What doctor's don't tell

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WHAT DOCTORS DON'T TELL YOU - E-NEWS BROADCAST No. 77 - 08 Apr 2004Please feel free to email this broadcast to any friends you feel wouldappreciate receiving it.A very happy Easter to all our readers, but don't eat too many of thosechocolate eggs because of. . .TRANS FATTY ACIDS: The hidden killers in our foodOur first story was prompted by one of our readers, who told us we don'tknow what we're talking about (that's what we love about our readers -their clarity). He was responding to an article in a recent E-news bulletin aboutmedicine's inability to pinpoint the cause of heart disease. It'ssimple, he said. The culprit is the hydrogenated oils, or trans fattyacids, found in most processed foods. Trans fatty acids have frequently been cited in the pages of WhatDoctors Don't Tell You newsletter, and there's overwhelming evidence tosuggest that our correspondent is on the right lines, although it may besimplistic to suggest that they are the only cause of heart disease.They are the only truly bad fats. Only trans fatty acids, rather thanthe saturates that occur naturally in animal meat, nuts and dairyproducts, have been consistently linked to atherosclerosis, coronaryheart disease, cancer and type II diabetes (see The Lancet, 1994; 343:168-71).The link between trans fatty acids and higher cholesterol levels wasfirst reported in 1990, but it took a while for the food manufacturersto respond. They are used extensively in margarine as a hardener, andDutch margarine manufacturers were the first to respond by reducingtrans fatty content to just 1 per cent in 1996.They are certainly likely to be the major cause of type II diabetes, adisease that has increased by 1000 per cent in the past 50 years in linewith the rise of the processed foods industry. This also ties in withthe findings of Dr Michel Montignac, who 'cured' people of theirdiabetes by removing processed foods from their diets, although heblamed the high glycaemic content.And that's why you should lay off the chocolate eggs this Easter.* To understand more about the right diet and lifestyle, you should bereading our Secrets of Longevity special report. To order your copy,click on this link: HYPERLINK"http://www.wddty.co.uk/shop/details.asp?product=390"http://www.wddty.co.uk/shop/details.asp?product=390 ANTIDEPRESSANTS: Yes, there is a safer and better wayAntidepressants are very powerful agents that can deliver nasty adversereactions and side effects.Take for example the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors),which are the latest family of antidepressants, and include in theirranks Prozac and Seroxat.Reactions have included hepatitis and liver damage, and tests have shownthey can bring on manic attacks, seizures, suicidal tendencies andabnormal bleeding. Overall, up to 20 per cent of people suffering fromdepression have to stop taking an SSRI because of some reaction such asinsomnia, agitation, tremors, anxiety, dizziness, constipation, nausea,diarrhoea, vomiting, impotence and sweating.A new study reveals that depressed people needn't go through this trialof fire. Instead, a drug-free approach called cognitive behaviourtherapy can be just as effective, but without all the nasty reactionsthat come with antidepressants.Researchers tested cognitive behaviour therapy against Seroxat(paroxetine) on a group of 30 patients diagnosed as clinicallydepressed. Half had between 15 and 20 sessions of cognitive behaviourtherapy, while the rest were given Seroxat.Amazingly, not only did cognitive behaviour therapy relieve thedepression, it also affected brain activity as monitored by tomographyscreening. The patients' brains showed significant metabolic changes,with increased activity in the hippocampus and dorsal cingulate regions.One of the researchers, Helen Mayberg, professor of psychiatry atToronto University, said: "Our imaging results suggest that you cancorrect the depression network along a variety of pathways.Antidepressant drugs change the chemical balance in the brain througheffects at very specific target sites. Cognitive behaviour therapy alsochanges brain activity: it's just tapping into a different component ofthe same depression circuit board."(Source: Archives of General Psychiatry, 2003; 61: 34-41).LAST CALLS for a weekend that could be life-transformingIf Easter is a time for new beginnings, it still isn't too late for youto make an enormous change to your life. We're now making last callsfor those who still want to take the few remaining seats at our weekendintensive, Tools for A Miraculous Life. The weekend intensive is takingplace on April 24 and 25 in central London, and facilitators include Dr Diamond (author of Your Body Doesn't Lie) and Lynne McTaggart(author of The Field). To book your last-minute place, click on thislink today: HYPERLINK"http://www.wddty.co.uk/thefield/conference_main.asp"http://www.wddty.co.uk/thefield/conference_main.asp ALZHEIMER'S: Multivitamin may not be the answer after allThere's a question mark over the effectiveness of Javaan 50, amultivitamin that medical trials had shown was effective againstAlzheimer's. Scientists have questioned the validity of the research, which appearedin three medical journals.The man at the centre of the controversy is Prof Ranjit Chandra, whohappens to hold the patent for Javaan 50, which is available in NorthAmerica.Chandra started testing the supplement in 1992 when his first resultswere published in The Lancet. He followed this up with another trial,published in Nutrition in 2001. A statistician at the British MedicalJournal, who reviewed the very impressive results from the Nutritionpaper, concluded that the data had 'all the hallmarks of being entirelyinvented'.For his part, Chandra has continued to defend his corner, but supportfor his position seems to be disappearing.(Source: British Medical Journal, 2004; 328: 67).IT'LL MAKE YOU BLIND: But nobody told us about ulcersMany things make us blind, as our mothers were always keen to point out.But doctors at Queen's University in Belfast have found yet anothercause - tongue ulcers. They treated one woman whose ulcers had made herblind in one eye. Once the ulcers were treated, her sight returned.(Source: British Medical Journal, 2004; 328: 296).READERS' CORNERDizziness: Many of you have come to the aid of the woman who waspuzzled by her dizzy spells whenever she suddenly stood up. Onesuggested she should seek out a chiropractor who practices sacraloccipital technique (SOT), which does not involve any cracking orcrunching, but does require you to drink a great deal of waterbeforehand to lubricate the vertebra. Quite a few of you also suggestedseeing a chiropractor. One reader suggests a gentle qi-gong exerciseprogramme, while another also advocates some exercise as this will helpreduce the build-up of salts in the inner ear, which may be the cause.Eat a banana every day is the interesting remedy suggested by onereader. One reader recommends the Technique, as this willteach anyone to lengthen the spine, so creating space between thevertebrae in her neck. The dizziness could be caused by a lack ofcalcium, one woman suggests. She treated her own dizziness with liquidcalcium and vitamin D, and her problem disappeared in a week. Sore throats: One woman reported several editions back that she had athroat bug, which was diagnosed by her homeopath as the sackie's A1virus, spread by air travel. One homeopath pointed out that it is nothis job to diagnose, which was interesting but puzzling. Everyone elsewho responded had a remedy to suggest. One reader suggested garglingonce or twice a day with either a weak solution of potassiumpermanganate (a remedy also suggested by another reader) or hydrogenperoxide. Another swears by raw garlic, which he takes as whole cloves.They can be cut down into small pieces if that makes it more digestible.Lymphoma: Several of you have responded to the plight of a woman who isdue to have a lymphoma under her collarbone cut out. She was worriedthat the procedure could spread cancer cells. One reader suggestsrubbing a small amount if castor oil over the lump once a day, possiblyin the morning, and then some rosemary essential oil in the evening.Castor oil is excellent for breaking down lumps, she says, although it'snot clear if this would work on cancerous lumps. One woman tells thestory of her husband who had cancer of the vocal chords. A combinationof surgery and radiation seems to have successfully cleared the cancer,although her husband also took Ayurvedic medicine (turmeric powder andashwaghanda powder) and visualization to help the process. Anothersuggests treating the lymphoma by detoxing with nux vom 6c for a week.Milk and Crohn's: One reader recently wondered if there was a linkbetween milk and Crohn's disease. Crohn's is an auto-immune disease,and one reader suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, recognized as anotherautoimmune disorder. The reader has an intolerance to milk, as provedby blood tests.CAN YOU HELP?More health worries and queries from our readers who need your help.Drugs and arthritis: One woman is puzzled by her mother's sudden onsetof arthritis in her hands and legs. The mother is taking sevendifferent drugs for blood pressure, and the woman wonders if the drugshave caused the arthritis.Natural worm remedy: A woman is travelling to Zambia, and will be givinghealth advice while there. She wonders if there are any drug-freeremedies for ridding the body of worms, preferably involving ingredientsthat are readily available in Zambia.Mercury in the body: Is there a way of measuring the amount of mercuryin the body? Will a blood test or hair analysis reveal all, shewonders?Reflexology: A reflexologist has told one of our readers that she cancheck the health of the colon just by investigating the legs and feet.Does this seem feasible, she wonders. And, if so, can she also checkfor breast cysts by doing something equally non-invasive?* To search the WDDTY database - where every word from the last 14 yearsof research can be found - click on HYPERLINK"http://www.wddty.co.uk/search/infodatabase.asp"http://www.wddty.co.uk/search/infodatabase.asp Listen to LynneOn the radio: Hear Lynne McTaggart on Passion the new DAB Digital RadioStation focusing on your health and your environment - HYPERLINK"http://www.wddty.co.uk/passion_main.asp"http://www.wddty.co.uk/passion_main.asp On demand: Select and listen to any of Lynne's archived broadcasts onPassion, there's a new one each week - HYPERLINK"http://www.wddty.co.uk/passion_archive.asp"http://www.wddty.co.uk/passion_archive.aspView missed/lost e-News broadcasts: View our e-News broadcast archives, follow this link - HYPERLINK"http://www.wddty.co.uk/archive.asp"http://www.wddty.co.uk/archive.asp Help us spread the word If you can think of a friend or acquaintance who would like a FREE copyof What Doctors Don't Tell You, please forward their name and addressto: HYPERLINK "mailto:info@..."info@.... Please forward this e-news on to anyone you feel may be interested,theycan subscribe free by clicking on the following this link: HYPERLINK"http://www.wddty.co.uk/e-news.asp"http://www.wddty.co.uk/e-news.asp.Thank you.=============================================================If you wish to unsubscribe to this service, send an email to HYPERLINK"mailto:e-news@..."e-news@... with the subject"Unsubscribe", please ensure that you include your full name andpostcode. -- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.Checked by AVG Anti-Virus (http://www.grisoft.com).Version: 7.0.230 / Virus Database: 262.7.1 - Release Date: 06/04/2004