys who drank milk which contained aspartame. Of the seven monkeys being fed the mixture, one died and five others experienced grandular seizures. Despite these early warning signs, Searle pushed on.

In 1971, a neuroscientist by the name of Dr. John Olney, conducted several studies which showed that the aspartic acid found in aspartame, caused holes in the brains of baby mice. Later, one of Searle’s own researchers, conducted a similar study and concluded the same results as the ones demonstrated by Dr. Olney. Again, Searle pushed on.

In 1976, an FDA investigation of Searle was initiated, sparked by the many concerns that Searle’s personal studies on aspartame were inconsistent with research from independent studies.

The investigation results found Searle’s tests were not only full of inaccuracies, but also manipulated data. An investigator involved was quoted as stating they “had never seen anything as bad as Searle’s testing.”

Shortly after the investigation, the FDA sent a formal request to the U.S. Attorney’s office to begin grand jury proceedings. Not surprisingly, one of the most significant events of this procession saw Samuel Skinner, the U.S. Attorney in charge of the investigation, resigning from the attorney’s office and taking a position within Searle’s law firm, allowing Searle to buy themselves out a bad situation.

In spite of the fact that 75% of all health complaints are related to the use of aspartame, its use continues.

And if this hasn’t scared you enough, then consider that the “G.D. Searle and Co” (mentioned as Searle above) became the pharmaceutical unit of Monsanto in 1985 – one of the most criminal and monopolist agricultural companies in the world.

It should come as no surprise then that the Searle pharmaceutical division was responsible for the development of one of the biggest pharmaceutical disasters of our time – Celebrex.

Just something to think about next time you’re deciding how to sweeten your coffee or tea.

Next: Artificial Sweeteners Are BAD News! [2  of 2]

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Related Posts:

1. Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World 2.Diet Coke & Diet Pepsi, Should we take, should we not?

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We at Wonders of Pakistan use copyrighted material the use of which may not have always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” only. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.

Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World

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Sweet Misery is a close examination into what many in the medical community have voiced over the last few decades on the safety of Aspartame. Is there a connection with Aspartame and illnesses? Did the government (including Donald Rumsfeld) push the approval of the sweetener and suppress key data? This film delves into the FDA’s process and the various reports of health risks associated with the widely used sweetener.

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BEWARE! EQUAL, CANDEREL, NUTRASWEET & SUCH SIMILAR STUFFS COULD BE DANGEROUS

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Filmmakers Cori Brackett and J.T. Waldron explore the issue of aspartame toxicity   in a documentary that implores viewers to consider the potentially damaging effects of the common food additive. A sugar substitute that is found in commonly marketed products such as Equal, Canderel, NutraSweet and many common diet drinks. Aspartame is alleged to cause toxic reactions in the human body that can result in a wide variety of physical and mental ailments. In stating their claim that aspartame toxicity is perhaps the most insidious representation of corporate negligence since tobacco, Brackett and Waldron offer compelling evidence about a potentially deadly phenomenon.

Sweet Misery is a close examination into what many in the medical community have voiced over the last few decades on the safety of Aspartame. Is there a connection with Aspartame and illnesses? Did the government (including Donald Rumsfeld) push the approval of the sweetener and suppress key data? This film delves into the FDA’s process and the various reports of health risks associated with the widely used sweetener.

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Related article:

1. Diet Coke & Diet Pepsi, Should we take, should we not?

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Source

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ‘Wonders of Pakistan’. The contents of this article too are the sole responsibility of the author(s). WoP will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this post.

YOUR COMMENT IS IMPORTANT

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR COMMENT

Wonders of Pakistan supports freedom of expression and this commitment extends to our readers as well. Constraints however, apply in case of a violation of WoP Comments Policy. We also moderate hate speech, libel and gratuitous insults.

We at Wonders of Pakistan use copyrighted material the use of which may not have always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” only. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.

A severe lack of toilets and lost treasure

According to the U.S. State Department, the WHO, and UNICEF, the world’s greatest infectious killer is not malaria, AIDS, or TB, but poop that goes into drinking water where open defecation is common practice due to non availability of toilets.. An estimated 2.6 billion people, about 40% of the world’s population, including 1 billion children, have no access to toilets of any kind and must practice open defecation. The result is a continual pandemic of intestinal afflictions that kill 2 million people a year.

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DOES THE INDIAN BELIEF SYSTEM CARE ABOUT ITS PEOPLE??

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by Ted Twietmeyer

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A few days ago, a cable channel aired a Vanguard documentary about the lack of toilets in India. It was graphic and disgusting to see people defecating outside. This isn’t their fault as these people are born into the caste system at the lower levels and destined under 5,000 year old Indian culture to live a hellish life. A lack of toilets for miles won’t stop nature’s call. Clearly the Indian government has shown little regard for the health and well being of its own people, but we’ll see that so have temple priests, too.

In the Vanguard documentary, an Indian doctor stated there are 1.6 billion people in India with 600 MILLION having no access to a toilet.

Is Sugar Toxic?

Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin. Series: UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public [7/2009] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 16717]. Photo Illustration by Kenji Aoki for The New York Times

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by Gary Taubes

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May 26, 2009, Robert Lustig gave a lecture called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” which was posted on YouTube the following July. Since then, it has been viewed well over 800,000 times, gaining new viewers at a rate of about 50,000 per month, fairly remarkable numbers for a 90-minute discussion of the nuances of fructose biochemistry and human physiology.

Lustig is a specialist on pediatric hormone disorders and the leading expert in childhood obesity at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, which is one of the best medical schools in the country. He published his first paper on childhood obesity a dozen years ago, and he has been treating patients and doing research on the disorder ever since.

The viral success of his lecture, though, has little to do with Lustig’s impressive credentials and far more with the persuasive case he makes that sugar is a “toxin” or a “poison,” terms he uses together 13 times through the course of the lecture, in addition to the five references to sugar as merely “evil.” And by “sugar,” Lustig means not only the white granulated stuff that we put in coffee and sprinkle on cereal — technically known as sucrose — but also high-fructose corn syrup, which has already become without Lustig’s help what he calls “the most demonized additive known to man.”

It doesn’t hurt Lustig’s cause that he is a compelling public speaker. His critics argue that what makes him compelling is his practice of taking suggestive evidence and insisting that it’s incontrovertible. Lustig certainly doesn’t dabble in shades of gray. Sugar is not just an empty calorie, he says; its effect on us is much more insidious. “It’s not about the calories,” he says. “It has nothing to do with the calories. It’s a poison by itself.”

If Lustig is right, then our excessive consumption of sugar is the primary reason that the numbers of obese and diabetic Americans have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. But his argument implies more than that. If Lustig is right, it would mean that sugar is also the likely dietary cause of several other chronic ailments widely considered to be diseases of Western lifestyles — heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers among them…

This brings us to the salient question: Can sugar possibly be as bad as Lustig says it is?

RTFA. It is several pages in length, packed with content. If you care to research further, there are suggestions. Set aside some time to watch Lustig’s lecture.

I haven’t an opinion other than what I believe is supported by paleo-anthropology. As we evolved, sweetened substances were necessary to life’s maintenance. The amount of sugars, though, was miniscule compared even to the amount consumed in workingclass communities a century ago – much less the avalanche of sweet stuff made possible and profitable by modern packaging since WW2.

Read further. The lives of people who listen to you are part of your consideration, you know.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ‘Wonders of Pakistan’. The contents of this article too are the sole responsibility of the author(s). WoP will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this post.

YOUR COMMENT IS IMPORTANT

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR COMMENT

Wonders of Pakistan supports freedom of expression and this commitment extends to our readers as well. Constraints however, apply in case of a violation of WoP Comments Policy. We also moderate hate speech, libel and gratuitous insults.

Diet Coke & Diet Pepsi, Should we take, should we not?

Aspartame, which is in thousands of processed food products that are usually labeled “lite” or “diet” products, was synthesized in 1965. Its a  combination of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. The resulting dipeptide (a molecule consisting of two amino acids) has an intensely sweet taste to the tongue. The company G. D. Searle soon saw aspartame as a product that could compete in the low calorie food industry and obtained, in 1974, FDA approval for its use in dry foods. However the FDA approval was rescinded within 6 months because of toxic reactions and widespread concerns by a number of scientists. These scientists knew that aspartame was a lethal poison!

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HOW SAFE ARE DIET COKE & DIET PEPSI?

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Gary G. Kohls, M.D.

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Note to WoP readers: Here is a take on modern day sweetener, synthetically produced but very much “in” nowadays. I mean the Canderel, Nutra Sweet, Equal or whatever you may call it. An artificial sweetener which is mostly used by diabetics; but essentially not confined to diabetics alone, it is being consumed by such people (of either sex) who are very much weight conscious.

I must confess that I myself have been using this sweetener. Not that I am diabetic, I’ve been a ‘sugar’ man academically [the word sugar used in this essay is natural sugar whether cane, beet or sugar made from any other natural produce, which the chemists call sucrose].

There is a way to help avoid heart disease & diabetes: You are what you eat! II

“If the truth be known coronary artery disease is a toothless paper tiger that need never, ever exist and if it does exist it need never, ever progress.”

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Kathy Freston

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KF: Where is the good news?

CE: The patients understand that they can halt their disease. They are presented with my scientific articles demonstrating reversal of disease. They learn that anginal chest pain may diminish or disappear within 10-14 days in some patients while others may take longer. We share our data confirming reversal of carotid artery disease to the brain, coronary artery disease of the heart, peripheral vascular disease in the extremities, and the reversal of erectile dysfunction. They are made to appreciate how rapidly and powerfully the endothelial function may be restored. The most significant message in our counseling is patient awareness that they are empowered to be the locus of control of their disease.

KF: What is your take on the present management of heart disease through drug stents and bypass surgery?

CE: It is expensive, dangerous, and ineffective. None of these approaches addresses the factors that cause the disease. A doctor would never treat poison ivy without advising the patient to avoid exposure to poison ivy plants. Sadly the usual treatment of cardiovascular disease almost never includes hours of patient counseling so they may completely eliminate the foods which are injuring their endothelium. Stents may block, bypass veins shut down, drug doses increase, and blood vessel disease worsens. The present cost of this non-treatment of heart disease is unsustainable even in our wealthy nation.

KF: Dr. Esselstyn, are you a threat to the stenting and bypass industry?

CE: Not really. Stents and bypass surgery in an emergency setting are absolutely lifesaving. However, for non-emergency situations an intensive lifestyle trial of 3-6 months would eliminate the need for most interventions. It is of interest that when physicians and some interventional cardiologists themselves develop the disease they come knocking at my door.

KF: Why do you think this information on diet and heart disease is not more widely known? Is someone or something blocking your message?

CE: The government, drug industry, and some of my own profession. The USDA every five years produces a food triangle which promotes the very foods which guarantee that millions of Americans will perish.

The drug industry has a $21 billion dollar income from statin drugs alone. The stent manufacturers make billions more. Neither of these industries would want this epidemic resolved.

Physicians who perform stents and bypass surgery earn millions and are hardly clamoring for fewer patients.

KF: Any final thoughts?

CE: When people learn to eat plant based to eliminate heart disease it could inaugurate a seismic revolution in health. Other diseases that resolve include obesity, hypertension, stroke, heart attacks, gall stones, diverticulitis, asthma, osteoporosis, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and a marked decrease in the common western cancers of breast, prostate, colon, endometrial, ovarian, and pancreatic.

Kathy Freston is a health and wellness expert and a New York Times best-selling author. Her latest book is The Quantum Wellness Cleanse: A 21 Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Body, Mind and Spirit. Freston promotes a body/mind/spirit approach to health and happiness that includes a concentration on healthy diet, emotional introspection, spiritual practice, and loving relationships. Kathy’s recent television appearances include The Oprah Winfrey Show, Ellen, The View and Good Morning America.

Concluded.

Source: Alternet.org

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ‘Wonders of Pakistan’. The contents of this article too are the sole responsibility of the author(s). WoP will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this post.

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There is a way to help avoid heart disease & diabetes: You are what you eat!

“If the truth be known coronary artery disease is a toothless paper tiger that need never, ever exist and if it does exist it need never, ever progress.”

Kathy Freston

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A plant-based diet is both preventative and healing, whereas a diet high in animal protein is destructive to our health.

So says Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who was a researcher and clinician at the Cleveland Clinic for over 35 years. In 1991, Dr. Esselstyn served as the president of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, and organized the 1st National Conference on the Elimination and Prevention of Heart Disease. In 2005, he became the 1st recipient of the Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine. Dr. Esselstyn is also an Olympic gold medalist in rowing, and he was awarded the Bronze Star as an army surgeon in Vietnam.

In this series of interviews I’ve conducted with extraordinary nutritional researchers and medical doctors, I’ve sought to understand the link between diet and the most common and dreaded diseases that are prevalent in our culture. What I’m hearing over and over is that a plant-based diet is both preventative and healing, whereas a diet high in animal protein is destructive to our health – this is the case with cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

The great news is that there is very real hope in shifting the course of our health. What is becoming very apparent through various peer reviewed studies is that by changing our diet – eliminating that which causes havoc in the body (animal protein) and adding in plant based proteins and eating lots of vegetables, legumes, beans, and whole grains, we can not only prevent disease, but also heal from it once it is already in motion. Following is a fascinating conversation I had on diet and heart health.

KF: What exactly is coronary heart disease?

CE: Coronary heart disease is the leading killer of women and men in western civilization. It is predicted to become the #1 global disease burden by 2020.

It consists of an inflammatory buildup of blockages in arteries to the heart muscle. These blockages are made of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and inflammatory cells. Blockages can become severe enough to cause symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain (angina). When blockages suddenly become complete, the portion of heart muscle fed by that blocked artery is now deprived of oxygen and nutrients, thus it is injured or now dies. This is a heart attack. The patient may survive or succumb if the event is accompanied by a fatal heart rhythm.

KF: Who develops heart disease?

CE: Everyone eating the typical western diet. In autopsy studies of our GI’s who died in the Vietnam and Korean wars almost 80% at an average age of 20 years, had disease that could be seen without a microscope. Forty years later in 1999, a study of young persons between the ages of 16-34 years who have died of accidents, homicides and suicides, finds the disease is now ubiquitous.

KF: What is the cause of the disease?

CE: It is the typical diet of processed oils, dairy, and meat which destroys the lifejacket of our blood vessels known as our endothelial cells. This cell layer is a one cell thick lining of all of our blood vessels. Endothelial cells manufacture a magical protective molecule of gas called nitric oxide, which protects our blood vessels. It keeps our blood flowing smoothly, it is the strongest dilator (widener), of our blood vessels, it inhibits the formation of blockages (plaques), and it inhibits inflammation.

KF: With such natural protection, why do we ever develop heart disease?

CE: Every western meal of processed vegetable oils, dairy products, and meat (including chicken and fish) injures these endothelial cells. As individuals consume theses damaging products throughout their lives, they have fewer functioning endothelial cells remaining and thus less of the protective nitric oxide. Without enough nitric oxide the plaque blockages build up and grow creating eventually heart disease and strokes.

KF: Can it be stopped or even reversed?

CE: Yes. First we must look at the lessons learned from cultures where there is a virtual absence of coronary artery heart disease such as rural China, the Papua Highlands of New Guinea, Central Africa, and the Tarahumara Indians of Northern Mexico. Their nutrition is plant based without oil.

Beginning in 1985 I initiated a study of seriously ill coronary artery disease patients. Their nutrition became plant based without oil. Their cholesterol levels plummeted. Their angina disappeared. Their weight dropped. I have reported this study at 5 years, 12 years, and 16 years, in the peer reviewed scientific literature and again beyond 20 years in my book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. In some of the patients we had follow up angiograms (x-rays) of previously blocked arteries demonstrating striking disease reversal, which is a testament to my often quoted statement “The truth be known coronary artery disease is a toothless paper tiger that need never exist and if it does exist it need never progress.” The greatest gift to these patients is the increasing recognition that they are the locus of control for their disease – not some pill or procedure. They have made themselves heart attack proof and lose the greatest fear of all heart patients and their families – when will the next heart attack occur?

KF: What about drugs, stents, and heart bypass surgery?

CE: Admittedly in the midst of a heart attack a stent or bypass may be live saving, however, for the remaining 90% studies confirm that they do not prevent future heart attacks or prolong life. They are associated with significant complications such as hemorrhage, heart attack, stroke, cognitive decline, depression, and death. The benefits erode with the passage of time as the stents and bypasses may themselves develop blockage.

Some drugs may decrease blood pressure and the heart workload. Others interfere with clotting which helps a stent remain open. Statin drugs lower cholesterol. None of these drugs or interventions addresses the basic causation of disease and not surprisingly the disease progresses with the need for more drugs, stents, and repeat bypasses.

KF: Why aren’t physicians using nutrition therapy?

CE: Most physicians have no training or understanding of the power of nutrition. In a busy practice they would not have the time for it. It is my belief that physicians must accord the plant based lifestyle transition its due. Every patient with cardiovascular disease should be referred to a physician or nurse practitioner with the knowledge and expertise in these counseling skills.

KF: But I understand physicians don’t believe patients will make this transition. How come?

CE: Nutrition counseling is a skill which physicians don’t possess. Of all the encounters a patient with cardiovascular disease experiences, perhaps the least time and lowest priority is nutritional counseling. I see many patients with heart disease who recount that nutrition was never even mentioned. It is therefore unlikely that the patient feels that nutrition is important.

KF: What is that you do differently?

CE: In an intensive 5 hour counseling session for a group of heart patients, my first priority is to eliminate the mystery of what causes their disease. It has not been stress, or genes. It is their western diet of processed oil, dairy, and meat. Hypertension, diabetes, and smoking must be controlled but food trumps all. I spend at least an hour defining the protective role of endothelial cells and nitric oxide functioning as the ultimate guardians of our blood vessels. They quickly understand that their lifetime of ingesting these harmful products has totally overwhelmed and destroyed their endothelium to an extent where it is unable to protect them. They fully grasp that they must forever eliminate ingesting foods that will further destroy their already compromised endothelium. They understand heart disease is a food borne illness.

Contd…

Source: Alternet.org

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ‘Wonders of Pakistan’. The contents of this article too are the sole responsibility of the author(s). WoP will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this post.

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Thar’s Plight – 1

Thari women carrying hand potted clay pitchers. To fetch water, they need to cover long distances, sometimes miles away from their homes.

Nayyar Hashmey

We are watching breaking news on cable every day and they are all full of suicide attacks, bombings, burning, looting and other acts of sabotage in Pakistan. To this, comes another array of news on murder of Pakistani civilians by flying assassins of US army. But we hear little about a district in our far south. The district I mean is the one that has an ongoing history of plights, the district of Tharparkar in Sindh which borders the Rajasthan state of India.

In November 2009 issue (on 26^th November) we posted an essay http://wondersofpakistan.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/tourism-and-the-extremist-threat/ titled ‘Tourism and the External Threat’. There was a brief mention of Thar and the Indian state of Rajasthan and that made me to delve somewhat more deeply into the miserable life of the people inhabiting this sandy district of Sindh, Pakistan.

Historically Thar is a land of romance, adventure and a place where nature has always been at its best. Notwithstanding the sandy and desert look which could be harsh and wild as well, for a traveler visiting this romance packed land may no doubt be full of adventure and a fascinating experience, yet thanks to an ongoing step-motherly treatment by our provincial as well as federal setups; the inhabitants here experience back breaking adventures every day. The vast land though gifted by mother nature in many ways, and inhabited by hardworking people, Tharis have to toil every day for water and food. The women travel long distances, sometimes even miles away from their homes merely to carry water from wells which are scanty in this desert locale.

Even water that is brought sometimes by a hard day’s labor is not free of infestation and carries pollutants like high fluoride content and other impurities. Resultantly the Tharis and their kids suffer from many ailments especially water born diseases like gastroenteritis, bone deformation and similar maladies.

There is a serious lack of livelihood means too.

Day and night we condemn Israel but this small state has turned its desert into a fruit garden. The Jaffa oranges are a variety that is famous for its sweet, fresh and tangy taste. Even the neighboring Rajasthan in India has become an important hub of international tourism. Interestingly our part of this former Rajputana is more beautiful and has ample chances of becoming a tourist paradise. Dr. Manzur Ejaz of Wichaar.com who was recently in India describes, in his above mentioned post, the aspects of tourism in Pakistan in following words:

Tourism is a sector, where Pakistan has a lot of potential, but to develop tourism in the country and let the people reap advantages from this sustainable source of revenue, we need an open society where everyone is welcome.

Taking his comments further on tourism in Rajasthan, a state next door neighbour of our Tharparkar, says Dr. Manzur Ejaz:

“Tharparkar has similar terrain, culture yet a more luring landscape than its Indian counterpart. Standing at a small bazaar in Jodhpur, a city in Rajasthan, India, I saw hordes of Western tourists, all there to see a city that is no different than Sahiwal or Sargodha other than an old palace, a common sight in Rajasthan.

The road infrastructure is better in Rajasthan than most parts of Utter Pradesh, with new highways and roads connecting even remote parts. Most of the major cities like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner are just old beaten down towns with some new life in the largest city Jaipur.

Some of the tourist destinations are tiny cities like Chichawatni — the neighbouring town to Harappa — with nothing much to see except a castle in need of serious repair. And yet, Rajasthan and many other parts of India have become the preferred destination for tourists. It will not be surprising if the statistics show that revenue from tourism has become the bread and butter of many states like Rajasthan.

Most parts of Pakistan have equally good or better road infrastructure than Rajasthan but lack in every other facility that tourists seek. “

With this picture of Thar in Indian Rajasthan where tourism abounds, and tourism related activities bring changes and prosperity to the life of those desert people, Pakistan’s Thar is far more natural and beautiful than its Indian counterpart, due to neglect by our concerned authorities, the people here are forced to lead a wretched life – not much different from the way their forefathers lived in primitive ages.

Fortunately, now we have Sindh as well as in Islamabad a party that derives its main support from Sindh claiming itself as the flag bearer of the interests of the land of Sindh.

Just this month, in the wake of NRO issue, a provincial cabinet minister in Sindh, threatened that in case the judicial killing of the PPP [in other words, if a move was aimed to dislodge the PPP from power], was aimed at, his party might consider using the Sindh card.

Quite unfortunate that a politician from Sindh threatens the establishment with Sindh card, I would have been more pleased had the same minister threatened to use the Sindh card for development of Tharparkar which has been under historical neglect by all governments. Had the worthy minister threatened for development of Sindh particularly Tharparkar, I’m sure people from other provinces too would have definitely welcomed the use of Sindh card; for it would have benefitted a part of our country which is one of the most neglected ones. It’s a misfortune that we have leaders in this God given land who use this or that card only for their petty political interests and not those of the people in whose name they collect votes and occupy the covetous seats in the federal or provincial cabinets. Such cards are used only to perpetuate their rule, the benefits for masses of their constituencies being their least priority.

With such remarks of mine, its possible that many of my friends from Sindh may reply “Ada, ham to chahatay haen lekan hamain kam krne nhin diya jata’.

In Musharraf’s regime, Sindh had a Chief Minister who was elected from Thar. He is a Sindhi Wadera and a doctor too, but alas that doctor chief minister too has had no remedies for ailments faced by his constituency. Whether it is the Q-leaguers or the PPP walas, they speak a lot against Kalabagh Dam, and for the rights of Sindh but none have ever talked of development in Tharparkar. Its high time now that the PPP ministers, be they in Sindh or at the centre, force their respective governments to earmark special funds for development of this least developed area in the country.

With a surge of terrorism having ripped the whole of Pakistan, and where Balochistan is almost on the verge of revolt, NWFP under a continuous spate of violence, suicide bombings and other subversive activities [what to speak of drone attacks that are killing our civilian population [with some where over and somewhere covert support, of our federal government in Islamabad] whole of Pakistan is boiling with anger. Having at the same time feelings of anguish and frustration, they feel themselves at the mercy of an impotent coterie who are good talkers but bad doers.

The problems of security, poverty and economic disparity are eating up our social fabric while Neros of the day are playing their sweet flutes. While the country is burning, this horrific music coming out of the flutes of scoundrels in governance, the day should not be faraway when ‘commoners’ might come on streets, snatch everything from the marquises of the day. History tells us it happened just two centuries ago in France. Could be, this time it is Pakistan’s turn to open a similar page in our history.

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Next: Thar’s plight, last week’s editorial by Dawn. Images: Dry-net.org

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