The Baseline of Health Blog

How Bad Is Food Contamination from China?

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 00:04:08 +0000

Over the past few months Chinese products (and Chinese food imports in particular) have taken a beating in the world press.

So how bad is it?

The simple truth is that no country in the world can guarantee their products to be 100% safe. Yes, but isn't food from China more dangerous than from anywhere else?

Not necessarily.

Children Inherit the Taste for Junk Food

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:45:25 +0000

I've always loved the Biblical quote that says that the sins of the parents shall be visited upon their children -- even unto the third and fourth generation. It's always seemed so apt when referring to diet and nutrition. My main reference was the Pottenger cat study that found that cats fed diets of 100% cooked food could not reproduce by the third generation -- a marvelous example of passing sins along.

Well, now it looks like there's another.

Olive Oil under Attack

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:29:23 +0000

Who would have guessed? Olive oil is now under attack.

In an article in Reader’s Digest titled, The Great Olive Oil Misconception, Dean Ornish takes on this staple of the Mediterranean Diet. In the article, Dr. Ornish expressed a number of concerns about olive oil. I also went online and found articles and interviews where he expressed several more. Let’s take a look as his concerns and see how they stack up.

Colon Cancer, a Dietary Shocker

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 03:00:00 +0000

This is shocking! A study recently released by the Journal of the American Medical Association concludes that diet plays a major role in colon cancer! Who would have believed it? Thank goodness we have researchers who can uncover such things for us.

While there is no shortage of evidence linking the so-called Western diet to an increased risk for developing colon cancer, the study is among the first to examine the impact of such a diet on survival among patients treated for the disease. Who knew?

Fluoride in Water

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 03:53:48 +0000

In the last two weeks more than 600 professionals have urged Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted. They cite new scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks.

Supporters include a Nobel Prize winner, three members of the prestigious 2006 National Research Council (NRC) panel that reported on fluoride's toxicology, two officers in the Union representing professionals at EPA headquarters, the President of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, and hundreds of medical, dental, academic, scientific and environmental professionals, worldwide.

Posture and Back Pain

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 06:00:00 +0000

Okay, admit it. How many of you grew up with the admonition from your parents, “Sit up straight; Don’t slouch; You’ll ruin your posture?!” Well, as it turns out, mother may not have known best. New research suggests that the traditional upright position with the back at a 90-degree position in relation to the legs, most often assumed by sedentary office workers worldwide, may actually cause back pain and possible future spinal weakness or damage.

Avandia: Guns for Hire

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 23:18:10 +0000

Who should you listen to?

A meta-analysis of previously published studies on the efficacy and safety of the diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone )written by the whistle blower, Dr. Steve Nissen, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine has revealed a disturbing trend of increased heart attack risk. The study reported a 43% increase of heart failure, 15.2 times the risk compared to an older drug, Glucotrol along with a 9.5 times greater risk of liver damage.

Chronic Fatigue (CFS)

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 08:08:15 +0000

Chronic fatigue (CFS) is one of those conditions that responds extremely well to the Baseline of Health Program. Why?

Quite simply, the Baseline of Health Program works so well with CFS because it is non-specific in its approach. It is not designed to address specific conditions or symptoms, but rather, to raise the health and performance of all major systems in the body at one time – thus allowing the body to perform as it was designed to do. This turns out to be the perfect approach for conditions such as CFS that have wide ranging symptoms and no known specific cause. In fact, a quick look at the suspected causes shows how the Baseline of Health Program actually addresses each and every one of them.

Obesity is Contagious

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 03:00:00 +0000

A recent three-decade long study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has reported that the risk of obesity increases the more obese your family and friends are. The word contagious was even used. The bottom line is that overweight people tend to hang out with other overweight people. If your spouse becomes obese your chances of weight gain increase by 37%, but if your friends become obese your chances of doing the same increase by an astounding 171%. In other words, as the philosophers say, “Environment is stronger than will.”

Surprise! Cars Cause Heart Disease

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:32:32 +0000

According to a study recently published in the American Heart Association’s Journal, Circulation, the closer people live to roads with heavy traffic and high air pollution, the greater their risk of developing atherosclerosis (hardened arteries), which can lead to heart disease and stroke.

So what is it in automobile exhaust that causes atherosclerosis? Quite simply, it’s anything that makes its way into the bloodstream that can cause damage to the lining of the arteries, thereby triggering plaque build up to repair the damage.

Cancer: the Blind Leading the Blind

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 03:57:27 +0000

An advance copy of an article in the September 1st issue of Cancer was just released detailing the results of a survey that explored some of the cancer “myths” that many people naively believe in. "A substantial proportion of people have some inaccurate beliefs about cancer risk," said lead researcher Kevin Stein, the director of the Behavioral Research Center at the American Cancer Society.

Let’s explore some of those “inaccurate beliefs.”

Vitamin C Does Not Prevent Colds?

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:54:02 +0000

A few years ago, studies debunking alternative health treatments came along maybe every six months. Lately, though, it seems like I could do a blog a day rebutting some new piece of nonsense. I’m beginning to think that it’s actually a requirement that researchers must get a partial lobotomy before they can receive grant money to perform a study.

So what’s today’s nonsense?

What about Microwave Cooking?

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 02:24:43 +0000

I’m frequently asked about microwave cooking and if the “radiation” from the microwave is dangerous. Actually, the problems with microwave cooking have nothing to do with radiation. There is no radiation used in microwave ovens. Nevertheless, the problem with microwaved food is similar to the problem with irradiated food. Although the actual processes are different, the results are similar—they are disruptive to the fundamental structure of the food itself. Microwave ovens cook by creating friction in molecules causing them to spin rapidly first in one direction then another, switching directions millions of times a second. The friction caused by all this molecular agitation heats the food, but it also changes the food. With what result?

Fruits and Veggies under Attack

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:42:44 +0000

Yesterday, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a study that found that recurrence and survival rates among women who had previously had breast cancer were no better for those who ate nine or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables than for those who ate just five. Researchers emphasized such nutrient-dense vegetables as dark, leafy greens, sweet potatoes and carrots and didn't count iceberg lettuce and French fries. A serving was a half-cup.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 03:00:48 +0000

DVT (aka VTE, venous thromboembolism) occurs when blood platelets stick together and form clots which either block local circulation or break away to lodge in other organs such as lungs (Embolism) brain (Stroke) or heart (Heart Attack). DVT is an issue among not only airline travelers, but potentially all those who sit immobile for extended periods of time (4 hours or more) according to WHO (World Health Organization). The use of birth control pills and those with blood abnormalities, such as a tendency for easy clotting, have also an increased risk.