Leading Doctor rebuts Professor Ernst on bird flu claims/Let Food be Thy Medicin

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ANH: Leading Doctor rebuts Professor Ernst on bird flu

claims/Let Food be Thy Medicine (TALK)

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 02:35:51 -0000

 

 

 

24-Feb-06

 

Avian Influenza – might natural products have a role to play in a

pandemic? Dr Robert Verkerk and Julia Pendower, of the Alliance for

Natural Health, review the current threat posed by avian flu and

discuss the potential of natural products to minimise and alleviate

the symptoms

http://www.i-c-m.org.uk/journal/2006/feb/a03.htm

 

 

Leading doctor and ANH Medical Director, rebuts Professor Ernst on

claims that natural products are " worthless " for protection against

bird flu

 

(this article appears to have been

removed)http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,1714320,00.html#article_conti\

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Internet bird flu treatments 'could be dangerous'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=AOTNIGZRMV1SDQFIQMGSFGGAVC\

BQWIV0?xml=/news/2006/02/20/uflu2.xml & sSheet=/portal/2006/02/20/ixportaltop.html

 

 

ALLIANCE FOR NATURAL HEALTH PRESS RELEASE

 

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

 

_________

 

24-Feb-06

 

Please come and visit the Alliance for Natural Health Team at Stand No

367 at the Natural Trade Show being held at the Brighton Metropole on

12 and 13 March 2006.

 

Dr Robert Verkerk will also be giving a talk on Monday, 13 March at

13.55 to 14.40 entitled Let Food be Thy Medicine; Using Good Science

to Stay on the Right Side of the Law. Book here or call the Natural

Products registration team on 0870 020 3464 who can book the seminar

for you. A brief description of Dr Verkerk's talk follows.

 

Based on media reports and various utterings in the trade press you

may have felt that the European Court ruling on food supplements

achieved nothing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Find out

in this presentation what's really going on and learn how

manufacturers, distributors, retailers and practitioners can use the

Court's ruling to their business' advantage. Directives affecting

herbal products, novel foods and GMOs are perceived as obstacles for

many products of therapeutic value. Although other legislation in the

pipeline may create serious obstacles, discover how ANH is helping

people to stay the right side of the law.

 

We will have one page Information Sheets available for you on Stand

367 on the latest information we have relating to forthcoming

legislation, and also information on our new arm, ANH Consultancy Ltd.

 

Hope to see you there.

 

Isobel Bradley

 

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