August 2006 Newsletter

 

by Beth Ley, Ph.D.
www.blpublications.com
NHL Ministries
 

IN THE NEWS

More People Wondering About Splenda's ''True'' Safety

In 2004, 180 million Americans bought sugar-free products, and in 2005, low-sugar packaged items were the second fastest growing segment in the "health food" industry, just behind organics. But more and more people are questioning artificial sweeteners.

Inhibits Dieting - actually causes WEIGHT GAIN!
Some researchers believe that artificial sweeteners may actually inhibit dieting efforts. In a 2004 study, when rats were fed artificially sweetened liquids, they lost their ability to moderate their intake of foods containing real sugar. Maybe this is why diet soft drinks can actually double your risk of obesity.

People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they gain weight. The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego. "What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity," said Fowler. "What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher."

"There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

Just Too Sweet
Others speculate that artificial sweeteners have helped set the American diet at too high a level of sweetness. This has resulted in sugar or artificial sweeteners being put into nearly everything we eat, including peanut butter, soups, and other foods which are not traditionally sweet. Time.com June 11, 2006

Splenda is now America's leading sweetener, displacing even real sugar manufacturers. However, the public is starting to catch on to the potential dangers of Splenda and McNeil wisely decided to take a proactive stance and seek to give themselves a healthy image by financially supporting a health initiative. This is just another example of their marketing tricks.

The average consumer is currently clueless about the health side effects of Splenda. However, that can not last much longer. You can't hide the truth from the public for much longer.

It seems the marketing campaign for Splenda, "Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar," has been accused of misleading consumers into believing the artificial sweetener is a natural sugar alternative. Moreover, what the campaign does not reveal is that Splenda is actually a chemically created product that uses substances such as chlorine and phosgene, a poisonous gas. The Centers for Disease Control has even described one of the ingredients used in Splenda as a major chemical used to make plastics and pesticides.

This artificial sweetener is not natural at all
Although they start with a sugar molecule they add chlorine molecules do it. This is a similar chemical in many respects to pesticides like DDT, and no one can even guess the long term consequences of ingesting this substance over many years.

Research in animals provides us with some concerns at it has already shown that consuming sucralose comes hand-in-hand with a plethora of health problems:
• Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage)
• Enlarged liver and kidneys
• Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
• Reduced growth rate
• Decreased red blood cell count
• Extension of the pregnancy period
• Aborted pregnancy
• Diarrhea

PLUS: Here is an interesting article on Splenda and depression/anxiety:
http://www.mercola.com/2003/nov/8/splenda_dangers.htm

Attention All Pet Lovers:
RABIES VACCINE RECALLED: Dog gets rabies from rabies shot.
A leading rabies vaccine manufacturer has voluntarily recalled about 330,000 doses sold nationwide after a vaccinated dog contracted the deadly disease. "They don't know why ... the animal contracted rabies," said Kelly Goss, a spokeswoman for Fort Dodge Animal Health, based in Overland Park, Kan., and a division of health care giant Wyeth. "In the best interest of pet owners and animals, we made a decision to voluntarily recall that product." The company mailed notices to veterinarians on May 25, and will reimburse them for revaccination, Goss said. Doctors are notifying pet owners to bring in animals for free shots. Fort Dodge Animal Health recalled rabies vaccine Rabvac 3 TF, serial number 873113A. Your vet should notify you if your pet was vaccinated with the problem batch. You can also check the rabies certificate that you should have received, which lists the manufacturer and serial number.

Most of you know I am not a fan of vaccines... of any kind. Here's more on vaccines:

Elderly Gain Little From Flu Shot
Vaccination more effective for those in nursing homes, experts say
HealthDay By Robert Preidt

THURSDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies show that flu shots provide only modest protection for people over age 65, and there's little evidence that giving flu shots to health workers protects their elderly patients from the flu. National and international health organizations currently recommend that people over age 65 get a yearly flu shot.

Italian researchers at the department of public health in Asti reviewed 71 previous studies. They found that flu shots prevented 45 percent of flu-like illnesses, hospital admissions and flu-related deaths among people living in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The review also found that flu shots prevented 25 percent of these outcomes in elderly people who still live in the community.

Current recommendations that elderly people get an annual flu shot are based, in part, on statistics that show that people who receive a flu shot are among those least likely to die from any cause in a given year.

However, the people who are most likely to get a flu shot are also those most likely to have higher incomes and better health care, the review authors noted. This may mean that the apparent benefits of flu shots may simply reflect the fact that people who get the shots tend to have better health care to begin with. The authors said their findings do suggest that flu shots may be effective in protecting residents of nursing homes and other institutions.

The second review, this time by a Canadian team at the University of Calgary, found some evidence that giving flu shots to staff at nursing homes can reduce patient pneumonia deaths but doesn't decrease cases of flu or lower respiratory tract infections among the patients. Both reviews are published in the current issue of the journal The Cochrane Library.

Fish Oils May Help Prevent Age Related Macular Degeneration
We have heard how DHA and Omega-3 fatty acids in fish may be beneficial in reducing the risk for heart disease, heart arrhythmias, mental decline, depression and may also help reduce symptoms of arthritis and several autoimmune conditions. Eating fish and perhaps taking fish oil supplements may also help reduce the risk for macular degeneration.

A new study from Australia tells us eating three or more portions of oily fish per week could reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 70 percent. The results go against several recent reports that high dietary intakes of unsaturated fats, particularly mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs, PUFAs) could increase the risk of AMD, which have caused concern to both lay and medical communities. “Our findings from a representative older population caution against altering current advice regarding dietary fat recommendations to the community,” wrote lead author Brian Chua from the University of Sydney.

AMD affects the central part of the retina called the macula, which controls fine vision, leaving sufferers with only limited sight. AMD affects over 30m people worldwide, and is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50.

The new study, published in the latest issue of Archives of Opthamology (Vol. 124, pp. 981-986), analysed the dietary intakes of 2258 older people in Sydney, Australia (average age 64). After five years of follow-up, the researchers calculated that people who ate at least one portion of fish every week could reduce their risk of developing early AMD by 40 percent. People who ate three or more portions of fish per week reduced their risk of late AMD by 70 per cent!

The results have implications for other populations since consumption of fish has seriously declined over the past 50 years in the UK and the US. In the early 1950s mean UK consumption was around 230 g per week, and it reached an all time low of around 130 g in the late 1970s. It has since recovered slightly, to just under 150 g. Less than a third of adults presently eat any oily fish at all.

In Beth's Kitchen!!!