Our pastor’s wife had Parkinson's and it was a major struggle for her to even walk. She went to be with Jesus 3 years ago. Parkinson's disease is a progressive brain disorder which gradually causes it to be harder and harder to function whether from tremors, muscle stiffness, slowed movement, balance problems, or one of the many other symptoms. It appears to be getting more and more common and that could be due to pesticide exposure. To dive deeper into this, checkout the recent mercola.com article on this bellow.

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A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

It is not uncommon to find people who are eating a nutritious diet, taking good nutritional supplements, exercising . . . and yet who are experiencing poor health. Unresolved emotional stress is often the “missing ingredient.”

STRESS STUDIES

The statistics on emotional stress and health are pretty incredible. The Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans found that in 500 consecutive cases of gastro-intestinal illness, 74% were caused by emotional stress. The Yale University Out Patient Medical Dept. found 76% of its cases were related to emotionally induced illness. In his best-selling book, How to Live 365 Days a Year, John Schindler, M.D. said that, “Three out of every four hospital beds are occupied by people with emotionally induced illness,” leading him to conclude that, “Emotional stress is today our Number One cause of ill-health.”

Let me hasten to add that when I talk about an illness being “emotionally induced,” I’m not saying the symptoms are imaginary. The symptoms are very real and very physical. What we’re talking about is the way emotional stress affects the physical body to produce those physical symptoms.

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Whenever you are dealing with preservatives, you have to ask "If it is preserving the food, what is it doing to my body?”

A recent Mercola article highlights the link from preservatives to rising cancer and diabetes risk.

You can also read & listen to our original Health Minute on Food Additives.

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(See end of article to get a Free Phone Consultation with Leah Kline, CNC, to discuss your health concerns)

Lyme disease is perhaps the most undiagnosed and misdiagnosed disease of our time . . . and that’s saying a lot! Like many ailments conventional medicine looks at Lyme in a very restricted sense, both from the point-of-view of cause, as well as treatment, while an increasing number of natural health care practitioners have a much broader viewpoint of the disease. Lyme disease is complicated and can be hard to understand. My purpose in this article is to condense and simplify the best information I have found on the history, symptoms, cause, transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition.

HISTORY OF LYME DISEASE

Lyme disease, also known as Lyme Borreliosis, is an infectious disease named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut, which had a significant outbreak of the condition in 1975. Though presumed to be caused by a tick bite, the cause was not known until 1981 when Borrelia burdorferi was identified by Willy Burgdorfer, Ph.D. Since the 1990’s a number of holistically oriented doctors, including Dietrich Klinghardt, M.D. of Bellevue, Washington and William Lee Cowden, M.D. of Ft. Worth, Texas, have expanded the view of what Lyme is and how to treat it. Nick Harris, Ph.D., President of IgenX, Inc., a research and testing lab in Palo Alto, California states:

If it weren’t for AIDS, Lyme would be the number one infectious disease in the United States and Western Europe.¹

SYMPTOMS OF LYME

Name a symptom — that’s about what it gets down to, since Lyme can mimic symptoms of over 350 diseases! Authorities suggest that almost any ill-health symptom may be related to underlying Lyme disease. The most common early, acute symptoms of Lyme resemble flu – fatigue, achy muscles and joints, fever, chills, stiff neck, swollen glands, and headache. But here’s a more extensive list, according to lymenet.org:

• Jaw – pain or chewing difficulty

• Bladder – frequent or painful urination, plus repeated urinary tract infections

• Lung – respiratory infection, cough, asthma, pneumonia

• Ear – pain, hearing loss, ringing, noise sensitivity

• Eyes – inflammatory pain, light sensitivity, scleritis, drooping eyelid, conjunctivitis, blurring, double vision

• Throat – sore throat, swollen glands, cough, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing

• Neurological – headaches, facial paralysis, seizures, meningitis, stiff neck, burning, tingling or prickling sensations, loss of reflexes or coordination, MS-like symptoms

• Stomach – pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting , abdominal cramps, anorexia

• Heart – weakness, dizziness, irregular heart-beat, myocarditis, pericarditis, palpitations, heart block, enlarged heart, fainting, inflammation of muscle or membrane, shortness of breath, chest pain

• Joint – arthralgias or arthritis, muscle inflammation and pain

• Other Organs – liver infection, elevated liver enzymes, enlarged spleen, swollen testicles, irregular or ceased menses

• Neuropsychiatric – mood swings, irritability, poor concentration, cognitive loss, memory loss, loss of appetite, mental deterioration, depression, disorientation, sleep disturbance

• Pregnancy – miscarriage, premature birth, birth defects, stillbirth

• Skin – single or multiple rash, hives

CAUSE & TRANSMISSION

Lyme disease is caused by gram-negative spirochetal bacteria from the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) is the main cause in North America, while Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are the most common causative organisms in Eurasia. Other possible species that may cause the infection include B. bissettii and B. valaisiana.

Though there is pretty widespread agreement on the bacterial cause, transmission of the organism is another issue. Here we have a contrast between the conventional and alternative medicine views. From the conventional viewpoint one only gets Lyme disease from the bite of an infected tick. Alternative practitioners take a much more expansive view of the condition, however. Charles Ray Jones, M.D. of New Haven, Connecticut, a specialist in pediatric Lyme disease, notes:

Of the more than 5000 children I’ve treated, 240 have been born with the disease. Twelve children who’ve been breast-fed have subsequently developed Lyme. Bb can be transmitted transplacentally, even with in vitro fertilization; I’ve seen eight children infected in this way. People who come to me from Asia with the classic Lyme rash have been infected by fleas and gnats.²

Gregory Bach, D.O. has documented transmission through semen, noting that Bb is “a brother” to the syphilis spirochete bacteria due to genetic similarities. He typically treats a Lyme patient’s spouse, noting that otherwise they will pass it back and forth sexually.³ Katrina Tang, M.D. of the Century Clinic in Reno, notes:

Transmission may also occur via blood transfusion and through the bite of mosquitoes or other insects.⁴

Recalling Michael Crichton’s famous quote in Jurassic Park that “Life will always find a way,” I think it’s wise to not limit the possibilities for Lyme transmission.

CO-INFECTIONS

Unfortunately Lyme disease is about more than just the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. There are also “co-infections” of other organisms typically involved. The most common are Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Bartonella. Various parasites may also be involved, such as roundworms, tapeworms, threadworms, giardia, and amoebas. Various molds and other fungal organisms are generally involved as well.

DIAGNOSIS OF LYME DISEASE

Diagnosis of Lyme gets a little sticky on several levels. No matter what your perspective on the disease, due to the large number of other diseases it can look like, it’s hard to diagnose. This problem is complicated by what I would call the “conventional view” of Lyme versus the “alternative view” of Lyme. The conventional medicine view sees Lyme as a rare condition, except for in certain areas of the Northeast or Upper Midwest. So, if you don’t live in one of those two areas, a doctor is probably not even going to consider Lyme. In this view those who contract the disease will have a tick bite (known or unknown) followed by a “bulls-eye” rash (Erythma migrans). However, the leading alternative physicians specializing in the disease state that the rash only appears in 30 – 40% of their infected patients.⁵

Due to the difficulty in culturing the bacteria involved in the disease, blood tests are usually just a back-up confirmation of a diagnosis based on symptoms, rather than a means of primary diagnosis. Western blot and ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) are the most common antibody tests run. But here’s the rub: Dr. Harris of IgenX labs notes that only 60 – 70% of the people with Lyme ever show positive on the antibody test. Other doctors note only 50% of their Lyme patients testing positive on the standard blood tests. The pleomorphic (shape changing) nature of Bb explains this phenomenon: Bb can change from a spiral to a filament, cyst, granule, hooked rod, or to an elbow appearance – all of which are “cell wall deficient” and therefore produce no antibody response.

A new diagnostic test developed by JoAnne Whitaker, MD and Lida Mattman, Ph.D. offers some promise, though. The Rapid Identification of Bb (RIBb) test uses a fluorescent antibody stain specific for Bb to detect the bacteria. One of the advantages of this test is speed – it gives results in 20 to 30 minutes. Unlike the other blood tests which are looking for antibodies, RIBb is looking for the actual Bb organism in a way similar to the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Dr. Cowden also uses muscle testing and electrodermal testing, as we do at Pacific Health Center. For some time we have been checking a group of “Lyme Stressors” on clients with our Limbic Stress Assessment (LSA) screening. Understand that we do not diagnose Lyme disease or any other disease for that matter. Our testing provokes the body with a “digital signature” of an item (in this case various Borrelia and other organisms related to Lyme) and measures the body’s reaction by changes in electrical skin resistance. While a positive reaction on the LSA test could correspond with an active Lyme infection, it could also reflect previous exposure or just a sensitivity to the organism – what I call a “what would happen if you were exposed” test. At the very least the LSA test we do is a starting point for either ruling out a likely problem with Lyme or indicating further pursuit is appropriate.

CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT

Just as the view of diagnosis diverges between conventional and alternative medicine practitioners, so does the treatment. Early stage Lyme is treated with various antibiotics. Intravenous antibiotics are often done, particularly with later stage Lyme. Unfortunately, many Lyme sufferers go into a chronic form of the disease where prolonged antibiotic therapy is often not helpful. This extensive antibiotic treatment, of course, destroys one’s beneficial intestinal bacteria, produce systemic candidiasis (yeast overgrowth) and all the symptoms that accompany that condition, not to mention depressed immunity – the last thing you need with Lyme disease!

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT

From my perspective, even many alternative practitioners miss the point in slipping back into the conventional “germs cause disease, so we’ll kill germs” model of thinking. It’s easy to still subscribe to a germ theory approach to a disease like Lyme, but just to use natural remedies instead of drugs for the task at hand. Albeit that’s a step in the right direction, but I think we need to think deeper about correcting causes, rather than just treating symptoms, even if we are using more natural means of treating those symptoms.

I ponder the question of why lots of people (some say 25% of the population) carries the Bb bacteria, yet not everyone is symptomatic with the disease. Can there be any other reason than the vitality of a given person’s immune system? Isn’t that what it always comes back to? Therefore, the main task of attacking Lyme disease must begin with building up the body – correcting nutrient deficiencies, food sensitivities, environmental sensitivities, and especially detoxification. In other words, the Lyme client needs the same basic testing and program that we do with every other client.

But having said that, there are specific products that are normally very helpful for this specific condition, such as the following herbs and homeopathics:

HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

1. Samento – This is a special form of a Peruvian rain forest herb called Cat’s Claw (Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria gulanensis). This herb normally contains Tetracyclic Oxindole Alkaloids (TOA’s) which adversely affect the nervous system. Samento is TOA-free, thus making it a powerful antimicrobial that is a powerful immune system stimulant. Samento comes in both a liquid extract and a capsule form, both of which are available from Pacific Health Center.

2. Other Herbs – There are several other antimicrobial herbal supplements made by the same company as Samento which may be useful with Lyme, including Banderol and Mora. As always, which product to use is determined by individual testing.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

1. Series Therapy – Probably the best homeopathic approach uses a “series” of homeopathic dilutions of Borrelia burgdorferi, where one vial is taken per week until the series of ten vials is taken.

2. Homochords – This refers to a multi-potency homeopathic of the same remedy, in this case Borrelia burgdorferi. By putting multiple potencies in one bottle the body can take the potency it needs, which will change as the body goes through a healing process.

3. Other Homeopathics – We also use several other Lyme homeopathics that use homeopathic Bb along with supporting ingredients.

Though there are a number of supplements that have proven themselves effective with Lyme disease, I don’t believe in a “boilerplate” program, but rather an individualized approach to determine which remedies will have the optimum impact.

To get a FREE 30-Minute PHONE CONSULTATION ($80 value) with Leah Kline, Health and Wholeness Coach to discuss your health concerns, with no obligation:

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Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, AZ 85934, providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. Phone (800) 255-4246. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Ph.D., Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

PROBLEM OF HEAVY METAL TOXICITY

At Pacific Health Center every appointment involves a Limbic Stress Assessment (LSA) test or Zyto Test for reaction to heavy metal toxins. A lot of clients show significant reactions, provoking the usual response:

Where did I get that from?

Many people are unaware of the prevalence of heavy metal toxins in the environment – particularly lead, mercury, aluminum, cadmium, nickel, and arsenic. Heavy metal toxins cause cell membrane damage, produce free radicals, and cause oxidative stress. You can pretty much name a symptom, and it may be caused by heavy metal toxicity. Yet few people, have done any intensive detoxification in this area.

A study done by Rita Ellithorpe, MD on her own patients showed that 100% of them had the presence of heavy metals, 22% had elevated heavy metals, and 17% had potentially toxic heavy metals.

Let’s take aluminum as an example. Sources of aluminum toxicity include aluminum cookware, aluminum foil, antacids, antiperspirants, baking powder, buffered aspirin, canned acidic foods, lipstick, processed cheese, softened water, tap water, and many prescription medications. Health conditions associated with aluminum toxicity include respiratory problems, Alzheimer’s disease, bone disease, skin rashes, and neurological problems in children.

How about lead? Sources of toxicity include air pollution, ammunition, cast iron or porcelain steel bathtubs, batteries, canned foods, ceramics, chemical fertilizers, cosmetics, dust, foods grown near industrial areas, gasoline, hair dyes and rinses, leaded glass, newsprint and colored advertisements, paints, pesticides, pewter, rubber toys, soft coal, solder, tap water, tobacco smoke, and vinyl mini-blinds. Health conditions associated with lead toxicity include problems with the central nervous system, kidneys, reproductive system, decreased reaction time, weakness in fingers, writs or ankles, memory, anemia, and cancer. There are even more problems with children (born or unborn), who are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults are.

INTRAVENOUS CHELATION – GOOD, BUT COSTLY

Though there are nutritional supplements that help lower heavy metal levels in the body, the intravenous chelation therapy has generally been considered the ultimate treatment. This involves sitting for two to three hours at a time with a slow drip infusion of Calcium Sodium EDTA running into a vein on your arm . . . and doing this five days a week for several weeks at a cost of perhaps $4000 to $5000. Now there’s a better, non-invasive, proven, patented way of detoxifying heavy metals for less than one-tenth the cost of intravenous chelation.

ENTER “DETOXAMIN”

Detoxamin has developed a well-researched, patented chelation suppository called DETOXAMIN. Though the suppository has a 36% bioavailability of EDTA as compared to the 100% bioavailability of intravenous EDTA chelation, the amount the ends up in the tissue is over three times greater. While intravenous EDTA stays in the blood for just 1.5 hours, the EDTA suppository stays in the blood for 8+ hours. In one study a baseline urine level of lead in children was 325.6 at the beginning. After 10 days on the Detoxamin suppository, that reduced to 61.45, and after 20 days it reduced to 9.

URINE TEST FOR HEAVY METALS

Want to know for sure if you need heavy metal detoxification? A simple, inexpensive urine test you do at home that will show no, low, moderate or high levels of the common heavy metals (results are usual in 2 minutes). Look on line for Urine Heavy Metal Test Kit. Then call or email us with your results, and I can suggest the appropriate Detoxamin program for you to use.

A FINAL THOUGHT

Two things are essential to your health: (1) Getting the bad stuff out, and (2) Putting the good stuff in. You may be doing a good job or putting the good stuff in with diet and supplements, but that will be in vain if you don’t do everything you can to detoxify the bad stuff out. DETOXAMIN is a super product for helping you do that.

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, AZ 85934, providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. Phone (800) 255-4246. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Ph.D., Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

The terminology “non-essential amino acids” is unfortunate and misleading to the uninformed. As noted in the Health Minute on “Essential Amino Acids,” the terms “essential” and “non-essential” do not refer to the relative importance of the different amino acids, but only to their source. Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized in the body and therefore must come from diet, while non-essential amino acids can (at least theoretically) be synthesized from in the body from the essential amino acids present. But is it that simple?

If it were absolutely true that all the non-essential amino acids could be synthesized within the body, they would be of no concern and there would never be a need to supplement them. However, the fact is that many people are indeed deficient in non-essential amino acids and do respond positively to supplementation. Why? There are a number of possible reasons. First is simply what nutritionist, Roger Williams, called “biochemical individuality.” In other words every body is different. Some of us have a higher need for a particular nutrient. Others may have a genetic issue that requires more of that amino acid. Perhaps a given health problem is producing a greater need for a particular amino acid.

The point is simply this: Do not assume you are adequately supplied with either all of the essential or non-essential amino acids. Get tested and find out exactly which ones are lacking in your body.

Let’s now look at the characteristics of non-essential amino acids and what they do for your health.

Proline — Proline, along with lysine and vitamin C are essential to collagen health. Good collagen levels promote immunity against infections, joint and soft tissue health, strengthening the heart muscle, and reducing wrinkling of the skin. Proline may be useful for wound healing, muscle strains, and sagging skin associated with ageing.

Taurine — Though not an essential amino acid, some individuals may not synthesize it adequately and thus be deficient without supplementation. Those on a vegetarian diet lacking in methionine or cysteine may have difficulty synthesizing adequate taurine. Taurine supplementation may be more necessary in women due to a suppressive effect by the hormone estradiol.

Maintenance of proper cholesterol levels is a potential benefit of taurine supplementation, due to its involvement with bile acids. It has also been suggested that taurine deficiency may have a role in migraines through its effect on blood platelet function.

Taurine has an anti-convulsive effect and may be of value in epilepsy, since studies indicate an anti-convulsive effect. Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D. suggests a possible relationship between taurine deficiency and muscular dystrophy and an IQ benefit to Down’s Syndrome children with taurine, B complex, vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation.

Taurine apparently has an insulin-like character in its influence on blood sugar levels. Full spectrum light appears to increase taurine levels, while artificial light likely decreases this amino acid.

Carnitine — While likewise not considered an essential amino acid, carnitine can be synthesized in the liver from lysine and vitamin C. Low levels of vitamin C produce low levels of carnitine. In foods it is found in muscle and organ meats, while not in vegetable sources of protein. Most often carnitine is thought of in connection with fat metabolism. That may translate into triglyceride reduction and weight loss. Cardiovascular health requires sufficient levels of carnitine in the heart muscle. Studies indicate typical carnitine deficiency in those dying of heart attacks. Carnitine also assists endurance and muscular strength.

Tyrosine — Tyrosine is best known as a precursor to thyroid, adrenocortical hormones and dopamine. Deficiency of this non-essential amino acid may produce hypothyroid or hypo adrenal symptoms such as low blood pressure, low body temperature, cold hands and feet, plus memory and concentration problems. Since a tyrosine deficiency can cause a dopamine neurotransmitter deficiency, this amino acid may be linked to Restless Leg Syndrome and Parkinson’s disease. Tyrosine may help depression symptoms caused by norepinephrine deficiency. It may suppress appetite and stimulate growth hormone, which causes body fat reduction and muscle building. The body can make tyrosine from phenylalanine. Tyrosine supplementation should not be used by people taking MAO drugs. Tyrosine is digested by the chymotrypsin and bromelain enzymes.

Glutamine — Nutritionist, Roger Williams, described glutamine as “brain fuel,” in that it excites the brain and spinal cord. Glutamine is also a precursor to GABA, which has the opposite effect (calming) and also glutathione. It is the only amino acid that can pass through the blood-brain barrier. Glutamic acid combined with ammonia produces glutamine, thus detoxifying ammonia from the brain. Glutamic acid is part of the B vitamin, folic acid, as well as the chromium compound known as glucose tolerance factor (GTF). It is considered an effective treatment for hypoglycemia. Glutamine supplementation may be helpful with child behavior problems, autism, alcoholism, schizophrenia, senility, sugar cravings, and excessive appetite.

Cystine & Cysteine — Cystine and cysteine are made from methionine. Cystine is a stable form of the cysteine amino acid, with either one being convertible to the other. Cysteine is a component of glucose tolerance factor (GTF), coenzyme A, heparin, the B vitamin biotin, lipoic acid, insulin, glutathione, and several digestive enzymes including papain. As an antioxidant, cystine protects against radiation and pollution. Cystine and cysteine have been used to counteract damage from cigarette smoking and alcohol. Cystine is needed for skin formation, and thus for recovery from burns and surgery. Hair and skin are composed of 10—14% cystine. Cysteine is used for enhancing hair growth. Chronic bronchitis has been treated with cystine. It enhances the immune system by stimulating white blood cell activity.

According to Dr. William Philpott, utilization of vitamin B-6 requires either cystine or cysteine. He recommends taking B-6 in the pyridoxal 5’ phosphate form at the same time as taking cysteine.

A couple of cautions: Cysteine can deactivate insulin, so it should be avoided by diabetics. Secondly, the conversion of cysteine to cystine may increase the formation of kidney or bladder stones. According to Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw this can be avoided by taking at least three times the amount of vitamin C simultaneous to taking cysteine.

Glycine — Glycine is involved in synthesis of bile acids, nucleic acids, and liver detoxification and reduction of free radicals as a component of glutathione. It is a precursor of hormones involved in the immune system. Animal experiments indicate that it, along with arginine, helps healing and repair of tissues after trauma. Glycine produces creatine, which is essential to muscle growth and function. It is another component of glucose tolerance factor (GTF). Glycine also normalizes gastric acid secretion and thus may assist stomach digestion. Glycine is digested by bromelain enzyme.

Alanine — Alanine helps metabolize tryptophan and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). The body may used alanine to normalize blood sugar levels in hypoglycemic individuals. In animal experiments alanine, in combination with arginine and glycine, reduces cholesterol. Alanine also has the property of providing energy for muscle tissue, the brain, and the nervous system as a whole. It also strengthens immunity by producing antibodies. The b-alanine amino acid is involved in the synthesis of pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5). It is also a component of anserine and carnosine (which is used in eye drops for cataracts and other eye conditions).

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) — GABA is another amino acid that is significant to brain function as it regulates neuron activity. Generally it is considered a remedy for anxious states as it has a calming effect. GABA may also be helpful for migraines. By stimulating release of the pituitary hormone, prolactin, it may help enlarged prostate problems, according to Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw.

Asparagine & Aspartic Acid — Asparagine results from the combination of aspartic acid and ammonia. Like cystine and cysteine, this is a reversible combination. Thus, aspartic acid may be used to detoxify ammonia from the body and improve liver function. Aspartic acid helps form RNA and DNA, the carriers of our genetic information. Pharmacist author, Earl Mindell, states that aspartic acid also increases resistance to fatigue and thus may enhance athletic performance.

Citrulline — This amino acid is found primarily in the liver. Food sources include onions and garlic. Like aspartic acid, citrulline may help with fatigue and detoxification of ammonia, which poisons the cells. Citrulline is an immune system stimulant. It is also a precursor of arginine and ornithine and thus can help in synthesis of human growth hormone.

Ornithine — Ornithine likewise may assist liver function and regeneration. Pearson and Shaw state that 1g to 2g of ornithine taken on an empty stomach at bedtime produces a release of growth hormone, which can in turn decrease fat and increase muscle mass. It also stimulates the immune system and detoxifies ammonia. Neither ornithine nor arginine should be used by schizophrenics.

Serine — Serine is used as a moistening agent in cosmetics. It helps enhance immunity and assists in the synthesis of the fatty acid sheath that surrounds nerve fibers. Phosphatidyl serine is used as a memory-enhancing supplement.

Glutathione — Chemically, glutathione is a tri-peptide combination of three amino acids — cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. It possesses many detoxifying benefits, such as neutralizing free radical chemicals, which result from the peroxidation of fats and oils. Among other things free radicals react with protein in such a way as to damage collagen and increase ageing of tissues.

Studies show glutathione to increase certain types of immunity and to suppress cancer. Glutathione is also used for liver detoxification as well as removing heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, and aluminum.

DETERMINING AMINO ACID DEFICIENCIES

While it’s nice to know what the various amino acids do in the body, how does one actually determine deficiency? From a conventional medical point-of-view, there are both urine and blood tests for determining deficiencies. At our clinics we instead use our non-invasive methods of electrodermal screening and Limbic Stress Assessment (LSA). With these methods we measure changes in the electrical skin resistance when the body is stimulated with the “digital signature” of the various amino acids. Then individual or combination amino acid supplements can be tested for compatibility. Ultimately, health improvements after amino acid supplementation are the “proof in the pudding.”

SUPPLEMENTING AMINO ACIDS

Here let me repeat the supplementation guidelines I presented in the Health Minute on “Essential Amino Acids”: Once you actually find out which amino acids you are deficient in, what is the best supplementation method? Theoretically, if you are not deficient in the ten essential amino acids, your body should be able to make all the non-essential ones. In actuality, however, that may not be the case. Genetic differences or particular health issues may make for a greater requirement of a given non-essential amino acid than your body is able to synthesize.

What about timing of taking amino acid supplements? There are different schools of thought on this. While some suggest taking amino acids on an empty stomach, others suggest combining them with food. Unless otherwise noted, it does probably make the most sense to take amino acids at the end of a meal, just as protein foods would be part of a meal. However, they may be better absorbed with a carbohydrate meal rather than a protein-containing meal due to the competition created by the different protein sources.

It may be best to take individual amino acids along with a protein powder or combination amino acid supplement as greater insurance against creating an imbalance.

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which means they make up practically everything in our bodies. While it is common for people to take vitamins, minerals, enzymes, herbs, glandulars, and homeopathic supplements, relatively few take specific amino acids to balance their bodies. Nevertheless, amino acid supplementation can profoundly affect health. Amino acid deficiency can produce a wide range of symptoms, though we probably most often think of them in connection with affecting brain neurotransmitters.

Some amino acids are somewhat familiar, such as tryptophan and lysine, but what in the world do cystine or proline or citrulline or asparagine do exactly? Because I didn’t know the function of a lot of the amino acids, I decided to study the subject more thoroughly and write this update, as well as add a more specific testing procedure at our clinics. Though we don’t know a lot about the function of some of the amino acids, enough information is available to use them profitably.

A word of caution though: I do not recommend taking individual amino acids without some kind of a deficiency test to determine exactly which ones you’re lacking. From the more conventional medicine perspective there are urine and blood tests which do that, albeit very expensively. At Pacific Health Center we do a galvanic skin resistance measurement with the Limbic Stress Assessment (LSA) to determine both likely deficiencies producing stress on the body as well as balancing amino acid remedies. Though amino acid combination supplements and protein powders can be taken safely without individual testing (though we recommend the testing anyway), taking the wrong individual amino acid can create a body chemistry imbalance due to antagonistic relationships one amino may have with another. Test, don’t guess.

AMINO ACIDS & DIGESTION

When I see amino acid deficiency show up on a client’s health screening, I first hypothesize that it is a protein digestion issue. Depending on the amino acid, different enzymes are required for digestion. Since we’re typically better endowed with certain enzymes and less endowed with others, it’s logical that we would be deficient in some amino acids while lacking others. Unfortunately, few digestive enzyme products contain all the enzymes needed for digesting all of the amino acids. I feel the best therapeutic approach is probably a combination of using the right digestive enzymes (sometimes more than one digestive enzyme product may be necessary) as well as specific amino acid supplements.

ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (EAA)

This Health Minute will cover the ten amino acids that are considered “essential,” meaning you have to get them from your diet since your body is unable to synthesize adequate amounts. The next Health Minute discusses the “non-essential” amino acids — those that, at least theoretically for most people, can be synthesized from the essential amino acids. Remember that “essential” and “non-essential” don’t refer to their nutritional importance, but simply to whether or not they have to come from the dietary intake.

Arginine — This EAA can be synthesized in adulthood, though it is required in the diet during the growth period. Arginine helps us heal, strengthens the immune system, releases insulin, helps produce growth hormone and the neurotransmitter, GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid). The male seminal fluid is 80% arginine, making arginine deficiency a possible cause in low sperm count.

Arginine is competitive with lysine, meaning that too much arginine essentially may create a lysine deficiency. Given lysine is often used for various herpes simplex infection, high arginine foods should be avoided in such instances. High arginine foods include peanuts, nuts, soybeans, wheat, oats, chocolate, garlic, and ginseng.

Other conditions that may be helped by arginine supplementation include weight reduction, muscle building, and liver regeneration. High doses are contraindicated in cases of schizophrenia. It is also contraindicated in cases of liver or kidney disease. Enzymes digesting arginine include trypsin and papain.

Histidine — Like arginine, histidine is considered “essential” during the growth period only, though various conditions may require supplementation during adulthood. Histidine is a precursor to histamine, the chemical released in allergic reactions and with burns. It helps maintain the acid/alkaline balance in the blood and is also found in high amounts in hemoglobin. It may be helpful with particularly rheumatoid arthritis through its chelating and removal effect on copper, iron or other heavy metals. Histidine helps maintain the myelin sheath around the nerves and thus may be useful with MS. It may also help ulcers. Histidine deficiency may result in hearing problems. It should be taken with vitamin C and may be contraindicated with manic depression.

Isoleucine — Like histidine, isoleucine is important for hemoglobin formation, as well as muscle strength and stamina. Though not a lot is known about the therapeutic characteristics of isoleucine, deficiency does appear to correlate with mental and physical illness. Food sources include meat, poultry, eggs, nuts and seeds, garbanzo beans, lentils, rye and dairy products.

Leucine — As is the case with isoleucine, we don’t know a lot about the usage of leucine in the body, though it is reported to stimulate bone and skin healing, and the release of insulin. The right-handed d-form of leucine shows similar actions as d-phenylalanine in regard to preventing breakdown of the natural pain killers in the body — endorphins and enkephalins.

Lysine — Due to its role in collagen formation and the resulting protection against viral and other infections, lysine is the most used amino acid at my clinics. It can also lower triglycerides, help calcium absorption, and produce hormones. It is essential for bone formation in children. As noted earlier, it is competitive suppressed by too much arginine. Foods with the highest lysine: arginine ratio include: meats, fish, poultry, cheese, brewer’s yeast and mung bean sprouts. Lysine also forms the amino acid, carnitine. Enzymes that digest lysine include bromelain, papain, and trypsin.

Methionine — This sulfur-containing amino acid is especially known as an antioxidant and detoxifier particularly of heavy metals like lead. It can also protect against free radical damage and the effects of radiation. Deficiency may produce fatty build-up in the liver. Methionine makes selenium bioavailable, assisting in its absorption and transport. It should be taken with vitamin B-6 to avoid buildup of homocysteine levels in the body, which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Food sources again include fish, poultry, eggs, beef, soybeans, cottage cheese, yogurt, lentils, sesame seeds and pumpkins seeds.

Phenylalanine — A precursor to tyrosine and thyroid hormones, phenylalanine has numerous health properties: anti-depressant, pain reliever, appetite suppressant, collagen support, and helps memory and cognitive abilities. Several neurotransmitters are synthesized from phenylalanine. It is converted into tyrosine, which in turn is converted into dopamine, then norepinephrine and then epinephrine (adrenalin). Phenylalanine has particularly been used with controlling arthritic pain by extending the life of endorphins. Food sources include: fish, poultry, meats, nuts, sesame and pumpkin seeds, soybeans, cottage cheese, lentils, garbanzos, and lima beans. When used for weight control, it is recommended that phenylalanine be taken on an empty stomach at bedtime. Phenylalanine should not be used by people taking MAO inhibitor drugs. Papain and chymotrypsin enzymes digest phenylalanine.

Threonine — Attributes of this amino acid include assisting with collagen formation, antibody production, support of the thymus gland, and detoxification. Threonine helps prevent fatty deposits in the liver and may improve digestion and absorption of nutrients. Emmanuel Cheraskin, MD in Psychodietetics stated that threonine deficiency produced difficult, irritable personalities. Threonine may be converted to glycine.

Tryptophan — Tryptophan, as a precursor to the serotonin neurotransmitter, is well known for helping depression, anxiety, relaxation and sleep. It also may convert to niacin, lower cholesterol, help migraines, and stimulate growth hormone production. Serotonin levels in turn influence whether people choose to eat more or less carbohydrate, thus linking with obesity issues. Tryptophan is best taken away from a protein meal and preferably with a carbohydrate meal for optimum serotonin production. People using MAO inhibitor drugs and women who may become pregnant should not use tryptophan.

Valine — As one of the lesser known essential amino acids, valine’s properties include assisting with muscle function and energy, combating physical stress, and aiding assimilation of other amino acids by the small intestine. Valine may also help emotional stress, nervousness, and insomnia.

AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENTATION

Once you actually find out which amino acids you are deficient in, what is the best supplementation method? Theoretically, if you are not deficient in the ten essential amino acids, your body should be able to make all the non-essential ones. In actuality, however, that may not be the case. Genetic differences or particular health issues may make for a greater requirement of a given non-essential amino acid than your body is able to synthesize.

What about timing of taking amino acid supplements? There are different schools of thought on this. While some suggest taking amino acids on an empty stomach, others suggest combining them with food. Unless otherwise noted, it does probably make the most sense to take amino acids at the end of a meal, just as protein foods would be part of a meal. However, they may be better absorbed with a carbohydrate meal rather than a protein-containing meal due to the competition created by the different protein sources.

It may be best to take individual amino acids along with a protein powder or combination amino acid supplement as greater insurance against creating an imbalance.

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

Are we on the verge of a new “plague” that will kill more than AIDS? That’s what some researchers and health authorities are predicting concerning MRSA — Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. The media is going wild over this story, which ironically I have been talking about in a general way for many years at my SICK & TIRED SEMINARSM. So the questions are: What is MRSA? How do you get it? Who is at risk? What are the treatment options? How can you prevent it? What role can natural health care play in prevention and treatment?

WHAT IS MRSA?

MRSA (acronym pronounced “mersa”) is a type of staph bacterial infection. A study released October 16, 2007 noted that in 2005 94,360 people developed a serious, invasive MRSA infection resulting in 18,650 deaths during hospitalizations. In 2007 the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology estimated that 1.2 million hospital patients are in some way infected with MRSA annually in the U.S. and another 423,000 are colonized with it. One public health expert speculated that MRSA deaths may exceed those of AIDS.

MRSA was first noted in the United Kingdom in 1961, but is now found around the world. Various types of staph bacteria are fairly common, being found on the skin or in the nose of 1/3 of the population. Mere presence of this bacteria is classified only as “colonization,” while the issue is with actual invasive infection, where the organism gets in the blood stream or destroys the skin. Though this germ has been noted for a number of years in hospitals, known as hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA), a greater concern now is community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA), which is proving highly contagious in non-hospital settings.

MRSA or other staph infections usually begin as pimple—like red bumps that may appear to be boils or spider bites. Unfortunately they can quickly become deep, painful abscesses necessitating draining. Although the infection may only affect the skin, in some cases MRSA may invade the bones, joints, surgical wounds, the blood, lungs and heart valves.

HOW DO YOU GET IT?

Generally speaking, staph bacteria invade the body through some kind of cut or wound, though entrance to the body through the respiratory tract is also of concern due to frequent colonization of MRSA in these areas. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that 85% of all invasive MRSA infections are associated with healthcare, one-third of those occurring during hospitalization. Risk factors according to the Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com) include:

HA-MRSA (Hospital Acquired)

• Current or Recent Hospitalization — The greatest exposure to such pathogens is in hospitals, which are full of sick, immune-compromised people.

• Living in a Long-term Care Facility — MRSA is more common in these facilities than in hospitals.

• Invasive Devices — Dialysis, catheters and feeding tubes lend themselves to easier infection.

• Recent Antibiotic Usage — This is particularly true with fluorquinolones such as ciprofloxacin or with cephalosporin.

CA-MRSA (Community Acquired)

• Children — Due to underdeveloped immune system coupled with prevalence of cuts and other minor wounds, kids are especially at risk

• Contact Sports — since skin to skin contact that easily spreads the bacteria is coupled with cuts and abrasions that allow it to invade the body.

• Sharing Towels or Athletic Equipment — Razors, towels, uniforms or other athletic items has caused MRSA to spread.

• Weakened Immunity — Any immune system weakness favors MRSA infection. Those over age 65 are more susceptible in part because of weakened immunity.

• Crowded or Unsanitary Conditions — There have been CA-MRSA outbreaks on military bases as well as prisons.

• Contact with Health Care Workers — Health care workers have perhaps the greatest exposure to MRSA and thus may carry the organism. Patients, family members, friends, etc. in contact with them are thus at a higher risk.

DIAGNOSIS

Be aware of skin problems like pimples, insect bites and cuts or abrasions. Skin infections that are swollen, painful or have draining pus need to be immediately examined by a medical doctor. If the doctor just wants to put you on antibiotics, insist on having a test for MRSA, which can be detected through a blood test.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT

The main problem with MRSA is that it doesn’t respond to typical antibiotic treatment. Vancomycin or Teicoplanin are usually the antibiotics used to treat such resistant bacteria, but some hospitals have already had MRSA outbreaks that did not respond to these drugs. In some cases, doctors are simply draining abscesses rather than actually treating the infection.

Believe it or not, maggots have been successfully used to treat MRSA! You know conventional medicine is really desperate when they go back to the leeches and maggots for help.

THE ROOT CAUSE

Do you want a simple explanation of where this whole problem came from? It’s about the overuse of antibiotics drugs by conventional medicine. This is another iatrogenic (doctor-caused) disease.

For 50+ years Americans have been taking antibiotics for routine bacterial infections. Millions have also taken them for viral infections for which they are useless (that’s spelled m-a-l-p-r-a-c-t-i-c-e) because a lot of doctors think they have to give you something for your complaint, even if it doesn’t work. In recent years the Centers for Disease Control have had a major campaign against this over-prescribing of antibiotics. Their ad campaign, featuring a child with a cold says, “Snort, Sniffle, Sneeze — No Antibiotics Please!” The Mayo Clinic website labels “unnecessary antibiotic use in humans” as the leading cause of antibiotic resistant organisms like MRSA:

Like other superbugs, MRSA is the result of decades of excessive and unnecessary antibiotic use. For years, antibiotics have been prescribed for colds, flu and other viral infections that don’t respond to these drugs, as well as for simple bacterial infections that normally clear on their own.

Here’s the problem: Let’s say you take an antibiotic for an ear infection or sinus infection. Do you suppose that drug kills 100% of the bacteria in your body? No. But which bacteria survive the antibiotic? The really strong and hardy ones that live to reproduce. Taking antibiotics for routine infections is practicing a selective breeding program to make stronger and stronger bacteria. The fittest do survive and adapt by genetic mutation to be resistant to that antibiotic drug. Thus, a lot of antibiotics just no longer work. But we really see the deadly seriousness of the problem when a superbug like MRSA comes along where few if any antibiotics have any effect.

But what if you seldom if ever have taken antibiotics? You still have a problem. Again, the Mayo Clinic notes:

Prescription drugs aren’t the only source of antibiotics. In the United States, antibiotics can be found in beef cattle, pigs and chicken. The same antibiotics then find their way into municipal water systems when the runoff from feedlots contaminates streams and groundwater . . . Antibiotics given in the proper doses to animals who are sick don’t appear to produce resistant bacteria.

PREVENTING MRSA

Prevention is always the best course of action — especially with a disease for which there may be no cure. Before I talk about specifics, let me share a little optimism. Not everyone exposed to MRSA gets an invasive infection. And certainly not everyone who actually gets the infection, dies. Ultimately this is about one question: How strong is your immune system?

We are exposed every second to all kinds of germs, yet most of the time we don’t get sick because our immune system deals with it. Like every other infectious disease, MRSA is primarily effecting those with the weakest immune systems — the elderly, children, and those in the hospital. If you aggressively build your immune system, you don’t need to cower in fear of this disease. But you do need to take action. Here are some steps:

1. Avoid Antibiotics— I’ve only taken an antibiotic medication once in last 35 years (and I got conned into it that time). If you aren’t constantly taking antibiotics for every little infection, there is a much greater probability of antibiotics actually working if you need them someday for a serious, life-threatening infection like MRSA. Likewise, whenever possible eat organically raised meat that does not have antibiotic drug residues.

2. Don’t Eat Pig— For over 30 years I’ve been telling people to follow the Old Testament Dietary Law (see Better Health Update #29) and not eat pig, shellfish or other foods God said were inedible. In addition to all the other scientific research to this point, the Netherlands has found major MRSA infections at pig farms and noted pig to human transfer through the meat.

3. Take Probiotics— Antibiotics, whether from drugs you take or drugs you ingest from foods you eat, destroy the beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract. Those beneficial acidophilus, bifidus and other bacteria are essential to maintaining good immunity.

4. Don’t Eat Sugar— Nothing will destroy your immunity faster than eating refined sugar. Many years ago the late Emanuel Cheraskin, M.D., experimented with the effect of white sugar on immunity. After observing how many germs white blood cells would destroy in the blood samples of volunteers, he had them swallow 1 teaspoon of sugar, after which the white blood cells could only destroy half as many germs.

5. Practice Good Sanitation— Wash your hands regularly. Unlike conventional medicine, I do not recommend using anti-bacterial soaps, which I believe exacerbate the problem of the overuse of antibiotics. Hot water and regular soap work fine. If you are in the hospital, or whenever you see a doctor, insist they wash their hands before examining you. Don’t share towels, sheets, razors, clothing or athletic equipment.

6. Keep Wounds Bandaged— Cuts and other abrasions should be kept clean and covered with sterile bandages until they heal.

7. Vitamin C— Vitamin C is pretty basic to maintaining immunity and fighting infection. I would take at least 2,000—3,000 mg per day of a buffered ascorbate-type C for maintenance and two to three times that amount when you’re actually sick.

8. Anti-Infection Herbs— Echinacea, Golden Seal and Olive Leaf Extract are among the herbs with infection fighting properties. Based on individual testing, as we do at PHC, one of these may be appropriate for prevention or to deal with an actual infection.

9. Homeopathic Remedies— Likewise, there are various homeopathic remedies for infections, including bacterial nosodes (homeopathic dilutions of disease organisms) which stimulate immune reaction.

10. Colloidal Silver— Colloidal silver was used effectively for many years before the discovery of antibiotics in treatment of a wide range of infections. It’s very effective and the germs aren’t resistant to it.

11. Ozone Air Purification— Ozone is proven effective as a sanitizer on sports equipment. I have long recommended ozone air purification in your home. See Better Health Update #14 for details.

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

In this Update, we tackle the topic of water from a different perspective. Instead of just looking at purity (what has generally been my focus over the years) we look at structure — the arrangement of water molecules and how that impacts health.

This article represents a significant adjunct to my thinking on the topic of water. I have used and recommended distilled water since my health career began in the 1970’s. I have regularly dismissed solicitations regarding “structured water” over the years for two reasons: (1) I knew distilled water (with post-carbon filtration) represented the best water purification method, and (2) Claims I’ve heard in the past for “structured water” just sounded hokey — I was suspicious.

Then in the early summer of 2005 a new client came to our Bellevue clinic and casually mentioned benefits she’d receive from a particular structured water technology. She also explained how the method involved starting with distilled water in order to make structured water. I got more interested. I reject sales pitches day after day, but this idea somehow resonated. I immediately went to the company’s website, reading explanations and research about structured water and its benefits. Then I talked to the owner of the company, a fellow believer, who also sells the same water distillers we sell at PHC, and found this whole concept to be utterly fascinating. I got excited about this concept simply because it fit in with everything else I already knew about water. Let me explain what I’ve learned.

WHAT IS “STRUCTURED WATER”?

I’ve often said that distillation is God’s method for purifying water . . . and that’s true! We’re using the same water on earth today that was used thousands of years ago — it’s simply recycled by vaporization and condensation as rain or snow — a distillation process. But that’s only half the story!

After that water falls on the mountain top the water flows downhill over stones and other objects forming vortices that oxygenate the water and electromagnetically program it into a particular structure. It also bonds with certain minerals (though nutritionally insignificant, these minerals help structure the water). The result is hexagonal water.

HEXAGONAL WATER

We all know water is H₂O — a molecule of two atoms of hydrogen bound to one molecule of oxygen. But the water molecules don’t stand alone — they form structured groups. The healthiest structure for water molecules is hexagonal — six water molecules bound together hexagonally. The unhealthy form of water is pentagonal — five water molecules bound together pentagonally.

Certain minerals bound to the water encourage one structure or the other. Calcium, lithium, sodium, zinc, silver, nickel, iron and copper have stronger bonds decreasing the free movement of water and thus increasing the hexagonal structure. Magnesium, potassium, rubidium, aluminum, chloride, fluoride, bromide and iodide have weaker bonds increasing the free movement of water and thus increasing the pentagonal structure.

PROTEINS, DNA, COLLAGEN & HYDRATION

Water molecules around normal protein is mostly hexagonal, while the water around cancer-causing proteins is more pentagonal in structure. Since the water most people drink is highly pentagonal in structure, could this not be a major cancer risk factor?

DNA holds our genetic information — it is the foundation of life. But there are two kinds of DNA — the normal DNA, which is called B-DNA, characterized by a clean double helix spiral and abnormal DNA, which is called Z-DNA, characterized by a distorted spiral. The water surrounding the normal B-DNA is highly structured and serves to stabilize the DNA double helix. To put it another way, the structured water around the DNA protects it from damage and distortion. But the abnormal Z-DNA has fewer water molecules surrounding it resulting in a more distorted structure, a structure much more liable to genetic damage. Structured water research relative to DNA produced three Nobel Prize winners in the 1990’s.

Collagen, as the body’s most plentiful protein, forms a major part of our joints, cartilage, skin and connective tissue. As discussed in Health Minute (“HA-Hyaluronic Acid) and (“The Collagen Connection”), hydration is the key to healthy collagen. Hyaluronic Acid hydrates the collagen resulting in better cushioning in the joints and more wrinkle-free skin. Guess what’s found between the collagen strands — a layer of structured water.

INCREASED ENERGY

One of the most frequent comments from people who have begun drinking structured water concerns energy improvements. Given this water has more oxygen and hydrates the cells better, this makes sense. But there’s also a purely energetic difference in the water — what we might call “the physics of water”. Kirlian photography has been used for decades to show energy fields of living organisms. A Kirlian photograph of a finger tip (that I’m not able to reproduce here) shows a major change in the energy emanation after drinking just eight ounces of structured water.

Because structured water has a higher specific heat capacity, it can hold more energy than other water. In other words, structured water enables you to expend more energy, to do more “work”. Conversely, with high amounts of pentagonal water, acidic wastes increase and metabolic functions decrease.

ANTI-AGING

In my 7 Things You Must Know to Regain Your Health seminar I discuss the dehydration that seems to come with aging. While infants are about 80% water, the elderly are only 50%. Those jibes about someone looking like a dried prune are actually true — they are dehydrated! Dr. Mu Shik Jhon of the Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering at the Korean Institute of Science and Technology, and the man considered the world’s foremost authority on structured water, said this:

Aging is a loss of Hexagonal Water from organs, tissues and cells, and an overall decrease in total body water.

It’s not just water period that appears to decrease with aging, but structured water specifically, as shown by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

This is not just an issue of the water content, or hydration, of the body, but of cellular water turnover. How much water is excreted from the body daily? An infant excretes 125-150 ml/kg of body weight. By young adulthood, only 25-30 ml/kg of body weight is being excreted. Metabolic rate seems to correspond with this cellular water turnover — thus the aging connection.

An FDA registered device called the Bioelectrical Body Composition Analyzer indicates how quickly the cellular water turns over. Drinking 8 oz. of filtered water requires 45-60 minutes to show movement at the cellular level, while drinking 8 oz. of structured water shows movement in just 10 minutes!

OSTEOPOROSIS

The loss of hexagonal structured water with aging also tends to result in a loss of calcium, since calcium is one of the primary minerals involved in creating the hexagonal structure. Another way of saying this is that calcium and hexagonal structured water have an affinity for each other. Therefore, if you don’t have enough hexagonal water, you won’t have enough calcium in the body. Is it any wonder that bone density problems are so typical in the elderly?

In his book, The Water Puzzle and the Hexagonal Key, Dr. Mu Shik Jhon notes the limitations of calcium supplementation alone for helping bone density:

Calcium supplementation often merely results in an increase of calcium discharged from the body — like pouring water into a container with no bottom. According to the molecular water environment theory, it is necessary to consume hexagonal water along with calcium so that it can be used more efficiently at the cellular level.

WEIGHT ISSUES

Overweight people, rather than having excess water, actually have as much as 20% less water than other people. Their lack of structured water can produce lowered metabolism and thus increased weight. Adding structured water may be helpful, therefore, in restoring normal weight and metabolism.

CONSTIPATION

Constipation, and the resulting self-produced toxicity, greatly diminish health and vitality. Dr. Gyu Hwan Choi of the National School of Medicine in Seoul, Korea did a study on the effect of hexagonal structured water on constipation. For six of the eight chronic constipation subjects in the study, bowel regularity improved, nearly doubling. Transition time improved by 40—60%.

STRESS & IMMUNITY

Dr. Mu Shik Jhon notes that stress changes healthy hexagonal water into unhealthy pentagonal water. Whether the stresses are chemical, environmental, or emotional, the immune system suffers making you more vulnerable to disease.

Vitamin C has long been recognized as a boost to immunity through various mechanisms. At least one of the ways Vitamin C benefits the immune system is by increasing the amount of hexagonal water, just as the structure-making mineral ions do.

MAKING STRUCTURED WATER

Structured water is preferably made from steam distilled water (reverse osmosis would be the second choice). Do not make structured water from tap or any other kind of water. There are three basic methods for making structured water:

1. Lowering water temperature — Hexagonal structures increase with as temperature decreases. Thus, glaciers are full of structured water. In its supercooled state (liquid below freezing temperature) water is 100% hexagonal.

2. Adding structure-making mineral ions — Calcium and the other minerals previously referred to increase the hexagonal structures in water.

3. Electrical or Magnetic Fields — Ionization (also known as electrolyzation) involves placing water in an electrical field where positive ions are pulled to one side of a permeable membrane while negative ions go to the other side. Unfortunately, the hexagonal structure doesn’t last very long. A more stable structured water is created magnetically as the water is spun in a vortex between two opposing pole magnets. This results in water that maintains its hexagonal structures for 20 days. Though increased oxygenation results from this type of machine, that effect only lasts about 20 minutes.

The device we use combines the structure-making minerals with magnetic fields, followed by refrigerator storage of the water.

USING STRUCTURED WATER

Structured water can have a powerful detoxifying effect. For this reason it is best to introduce it gradually. Consuming 4-6 oz. per day (sipped throughout the day) for the initial week is recommended. Then gradually increase the structured water until you are only drinking it.

The more toxic you are, the more likely you are too experience detoxification symptoms. The most reported initial detox symptoms are fatigue and emotional reactions. The later may be due to structured water better hydrating the neurons and thus improving nerve transmission and memory. If you start remembering past, emotionally painful times, it may be due to this type of detox reaction.

Try taking your distilled water to the next step — structured water. Increased energy and stamina, better metabolism, stronger immune system, detoxification, better cell hydration, anti-aging effects and other possible benefits await. Try it and see how it impacts your health!

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

I believe Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) is the most healthful oil available today. In this article I will discuss what this amazing oil is, the health conditions it appears to benefit and how to use it. (I recommend you also refer to Health Minute “The Big Fat Lie”, which is a general discussion of fats and oils.)

WHAT IS VIRGIN COCONUT OIL?

Not all coconut oil is the same. Most commercial coconut oil is made from copra, which is the dried coconut meat. Most copra is not dried in a sanitary way, so after extraction the unrefined oil must be refined for purification purposes. This produces what is known as RBD coconut oil (refined, bleached, deodorized). This involves high heat, filtering through bleaching clays and the use of sodium hydroxide to remove fatty acids and extend the shelf life. RBD coconut oil is also sometimes hydrogenated which produces the worst of the bad fats — trans fatty acids.

By contrast, Virgin Coconut Oil is always made from fresh coconut meat — what is referred to as non-copra. The VCO used at Pacific Health Center from the Tropical Traditions company in the Philippines is produced by a traditional fermentation method. First the coconut milk is mechanically expressed and fermented for 24-36 hours, during which water and coconut oil separate. The oil is slightly heated to remove any traces of water and then lightly filtered. This results in a clear coconut oil with the delightful aroma of fresh coconut.

The Tropical Traditions company works through church groups in rural, often remote areas of the Philippines for the gathering and processing of the coconuts. This VCO is made from fresh, organically grown coconuts within 24 hours of harvesting. The quality is incredible.

COCONUT OIL INGREDIENTS

Coconut oil is a saturated fat, as explained in the previous Health Minute. That means it’s chemically stable, it doesn’t go rancid and it’s solid at room temperature (coconut oil melts above 76 degrees). Contrary to the myth of the “big fat lie”, as explained in the Update, saturated fats like VCO have huge health benefits.

Saturated fats make up 50% or more of the cell membranes producing necessary strength . Our bodies require that 50% of our fat intake is saturated fat in order for calcium to be assimilated into our bones!

Coconut oil is the richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) apart from human breast milk. MCTs produce energy (rather than being stored as fat as long-chain triglycerides such as corn, safflower and soy oil are), increase metabolic rates leading to weight loss, improve thyroid function and help digestive problems like Crohn’s and IBS.

The main MCT in coconut oil is lauric acid, which has been shown to destroy bacterial and viral organisms including H. pylori, herpes simplex I virus, measles virus, influenza, cytomegalovirus and, even in some experiments, HIV. Lauric acid also anti-fungal, killing Candida albicans yeast organisms.

COOKING WITH COCONUT OIL

Due to its stability and health benefits, VCO is the only oil I now recommend for cooking with. Most oils people are cooking with today are either damaged by cooking so as to become unhealthy, or they were already damaged by heating during the hydrogenation process. Only saturated fats (those where all available carbon bonds are occupied by a hydrogen atom) like VCO and butter are not damaged by heating.

I no longer recommend olive oil for cooking, though it is a great oil to have in the diet uncooked. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat, meaning it has only one double bond in its chemical structure and thus lacks two hydrogen atoms. Though monounsaturated fats are much more chemically stable than polyunsaturated fats, it’s chemical structure allows harmful breakdown. Dr. Joseph Mercola also notes that oleic acid is excessive in heated olive oil and has been related to increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease.

Polyunsaturated oils (corn, soy, safflower, etc.) are the absolute worst for cooking, since they are very chemically reactive and go rancid easily. These oils have two or more pairs of double bonds, meaning they lack four or more hydrogen atoms and thus making them the least chemically stable.

POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS

Reported health benefits from VCO include:

1. Increased Energy— As the richest source of medium-chain triglycerides other than breast milk, VCO is a great energy producer. Whereas, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) result in stored fat, MCTs burn immediately. They would be akin to burning paper or kindling, whereas PUFAs would be like burning a big, wet log.

2. Weight Loss— When I was first in practice, low fat diets were the rage for weight loss and everything else. Today, after several decades of responding to low fat diet propaganda, obesity in America is at an all-time high. Livestock producers know that you fatten an animal for slaughter by feeding it polyunsaturated oils like soy or corn oil. Now that leaner meat is in demand, livestock producers are now feeding saturated fats, including coconut oil, prior to slaughter. Because of the paranoia about fat, we now have lean cows and pigs and fat people!
   Among other things fats add satiety, a feeling of satisfaction with the amount of food eaten. Avoidance of fat-containing foods stands as one reason why people eat carbohydrates to excess — they just don’t feel like they’ve had enough to eat.
   Low carbohydrate diets have become very popular, and, with good reason. But for low carb diets to work, they need to also be high fat — the right kind of fats. Coconut oil is ideal in this respect for helping weight loss.
   As mentioned previously, the fats from MCTs in coconut oil are generally not stored as fat deposits in the body. One animal study compared fat storage in the body on three different diets: (1) low fat diet, (2) high fat diet with LCTs (long-chain triglycerides like soy or corn oil) and (3) a high fat diet with MCTs. After 44 days the low fat diet group stored .47 grams of fat/day, the high fat LCT group stored .48 grams/day (virtually the same as the low fat group), and the MCT group (the fat in coconut oil) stored only .19 grams of fat/day. The MCT group experienced a 60% reduction in fat stored! Another study found that MCT containing diet resulted in a 12% increase in metabolic rate, where the LCT group only increased metabolism by 4%.

3. Thyroid Function— Many Americans suffer, often unknowingly, from low thyroid function (see the Health Minute article). They may experience low body temperature, cold hands and feet, dry skin, fatigue, low libido and many other symptoms, including weight gain resulting from lowered metabolism.
   While studies have shown polyunsaturated oils to cause hypothyroidism and resulting slow metabolism, the MCTs in coconut oil do just the opposite.
   Thyroid disease is on the rise. For example, one study of over 25,000 people found that about 10% of them who were not on thyroid medication actually had thyroid disorders. One of the reasons for this relates to iodine deficiency, a deficiency not solved by decades of iodizing of salt. It’s not so much that people aren’t taking in enough iodine, as that their bodies are blocking the iodine they have. Two common iodine-blockers (goitrogens) are peanuts (peanut oil, peanut butter) and soybeans (soy oil and textured vegetable protein). Again we have the LCT fatty acids contributing to obesity.
   Trans fatty acids, made from hydrogenating LCTs damage the cells in general and adversely affect the thyroid. Because of their chemical instability, LCTs, like soy or corn oil, are more likely to go rancid. That, in turn, interferes with the conversion of T4 thyroid hormone to T3 hormone, resulting in hypothyroidism. Stored fat cannot be turned into energy without converting T4 to T3.

4. Cholesterol & Heart Disease— For decades producers of low-fat foods and polyunsaturated oils have conned Americans into believing that saturated fats were the cause of high cholesterol and heart disease. If that were true, the areas of the world with the highest saturated fat consumption should have the highest heart disease. Actually, just the opposite is true. Americans consume less saturated fats than anywhere else in the world, yet have the highest heart disease rates!
   A study of two South Pacific islands showed that when 60% of the calories were coming from the saturated fat in coconut oil, there was virtually no obesity, heart disease or other common degenerative diseases. The study concluded:
   Vascular disease is uncommon in both populations and there is no evidence of the high saturated fat intake having a harmful effect in these populations. (Prior IA, et. al. “Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls . . .” Am J Clin Nutr 1981 Aug; 34(8):1552-61.)
   While coconut may increase total cholesterol, it improves the HDL and LDL ratios. HDL (erroneously called “good cholesterol”) increases, while LDL (erroneously called “bad cholesterol”) decreases. These lipo-protein transporters of cholesterol are the bigger issue. Lipid authority, Mary Enig, Ph.D., notes that dietary deficiency of fatty acids actually increases serum cholesterol levels! Hydrogenated soy, corn, or cottonseed oils may be essential fatty acid deficient, in addition to containing trans fatty acids — known destroyers of cardiovascular health.
   No wonder a study of “aortic plaques” at the Institute for Metabolic Research in London found their composition 26% saturated fat and 74% polyunsaturated fats. The later oils are the ones clogging your arteries!

5. Skin Conditions— VCO internally and topically on the skin has been noted to improve dryness, fungal infections, eczema and psoriasis. The high usage of coconut oil in the tropics is probably the main reason there is little skin cancer in spite of spending long hours in the sun. Coconut oil has excellent antioxidant properties which exert a protective influence on the skin.
   VCO can be used topically on the skin as well for sun protection, instead of toxic sun block lotions. Note that this will not block out all UV radiation, so you still need to limit sun exposure to keep from burning. Part of what causes sunburn is actually the internal consumption of the wrong fats — the polyunsaturated fats, which oxidize causing free radical damage.

6. Digestive Diseases— Many people have noted improvement in Crohn’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) with the usage of VCO. The MCTs in coconut oil absorb into the digestive tract readily, while the LCTs in corn or soy oil do not.

7. Candidiasis— Systemic and localized Candida yeast overgrowth is also helped by VCO, due to the anti-fungal properties of lauric acid. VCO is helpful both internally and on topical yeast infections.

HOW TO USE VIRGIN COCONUT OIL

The number one question on coconut oil is, “What do I do with it? How do I take it?” Here are some possibilities:

1. Use it for all cooking requiring oils. Definitely don’t fry or stir-fry with anything else.

2. There are many recipe usages of VCO for dressings, sauces, soups, vegetables and main dishes. The book, Virgin Coconut Oil by Brian & Marianita Jader Shilhavy (available at PHC clinics), contains a 76 page recipe section.

3. Use VCO any place you could use butter (butter is also okay, but this is a good way to take in coconut oil). I especially like it on hot cereal.

4. Add VCO to smoothies.

5. It can be added to hot drinks like herbal teas or herbal coffee substitutes.

6. Massage onto the skin, where it not only benefits skin conditions, but is also absorbed into the body.

7. Just take a spoonful directly into the mouth. I like it fine this way, though some people don’t. It seems to digest better if you already have food in the stomach.

Typical amounts to use range from 1 to 3 tablespoons per day.

Enjoy this incredible oil!

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

Americans have been fed the big fat lie. Food processors, drug companies and conventional medicine have conned the average person into believing that dietary “fat” is the ultimate health evil. For decades now the health of Americans has been undermined by (1) not eating fat and (2) eating the wrong fats. This has resulted in a wide range of health problems.

While our popular culture has obsessed over fat being bad, fat was central to the Old Testament sacrificial system because of its value, and most Bible references to fat are positive:

“ . . . you shall eat the fat of the land” (Gen. 45:18c)

“Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord.” (Neh. 8:10b)

“. . . Good news puts fat on the bones.” (Prov. 15:30b)

THE LIE ON OBESITY

For 30 years or more we’ve been told that low fat diets were good for losing weight. But, in case you haven’t noticed, after decades of low fat dieting, Americans are fatter than ever. Today 64% of U. S. adults aged 20 and over are either overweight (Body Mass Index of 25 or more) and 39% are clinically obese (BMI of 30 or more).

The amazing truth is that you need dietary fat to lose weight, but it needs to be the right kind of fat. Those in the livestock business understand this. When fat was “in”, the fatter the animal the better. Feeding pigs polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oil would put more fat on them. To make the pigs leaner as slaughter was approaching, the Dept. of Animal Science at North Carolina State University found it necessary to stop feeding polyunsaturated fats and start feeding saturated fats like coconut oil. Just like the pigs, eating polyunsaturated vegetable oils and avoiding saturated fats for 30 years have made Americans fat.

THE LIE ON CHOLESTEROL

The “Lipid Hypothesis” as preached to Americans since the late 1950’s maintains a direct relationship between increased saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet and the incidence of heart disease. The vegetable oil and food processing industries were quick to jump on this bandwagon abandoning more traditional usage of fats.

In the early part of the 20th century a young doctor named Paul Dudley White (later President Eisenhower’s cardiologist) introduced the German electrocardiograph to America. His Harvard colleagues advised him to choose a more profitable area of medicine, since heart disease was so rare. This was of course back when everyone was eating lots and lots of animal fats. Today, with most people avoiding animal fats, heart disease accounts for 40% of U. S. deaths.

The famous Framingham, Massachusetts study on cholesterol found that “the more saturated fat one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s serum cholesterol . . .” Numerous other studies reached similar findings.

Perhaps the most famous anti-fat guru of our day was Nathan Pritikin. The Pritikin Diet was in its hey day when I wrote my first book in the 1970’s with people flocking to the Pritikin center in Santa Barbara. To his credit, Pritikin also emphasized the elimination of refined sugar, refined flour and processed food along with an increased in fresh raw foods, whole grains and strenuous exercise. While adherents had weight loss, improved blood pressure and lower cholesterol, they eventually suffered from low energy, poor concentration, depression, mineral deficiencies and ultimately weight gain. Pritikin didn’t get heart disease to be sure — he got cancer. He died from committing suicide in frustration over the failure of his diet relative to his own health problem.

TYPES OF FATTY ACIDS

Types by Saturation

1. Saturated — All available carbon bonds are occupied by a hydrogen atom, resulting in a very chemically stable fat. Thus they do not normally go rancid, even when used in cooking. Saturated fats (e. g. butter) are solid at room temperature. If you have any doubt about the health benefits of saturated fats, let me mention that the butterfat in breast milk has 20% more saturated fats than lard!

2. Monounsaturated — These fatty acids have one double bond and thus lack two hydrogen atoms in their structure. The body can synthesize monounsaturated fats from saturated fats. As with the saturated fats, these oils (e. g. olive oil) are pretty stable and don’t easily go rancid. Thus, they can be used in cooking.

3. Polyunsaturated — Having two or more pairs of double bonds, thus lacking four or more hydrogen atoms, these fatty acids are highly reactive, go rancid easily and should never be heated or used in cooking. They remain liquid, even refrigerated. Essential Fatty Acids (those only gotten from diet) are polyunsaturated.

Excessive polyunsaturated fats, however, may contribute to cancer, heart disease, immune system problems, decreased learning ability, obesity, skin wrinkling and other problems. This is likely due in large part to the easy chemical breakdown and free radical formation caused by rancidity or heating.

Types by Length

1. Short-chain — These fatty acids have four to six carbon atoms and are always saturated. Butyric acid from butterfat is an example. Short-chain fatty acids strengthen the immune system with their anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral characteristics. Is it any wonder that immune systems are weaker during recent decades with the avoidance of these fats?

2. Medium-chain — Eight to twelve carbon atoms characterize these fatty acids, which include caprylic acid (used in anti-Candida formulas) and lauric acid, both naturally found in coconut oil. In addition to the same anti-microbial and immune system stimulating properties of the short-chain fatty acids, the medium chains produce quick energy.

3. Long-chain — These fatty acids have 14 to 18 carbon atoms and can be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Examples include stearic acid from beef tallow (saturated), oleic acid from olive oil (monounsaturated) and gamma linolenic acid or GLA as found in evening primrose, black currant and borage oils (polyunsaturated). GLA is significant in production of prostaglandins, localized hormones that regulate various cell processes. Lack of prostaglandins has been implicated with inflammation, high blood pressure, digestive irritation, depressed immunity, cancer and obesity.

OMEGA-3/OMEGA-6

Most people have heard of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These are both polyunsaturates that are called Essential Fatty Acids — meaning the body cannot synthesize them, so they have to come from the diet. Linoleic acid as in commercial polyunsaturated corn or soybean oils is typical of the Omega-6 structure, while linolenic acid as found in flaxseed, walnut or fatty fish oils exemplifies the Omega-3 (actually Iowa State University research has found grass-fed beef considerably higher in Omega 3 than fish). Flaxseed and walnut oils are primarily alpha linolenic acid, while fish oils are primarily EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

The problem is that most people are getting too much Omega-6 and too little Omega-3, primarily due to the content of modern commercial vegetable oils. A 15:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio is typical today, whereas it’s believed that primitive man had closer to a 1:1 ratio. Ratios of 4:1 and less correspond with reduction of cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and breast cancer.

TRANS FATTY ACIDS

Trans fatty acids, or trans fat, results from hydrogenation of vegetable oils into margarine or shortening. In addition to these foods it is also found in fried foods like french fries, fried chicken, and doughnuts, as well as in cookies, pastries and crackers.

Trans fat increases the LDL (low density lipoprotein — erroneously called “bad cholesterol”) and decreases the HDL (high density lipoprotein —erroneously called “good cholesterol”). Trans fat causes arterial clogging, increased heart disease, Type II diabetes and other health problems. There is no place for trans fat in a healthy diet. Beginning in 2006, the FDA will be requiring trans fat to be listed on the Nutrition Facts labels on foods. If a label lists hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil or shortening, you have trans fat. Avoid it like the plague!

CANOLA OIL

An interesting controversy has arisen over Canola oil. Canola, originally developed in Canada, stands for “Canadian Oil Low Acid”. Due to various articles on the Internet, Canola has become very controversial. Proponents hail it as the healthiest salad and cooking oil available, while opponents say it’s inedible, toxic, related to mustard gas, causes Mad Cow Disease and numerous other charges. Most of these allegations have been flatly refuted — they are largely “urban legends”. Canola is a hybrid of rapeseed, which is toxic due to erucic acid content. Canola was hybridized to almost totally remove the erucic acid, which is found in other common foods as well (e. g. mustard greens are 29% erucic acid).

Having said that, I no longer recommend Canola oil, primarily because it has to be partially refined by hydrogenation to be used. Thus, it is a source of trans fat.

GOOD FATS

So what are the “good fats” — the ones that should be part of your diet and supplementation?

1. Virgin Coconut Oil — This healthy saturated fat has incredible potential benefits, including weight loss; reduction of heart disease risk; cholesterol lowering; help with chronic fatigue, diabetes, IBS and Crohn’s disease; stimulation of metabolism and proper thyroid function; energy improvements; skin improvements and wrinkle prevention; and immune stimulation as an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal agent.
   My clinics recommend and sell Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil. It is organically grown in the Philippines, where it is harvested in rural areas through local church groups. The owner of the company is a Christian whose testimony is published on their website.
   Virgin Coconut Oil can be used as a cooking oil, for baking, a butter alternative (though I also recommend butter), as an ingredient in smoothies or just taken directly in the mouth. It can also be used externally as a massage oil or for skin conditions. Around 3 tablespoons per day with fiber foods is recommended.

2. Olive Oil — I recommend Extra Virgin (first pressing) Olive Oil on salads or other non-cooking usages. Though it can be used for cooking, I feel the virgin coconut oil is superior. (Not all olive oil coming from Italy is genuine olive oil.)

2. Butter — Since publishing my first book in the 1970’s at the height of the presumed superiority of margarine, I have recommended butter. This was long before the dangers of trans fat in margarine became known. Margarine is an artificially saturated fat, while butter is a naturally saturated fat. One’s a man-made food; the other is a God-made food. The butyric acid in butter is a short-chain saturated fatty acid, thus giving it anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral benefits.

3. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) — CLA is a nutritional supplement sold in gel capsules. This naturally-occurring fatty acid is found primarily in grass-fed dairy and beef, as well as in sunflower and safflower oils. CLA increases the ability of cell membranes (other than fat cells) to open up and allow absorption of fats and other nutrients. It promotes the growth of muscles by letting nutrients into active muscle cells, thus making it popular with body builders. Further, it pushes glucose into the muscle and connective tissue cells instead of letting it turn into body fat. It is also reported to reduce protein breakdown that occurs with advancing age.
   Possible benefits of CLA supplementation include destroying cancer cells, reducing tumors, promoting weight loss, increasing muscle mass, limiting food allergy reactions, improving immune function relative to allergies and asthma, improving blood sugar levels and protecting against atherosclerosis.

So, go enjoy the (good) fat of the land!

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

Artificial sweetener usage in America is skyrocketing. The number of Americans using these products was estimated to be in excess of 160 million in the year 2000 — more than half the population. Most Americans apparently know there are health problems associated with sugar consumption (see “59 Reasons Why Sugar Ruins Your Health” in Health Minute — Sugar Sabotage”). Regrettably, they are “solving” the problem by switching to artificial sweeteners — in effect, jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

SORDID HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

There are four big names in the sullied history of artificial sweeteners — cyclamate, saccharin, aspartame and sucralose. The history of these products vividly demonstrates that you can’t mess around with nature. Man-made food invariably produces some kind of health problem. Let’s look at these individually:

CYCLAMATE

Cyclamate was the controversial artificial sweetener of the 1960’s producing probably the first major food additive scare. It was banned in 1969 after studies showed it caused cancer in lab rats fed large doses. British studies showed shrunken testicles and lowered the sperm count in laboratory animals. Though the food industry denied the cancer risk in humans, Stanford University geneticist, Dr. Joshua Elderberry, said that if cyclamate were as toxic to humans as it is to rats, it may have caused one million cancer cases during the 10-year period it was used.¹

Cyclamate was also banned in 1969 in the UK, but was reinstated there in 1997. The European Commission has declared it safe, though it continues to be banned in the U. S. and Canada. Many in Europe are again trying to ban it for health reasons.

SACCHARIN

Saccharin became the primary artificial sweetener after the ban of cyclamate. The popular artificial sweetener Sweet’N Low is primarily saccharin. This sweetener has a reputation for leaving a bitter after taste — one imprinted in my memory as a child drinking iced tea sweetened with saccharin for the benefit of my diabetic brother. Though saccharin has been in use for over 100 years, it has been under suspicion as early as 1953 when FDA pathologist A. A. Nelson announced his suspicion that saccharin might cause cancer.

Saccharin has been shown to cause kidney lesions, eye deformities, metabolic interference and bladder cancer in animals. Up to 30% of the chicks hatched from saccharin-injected eggs died within 48 hours of hatching. There are many studies pro and con on the sweetener with the battle still raging.

In February 1972 the FDA removed saccharin from its GRAS list (generally recognized as safe), but didn’t prohibit its use. A year later that same agency announced that saccharin had caused bladder cancer in rats fed it for two years.²

In 1997 a board of independent experts recommended that saccharin remain on the government’s list of suspected carcinogens. Products with saccharin are required to have the following warning label:

USE OF THIS PRODUCT MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH. THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS SACCHARIN WHICH HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO CAUSE CANCER IN LABORATORY ANIMALS.

ASPARTAME

Aspartame, trade-name Nutra-Sweet, was first approved for limited use in food in 1974. It was discovered by accident during research for an ulcer drug in 1966 when a researcher licked his finger and noticed the sweet taste. Literally years of legal and political maneuvering took place questioning the validity of the testing on aspartame by manufacturer, G. D. Searle Company (purchased in 1985 by Monsanto). Numerous neurotoxic effects were found and according to many authorities, covered up. Aspartame is used in over 1200 foods. It is reportedly responsible for 75% of the food additive reaction complaints by consumers to the FDA.

METHANOL IN ASPARTAME

Nutra-Sweet is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, plus being 10% methanol (commonly known as “wood alcohol”). Methanol breaks down into the well-known carcinogen, formaldehyde, formic acid and a brain tumor producing substance called diketopiperzine (DPK). The consumption of wood alcohol has been known to cause blindness or even death. Because the body lacks an enzyme necessary to detoxify methanol, its elimination rate is five times slower than ethanol, as found in whiskey, beer and wine.

A 12 ounce aspartame-sweetened soft drink has about 10 mg of methanol. People consuming lots of soft drinks or other aspartame-sweetened products could easily consume over 100 mg per day — 13 times the EPA recommended limit!

Though I recommend avoidance of aspartame by anyone at anytime, there is one time in particular you should absolutely avoid it — when flying on an airplane. Methanol can lead to oxygen deprivation, which is definitely not a good thing at high altitudes where it can lead to memory problems, dizziness and even epileptic seizures.

PHENYLALANINE

One of the other three ingredients in aspartame is the amino acid phenylalanine. The 1 in 15,000 people with the genetic disease, phenylketonuria (PKU) can experience seizures and mental retardation from consuming foods with this amino acid. Diagnosed PKU sufferers, of course, are careful to avoid phenylalanine. The problem is that about 2% of the U. S. population has one of the two genes necessary for PKU — they don’t develop the disease, but they can still be sensitive to phenylalanine.

Dr. Richard Wurtman, Professor of Neuroendocrinology at MIT, has challenged the FDA’s approval of aspartame on safety grounds. He notes that an adult drinking four to five aspartame-sweetened soft drinks a day is getting enough phenylalanine into the brain to disrupt neurotransmitter function, which can produce depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, headaches, high blood pressure, increased appetite and possibly seizures.

Both the phenylalanine and aspartic acid in aspartame are at very high levels as compared to their presence in the foods we eat. That, and the fact that they are released much quicker than from foods, creates further disturbance in the brain chemistry.

ASPARTAME HAZARDS

Perhaps the most significant health concern with aspartame is a possible link with increased brain tumor incidence. A 1996 study suggested such a causal relationship. In 1991 the National Institutes of Health listed 167 possible side-effect symptoms of aspartame. H. J. Roberts, M.D., in a study of 500 cases of aspartame-caused illness, found the most common complaints (in descending order) were headaches (45%), dizziness (39%), memory loss and confusion (29%), decreased vision (25%), severe depression (25%), extreme irritability (23%), severe anxiety attacks (19%) and more.

THE NEW ONE — SUCRALOSE

There’s a new artificial sweetener lots of people are asking about — sucralose (trade name Splenda). It’s about 600 times sweeter than sugar, and it’s a white crystalline powder that tastes a lot like sugar, only stronger in flavor. Sucralose was discovered in 1976 and was developed by Johnson & Johnson. Canada approved it in 1991, the U. S. FDA approved it for certain foods in 1998, and most European countries are still reviewing it.

WHAT IS SUCRALOSE?

Sucralose is manufactured by chlorinating sugar. What that means is that sucralose is a chlorocarbon — like a pesticide. Some of the health hazards of chlorocarbons include organ, genetic and reproductive damage. Chlorine, as discussed on our Health Minute - Water & Your Health and Shower Water Toxicity, has many ill-health side-effects associated with it, including increased cancer and heart disease risk. This unnatural adding of chlorine molecules to sugar presumably could produce the same health problems.

One of the biggest concerns relates to effects on the thymus gland, where up to a 40% shrinkage has been noted in laboratory animals consuming sucralose. The thymus, of course, is key to the immune system, so this finding could have far-reaching effects on health. Other side-effects noted in lab animals include enlarged liver and kidneys, calcification of the kidneys, spleen and thymus, lymph follicle atrophication, lowered growth rate, increased red blood cell count, pelvic hyperplasia, lengthening of gestation period, aborted pregnancies, decreased fetus weight and diarrhea.

RESEARCH ON SUCRALOSE

There is a surprisingly small number of scientific studies on sucralose as compared to other artificial sweeteners. A Medline search reportedly found 2374 studies on saccharin, 598 on aspartame, 459 on cyclamates and just 19 studies on sucralose, though the manufacturer claims there are hundreds of studies.³ According to the Medical Letter of Drugs & Therapeutics, the long-term safety of sucralose is unknown.⁴

Though the manufacturer indicates sucralose is not absorbed or metabolized into the body, the FDA’s “Final Rule” report indicated 11% to 27% absorption in humans. The Japanese food Sanitation Council found up to a 40% absorption rate. This cannot be good with such an unnatural product.

THE REAL ISSUE

Americans must break their addiction to having to have everything sweet. Learn to enjoy the natural sweetness in the foods God has made, like fruit and honey, without turning to man-made sweeteners to “sweeten up” everything. Dr. Joseph Mercola, on his excellent website sums up the real issue very well, stating:

People need to stop searching for excuses to eat all the junk food they want without penalty.⁵

HEALTHY SWEETENERS

Though many legitimate sweetening needs are well served by honey, real maple syrup and blackstrap molasses, there are people, like the millions of diabetics, that can’t handle even those natural sugars or are doing low carb dieting. There are also foods you may desire to sweeten that the above natural sweeteners don’t work well in — like a glass of herbal iced tea, for example. I have two recommendations for low-calorie, natural sweeteners that do not have the potential ill-effects of the artificial sweeteners:

1. Stevia — Stevia rebaudiana bertoni is a green herb plant in the Aster-Chrysanthemum family which contains a naturally sweet substance. It’s 300-400 times sweeter than sugar. No ill-effects have been noted in many studies done on this herb. In China it is actually used for various medicinal herb purposes including helping digestion, stimulating the appetite and even losing weight. Stevia can be purchased in health food stores in powdered or liquid forms. Liquid is usually best.

2. SlimSweet — This product is my favorite powdered sweetener. It is a natural product made from fruit glycosides. It has zero calories, sugar, carbohydrate or fat. It comes in a powder. It dissolves well in liquids, and best of all, it just tastes great. It has none of that “artificial sweetener taste”. We use it at our house, and I most definitely recommend it.

FOOTNOTES

1. Jacqueline Verrett, Ph.D., and Jean Carper, Eating May Be Hazardous to Your Health, Simon and Shuster, New York, 1974, p. 210.

2. Ibid., p. 206-9.

3. Dr. Joseph Mercola, Potential Dangers of Sucralose, www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm

4. Mercola,12 Questions You Need to Have Answered Before You Eat Splenda, www.mercola.com/2004/jan/10/splenda_questions.htm

Better Health Update is published by PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

Is there a simple answer to avoiding many common health problems? Understanding the function of collagen and collagen-dissolving enzymes provides fundamental answers to preventing infectious, inflammatory, and heart disease, not to mention cancer and cancer metastases. Research done by the late Nobel Laureate, Linus Pauling, Ph.D. and Matthias Rath, M.D. has absolutely transformed my view of health in the last couple of years. It’s what I call the “Collagen Connection”. I am convinced that the application of this information will prevent many health problems for you —it already has for me.

MY EXPERIMENT

Someplace I read that L-lysine supplementation could help prevent tooth decay. On of the side-effects from the corticosteroid medication I have to take for Addison’s Disease is loss of bone density, which has included in my case, more frequent tooth decay. I started taking L-lysine about two and half years before this writing, along with one of our collagen supplements (that being taken for ache and pain symptoms).

I don’t know if I got any improvement on tooth decay or aches and pains, but another unexpected benefit occurred — I stopped getting sick! I found myself going through the entire winter without getting a cold, flu, respiratory infection — any of the usual stuff. Then I came across the Pauling/Rath research and began to understand why.

WHAT IS COLLAGEN?

One-fourth of all the protein in the body is collagen. Collagen is a structural protein, analogous to the mortar in a brick building, the bricks being the cells. Collagen is the fibrous, elastic connective tissue that holds our bodies together, providing structural support with rope-like molecular cables. Collagen makes up much of our tendons, ligaments, joints, muscles, skin, hair and other tissues. It provides protection and support for the body’s soft tissues and connects them with the skeleton. Adding crystalline minerals to collagen produces our bones and teeth.
Collagen is composed of three tightly wound chains of amino acids where three amino acids are repeated — glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. Hydroxyproline results from oxygen reacting with proline, a reaction that is dependent on vitamin C. Thus, vitamin C deficiency inhibits new collagen from being formed resulting in scurvy.

The body contains 19 types of collagen, though the following are the most common:

Type I — Main component of ligaments, tendons and bones.

Type II — Composes 50% of protein in cartilage.

Type III — Provides structure for arteries, intestine, uterus and other hollow body parts.

Type IV —Makes up basal lamina or “basement membrane” of epithelia tissue. This type of collagen is different in that it forms a “meshwork”. It provides a filter for the blood capillaries and the glomeruli of the kidneys.

COLLAGEN DISSOLVING

This is where the story gets really interesting. Collagen must be dissolved temporarily for any cell to pass through the connective tissue. To accomplish this, specific enzymes are secreted that temporarily digest the surrounding connective tissue.
This process occurs for healthy reasons such as ovulation. In the first half of the female cycle granulocyte cells build a wall around the ripening egg cell. These granulocytes produce lots of collagen-digesting enzymes. In the middle of the cycle, the egg has so much collagen-digesting enzymes that it dissolves enough of the ovarian wall to allow the egg to move through the fallopian tube and into the uterus. In other words, none of us would be here if it weren’t for the healthy action of collagen-dissolving. I would add that after allowing the egg to escape, the body blocks further collagen-digesting enzyme activity healing the ovarian wall.

A healthy immune system also requires collagen-dissolving enzymes to move through the cell walls to where help is needed. White blood cells get through the blood vessel walls to sites of infection through the activity of collagen–digesting enzymes. One writer likened this to hacking your way through a dense jungle with a machete to get to the desired location.

But what about the unhealthy instances of collagen-dissolving? Viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms use this collagen-dissolving mechanism to initiate and spread an infection. You get the common cold because collagen has been dissolved. Cancer metastasis likewise occurs because of this same process. Disease-causing agents like bacteria and viruses cannot invade the body unless the connective tissue is first dissolved by these enzymes. Herein lies the answer to infectious disease, cancer and other health problems.

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Let’s take a viral infection like the flu as an example. The host cell may be in the mucous membranes of the nose, throat or lungs. After invading the host cell, the virus transfers its genetic information to the cell nucleus of the host. Now the virus can use the metabolism of the host cell to spread the infection. It will do two things: it will multiply the virus, and it will direct the host to produce collagen-dissolving enzymes so that the infection can be spread into surrounding tissue. The more the virus can thus use the host cell, the quicker the infection spreads and the sicker you get.

CANCER

All cancer spreads by this same collagen-dissolving process. It begins with cells being “reprogrammed” by toxin damage (from diet, pesticides, food additives, heavy metals, pharmaceutical drugs, etc.) such that uncontrolled cell multiplication occurs. Secondly, production of collagen-dissolving enzymes destroys adjacent tissue that would otherwise restrict the cancer growth. The more of these enzymes cancer cells produce, the faster the cancer grows.
The collagen dissolving process also plays a major role in the spread of cancer — metastasis. Small blood vessels supply cancer cells with nutrients, including oxygen. Collagen-dissolving enzymes allow the cancer cell to eat through these blood vessel walls enabling the blood to then carry the cancer elsewhere in the body.

INFLAMMATORY DISEASE

Inflammation stimulates secretion of white blood cells to act as anti-inflammatories. In chronic inflammation the body tends to overreact and over-secrete white blood cells. These cells produce lots of collagen-digesting enzymes to get the white blood cells through the connective tissue to the site of the inflammation. They also produce harmful free radical chemicals in the process. If the inflammation goes on too long, the collagen-dissolving enzymes destroy the connective tissue creating a long-term (chronic) inflammatory disease.

ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Atherosclerosis refers to the deposition of fatty plaques on the blood vessel walls. This begins with a vitamin deficiency in the arterial walls, followed by the body’s attempt to repair the weakness with the fatty particles — lipoproteins, cholesterol. Thus we can see that high cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) are the result, not the cause of cardiovascular disease.
As this fatty deposit “band-aid” becomes insufficient, smooth muscle cells move from the artery’s outermost layer to the inner layer containing the atherosclerotic deposits in order to further strengthen the arterial wall. These smooth muscle cells have to traverse the dense connective tissue of the basal membrane. That, of course, requires collagen-digesting enzymes.

ENZYME BLOCKS

If the activation of collagen-dissolving enzymes paves the way for infectious, neoplastic, inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, the answer to those conditions lies in blocking the collagen-dissolving enzymes. this occurs two ways: (1) intrinsic enzyme blocks that the body produces and (2) dietary enzyme blocks, particularly lysine, proline and vitamin C.

LYSINE

L-lysine is the most needed of the body’s nine essential amino acids (those that must come from diet). Sufficient lysine blocks the anchor sites in the connective tissue for the collagen digesting enzymes. Without those anchor sites the enzymes cannot attach to and destroy the connective tissue. The cells may still be producing lots of collagen-dissolving enzymes, but they are thus made ineffective in breaking down collagen. In this way the disease can be inhibited or even stopped.
A 150 lb. person has about one pound of lysine stored in their body. You can’t really overdose on lysine, since the body just excretes excess, just as it does with vitamin C. To the contrary, it is believed that most people have a chronic deficiency of this essential amino acid.
Normally the body’s own enzyme blocking action maintains the proper amount of collagen-dissolving enzyme activity. L-lysine from diet and supplements provides a secondary mechanism to control collagen destruction. The lysine only functions when the body’s own enzyme suppression is insufficient. Thus, we can’t really get too much lysine and over-suppress the collagen dissolving enzymes.

PROLINE

The amino acid proline is also a key component of collagen. It is not an essential amino acid (you don’t have to get it from dietary sources), but the body can only synthesize it in small amounts. People with chronic health problems involving significant enzyme destruction of their collagen, may have little or no ability to produce an adequate amount of proline, resulting in deficiency.

VITAMIN C & HYDROXYPROLINE

After the collagen chain is built with glycine and proline, the body modifies some of the proline molecules into hydroxyproline, which is necessary for collagen stability. This reaction requires vitamin C. Since humans (and guinea pigs) cannot synthesize their own vitamin C (unlike almost all animals), vitamin C deficiency stops production of new collagen. That ultimately causes scurvy, resulting in loss of teeth and easy bruising, since there’s no new collagen to repair tissues from day to day stresses and injuries.

1. C. Willis, M.D., a Canadian doctor, experimented in the mid-1950’s with depriving guinea pigs of vitamin C. Totally deprived of vitamin C (remember, like humans, they can’t make their own as other animals do), they die a horrible death from scurvy in weeks. Limited to the RDA for vitamin C, they live but develop atherosclerosis. Given the human equivalent of 3000-5000 mg of vitamin C, they exhibit no signs of atherosclerosis. Dr. Linus Pauling repeated Willis’ work, concluding that heart disease can be “completely controlled” or even “cured”.

CONCLUSIONS

I take L-lysine, vitamin C and other collagen supplements including HA — hyaluronic acid (see Health Minute). I have noted significant improvements in my own health, primarily resistance to viral infections like colds and bronchitis, none of which I’ve had in any significant degree since following this regimen. This approach was developed by the only man to win two unshared Nobel Prizes, the late Linus Pauling, Ph.D. and Matthias Rath, M.D. I’m convinced it works. Try it for yourself.

REFERENCES

Willis, G. C. and Fishman, S., Ascorbic Acid Content of Human Arterial Tissue, Canadian Medical Association Journal, 69:17-22, 1953.

Ginter, E., et. al., The Effect of Chronic Hypovitaminosis C on the Metabolism of Cholesterol and Atherogenesis in Guinea Pigs, J Atherosclerosis Research, 10:341-352, 1969.

Pauling, L., Rath, M., Solution to the Puzzle of Human Cardiovascular Disease, J Orthomolecular Medicine, 6(3&4):125-133.

For a FREE Telephone Consultation with Leah Kline, CNC regarding your health issues:

Call Us for Free Telephone Consultation - 800-255-4246

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

(See end of article to get a Free Phone Consultation ($80 value) with Leah Kline, CNC, to discuss your health concerns)

A new evaluation technique, ZYTO Testing, represents the latest technological advance in natural health approaches. This method marries biofeedback technology with what has come to be called “energy medicine”. Let’s examine what ZYTO Testing is, how it works and what it has to offer you.

BIOFEEDBACK CONNECTION

Biofeedback — The technique of using monitoring devices to furnish information regarding an autonomic bodily function, such as heart rate or blood pressure, in an attempt to gain some voluntary control over that function. (American Heritage Dictionary)

ZYTO Testing is a stimulus-response biofeedback system. Typical biofeedback testing involves the user hearing tone changes that correspond to galvanic skin response (GSR). That’s the traditional view of “biofeedback” as expressed in the dictionary definition above. However, biofeedback has now been taken to a more expansive definition, recognizing the value of the measurement of the body’s autonomic responses and other means of changing those responses — such as nutritional and homeopathic supplementation. Commenting on approaches used by Pacific Health Center, biofeedback expert, Joel Levey, Ph.D. commented:

. . . they use a biofeedback device called a galvanic skin response (“GSR”) device that in other settings may be used as a biofeedback instrument or as a monitoring device to take readings which reflect changing physiological states and which in their theory relates to energy flows through the meridians postulated by Oriental medicine. They then seek to improve the readings by recommending dietary change and nutritional supplementation.

This technology makes possible biofeedback scans in which the effect of virtual stressors and balancing agents can be observed by the client. No longer is biofeedback limited to just mental imagery or relaxation techniques. It now includes allowing the computer to find what energetically balances the body.

HOW IT WORKS

ZYTO Testing features a hand cradle (with contacts for the fingers and palm) that sends and receives the biofeedback signals. While the client simply rests their hand on the hand cradle, a generally unfelt electrical pulse is emitted from the palm contact point with electrical resistance being measured through the five finger and thumb contacts. The scanning is automatic as each particular list or item is selected. The ZYTO Test measures shifts in the skin resistance and uses proprietary algorithms to convert those reactions into useful data to predict responses to the thousands of stressors and balancing agents encoded in the software.

The ZYTO computer program contains over 20,000 virtual stressors — essentially “digital imprints” or “computer signatures” of given items (rather than the actual item), including chemicals, bacteria, viruses, acupuncture points and meridians, as well as virtual balancers like vitamins, minerals, herbs, glandulars, homeopathic remedies and more.

ZYTO Testing is based on principles of quantum physics, recognizing that everything has an energetic resonance or signature. Rather than dealing with the actual substances, we’re instead measuring reactions to an energetic imprint recorded in the computer.

DEVIATION RATIO (dR)

Upon performing the ZYTO biofeedback scan, the result will be expressed as a deviation ratio (dR). This is simply the variation between a baseline and the body’s electrical response on a given item. A positive dR indicates a symmetrical response compared to the baseline, while a negative dR indicates an asymmetrical response. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) terms a positive dR would be a yin reaction, which may be interpreted as an indication of energetic sedation or deficiency, while a negative dR would be a yang reaction, which may be interpreted as an indication of energetic excitation or excess. A 0 dR indicates the baseline and the response were the same, indicating a neutral or non-reaction response. The dR numbers are not absolute numbers, but rather reflect a range indicative of balance or imbalance. The practical meaning of the dR is found in the Stress and Balance tests.

STRESS & BALANCE TESTS

ZYTO Testing is capable of running two kinds of biofeedback scans—stress scans and balance scans. A stress scan measures the biofeedback response to a virtual stressor, such as a virtual toxin, allergen, etc. A balance scan measures biofeedback response to a virtual remedy to restore energetic balance, such as a homeopathic remedy, herb, vitamin, glandular, etc. Ultimately we only want to know two things — what stresses the body and what balances the body. Think of it this way — we’re simply throwing the electromagnetic signatures of a bunch of potential stressors and balancing agents at the body and seeing how it reacts and responds.

When running a stress scan, we may take note of either negative or positive dR’s — the farther a dR is from zero in either direction, the more it is suggestive of energetic imbalance relative to the virtual stressor being scanned. The clinical difference between positive and negative dR’s relates to the type of physical reaction expected. As noted earlier, the negative dR suggests a yang response, which may include histamine-type reactions, flushing of the face, temperature rising, energy increasing, etc. A positive dR on the stress scan suggests a yin response, which may include a drop in temperature, loss of vitality, mental confusion and lethargy.

When running a balance scan, however, we primarily note just the positive dR’s, since the higher the positive number, the more likely the remedy scanned will help achieve energetic balance. A remedy with a negative dR on a balance scan can be used if a homeopathic potency is selected for it.

Thus, ZYTO Testing is not intended for (or really capable of) medical diagnosis. This is an entirely different way of looking at health — not in terms of symptoms or disease, but rather in terms of underlying energetic balance or imbalance. Our bodies are designed to function with high energy and good health. But physical, environmental and emotional stressors often tax our systems resulting in fatigue, decreased immunity, pain, obesity and the whole range of health symptoms. While conventional medicine seeks chemical or other symptom suppressing interventions, energetic medicine seeks a balance restoring the innate healing processes.

THE EVALUATION PROCESS

Though there are an unlimited number of ways to do an ZYTO Scan, let me describe one protocol. It begins scanning through 25 groups of Core Stressors — chemicals, bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, teeth, vertebrae, etc. The dR’s farthest away from zero represent the most likely sources of stress. Individual groups are then broken down to their constituent members to be individually scanned. For example, if the “chemical” group shows a high dR, the over 100 items in that group would then be individually scanned to be more specific. Thus we begin by recording “out of balance” readings in the categories with the highest dR’s. Note: An imbalanced reading on a given item (e. g. a bacteria) does not necessarily mean you have that organism — your body is simply reacting to that frequency, and that’s all we need to know. The testing of toxins and other items is best understood as a simulation of exposure to that item – in other words, “What would happen if . . .”

Then we’re interested in scanning for balancing remedies. We again begin by scanning all of our product groups (homeopathic, herbal, vitamin, mineral, etc.) to see which group has the highest balancing dR. We then open that group to scan the individual remedies it contains to determine which produce the greatest balance. Dosages and homeopathic potencies can also be scanned for the optimal balance effect, thus resulting in a unique program for each individual. The remedies can then be re-scanned against the out-of-balance items to show their balancing effect.

REMEDY IMPRINTING

One of the advantages of dealing with energetic scanning and balancing remedies is that remedies can be imprinted. Imprinting simply refers to transferring the energetic frequency of a given item (most often a homeopathic remedy) to a blank homeopathic liquid, or even to other supplements. Since homeopathic remedies exclusively work on an energetic rather than a chemical level, this works especially well for such products. With the thousands of possible remedies and hundreds of possible potencies and dilutions, the ideal balancing remedy can be selected and produced in this way.

REMOTE SCREENING

Perhaps the most unique aspect of ZYTO Testing is that it enables remote testing through an internet connection. The client being scanned simply has to have a hand cradle plugged into a USB port on their internet connected PC computer. Simply loaded software then allows the client’s hand cradle to connect to the computer in our office for the screening. The testing is exactly the same — the only difference is how long the cord is connecting the hand cradle the client is touching with the computer doing the scan. Thus, there are no geographic limitations for the testing. I don’t have to be at a particular clinic for you to have a ZYTO scan. Furthermore, with your own hand cradle you don’t even need to come to our clinic for you appointments!

REPRODUCIBILITY

A frequent question with this, or any other type of energy approach, is that of reproducibility of results. For a number of reasons this type of evaluation method cannot be as reproducible as, for example, a conventional medicine diagnostic like an X-ray or MRI. ZYTO Testing attempts to merge western biofeedback technology with the eastern concept of subtle energy, described as chi. In Traditional Chinese Medicine terms the dR is a shift in chi. Because it is a yang component in their medical theory, it shifts very rapidly. The body energy is constantly changing, so measuring it is a little like trying to catch a butterfly. As a result, you won’t get exactly the same test results a few minutes later.

It would be like expecting a picture you take of me every hour to look the same. At 6 AM I’m wearing an exercise suit. A little later I’m wearing nothing at all — because I’m in the shower. After that a picture would show me in a dress shirt and tie. If I’m at home the picture would show me dressed casually. All these “scans” are different in the detail of my appearance, but all of them show the same me — the same me dressed differently, doing different things, but still the same essential person. Likewise the ZYTO biofeedback scans show the same essential person, though some of details will change from time to time.

Another aspect concerns the stimulation effect of the testing. Though a ZYTO scan is not therapeutic in the conventional medical sense, it has been described as stimulating in an informational sense. Bombarding your body energetically with thousands of virtual stressors and balancing agents changes its orientation. Suppose you’re complaining of neck and shoulder pain. I observe that your posture is horrible and probably causing the problem. As a result you improve your posture and the pain goes away—in this instance the information was therapeutic. So it is with ZYTO.

Subtle energy approaches are best thought of as a conversation with the body. Thus, these approaches have little in common with the mechanistic tests of conventional medicine, such as blood or urine analysis. Experience has shown that the first answer you get in “questioning” the body is usually the best. The body doesn’t really seem to care for answering the same question over and over again. It becomes confused, and reliability of results diminishes.

So do you just take energetic evaluation methods “by faith”? Hardly. Authorities on scientific studies regard “outcome studies” as the best measure of any type of testing method. You simply look at the results. I have seen amazing findings with ZYTO Testing, both in revealing imbalance consistent with known facts, as well as balancing remedies. But ultimately you have to try it yourself and judge the outcome. I believe you won’t be disappointed.

To get a FREE 30-Minute PHONE CONSULTATION($80 Value) with Leah Kline, CNC, to discuss your health concerns, with no obligation, click on the link below:

CALL FOR FREE PHONE CONSULTATION

800-255-4246

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, AZ 85934-1126, providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. Phone (800) 255-4246. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Ph.D., Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

It’s simple, but kind of amazing. Sessions consist of two activities: (1) You speak into a headset microphone for about 10 seconds talking about the area of concern. The program shows where your voice stress is across the Perception Zones. (2) The program calculates appropriate “Balancing Frequencies” to output to you through your hand on the ZYTO Hand Cradle while you listen to relaxing music, generally for 2-5 minutes. These two-part “rounds” are repeated until a “shift” appears in your voice stress pattern, indicating your brain is processing your stress in a more positive way.

It’s like your brain is stuck in some muddy ruts in the road, thinking about that stress situation in the same way over and over again. The EVOX program gives your brain a “push” out of the muddy rut to get you unstuck.

So what happens as a result? It’s different for different people, but the most common reported change is simply feeling more relaxed and peaceful or beginning to think about the issue in a different way. Some clients have noted a change in the way they relate to others where there have been problem relationships. Others have seen phobias eliminated or at least vastly improved.

Though we most often do EVOX sessions on a single topic, we also do multi-topic sessions, such as on different elements of health (diet, exercise, digestion, stress, sleep, etc.) to determine which are your greatest underlying issues. A third type of session is the Transgenerational scan, which deals with perception issues you’ve picked up from relatives or ancestors, either by exposure to them or even genetically. The Transgenerational Program requires 5 sessions and is only done once.

I believe you can improve your healing response to almost any physical or emotional health issue by adding EVOX. To schedule or get more information, call us at 800-255-4246.

• SARS-CoV-2 got started in a “wet market in Wuhan, China where exotic animals are sold for food.

• The renamed “COVID-19” virus has killed over a half million Americans (actually the CDC says 94% of these deaths were from co-morbidities; thus only about 30,000 have died exclusively from COVID)

• Lockdowns were necessary to stop the spread of the disease (there’s no scientific evidence that lockdowns have helped at all)

• Social distancing was necessary to stop the spread of the disease

• Surface decontamination was necessary to stop the spread of the disease (COVID is rarely spread from surface contamination)

• There was no early treatment to quickly resolve the illness

• Hydroxychloroquine was a dangerous treatment (actually safely in use for 65 years for arthritis, lupus, etc.)

• Children were in danger of catching and especially spreading the infection to adults (no scientific evidence of this; children almost never get or spread the disease)

• It was okay for people to be packed into Wal-Mart, Costco, Home Depot and Lowes, but small businesses, including restaurants and bars needed to be shut down

• There are no simple, natural approaches to prevent and treat COVID

• A vaccine was the only answer to the pandemic and getting back to normal

• The COVID vaccine will prevent you from getting COVID or transmitting it to others

Let’s home in on that last point — vaccines.

124 MILLION GUINEA PIGS

I stand in kind of a disgusted awe at how in the world the powers that be have gotten (as of this point) 124 million Americans to be “lab rats” (as one client put it to me today) for testing a non-approved, non-long-term safety studied, experimental gene therapy falsely labeled as a “vaccine.” I both admire them pulling this off, while at the same time being angered that tens of millions fell for this mass delusion so easily. But the method was really pretty simple — just instill fear through constant media propaganda. Unfortunately, most people willingly trade their liberty for a false sense of security.

DR. PETER McCULLOUGH & VACCINE DEATHS

Dr. Peter McCullough is the Vice-Chief of Internal Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center and one of the top five most-published medical researchers in America, as noted in a recent article on www.mercola.com. Dr. McCullough states that the COVID-19 vaccines are killing “huge numbers” of Americans and our government is just ignoring the issue.

The latest numbers I have from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) of the CDC indicate that over 4100 Americans have died after getting the COVID vaccination–about 20% of them within 24 hours. Many, if not most, were healthy and often relatively young people prior to getting the shot. Just coincidental that they suddenly died? That’s the myth the “authorities” are trying to peddle, but the reality is the cause and effect is pretty undeniable.

REMEMBER THE “SWINE FLU” DEBACLE?

In 1976 we had another “pandemic” called “swine flu.” A vaccine was produced, which President Ford dutifully rolled up his sleeve for to encourage everyone to get the jab. But then people started dying. After just 53 people had died, the swine flu vaccination was totally stopped. Yet now we have 80 times as many dead Americans from the COVID vaccine, but it’s not being pulled. To the contrary, it’s being pushed all the more. More people have died after getting the COVID vaccine in these last four months or so than have died from all vaccines in the past 15 years! What is going on? Why the cover-up?

EARLY TREATMENT COVER-UP

The “narrative” would tell you there’s no early treatment that can quickly nip this infection in the bud. Consequently infected people are largely untreated until their condition worsens such that hospitalization and potentially deadly intubation is required. Dr. McCullough notes that early treatment could have prevented 85% of COVID deaths. That early treatment can be done at home (basically in the first five days of the infection symptoms), reducing transmission of the disease and lowering the length of the infection from two weeks to four days.

America’s Frontline Doctors (www.aflds.com) has published a protocol using inexpensive drugs and supplements like hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, azithromycin, zinc. vitamin D, etc. that generally knock this infection in a few days if taken early. Yet this approach, practiced by doctors actually treating COVID patients, has been ridiculed and demeaned by idiot talking heads on TV, politicians, and “political” doctors like Fauci that have never treated a COVID patient.

So why was the “narrative” that the vaccine was the only answer? It’s really pretty simple: Vaccines are a multi-billion dollar business. Big Pharma controls the media and political narrative through the gigantic amounts of money they spend buying politicians and news networks. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. of the Childrens’ Defense Fund noted a conversation he had with the late Roger Ailes, then head of Fox News, in which Ailes told Kennedy that Fox News personalities were forbidden from featuring stories on vaccine dangers due to Big Pharma being the largest advertiser on the channel. So, it’s all ultimately about money — big surprise!

UNNECESSARY VACCINES

As I have said numerous times in this newsletter, as have many medical experts, there is no need for this vaccine. The disease primarily effects certain high risk groups, not the general population and certainly not children. It can be easily prevented, as we do with our client programs. If actually contracted it can be simply and cheaply treated in a few days. The American people (and the world) was sold a bill of goods through a campaign of fear to increase the profits of Big Pharma and other big businesses, creating one of the largest transfers of wealth in history.

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Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, AZ 85934, providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. Phone (800) 255-4246. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Ph.D., Author. Copyright May 2021. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

There’s probably more nonsense per square inch on masking than about any subject I know of. Most have “drunk the Kool-Aid,” so to speak, adopting masking as practically a religion. Having said that, I am not an “anti-masking crusader,” as I shared with one person, “This isn’t a hill I am willing to die on.” Much of what the average person believes about masks is untrue, but I am willing to wear a mask simply to make people around me more comfortable while I attempt to gently educate those within my circle.

There is a lot of contradictory information on masks and their value, so I have to humbly approach this subject. I can’t and won’t make an absolute statement that masks have no value, but I will note solid research that reveals their limitations and potential health risks. Ultimately, you have to decide the extent you are willing to participate in masking. Here’s the best fact summary I can give at this point, summarized in a brochure by Russell Blaylock, MD of the Blaylock Wellness Report from Citizens for Free Speech (www.CitizensForFreeSpeech.org) that was recently passed on to me by a customer:

1. Does Wearing a Mask Protect Me from Coronavirus? Though I’m sure most of the people faithfully wearing masks think it does, the answer is pretty clearly “NO!” A cloth mask, or even an N95 mask, is not going to prevent a virus measured in nanometers (one-billionth of a meter) from entering your respiratory tract. In fairness I must add that the issue is not especially the minute size of the virus, but the fact that it can be carried in water droplets particularly from sneezing or coughing. Thus the legitimate purpose of wearing a mask is to prevent the mask wearer’s spreading the infection to others around them, even though there is consistent agreement in studies that neither cloth nor surgical masks totally stop these fine aerosols.

Because no studies have really been done on COVID-19 showing that either cloth or N95 masks affect transmission, studies on flu virus transmission provide the most information. Dr. Blaylock’s brochure notes that a review of 17 studies concluded, “None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection. (Bin-Reza, F, et. al., “The Use of Mask and Respirators to Prevent Transmission of Influenza: A Systematic Review of the Scientific Evidence,” Respiratory Viruses 2012;6(4):257-67)

The CDC just published a study regarding the use of masks 14 days before becoming infected by a group in July. Of those infected, 71% were always wearing a mask and 14% often wore a mask. In other words, 85% generally wore masks but got the virus anyway!

2. Who Should Be Wearing a Mask? Historically we would have to say that people sick with the virus should be the one’s wearing a mask, not the healthy people. For example, the person with TB has worn the mask, not the healthy people around them. The mask recommendations for the coronavirus really have no precedent in the handling of previous pandemics.

3. Do Masks Cause Respiratory Problems? There is indication that masks adversely affect one’s respiratory system. Given the coronavirus manifests primarily with respiratory symptoms, it’s bizarre that a so-called “mitigation” effort like masking might make it worse. In one study of healthcare workers wearing N95 masks, approximately a third developed headaches, plus worsening symptoms for those already experiencing headaches. Blood oxygenation can be reduced by as much as 20% (hypoxia). Another study of healthcare workers aged 21 to 35 years old found that 81% experienced headaches from wearing a mask. (Ong, JJ, et. al., “Headaches Associated with Personal Protective Equipment-A Cross-Sectional Study Among Frontline Healthcare Workers During COVID-19,” Headache 2020;60(5)864-877)

4. Do Masks impair Immunity? One of my greatest concerns is the potential effect masking, especially prolonged masking, can have on immunity. Lowered oxygen levels (as discussed above) have a negative effect on immunity. Quoting from Dr. Blaylock in the Citizens for Free Speech brochure:

Studies have shown that hypoxia can inhibit the type of main immune cells used to fight viral infections call the CD4+ T-lymphocyte. This occurs because the hypoxia increases the level of a compound called hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which inhibits T-lymphocytes and stimulates a powerful immune inhibitor cell called the Tregs. This sets the stage for contracting any infection, including COVID-19 and making the consequences of that infection much graver.

Hypoxia is a common denominator for virtually all degenerative diseases. For example, cancer thrives in a low oxygen environment, as originally discovered in the 1930’s by Dr. Otto Warburg, who got the Nobel Prize for his discovery.

​​​​​​​5. Do Masks Cause “Rebreathing” the Virus? It’s one thing to have a mask on for a few minutes, as I do every weekday when I take our shipments into the Post Office, but quite another thing to have a mask on continuously for hours on end. When you wear a mask you are rebreathing a lot of the same air. If you have the virus, you’re rebreathing the virus, increasing its concentration in your body. It appears that those with the highest virus concentration have the most difficulty with coronavirus infection. There is also the suggestion that the virus can enter the brain through the olfactory nerves as a result of this rebreathing.

FINDING THE BALANCE

If it were up to me, the only people wearing masks would be those who are ill with the virus . . . but it’s not up to me! The reality is that mask wearing, with all its false assumptions, is pretty ingrained in our culture right now. Most private businesses are asking us to wear a mask. That is their right, even if I think it’s wrong. I can, of course, choose to not patronize such a business. That is my right. If I am only minimally inconvenienced with wearing a mask for a few minutes, I can live with it. If none of my basic freedoms are being seriously compromised, I can handle that.

But I live in one of the less oppressive states in regard to masks. If I lived in California and was being told I couldn’t go to church, I would not comply. That’s over the line, both biblically and constitutionally. But if I can wear a mask briefly in a particular location so as to not offend or spur a unnecessary confrontation with someone, I’ll do that. The Bible says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18) There’s something to be said for going out of your way to not be perceived as a horse’s rear end by other people. You, however, based on your convictions, have to find the balance that’s right for you while this issue goes on.

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, AZ 85934, providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. Phone (800) 255-4246. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Ph.D., Author. Copyright October 2020. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET #1 — UNKNOWN EFFECTIVENESS

We’ve all heard that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines currently being distributed are 95% effective, but is that really true? I discovered an amazing fact in an article written by Joseph Mercola, D.O. Dr. Mercola writes:

Add to the fact that the vaccines are only evaluated for their ability to reduce symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of their severity. It’s entirely unknown whether they’ll actually lower the risk of infection, hospitalization or death.

Now I didn’t know that until today, and I’ll bet you didn’t know that either. So when they say it’s 95% effective, they simply mean it reduced the severity of the infection, NOT that it prevented the infection.

On top of this, many of the so-called authorities are pouring cold water on any idea that people getting vaccinated provides the path back to normalcy. Dr. Vin Gupta on Meet the Press stated that in spite of getting the vaccine, people still need to wear masks and not travel. He said you can still spread the disease to others after being vaccinated and that nothing has changed until everyone gets their two doses (which won’t happen since half the population will refuse the vaccine). So the point of the vaccine is what?

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET #2 — SAFETY ISSUES

There’s good news and bad news on this front. The good news is that these vaccines are different than the typical ones. Your not being injected with a bunch of dead germs. Quoting David Eifrig, MD, in his newsletter, Retirement Millionaire:

. . . Moderna and the Pfizer/BioNTech team created vaccines that use messenger RNA, known as mRNA. RNA is the counterpart to DNA. It uses DNA’s genetic material to “message” instruction about how to carry out cellular function. In particular, mRNA holds the instruction to build proteins . . . In theory, an mRNA vaccine could turn any cell into a factory for making a protein. Put another way, you wouldn’t even inject people with drugs — you’d inject them with instructions for making the drugs. The mRNA gets into the cells of the immune system and tells them how to produce the right antibodies to defeat the disease.

However, Dr. Eifrig also notes that the long-term effects of mRNA vaccines haven’t been studied. So much for the “good news.” Now to the problems, which are many.

A December 1st article on CNBC noted that 10-15% of the participants in both the Pfizer and Moderna trials experienced “significantly noticeable” side effects. In typical “Newspeak,” putting lipstick on a pig fashion, these are being recategorized as “immune responses,” which of course sounds like a good thing. One trial volunteer, for example, reported waking up with chills and shaking so hard he cracked a tooth after taking the second dose. Another reported a low grade fever and feeling “under the weather” for several days, plus after his second dosage being confined to bed with a fever over 101, plus experiencing shakes, chills, pounding headache, shortness of breath and inability to sleep.

UK regulators warn anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions to vaccines, medicines or foods to avoid the Pfizer vaccine. They say the vaccination should only be given in facilities with resuscitation capabilities. Dr. Eli Perencevich, Professor of Internal Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Iowa has suggested that essential workers have three days of paid leave after vaccination because many will be too sick to work.

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET #3 — ABORTED FETAL CELLS ARE USED

The mainstream “narrative” media has gone out of its way to supposedly debunk the claim that aborted fetal cells are used in the COVID-19 vaccines. Using a combination of deceptive semantics and technicalities that conclusion can be reached, but it isn’t really true. Some of the vaccines under development do use fetal cell lines as a growth medium for the virus during its production. As of the latest information I have (and I reserve the right to update this if I get other information), the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do not use fetal cells in their development, though the AstraZeneca and others do.

So-called “debunkers” dismiss this claim by saying that the fetal cells used in vaccine development are “clones” of the original, as if there’s really a difference between cells grown in a lab and cells grown in your body that either way are originally the cells of an aborted fetus.

However, this issue extends beyond ethical concerns. There is evidence that, through possible DNA contamination, such vaccines may trigger autoimmune disease or autism * (I should add that a previous personal physician told me to absolutely never get any kind of vaccination due to having Addison’s disease — an autoimmune disease). Autism in the U. S. went from 4-5 cases per 10,000 population in 1983 to 1 in 500 by 1990. This spike occurred after the 1988 introduction of the MMR II (measles, mumps, rubella) second dose vaccine. Unlike the original MMR vaccine, MMR II was grown using aborted fetal lung tissue. An additional spike in autism incidence occurred in 1995 with the introduction of Chicken Pox vaccine — also grown on aborted fetal tissue.

There are only certain areas where the human DNA from the vaccine can be placed into a recipient’s genes. These are on the X chromosome in genes involved in nerve cell synapse formation, central nervous system development and mitochondrial function. It is speculated that since this occurs only on the X chromosome, that would explain why autism almost exclusively affects boys. Again, I know you’ve heard all the “debunkers” say there is no evidence of any relationship between vaccinations and autism — just like there’s supposedly no evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election! No evidence as long as the evidence is suppressed. I might also add that the Amish (who do not believe in vaccination) basically don’t have autism, other than in adopted children who were previously vaccinated before coming to Amish homes.

I would encourage you to read Dr. Mercola’s fully documented article linked earlier, for a more complete discussion on this topic.

A BETTER ALTERNATIVE

As noted in last week’s newsletter, the safest and most effective prevention of coronavirus infection is vitamin D (5,000 – 10,000 iu’s per day), zinc (50 -100 mg per day), buffered vitamin C (3,000 – 5,000 mg per day), plus possibly extra vitamin A, selenium, curcumin, resveratrol and other possible nutrients — for all of which I suggest individual testing as we do at Pacific Health Center.​​​​​​​

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, AZ 85934, providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. Phone (800) 255-4246. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Ph.D., Author. Copyright December 2020. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

Step into the sunshine, get out of the shade . . .

So go the lyrics of an Evie song for children in the late 1970’s. The spiritual metaphor is based on a physical reality — the sun is good for you! Incredibly, this common sense, historic truth has been obscured by several decades of misguided doctors suffering from, I guess, what we would have to call heliophobia — fear of the sun.

We get dire warnings of how we’ll get skin cancer if we don’t get out of the sun, how sunny Australia has such a high skin cancer rate, and on and on and on. One would logically conclude from doctors and their willing lapdog accomplices in the media that the sun is a great enemy of your health. One might almost be led to question why God made the sun in the first place . . . until we recall that all life on earth would rather quickly cease without the sun.

The heliophobes fail to consider the obvious: If being out in the sun is so bad and causes skin cancer, how on earth have people survived and thrived working in the sun for several millennia before our time? Could there be some other factors in skin cancer? Is the sun just being made a scapegoat?

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

Before writing this article, I had to properly prepare. So I spent the morning at our Central Oregon ranch (where we located partly because of the 300+ days of sunshine per year) working out in the sun. After 16 years of living in the Seattle area, my wife and I started spending winters in Green Valley, Arizona (with over 330 days of sunshine per year) and spending the summers at the ranch in Central Oregon. Not only did my mood lift, but I finally started winning my ten year battle with corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis. Thus I began to revise my view of the sun, as usual, contrary to the prevailing view of most “health authorities.”

Particularly in our retirement community in Arizona I see people who have succumbed to the brainwashing. I see old women with huge hats and every inch of their body covered on beautiful 80 degree days . . . and they think they’re being so healthy! One look at their pasty, white, “death warmed-over” complexion tells another story. How could we be so deceived as to think the greatest source of life is to be feared?

UV FACTS & FICTION

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) we should “protect ourselves against ultraviolet light whenever we can see our shadow.” I’ve heard of being scared of your shadow, but this is ridiculous! Heliophobia reportedly began after investigators held open the eyes of anesthetized animals and shined intense UV light into them resulting in retinal damage. No kidding! And what has that to do with normal exposure to sunlight? Joseph G. Hattersley, in his excellent article, “The Healing Power of Full-Spectrum Light” (Reprinted in The Townsend Letter for Doctors, Jan. 2004 from Nexus Magazine, Vol. 8, Number 4) comments:

As a result of the EPA’s advice, which is based on junk science, the use of sunglasses is epidemic; we hide behind stylish darkened car windows, we slather our skin with sunscreen for even brief sun exposure. People who engage in these practices are ruining their disposition and health.

High amounts of UVC (a shorter-wave UV used for germicidal effects) is known to damage tissue. Based on that the EPA made the absurd quantum leap to condemning all UV light. UVC is found especially in tanning salons.

OZONE HOLE NONSENSE

Heliophobia has especially been encouraged by the radical environmental movement in their promotion of the “ozone hole” myth. The theory is that the ozone layer in the atmosphere protects us from harmful UV radiation. But alas, due to automobile and other emissions, the ozone layer is thinning (no mention of the much greater impact of erupting volcanoes). The result of course is increased skin cancer, so everyone must cover themselves before exposure to the sun.

This theory could be easily proven — just go to the areas of the earth most exposed to the so-called “ozone hole” and see how many people have skin cancer. Punta Arenas in Southern Chile is the largest city close to the ozone hole, yet no ozone-related health problems have occurred and UV radiation has not significantly increased. (Am J Public Health, April 1995; 85; 4:546-550)

Conversely, from 1957 to 1984, with no charge in ozone or UV radiation over Norway, the melanoma rate increased 350% for men and 440% for women. (British J Cancer, 1992:916-921)

REAL CAUSES

1. Diet— Diet is a real culprit.While studies have found that exposure to UVB radiation increases cataract risk that was only true if a junk food diet high in unsaturated fats was consumed. (JAMA, 1998; 280:714-718) People eating a better diet and doing vitamin C and E supplementation don’t get cataracts even if they have extensive sun exposure. (Cancer Research 1985;45:6254-6259 and Bland JS, Functional Medicine Update, March 2000)

2. Indoor Lighting— That’s another thing that’s changed from the days of our sweaty, sun-exposed forbears.A US Navy study found that the most malignant melanoma was found not in people who worked in the sun, but with people who worked indoors under artificial light! They found that most of these skin cancers occur on areas of the body not even exposed to the sun. (Arch Environmental Health, 1990;45:261-267) A study published in The Lancet found that it was not sunlight that caused melanoma but rather fluorescent light that caused more than twice the melanoma risk. The study actually found that long exposure to full-spectrum sunlight actually “immunized” people from the later development of melanoma. (Lancet, 8/7/82, 290-293)
   The late Dr. John Ott, inventor of time-lapse photography and famous for his work with the health effects of full-spectrum lighting, found that light from fluorescent tubes (plus TV and computer screens) causes red blood cells to clump together, resulting in reduced alertness, fatigue, and increased heart attack and stroke risk. Ott also found that the cathodes at the end of the fluorescent tubes emit X-rays. When plants are placed under these, abnormal, stunted growth results. Animals caged under the ends of the tubes become aggressive and cannibalistic. Interestingly, Ott became interested in full-spectrum light when his arthritis was cured after he fell and broke his glasses!
   Ott repeatedly saw terminal cancer patients get well simply by taking off their sunglasses and prescription glasses and then getting out in the sun. Jane Wright, M.D., Director of Cancer Research at Bellevue Memorial Medical Center in New York City in 1959 implemented Ott’s approach and saw 14 or 15 progressive tumor patients have no growth in their tumors. The one who didn’t improve sat outdoors, but still kept his UV blocking prescription glasses on.

3. Sunscreen— Like most of man’s solutions for alleged problems, sunscreens miss the mark.They block out the forms of ultraviolet light that benefit your health — UVA and UVB — while doing nothing for the more dangerous UVC. The chemicals used in the sunscreens enter the body through the skin, increasing the overall toxicity. Some postulate a link, not between sun exposure and skin cancer, but between sunscreen usage and skin cancer. Lita Lee, Ph.D. states:
   Mounting evidence indicates that many of them [sunscreens] contain carcinogens and that the rise of skin cancers parallels the increase in sunscreen usage. (L. Lee, Your Health, 1999(Jul)4(3):3)

4. Chlorinated Water— At least two studies and other reports link drinking and bathing in chlorinated water with an increase in melanoma.(J Invest Dermatology, 1980;75, 122-127; Epidemiology 1992;3(3):263-265) My Pacific Health Center clinics for years have emphasized the importance of distilling drinking water to remove chlorine and other contaminants, as well as using a chlorine-removing shower filter.

5. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)— There seems to be no end to the problems foisted upon women through HRT . . . and here’s one more — melanoma.Birth control pills and HRT are primarily used in America, Australia and Europe — the three areas with the greatest increase in melanoma. In one study all the women who developed melanomas before age 40 had used birth control pills, ending up with a three times greater risk. (The Walnut Creek Contraceptive Drug Study, US National Institutes of Health, Vol. III, 1986:247-252)

RESULTING VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY

A new book, The UV Advantage, by Michael Holick, MD, Ph.D. and Professor of Medicine and Dermatology at Boston University (quoted in “Vitamin D: It’s Role in Autoimmune Disease and Hypertension” by Jonathan V. Wright, MD in The Townsend Letter for Doctors, May 2004), notes that vitamin D deficiency is causing an increase in prostate, breast and 11 other cancers, plus hypertension, cardiovascular disease, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain and inflammatory bowel disease.

And guess where we get vitamin D from? Sunshine. As UV radiation reactions with our skin, vitamin D is produced. Dr. Wright notes that civilization started in the tropics where there is abundant sunshine. Over time people migrated to higher latitudes north and south getting less sun. The last 150 years of people moving from rural areas into cities has further complicated the problem.

Seeming almost like a conspiracy we now have “health” authorities urging us to make our bodies even more vitamin D deficient by using sunscreen. Dr. Wright notes that even a weak sunscreen (e. g. SPF 8) blocks out 88% of the UVB radiation, significantly increasing your odds for vitamin D deficiency.

VITAMIN D & DISEASE

1. Cancer— People living in temperate latitudes (farther from equator — less sun and vitamin D) have more colon, prostate and breast cancer.1989 research shows that adults with high levels of vitamin D have half the risk of colon cancer. (Lancet 1989;2(8,673)1,176-1178) Other research has shown vitamin D to suppress breast, bone and skin cancer also.

2. Hypertension— Vitamin D controls the level of rennin and angiotensin, thus regulating blood pressure.Many cases of hypertension may be due to vitamin D deficiency. (J Cell Biochemistry 2003;88(2) 327-331)

3. Autoimmune Diseases— MS incidence is much greater in temperate latitudes.Seattle, with its limited sunshine, has long been regarded as a high incidence area for MS. Other autoimmune diseases also appear to follow this pattern including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Type I diabetes.

4. Psoriasis— Psoriasis is much more common in the dark winter months. Conventional medicine accepts the improvement sunlight brings to the disease, but doesn’t credit vitamin D.

SUPPLEMENTAL VITAMIN D

Obviously the sun is the best source of vitamin D, but what about supplementation for those who can’t get as much sun as they should? It is now believed that previous maximum dosage limits were set too low. New estimates from researchers place the safe upper limit at 4,000 — 10,000 I.U. daily.

SUN, BUT NOT SUNBURN

You need the right balance between not enough sun and too much sun. I’ve often observed with amazement the stupidity of tourists in Hawaii looking like boiled lobsters. That’s obviously unhealthy. But most people aren’t getting enough sun. Dr. Wright recommends in his article getting enough sun daily to turn the skin slightly pink — and I would emphasize the slightly. If you can’t do that, take 4000 I.U. of vitamin D. That’s probably 10 times more than you are getting in your multi-vitamin and multi-mineral.

The idea is to get enough sun daily to achieve that health dose and then cover up or go inside, if possible. If that’s not possible, like on a several hour hike in the sun, there is a possible alternative to potentially toxic, vitamin D deficiency promoting sunscreens. Lita Lee, Ph.D., quoted earlier, recommends temporarily using coconut oil during the early summer when your skin is getting used to more sun exposure. This will not prevent sunburn to the same extent that a sunscreen will, but it will provide some level of protection.

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.

I know of nothing more foundational to improving your health than understanding the healing crisis. In life things are often not what they seem. Our so-called education and life experience often lead us to fallacious assumptions that do us damage. No place is this more true than with how the healing process works. To experience optimal healing you must understand the process.

EXAMPLE

Let me give you a composite, fictitious example of this process culled from 20 years of experience working with thousands of people with healing crises: Jane came to Pacific Health Center with concerns with fatigue, sinus problems, headaches, depression and PMS. Testing indicated lots of nutrient deficiencies, food and environmental sensitivities and a number of toxins, including Candida albicans yeast overgrowth. She was accordingly put on a more natural food diet, told which sensitive foods to avoid, and given customized homeopathic formulas to stimulate detoxification, drainage and allergic desensitization. Her program was rounded out with basic nutritional supplements to correct her indicated deficiencies.

Now if everything’s working correctly, Jane should start feeling better, right? Not really! Jan actually does feel some improved energy almost immediately and is convinced she’s on the road to recovery. But then one morning she wakes up feeling like she has the flu — aching all over, headache and very tired. She call up our clinic, convinced that there’s something wrong with her program, only to be told that her program is right on track, everything’s happening as expected and that she is just experiencing a “healing crisis”.

Then Jane makes an erroneous decision and quits the program angrily demanding her money back. “I came here to solve my health problems, not to have you make me get sicker,” she says. And that the last we hear of Jane, the lady who wouldn’t understand how healing takes place, refusing the embrace the healing crisis as the pathway to solving her health problems.

Of course, most of our clients, especially if they’ve attended one of our seminars or listened to one of our tapes or CDs, understand and are even expecting a healing crisis, so they persevere through this minor discomfort. Nevertheless, there is a need to better understand this process.

UNDERSTANDING “SYMPTOMS”

Today’s conventional medicine views symptoms as the disease. What’s the first question your M.D. asks? “What are your symptoms?” They regard the absence of symptoms as the absence of disease. Conversely, they regard treating and stopping symptoms with drugs as the elimination of disease. This utterly false philosophy of healing has resulted in not only people being sicker and sicker, but in conventional medical treatment today killing at least 225,000 Americans annually, making it the third leading cause of death (Barbara Starfield, M.D., Journal of the American Medical Association, 7/26/00, p. 483-485).

WHAT SYMPTOMS REALLY MEAN

Though symptoms may indicate a disease process, the little known truth is that symptoms often indicate a healing process. Just as the absence of symptoms does not equal the absence of disease, so the presence of symptoms does not necessarily indicate the presence of disease. Bruce Fife, N.D., in his excellent book, The Healing Crisis (HealthWise Publications, P.O. Box 25203, Colorado Springs, CO 80936) states:

Symptoms, however, are a reaction of the body in an effort to fight off illness or disease within the body; they are not illnesses in themselves.

Let me illustrate the concept this way: Let’s say you notice water running out from under the bathroom door. That’s a symptom. You decide to “treat the symptom”, so you go get a roll of paper towels and start soaking up the water. Or maybe you even get a mop or a large capacity water vacuum, as you think, “As long as there’s no water coming under the bathroom door, I’ve solved the problem.”

That, of course, would be totally absurd. The first thing any normal, sane person would do is open the bathroom door to probably discover that the toilet was plugged up and overflowing! You get a plunger and unplug it so that the water no longer overflows. Instead of treating the symptom, you instead eliminated the cause. Now, unplugging the toilet is not always the most pleasant job. It typically involves some temporary, minor discomfort, but it solves the problem. It works the same way with our bodies.

WHAT IS A “HEALING CRISIS”?

I would define a “healing crisis” this way:

A heightened cleansing process whereby the body eliminates toxins resulting in a temporary worsening of symptoms followed by improved health.

A healing crisis is something new for most people . . . but why? Shouldn’t this be a normal and frequent experience? It isn’t when your pattern is one of suppressing toxins. When you eliminate more toxins through your body’s main elimination pathways—the liver, kidneys, bowel, bladder, skin and lungs — you naturally feel worse, particularly if your body is very toxic and you haven’t allowed it the opportunity to regularly cleanse.

SUPPRESSING TOXINS

Our bodies have a natural detoxifying process stimulated by fasting. Even if you think you’ve never fasted, in reality everyone fasts every day between their last eating in the evening and the next morning when they break the fast — otherwise known as breakfast. Most people wake up with a minor healing crisis — they feel crummy . . . until they get that first cup of coffee.

This so illustrates how utterly confused and deceived most people are about health. From your night’s fast, your body has just started the cleansing process — it’s saying, in effect: “Finally the chance to get rid of all this junk!” So, your body, trying to save you life, starts getting rid of those accumulated toxins as quick as it can. Your response? “Give me a cup of coffee!” Did you ever think about what the coffee is doing? With its caffeine drug, the coffee falsely stimulates your adrenal glands, making them think some great “fight or flight” emergency is underway. In your adrenalinized state, the healing crisis reaction stops, driving the toxins back into the cells. Next time you have your morning coffee, realize you just interrupted your body’s cleansing and detoxifying process — you suppressed your toxicity.

HEALING CRISIS OR DISEASE CRISIS?

This really is the number one question: How do I know if I’m having a “healing crisis” or if I’m really sick? In addition to the beneficial healing crisis, we can also experience the disease crisis where we are just plain sick. How do you tell the difference? The symptoms may be largely the same in both, and in both cases the body is trying to get rid of toxins. Here are some guidelines for distinguishing:

Healing Crisis

1. Body is becoming strong and healthier.

2. Result of good health habits — improved diet, supplements, detoxifying program, etc.

3. Result of the body’s increased ability to eliminate toxins.

4. Often comes on suddenly after a period of improved health and energy.

5. Usually brief — 1 to 3 days duration.

6. After healing crisis feel renewed energy and health.

Disease Crisis

1. Body is struggling to remove toxins to survive.

2. Result of bad health habits which have increased your toxicity and decreased your immunity.

3. Result of the body’s inability to properly eliminate toxins.

4. More likely to follow pattern of stagnant or declining health symptoms.

5. Usually longer in length than a healing crisis.

6. More likely to feel weak and “drained” after recovery.

HERING’S LAW OF CURE

Constantine Hering, a Hungarian homeopathic physician in the 19th Century, is famous for his editing the Materia Medica, the invention of nitroglycerine as an angina drug, for founding the Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia (no longer homeopathic), and for Hering’s Law of Cure, which states:

All cure starts from within out, from the head down, from the most important organs to the least and in reverse order as the symptoms appeared.

That may sound a little cryptic, so let me explain:

1. From within out— You can’t treat symptoms — you must
   first deal with the causes on the inside. Deal with the inner cause and the outer symptom will eventually go away. Asthma might go away leaving you instead with a skin rash. Thus, skin problems suggest healing from within out.

2. From the head downward— In a healing crisis with a fever, your feet may get hot as you heal. Or the arthritis on your upper body might improve before that on your lower body. Some also see this as the likelihood of experiencing emotional symptoms as well as physical during the healing process (Ironically, most people would respond to the increased emotional [head] symptoms by taking a suppressive drug, compounding the healing need).

3. From more to less important organs— If endocarditis ( a heart inflammation) goes away and then you have arthritis, you’ve healed from the more to the least important organs.

4. In the reverse order symptoms appeared— In the healing crisis people frequently experience symptoms from previous illnesses as the body cleanses. The toxins from your various illnesses are accumulated in the tissues of your body, layer upon layer. Therefore, the toxins from the most recent illness will be experienced first in the cleansing process.

RESPONDING TO A HEALING CRISIS

Okay, so now you appreciate what a healing crisis is and how it can benefit your overall health . . . but what should you do when it happens? Here are some do’s and don’ts:

Don’t during a healing crisis

1. Don’t run off to your M.D. expecting understanding or help. He or she is trained to treat symptoms with drugs.

2. Don’t take symptom-suppressing drugs (pain-killers, anti-inflammatories, psychiatric drugs, etc.) if at all possible.

3. Don’t eat junk food or a lot of hard to digest foods like animal proteins.

Do’s during a healing crisis

1. If you’re taking a detox homeopathic from Pacific Health Center, temporarily discontinue it and give the office a call.

2. Get extra rest.

3. Drink lots of distilled water—possible even double the normal recommended amount of half your body weight in ounces of water daily.

4. Eat light. Focus on fruits and vegetables, juice fast, plain water fast or do our 7 Day Cleansing Diet.

5. It would probably be helpful to discontinue all nutritional supplements temporarily except vitamin C, which you might even increase to 3000-6000 mg/day. Vitamin C has a strong effect of binding to toxins and pulling them out of the body. Thus, it can speed the toxin elimination process.

Bottom line, we need to understand the healing crisis as our body’s built-in healing process and then cooperate with it, rather than suppressing it with drugs.

Better Health Update is published by PO Box 1126, Pinedale, Arizona 85934-1126, Phone (800) 255–4246 providing remote “virtual health screening” appointments anywhere in the world. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.