Diabetes: A 21st Century Scourge - Part I

The Introduction

Sadness is staring an avoidable tragedy in the face and blinking. Have you had the chance to ponder the chart above? In each block are a group of numbers representing various regions of the world. The number at the top of the box represents the number of known Type 2 diabetics as of 2003. The number under it is the projected number of diabetes cases in 2025 with the correlating percent increase under each. By 2025 it is projected that there will be a 62% increase in diabetic patients worldwide. The cynic in me says to invest heavily in diabetes medications and paraphernalia. The optimist in me says I should lend a hand. Digressing to my better nature and refusing to enrich myself on the backs of those who suffer by causing suffering I offer the beginning of my multi-pronged diabetes project (more information will be given on the project at a date sometime in the future). 

Sadness is also having to witness triple digit increases projected in parts of the world that are already stressed and void of much hope. It is interesting that shortages of the most basic needs (food, water, medical attention) in these areas abound but a metabolic syndrome often associated with indulgent eating or consuming way more sugar than the body can handle would become a scourge. More on this point and why it is happening in a later article. 

Type 2 diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a metabolic disorder that occurs when the cells in the body become so resistant to insulin that blood sugar levels can no longer be controlled by the body (this is a simplistic definition and will be expounded upon later). Often medical intervention is undertaken and treatment can include having to take insulin shots, prescription medications and the need to check blood sugar levels often. The American Diabetes Association estimated that diabetes treatment in the U.S. alone cost more than $245 billion in 2012. If price levels remain the same that would mean an increased expenditure of $140 billion bringing the total to $385 billion annually by 2025 just in the U.S.! That would be more than the GDP of the Federated States of Micronesia (in other words a small country).

Sadness surrounds us but it does not have to remain or persist. We have the power to change it and ourselves. There is a growing contingent of well informed and well-meaning people who are helping to either prevent the scourge of diabetes or bring balance to those who have the condition reversing it and freeing would be lifelong diabetics from their conditional prisons. Let the word go out, if it is not already known, that diabetes is a condition not a disease. It is not something you catch but something you develop and what is done can be undone no matter what the cynics and robbers of joy and health say.

This series will focus on some of the causes, health implications, and modalities concerning diabetes mellitus and is designed to offer and inspire hope for what is a seemingly overwhelming epidemic. Have faith, be strong and let us share this ride together!

Articles Published on Natural News

Life has been coming at me fast and furious these days which has left me little time to write articles. I have a new series in mind and I am gearing up to crank those out in addition to more rebuttals to articles I have found that make me scratch my head from their sheer gall and blatant misrepresentations.

With that being said I would like to offer a sampling of various articles I have written for Naturalnews.com. Over the years I have written about many health related matters that did not necessarily make it to the blog. When time permits please click this hyperlink to the website. It will bring you to four pages that list my articles specifically. If you see something you like and you think it would make for a pretty good blog series let me know. In the meantime, read, discuss and share until your heart is content.

Peace, light and love....always.

Derrell

Medical Conspiracies - Are We the Crazy Ones Part III

Over the past 10 -15 years you may have noticed an increasing trend in branding people as conspiracy theorist simply because they were saying or asking something that had not been verified by some authoritative figure or entity. The term has become so demeaning and hurtful in nature that no one wants to be called one for fear of being seen as delusional or in need of mental evaluation. Other than outright censorship I can think of no better way to stifle ideas, discourse and critical thinking. Perhaps that is the point. What happens to a society when critical thinking or critical questioning is no longer allowed? We get media outlets, government agencies even some teachers and church officials that tell us what to think and how to think and dare us to question it. Meanwhile, we slip down the slippery slope of the type of apathy that leads to man’s inhumanity to man going unchecked and extreme environmental degradation.

In the days of Enron the company had a thought provoking slogan and philosophy. It was simple: Ask why. We all know what happened to Enron and the irony is not enough people asked ‘why’ they were able to show wildly increasing profits without having to prove those profits existed. Another irony is that the one Wall Street analyst, John Olson, was considered crazy (read conspiracy theorist, nut) for suggesting something was wrong with Enron and eventually had to “move on” for his views. Not long after that the roof fell in at Enron exonerating that nut Olson all together causing 20,000 people to be laid off and drying up almost every dime of their pension fund while top executives took home millions in pay outs (man’s inhumanity to man).

If you question 9/11 you’re a nut. If you think vaccines may lead to autism you’re a nut. If you didn't think there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq you were a nut. The problem doesn't lie in the position of the person thinking these things. The problem is the lack of substantive, thoughtful and civil discourse. There is so much vitriol and mean spirited talk and it is all to stop the thought process. Our thoughts, along with reason and a healthy emotional and spiritual disposition, are precious commodities that, when used, form the basis of a well-functioning society that is not prone to exploitation, subjugation and an apathetic spirit.  Keep thinking. Keep asking questions no matter how absurd. Transparency leads to the naked truth and it is questions that takes its clothes off.

Medical Conspiracies - Are We the Crazy Ones? Part II

The time I have spent in law enforcement has taught me that every investigation begins as a conspiracy. Sometimes the case you are working on is found to be factual and sometimes it is not but at all times you must investigate if given cause (such as a report of a crime or a direct observation). The old adage "where there's smoke, there's fire" is a constant guide and driving force for getting to the bottom of a matter and it has served me well over the years.

It is no different when so called “medical conspiracies” arise and usually where there is smoke there is certainly fire. There have been many very real medical conspiracies that have taken place over the years. They take on many shapes and sizes but they all have the same thing in common: they were unbelievable until the truth was revealed. We will explore a few so you (and I) can be sure that we are not the crazy ones, indeed.

The “Conspiracies”

The Nigerian DrugExperiment: In 1996 one of the largest US based drug manufacturers, Pfizer, had a dilemma. It was sitting on what they believed would be a super antibiotic that would (or should) work on even the most aggressive bacteria. The problem was they needed to do some human testing on this highly experimental drug. It just so happened that a terrible outbreak of meningitis was underway in a tiny Nigerian village called Kano. The Pfizer doctors set up a tent not far from an aid station that was giving proven treatments and began administering their experimental drug. Unwitting parents desperate to get help for their children began to line up at “the other” aid station not knowing the drug was experimental because none of the doctors told them it was. About 100 children were given the drug and of that number 11 died and many others suffered permanent side effects such as brain damage, loss of hearing and organ failure. An 11% death rate from your test drug can be considered significant. The name of the drug used was Trovan which has been banned for sale in the EU and pulled off the market in the US.

The Tuskegee Experiment:  Covered in general in part I of this series the Tuskegee Experiment remains one of the most unbelievable stories of just how bad medical science can derail from the tracks of ethics. It is thought that this experiment is the single most damaging event that has caused a perpetual mistrust of the medical establishment in the eyes of the African-American community. In this experiment 600 African-American men were medically monitored to see how syphilis affected the men over time. The study was initiated in 1932 by the U.S. Public Health Service at the University of Tuskegee. There was ethical trouble right from the start because it was predetermined that the men “participating” in the study would not be treated for the disease. In fact, they were not told they had syphilis. The researchers simply told the men they were studying and being treated for “bad blood” which was understood by locals at the time as being just about any kind of illness or poor condition. To make matters worse only 301 men in that community had syphilis. 299 of the eventual 600 studied was intentionally infected with syphilis to carry out the study on a wider scale. The final ethical and moral indignity came during the 1940’s when it was determined that penicillin was a great treatment for syphilis. From the 1940’s to the end of the study in 1972 no treatment was given to any of the men many of whom died from the disease. The picture gets even dimmer when you consider the fact that these men unwittingly passed this disease on to their wives and lovers who also contracted the disease with some passing it on to their babies all under the supervision of US health officials. The only reason the experiment ended in 1972 was that it was leaked to the media. As for the men who lived and died unknowingly of this terrible disease they were given free burial insurance from the study’s inception which is as cold-hearted and vicious it seems.

Pharmaceutical PriceFixing and Altered Studies – GlaxoSmithKline: If you are a manufacturer and you have some of the most sought after products on the market then the sky’s-the-limit on profit margins but what if you want your profits to reach into outer space? The way to do it is by fixing the price and fixing it at exorbitant levels. Also, to insure your fixed price commands the payout expected you alter (lie) about the drug data submitted to the FDA to make your product seem nearly miraculous. Then you advertise that your drugs do things they are not designed to do to expand your market. That way no one asks why your product cost so much. But there can’t be companies out there like that especially when it comes to the medicines we supposedly need to support and maintain life, right? Unfortunately there is and its name is GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

In 2012 the company plead guilty to one of the largest medical fraud cases in US history and was ordered to pay $3 billion in fines. The charges stemmed from several different fraudulent practices. One of those practices was the marketing of Paxil, an anti-depressant, to people under the age of 18 even though it had only received approval for adult use. Also, they marketed Wellbutrin, a drug intended as an anti-depressant, for weight loss and treatment of sexual dysfunction which it had not been approved to do. Now you may be saying something like “it’s not surprising for a company to lie to get more money…there’s no real conspiracy in that”. We would be in marginal agreement except for the lengths GSK went through in order to get away with their practices. One particularly appalling example is that GSK would routinely give doctors illegal kickbacks in the form of vacations, pay additives per prescription and speaking honorariums for their duplicity in their fraudulent practices. Some of our trusted doctors helped GSK commit medical fraud against us with some going so far as to write papers in respected medical journals to give credence and credibility to their false claims.

The U.S. Army Gets a Pass– Consent to experiment on soldiers not needed: A case came before the US Supreme Court in 1985 involving Master Sergeant James Stanley who served in the US Army. His claim was that he was given, without his knowledge or consent, an experimental which is now known as LSD. Stanley complained of a change in his personality (for the worst), memory loss, hallucinations and incoherent thoughts as a result. The Supreme Court ruled that because he was a service man he did not have a right to claim injury and absolved the military of all past, present and future medical experiments with or without military personnel consent. Congress has attempted to redress this issue by creating a little known law called a “private law” which can provide relief from another law that is adverse to a person or corporation. What a minute. A law that can relieve you from another law? That’s very intriguing but I will digress for now. Another interesting point is that military medical experimentation was thoroughly addressed and condemned at the Nuremberg trials for Nazi party members and their crimes committed during World War II. Leading the charge to set up international condemnation and laws against it was the US. Ironic to say the least.

When these and countless other stories first came to light they and the people who reported them were dismissed as just another “conspiracy theory” or “conspiracy nut”. With the passage of time we forget that someone or a group of people was ceaselessly ridiculed until the truth gained enough traction to silence those who would want it kept from us. More thoughts on this in part III. For more accounts of medical conspiracies go to http://www.gvpt.umd.edu/lawonline/journals/spring%201999/law_online/Paper__Medicax.html.

Medical Conspiracies - Are We the Crazy Ones?

I would like to start this article with a true story whose point will become clear a little later so please bear with me. In 1932 the U.S. Public Health Service began a clinical trial to track the natural progression of a disease known as syphilis. History records that a total of 600 men “participated” in the study. You will notice that the word participated is in quotes. That is because the men were not told they were participating in a syphilis experiment (more on this later). 301 of the men contracted syphilis before the study and the other 299 afterwards because they were intentionally infected. None of the men were told they had syphilis and treatment was withheld which was ultimately a death sentence for most. At the time of the trial there were no known cures but a few treatments were available. Left untreated syphilis can ultimately lead to senility, organ failure and death. Ironically, sadistically, and sadly, free burial insurance was given to all participants. The study lasted 40 years even after a new and successful form of treatment was discovered.

An article recently went out through the mainstream media (Rueters, Associated Press, etc) about medical conspiracies and how many Americans believe them. In a nutshell the premise is this: Medical conspiracies do not happen and if you believe in them you should have your head examined because you are a total whack job. I will admit the emphasis is mine but one cannot help but draw a similar line to this synopsis due to the tone of the articles. Some of them do graciously point out that most of the people are not completely crazy but just a little crazy. They also tend to be a "little" poor and a "little" uneducated and just to make sure the insults cover as many people as possible they are often minorities (please refer back to the introductory paragraph to possibly explain the last insulting point since it involved African American men exclusively).

There are two issues at hand and they are worth delving into. The first issue is the premise that medical conspiracies do not and have not existed. The second issue is that all conspiracy theorist are tin foil hat wearing goobers and if you happen to believe that it is possible for a group of people to take advantage of another group of people then you are a goober too. Each point will be addressed in detail for our edification and thoughtful analysis.

This article will be in three parts with this being part I. Parts II and III will follow shortly.

The Story of Cholesterol: A Supplemental on Supplementals

In the last article (which was supposed to be the last article in this series) we covered the miraculous and beneficial effects of CoQ10 on heart health and energy. If you or a loved one ever had a heart attack CoQ10 supplementation is a must. 

As far as supplements go the story is a bit more involved than just CoQ10 as wonderful as it is. There are a few other supplements that can greatly improve cardiovascular health and increase energy in the process. The news gets even better when you consider that, along with CoQ10, anyone can benefit from a boost of energy and vitality when the following supplements are added to a healthy lifestyle. Just as before in the previous article it is necessary to point out that nothing written here should be construed as medical advice and that any supplemental regimen should be discussed with your trusted (and open minded) healthcare professional. With that caveat established let's take a look at some of the other supplements that you may or may not be familiar with.

D Ribose

We are energetic beings and our bodies need plenty of energy. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is how our body gets things done energetically speaking. One of the main constituents of ATP is D-ribose. No D-ribose means there can be no way to produce ATP. Without ATP there can be no energy. D-ribose is generated by the body mostly on the as-needed basis and there is no way to store it. This is an important factor to consider because when tissues are under stress they cannot produce D-ribose and thus the body is robbed of energy. The combination of poor heart function leading to oxygen deprivation and the inability to produce energy can leave you feeling quite poor in deed.

A prominent German physiologist by the name of Heinz-Gerd Zimmer established a connection between heart function and D-ribose. He found that people who had hearts deprived of nutrients and oxygen sometimes due to blockages fared better when given D-ribose.  Zimmer also found that the administration of D-ribose had restorative powers for energy and helped bring about normal diastolic heart function. In a 1992 clinical study D-ribose was also shown to have increased the ability to do exercise in patients that had severe coronary artery disease.

Magnesium

One of the main culprits of poor cardiovascular health is actually the inability to properly absorb calcium which is found in plentiful amounts in most western diets. When calcium is ill-absorbed it remains in the blood stream longer where it has a greater chance to interact with free radicals increasing the rate of calcification that often occurs in arteries and other blood vessels. At this point blockages are sure to happen given enough time. This is where magnesium comes in to help. Magnesium, along with vitamin D, helps to convert calcium into a more absorbable form before it calcifies keeping blood vessels clear. If that was not important, or impressive, enough magnesium is also great at keeping platelets from aggregating (sticking together) and forming blood clots while it also acts as a vascular dilator reducing blood pressure. It should be noted that people suffering from renal insufficiencies should not supplement with magnesium without medical guidance.

B Vitamin Complex (especially B5)

B vitamins in and of themselves provides the body with massive, sustained energy over a significant amount of time and that is simply awesome. For the sake of this article, however, we will cover vitamin B5 specifically in a slightly different light. Many people are unaware of the vital role B5 (also known as pantothenic acid) plays in limiting inflammation and oxidation of cholesterol. No less than 28 clinical studies have shown that vitamin B5 produced positive results regarding triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol levels while increasing HDL levels. A literature review was conducted by Dr. Mark Houston and published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases helped establish pantothenic acid’s importance in cardiovascular health. The literature demonstrated after only four months of B5 supplementation total cholesterol was reduced by 15%, LDL cholesterol by 20% and triglycerides by 32.9% while increasing HDL by 8.4%. He also noted that studies of longer duration showed continued improvement in participants over the initial four month successes. Reduce inflammation and you reduce cholesterol…period!

We long to live lives enriched by the fragrance of energy and productivity radiating from every pore. Sometimes, however, devastating health conditions such a heart attack can rob us of that ability leaving one disturbed and down trodden. The beauty of nature and life is that even if we find ourselves in this lowered state of affairs we do not have to dwell there. An out is often provided if we look carefully and thoughtfully at our circumstances. There are, of course, many more supplements that could be considered but this is a healthy start (pun intended). Proper supplementation of the right nutrients can be the difference between slumming in the doldrums and soaring with the eagles after an adverse cardiovascular event. This article should serve as a great catalyst for conversation between you and your trusted healthcare provider.

Sources for this article include:

The Great Cholesterol Myth (Bowden and Sinatra)

The Story of Cholesterol: Energy, CoQ10 and Statins

We have reached the point where the discussion turns to the practical side of things. Once the thinking is done we must put into practice what we have learned. Right off the top the need for a disclaimer is paramount: Nothing in this article should be construed as advice on dietary or supplemental modalities. You should consult your physician or a trusted health care provider for your specific needs. In the interest of stimulating a great conversation between you and your health care provider the words that follow should be your guide.

The miracle of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

One of the main issues surrounding statin drugs is how it inhibits the production of a key enzyme known as CoQ10. Devastating adverse health effects have been associated with CoQ10 deficiencies and has been recognized by some parts of the medical community in the U.S. and more widely in Europe and the Far East. Many people are familiar with the term “CoQ10” but do not have a firm grasp of what it is and how vital it is to our hearts so let’s discuss it.  

CoQ10 is a powerful vitamin-like substance produced by virtually every cell in the body. It has many functions that prove to be vitally important to the body. One of those functions is converting our food into fuel for our cells to use. When we eat good, wholesome foods and CoQ10 is present in the cells in adequate supplies our energy levels rise. The science of the process in which CoQ10 does its work is actually intriguing but we will skip the detailed lesson and just say without it we would have a hard time getting much of anything done. Because the heart is such a dense muscle that is always active it is one of the top CoQ10 producers in the body and rightfully so. Beating on average 2.5 billion times during a person’s life the heart requires a wealth of energy. Statins interfere with the production of some enzymes including CoQ10 robbing the heart of significant amounts of energy. To add insult to injury as we age we tend to produce less and less of this powerful enzyme naturally setting us up for exponential energy lose and poor cardiovascular production.

Another function of this miracle enzyme is blood pressure modification. It has proven itself to be an awesome way to reduce blood pressure without harmful side effects. A meta-analysis of clinical trials conducted in 2007 by F.L. Rosenfeldt et al (Coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of hypertension…) found overwhelming, across the board evidence that significant reductions in blood pressure took place among test subjects taking the supplement when compared to the control group (who did not take CoQ10 at all). Since 1974 doctors in Japan have prescribed CoQ10 to patients who experience congenital heart failure. Further studies in the U.S. showed a marked increase of heart function and vitality in people suffering from severe (class III and class IV) cardiomyopathy. These were people who were given just a year or two to live because they were that sick until CoQ10 supplementation began.

In addition, CoQ10 is a wonderful antioxidant. Oxidative stress, especially as it relates to LDL cholesterol, is a major cardiovascular concern. Remember that cholesterol in and of itself is not the boogey man but oxidized pattern B LDL cholesterol is. Coenzyme Q10 steps in and helps to prevent oxidation of patter B LDL helping to stop the type of cardiovascular stress that plague so many people. A healthy non-inflammation inducing eating plan along with CoQ10 supplementation can make all the difference in having excellent heart health especially if the person is experiencing poor cardiovascular health at the moment.

Where to find it

Typically CoQ10 tends to be found most prevalently in the organ meat of animals such as the kidneys, liver and heart. This is the most natural way to get it from outside your own body. The problem is enzymes tend to breakdown very readily when exposed to high heat even for short periods of time. The alternative to consuming organ meat (especially if you are vegetarian) has to be in the form of a supplement.

CoQ10 supplements are out there but it is imperative you can trust the source. There is no need to consume anything that is of low quality in the hopes that it will be beneficial. High quality CoQ10 that is readily bioavailable is a must. Seek advice from a knowledgeable source when determining what you might like to use.  

In Conclusion

There is a distinct correlation between CoQ10 deficiency and poor, sometimes fatal, heart function. So much so that the evidence of years of studies should be splattered across the headlines daily warning us about the deficiency and how to overcome it through supplementation. Medically speaking it is a very cheap and efficient way to reduce mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular issues especially in comparison to drugs and surgery that both carry ill side effects while draining personal and institutional coffers worldwide.

Originally this was supposed to be the last article in the series but there are other nutrients that should be discussed that would be of great benefit to cardiovascular health. With that thought in mind one or two additional articles may be necessary for the sake of thoroughness.

Sources: The Great Cholesterol Myth (Bowden and Sinatra)