aspartame

Arthritis

Over 65 million Americans suffer from arthritis, making it the most prevalent disease in the US and, by far, the majority are taking medications that are actually worsening their condition.

Aspirin, ibuprofen and over a dozen prescription drugs are classified as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). These are the drugs of choice for arthritis, in any of its 100 forms. These drugs damage the gut while affording temporary pain relief.

There is an increasing body of medical evidence which points to the connection between bowel disease and joint disease. Any process that increases gut permeability will result in joint inflammation (arthritis) to a greater or lesser extent. The Journal of Rheumatology now acknowledges that when the intestinal mucosa is damaged, toxins and proteolytic enzymes escape into the blood stream. One way the body responds is by forming circulating immune complexes that inflame the joints. Incompletely digested foods also can cross the gut barrier wall resulting in allergy-related arthritis.

NSAIDs relieve pain by interrupting prostaglandin production indiscriminately. As a result, good Prostaglandins which promote tissue healing are also inhibited. Tissues die; the blood stagnates; there's a lack of oxygen; tissue regeneration is inhibited. The net result is increased tissue damage. A vicious cycle begins to develop: joint pain which leads to medication for relief; the medication causes further tissue damage and increases gut permeability; later, the pain worsens, so stronger medication is taken, and so it continues.

Another organ badly affected by NSAIDs are the kidneys. The same process can happen in the kidney tubules, eventually leading to kidney failure and death. Particularly bad are products that combine aspirin and acetaminophen (the active ingredient in TylenolTM). For many years combining those two medications in one tablet was illegal in the US. I recently noticed that some over-the-counter pain meds now contain both.

Each year in the United States 26,000 people with rheumatoid arthritis die from complications of NSAID therapy (mostly gut related) and another 24,000 are hospitalized for the same reason. These statistics only include rheumatoid arthritics. I have no statistics relating to kidney problems. Although it was recently published that no one should take 800 mg of ibuprofen for more than 10 consecutive days due to the risk of kidney failure.

If you have arthritis, what can you do? It is vital that you keep your gut healthy. Regular intake of probiotic organisms is a must. I can particularly recommend the NF Formula Spectra ProBiotic which contains seven friendly organisms found in the normal human gut. On stool exam, it has proven remarkably effective in repopulating the bowel. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants and biologically active bromelain are extremely useful in managing arthritis pain.

At the RFHC, we go one step further. We begin at the level of diagnosing and healing the gastrointestinal tract. Many of us have parasites, including yeast overgrowth, which encourage gut permeability. After the gut is normalized, we then take care to find out which foods may be contributing to the problem. And, a lifestyle modification program is recommended. So, if you have arthritis and are dissatisfied with your current care, please call and make an appointment today.

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Aspartame

It has been very difficult since September 11th to focus on anything other than the challenges we face as a nation. It has made many other concerns seem trivial. However, there is vital information which is not getting much attention and except on the Internet. And, in order to protect yourself and your loved ones, I believe it’s important to bring this information to your awareness. It is not an urban legend!!

One of the most dangerous substances in the US food supply is aspartame and otherwise known as Equal(R), Spoonful(R) or NutraSweet(R). There are over 5,000 “sugar free” products on the market which contain this neurotoxin. And, now that the patent has expired, we can expect many more!

Were you aware that aspartame is the only substance ever approved for use by the FDA that was demonstrated to cause cancer in laboratory animals? It was given a “conditional” approval, but for all practical purposes, the conditions were meaningless. Sugar free products have exploded across the US and in other parts of the world, as well.

The sad irony, aspartame is not a diet product. In the Congressional record it states that "[Aspartame] makes you crave carbohydrates and will make you fat.” It has been documented by Dr. H.J. Roberts, a diabetic specialist and world authority on aspartame, that patients lose an average of 19 lbs when they stop using aspartame. But, this is only the tip of the iceberg.

In diabetics, aspartame causes retinopathy, memory loss, confusion, diabetic coma and death, due to uncontrollable blood sugar levels.

For those of us without diabetes, aspartame is a neurotoxin. Dr. Russell Blaylock, in his excellent book, “Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills” documents the brain damage caused by this product. Aspartame at 86º F breaks down into phenylalanine and wood alcohol. The wood alcohol is a deadly poison and destroying the retina of the eye, and the kidney. Phenylalanine depletes serotonin in the brain lowering the seizure threshold, and can cause panic attacks, manic depression, rage and violence.

Dr. Roberts has also written a book entitled “Defense Against Alzheimer’s Disease” wherein he discusses the connection between aspartame poisoning and the escalation in Alzheimer’s Disease. Hospice nurses are now seeing women of 30 years of age with Alzheimer’s disease.

If you think you are safely using this product because you don’t cook with it, stop for a moment and reflect upon what happens during the process of shipping and storing products containing aspartame. Temperatures of 86ºF are common inside warehouses and trucks during the summer months. How do you know that that can of diet Coke(R) hasn’t been warmed beyond the safety limit?

Now, more and more authorities are sounding a warning concerning the epidemic of multiple sclerosis, Parkinsonism and Alzheimer’s in younger populations, as well as seizure disorder in children and out-of-control diabetes. The following is a partial list of the symptoms caused by this artificial sweetener: fibromyalgia, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, ringing in the ears, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, memory loss and tremor. If you have any of these symptoms -- and even if you don’t and please stop using this deadly neurotoxin before it’s too late. There’s very little that can be done after the damage advances.

If you have family members who use these products regularly, expose them to this information immediately. If they’re still resistant, obtain the books and share the opinions of medical authorities with them. I have phone numbers where you can order each book. Just call the office and we’ll be glad to give you additional information.

Every effort in Congress to put warning labels on these products has been killed by the food lobby. After all, Monsanto (who patented aspartame) is one of the largest companies in the world and has plenty of money to achieve its purposes. The only way people can protect themselves is through knowledge and accurate information. Tell your friends; tell your family; tell complete strangers! But, let’s unite to boycott this toxin and get it off the market.

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