Pink Disease Newsletter (1 of 2)

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PINK DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP

29/26-38 Halliday Street, Eagleby, 4207

difarnsworth@...

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NEWSLETTER - APRIL, 2003

Dear Everyone,

I hope everyone is well and that you all manage to avoid the dreaded SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome). This newsletter set consists of this newsletter and ’s newsletter.

RAFFLE

and I are very pleased with the result of this year’s raffle – lots of tickets sold. The raffle proceeds, along with some donations (large and small) have helped and me get better computers to put our free Microsoft software in and I think there are a few dollars over for a much needed printer for .

The prize is a selection of Golden Glow vitamin and personal products valued at about $100.00 and the cost per ticket is $1.00. The raffle will be drawn on 30th April, 2003 and is only open to people who reside in Australia. You can still order raffle tickets (if you hurry) by sending a cheque/money order to at PO Box 134, Gilgandra, NSW, 2827.

For those interested in finding out more about Golden Glow products, please ring 1300 36 36 56 for a copy of their current catalogue, or visit them on the internet at www.goldenglow.com.au.

FLU INJECTION TIME

Ouch - it’s flu injection time. Last year the Vaxigrip brand didn’t have mercury (in the form of thimerosal/thiomersal) in it. PLEASE be sure to check with your doctor or chemist that the flu injection you are receiving doesn’t have mercury in it. I’m uncertain if it has mercury or not in it this year because I could only get into their foreign language website which DID mention thimerosal.

ABOUT HOMOEOPATHY

Homoeopathy has been around for over 200 years. It defies all attempts to prove it is a viable alternative medicine and it defies all attempts to prove it is not. Scientifically speaking, homeopathy should not work.

Homoeopathy is based on the principle of “treat like with like†– that is, use something that causes the same symptoms to cure the disease. Preventative mainstream medicine also operates on a similar principle in relation to immunisations and allergy vaccines. In the case of immunisations, for example, often a dead culture of the live and unwanted bug is used to produce antibodies to the unwanted disease. For allergy desensitisation, tolerance to the allergen is built up via small exposures to the allergen via injection, or so the theory goes.

Sources for homoeopathic medicines include plants, animals and minerals. These are first made into a tincture:

herbs, by soaking or boiling the plant and then straining the mixture; and minerals, by grinding the mineral in a mortar and pestle and then making it into a solution.

The tincture is then diluted and shaken, diluted again and shaken again, and diluted and shaken about 10 more times.

One of its main premises of homeopathy is that if you take any substance, and go through the diluting and shaking process until none of the original substance can be detected in the diluted solution; the diluted solution will contain the “memory†of the substance that was originally dissolved in the water. This idea is considered scientific heresy. Attempts to prove or disprove the “memory†of water have produced no consistent, reproducible and/or unambiguous results to date.

Many people find homeopathy helpful while others think it is dangerous.

The types of ailments that can be treated with homoeopathy include allergies, asthma, eczema, hay fever, headaches, respiratory infections and stress.

Homeopathic remedies should not be self-administered. If you are interested in homeopathy, consult a homeopathist for advice.

For more information, you can contact the Australian Homoeopathic Association or similar organization in your own country.

An Introductory Homeopathy Course can be found at http://www.homeocare.co.uk/course1.htm for those who have access to the web. There are numerous websites regarding homoeopathy.

SOURCES:

1. www.Homeocare.co.uk

2. ABC’s Catalyst on 3/4/03 and 10/4/03 – www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/

3. Australian Homoeopathic Association, www.homeopathyoz.org

4. Better Health Channel – www.betterhealth.vig.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Homeopathy

5. www.wholehealthnow.com/pomeopathy_info/introduction.html

MILK versus MILK

Milk – if you go into the supermarket you’ll find milk, milk and more milk – standard pasteurized, reduced fat, non-fat (cholesterol free), full cream, calcium enriched, lactose reduced, soy, goats’ milk – and probably a whole lot more.

Milk is, of course, a rich source of protein and most other vitamins and minerals and generally, with a few reservations (for those with specific health conditions), milk has always been considered very good for people.

More recently though, a war has broken out about the type of protein in milk. The most common type of milk protein is called beta-casein A1. The less common type is beta-casein A2. Cows such as Friesians produce mostly A1 milk. Jerseys and Guernseys produce mainly A2 milk. In most herds there is a mixture of cows so milk is normally a mixture of A1 and A2 milk. Sheep and Goats also produce mainly A2 milk.

For 16 years, A1 milk has been suspected of causing health problems ranging from heart disease, diabetes and autism. Milk first came under suspicion when it was noticed that Pacific Island* children, who rarely have milk, don’t get Type 1 (juvenile) Diabetes. Animal tests indicated that animals on A1 milk got diabetes but animals receiving only A2 milk didn’t. Finland*, which has a high incidence of heart disease and diabetes, predominantly has cows which provide A1 milk while Iceland*, which has substantially A2 milk, has no heart disease or diabetes.

*The fact that Pacific Island children, and Icelanders and Finlanders have different rates of diabetes and heart disease IS NOT PROOF that these diseases are A1 milk related – the frequency of these diseases could be genetic or be related to some other aspect of the diet or lifestyle.

Recently, three more sets of tests were carried out in Australia. A scientifically controlled test on 60 rabbits indicated that rabbits fed the A1 protein had a much higher serum cholesterol level than the A2 fed rabbits or the control group rabbits. It was also found that the A1 protein made the juvenile fatty streaks (the ones children have) much worse. If this rabbit research reflects what happens in humans, it would seem children ought to be having A2 milk, rather than A1.

The second test was carried out on mice. This time it was found that the mice that had received A2 protein had larger areas of lesions than those that had received the A1 protein. As mice don’t naturally get heart disease, they had also been given a high fat diet so this test was probably too flawed to get any significant results that might be relevant to humans.

Test number three is on 20 people but the results aren’t available yet.

Meanwhile, commercial interests in New Zealand and Australia are battling over whether A1 is a health hazard and A2 is beneficial. Patents are being taken out and a Court battle is waging.

Since there aren’t enough good quality scientific tests with repeatable results available as yet, let’s enjoy our cuppas, milkshakes, yoghurts and other milk products while we can. It would be horrible if some smarty pants researcher, or businessmen looking to make a profit, proved that milk, too, could be a major health hazard.

Sources: “White Mischief†by Ticky Fullerton, from the ABC’s Four Corners on 31/3/2003 & Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Milk: Part of a balance diet (March 2003) - www.anzfa.gov.au/mediareleasespublications/factsheets/factsheets2003/milkpart…

The criticism of ordinary everyday milk doesn’t end with A1 and A2 protein and whether or not A1 is a health hazard, pasteurization itself is being debated. Pasteurization involves the destruction of disease-carrying germs and the prevention of souring of milk by heating the milk to about 70˚C and keeping it there for half an hour and then reducing the temperature to about 13˚C.

It is argued that pasteurization destroys some of milks’ nutritious constituents and some of the Vitamin C that raw milk apparently contains, and that it makes the major part of the calcium contained in raw milk insoluble.

The suggestion is that in this day and age, it is possible to produce clean, high quality milk and that killing germs by pasteurization perhaps isn’t needed anymore.

Source: www.mercola.com – Why You Don’t Want to Drink Pasteurized Milk 26/3/03.

BITS & PIECES

1. Children are being prescribed fewer antibiotics than they were in 1995. In 1995, 1,200 antibiotic prescriptions were written per 1,000 children. In 1999 the number had declined to about 700 prescriptions per 1,000 children, according to a study of children aged 4 years and younger. Source: Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal December 2002;21:1023-1028.

2. When it comes to pain, guys may be tougher than gals because they have more of a particular type of protein (GIRK2), new research suggests. Tests on male mice with low GIRK2 levels indicated that they had a lower threshold for pain than mice with normal levels of the GIRK2 protein. Source: www.scientificamerican.com.

3. "Hum a tune and call me in the morning" may one day be a common prescription for treating sinus problems. New research shows that a daily humming exercise could turn out to be the best way to prevent sinus infections. Specialists in Sweden report that airflow between the nose and a connecting sinus increased 15-fold when 10 healthy men exhaled while humming compared with when they exhaled silently. SOURCE: Sinus Problems? Hum a Few Bars! By Dianne Partie Lange – see website www.thirdage.com/

4. According to “The Seven Foods You Should Be Eating†by Harr (Source: see the article at www.thirdage.com) we should eat the following.

GARLIC because it fights off ailments due to its anti-viral properties GREEN TEA because of its anti-oxidant content EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL because it lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) without lowering good cholesterol (HDL) RED GRAPES because of the anti-oxidant properties of the bioflavinoids in the grapes WHOLE GRAINS because they have anti-cancer agents and stabilize blood sugar and insulin WHOLE WATER – the article doesn’t say why but maybe because unprocessed water comes with all the bugs, minerals and nasties that Mother Nature intended it to. ICE CREAM and CHOCOLATE because they are comfort foods and cheer us up.

It goes without saying that these things aren’t universally agreed upon. Recent CSIRO research suggests that a high protein/low carbohydrate diet is better for stabilizing blood sugar and grain-free diets are currently in vogue as well.

5. Heart Disease Linked to Mercury-Contaminated Fish 12-14-02.htm. It was found that men who had had a heart attack had 15 percent higher mercury levels than men who had no history of heart disease. Also, men with the highest mercury levels were more than twice as likely to have had a heart attack as compared with men with the lowest mercury levels, according to the study. Sources: www.mercola.com/2002/dec/14/mercury_fish.htm and The New England Journal of Medicine November 28, 2002;347:1735-1736, 1747-1754, 1755-1760.

6. Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Can Cause Damage Later in Life. This article reviews several human studies that suggest a causal relationship between developmental exposure to contaminants and cancer in children and young adults. Because an embryo and foetus develop must faster than adults, more opportunity for mistakes to occur during cell division occurs. The general gist of the article is that intra-uterine exposure causes more problems than exposure as an adult and also sensitizes the person to whatever they were exposed to (see www.mercola.com/2002/dec/7/pesticide_exposure.htm).

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D has been in the news for several reasons lately:

Insufficient Vitamin D may be a problem for those who get insufficient sun exposure:

· Due to the skin being covered by traditional or religious clothing.

· Being unable to go outdoors due to illness, disability, hospitalization or incarceration.

· Among those who wear sunscreens all the time (any sunscreen with protection higher than SPF 8 prohibits the synthesis of vitamin D).

· As a result of living in a cold climate that gets little sun in winter.

· Because of heavily pigmented (dark) skin – the darker the skin, the more sunlight exposure is needed to enable synthesis of sufficient Vitamin D.

Research has indicated that Vitamin D may have a role in preventing colon cancer. Source: Scientific American website (www.sciam.com) article dated 20/5/2002.

The possibility that the Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin D is too low. The current RDA is 400 IU to 600 IU.

4. A lack of vitamin D may contribute to congestive heart failure, as researchers found that patients with chronic heart failure have lower levels of the vitamin in the blood.

Source: www.mercola.com/2003/mar/5/vitamin_d.htm

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient and can be obtained from 2 sources:

The ultraviolet rays from sunlight cause Vitamin D to be synthesized in the skin. Dietary sources such as eggs, fish and dairy products.

Vitamin D is absorbed with the fats via the intestinal walls with the help of bile. It aids in the absorption of calcium and the breakdown and assimilation of phosphorus.

Deficiency symptoms include inadequate absorption of calcium, softening of the bones, rickets, tetany (muscle numbness, tingling and spasm). As well as lack of sunlight and a poor diet, medications such as cholestyramine (Questran), mineral oil, diphenylhydantion and phenobarbitol can cause malabsorption of Vitamin D.

Many vitamins are toxic if you take too much of them – excess Vitamin D is extremely toxic to the body. Symptoms of toxicity include too much calcium and phosphorus in the blood and calcification of the soft tissues and of the walls of the blood vessels and kidney tubules. The symptoms of an acute overdose of vitamin D are increased urination, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, tiredness, drowsiness, muscular weakness, dizziness, weariness, confusion, high blood pressure, kidney failure, and coma.

Most people can get sufficient Vitamin D via normal exposure to sunlight and the milk products, eggs, liver and fish in their diets.

Those who don’t get much sunlight, or always wear strong sunscreens, or who don’t get much Vitamin D via their diet may be at risk of Vitamin D deficiency AND should consult their own health professionals about the matter. Remember – sufficient Vitamin D is essential BUT too much is toxic.

SOURCES: Nutrition Almanac, Fourth Edition, 1996, G. J. Kirshmann; and as mentioned above.

HOW THE LUNGS WORK MADE SIMPLE

We all (hopefully) have a pair of lungs in our chest. Each lung is 25-30 cm. long. The lungs are covered by a protective membrane. We breathe in air via the nose and mouth and the air travels down the trachea (windpipe). The trachea splits into 2 smaller tubes – one for each lung. Each tube is called a bronchus. The bronchus divides into smaller and smaller airways. These small airways are known as the bronchi. The air passes down the bronchi, and divides into much smaller airways, called bronchioles. The smallest airways have tiny air sacs at the end called alveoli. The alveoli are criss-crossed by capillaries and this is where we absorb the oxygen from the air into our blood stream where it is ‘collected’ by the red blood cells. Once it is in the blood stream, the oxygen is transported right around the body. At the same time the waste product, carbon dioxide, comes out of the capillaries back into the alveoli and we then breathe it out.

About 10,000 litres of air goes through the lungs daily. To protect us from germs and foreign bodies, the lungs have protective mechanisms including –

· mucus to trap particles

· antibodies are produced to fight off unwanted inhalants such as germs and foreign bodies

· tiny hair like structures (cilia) line the bronchi and help move unwanted substances up to the mouth where they can be expelled from the body by coughing

Since every cell in the body needs oxygen, anything that adversely affects the ability of the lungs to get air down to alveoli and oxygen into the blood stream impairs the body’s ability to function properly. Nasty lung diseases include: =

Emphysema where the alveoli in the lung are gradually destroyed, the bronchi become floppy and narrow and it becomes harder to inhale and exhale. Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi resulting in the production of excess mucus and the bronchi can also become narrow and floppy as they do in emphysema. Bronchiectasis where there is irreversible dilation of the bronchi resulting in excess mucus, and difficulty in expelling the mucus.

The most common cause of emphysema and bronchitis is smoking. Bronchiectasis may be hereditary but is generally caused by whooping cough, broncho-pneumonia, measles or Pink Disease.

SOURCE: The Australian Lung Foundation site, www.lungnet.com.au/Fact%20Sheets/thelungs.html

See this website for numerous other lung related pamphlets, and lung disease support groups AND “Lungs†Microsoft® Encarta® 2002.

TEETH NEED FILLING?

Some folk who had Pink Disease don’t have any teeth. Their teeth fell out prematurely or were so badly decayed they were removed and replaced with a “lovely†set of dentures. In a sense, these Pink Disease folk are the lucky ones because they did not end up with a mouth full of mercury amalgam fillings, leaching mercury into their bodies continuously.

Once you’ve got mercury fillings, having them removed or repaired is hazardous because drilling into a mercury amalgams filling creates a nice toxic cloud of mercury vapour which can in inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin and eyes.

If you do need to get a new filling, or have a filling replaced, there are many different types of filling materials now available. These materials include:-

Composite materials are made of tiny glass particles suspended in an acrylic matrix. They are tooth coloured so are used for fillings that are visible. Composites are best used for small fillings and veneers. They can be placed directly into the tooth like amalgams or can be prefabricated and bonded onto the tooth like a crown. The leakage rate of the substances that make up the composites is low provided that are properly bonded. They are durable for small to moderate size fillings.

Ceramics (fully porcelain materials) come in several different varieties. They can be used for rebuilding broken teeth, replacing missing teeth, or as crowns. Because ceramics can be brittle, they can fracture if used on load bearing teeth. Generally the durability and leakage depends on the type of ceramic material used and the bonding. Porcelain fused to metal is very strong and durable and is used for crowns and bridges.

Metal fillings include:

· Gold alloys (generally gold mixed with other metals such as palladium, silver, copper and platinum). These are strong and durable but are not tooth coloured.

· Silver amalgams which are around 50% mercury, 35% silver, 9% tin, 6% copper plus a trace of zinc. The leakage of silver amalgams is moderate, and given the percentage of mercury they contain, this can be a problem for those who are mercury sensitive, particularly if they have lots of fillings. Their advantage is that they are very durable fillings for large, load-bearing teeth. Silver amalgams are, of course, silver coloured so they are not aesthetically pleasing.

All dentals materials contain some nasty substances but composites appear to be the least nasty although if a person is sensitive to any of the materials that make up the dental material, then they can react adversely to it. Some dentists do specialize in removing mercury amalgams and replacing them with something a little less nasty. For those interested in contacting such a dentist, you may be able to track one down via ACNEM (mentioned below). Specialist dentists are generally more expensive.

Sources:

1. www.quackwatch.org/03HealthPromotion/dentalmaterials.html

2. www.hugnet.com

3. www.toxicteeth.org/merctoxprofile.cfm

4. Dental Truth, November, 2002.

SUDDEN ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME

Symptoms of Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) include a fever with a temperature of more than 38Ëš Celsius AND one or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing.

Those currently at risk of catching SARS are those who have recently been overseas to an area where they may have been exposed to SARS or persons who have been in contact with someone who has SARS. The symptoms of SARS can develop up to 10 days after exposure.

SARS is caused by a new corona virus, a relative of the common cold virus. There is no known conventional treatment for the virus and no current method of easy diagnosis. IF YOU FEAR THAT YOU HAVE SARS, CONTACT YOUR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL IMMEDIATELY. The following is some information from the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine.

“Sufferers need the usual supportive care including fluid and electrolyte balance, airway maintenance, intravenous prophylactic antibiotics and respiratory support including intubation if necessary. There is evidence that nutritional supplementation and some herbal medicines can improve the function of the immune system and reduce the severity and duration of respiratory viral infections. The critical nutrients are Vitamins A, C, E, Zinc and B complex vitamins. The most appropriate herbs are Echinacea and Golden Seal.

Doses of the above for newly infected patients and individuals exposed to the virus are:

· Vitamin A (10,000-20,000 IU.)/day. Avoid if pregnant.

· Vitamin C 1000mg 1-2 tabs/4 times a day

· Vitamin E Bioenhanced Vitamin E 2 caps/day

· Zinc 1/day (30 mg) (Avoid cereal grains to improve absorption)

· B-Complex High Potency 1 tab/day

· Echinacea purpurea 10 mLs twice a day (i.e. 2 gram twice daily)

· Golden Seal 2 tabs/twice a day

· Selenium 200mcg/day

The diet should be high in fish, fruit, vegetables and rice. Strict avoidance of cow's milk and all dairy products is essential. Sugar, alcohol, white flour products, saturated fats and citrus fruits should also be avoided, preferably excluded.†Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine13 Hilton Street, Beaumaris, Vic. 3193, AustraliaPhone: +61 3 9589 6088

Fax: +61 3 9589 5158Email: mail@...Web: http://www.acnem.org

Sources:

1. ACNEM

2. www.sciam.com

3. www.thirdage.com

4. http://www.health.gov.au/sars/www.who.int/en/

5. www.newscientist.com/news/print.jsp?id=ns99993594

ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE DOCTORS

ACNEM have now put their list of doctors on their website, along with links to the websites for a number of overseas countries. Doctors can now be located via:

http://www.acnem.org/referrals/referal_service_main.htm.

If you don’t have access to the web, ACNEM can be contacted on 03 9589 6088 (10am to 4 pm).

MERCURY, MERCURY and MERCURY

MERCURY – the messenger of the gods in Roman mythology. Mercury was the god of merchants, trade, profits and travellers and was worshipped in ancient Rome as far back as the 5th Century BCE. His festival was celebrated on May 15th.

MERCURY – the planet. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun being just 58 million kilometres away and has a diameter of 4875 kilometres. It has a large iron core BUT it probably has no more mercury (of the metallic type) than Earth does. It is heavily cratered and looks a little bit like the moon. Despite its close proximity to the sun (Earth is 150 million kilometres from the Sun); Mercury has vast ice sheets in its polar regions. Surface temperatures vary from a scorching 430˚C on the sunny side and a miserable -180˚C on the night side.

MERCURY – the element, symbol Hg. This form of mercury is the enemy of anyone who had Pink Disease. It is the 67th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. Commonly known as quicksilver, it is a silvery-white shining, mobile liquid at room temperature. Solid mercury has a melting point of -39˚C (this is why it is a liquid at room temperature) and boils at 357˚C. Mercury is still widely used in industry, medicine (although its use is declining), and as a pigment. Mercury is highly toxic and causes irreversible brain, liver, and kidney damage. It is a major water pollutant and is found in many species of fish, particularly large predatory ones.

Sources:

1. www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Hg/key.html

2. www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mercury.html

3. “Mercury (planet),†Microsoft® Encarta® 2002

4. “Mercury (mythology), Microsoft® Encarta® 2002

5. “Mercury (element),†Microsoft® Encarta® 2002

CONTRIBUTIONS PLEASE!

If anyone would like to write their particular story for inclusion in either the next newsletter, or on the website, or if anyone has anything to contribute, please contact me at the above address. Suggestions for articles are also welcome.

Now that I have a computer again (I hope this one survives longer than the previous 4), I’m hoping to finish off the website and perhaps do a different style newsletter – so suggestions are definitely welcome.

Regards,

Di Farnsworth,

PINK DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP CO-ORDINATOR.