54 replies to this topic

[alternativista]

6 Kinds of Pills Big Pharma Tries to Get You Hooked on for Life

http://www.alternet....Cy0eRf&rd=1&t=5

Statins, Hormone replacement, and drugs for ADHD, Asthma, depression/anxiety, GERD. They now recommend children start on asthma and ADHD drugs as soon as symptoms appear no matter how young. And not in the article, but they tell women all the time about the benefits of taking oral birth control.

Because our health problems are apparently caused by a lack of drugs.

You might have noticed lipitor advertising on TV that everyone should take it as a preventative. They put my mother on it even though her lipid profile is quite good. The thing is, they've recently discovered that Lipitor didn't help by preventing your body from making cholesterol (by inhibiting an enzyime that does other important things, btw.), but by having some anti-inflammatory affect. Of course, a better diet has an even better anti-inflammatory affect...

Edited by alternativista, 19 June 2012 - 11:08 AM.

[bobbi364]

[alternativista]

Mercola article on how the United States is only one of 2 countries in the world that allow direct to consumer advertising for prescription drugs. Here this started in 1997. And I'm very surprised to say that New Zealand is the other country and it's been allowed there since 1981

http://articles.merc...16_DNL_artNew_2

Mood swings, weight gain, joint pain, tummy problems―you name the ailment, there's a pill for it. And you, the American consumer, are helping Big Pharma sell it. Don't believe it? Well, it's happening right before your eyes, and believe it or not, the United States is one of only two countries in the world that allows this to happen.

A "Disgusting, Dishonorable" Way to Create Sales … Legal in Only Two Countries

What I'm talking about is direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, that barrage of ads you see on TV and in magazines and newspapers, or on the radio and Internet. They're ads telling you to run right out and ask your doctor if this or that pill would be right for you.
Some drug companies have even taken to advertising highly specialized medical devices, like heart stents.
It's a marketing bonanza that's turned America into a medicated mass of people who've been brain-washed into thinking that taking pills will make everything better―even for ailments you might not have. But it's a brilliant move for Big Pharma, who has now turned the consumer into their very own sales rep, and a persuasive one at that. Not only is there a correlation between the amount of money drug companies spend on DTC advertising and the brand of drug patients request from their physicians, but the data shows DTC advertising rapidly converts people into patients.

As you might suspect, the use of DTC ads has grown rapidly since it was first approved in the U.S. in 1997. At that time, the ads could only be run along with lengthy consumer information warning of risks and side effects, so few companies used them. In 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revised the rule so that rather than providing a full disclosure, companies only needed to meet an "adequate standard" when it came to describing risks to consumers. For those who are wondering, the only other country that has legalized DTC advertising is New Zealand (which did so in 1981).

[DaftFrost]

So... should I limit the amount of fructose from fruits also?

I read that it should be up to 15 g a day while a medium apple has 9 grams.

[alternativista]

So... should I limit the amount of fructose from fruits also?

I read that it should be up to 15 g a day while a medium apple has 9 grams.

I wouldn't worry about keeping it that low. Just don't binge on it, especially in the same meal. And choose the lower sugar apple varieties like granny smith.

Edited by alternativista, 17 July 2012 - 08:49 AM.

[arqa22]

So... should I limit the amount of fructose from fruits also?

I read that it should be up to 15 g a day while a medium apple has 9 grams.

I wouldn't worry about keeping it that low. Just don't binge on it, especially in the same meal. And choose the lower sugar apple varieties like granny smith.

"choose low sugar apple varieties"? you clearly dont understand what your talking about.

lets say you need to eat X calories, only for the example, X=2000

normal apple is like 40 calories and has 10 gram of carbs.

so lets say you eat "low sugar apple" [like granny smith] and it has 5 gram of carbs. so thats healthier according to you right? cuz its "low sugar" [less calories]
but you lack to understand that it doesnt matter if you eat this low sugar type apple or high sugar type apple. cuz you need to get to your 2000 calories a day anyway, so it doesnt matter if you eat 1 apple with 10 gram carbs or 2 apples with 5 gram carbs. you end up with the same amount of calories\sugar.

and im not expert on all this "sugar-insulin-male hormone" proccess but i know for a fact that fat cells produce estrogen, wich means that the body produces less DHT, that means less oily skin, less hormonal acne.

and i can tell from personal experience that when i ate "clean" and healthy diet i was on a really low fat % and my face was wayyyyyy oilier and had more pimples than now when i got back to eating sugar\junk food and put some fat and my skin is much less oily and need less washing to remain dry.
the more estrogen in the body, the less DHT.
DHT cause oily skin.
fat increases estrogen in the body.

like in your signature you write that saw palmetto helps you. it keeps me clear and less oily too! cuz saw palmetto block DHT and therefore increases estrogen.

[DaftFrost]

Hmm it just that I visited one of the websites and said something about fructose isn't good but in fruits they are fine but also said how we should limit them. Was confused right there.
Although I no longer breakout, I still sometimes notice oiliness and thought it could be the insulin response from the fruits. I am eating grain free, but high in fat.

I get a lot of calories from butter and EFAs.

[alternativista]

"choose low sugar apple varieties"? you clearly dont understand what your talking about.

lets say you need to eat X calories, only for the example, X=2000

normal apple is like 40 calories and has 10 gram of carbs.

so lets say you eat "low sugar apple" [like granny smith] and it has 5 gram of carbs. so thats healthier according to you right? cuz its "low sugar" [less calories]
but you lack to understand that it doesnt matter if you eat this low sugar type apple or high sugar type apple. cuz you need to get to your 2000 calories a day anyway, so it doesnt matter if you eat 1 apple with 10 gram carbs or 2 apples with 5 gram carbs. you end up with the same amount of calories\sugar.

and im not expert on all this "sugar-insulin-male hormone" proccess but i know for a fact that fat cells produce estrogen, wich means that the body produces less DHT, that means less oily skin, less hormonal acne.

and i can tell from personal experience that when i ate "clean" and healthy diet i was on a really low fat % and my face was wayyyyyy oilier and had more pimples than now when i got back to eating sugar\junk food and put some fat and my skin is much less oily and need less washing to remain dry.
the more estrogen in the body, the less DHT.
DHT cause oily skin.
fat increases estrogen in the body.

like in your signature you write that saw palmetto helps you. it keeps me clear and less oily too! cuz saw palmetto block DHT and therefore increases estrogen.

I don't know why you are ranting at me about calories here in this discussion about our terrible health care system that amongst many other problems, is so clueless as to how bad for you the massive amounts of sugar the average person consumes. Amounts that we would never have consumed before added sugar and HFCS. Amounts that are bodies are not capable of managing.

And saw palmetto helped me, somewhat. A long time ago. Before I discovered the diet acne connection and cleared my skin. Yes, I know it inhibits DHT a factor in excess sebum and therefore often in acne. That would be why I tried it. The same applies to the zinc and several other nutrients.

And that you aren't an expert is very clear. Why were you eating low fat? What made you think that was healthy? It doesn't sound like you have any idea of what a clean and healthy diet is if you want to get your calories from eating more sugar. I am please to see that you are capable of some simple math even though I have no idea why you were telling me how 2 things half the size/amount of another thing added together = the larger thing.

Also, the sugar and insulin don't just impact male hormones. It impacts all hormones. Both by stimulating their production and by inhibiting the sex hormone binding globulin that binds the excess. Also, not overloading the liver by feeding it a ton of fructose which means the liver can do it's other jobs, like removing excess hormones from circulation. Also, excess sugar and insulin in the blood promotes chronic inflammation which is the root cause of acne and most of the diseases this sickly culture suffers from. Which is the point of this thread. It also impairs your immune system.

And I'm sorry, I can't respond to all the foolishness in your post. I'll have to leave it at that.

Edited by alternativista, 17 July 2012 - 01:37 PM.

[alternativista]

Hmm it just that I visited one of the websites and said something about fructose isn't good but in fruits they are fine but also said how we should limit them. Was confused right there.
Although I no longer breakout, I still sometimes notice oiliness and thought it could be the insulin response from the fruits. I am eating grain free, but high in fat.

I get a lot of calories from butter and EFAs.

Here's a thread with a lot of info on fructose and other sugars, how they are processed and their impact on the body. It starts out with some advice to improve fructose metabolism since we have so many people here that say they break out from fruit and are always telling newbies to avoid fruit: http://www.acne.org/...out-from-fruit/

[arqa22]

if nuts break me out and im allergic to avocado, where should i get my fat from?

Edited by arqa22, 17 July 2012 - 01:30 PM.

[DaftFrost]

if nuts break me out and im allergic to avocado, where should i get my fat from?

Butter, Coconut oil, Olive oil... I am guessing those are the ones I know. Coconut oil and butter really improves the taste of your salad or your meal a lot. Plus they provide lot of calories.

[DaftFrost]

Hmm it just that I visited one of the websites and said something about fructose isn't good but in fruits they are fine but also said how we should limit them. Was confused right there.
Although I no longer breakout, I still sometimes notice oiliness and thought it could be the insulin response from the fruits. I am eating grain free, but high in fat.

I get a lot of calories from butter and EFAs.

Here's a thread with a lot of info on fructose and other sugars, how they are processed and their impact on the body. It starts out with some advice to improve fructose metabolism since we have so many people here that say they break out from fruit and are always telling newbies to avoid fruit: http://www.acne.org/...out-from-fruit/

Hmm it just that I visited one of the websites and said something about fructose isn't good but in fruits they are fine but also said how we should limit them. Was confused right there.
Although I no longer breakout, I still sometimes notice oiliness and thought it could be the insulin response from the fruits. I am eating grain free, but high in fat.

I get a lot of calories from butter and EFAs.

Here's a thread with a lot of info on fructose and other sugars, how they are processed and their impact on the body. It starts out with some advice to improve fructose metabolism since we have so many people here that say they break out from fruit and are always telling newbies to avoid fruit: http://www.acne.org/...out-from-fruit/

I've read a lot, so basically I should just remain and have a healthy lifestyle like proper exposure to light and such and I'd be okay to eat fruits?
The concern I had was that, since fructose is still a sugar wouldn't it be causing insulin response and therefore acne? For example eating half a watermelon is a lot of sugar.
Plus all the nutrients needed for all that proper digestion and metabolic activities are mostly found in fruits and other natural sources. So to simplify we should just plenty amounts of eat fruits and vegetables? I know it isn't new but the whole fruit thing is what frustrates me. Sorry, I may just need to do lot more research but I am wanting to hear answers from you.

[alternativista]

This is from a Mercola article you can find here in order to follow links to the various reports, studies and articles the info came from: http://articles.merc...eath-in-us.aspx

Pharmageddon

The (Los Angeles) Times analysis of 2009 death statistics (from the CDC), the most recent available, showed:

• For the first time ever in the US, more people were killed by prescription drugs than motor vehicle accidents
• 37,485 people died from drugs, a rate fueled by overdoses on prescription pain and anxiety medications, versus 36,284 from traffic accidents
• Drug fatalities more than doubled among teens and young adults between 2000 and 2008, and more than tripled among people aged 50 to 69

Again, these drug-induced fatalities are not being driven by illegal street drugs; the analysis found that the most commonly abused prescription drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and Soma now cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.

"According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, prescription drugs are second to marijuana as the drug of choice for today's teens. In fact, seven of the top 10 drugs used by 12th-graders were prescription drugs.

• In a June 2010 report in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, study authors said that in looking over records that spanned from 1976 to 2006 (the most recent year available) they found that, of 62 million death certificates, almost a quarter-million deaths were coded as having occurred in a hospital setting due to medication errors.
• An estimated 450,000 preventable medication-related adverse events occur in the U.S. every year.
• The costs of adverse drug reactions to society are more than $136 billion annually -- greater than the total cost of cardiovascular or diabetic care.
• Adverse drug reactions cause injuries or death in 1 of 5 hospital patients.
• The reason there are so many adverse drug events in the U.S. is because so many drugs are used and prescribed – and many patients receive multiple prescriptions at varying strengths, some of which may counteract each other or cause more severe reactions when combined.

Between 2001 and 2008, there was a

36 percent increase in hospital admissions

, and a 28 percent increase in emergency room visits, among children 5 and younger who had accidentally ingested medication. ER visits for ingestion of prescription opioid painkillers, such as Oxycodone, increased 101 percent!

But aside from the nature of their business, fraud, kickbacks, price-setting, bribery and illegal sales activities are all par for the course for big-name drug companies. Last year I set out to investigate some of the criminal activities that some of the largest pharmaceutical companies had been convicted of lately, and the amount of

gross misconduct, fraud and deceit I found

was so insidious, so massive, and so overwhelming that it shocked even me.

You can read the grim details in full here, but here is just a sampling of what the top drug companies are up to:

• Merck: With a long list of deaths to its credit, and more than $5.5 billion in judgments and fines levied against it, it was five years before Merck made its $30-billion recall of the painkiller Vioxx that I warned my readers that it might be a real killer for some people. After the drug was withdrawn, and 60,000 had already died, Merck picked up the pieces painlessly by getting a new drug fast-tracked and on the market.
  
  That drug is Gardasil, a vaccine that so far has been linked to thousands of adverse events and at least 49 unexplained deaths. It's a situation that the FDA and CDC have been denying repeatedly, keeping their heads buried in the sand even as the adverse reports mount.
• Baxter: Dozens of recalls of products that caused deaths and injuries, at least 11 different guilty pleas to fraud and illegal sales activity, more than 200 lawsuits – many of them stemming from selling AIDS-tainted blood to hemophiliacs – and more than $1.3 billion in criminal fines and civil penalties.
• Pfizer: In the largest health care fraud settlement in history, Pfizer was ordered to pay $2.3 billion to resolve criminal and civil allegations that the company illegally promoted uses of four of its drugs, including the painkiller Bextra, the antipsychotic Geodon, the antibiotic Zyvox, and the anti-epileptic Lyrica.

[alternativista]

Problems with medical research

Article on fluoridation of our water which has an example of one of the biggest problems with medical research (The biggest probably being that it's postly funded by big for profit pharma) and that is how they so rarely study the right things for the right duration. Such as the very short term studies they did to determine that the dispersants dumped into the ocean by BP to hide as much as possible of the oil they spilled did little harm to the marine life. When if you kept the animals around a little bit longer, they tended to suffer from major health problems and die.

Anyway, this article mentions how the studies on the toxicity of fluoride study the pharmaceutical grade fluoride used in dental products whereas the fluoride dumped in our water supply is a waste product of the toxic artificial fertilizer industry. http://articles.merc...21218_DNL_art_2

I've seen other articles that say that there's no standard on what goes into a placebo and they sometimes aren't without affect which skews the study.

Edited by alternativista, 18 December 2012 - 10:07 AM.

[alternativista]

Another article, Mercola again, stating that most scientific retractions aren't due to mistakes but to misconduct including fraud.

http://articles.merc...21017_DNL_art_2

[crashoran]

I thought you were supposed to fast 8-10 hours before any type of lipid panel, yet in the video they are drawing every 30 minutes?

[healthywomen]

It's just not working and they are not willing to accept that.

[alternativista]

Documentary available via IndiGoGo, Itunes and elsewhere


ESCAPE FIRE: The Fight To Rescue American Healthcare


There's also a recent NPR interview with the filmmakers available as a podcast.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/01/26/escape_fire_a_healthcare_documentary_that_s_also_a_horror_movie.html
http://www.indiegogo.com/EscapeFire
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davechase/2012/10/05/escape-fire-artists-will-transform-healthcare/

[alternativista]

New research shows how exactly elevated blood sugar is at the root of the development of Alzheimer and cancer as well as diabetes mellitus, of course.

When beta cells produce insulin, Butler explains, they also pump out a protein called human islet amyloid polypeptide, or IAPP, thought to help regulate blood sugar. But in type 2 diabetes, this protein starts clumping into strings, eventually forming abnormal, insoluble deposits in the pancreas called amyloid. Butler’s team found that when IAPP clusters into abnormal threads, beta cells often die—killing themselves in a process called apoptosis. And the cells most vulnerable are those reproducing and renewing themselves most actively.

That's about diabetes mellitus, but that amyloid produced in the pancreas to help deal with blood sugar has also been found to be an important factor in Alzheimer and can be used as an early test for the condition, as it starts way, way before you begin showing symptoms.

[alternativista]

Everyone should read the Time magazine article 'Bitter Pill' and seek out any interviews with author Steven Brill. He's operated on John Stewart and NPRs Diane Rheims. (Sp?)

It's about hospital 'care' and why their bills are so high. and why you shouldn't believe claims that hospitals lose money on Medicare patients or that they provide a fortune In charity care.

See also this article on the Cleveland Clinic: http://www.thedailyb...ealth-care.html
Before some kind of catastrophe hits you, it might be good to find out what hospitals and clinics in your area have salaried personnel, rather than people paid per service.

Edited by alternativista, 03 March 2013 - 09:58 AM.