Friday, October 31, 2008

Sugar: The Sweet Killer

146 Reasons Why Sugar Is Ruining Your Health

By Nancy Appleton, Ph.D.

www.nancyappleton.com


Author of LICK THE SUGAR HABIT and LICK THE SUGAR HABIT SUGAR COUNTER.

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.

2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.

3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.

4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.

5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).

6. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose.

7. Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins.

8. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.

9 Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries.

10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.

11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.

12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.

13. Sugar can weaken eyesight.

14. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.

16. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.

17. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.

18. Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease.

19. Sugar can cause premature aging.

20. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.

21. Sugar can cause tooth decay.

22. Sugar contributes to obesity

23. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.

24. Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers.

25. Sugar can cause arthritis.

26. Sugar can cause asthma.

27. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).

28. Sugar can cause gallstones.

29. Sugar can cause heart disease.

30. Sugar can cause appendicitis.

31. Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis.

32. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.

33. Sugar can cause varicose veins.

34. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.

35. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.

36. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.

37. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.

38. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.

39. Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E (alpha-Tocopherol in the blood.

40. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.

41. Sugar can increase cholesterol.

42. Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.

43. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.

44. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar bound non-enzymatically to protein)

45. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.

46. Sugar causes food allergies.

47. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.

48. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.

49. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.

50. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.

51. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA

52. Sugar can change the structure of protein.

53. Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen.

54. Sugar can cause cataracts.

55. Sugar can cause emphysema.

56. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.

57. Sugar can promote an elevation of low density lipoproteins (LDL).

58. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body.

59. Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.

60. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease.

61. Sugar can cause a permanent altering the way the proteins act in the body.

62. Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.

63. Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.

64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.

65. Sugar can damage the pancreas.

66. Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.

67. Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement.

68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).

69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.

70. Sugar can make the tendons more brittle.

71. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine.

72. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.

73. Sugar can adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders..

74. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves.

75. Sugar can cause depression.

76. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.

77. Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion).

78. Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout.

79. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates.

80. Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.

81 High refined sugar diet reduces learning capacity.

82. Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood proteins, albumin, and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.

83. Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

84. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness.

85. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become underactive and others become overactive.

86. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.

87. Sugar can lead to the hypothalamus to become highly sensitive to a large variety of stimuli.

88. Sugar can lead to dizziness.

89. Diets high in sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress.

90. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.

91. High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer.

92. Sugar feeds cancer.

93. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.

94. High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents.

95. Sugar slows food's travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.

96. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon. This can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.

97. Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.

98. Sugar combines and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more difficult.

99. Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.

100. Sugar is an addictive substance.

101. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.

102. Sugar can exacerbate PMS.

103. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.

104. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.

105. The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.

106. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.

107. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

108. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.

109. Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function.

110. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.

111.. I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain.

112. High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer.

113. Sugar increases the risk of polio.

114. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.

115. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.

116. In Intensive Care Units, limiting sugar saves lives.

117. Sugar may induce cell death.

118. Sugar can increase the amount of food that you eat.

119. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior.

120. Sugar can lead to prostrate cancer.

121. Sugar dehydrates newborns.

122. Sugar increases the estradiol in young men.

123. Sugar can cause low birth weight babies.

124. Greater consumption of refined sugar is associated with a worse outcome of schizophrenia

125. Sugar can raise homocysteine levels in the blood stream.

126. Sweet food items increase the risk of breast cancer.

127. Sugar is a risk factor in cancer of the small intestine.

128. Sugar may cause laryngeal cancer.

129. Sugar induces salt and water retention.

130. Sugar may contribute to mild memory loss.

131. As sugar increases in the diet of 10 years olds, there is a linear decrease in the intake of many essential nutrients.

132. Sugar can increase the total amount of food consumed.

133. Exposing a newborn to sugar results in a heightened preference for sucrose relative to water at 6 months and 2 years of age.

134. Sugar causes constipation.

135. Sugar causes varicous veins.

136. Sugar can cause brain decay in prediabetic and diabetic women.

137. Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.

138. Sugar can cause metabolic syndrome.

139. Sugar ingestion by pregnant women increases neural tube defects in embryos.

140. Sugar can be a factor in asthma.

141. The higher the sugar consumption the more chances of getting irritable bowel syndrome.

142. Sugar could affect central reward systems.

143. Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.

144. Sugar can cause endometrial cancer.

145. Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell carcinoma.

146. Sugar can cause liver tumors.


Taken From:

Thursday, October 30, 2008

No Way to Hide Truth: Cell Phone Does Cause Tumor

No Way to Hide Truth: Cell Phone Does Cause Tumor
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 by: Chanyut Phrukkumwong (see all articles by this author)
Reducing Electromagnetic Frequency Exposure May Improve Your Health
(NaturalNews) Long-term exposure to electromagnetic radio waves at certain strengths does cause brain tumors. Just like in the case of cigarette smoking, which nobody realized could damage your health until the era where lung cancer caused by regular smoking showed up. Such warnings about the dangers from electromagnetic radio waves from cell phones have been around for some years now. But the reporting has not been very widespread because of the attempt to hide this truth from those who hold the stake, which is certainly the cell phone industry (manufacturers).

Dr. George Carlo is among the first scientists who warned the public about this danger. He refused a billion-dollar bribe from the cell phone industry who told him to keep quiet about the research results that he conducted. Take a look at his website, (http://www.safewireless.org) .

Other honest doctors and health advocates have helped this warning to become more widespread and more understandable by comparing such dangers with the ones associated to smoking. Everybody mistook, at first, that smoking was healthy but we have later come to know that it is dangerous.

More warnings about cell phones can be found here (http://www.naturalnews.com/cell_phone.html) .

We may notice that such warnings about the danger of cell phone is usually put out by honest doctors, health advocates, health-related people while hidden by cell phone industries or technology-related people. Until recently, this issue was mentioned about by the technology-related web site like CNET or ZD net.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/...
http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-5741203...
Even though an objection against the research finding is also there, we know that it is only a voice from cell-phone industry who has tried its best to conceal this fact and to protect itself from losing the profits. This shows that the industry itself has already realized this truth simply because there is no way to hide it.

So what’s the deal? Is it possible to stop using cell phone? No way. Cell phone has become part of our daily lives. It helps us in case of emergency or while being in the place where we need to talk and no other safe communication device is available. We should take action to minimize such risk and to be responsible for our own health. Simply be smart. Take moderate practice. Make use of it but do not let it harm us. Use headset, use handsfree feature, use it only when a wired phone is not available, do not go for a long conversation, send a message instead of talking. There are quite a number of techniques to minimize the risk.

Also, we can be selective by choosing a cell phone model that emits minimum strength of electromagnetic waves possible. Check out here http://www.fda.gov/cellphones/qa.html#6.

Details about the concentration of electromagnetic waves at home noted in the following article is also of interest http://www.naturalnews.com/023307.html.

Since cell phone has become a world-wide public issue, everyone in the world uses it while its long-term use does cause some diseases, there should be a public law that helps administer the marketing, selling, and the use of cell phone the same way as on cigarettes or sports drinks. The law that enforces the labeling of warning message on every cell phone and/or cell phone shop like “Long-term use of cell phone causes cancer”, “Cell phone causes autism”, that prohibits children under the age of 15 or so (whose physical development is still not so endured as adult) to buy a cell phone is strongly encouraged.

Want more live evidence? Take a look at this now! >>> http://www.fitnesssavedmylife.com.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Harmful Radiation

Radiation is a disturbance of the ether (energy matrix of the universe) traveling at the velocity of light. The ranges of radiations are determined by their frequency and the number of oscillations per second. These elements are controlled by the wavelength, the distance covered by the wave per second of travel.

EMF radiation from man-made and solar sources is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. New electrical devices, computers, business machines, satellites and cellular phones are filling our environment with incredible amounts of non-ionizing radiation. Some scientists believe this continuous, incoherent low-level radiation is the final "straw" that breaks the "camel's back" of our delicate immune systems, already weakened by chemicals, drugs, and poisons in the air, water and food.

Most people have learned too late the damaging effects of solar radiation. Those now battling melanoma, skin cancers and pre-cancerous cells are now realizing their beautiful tans in the past created consequences they never imagined.

Scientists are continuing to discover just how damaging the sun's rays can be to our cells. It breaks down DNA and RNA molecules, creating abnormal cells and aberrant cellular activity. This weakens our immune systems.

Dr. Gerber, M.D., in his book "Vibrational Medicine" clearly shows that human life processes are the result of a series of interacting multi-dimensional subtle-energy systems. If these systems become imbalanced, there may be resulting pathological symptoms that manifest on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual planes.

When the energy systems of human beings are weakened or are out of balance, the body's energy fields oscillate at a different or less harmonic frequency. The energy fields must be balanced and the source of interference counteracted or eliminated for the body to return to a high level of health and vitality.

Researcher Georges Lakhovsky, in the book, " The Secret of Life," presented the idea that solar and cosmic radiation contributed to the formation of abnormal cells in geographical areas where the soil possessed electrically conductive properties. Water filled clay soils are premier conductors of EMF radiation and therefore create barriers against all solar and cosmic radiation being absorbed harmlessly into the earth. This causes the radiation to reflect off the soil to create secondary interference fields that disrupt the oscillatory equilibrium of the cells.

Lakhovsky believed all types of radiation effected living systems, especially cosmic and solar radiation. This radiation maintains the natural oscillation of healthy cells by neutralizing antagonistic radiations through resonance and interference if there is no secondary radiation caused by water-filled clay or iron ore laden soils.

Any thing that created variations in the field of cosmic and solar radiation would cause a state of disequilibrium in living cells. Once this happens, they can no longer oscillate according to their natural frequency. The ultimate result would be a breakdown in health and a manifestation of disease.

Lakhovsky looked upon sunspots as an important source of cosmic radiation and sun energy reaching the earth. He noticed increased sunspot activity correlated with abundant rainfall and crop growth in the tropics and increases in diseases and epidemics. He believed that all diseases, especially cancer, were the result of oscillatory disequilibrium in cells.

In his research, he discovered that the geological nature of the soil modifies the field of cosmic radiation at the earth's surface. Soils permeable to the cosmic and solar rays such as sand, sandstone, gravel, limestone, etc. absorbed external radiations to great depth. They did not create the secondary radiations produced by soils impermeable to the rays. Areas where clays, soils with excessive water content and mineral ores were abundant had the greatest incidence of cancer.

Power lines, transformers, appliances, radars, televisions, microwaves, copiers, computers, automobile engines, cellular phones and all other devices which use man-made energy to operate produce electromagnetic fields that are suspected of being dangerous to your mental and physical health.

Your office and home are filled with electrical wiring, devices, and machines which create EMF radiation. These unnatural energy fields, especially those produced by alternating currents operating at 60 cycles per second, are suspected of causing depression, suicides, cancer, leukemia, psychosis, cataracts, and other physical and mental problems in unsuspecting individuals.

In the article, "The Menace of Electric Smog, author Lowell Ponte said, "At issue is electromagnetic pollution, electric smog, the unseen energy waves that spread outward like ripples in a pond around every electrical device we use. And we use many. The United States is wired with 500,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. Industry, government, and the military depend on 250,000 microwave relay links. Airliners see and are seen via radar. 9,000,000 broadcasting transmitters and microwave relay stations, and 30,000,000 CB radios flood our airways. Industry employs 35,000,000 electromagnetic devices. As a result, a typical American now gets a daily dosage of electromagnetic radiation up to 200 million times more intense than what his ancestors took in from the sun, stars, and other natural sources."

Dr. Becker, one of the most respected research scientists in the world stated, "We now live in a sea of electromagnetic radiation that we cannot sense and that never before existed on this earth. New evidence suggests that this massive radiation may be producing stress, disease and other harmful effects all over the world by interfering with the most basic levels of brain function. " In his book, "The Body Electric," he says, "Three dangers overshadow all others. The first has been conclusively proven: ELF (extremely low frequency) electromagnetic field vibrations at about 30 to 100 Hz, even if they're weaker than the earth's field, interfere with the cues that keep our biological cycles properly timed; chronic stress and impaired disease resistance result.

Secondly, the available evidence strongly suggests that regulation of cellular growth processes is impaired by electropollution. The danger is immediate and overwhelming. In the long run, however, I believe the ultimate weapon is manipulation of our electromagnetic environment, because it's imperceptibly subtle and strikes at the core of life itself.

We're dealing here with the most important scientific discovery ever---the nature of life. Even if we survive the chemical and atomic threats to our existence, there's a strong possibility that increasing electropollution could set in motion irreversible changes leading to our extinction before we're even aware of them.

All life pulsates in time to the earth, and our artificial fields cause abnormal reactions in all organisms. Magnetic reversals may have produced the "great dying" of the past by disrupting the biocycles so as to cause stress, sterility, birth defects, malignancies, and impaired brain function.

Human activities may well have duplicated in three decades what otherwise would have taken five thousand years to develop during the next reversal... Somehow these dangers must be brought into the open so forcefully that the entire population of the world is made aware of them.

Since our civilization is irreversibly dependent on electronics, abolition of electromagnetic radiation is out of the question. However, as a first step in averting disaster, we must halt the introduction of new sources of electromagnetic energy while we investigate the biohazards of those we already have with completeness and honesty that have so far been in short supply." (page 328)

Recent studies of mice exposed for 30 days to 60 cycle electromagnetic fields whose strength was similar to those found near high-voltage transmission lines revealed changes in hormone patterns, body weight, and blood chemistries, producing all the signs of chronic stress, but also a steady increase in degenerative disease--particularly those related to a decreased competency of the immune system, such as cancer.

Manfred Kohnlechner, a German medical doctor, in his book "Man Does not Die in August" described the effects of the installation of a modern communications system on the health of the inhabitants of a rural area in Bavaria. Up to the time of the installation, the health of the residents was incredible, comparing favorably to the health and longevity of the Hunza people. Within six months of the introduction of the electrical lines and microwave towers essential for telephone, TV and radio communication, these previously healthy people began to die of cancer, heart attacks, and to have cavities in their teeth, conditions unheard of in the past.

Over the last ten years, there has been scattered media coverage about the danger of EMF pollution. Many researchers and scientists in this field were persecuted and ridiculed for their dire warnings of the dangerous affects of EMF radiation on living creatures.

In 1989, news broadcasts, radio programs, television specials, magazines, and newspapers covered the topic of EMF radiation and the affects on human beings. The "New Yorker," "People," "Infoworld," "Newsweek," and "Discover magazines carried articles exposing the frightening results of recent scientific studies. They addressed newfound fears about the harmful affects of EMF pollution created by powerlines, transformers, appliances, machines, and computers.

In the December 1989 issue of "People Magazine," Paul Brodeur, author of the "Zapping of America" and "Currents of Death" discussed the alleged dangers posed by EMF radiation generated by high-current powerlines, electric blankets, and computer video display terminals (VDT'S). He said, "Anyone who lives or works in an electromagnetic field is at risk.

VDT's first came under suspicion in the late 1970's and early 80's, when a dozen or so unexplained clusters of miscarriages and birth defects were found in groups of women who worked with computers. In one group of computer operators at Sears in Dallas, eight out of 12 pregnancies ended in miscarriage or neonatal death. In 1988 the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program did a study of 1,583 California women who worked 20 hours or more in a week with VDT's stood an 80 percent greater chance of miscarrying than women who did similar work without VDT's.

In the July/August 86 issue of "American Health," Nancy Shute talked about a study done in Colorado by Nancy Wertheimer that linked high current powerlines and transformers to cancer in children. She talked about a study by the Maryland Department of Health and Hygiene which found an unusually high percentage of electricians, electronics engineers and utility repairmen among 951 men who died of brain tumors.

In the December 89 issue of "Discover Magazine" David Noland explored updates in Wertheimer's research which indicated that the homes most affected were those closest to the transformers serving the largest numbers of people. He found that Mrs. Wertheimer believed that the more power being drawn, the greater the EMF and incidence of disease.

Automobiles, planes, buses, motorcycles, and other machines which use spark plugs produce very powerful EMF radiation every time a spark plug fires. They are now being recognized as generators and receivers of EMF pollution. The metal bodies of vehicles are powerful antennas that pick up EMF radiation from microwave and radar transmitters, CB radios, cellular phones, radar guns, overhead powerlines and transformers. It's no wonder people feel exhausted during and after long trips in automobiles, buses, and planes.

Many health experts now realize that the loss of vitality precedes the loss of health. Individuals lose vitality because of various stresses that adversely affect the functioning of biological systems that operate electrically in an electric wave universe. Man-made electromagnetic pollution interferes with basic electrical function, shuts down vitality, and finally produces disease symptoms.


From:

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Food Additives and Children

Food Additives Can Affect Children's Behavior
by J. Foster

A carefully controlled study (funded by the British Food Standards Agency) has found that food colorings and preservatives affect a child's ability to learn and concentrate.

"A mix of additives commonly found in children's foods increases the mean level of hyperactivity," (from IHT)

The research was carried out over a 6 week period. It involved giving a randomly selected group of children drinks with additives - the diet outside of this was carefully controlled. Other groups were given a placebo drink that looked the same.

The outcome (published in the Lancet):

3-year-olds and 8-and-9-year-olds were significantly more hyperactive and had shorter attention spans if they drank the mix that contained artificial ingredients. The study only included children in those two age groups.

The exact additives that may be causing the problem cannot be determined as the drinks contained a mix - although sodium benzoate was mentioned - which suggests that soda is not the best drink to give a child.

The British FSA said parents should "adjust the child's diet accordingly". Although one Massachusetts pediatric expert recommends against changing diet - claiming the child will be ostracized by peers: "It is very socially impacting if children can't eat the things that their friends do."

Such an excuse is indefensible. If your child is sensitive or even allergic to foods or additives -- would you deny them a healthier diet -- because of peer pressure?

From:

Disclosing Cell Phone Danger

Disclosing Cell Phone Danger
William Esrey
Cell Phone Makers Must Disclose Products’ Radiation Levels

Sprint CEO William Esrey talks on a cell phone before a July 13 news conference in Overland Park, Kan. Cell phone makers will now have to disclose radiation levels released by their products. (Cliff Schiappa/AP Photo)



The Associated Press
N E W Y O R K, July 17 — Cellular phone makers will be required to disclose information on radiation levels produced by their phones under a new policy adopted by the wireless industry’s most influential trade group.
The new guidelines will be imposed next month for all new handset models submitted for certification by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, the Washington-based organization confirmed today.
The new policy comes amid growing doubts over the long-presumed safety of holding a wireless phone against the head for prolonged periods of time. British researchers caused a stir in May with a report saying there’s no evidence cell phone radiation is dangerous, but that future research may show otherwise.

radiation levels Radio frequency (RF) radiation is emitted from appliances and devices at the frequencies at which they operate. Because of disparities in these devices’ proximity to the user, it is difficult to compare the potential dangers of exposure.
The federal government does not dictate an acceptable level of exposure to RF radiation (except for regulating potential leakage from microwave ovens), and cannot measure cumulative effects of using more than one device. (ABCNews.com)

“There has been increasing interest in this, and this is our way of responding, but we were also looking for an opportunity to make this information more understandable for consumers,” said Jo-Anne Basile, an official with trade group.

Reporting to the FCC
There’s been no medical evidence suggesting that radiation from mobile phones might cause cancer or other health problems. But at the same time, there’s no definitive proof that cell phone radiation is harmless.
The radiation reading, known as the “specific absorption rate” is a measure of the amount of radiation absorbed by the body while using a mobile phone.
Every phone maker needs to report that figure to the Federal Communications Commission when applying for product approval. The FCC began making those readings available in late 1998, but the information was not easy to find and it was not until last month that the agency began making the information more widely available on its Web site.
The actual radiation measurement won’t be printed on the box of new cell phones, but consumers will be shown how to access the information from the FCC, said Basile. Cell phones will start being packaged with the new information in three to six months.

Cell Phone Uncertainty Remains
Last month, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would collaborate with the CTIA on new scientific studies in a bid to settle the uncertainty about the safety of cell phones.
Experts say it’s particularly hard to predict the long-term impact of a product that’s just two decades old, especially since most of the 95 million Americans who now have cell phones began using them in the past five years.
“No one really knows how big the risk is from cell phones,” said Louis Slesin, the editor of Microwave News, a newsletter on the health risks of radiation.


From: Associate News

Monday, October 27, 2008

Reducing Electromagnetic Frequency Exposure May Improve Your Health


(NaturalNews) In September 2007, the EU's European Environment Agency (EEA)1 and the country of Germany2 both issued warnings to their citizens advising them to avoid the use of WiFi and cell phones until further long term studies are conducted, citing fears that the ubiquitous use of wireless technology has the potential to become the next public health disaster on the level of tobacco smoking, asbestos, and lead in automobile gas (as reported by The BioInitiative Working Group3). Israel’s Knesset recently banned the placement of cellular antennas on residential buildings4. According to Canadian Underwriter, Lloyd’s of London is already "preparing for the next big liability action — for personal injury damages based on the use of cell phone technology."5

Referred to as "electro-smog" by some, the danger of magnetic, electric, radio (microwave), ground current, and high frequency radiation is that it is mostly invisible until great damage is done - like the increased risk of some brain tumors in long term cell phone users.6 Added to the worry are the unknown effects of electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) on the more vulnerable: children, infants, the elderly, and the infirm; all of whom are equally blanketed by the invisible electro-storm of today’s Blackberrys, cell phones, Game Boys, cordless phones, and WiFis (not to mention refrigerators, air conditioners, electric heaters, dishwashers, microwaves, and other large appliances found in almost every home). There are currently over 210,000 cell towers, providing 81% wireless penetration in America alone,7 and one would be hard-pressed to find an inhabitable place on Earth that is not within range of cell frequency transmissions.

Ask those who have become "electrically sensitive" (ES), people who now experience a wide range of symptoms upon exposure to even low levels of EMF radiation and have a most difficult time finding a place to live safely in our wireless age. Symptoms can range from the uncomfortable (headaches, burning sensations, tingling) and debilitating (severe "brain fog," heart arrhythmias, migraines, severe depression, chronic insomnia) to even life threatening (seizures, heart attacks). Many of today’s ES started out as healthy working citizens and through chronic and acute exposures to electric radiation (some worked directly with electronics and computers, others worked in standard school and business/office settings), they became electrically sensitive with little warning. Their message: it could be you next.

Hayley Robinson*, a 41-year-old "type A personality" who spent 15 years of her working life in New York City offices warns "Keep cell and cordless phone use to a bare minimum and take care of your general health: eat organic, sleep 8 hours a day, drink lots of purified water, exercise regularly and spend time in nature regularly. We are exposed to an increasing amount of invisible toxins in our lives - from chemicals and heavy metals to electro-smog. We've become unwilling, and unwitting, guinea pigs in the biggest experiment of all time. Take notice before it’s too late for you and your family." Hayley spent many years in front of a computer and is now so electrically sensitive she cannot be around microwaves, air conditioners, cell phones, or airports without experiencing distressful cardiac and neurological symptoms. *pseudonym

Not only do EMFs impact your own health and that of your children and pets, but also the Earth as a whole, as our overuse of electricity contributes greatly to pollution from coal-fired electricity plants. Those who are wise will heed the warnings of the electrically sensitive and reduce the EMF radiation in their homes through good design and reduction of dependence on electric appliances. Below is an excellent start: an abbreviated list of construction and lifestyle tips based on a survey I took of those with severe electrical sensitivity.8

15 Ways to Reduce EMF Radiation in Your Home and Life Right Now

1. Rise with the sun and go to bed early to make maximum use of daylight and avoid using artificial lighting whenever possible.

2. Do things manually if there’s a way - don’t use electricity as a matter of convenience or to save time. For example, use a manual juicer, a "bike blender," or a broom/mop instead of a vacuum cleaner - all great ways to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle and stay fit, without needing a gym membership or having to leave your home!

3. Keep your immune system strengthened with a nutrient-rich organic diet, 8 hours of sleep, moderate exercise, and plenty of fresh air and sun.

4. Practice a chemical-free lifestyle to reduce your total body burden of toxins: replace all personal care and home-cleaning products with chemical free versions, wear organic clothing, use organic bedding, etc.

5. Wear shoes with a sole made from natural materials (like undyed leather), walk barefoot on the beach or earth, or hug a tree - these all may help you release excess EMFs into the earth and ground your body.

6. Unplug electrical appliances when not in use.

7. Keep your bedroom free of electrical appliances, especially near your head while you sleep - use a battery-operated alarm clock rather than electric; unplug lamps.

8. Remember that walls, floors, and ceilings do not block EMFs when arranging your furniture.

9. Replace dimmer switches with regular switches to eliminate high-frequency radiation, or "dirty electricity," that can be hidden in your home’s electrical wiring.

10. Avoid low-voltage halogen and fluorescent lighting (including the currently popular energy-efficient compact fluorescent lighting). Fluorescent lighting has been shown to cause migraines10 and contains mercury, which is a hazardous material that can create huge health and environmental problems.

11. Avoid the use of appliances with variable speed drives, such as fans, heaters, front-loading washing machines and some furnaces.

12. Avoid the use of microwave ovens, hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, electric blankets, heating pads, baby monitors, and other electric products.

13. Do not buy cordless DECT phones, which emit a constant electromagnetic signal even when not in use. Save cell phones for emergencies and use land lines whenever possible. Make sure cell phones are turned off when not in use, and avoid using them inside a car. When you do use cell phones, use appropriate air tubes and shielding devices: see RFSafe.com and LessEMF.com for available products. Keep cell phone chargers unplugged when not in use.

14. Use LCD computers and TV screens and avoid plasma TVs. Keep computer use to a minimum; keep unplugged when not in use.

15. Avoid areas with wireless networking (WiFi) - internet cafes, airports, etc.

sources: 8, 9

If you are currently buying or building your own home, make sure you choose a home at least 5 miles from the nearest microwave or cell phone tower, high tension power line, or other radio and TV transmitters. Check for future cell tower sites as well as existing ones. Design with as much natural lighting as possible so that you are less dependent on artificial lighting. For added protection against radio and cell phone waves, use low-e coatings on windows.8

Locate the electrical power panel, solar inverters (if you are using active solar), clothes dryer, hot water heater, and any other large electric appliance at least 20 feet from living/sleeping areas. The routing of any dedicated circuits for computer and other electronics should be kept away from critical areas like the bedroom. Provide a dedicated circuit for the refrigerator so that you can turn off other breakers at night if desired, except for the fridge.8

Good sources for EMF related products include LessEMF.com, RFSafe.com, and CutCat.com.


From: Natural News

Sunday, October 26, 2008

How Sugar Can Affect The pH Miracle Diet

How Sugar Can Affect The pH Miracle Diet

The pH diet stresses a balanced approach to eating. By limiting the intake of acidic foods and increasing the intake of alkaline foods one can achieve optimum health. One of the main factors in the fight against acidic pH levels is sugar. Sugar is an epidemic in our modern world. The average American consumes 2 to 3 pounds of sugar each week, that translates to over 135 pounds of sugar per person per year. This alarming number is attributed to the wide popularity of sugar as an additive. Sugar is in everything, hiding in various forms. Sucrose, dextrose, and high fructose corn syrups are active ingredient in all processed food and condiments. These highly refined sweeteners leave a bitter taste in the mouths of those who are starting out on the pH diet due to their universal acceptance as a “necessary evil’ With sugar’s radical effect on insulin levels, the body has no fighting chance against the damage. When insulin levels drop; so do the release of growth hormone. These growth hormones depress the immune system that leaves the body open to a host of diseases and maladies. Insulin also inhibits the body’s ability to fight off weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels. Put quite simply, the higher in simple sugars a food is, the more likely it will promote fat storage in the body. These stored fat cells play a host to acidic waste that in turn degrade the structure of red blood cells in the bloodstream. Sugar also fights for control of the cellular development in the body with Vitamin C. From a structural standpoint, Vitamin C and Simple Sugar are quite similar. As sugar levels go up in the body, they compete with one another when they enter cells. If there is a higher concentration of sugar in the bloodstream which will allow more sugar into thirsty cells leaving little to no room for Vitamin C. Without the phagocytizing effects of Vitamn C on cellular structures they are unable to fend off the attacks of viruses and bacteria. Lower white blood cell counts equal a suppressed immune system that isn’t strong enough to protect the body. Sugar is devoid of vitamins and minerals and upon absorption steals vital micro-nutrients to help it metabolize into the system. A deficit is created when these micro-nutrients are not replaced. This deficiency causes fat cells and cholesterol to not be metabolized thus leading to high blood pressure and obesity. The ability of sugar to raise insulin levels artificially eventually leaves the pancreas dysfunctional and the body dependent on sugar. This is commonly referred to as diabetes. Simple sugars have also been attributed to gallstones, mood disorders, heart disease and even asthma. With all of the negative effects that sugars have been clinically linked to, is it any wonder that sugar is also one of the most acidic things you can put into your body. Cancer is the most dangerous result of heavy sugar dependence. Cancerous cells thrive on lactic acid. This lactic acid produced by fermenting glucose is transported into the liver. A more acidic PH is produced by this buildup of lactic acid in the cancerous cells, the highly acidic nature of cancerous tumors is testament to this. The connection between sugars and unhealthy acidic levels in the bloodstream is clearly drawn through the connection of glucose (sugar) and cancerous cells. Simple sugars are quite simply a poison to the body that will eventually deteriorate the quality of cellular development and suppress the immune system to the point of failure. By balancing the diet with an 80% alkaline and 20% acid induction of foods, supplements, and beverages you can decrease the risk of disease in the body. By replacing simple sugars with more complex ones or alkaline-based sweeteners such as Stevia, one can decrease the dependence on simple sugars and avoid bad health. Look carefully at ingredient labels and be aware of the many names that simple sugars hide behind. Become educated on how the body metabolizes simple sugars, as well as how carbohydrates can be broken down into simple sugars in the bloodstream. By arming yourself with information you can improve the quality of your life.

Tags: Acidic Foods, Acidic Ph, Alarming Number, Alkaline Foods, Balanced Approach, Cellular Development, Cellular Structures, Corn Syrups, Fat Cells, Growth Hormones, High Fructose Corn, Insulin Levels, Optimum Health, Ph Levels, Ph Miracle Diet, Red Blood Cells, Simple Sugar, Simple Sugars, Structure Of Red Blood Cells, Universal Acceptance


From:

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Cell Phones and Brain Tumors

Cell Phones Cause Brain Tumors? RSS SMS Gadgets
Cell Phones Cause Brain Tumors
Wellbeing


Pregnancy


Child Nutrition


Disorders & Ailments


Science And Study
With the cell phone bans taking a speedy toll at every aspect of everyday lives, one wonders if at all are the cell phones all that bad?

An editorial by a neurosurgeon at Lake Forest Hospital has delved into the biggest scientific concerns of recent times- Do cell phones increase brain cancer risk? Pawl has called for major research initiatives to assess the possibility that using cellular phones may lead to an increased risk of brain tumours.

He has called for collaborative research initiatives to determine whether the link between cell phones and brain cancer is real. Since a long time, scientists are worried that ELF exposure may increase the risk of brain cancers. But, till date, research has shown no clear link between cell phone use and brain tumors.

AdsSpy: 65 sites by this AdSense ID

Some experts have suggested that apparent increases in the number of brain cancers might reflect the use of sophisticated imaging techniques like computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging."However, the fact that the incidence of gliomas, especially the more malignant varieties, is increasing warrants action on this issue," wrote Pawl.

long-term cell phone use is "more dangerous to health than smoking cigarettes.

According to Pawl, the main problem is that no other research groups have performed actual studies showing a clear relationship between brain tumours and ELF.

He has called on scientific societies to play a leading role in designing and conducting studies that will definitively determine the risks of brain cancer associated with ELF exposure, particularly from cell phones.

"It seems that a cooperative effort by both the scientific community and state governing bodies will be needed. Some spearhead is now necessary in view of the magnitude and seriousness of the situation," wrote Pawl.
Pawl''s editorial is published in the November issue of the journal Surgical Neurology. The editorial states that recent studies have raised concerns that long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields (ELF) from cell-phone handsets can increase the risk of brain cancers and other nervous system tumours.

Other studies by the same group suggested that the use of wireless handsets in cordless home phones posed the same risk. In fact, after reviewing the evidence, one author suggested that long-term cell phone use is "more dangerous to health than smoking cigarettes." Other recent commentators have raised similar concerns.
But, if the findings were true, there would have been instances of increased rates of brain cancers over the last two decades. Some studies have reported that this is the case, particularly for the most malignant brain cancers. However, other studies have found a stable tumour rate.

A Swedish research earlier this year, indicated an increased risk of brain cancers (gliomas) as well as acoustic nerve tumors (neuromas) in people using cell phones for ten years or longer. It said that tumours were more likely to develop on the same side as the cell phone was used.

With the ever-increasing use of cell phones, including widespread use by children and teenagers, the findings have become a great deal of concern. The damaging effects of ELF, if any, might be even greater in the developing brain.

With, at least the above research will give us a more logical reasons to control the usage of cellphones and fight its addiction.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Do Cell Phones Increase Brain Cancer Risk?

Do Cell Phones Increase Brain Cancer Risk?

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2008) — Major research initiatives are needed immediately to assess the possibility that using cellular phones may lead to an increased risk of brain tumors, according to an editorial in the November issue of the journal Surgical Neurology.
See also:
Health & Medicine

* Brain Tumor
* Cancer

Mind & Brain

* Brain Injury
* Intelligence

Computers & Math

* Mobile Computing
* Communications

Reference

* Mobile phone radiation and health
* Brain tumor
* Brain damage
* Metastasis

Recent studies have raised concerns that long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields (ELF) from cell-phone handsets can increase the risk of brain cancers and other nervous system tumors, according to the editorial by Dr. Ron Pawl, a neurosurgeon at Lake Forest Hospital, Lake Forest, Ill. He calls for collaborative research initiatives to determine whether the link between cell phones and brain cancer is real.

Scientists have long been concerned over the possibility that ELF exposure may increase the risk of brain cancers. Until recently, however, research has shown no clear link between cell phone use and brain tumors.

Earlier this year, a Swedish research group published an epidemiologic study suggesting an increased risk of brain cancers (gliomas) as well as acoustic nerve tumors (neuromas) in people using cell phones for ten years or longer. Tumors were more likely to develop on the same side as the cell phone was used. Other studies by the same group suggested that the use of wireless handsets in cordless home phones posed the same risk.

After reviewing the evidence, one author even suggested that long-term cell phone use is "more dangerous to health than smoking cigarettes." Other recent commentators have raised similar concerns.

The findings are alarming in light of the exponential growth of cell phones—now including widespread use by children and teenagers. The damaging effects of ELF, if any, might be even greater in the developing brain.

If the link is real, then rates of brain cancers should have increased over the last two decades. Some studies have reported that this is the case, particularly for the most malignant brain cancers. However, other studies have found a stable tumor rate.

Some commentators have suggested that apparent increases in the number of brain cancers might reflect the use of sophisticated imaging techniques like computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. "However, the fact that the incidence of gliomas, especially the more malignant varieties, is increasing […] warrants action on this issue," Dr. Pawl writes.

The problem, according to Dr. Pawl, is that no other research groups have performed actual studies showing a clear relationship between brain tumors and ELF. He calls on scientific societies to play a leading role in designing and conducting studies that will definitively determine the risks of brain cancer associated with ELF exposure, particularly from cell phones. "It seems that a cooperative effort by both the scientific community and state governing bodies will be needed," writes Dr. Pawl. "Some spearhead is now necessary in view of the magnitude and seriousness of the situation."


From Science Daily

Monday, October 20, 2008

Calls for More Research into Mobile Phone - Brain Cancer Links

Calls for More Research into Mobile Phone - Brain Cancer Links

­Major research initiatives are needed immediately to assess the possibility that using cellular phones may lead to an increased risk of brain tumors, according to an editorial in the November issue of the journal Surgical Neurology.



Recent studies have raised concerns that long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields (ELF) from mobile phones can increase the risk of brain cancers and other nervous system tumors, according to the editorial by Dr. Ron Pawl, a neurosurgeon at Lake Forest Hospital, USA. He calls for collaborative research initiatives to determine whether the link between cell phones and brain cancer is real.

Scientists have long been concerned over the possibility that ELF exposure may increase the risk of brain cancers. Until recently, however, research has shown no clear link between cell phone use and brain tumors.

Earlier this year, a Swedish research group published an epidemiologic study suggesting an increased risk of brain cancers (gliomas) as well as acoustic nerve tumors (neuromas) in people using cell phones for ten years or longer. Tumors were more likely to develop on the same side as the cell phone was used. Other studies by the same group suggested that the use of wireless handsets in cordless home phones posed the same risk.

After reviewing the evidence, one author even suggested that long-term cell phone use is "more dangerous to health than smoking cigarettes." Other recent commentators have raised similar concerns.

The findings are alarming in light of the exponential growth of cell phones—now including widespread use by children and teenagers. The damaging effects of ELF, if any, might be even greater in the developing brain.

If the link is real, then rates of brain cancers should have increased over the last two decades. Some studies have reported that this is the case, particularly for the most malignant brain cancers. However, other studies have found a stable tumor rate.

Some commentators have suggested that apparent increases in the number of brain cancers might reflect the use of sophisticated imaging techniques like computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. "However, the fact that the incidence of gliomas, especially the more malignant varieties, is increasing […] warrants action on this issue," Dr. Pawl writes.

The problem, according to Dr. Pawl, is that no other research groups have performed actual studies showing a clear relationship between brain tumors and ELF. He calls on scientific societies to play a leading role in designing and conducting studies that will definitively determine the risks of brain cancer associated with ELF exposure, particularly from cell phones. "It seems that a cooperative effort by both the scientific community and state governing bodies will be needed," writes Dr. Pawl. "Some spearhead is now necessary in view of the magnitude and seriousness of the situation."

On the web: Surgical Neurology

Posted to the site on 20th October 2008



Sunday, October 19, 2008

Natural Gas for Cars

Green Articles
Alternative cars leave gasoline in the past

06:30 PM CDT on Friday, October 17, 2008

KVUE News

Austin is hosting an unusual car show this weekend. The Alternative Car Expo showcases alternatives to traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. The vehicles on display could change the way America fuels up.
Video
KVUE's Clara Tuma reports
10/17/2008
More Project Green video
View larger
E-mail Clip
More Video


They're not exactly "Jetson" quality, but the vehicles on display at the Palmer Events Center were once considered just as futuristic as space cars.

An electric motorcycle with top speeds of 75 miles an hour, vehicles running on vegetable oil and biodiesel, a Honda Civic that runs on natural gas -- many of the vehicles at the expo are already out on the road.

Teri Green's been driving her natural-gas powered Honda for a year. She can fill it with natural gas from her home for about $1.25 a gallon.

"I average around 30 in the city and around 40 on the highway," Green said. "It has to be stored in a cylinder, carbon-wrapped steel cylinder. It's stored right here."

This is the first time the Alternative Car Expo and Conference has been held outside of California.

"I think it's really good for the public to get a chance to see it and get familiar with what's available, what's coming up, how far are we from these automobiles coming to market," said Bryan Larue.
Also Online

Find the lowest gas prices in Austin

KVUE's Project Green

Visitors can test-drive some vehicles, including ones powered by electricity or natural gas.

I like it," said Ron Zagarri. "It's so much like any other car you don't really notice a difference in driving because it's a standard internal combustion engine."

Inside the center, visitors also can inspect an electric Porsche, a propane-powered truck and a hybrid bus -- all designed to move the country into the future, leaving gasoline largely a part of the past.

The conference continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Palmer Events Center. It is free, but parking costs $7.

From: Green Project

I think this is a very smart thing to start changing to. It may be expensive now but it'll be much better and more sustainable on the long run.

Cell Phones and bees

cell phones
Cell Phones May be Wiping out Bees and Affecting Health of Humans
Friday, October 17, 2008 by: Sheryl Walters (see all articles by this author)

* EPA Passes Strict New Regulations on Lead Emissions
* Daily Aspirin Useless in Preventing Heart Attacks in Diabetics
* Parents Rally Against Vaccination Mandate in New Jersey
* Bottled Water Found Contaminated with Medications, Fertilizer, Disinfection Chemicals

See all Breaking News...

Get Our FREE Email Newsletter
Receive natural health product reviews, recommendations and alerts.
Instant download of 20+ free health reports and exclusive interviews.
Join over 1.2 million monthly readers.



Unsubscribe anytime, email privacy guaranteed


Products Related to This Article*
• The Weiss Method for Heart Disease☯
How to reverse heart disease naturally
for heart disease, high cholesterol

• Peri-Gum
Anti-cancer, anti-gingivitis herbal mouth
for oral health without chemicals

• BioAstin Natural Astaxanthin
Natural astaxanthin concentrate
for arthritis, joint pain, skin protection

* Recommended by the Health Ranger.
See more recommendations on right →


Articles Related to This Article:
• Driving with a cell phone is a lot less dangerous than driving on prescription drugs

• Mobile phones boost brain tumor risk by up to 270 percent on side of brain where phone is held

• NY lawmaker wants to ban use of cell phones and iPods in crosswalks
(NaturalNews) Bee colonies are disappearing in worrying numbers across the globe. Beekeepers in America, the UK, Scotland, Germany Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and Greece are all seeing their hives vanish in worrying numbers.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is when a hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers. Usually there is an obvious reason for the collapse, such as sickness or a predator attack. However, in this current epidemic, there doesn't seem to be a straight forward answer.

Furthermore, many of the beekeepers also reported that other bees, animals and moths stayed away from the abandoned nests, which is not what normally happens. This may indicate a very serious problem.

Bees are arguably one of the most essential insects on the human food chain. Most of the world's crops depend on pollination by bees. They are the main pollinator of hundreds of types of crops, nuts, flowers, vegetables and fruits. The implication of this widespread disappearance is alarming.

Albert Einstein once said that if the bees disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left".

Possible Reasons for the Dying Bee Populations

There is no conclusive reason that this is happening. Theories include genetically modified foods, pesticides, stress and global warming.

But one of the most popular theories is that electromagnetic radiation given off by cell phones and other hi-tech gadgets is causing this worrying phenomenon. The theory is that radiation interferes with bees' navigation systems, preventing them from finding their way back to the hive, which is a hallmark trait of bees.

And there is actual evidence to back this up. German research has long shown that bees change their natural patterns of behavior near power lines.

In addition, a study at Landau University has found that bees do not go back to their hives when cell phones are placed nearby. Dr Jochen Kuhn, who carried it out, said this could provide a "hint" to a possible cause.

Cell Phones and Humans

So if mobile phones are causing bees to disappear, what are they doing to our health?
While proof is not absolutely conclusive, there is mounting evidence that cell phones are dangerous to people.

Most research on cancer is still too early to set in stone. But an official Finnish study found that people who used the phones for more than 10 years were 40 per cent more likely to get a brain tumor on the same side as they held the handset.

Swedish research has shown that radiation from cell phones kill off brain cells. This is incredibly worrying, and may be one of the many reasons that dementia is on the rise. Furthermore, we have no idea what will be the fate of all the young people today who are the first generation to have their own cell phones and use them regularly.

Most experts warn that children under eight should not use cells under any circumstances.
Studies in India and the US have shown that men who use cell phones very regularly have reduced sperm counts.

Last but not least, there is actually a new syndrome that is increasingly being seen by doctors which is a sort of texting Repetitive Strain Disorder (RSI) of the thumb.

What Can We Do?

Even if we choose to not have a cell phone ourselves, the cell masts are all around us causing us stress. But choosing to use the land line as much as possible and ensuring that children don't use them is a good start.

Eating a diet that is seriously high in antioxidants is another huge stride in warding off the affects of cell phones. They are what protect us against cellular damage from all environmental toxins. Raw cacao, pomegranates, blueberries, and broccoli sprouts are some of the most antioxidant rich foods.
Having plenty of plants around is said to soak up radiation in houses.

There are a number of devices out there to that have been said to protect against electromagnetic radiation. These may come in the form of necklaces you can wear and gadgets you stick on your phone. Most of them are not scientifically proven, but many people claim they feel much better when wearing them.


Saturday, October 18, 2008

Health Truth May Take Up to a Century to be Accepted

Turning your health care completely over to someone else is insane. We have to take responsibility for our lives and our health. I've found the site this is taken from -- mercola.com -- to offer sane, reasonable alternatives, and I commend it to your consideration.

"In 1878, 86 years before the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report confirming the dangers of smoking tobacco, a letter from English physician Charles R. Drysdale condemning its use appeared in The Times of London.

Drysdale had been on an anti-smoking crusade since at least 1864, the year he published a study documenting the effects of tobacco on young men. That study reported cases of jaundice, and at least one subject having "most distressing palpitations of the heart."

Drysdale wrote a book pinpointing nicotine as having ill effects on the lungs, circulation system, and even the skin. He also warned against exposure to second-hand smoke. But despite Drysdale's warnings, little was done to curb smoking anywhere in the world until 1957, when then-Surgeon General Leroy Burney reported a causal link between smoking and lung cancer.

Burney's successor, Luther Terry, commissioned a special committee that produced Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General. Released in 1964, this report began a massive change in people's attitudes toward smoking -- and to think it only took 86 years.

Sources: a.. Wired September 25, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Frankly, this kind of willful ignorance on the part of the medical establishment is not particularly surprising. Some of medicine's most glaring mistakes and deliberately ignored problems include:

. Bloodletting as a cure-all
. Promotion of cocaine, heroin, and other narcotics
. Lobotomy
. Thalidomide, a morning sickness drug called the "drug of
choice to help pregnant women," which caused severe birth defects
. DES, synthetic estrogen promoted to prevent miscarriages,
which caused reproductive problems in the women's children
. HRT: The menopause "cure"
. H. pylori, which is the true cause of ulcers
. The Vioxx disaster that killed 60,000
. Disregarding Dr. Semmelweis and his hand-washing
recommendation

The last example is instructive. In 1846, a young Austrian-Hungarian doctor named Igaz Semmelweis investigated a notorious maternity ward in which nearly all of the inpatients contracted a fatal case of "childbed fever." What he noticed was that women who came into the ward after giving birth were not likely to become ill.

When a professor who cut his finger in the middle of an autopsy died of symptoms identical to those of the unfortunate mothers, Semmelweis reasoned that the students doing the autopsies were somehow transferring the fever to the women in the maternity ward. Semmelweis began making his students disinfect their hands before delivering babies, and the number of childbed fever cases dropped.

Of course, no good deed goes unpunished. Semmelweis was labeled "insane" by his colleagues for having the audacity to suggest that they should wash their hands between deliveries, and they fired him. He tried to continue his research but was ostracized by the medical community. His own mental health eventually deteriorated, leading to his death in an insane asylum.

Are There Glaring Medical Errors Being Ignored Right Now?

The closest modern-day analogy for a number of reasons is clearly the cell phone. They both were initially thought to be harmless and the industry strongly defended them. Similarly it took many years for their damage to be recognized in the population.

Evidence is emerging that radiation from cell phones, cell phone towers and other wireless technologies is a real health risk. Health officials in France, Germany, Canada and India have already issued recommendations to limit your exposure to these electromagnetic fields and have children and teens limit their use of cell phones to avoid potential health risks. Some experts are even comparing the cell phone fiasco to cigarettes.

"It was 15, 20 years after people began smoking that we saw concerns associated with it," says Michael Kelsh, principle scientist and epidemiologist for Exponent, a scientific consulting firm. "Down the road, the same could happen with phones."

Here in the United States, however, cell phones have been given the all-clear, and they are growing more popular by the minute.

Our culture is engaging in a massive human experiment with cell phones. Over 75% of the cell phones in the world today have only been here for less than three years. It will take 10-20 years for a large portion of the harm to become obvious.

Are you willing to risk the relative inconvenience of using your cell phone's speaker or using a safe headset to drastically increasing your risk of cancer?

Deaths By Prescription Drugs

Americans spend an average of $7,600 per person, per year on health care, for a grand total of $2.3 trillion in 2007. This is more money spent than any other country. You would think that this would secure a healthy future for most of us, no?

Well, not really.

The U.S. ranks 42nd in the world for life expectancy and 37th for infant mortality. These low scores are, in large part, directly related to the flawed medical system that allowed cigarettes to be widely promoted despite known health risks, the same medical system that still exists today.

One-third of adults with health problems reported mistakes in their care in 2007, and rates of visits to physicians or emergency departments for adverse drug effects increased by one-third between 2001 and 2004.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that drug overdoses killed 33,000 people in 2005 -- second only to car accidents in the category of accidental deaths -- up from 20,000 in 1999, and 10,000 in 1990. Contrary to popular belief, this major increase in drug overdoses is not due to a heroin or crack epidemic.

These deaths are largely due to prescription drugs.

Meanwhile, all too often health truths are uncovered only to be quickly swept under the rug. This is not just something that happened 50 years ago. It is still going on right now.

For instance, Merck, the maker of the painkiller Vioxx that killed 139,000 people, ignored research that reflected unfavorably on their drug, and they concealed heart attacks suffered by three patients during a clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2000. They also deleted other relevant data before submitting their article for publication. This was discovered during the preparations for Vioxx trial depositions when the printed copy of the study did not match the original version stored on a disk!

Consider also chemotherapy, the standard treatment for cancer. How effective is chemotherapy?

A study published in the journal Clinical Oncology in December 2004 showed that chemotherapy has an average 5-year survival success rate of just over 2 percent for all cancers! The researchers concluded that chemotherapy only makes a minor contribution to cancer survival, yet it remains the status quo for cancer treatment.

Meanwhile, other cancer treatments that have none of the dangerous side effects of chemotherapy and which have shown much greater effectiveness -- treatments like Dr. Geerd Hamer's German New Medicine and Dr. Simoncini's baking soda treatments -- are being completely ignored and even ostracized by "modern medicine."

Listen to Your Instincts and Look Out for Your Own Health

So if you're counting on the medical profession or a public health agency to protect you from what's harmful, you could wait yourself right into the grave.

As history has shown, doctors can be wrong. Well-accepted health "truths" can be wrong. And ideas that have seemed completely crazy have later on turned out to be true.

So how can you know who to believe?

You can't.

And that's why it is unwise to blindly trust any information you receive related to your health, even me, but be particularly careful if it came from the flawed system known as conventional medicine. Please take this not as a warning but as an empowerment: take all medical advice with a grain of salt, and always do research on your own to confirm or refute the recommendations."


From: Wittenberg

Friday, October 17, 2008

Melanine in Alabama

Melamine Tainted Cookies Found in Alabama
Discovery comes over two weeks after same cookies was found contaminated in Canada; FDA does not issue national advisory
By Genevieve Long
Epoch Times Staff Oct 16, 2008
Share: Facebook icon Facebook Digg icon Digg del.icio.us icon del.icio.us StumbleUpon icon StumbleUpon
Print
Related articles: China > Regime

Lotte USA
Lotte USA's 'Koala's March' cookies. (Wikimedia Commons)
Tainted Products from China

The list products and ingredients from China poisoned with melamine keeps growing. On Wednesday, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries began to warn consumers about melamine contamination in “Koala’s March” crème filled cookies. The cookies, manufactured in China, are distributed by Lotte USA.

The discovery, made by Alabama’s Pesticide Residue Laboratory, found melamine in strawberry and chocolate flavored Koala’s March cookies. The products are still available for sale on the Internet through such major suppliers as Amazon.com and on the shelves in states outside of Alabama.

The state is advising its residents to throw away the products and not eat them, and has warned that other flavors which have not been tested yet might still be on the market. According to the state of Alabama, the company that distributes the cookies, Lotte USA, has been withdrawing all flavors of the cookies from the market. However, a full recall has not been issued yet.

The Food and Drug Administration [FDA] has not issued a warning or advisory for the cookies or any products by the distributor.

The discovery of melamine tainted Koala’s March cookies in the U.S. comes more than two weeks after the same discovery was made by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Oct. 1. Canada issued an alert about eight different sizes and flavors of the brand’s cookies.

At the time of publication, Lotte USA’s website was down. According to Tom Orr, Human Resource Administrative Specialist with Lotte USA, “We have no comment at this time.”

As the products are still available on the Internet and the distributor is not providing information, Alabama has been proactive in an effort to protect consumers.

“We’re making sure we’re getting them [contaminated products] off the shelves,” said Ron Sparks, Alabama’s Agriculture and Industries Commissioner. “We’ve been really aggressive since we had the milk problem a few weeks ago. We began testing other products.”

The state, which has about 16 inspectors in the field, has done about 100 tests in the past few weeks. State governments regularly work with the FDA in testing and removing food that could be contaminated or dangerous.

But Sparks says red flags about products from China have been raised numerous times in the past.

“We’ve had a red flag here ever since we started looking at the Chinese seafood,” said Sparks, who adds that the state level testing for problems and removing products found to have problems is the best way for them to protect consumers. “The only recourse we have is to test with our labs. We don’t have the ability to negotiate trade agreements, so we try to do the best we can.”

Products from China have been at the center of major product recalls and safety alerts in the past year. Concerns over melamine were first brought to the fore when contaminated milk in China began to sicken and kill babies. On Sept. 12, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory concerning the public that despite extreme cases in China, there were no known cases of contaminated infant formula in the U.S. Since then, the Agency has issued advisories for at least 11 products with melamine contamination that are distributed in the U.S.

“I’ve always thought China was a problem,” said Starks. “We’ve had problems with fish, cookies, dog food, toys, toothpaste.” Starks adds that he thinks government needs to do everything it can to protect consumers, as they have no way to test for melamine themselves.

“They depend on us,” said Starks. “That’s the one thing they depend on government for, to make sure their food is safe.”

Alabama has communicated their lab test results to the FDA, which has not yet issued any advisory or warning to consumers. Alabama is using various means to protect residents, including making phone calls to get the cookies off of websites where they are for sale.

Melamine was added to infant formula and other products containing milk protein in China, and was the culprit in massive pet food recalls just last year. The chemical is used in plastics manufacturing and as an illegal additive in foods to simulate protein.

From:

Ah... when will this end?

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Bottled Water- also unsafe?

Bottled water has contaminants too, study finds

By JEFF DONN, AP National Writer Wed Oct 15, 12:17 AM ET

Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants often found in tap water, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.
ADVERTISEMENT

The findings challenge the popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers say.

However, all the brands met federal health standards for drinking water. Two violated a California state standard, the study said.

An industry group branded the findings "alarmist." Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association, said the study is based on the faulty premise that a contaminant is a health concern "even if it does not exceed the established regulatory limit or no standard has been set."

The study's lab tests on 10 brands of bottled water detected 38 chemicals including bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium. Though some probably came from tap water that some companies use for their bottled water, other contaminants probably leached from plastic bottles, the researchers said.

"In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better," said Jane Houlihan, an environmental engineer who co-authored the study.

The two-year study was done by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, an organization founded by scientists that advocates stricter regulation. It found the contaminants in bottled water purchased in nine states and Washington, D.C.

Researchers tested one batch for each of 10 brands. Eight did not have contaminants high enough to warrant further testing. But two brands did, so more tests were done and those revealed chlorine byproducts above California's standard, the group reported. The researchers identified those two brands as Sam's Choice sold by Wal-Mart and Acadia of Giant Food supermarkets.

In the Wal-Mart and Giant Food bottled water, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes, was over 35 parts per billion. California's limit is 10 parts per billion or less, and the industry's International Bottled Water Association makes 10 its voluntary guideline. The federal limit is 80.

Wal-Mart said its own studies did not turn up illegal levels of contaminants. Giant Food officials released a statement asserting that Acadia meets all regulatory standards. Acadia is sold in the mid-Atlantic states, so it isn't held to California's standard. In most places, bottled water must meet roughly the same federal standards as tap water.

The researchers also said the Wal-Mart brand was five times California's limit for one particular chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane. The environmental group wants Wal-Mart to label its bottles in California with a warning because the chlorine-based contaminants have been linked with cancer. It has filed a notice of intent to sue.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Shannon Frederick said the company was "puzzled" by the findings because testing by suppliers and another lab had detected no "reportable amounts" of such contaminants. She said Wal-Mart would investigate further but defended the quality of its bottled water.

The researchers recommend that people worried about water contaminants drink tap water with a carbon filter.

___

On the Net:

Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org

* Email Story
* IM Story
* Printable View
*
Yahoo! Buzz

RECOMMEND THIS STORY

Recommend It:

Average (1626 votes)
4.6 stars
» Recommended Stories

Science News
* Brain signals revive paralyzed muscles in monkeys AP
* Scientists view both Obama, McCain as supportive AP
* California releases plan to cut greenhouse gases AP
* NASA to start long distance repairs on Hubble AP
* Americans Flunk Simple 3-Question Political Survey LiveScience.com

Most Viewed - Science
* Americans Flunk Simple 3-Question Political Survey LiveScience.com
* "Walking fish" reveals fresh evolutionary insights Reuters
* Kansas Gym Ghost Mystery Solved LiveScience.com
* NASA to start long distance repairs on Hubble AP
* Giant Cyclones Seen on Saturn SPACE.com

Science Video

* Retired Research Chimps ABC News - Wed Oct 15, 9:31 PM ET
* Big spiders making home in UK BBC - Wed Oct 15, 8:02 AM ET

* New 'aliens' threaten UK crabs BBC - Wed Oct 15, 7:56 AM ET
* Fly Like an Eagle ABC News - Mon Oct 13, 10:31 AM ET

Sponsored Links

( What's this? )

* Better than Bottled Water, 1/10 the Cost
Water Purifiers & Re-usable Bottles, Better for you and our planet.
www.aquasana.com/bottledwater
* American Plastics Tech. Inc./RAO Design
Custom water bottle - decades of experience in custom plastics and packaging work. Molds, blow molding and blow-fill-seal machines. Very competitive in quality, prices and delivery time.
www.raodesign.com
* Lighted Wine Bottles
Unique One-of-a-Kind Creations. Hand-Painted Bottles & More.
www.thepaintedbottle.com

Sweden's second city Gothenburg has decided to stop buying bottled water due to environmental concerns and will only provide civil servants with tap water, a city councillor said Thursday.(AFP/File/Teh Eng Koon)


From: Yahoo News


This is quite depressing news. :(

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Why Cancer Occurs

Cancer: Causes and Effects
October 12th, 2008 by admin

Cancer has ravaged our western societies for many decades but there was a time not that long ago when cancer was not a part of our lexicon. Cancer is a man made disease caused by the introduction of toxic carcinogens, chemicals, pesticides, food preservatives and a host of additives.

Carcinogens attack the human cells attaching themselves to DNA and either altering cellular metabolism or the damaging the DMA directly. Normal DNA that is damaged and cannot repair itself leads to ‘programmed cell death’ a process called Biotransformation in which the damaged cells harmlessly become water soluble and are flushed from our body. Sometimes damaged DNA in a cell has no pathway and the cell has no choice but to become cancerous. Cancer tumors are formed when normal biological processes are hindered and the normally aggressive immune system is weak or has been weakened.

Some common carcinogens are tobacco smoke, asbestos (when inhaled), dioxins, radioactive material such as gamma rays, alpha particles (when ingested or inhaled) and x-rays which are highly carcinogenic due their retention in human organs. Also there are many natural carcinogens one being Aflatoxin B. which grows on stored nuts and grains. Another potent carcinogen is formaldehyde, which is used, in embalming and plastic making. In PCV manufacturing vinyl chloride is used which is a strong carcinogen.

Carcinogens are also produced by cooking foods at a very high temperature or by cooking meats until their well done. Some researchers say that the carcinogens present are so minute that they present no health threat. Others especially those in the natural health community say carcinogens in over cooked food do present a significant health threat and do add to cancer growing cells over a period of time.

The human body has a remarkable disposition to ward off disease through our built in immune system but a weakened immune system allows deadly carcinogens to get a foot hold in our cells enabling DNA damage. Acrylamide, a known carcinogen is created in frying or overheating foods such as potato chips, french fries and any other fried foods.

Smoking cigarettes and cigars may cause irreversible damage to human genes. There are over 4,000 chemical compounds, which are toxic to the human body and are carcinogenic. With all the education readily available on how deadly tobacco smoke is one would think smoking related diseases would be eradicated but that is not the case. Smoking still is a serious health problem.

With the advent of processed foods came innumerable additives that are foreign to the human body. Additives that add color or taste to a food and preservatives that unnaturally extend shelf life of processed foods. All man made additives are unnatural and may conflict with natural bodily functions. I won’t bore you with long scientific names, which can easily be found, on any processed food ingredient list. Suffice it to say all processed foods lend it to diminish. health.

Our water supply has been tragically compromised with the addition of chemicals added to the water in the name public health. Chlorine in massive amounts has been added to most public water supplies to kill off harmful germs when ironically it is the chlorine that is adding a foreign chemical in to millions of trusting people. Remember anything that is not natural in origin becomes a potentially dangerous ingredient in the ‘all-natural human body’. The human body reacts positively to natural wholesome foods and natural supplements and negatively to man made stuff that do not have natural ingredients in them.

In addition to harmful and potentially cancer causing preservatives added to food, pesticides and herbicides are liberally used to kill and deter insects and disease in our produce industry. These chemicals are poinsious to human consumption and studies support an increased cancer risk when consumed. As previously stated, any foreign entity introduced into the human body may potentially be harmful and increase cancer risk.

With that in mind one must place pharmaceutical drugs in the category of foreign material. Pharmaceutical drugs are used like eating candy in a brainwashed society. Every pill taken offers a challenge to our immune system and our naturally created normal bodily functions. Pharmaceutical drugs for the most part are a concoction of man made material created to mask the symptoms of a disease, to temporarily eliviate a medical problem. The pill inevitably is time stamped to ‘work’ or be effective for a period of time thus the masking effect wears off and you need to take another pill.

Our brave new world with boundless good intentions has opened up a Pandora’s box of genetic mutants that have cancer-causing implications. We are self-inflicting ourselves with poisons that immeasurably produce a hostile environment for our wondrously created immune system. Cancer in my opinion is a man made creation and could be eliminated if we all insisted, no demanded, that only all natural ingredients be added to our food, water, products, and medicine. Individually you can create your own ‘Cancer Free Zone’ by living ‘all natural’ and allowing your body to function as it was intended; “Free and Clean of Foreign Poisons”.



From:

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Cell Phone Towers, No Risks?

Experts: Cell towers don't pose health risks
JARED PABEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
Add to My Yahoo! email this story to a friend E-Mail print story Print
Text Size:
tool name
close
tool goes here

BELLINGHAM - Some Columbia neighborhood residents are concerned about the health risks of a proposed 100-foot cell phone tower, which would go in close to houses near Kulshan and North streets.

There's no conclusive evidence about the health impacts of the towers and whether they cause cancer, but the American Cancer Society thinks they probably don't.

"Cellular phone towers, like cellular phones themselves, are a relatively new technology, and we do not yet have full information on health effects," according to the society. "There are some theoretical reasons why cellular phone towers would not be expected to increase cancer risk, and animal studies of (radiofrequencies) have not suggested a risk of cancer."

*
related story Bellingham residents up in arms again over proposed cell tower

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wrote that radiofrequency exposure is much less on the ground than if you were near the tower at the height of the antenna. "In fact, ground-level exposure from such antennas is typically thousands of times less than the exposure levels recommended as safe by expert organizations," it wrote. "So exposure to nearby residents would be well within safety margins."

For more information, go to www.cancer.org. From there, click on "Environmental & Occupational Cancer Risk," then "Radiation" and "Cellular Phone Towers." The article has links to other sources of information.

Cell Phone Tower Risks

It is hard to tell who these "experts" are and what company they actually represent sometimes.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Practice Online Social Networking Safely

Practice Online Social Networking Safely

By Brian Dykstra
Special to Law.com
October 13, 2008

The value of networking for lawyers cannot be overstated. As a marketing tool, networking can be a law firm’s best advertisement for legal services. The message is carried by the actual service providers who have a stake in its delivery. All the same can be true of online social networking, but the online medium can harbor hidden dangers for lawyers that were highlighted at Black Hat 2008.

Many of the best presentations of Black Hat 2008 didn’t involve examples of new hacking exploits, but instead covered more subtle examples of how personal information and trust could be exploited. The presentation “Satan Is On My Friends List: Attacking Social Networks” by Nathan Hamiel (Idea Information Security) and Shawn Moyer (FishNet Security) provided a harrowing, yet entertaining, look at a number of ways that social networking sites and their users can be exploited.

For those of you that have avoided these sites on the Internet, or don’t have teenage children, social networking sites or social networking services (some are for-pay services) are Web sites that allow people with a common interest to form an “online community.” Typically this entails allowing users to easily create their own Web pages on the larger social networking site’s Web server where they can post digital media such as pictures, video and music. The social aspect of these sites comes in when other like-minded individuals can post comments to user’s pages, send e-mails, participate in online chats and generally be social. Some of the best known of these social networking sites include MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Orkut, Friendster and Cyworld. Most of these social networking sites allow users to search for and connect with other users that share similar interests and become their “virtual friend.” The virtual friend is then added to a “friends list” that can help him or her connect with others again, furthering the extent of This extends the social network by connecting more and more users to each other.

While many social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook are free to users, many other social networking and dating sites (just another form of social networking) such as Classmates.com, E-Harmony.com, Match.com and others charge for their services. In many cases the individual user is the publisher of his or her own content on the social networking space. However, in the past few years, social networking has gone professional. Musicians, actors and movie producers all have found ways to use social networking to promote themselves and their services. Corporate human resources departments use social network sites to post job listings as well as to check the “online persona” of potential hires. There are also a number of well-intentioned social sites such as PatientsLikeMe, SoberCircle, SixDegrees.org and the Network for Good, which use the power of social networks to connect people with health and charity interests. One of the largest corporate social networks is the professional networking site LinkedIn, which boasts over 25 million users in 150 industries. If you aren’t already involved in social networking chances are someone sitting next to you is.

As with all things that draw the attention of millions of Internet users and advertising dollars, hackers, spammers and other criminals aren’t far behind. In their Black Hat presentation, Hamiel and Moyer (Internet security “good guys”) outlined a series of attacks based upon what they called “featureabilities.” Featurebilites are insecure features in the architecture of social networking sites that are necessary for the user to get the media rich experience and interaction that they expect from social networks. The security weaknesses of these featureabilites have been well understood by both the computer security and hacking communities for a number of years. Examples of some of these dangerous featurabilities include:

Cross-Site Request Forgery : This attack works by exploiting the trust that a Web site has from a specific user. Web sites commonly perform tasks linked to specific URLs (Example: buying 1,000 shares of Amazon.com stock the URL might look like http://investment.com/stocks?buy=1000&symbol=AMZN that allow specific user-requested actions to be performed. If a legitimate user is logged into a social networking site, and a hacker tricks that person’s browser into making a request to a task URL, then the task is performed and logged by the legitimate user without his/her knowledge. Typically a hacker performs this attack by embedding malicious HTML or JavaScript code into an e-mail, forum posting or Web site link to request that a specific task be performed without the legitimate user’s knowledge. In their Black Hat example, Hamiel and Shawn used a very funny demonstration involving Alice Cooper, Bob Sagat and Eva Longoria to show how they could use CSRF in an image embedded in an e-mail to force their way onto a user’s MySpace Friends List without permission.

Cross-Site Scripting(XSS): This type of attack is commonly used by hackers to get an unsuspecting user’s Web browser to run malicious HTML or JavaScript code unknowingly. There are several different methods of XSS but in general they target a vulnerability in Web applications which exploits the automatic execution of scripts by a user’s Web browser. In social networking, a hacker normally attacks a user by embedding a XSS link in an e-mail or by using a stored XSS on a Web page.

Custom Social Net Apps: This last type of attack goes straight to one of the core problems in social network: lack of verification. As in many software applications that we commonly download and run from the Internet, there are thousands of plug-and-play applications that users can run on social networking sites. The social networking sites themselves don’t verify or validate user-provided applications and take no responsibility for any damage. In a worst-case scenario a user could unwittingly download and use a plug-and-play social networking application on their site that maliciously attacks visitors to their social site.

When asked what the single biggest threat facing social networking users is, most security professionals actually seem to agree that lack of verification is No.1. “The lack of an ability to verify anyone’s identity on socialnet sites is the biggest problem,” said Hamiel. He went on to say, “Someone could create a fake corporate “socialnet” complete with fake employees to draw unsuspecting social users in and put out whatever negative information they wanted with no verification”. As a demonstration of this capability Hamiel and Moyer created a fake LinkedIn account for computer security luminary Marcus J. Ranum.

With Ranum’s permission for the project, the pair spent about three hours collecting up press releases, bios and articles from Marcus to provide all the necessary background materials to establish what was dubbed “The Marcus Experiment.” With their fake Marcus Ranum LinkedIn social network site established, the duo identified likely dupes for their experiment by searching Google computer security professionals heavily involved in social networking and linking to their social networks. “In socialnets, friends are currency.” says Moyer. “By linking to these other security professionals we established legitimacy for our fake Marcus.”

In a period of less than 24 hours, the pair was able to establish connections to 50-plus chief security officers, corporate executives, certified information system security professionals. federal employees and Information Systems Security Association members. “We went into this knowing that there is a default trust culture in social networks with little verification, even among security professionals,” said Hamiel commenting about the success and scary outcome of the experiment.

“Socialnet abuse is not really a problem of identity theft,” says Hamiel “But social engineering of individuals can be very targeted through social networking.” Rohyt Belani of Intrepidus Security Group and spear phishing awareness training site PhishMe.com, explained that “For spear phishers, social networking sites are the best source of information about their targets. Social networking sites allow a phisher to craft legitimate looking e-mails discussing relevant subjects to target victims with.” Belani also said they had recently observed a lot of “major issues” with individuals providing in-depth, overly private personal information on publicly accessible resumes and job posting sites. “Many resume gathering and job posting sites function very much like social networking sites. Phishers visit them to gather information they can use against unsuspecting users,” said Belani.

Being consummate security professionals, Hamiel and Moyer provided a list of things that social network sites could do to improve security for their users:

• remove links to external content;

• drastically reduce the functionality of plug-in Application Programming Interfaces;

• look for ways that hackers might attack users (threat model the social networking site);

• establish a default “no trust” security model;

• establish a user account lifetime counter to identify recently created fake accounts;

• require a separate e-mail verification for corporate social networks; and

• encourage users to create their own online profiles before someone creates one for them.

If you are solicited by an individual that you may or may not know to join their social network, one of the simplest security precautions you can take is to pick up the phone and verify the invitation. For those of you involved in or considering becoming involved in a social networking site, before you post personal information online ask yourself this question: “If someone I didn’t know called me on the phone and asked me for all this information, would I give it to them?” Enjoy the Internet all you want -- but remember to practice safe social networking.

Brian Dykstra is a senior partner at Jones Dykstra & Associates, a Maryland-based consulting firm. Jones Dykstra & Associates specializes in e-discovery, computer forensics, expert witness testimony and computer intrusion response services.

REFERENCES

Auger, R. 2008, “The Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF/XSRF) FAQ," v1.59.



Taken from: