XTEND-15sec-NEWSt
31st December 2003
Please click on the summary link of interest:
Mad Cow Disease... some important points... n1
The first documented case of 'Mad Cow Disease' (BSE) in the USA has now been made public. The human form is known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), or vCJD. It is a rare disease and is spread as a result of cattle eating parts of their own kind... specifically the brain, spinal cord, other neural tissue.
These tissues were banned for use in cattle food in 1997 by the USA and Canada, but there appears to only have been about 75% compliance to these regulations by food manufacturers. (They can still feed these items to chickens and pigs though.).
This week the US took steps to prohibit the slaughtering of 'downer' animals for food. These are animals that are obviously sick and as such pose a potential risk to those people who eat them.
Warren Matthews comments: Although the risk of contracting this disease is very low here are a few hints that will help protect yourself and your family.
Don't use ground beef as it may have contaminated neural tissue in it. If you want some ground beef select a cut of meat and have it ground up for you. You won't get the disease from a normal cut of meat. The 'prion' which carries the disease appears to be only present in meat derived from the spinal cord, brain, other neural tissue and intestines.
Avoid processed meats as you have no way of knowing which parts of raw meat go into it.
If you can, try to only purchase organic meat or at least grass feed beef. The problem only applies to animals which are fed bulk grains mixed with animal components as a cheap fast means of fattening up cattle for slaughter.
I am pleased to see that some action has finally been taken on the disgusting habit of slaughtering sick animals for human consumption. Let's hope they don't use them for pet food!
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Colin Powell has Prostate Surgery...n2
The US Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has just completed surgery for prostate cancer. He has now joined a long list of other well known individuals that have had this procedure, including Arnold Palmer, Mayor Rudolph Guilliani, General Norman Schwarzkopf... and many more!
It is estimated that in the US alone approximately 220,000 men contract prostate cancer every year of whom about 30,000 die.
Prostate cancer is largely a preventable disease IF steps are taken early enough to avoid it. Just two substances alone have been proven to be very effective in prevention. One is selenium and the other is Lycopene.
Warren Matthews comments: I find it really quite amazing how little mainstream publicity is given to the prevention of prostate cancer, and for that matter enlarged prostate problems. There is an abundance of evidence to support the effectiveness of preventative treatment.
For example... just one study way back in 1996 which was published in JAMA and involved 1,300 individuals indicated that those participants who received 200mcgs of selenium per day had a reduction of 63% compared to the placebo group. And this is just one study of many.
A similar situation applies to enlarged prostate problems which creates discomfort and interrupted sleep for a large proportion of the male population 50 years and beyond. This can easily be avoided through early prevention protocols using substances such as beta sitosterol (a more potent form of saw palmetto). Enlarged prostate can lead to prostate cancer.
The key to avoid becoming a statistic is to start a prevention program as early as possible... 35-40 years of age. Even if you are older it's not too late. I didn't start mine until I was 50. I had to generally visit the bathroom twice or three times during the night but I have been cured of that for more than three years now and my prostate is in excellent health. We have now incorporated all the essential nutrients that are needed for prostate health into our Total Balance Men's Plus. If you are male and over 35 years of age and you don't want to be a surgery statistic I would strongly suggest that you invest in your future prostate health and use the Men's Plus version of Total Balance.
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Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) attacks Atkins diet...n3
Late last month Neal Barnard, M.D., the president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), hosted a press conference to warn the world of the 'dangers' of adopting the Atkins diet.
The thrust of the press conference was to discredit this increasingly popular method of losing weight. It is often referred to by the media as a high fat/high protein diet whereas in truth it is a low carbohydrate diet, after the initial induction period.
The PCRM are devoted to trying to convert people to become vegetarians. They have as part of their campaign prepared a 'registry' for people to respond to if they feel that they have been harmed by a high protein diet. The attack that was made against the Atkins diet was based on the some flimsy evidence provided to the 'registry'. Only 180 people have actually registered.
Warren Matthews comments: It's incredible how the media can pick up a story like this and broadcast it around the world when it is so lacking in real evidence and is heavily biased. In this case I don't think that the PCRM is being very responsible.
I admit that the Atkins diet may have some flaws and indeed I don't agree with 100% of it... but I do with 90%. Millions of people have now adopted the low carbohydrate way of eating and have had wonderful results from it. Just like everything in life, one size does not fit all and of course there will be some people who do not benefit.
If you had come across this news item and you are either on a low carbohydrate diet or Atkins diet, don't make any changes as this 'news' was based on prejudice... not science.
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