How is Antibiotic Use Linked to Cancer?

June 4, 2006

MedicalConspiracies (AT) googl (DOT) com

http://www.mercola.com/2005/dec/6/how_is_antibiotic_use_linked_to_cancer.htm

New research indicates that heavy use of antibiotics during childhoodincreases the likelihood of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), acancer that affects the body's lymphatic system.

A "Striking" Association

Researchers looked at data from the Scandinavian Lymphoma Etiologystudy, which compared over 3,000 patients with NHL with a similarnumber of healthy patients. There was a "striking" association betweenantibiotic use and NHL for all subtypes of the disease, especially forthose who had been given antibiotics more than 10 times as children.

A Cause, Or an Effect?

This could mean that the increasing use of antibiotics in the 20thcentury might also explain the rise in NHL cases. However, it isunknown whether antibiotic use caused the NHL, or if antibiotics aresimply more likely to be taken by those prone to developing NHL.

Also True for NSAIDs

There was also an increased risk of NHL for heavy users ofnon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This includesibuprofen drugs such as Motrin and Advil.

American Journal of Epidemiology November 15, 2005; 162(10): 965-974

News November 19, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Physicians have a history of unwisely prescribing far too manyantibiotics for children with sore throats.

I'm not opposed to all uses of antibiotics, as they have clearlybenefited many that have used them. But overall they have harmed farmore than they have benefited. It has been my experience that wellover 95 percent of the time they are used inappropriately.

Does that mean we should throw the baby out with the bath water?Absolutely not. But more wise discernment is needed when they are used.

The real truth is that most of the infections we acquire are notactually caused by some evil bacteria or virus. Most of the time wecome down with an illness it is because we have violated one or moreof the following three basic health principles:

* Not enough sleep * Inability to cope properly with stress * Poor diet with too much sugar and too many grains

I am grateful we can use antibiotics as effective tools. However, mostof the improvement we have had in health has been achieved without them.

In the past I have received a number of letters from physicians livingin countries other than the United States denouncing the fact that Idid not praise antibiotics because they have saved so many lives ofchildren who would have died in earlier times.

It is clear that there are indeed times when antibiotics are neededand will benefit the person taking them. However, in the largerpicture they are widely over-prescribed and, in my experience, rarelyrequired if the adult or child is receiving optimized nutrition,adequate rest and appropriate interventions for stress.

What most physicians fail to realize is the enormous influence thatsugar and grains have on the immune system. If you eat a typicalAmerican diet, you will likely obtain a variety of infections due tothis immune impairment.

The solution to most any infectious illness does not involve anexpensive drug or nutritional supplement but merely application of thebasics that involve eating for your Metabolic Type, addressingunresolved emotional conflicts with tools like EFT and staying awayfrom toxic poisons like sugar, mercury and, for most people, grains.

If you apply these basics your body has no choice but to stay healthyand heal. It is my strong clinical belief and frequent observation inmy practice that each of us has been provided with an enormous arrayof biochemical mechanisms that are designed to generate health. Mostof us have to regularly violate these principles for many years beforewe reap the fruits of our unhealthy choices.

Fortunately, the repair mechanisms work quite well for most of us andare activated once we apply these health basics.