Fwd: DOCTOR YOURSELF Newsletter (Vol. 3, No 13) May 20, 2003

[Guest guest]

" Andrew Saul, PhD "

DOCTOR YOURSELF Newsletter (Vol. 3, No 13) May 20, 2003

Thu, 15 May 2003 08:39:22 -0400

 

 

 

To for free: dynewsletter )

 

" We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them to discover it

within themselves. "

 

(Galileo Galilei)

 

The DOCTOR YOURSELF NEWSLETTER (Vol. 3, No 13) May 20, 2003

 

" Free of charge, free of advertising, and free of the A.M.A. "

 

Written and copyright 2003 by Andrew Saul, PhD. of

http://www.doctoryourself.com , a free online library of over 350 natural

healing articles with nearly 4,000 scientific references.

 

HARD TO BELIEVE it was thirty years ago that I was dropped right into the

deep end at the intensive care unit of Boston's Brigham Hospital. No, I was

not a physician then and I am not one now. I was a clinical counseling

student. A never-ending stream of the critically ill were wheeled through

the Levine Cardiac Unit, where I'd hung my hat for a semester. What a place.

Even back then, it was as full of electronics, switches, desktop displays

and overhead monitors as is the control room of a Navy submarine. And just

as crowded.

 

In the few remaining corners not taken up with life-saving equipment, space

had somehow, grudgingly, been found for patients' beds. If you ducked under

some wires and walked over others, you could usually locate your patient.

Most were unconscious, or else lay still and scared while nurses and doctors

scurried past them, bound for the latest beeping, light-flashing crisis just

a few feet away.

 

And there I found Sammy.

 

Samuel, a 74-year-old retired firefighter, had just had a couple or three

heart attacks. I had an instant rapport with this delightful grandfatherly

man, who was so quick with the Yiddish humor and a charming,

glad-to-see-you-sit-down-why-don't-you-stay-awhile smile. His kindliness

towards me went a long way towards hiding my nervousness, inexperience and

youth.

 

As counseling students, we were supposed to get seriously ill patients like

Sammy to talk, open up, and feel better. But although he told me much about

himself and all about his family, most of the time it was he who got me to

do the talking. It was as if he was the real counselor, and looking back, I

think he was.

 

I looked forward to our visits, and one day his bed was empty. The sheets

were all made, but the bed was empty. Sammy died the night before.

 

The bed was not vacant for long.

 

For our patients, the survival odds were balanced on a knife's edge, being

about 50-50 for most. One day I was asked to visit a big 40-year-old

football coach. He was well aware of his chances, and told me so without

batting an eyelash.

 

" I've played games with worse odds than those, " he added with a grin.

 

His bed was vacant a week later. That's because he'd gone home. He lived.

 

Downstairs a few floors, I was assigned to a 34-year old woman with cancer.

She was dying, and the most advanced medical technology had nothing to offer

her. Unlike the intensive care patients, who usually came or went within a

week, I visited her for an extended period of time.

 

I got to know her husband, too. They were not happy people. And while I

could sympathize, I still felt useless. There was so little I could do,

aside from visiting and listening.

 

I spent quite a lot of time there. It was not easy.

 

She died shortly before the semester was over. The last thing I remember is

her husband, sitting alone on a wooden bench in the old whitewashed-brick

hospital corridor, with his head bent over a medical textbook. He didn't see

me. He was too preoccupied trying to figure out what had happened.

 

All these images from thirty years back. Now you know why I am in the line

of work I am in today.

 

 

Do I now have the sure cure for these diseases? No. If I did, I'd be Surgeon

General of the World. But I can offer you a piece of the answer, and that's

worth doing. Modern drug medicine is as incomplete as a novel written with

three vowels, or a symphony constructed with only some of the notes.

High-dose nutritional therapy is the much-needed missing part of our

vocabulary of healthcare. When going into the ring to fight the champ, you

do not want one hand tied behind your back. The fight against disease needs

all the help it can get.

 

Links for more information on the Number One and Number Two killers of our

time:

 

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

 

Dr. Abram Hoffer's important articles on megavitamin therapy for heart

disease:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_shute.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_cardio.html

 

How to select and use vitamin E

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/vitamin_e.html

 

The discovery of vitamin E therapy for heart disease:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/estory.htm

 

Angina

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/angina.html

 

Congestive Heart Failure

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/congestive.html

 

Smoking

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/tobacco.html

 

CANCER

 

An overview of natural cancer treatments:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/cancer_2.html

 

Specific adjunctive treatment suggestions:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/cancer.html

 

Dr. Abram Hoffer's comments on megavitamin cancer therapy:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/cancer_hoffer.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_cancer_2.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_vitc_can.html

 

Dr. Hugh D. Riordan's use of vitamin C as chemotherapy for cancer:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/riordan2.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/riordan1.html

 

How to arrange a vitamin C IV for a patient:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/strategies.html

 

Safety of vitamin therapy used along with conventional chemotherapy:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/chemo.html

 

Important reading on the Gerson cancer therapy:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/gersontherapy.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/gersonbio.htm

 

A POUND OF PREVENTION is worth a ton of cure. The very best way to deal with

cancer and heart disease is to prevent them. In addition to taking your

vitamins and eating a near-vegetarian diet, try:

 

THE " DOCTOR YOURSELF " SEVEN-POINT, TWO-MINUTE HEALTH CHECK-UP

 

1) Look in the kitchen sink. The fewer greasy pots and pans you see, the

more complex carbohydrates you are eating. If there are very few dishes, the

more fresh and raw fruits and vegetables you are eating. This presupposes

that you are not merely living on junk food, so after this,

 

2) Look in the kitchen wastebasket. The fewer wrappers, plastic packages and

paper boxes you see, the less " convenience food " in your diet.

 

3) Look at your compost pile. The bigger, the better.

 

How I garden, the cheap and easy way:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/aphids.html

 

More helpful hints:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/organic_garden.html

 

4) Look at your multivitamin bottle. Vitamins C, E and the B-complex should

be provided in much, much larger than RDA quantities. What amounts do I

personally take every day? http://www.doctoryourself.com/saulslurry.html

 

5) Look at the bathroom scale, with you on it. I do not have to tell you

what to do next, now, do I. I do? Well, OK:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/dieting.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/weight_loss.html

 

6) My high school Phys Ed teacher told me a long time ago that the single,

simplest test of a person's physical fitness is to see if they can touch

their toes. Can you? If not, refer to links in item 4, above.

 

7) When you look in a full-length mirror, and turn yourself sideways. If

your posture droops, straighten up and fly right. Corrective hints at

http://www.doctoryourself.com/exercise_avoid.html

 

and

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/backache.html

 

IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY that this photo was taken of yours truly. It

will take a while to load, but you may enjoy such a blast from the past.

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/authorphoto.htm

 

WORST ELEPHANT JOKE EVER:

It seems that this elephant woke up one morning with a very stuffy nose. Now

to an elephant, a congested nose seems truly life threatening. So, the

elephant gave away all his possessions, made funeral arrangements, and then

went to a naturopathic doctor expecting to hear the worst. The doctor said,

" Relax, you'll get better in a few days. " That goes to show that just

because your trunk is packed doesn't mean you're ready to go.

 

(adapted from Peter Shickele, aka PDQ Bach, in The Carnival of the Animals)

 

DOCTOR YOURSELF WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

 

For a visually appealing and well-referenced how-to guide to avoid

cardiovascular disease, I recommend

 

http://www.health-heart.org . The site is thorough and non-commercial. The

more I use it, the more I appreciate it.

 

NEW YORK TIMES HEALTH WRITER UNFAIRLY ATTACKS HIGH-DOSE VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS

 

by Bill Sardi

www.askbillsardi.com

 

 

In a scurrilous and misdirected report on vitamin supplements published in

the New York Times April 29, 2003 ( " Vitamins: More May Be Too Many " ), Gina

Kolata writes that vitamin supplements cannot correct a poor diet,

multivitamins have not been shown to prevent any disease, and it is easy to

overdose on vitamins and minerals to the point where they actually cause

diseases rather than prevent them.

 

Kolata says, " no longer are experts concerned about vitamin deficits, " which

she says " are almost unheard of today. " Kolata errantly claims, " even with

the population eating less than ideal diets, " that the " concern is with the

dangers of vitamin excess. " But in fact, data published by the Poison

Control Centers of America reveal that vitamin supplements are extremely

safe.

 

 

And vitamin deficiencies are rampant.

 

> 8 in 10 Americans are deficient in magnesium which leads to an array of

muscle spasm disorders including sudden-death heart attack.

 

 

> Over 4 in 10 Americans are deficient in vitamin D which is associated with

weakened bones, high blood pressure and poor immunity.

 

 

> About 4 in 10 Americans experience symptoms of short-term memory loss,

fatigue, sore tongue and burning feet from a deficiency of vitamin B12.

 

 

> A significant percentage of the population does not consume adequate

amounts of folic acid, a B vitamin, with shortages associated with symptoms

of mental depression, blood vessel disease, colon cancer and Alzheimer's

disease.

 

Kolata cites Dr. Benjamin Caballero, a member of the Food and Nutrition

Board at the National Academy of Sciences and the director of the Center for

Human Nutrition at Johns Hopkins University, who claims the " difference

between the recommended dose (of vitamin A) and a dose that could lead to

bad outcomes like osteoporosis " was not large, so it may be easy for

consumers to overdose. But the study which claims too much vitamin A can

lead to accelerated bone loss was conducted in a Scandinavian country where

natural vitamin D levels are minimal due to lack of sunlight exposure.

Vitamin D is required for proper absorption of calcium, the primary mineral

found in bones. It is more likely that a shortage of vitamin D was the

problem, not vitamin A.

 

 

Are high-dose vitamins really toxic?

 

A chart published in the New York Times gives the false impression that 500

milligrams of vitamin C could be potentially toxic. To the contrary, this is

the amount of vitamin C that was found to help reduce high blood pressure.

Other reports show that vitamin C prevents cataracts. A widely published

1992 UCLA study showed that vitamin C extended the human life span by six

years, which is more than can be accomplished by regular physical exercise

or cholesterol reduction.

 

 

The false impression that high-dose vitamin C is somehow toxic is beyond

plausibility since humans once produced their own natural vitamin C, at

least 2,000 to 13,000 milligrams a day. A genetic mutation that occurred

somewhere back in human history stopped the production of an enzyme required

for the conversion of circulating sugars into vitamin C. How could high-dose

vitamin C be toxic when most animals today produce thousands of milligrams

per day?

 

 

What about the AMA's recommendation to take vitamins?

 

A recent study indicates the consumption of fruits and vegetables by

Americans is down by 14 percent despite massive public education efforts to

consume more plant foods. Even when Americans consume vegetables, among the

most-often consumed plant foods are iceberg lettuce and French fries, which

are nutritionally worthless. The American Medical Association recently

published a landmark report which recommended mutivitamins for the

population at large. The AMA report was never mentioned by Kolata.

 

 

(Thanks to Bill Sardi for permission to use his fine rebuttal. My own

commentary on " Vitamin Bashing " articles is posted at

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/antivitamin.html . An excellent article on the

subject by Dr. Abram Hoffer is posted at

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_factoids.html )

 

OUR PHARMOPHILIC (Drug Lovin') NEWS MEDIA

 

Well, you can pretty much count on the media to slam supplements. And, of

course, they manage to remain just as keen as ever to report the latest in

REALLY VALUABLE, life-saving nutritional news.

 

Here is a modest example:

 

ALL KINDS OF MARSHMALLOWS REMAIN TAX-FREE IN NEW YORK

 

The Associated Press reported (May 12, 2003) that marshmallows and

" Marshmallow Fluff " will not be subject to state sales tax.

 

Golly, THAT'S good news! Verily a balanced State budget looms large in our

near future. Or not. Here's a portion of the article for your edification

and amazement.

 

" Shoppers jamming supermarket aisles for a bag of large, puffy marshmallows

to roast around a campfire or a container of Marshmallow Fluff to make a

sandwich are in for a real treat - both items remain tax-free in New York.

 

" Though few, if any, consumers took notice, the (New York Governor) Pataki

administration has just extended the tax-free status of big marshmallows.

 

" Up until five years ago, big marshmallows were subject to sales tax because

they were considered candy. Mini-marshmallows and " Marshmallow Fluff, " on

the other hand, were exempt from sales tax since they were classified as

food.

 

" In 1998, the state Department of Taxation and Finance sought a more uniform

treatment of all types of marshmallows and revised its tax laws to repeal

the levy on large marshmallows.

 

" But the issue of whether big marshmallows are candy or food continues to be

debated every five years because of an act passed by the state Legislature

that requires state agencies to review their regulations within that

timeframe.

 

" Food merchant groups welcomed the news. "

 

No doubt the majority of the dental profession will welcome this next item:

 

MERCURY IN TEETH " IS INCREASING POLLUTION "

 

by Charles Clover, Environment Editor, The Weekly Telegraph

 

(09/05/2003)

 

" A reduction in pollution from crematoriums has been ordered by the

Government after a study found that emissions of mercury were rising fast

because of the number of fillings in people's teeth. "

 

http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/05/09/ncrem09

..xml & sSheet=/news/2003/05/09/ixhome.html

 

(If that link does not come intact through in your email, try the

Telegraph's main page ( http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk ) and do a search

for " mercury. " )

 

And from the 22 November 1998 Weekly Telegraph, something to cheer up

morticians everywhere:

 

 

CREMATORIA STAFF FACE RISK FROM MERCURY IN TOOTH FILLINGS

 

by Victoria Macdonald, Health Correspondent

 

" Mercury from dead people's tooth fillings is putting the public's health at

risk because it is not destroyed during cremation, a study has shown.

Concentrated levels of mercury were found in the hair of crematorium

workers, an indication that it may be in their livers and kidneys. Previous

research has found the chemical in the soil around crematoria. One of the

researchers said that it is estimated that one crematorium emits almost 12

pounds of mercury every year. It has been known for some time that there are

dangers for dental staff who work with mercury, which makes up 50 per cent

of amalgam fillings.

 

 

" The Federation of British Cremation Authorities said that it was surprised

by the report. "

 

Yes, with the Doctor Yourself Newsletter, all the news that gives you a fit,

or keeps you fit, we print.

 

That is a hard act to follow, but I can at least offer you this favorite

line from one of my more offbeat high-school teachers:

 

" Two maggots were fighting in dead earnest. "

 

Perhaps they were fighting because Ernest had amalgam fillings. After all,

mercury poisoning is known to cause nervous irritability.

 

 

 

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Saul's books, which help fund these free public services.

 

Persons interested in my book PAPERBACK CLINIC: A Simplified Manual of

Natural Therapeutics, may obtain it directly from me at 8 Van Buren Street,

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AN IMPORTANT NOTE: This newsletter is not in any way offered as

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physical condition. Any form of self-treatment or alternative health program

necessarily must involve an individual's acceptance of some risk, and no one

should assume otherwise. Persons needing medical care should obtain it from

a physician. Consult your doctor before making any health decision.

 

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service marks of Andrew W. Saul. All rights reserved.

 

Copyright c 2003 and prior years Andrew W. Saul drsaul

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