UK Media starts reporting Ma Huang Heart Risk

[Guest guest]

And shortly after the biting..... the sheep go to slaughter.

 

Richard

 

In a message dated 1/14/2004 8:13:42 AM Eastern Standard Time, attiliodalberto writes:

We all really need to wake up and get active, otherwise the pen we're all in is going to get smaller and smaller and the sheep dog may start biting. Attilio

[Guest guest]

What is being discussed/offered as the real problem regarding self-actualization goes back to a devastating deficit (purposefully accomplished certainly in the US) in elementary school education regarding this issue.......and then secondarily.... later on in the specialized case of what we are discussing = TCM.

 

If the control-system-at-large keeps young children dumb to the world....it is much easier to control them when they grow up.

 

Richard

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Taken from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3394063.stm

 

Herbal diet drug 'is heart risk'.

 

Slimmers have been warned against using a popular herbal remedy to

help them lose weight.

Doctors in the United States say Metabolife 356 can have a

potentially lethal effect on the heart.

 

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, doctors

urged people to avoid taking the product until further research is

carried out.

 

However, the manufacturers have rejected the claims saying studies

show Metabolife 356 is safe to use.

 

David Cohen, national science counsel for Metabolife International,

said: " Metabolife is very safe when used as recommended. "

 

Curb appetite

 

Metabolife 356 is designed to promote weight loss by curbing appetite

and increasing energy levels.

 

Professor Brian McBride and colleagues from the University of

Connecticut School of Pharmacy based their findings on a study

involving 15 healthy people with an average age of 27.

 

The volunteers were either given a Metabolife 356 pill or a dummy

pill.

 

The researchers recorded their blood pressure and corrected QT

interval (QTc), an important measurement of heart activity.

 

QTc measures time intervals between the electrical impulses that

cause the heart to contract. A longer QTc interval can increase the

risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms.

 

They found that 53% of participants had QTc interval increases of at

least 30 milliseconds while taking Metabolife 356. It also raised

blood pressure.

 

In Europe, this is at the threshold recognised as life-threatening.

According to EU regulators, it can trigger a potentially fatal

irregular heart beat known as torsade de pointes.

 

" Consumers are drawn to herbal preparations because of their non-

prescription status, direct-to-consumer advertising, and the

perception that natural products are innately safe, " said Professor

McBride.

 

" Unfortunately, the perception of safety may be the result of a lack

of data. "

 

The researchers said further study was needed to identify which

ingredients were causing the problem. Metabolife 356 contains 19

separate ingredients, including ephedra and caffeine.

 

Ephedra is about to be banned in the US amid fears it can increase

blood pressure and may trigger heart attacks and strokes.

 

" Since the actual ingredient or ingredients in Metabolife 356

responsible for these findings are not known, patients should be

instructed to avoid this and similar dietary supplements until more

information is known about their safety, " said Dr McBride.

 

However, Mr Cohen criticised the study.

 

" The study data is inconsistent with prior studies which have

measured this exact same interval, " he told BBC News Online.

 

He said other studies in peer reviewed journals had shown that the

product was safe when used as directed.

 

 

Comments:

 

It seems all too often that many of our TCM colleagues are complacent

with the current situation and the way in which we're bullied and

pushed through gates like sheep. I often see the apathy of fellow

practitioners and students in the way we are treated and our

direction towards the future. I also see that the majority of TCM

practitioners and students have an overwhelming alternative-ex hippy

attitude of 'go with the flow' drive that allows our industry to be

side-lined, battered and bullied into a lower and lesser seen form of

healthcare.

 

I don't think the mainline Chinese help with their often doctored

research that levies a fraudulent mask upon us all helps. Also, money

driven practices rather than a balanced ethically orientated, hinders

our progress at every step.

 

We all really need to wake up and get active, otherwise the pen we're

all in is going to get smaller and smaller and the sheep dog may

start biting.

 

Attilio

[Guest guest]

Attilio,

 

>

> We all really need to wake up and get active, otherwise the pen

we're

> all in is going to get smaller and smaller and the sheep dog may

> start biting.

>

> Attilio

 

Yes, well, the pen was designed and constructed

by wolves who still run the whole farm.

 

This level of complacency that you report,

which I believe is unfortunately accurate,

has been painstakingly educated into existence

by the current status quo.

 

As Chris points out, there is a vastly

bigger big picture here, and there are

most definitely sheep dogs, as you characterize

them, ambling dutifully around the various

fences that have been constructed to try

and control the movement of the...ah...

sheep.

 

But all we have to do to stop being sheep

is stop being sheep.

 

It really comes down to a personal decision...

and action, as you say.

 

But the current design of training and

qualification demands that people learn

to repeat information that they aren't

taught the true meaning of in order to

step into line and get their tickets

punched.

 

This is how you manufacture complacent

sheep.

 

Whether such critters are eaten by sheep

dogs or wolves don't really matter, except

to the dogs and the wolves, who naturally

will battle over the caracasses.

 

Until there's nothing left but hair and

bone.

 

The big dangerous option is knowledge.

 

How do you get enough knowledge in this

field to be dangerous to the dogs and the

wolves?

 

Ken

[Guest guest]

I think a large part of it comes down to media perception of our

industry and how much good PR we get. Once the mass public are

educated enough about TCM then we'll see a bigger demand and

inclusion into main stream medicine. The mass public are more

autonomous than ever before even in a free healthcare system such as

the UK. They are well-aware of the negative aspects of WM, and even

though they are constantly bomb-barred with WM's futuristic claims of

cures for everything from the common cold to cancer, " once more

research is done " , " we're nearly there, hold on " or " now we know

genetics " they still yearn for another way and we're here to fill

that gap.

 

Associations are the ones that need to speak for us all. They need to

get alot more savvy with the media and if not already, hire a PR

specialist to endlessly promote TCM in all its forms. At the moment

its left up to the few of us who try and write articles for public

consumption or lobby the media for good coverage.

 

In the meantime, the rest of us can try and get more energetic, get

pro-active, talk to your local politician and your association. They

can also educated themselves alot more in WM. By doing so we'll be

able to communicate to WM establishments and promote our causes.

 

There's many ways to approach this issue. Someone needs to address

this issue, draw up a strategy and lead us all into a better, more

open future.

 

Attilio

 

 

" kenrose2008 " <kenrose2008> wrote:

> Attilio,

>

> >

> > We all really need to wake up and get active, otherwise the pen

> we're

> > all in is going to get smaller and smaller and the sheep dog may

> > start biting.

> >

> > Attilio

>

> Yes, well, the pen was designed and constructed

> by wolves who still run the whole farm.

>

> This level of complacency that you report,

> which I believe is unfortunately accurate,

> has been painstakingly educated into existence

> by the current status quo.

>

> As Chris points out, there is a vastly

> bigger big picture here, and there are

> most definitely sheep dogs, as you characterize

> them, ambling dutifully around the various

> fences that have been constructed to try

> and control the movement of the...ah...

> sheep.

>

> But all we have to do to stop being sheep

> is stop being sheep.

>

> It really comes down to a personal decision...

> and action, as you say.

>

> But the current design of training and

> qualification demands that people learn

> to repeat information that they aren't

> taught the true meaning of in order to

> step into line and get their tickets

> punched.

>

> This is how you manufacture complacent

> sheep.

>

> Whether such critters are eaten by sheep

> dogs or wolves don't really matter, except

> to the dogs and the wolves, who naturally

> will battle over the caracasses.

>

> Until there's nothing left but hair and

> bone.

>

> The big dangerous option is knowledge.

>

> How do you get enough knowledge in this

> field to be dangerous to the dogs and the

> wolves?

>

> Ken

[Guest guest]

Attilio,

 

I understand what you're saying, but

in terms of what it all comes down

to, I still hold that it all comes

down to each and every individual

who's involved in the study and practice

of Chinese medicine.

 

Positing the source of our troubles

elsewhere, locating the source of our

solutions outside of ourselves, and

all similar approaches to the fundamental

questions of who is responsible for who

we are, what we know and what we do, will

likely perpetuate the sheep, pens, and

dogs, scenario that you described.

 

Once an individual is actualized, on

the other hand, he or she becomes a

potent force in disseminating the

actual benefits that we all take

for granted as accruing from the

study and practice of the subject.

 

So, once again, the question becomes,

I submit, how is this self-actualization

to be achieved in this field?

 

And if anyone seems to be having trouble

achieving it, a corollary question might

be, what is stopping or preventing it?

 

Ken

[Guest guest]

Yes, I agree Ken, it is all derived from self-actualisation. I was

speaking more from myself as I feel I'm already actualised. As I said

before, we can act as individuals and also as a group through our

associations, at micro and macro states.

 

What's stopping the rest of the people actualising themselves? A

number of possibilities spring to mind. Giving up their power to

others is one. Having a over-optimistic outlook on our future and

that the truth will set us free attitude is another. It of course

will do, but at this rate, we may not see it in our life-time.

 

Attilio

 

" kenrose2008 " <kenrose2008> wrote:

> Attilio,

>

> I understand what you're saying, but

> in terms of what it all comes down

> to, I still hold that it all comes

> down to each and every individual

> who's involved in the study and practice

> of Chinese medicine.

>

> Positing the source of our troubles

> elsewhere, locating the source of our

> solutions outside of ourselves, and

> all similar approaches to the fundamental

> questions of who is responsible for who

> we are, what we know and what we do, will

> likely perpetuate the sheep, pens, and

> dogs, scenario that you described.

>

> Once an individual is actualized, on

> the other hand, he or she becomes a

> potent force in disseminating the

> actual benefits that we all take

> for granted as accruing from the

> study and practice of the subject.

>

> So, once again, the question becomes,

> I submit, how is this self-actualization

> to be achieved in this field?

>

> And if anyone seems to be having trouble

> achieving it, a corollary question might

> be, what is stopping or preventing it?

>

> Ken

[Guest guest]

I am not saying I'm that person, but this is what I did today. I talked to the lawyer for Life Extension Foundation and then one of the people who decides which battles they take to the FDA.

It was an educational day and there will be more conversations to come.

The biggest point and probably the most basic place to start is that according to Life Extension, what is needed is a crack legal team, the funds to pay them and a ground swell of public interest that helps get the interest of the law makers.

They shared with me the name of the team they have used in the past to push legal issues against the FDA. We also talked about the possibility of joining the resources of different professions to help the public understand why they need to take responsibility for their freedom. Life Extension may help with literature that clearly illustrates the way thing are and how we can change them.

Life Extension is not a political organization, but they do have some contacts that will hopefully help us put together a political front for changing the existing laws in our favor.

One thing is clear though, to get lasting results, we need to join our financial resources together get our patients to understand what is going on.

Today was a start. There will be more to come. Together, we can change the way Americans look at health care. It is an incredible opportunity change the course of the health industry. We can do it. All it takes is money, time and some PR.

Chris

 

In a message dated 1/14/2004 9:01:09 AM Eastern Standard Time, attiliodalberto writes:

There's many ways to approach this issue. Someone needs to address this issue, draw up a strategy and lead us all into a better, more open future.Attilio