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Silver Fillings Finally Being Regulated

An amalgam used as a restorative material in a...
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it will regulate the mercury used in dental amalgam fillings.

Responding to concerns about mercury amalgam pollution in the environment, the pro-mercury American Dental Association (ADA) had lobbied for “voluntary” self-regulation for its members. However, since the ADA’s position (and that of nearly all its more than 155,000 dentist members) is that mercury amalgams pose no environmental threat, self-regulation would have done little or nothing to stop dentists from continuing to dump tons of mercury into our environment.

Mercury released by amalgam-using dentists pollutes our water, our air, and our land, resulting in devastating environmental health effects. According to the EPA, 50 percent of all mercury entering local waste treatment plants comes directly from dental offices, where millions of bits and pieces of amalgam fillings are sent down the drain every year.

But the EPA explained in its announcement about regulating mercury amalgam that once dental mercury enters the environment, “certain microorganisms can change elemental mercury [which comprises about 50% of dental mercury amalgam) into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. Methylmercury can damage children’s developing brains and nervous systems even before they are born.”

Another problem, say consumer groups against the use of mercury amalgams, is the indiscriminate polluting of the air via crematoria. Tens of thousands of people with mercury fillings are cremated every year, and significant amounts of toxic mercury are released into the atmosphere along with the smoke.

For decades, the EPA maintained what critics called a “midnight deal” with the ADA: a “memorandum of understanding” by which the ADA was actually in charge of environmental safety in dental offices through, for example, the use of devices for trapping dental mercury before it goes down the drain. Under this arrangement, these devices were either woefully inadequate or woefully underused. As a spokesperson for the Consumers for Dental Choice said, it was like putting Colonel Sanders in charge of the chicken coop.

Teamed with other environmental groups to protest the status quo and demand new regulations, the Consumers for Dental Choice, established in 1996 by consumer advocates, mercury poisoning victims, scientists and mercury-free dentists, helped organize a congressional hearing to address the failure of ADA’s voluntary approach and the ever-increasing problem of dental mercury pollution.

As a result of all the efforts taken by numerous groups over the years, the EPA says it finally will propose a rule to regulate dental mercury in 2011. The public can participate by submitting public comments before the rule is finalized in 2012.

Want information about how to combat the effects of mercury? Check out www.nevadachiro.com or call (702) 565-7474.

SOURCES: Environmental Protection Agency, September 2010, http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/a640db2ebad201cd852577ab00634848

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Use Care When Supplementing with Fish Oil

There’s a tremendous amount of confusion about omega-3 oils and removing the confusion is the purpose of this post.

Fish Oil really started the omega-3 market and is an amazing supplement, and the research on the benefits of animal-based omega-3 fats (DHA and EPA) show it to be outstanding.

Fish oils are typically extracted from menhaden, sardines, and herring; fish that are generally not consumed by the average person. These types of fish are indeed very high in EPA and DHA, and the health benefits of these fats are well established.

Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fat

In fact, most of the health benefits associated with omega-3 fats are linked to animal-based omega-3 fats like EPA and DHA, not plant-based omega-3 fats like ALA.

Even the US FDA, which denies most nutritional claims, acknowledges the cardiovascular benefits of animal based omega-3 fats:

  • Antiarrhythmic: counteracting or preventing cardiac arrhythmia
  • Antithrombotic: tending to prevent thrombosis (a blood clot within a blood vessel)
  • Antiatherosclerotic: preventing fatty deposits and fibrosis of the inner layer of your arteries from forming
  • Anti-inflammatory: counteracting inflammation (heat, pain, swelling, etc.)
  • Improves endothelial function: a major factor in promoting the growth of new blood vessels
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Lowers triglyceride concentrations

Researchers are also attributing a number of other health benefits to omega-3 fat, including:

Unfortunately, the majority of people who take supplemental omega-3 to protect and improve their health are taking the wrong fish oil.

I say unfortunately, because as you will find out, at least 25 percent and maybe even as much as half of the fish oil on the market are damaged products that can do more harm than good…

Why Any Fish Oil Isn’t Your Ideal Choice for Omega-3s

Yes, despite all the established health benefits of animal-based omega-3 fats, any fish oil is actually NOT the ideal source of these fats.

The primary drawback with fish oil is the problem with oxidation, which can occur at any point during the processing, or after you open the bottle. Dr. Moerck explains:

“There are a number of ways in which fish oil can be processed. One is by just simply squeezing the fish — in some cases with cod liver oil to actually remove the livers from the cod — and then remove the oil from those by classical mechanical techniques.

In some cases, to get the last few ounces of oil out of the fish, they use solvents, or they use fish oil as a solvent by taking fish oil that’s already been processed, using it as an extraction method to get more fish oil out.

Every time fish oil is subjected to contact with oxygen, however, it starts going rancid. It starts oxidizing.”

Omega-3 Fats are Incredibly Fragile

Omega-3 fats are extremely fragile and are VERY easily damaged by oxygen. This is true for ALL omega-3 sources, whether animal-based or plant-based.

This is where Nutri-West’s oil stands out.

The processing, the bottle, the purification process are all first rate.

Typical Fish Oils Contain Higher Amounts of Contamination

Another primary concern that is not widely recognized is that many of the fish oils on the market are contaminated with relatively large amounts of metals and toxic chemicals. And not just heavy metals. In fact, toxins like mercury are typically screened for, at least in higher quality brands.

But there are other contaminations that are more unlikely to be identified or removed.

Some of the most common contaminants found in fish, aside from mercury, include:

  • PCBs
  • Dioxin
  • PDEs
  • PCP’s
  • Radioactive substances like strontium
  • Toxic metals such as cadmium, lead, chromium and arsenic

If you’ve been in or around my practice for any length of time you know that I’m a huge supporter and user of Nutri-West’s fish oil and co-factors.

And some of the specific reasons for Nutri-West are:

  • Nutri-West manufacturing is run and governed under the rules of the Federal GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice Act) and is inspected at regular intervals by the Food and Drug Administration.
  • The Wyoming FDA uses the Nutri-West GMP book as the standard for the Wyoming FDA Good Manufacturing Practice Manual.
  • Nutri-West has a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with ultra-modern processing and manufacturing equipment.

If I can be of additional assistance regarding fish oil contact my office at (702) 565-7474 or go to www.nevadachiro.com.

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Do You Know The Escalating Health Risks of Fluorinated Water?

More and more information is coming to light about the health hazards of fluoride, the chemical used in almost all municipal water supplies. But in spite of study after study linking fluoride to a multitude of illnesses, nothing is being done to stop the poisoning of America.

Fluoridated water is not just used for drinking water. It is used on crops and for farm animals, where it enters the food supply. The list of debilitating conditions and diseases grows longer with each new study of the ill effects of fluoride on our health.

Here are some examples:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis: The US Public Health Service says fluoride makes bones more brittle and dental enamel more porous, both symptoms of osteoporosis. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists say the mass fluoridation of America’s water is also causing the soaring number of people suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and arthritis-like pains in myriad joints.

Hip fractures: This extremely common injury, related to osteoporosis, is now considered epidemic among America’s aging population. Some studies show fluoridated water doubles the rate of hip fractures for older men and women; others indicate an 87 percent higher risk.

Cancer: The National Cancer Institute Toxicological Program has found fluoride to be an equivocal carcinogen. The New Jersey Department of Health found a nearly 7-fold increase in bone cancer in young males attributable to fluoridation. Earlier studies found a 5 percent increase in all types of cancers in fluoridated communities.

Cancer Deaths: Nearly 20 years ago, the Chief Chemist at the US National Cancer Institute, Dean Burk, testified to congress that at least 40,000 cancer deaths in 1981 were directly caused by fluoride. Burk stated that fluoride causes more cancer, and causes it faster, than any other chemical.

Thyroid Disorders: Disease of the thyroid gland is a side effect of fluoride exposure, and a deadly one. The thyroid regulates iodine levels in our bodies, which plays a crucial role in protecting us from toxins and pollutants such as heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides and radioactive pollution. The National Research Council found clear evidence that the amount of fluoride added to U.S. water supplies is a risk to the thyroid gland.

Infertility: The list of diseases directly related to fluoride by actual scientific studies also includes infertility not just in humans, but in most of the animal kingdom. FDA scientists reported a direct relationship between decreasing fertility rates in women under 49 years of age and increasing fluoride levels.

Alzheimer’s Disease: Numerous studies have linked aluminum with Alzheimer’s, while others implicate fluoride reacting to aluminum, resulting in double the amount of aluminum entering the brain.

Diabetes, neurological disorders, heart disease, hormonal imbalances — the list keeps growing. The question is, what can we do about it? We must actively campaign against water fluoridation through letters, emails and petitions to our elected representatives. Switching to filtered water with reduced or eliminated fluorides is very important. A filtering system for drinking water called ‘reverse osmosis’ reportedly does the job. If you can afford a whole-house system, you also can avoid exposure from bathing and showering.

All sorts of household essentials, from soaps and toothpaste to food and medicine, are all exposed to fluoride. Going green, going organic, and reading labels has never been more important to our health.

SOURCE: Shirley’s Wellness Cafe, http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/fluoride.htm

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