Natural Products good for fighting Bird Flu.

[Guest guest]

ALLIANCE FOR NATURAL HEALTH PRESS RELEASE

Circulated by Zeus Information Service.

 

For immediate release

 

24 February 2006

Leading doctor rebuts Professor Ernst on avian influenza claims that natural

products “worthless”

Dr Damien Downing, President of the British Society for Ecological Medicine,

Medical Director of the Alliance for Natural Health, Editor of the Journal of

Nutrition and Environmental Medicine and practicing medical doctor and clinical

nutritionist said today that claims by Professor Ernst that “complementary

medicine has nothing in terms of protecting us from bird flu” were irresponsible

and a danger to public health.

Dr Downing went on to say, “I welcomed Professor Ernst’s acknowledgement of

the point made by the Alliance for Natural Health over a month ago that genuine

caution should be exercised when using certain herbal remedies, such as

Echinacea, in bird flu, but I am amazed that Professor Ernst appears to have no

knowledge of the extensive literature on the essential nature of zinc and

vitamin C, for example, when the body is dealing with infections.”

The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey of 2002, showed that less than 10%

of adults take in enough zinc in their diet even by the Government’s current

questionable RDA standard, which is lagging behind the latest scientific

findings on immune system function. It is well established that zinc is

essential for normal immune functioning and that correction of zinc deficiency

helps people to cope with and recover from respiratory and other infections.

This is not just relevant to children in developing countries; studies have

clearly shown this effect on European adults of all ages.

Despite repeated attempts to discredit it, there is also clear evidence that

vitamin C is essential for the immune system – at intake levels well above those

found in typical western diets. A systematic review of 12 studies by Hemilä

(2004), demonstrated that vitamin C supplements are capable of reducing the risk

of developing pneumonia by a staggering 80-100%. Haemorrhage is a recognised

symptom of scurvy, a disease caused by severe vitamin C deficiency.

Supplementation with vitamin C at doses higher than can be achieved through the

diet alone, will be vital in protecting against the haemorrhage that is such an

important and damaging component of human infections by the avian flu virus.

Downing added, “Why is Professor Ernst ignoring the extensive evidence base on

the use of nutrition to prevent and relieve viral infections? Also, when it is

self-evident that supplies of vaccines and anti-viral drugs will be too little,

too late, it is alarming that no global or national health authorities have

broached the subject of how people can support their immune system through the

use of diet and food supplements in the event of a pandemic.”

ENDS.

CONTACTS

For Dr Damien Downing, please contact:

Isobel Bradley, Campaign Administrator

Alliance for Natural Health

Tel: +44 (0)1252 371 275

Email: info

Alternate contact:

Dr Robert Verkerk, Executive & Scientific Director

Alliance for Natural Health

Direct tel: +44 (0)1306 646 550

Mobile/Cell: +44 (0)771 484 7225

For further information, including reference to peer reviewed scientific

research, please contact the Alliance For Natural Health Avian Influenza Expert

Committee via tel +44 (0)1252 371 275 or email info

EDITOR’S NOTES

Professor Ernst

 

Professor Edzard Ernst, Director of Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical

School, Universities of Plymouth and Exeter, UK:

http://www.pms.ac.uk/pms/school/details.php?id=97

 

For comments on avian influenza and natural remedies, see article in the

Guardian newspaper, 21 February 2006:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,1714320,00.html#article_continue

Organisations

 

The British Society for Ecological Medicine is the professional body for

medical doctors, scientists and other healthcare professionals in the areas of

allergy, environmental and nutritional medicine. See www.ecomed.org.uk

 

The Alliance for Natural Health is a key UK-based, international campaign

organisation, comprised of doctors, scientists, practitioners, lawyers,

innovative companies and consumers, dedicated to protecting and promoting

natural healthcare worldwide through the use of ‘good science and good law’. See

www.alliance-natural-health.org

 

The Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine is a peer-reviewed

journal published by Taylor & Francis, established in 1990. See

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/13590847.asp

Research studies

 

Key review on zinc by Shankar & Prasad (1998) in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition. Full paper: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/68/2/447S.pdf

 

Key review on vitamin C by Hemilä (2004) in Military Medicine. Full paper:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3912/is_200411/ai_n9469932

_________

 

 

" Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest

of life by the power of the spirit. " - Aurobindo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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