Greed for need
Like any editor, I am constantly getting press releases and
reading articles full of health warnings and breakthroughs.
But I've been doing this long enough that, usually, I can see
right through them.
Last month, I told you about the frightening epidemic of
diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies in developing
countries (Health e-Tip, 11/4/04) and their would-be" knight
in shining armor": the genetically modified food industry.
It sounds good at first, doesn't it? And I guess I just sound
like a crank. But here's the problem, as I see through it...
Problem #1: The Codex Alimentarius Commission is
backing up this effort, despite outcries from the European
Union and other vocal dissent. You might recall that these are
the same folks who are trying to wipe out the availability of
vitamins and supplements in Europe -– and in the U.S. by
extension. They purport to crusade in the name of health and
safety.
But the health and safety of genetically modified (GM) foods
is far from proven. Often referred to as Frankenfoods, there
are numerous concerns about what might happen if we let
this genie any further out of the bottle. Allergic reactions,
gene transferring from plant to human species, and
antiobiotic resistance are just a few possible consequences
that can be neither confirmed nor denied at this point in the
game.
Here's the most confusing part to me: The vitamins and
nutrients that the Codex is trying to ban in Europe have been
used safely for years. In most cases there are numerous
studies proving the safety and effectiveness of these products
-- significantly more data than what exists on GM foods. But
it's full steam ahead anyway, perhaps to the detriment of
much of the world's food supply at this rate.
Problem #2: While U.S. officials claim purely philanthropic
reasons for the food aid they send to developing countries,
The United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) is a little more transparent (and truthful) on their
website. It states: "The principal beneficiary of America's
foreign assistance programs has always been the United
States. Close to 80 percent of the USAID contracts and grants
go directly to American firms. Foreign assistance programs
have helped create major markets for agricultural goods,
created new markets for American industrial exports and
meant hundreds of thousands of jobs for Americans."
If that doesn't sound more like a self-serving marketing
campaign rather than generosity, I don't know what does.
In the end, I suppose it matters little whether it is a targeted
marketing effort, a mass experiment in genetics, or just an
unfortunate combination of ignorance and avarice. It's the
results that will count. Unfortunately, by the time the results
come in, it could be too late. But hopefully it won't come to
that. Actually, the U.S. government may be running out of
naïve subjects who are willing to take this sort of "help." In
1992, Zambia and other African nations began rejecting
shipments of food aid that contained GM foods. U.S. officials
were infuriated -- "beggars can't be choosers," they
proclaimed.
But if more and more countries -- and more of us here are
home too –- start following Zambia's lead in rejecting GM
foods, maybe the government will eventually get the
message.
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Is Your Cholesterol High Enough?
That's right...get your cholesterol way over 200... Take naps
instead of running laps... Refuse to eat 5 to 10 servings of
vegetables everyday!
Surprised? That's just a taste of how shockingly satisfying real
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things, turn the tables and ask:
Are you getting enough sun to prevent the world's most dreaded
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*Are you exercising so hard that it's hardening your arteries?
*Are you drinking so much water that it's watering down your
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*Are you eating enough eggs & bacon to ward off macular
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http://www.youreletters.com/t/84436/6626400/651310/0/
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Crabby help for kidneys
Q: My mother has chronic kidney failure as a result of
battling diabetes for many years. Someone told me she
should try taking a supplement called chitosan. I've never
heard of it -- can you fill me in?
JVW: Chitosan is most popular for its effectiveness as a
weight control supplement. It is extracted from the shells of
crustaceans, such as shrimp and crab, which means that if
your mother has an allergy to shellfish, it's not an option for
her. If not, however, she may want to consider it. A study
published a few years ago clearly showed a benefit to dialysis
patients who took chitosan. Half of the 80 study participants
took 1,450 milligrams of chitosan, three times daily for 12
weeks; the other half didn't take any chitosan. After the study
period, researchers reported that the patients who took
chitosan reported less fatigue and shortness of breath, and
improvements in appetite, sleep, and feelings of physical
strength. Their kidney function also appeared better, and they
suffered from less severe anemia -- a common problem in
those with chronic kidney failure. And there were no
significant side effects reported.
**************************************************************
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What is…calciphylaxis?
Calciphylaxis is a rare disorder that occurs in patients with
chronic kidney failure and who are on dialysis. It is a form of
widespread vascular calcification that affects blood vessels
and arteries throughout the body. It is almost always fatal.
Some attempts have been made to treat this condition with
therapeutic doses of vitamin K, but they have ultimately not
met with success. It is not clear what causes calciphylaxis
exactly, although the presence of chronic kidney failure
seems constant. Other contributing factors that seem to
increase risk are long-term obesity, sudden weight loss, use
of immunosuppressant drugs, especially corticosteroids.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
"Greenpeace Report: USAID and GM Food Aid,"
Greenpeace (www.greenpeace.org.uk), 10/02
"Food supply situation and crop prospects in Sub-Saharan
Africa (No.2)." U.S. Food and Agriculture Organization
(www.fao.org) 8/02
