Influenza is the most common infectious disease. According to the World Health Organization, 20-30% of children and 5-10% of adults come down with the flu every year. Usually, the flu is a manageable illness, but serious complications can occur. We are told that ¼ million to a ½ million people die every year due to serious complications from the flu, usually pneumonia. ¹

These numbers are subject to a great deal of interpretation since they are based on projections and best guesses, not lab tests confirming the patient who died from pneumonia ever suffered from actual influenza. In addition, 70% of deaths are patients over 75 years of age with a combination of health issues. If influenza is such a major health concern, why aren’t doctors and hospitals testing for confirmation? Chances are, we would find the numbers highly over inflated.

Spanish Influenza

No discussion of influenza would be complete without mention of the Spanish Flu pandemic. In 1918, up to 5% of the global population died due to the Spanish flu, with more fatalities in one year than four years of the bubonic plague. Estimates, of the dead in that one-year, range from 20 million to 100 million.

Most influenza strains target children, the elderly, and the infirmed. This strain was just as deadly for healthy young adults, many of whom died within hours of exhibiting their first symptoms. The dead were tagged for name and race as hemorrhaging under the skin made later identification impossible.

This horrific pandemic has become the scare tactic to promote vaccine programs such as ours, even though the vaccines are dirty, dangerous, and largely ineffective.

History of The Flu Shot

It was previously believed that a bacterium, Haemophilus, caused the flu. In 1933, researchers learned that viruses cause influenza. Five years later, Thomas Francis and Jonas Salk developed the first flu vaccine. Initially, the vaccine was used on U.S. soldiers during WWII. ²

The influenza vaccine, or flu shot, is a commonly utilized vaccine with over 40% of Americans regularly receiving the inoculation. The CDC recommends that anyone over 6 months old receive the annual vaccine, stating that vaccination is the most effective method to prevent the flu and to avoid potentially serious flu-related complications. ³

How Influenza Spreads

People infected with influenza can spread the disease to others a full day before their first symptoms develop and for a week after developing symptoms. Children are likely to spread the virus for longer than a week.

The flu is spread by contact with infected people. When sick individuals cough, sneeze, or talk they produce tiny saliva droplets that carry the virus. When others breathe in these droplets, they can become ill. In addition, infected people spread the virus by touching solid surfaces, such as doorknobs. The virus can survive on solid surfaces for days and on porous surfaces or hands for many hours. When other people touch those items or surfaces and then their mouth or nose, the virus can spread.

It is also possible to get the flu from recently vaccinated individuals. Some flu vaccines are made from live attenuated viruses. For instance, those receiving live vaccine strain nasal viruses can spread the virus for a week or more.

How Flu Shots Are Made

There are 16 different flu shots approved by the FDA, made by several pharmaceutical companies. Some of these vaccines are designed solely to protect against the H1N1 influenza virus A strain. But most flu vaccines distributed in the U.S. are designed to provide protection from three strains of influenza viruses; two strains of type A influenza viruses, and one strain of type B influenza virus. The strains are chosen every year by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control, based on a best guess as to the greatest threat in any given year.

There are three main methods employed in the manufacture of flu vaccines.

• Egg based vaccines
• Cell based vaccines
• Recombinant flu vaccine

At present, many influenza vaccines are manufactured by inoculating the virus into eggs where the viruses multiply. Afterwards, the viral components are harvested. An effort is made to remove egg particles but some egg ingredients remain. Alternately, animal cells can be used instead of fertilized chicken eggs as the culture medium.

Influenza

The authentic flu virus causes a respiratory illness, specifically referred to as type A or type B influenza virus. This virus can be found in secretions of the nose, throat and lungs.

Every year we have a flu season when it appears the flu sweeps over the population. However, it is estimated that as many as 80% of the flu-like illnesses that occur during flu season are not actually the flu. Curiosity is expensive. A lab test is the only reliable confirmation of whether a patient’s flu-like symptoms are caused by influenza or another viral or bacterial cause.

Symptoms of the FLU

The flu has similar symptoms to a cold virus, though flu symptoms are more severe. Different strains of the flu have similar symptoms. Common symptoms include a fever over 100°F, feeling feverish, chills, a cough and/or sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, headache, body aches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Sometimes symptoms can be more severe and require medical attention. These include difficulty breathing, cyanosis (purplish or blue lips), pain or pressure in the abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, persistent or severe vomiting, seizures, or symptoms that are flu-like then dissipate before returning with a worse cough or fever.

Ingredients in the flu shot

With all of the different flu vaccines on the market, the ingredient list varies a little from shot to shot. Common troublesome ingredients include polymyxin, beta-propiolactone, formaldehyde, aluminum, thimerosal, polysorbate 80 and neomycin.

All of the Ingredients are Toxic but Many Are Known Carcinogens

Thimerosal, which is present in most flu vaccines, is highly toxic and synergistically toxic, meaning it becomes significantly more toxic when in the presence of other chemical compounds such as aluminum and many antibiotics. Thimerosal is made of thiosalicyclic acid and ethyl mercury. Mercury is 500-1,000 times more toxic than lead. Paradoxically, pregnant women are told by their doctors to limit their seafood intake due to mercury concerns, but now, pregnant women are also told to get their mercury-containing flu shots.

If you’ve ever heard the saying “mad as a hatter,” it refers to the fact that mercury was once used in the making of fur hats. Hatters, those unfortunates souls who made fur hats, would often go insane due to mercury poisoning. Studies have linked high levels of mercury to Alzheimer’s disease. High levels of mercury has also been linked to autism, ADHD, and other learning disabilities and neurological impairments.

Polysorbate 80 is often contaminated with 1-4-dioxane, a carcinogen that has been shown to cause reproductive disturbances in rats. Even though people are not rats, how could polysorbate 80 be good for human health?

Beta-propiolactone is a powerful and toxic disinfectant with multiple uses. It is used to sterilize blood plasma, shots, tissue grafts, surgical instruments, and enzymes. It is also “reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen”, especially when injected into the bloodstream (International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1999).⁴

Many Flu Vaccines Also Contain GMOS

Many flu vaccines contain human genetic material that has been genetically modified. With ingredients this questionable and this toxic in the vaccines you would want to be confident that the vaccines are highly safe and effective, but there is limited evidence to support this notion. Dangers of the flu vaccine, on the other hand, are not hard to find.

Dangers of the Flu shot

Adverse reactions to the flu shot do happen. Most commonly, these reactions begin within 12 hours of vaccination and can last several days. These common symptoms include: fever, fatigue, painful joints, and headache.

Serious reported complications to the flu shot include brain inflammation, convulsions, Bell’s palsy, paralysis of limbs, neuropathy, shock, asthma, wheezing, and other problems breathing.

There are other serious reactions to the influenza vaccine such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome or GBS, which occurs 2-4 weeks following vaccination. GBS is an autoimmune disease and nerve disorder characterized by muscle weakness, unsteady gait, numbness, tingling, persistent pain, and paralysis of the face, and/or limbs. About 5% of GBS cases prove fatal. Full recovery or permanent disability can result.

Brain and nerve disorders including encephalopathy, optic neuritis, partial facial paralysis, brachial plexus neuropathy and vasculitis have also been reported following the flu vaccine.

Adult influenza vaccine injury claims are the number one claim submitted to the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program or VICP. It is very difficult to get a fair hearing in the VICP. Most of the cases are simply dismissed. Vaccine manufacturers enjoy special protection from liability; they cannot be sued. All claims must be handled through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

“As of November 2013, there have been more than 93,000 reports of reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following influenza vaccinations made to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), including 1,080 related deaths, 8,888 hospitalizations, 1,801 related disabilities and over 1,700 cases of GBS. In 2013, the Federal Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) voted to add GBS to the Vaccine Injury Table within the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).” ⁵

The CDC posts all kinds of statistics, but there are not clear statistics regarding the risks of the influenza vaccines. Hard numbers like the number of vaccine injuries, vaccine deaths, or proof of vaccine efficacy are unavailable. For instance, it would be helpful to know how many of the influenza related deaths were people who had been vaccinated. The CDC’s claim that the flu shots are highly safe and effective would be more believable if they publicized the number of vaccine injuries or the percentage of risk. At a minimum, these numbers should match the number of claims settled in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, if not exceeding them.

How To Avoid Getting The Flu

The basic bottom line to avoiding any serious illness, including influenza, is a healthy diet. We must feed the body the nutrients it needs while constantly aiding it in detoxifying from our polluted environment (air, water, and constant exposure to chemicals).

A truly healthy diet consists of 80% raw produce, more vegetables than fruit. All food ingested should be whole and organic, free of artificial flavorings, colorings, preservatives, MSG, GMOs, trans fats, and artificial sweeteners. To learn more about a healthy diet, read 80% Raw Food Diet.

Make Your Immune System Bulletproof with These Natural Remedies can help you prevent of treat the flu.

Other flu prevention strategies you’ve heard in the past may help. Yes, wash your hands frequently, but do not use antibacterial soaps, wipes, or solutions. These are toxic; they do more harm than good and they are creating super bugs. Plain old soap and water with a bit of scrubbing has been proven just as effective, if not more effective.

One very effective strategy is intensive gargling at the first sign of illness. Gargle with apple cider vinegar every hour or more to significantly cut the viral load. You will be aiding your immune system in killing off rapidly multiplying virus cells. If the infection takes hold, it will not be as severe.

Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C (if not, supplement). One way to help ensure you get enough vitamins and minerals is to add Total Nutrition Powder to your daily diet. The link will take you to an article with a recipe to make your own. Also, stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep and exercise, and reduce stress.

If you do catch the flu, rest, hydrate, eat well, and avoid all sugar. Sugar feeds both bacteria and viruses, making the current infection worse and secondary infections more possible. Lemon water or cranberry lemonade sweetened with stevia are great alternatives to water. Just add pure, unsweetened cranberry juice and lemon juice to water and sweeten with stevia to taste.

And finally, if you do choose to vaccinate yourself or your child with the flu vaccine, do not forget the fact that it includes mercury, among other toxic ingredients. Please read How to Detoxify from Vaccinations and Heavy Metals.

Further Reading:

• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• Influenza Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness of the Flu Shot
• The MMR Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview Of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness
• How Plumbing, Not Vaccines, Eradicated Disease
• Autism and Vaccines: CDC Whistleblower Exposes Vaccine Dangers, Lies, and Cover-ups

Sources:

• ¹ Recombinant Influenza Vaccines – US National Library of Medicine
• ² Flu Vaccine – MedicineHealth
• ³ Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2011-12 Influenza Season – CDC
• ⁴ The Flu Shot: Everything You Need To Know – Save Our Bones
• ⁵ Influenza – National Vaccine Information Center
• The Flu Shot – Save Our Bones
• Are Your Fillings Poisoning You?
• How Influenza (Flu) Vaccines Are Made – CDC

The MMR vaccine is an immunization against three viral diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles) that is scheduled to be given to children 12-15 months old and 4-6 years old. Adults are scheduled to receive 1-2 doses after the age of 19.

Contents

• The Autism Connection

• Vaccine Court

• Measles

• Mumps

• Rubella

• MMR Vaccine Ingredients

• History

• Moral Objections

• Whistleblower

The MMR is one of the most controversial vaccines due to claims that it causes autism. While Merck, the MMR II manufacturer, does not list autism as one of the possible side effects of this vaccine, it does list many other serious, adverse reactions. This list includes meningitis, encephalitis, pancreatitis, diabetes, decreased blood platelets, convulsions, seizures, arthritis, bronchial spasm (asthmatic reaction), pneumonia, anaphylactic shock and death. The list also includes many severe illnesses/reactions that are not commonly recognized or understood by the general public. These include:

• Pneumonitis – inflammation of the lungs
• Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) – a severe, life-threatening disease in which the body attacks the nervous system causing paralysis.
• Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) – a rare, fatal neurological disease
• Encephalopathy – abnormal brain function that may denote structural damage
• Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)- a post infection or post vaccine inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. (Attacks brain tissues and nerves).
• Transverse myelitis – an inflammatory disease of the spinal cord that causes weakness and loss of sensation and it affects the autonomic nervous system (breathing, the heart, digestion, reflexes).
• Ataxia – lack of control of muscles suggesting brain and nerve damage.
• Polyneuritis – weakness, numbness and pain – nerve damage
• Polyneuropathy – damage to nerves causing tingling and pain that may begin in the hands and feet and spread to other parts of the body and may affect the autonomic nervous system
• Ocular palsies – Damage to the nerves of the eye affecting eye movements, pupil constriction, and eyelid movement often resulting in an inability to focus without double vision.
• Panniculitis – inflammation of the fat layer and connective tissue just under the skin
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome – following a painful rash, the top layer of skin blisters, dies, and sheds.
• Erythema multiforme – skin reaction similar to Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
• Nerve deafness – hearing loss and dysfunction.
• Retinitis – damage to the retina causing damage to vision.
• Optic neuritis – inflammation of the optic nerve, which can cause temporary blindness.
• Papillitis – Inflammation of the optic nerve head
• Epididymitis – Inflammation of the tube at the back of the testicle.
• Orchitis – inflammation of the testicles. ¹

Of course, less serious reactions also occur including fever, vomiting, swollen glands, diarrhea, rashes, pain and swelling of the injection site, and contracting measles, mumps, or rubella from the vaccine.

The question we need to ask ourselves before deciding to swallow, apply, inhale, or inject any pharmaceutical is whether the benefits outweigh the risks. We are repeatedly told that vaccines are safe and effective. As the listed adverse reactions  confirm, the MMR vaccine is not safe for everyone. The vaccine manufacturer freely admits the vaccine may cause one or more serious, lifelong, debilitating conditions or even cause death. Their stance is two-fold: they claim the benefits outweigh the risks and that it is our civic duty to take that risk to protect others.

The government and the pharmaceutical industry are asking for compliance without full disclosure. Although this list of adverse reactions seems comprehensive, we are not told the percentage of risk, how often any of these singular reactions occur. And of course, it is clear that autism is left off the list. As parents, we need to know the odds. Is there a one in a million chance my child will experience a severe life threatening or life altering reaction? One in a thousand? One in a hundred? One in 50? One in ten?

We could and we should be able to make a truly informed decision. We could and should know the number of adverse reactions- the risks and the chances of actual vaccine injury.  With any operation or other medical procedure, we make a choice, an informed decision based on percentages. For example, when faced with triple bypass surgery, the patient is told the risk of serious complications that leads to death is 1-4% – that the survival rate is 96-99%.

Why do the government and the pharmaceutical companies refuse to supply this information? We not only need to know the risk for each possible outcome, we need to know the cumulative risk- the risk of sustaining any serious vaccine injury.  Instead the pro-vaccine argument remains an emotional one, devoid of logic and real scientific information. This lack of information and the corruption of the pharmaceutical industry, an industry that has paid out billions and billions of dollars in fines due to fraud, make informed consent impossible. This lack of confidence and information is the primary driving force behind the anti-vaccine movement.

The Autism Connection

The vast majority of doctors say there is no link between the MMR shot and autism, but you can’t tell that to countless parents like Aidan Quinn. The Irish actor says his daughter was healthy and perfectly normal until she received the MMR vaccine.

“So we had a normal child that was walking, talking, doing everything way faster than she was supposed to. Then, after an MMR she got 106 fever and turned blue and woke up the next day with dark circles and not knowing who she was. And uncoordinated. And her arm lifted up. Of course the doctors are all saying ‘Oh that’s normal’.” ²

Parents all over America report that their children were fine the day they received the MMR vaccine – moments, hours, or days passed and the lights went out. The child they knew was gone, lost forever.

Vaccine Court

Naturally, you would expect vaccine-injured families to sue the vaccine makers, but our government has passed laws to make it illegal to sue pharmaceutical companies for vaccine injuries or deaths. Instead a special vaccine court hears cases and passes judgment. All vaccines are taxed. These taxes are pooled and used for any and all awards made by the vaccine court.

As of May 2011, there were 13,755 claims filed in the federal government’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). As of that time 2,621 awards had been paid: a ratio of about 1 in 5 complainants received compensation with 5,277 cases dismissed and 5,857 cases pending. ³

Knowing how the MMR vaccine interacts with other vaccines is an additional issue that has never been addressed. No studies for the cumulative effects of the MMR vaccine with all of the other vaccines in the schedule seem to exist.

Many argue that the triple shot is the problem – that the vaccines need to be separated because they overwhelm the immune system. And doctors do not seem to have any clear guidelines when it comes to administering vaccines off schedule. Stories about childhood deaths or vaccine injuries after a child was injected with multiple vaccines (such as the MMR along with the DTP and more) are frequent.

Others argue that measles, mumps, and rubella are mild childhood diseases that rarely cause serious side effects, especially in countries with good medical care and effective treatment for secondary infections, should one occur. And some argue that the death count alone is higher for the vaccine than the diseases.

Measles

Measles is a common childhood disease that is caused by the rubeola virus. When first infected, symptoms do not typically present for 10-14 days. Measles is highly contagious; it is easily spread by coughing and sneezing. The virus can persist for hours in the air or on solid surfaces after an infected person has coughed or sneezed. Infected individuals can spread measles four days before the first rash appears and four days after the rash fades away. ⁴

Measles is a member of the genus Morbillivirus, which belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae. It is most closely related to the rinderpest virus. Like smallpox, scientists believe that measles evolved from viruses found originally in cows, like the rinderpest virus. The rinderpest virus is also called RPV, steppe murrain, cattle plague, or contagious bovine typhus. This highly contagious disease plagued cattle worldwide until the 21 ^st century. The last reported case occurred in Kenya in 2001. It is now believed to have been eradicated. ⁵

Symptoms of measles include fever, coughing, sneezing, and pink eye, followed by a characteristic red rash. With adequate nutrition (Vitamin A is especially important) the disease rarely proves fatal. Worldwide, measles infects approximately 30 million people a year; 0.65% of those infected do not survive the disease. Most of these deaths occur in 3 ^rd world countries. ⁷

Mumps

Mumps is a contagious disease caused by the parotitis virus. It is distantly related to measles, as it is also a member of the paramyxoviridae family.

The time from infection to the onset of symptoms (incubation period) can vary a bit, 2-3 weeks (12-25 days) is typical. Typical early symptoms include headache, loss of appetite, and a low fever. The most notorious symptom of mumps is a pronounced and painful swelling of the parotid salivary glands (parotitis), these glands are located right by the ears, below and in front of the ears. More serious complications are less common but do occur in a minority of those afflicted with the disease. ⁸

One of the more serious complications of mumps is orchitis, which is pain and/or swelling in the testicles. In severe cases, this can cause sterility. Mumps can infect other organs of the body, and in very rare cases it can be fatal. Mumps tends to be more serious in adults. ⁹

Rubella

Rubella is caused by the rubivirus, a member of the togaviridae family of viruses. Rubella (also known as German measles) is spread in a similar fashion as measles or mumps and many other viruses, through an infected person coughing, sneezing, and contaminating surfaces that others touch. ¹⁰

Those who have contracted rubella are contagious for about a week before they develop symptoms and for another four days after developing the rash. ¹¹ The symptoms are generally mild and the most characteristic symptom is a red bumpy rash. Other symptoms include a slight fever, enlarged lymph glands, sore throat, and your run-of-the-mill upper respiratory tract infection (coryza).

If a pregnant woman contracts rubella, it could lead to serious complications for her unborn child. There is a significant risk of miscarriage or for the child to be born with CRS, congenital rubella syndrome. ¹²  The three major symptoms of CRS are sensorineural deafness, eye abnormalities, and congenital heart disease, but there are other possible damaging conditions including physical and intellectual disabilities.

MMR Vaccine Ingredients

The MMR vaccine contains three different live attenuated viruses- rubeola (measles), parotitis (mumps), and rubivirus (rubella or German measles).

There are many steps to manufacturing the MMR vaccine and a multitude of ingredients used in the manufacturing of the final product.

The MMR vaccine contains the following ingredients along with remnants of prior processing. Note the vaccine contains MSG, animal products, and the antibiotic neomycin. The MMR vaccine also contains human protein that has been genetically modified.

Ingredients: Sucrose, hydrolized gelatin, urea, sodium chloride, sorbitol, monosodium L-glutamate, sodium phosphate, human albumin sodium bicarbonate, potassium phosphate, potassium chloride, residual components of MRC-5 cells (including DNA and protein), neomycin, bovine serum albumin, other buffer and media ingredients, sodium phosphate dibasic, potassium phosphate monobasic, potassium phosphate dibasic ¹³

Some of the More Controversial Ingredients

WI-38 human diploid cells

WI-38 fibroblasts are derived from the lung tissues of a fetus aborted in 1964. ^{14 15}

MRC-5 cells

MRC-5 cells are cell lines that are commonly used in vaccines, but they are also used in other medical research. The cells are grown in culture, and then distributed widely. J.P. Jacobs originated this cell line in September of 1966. The cells were taken from tissue of an aborted fetus.¹⁴

Recombinant Human Albumin

The MMR vaccine contains genetically engineered human albumin, the most common protein found in blood. The FDA warns that all drugs containing human albumin could have the possibility of prion or viral disease contamination. ¹⁸

Animal Ingredients

The MMR vaccine includes ingredients derived from poultry and cows. The measles and mumps viruses are cultivated in cultures of chick embryonic cells while the growth medium for all three viruses contains fetal bovine serum.

History

Maurice Hilleman first developed the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines in the late 1960s. By 1960, improvements in medicine, sanitation, hygiene, and diet had already rendered measles a manageable disease, and death from measles was becoming a thing of the past in the industrialized world. ²⁰ One of the reasons for this change was the availability of antibiotics to treat pneumonia, the most frequent cause of death associated with measles.

The three vaccines were combined in 1971 as the MMR vaccine. In the U.S., it is difficult to find individual vaccines for measles, mumps, or rubella.

In 1993, Japan banned the MMR vaccine, instead opting for separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccinations. Dr. Hiroki Nakatani of Japan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that administering three separate vaccines costs twice as much as the MMR vaccine “…but we believe it is worth it”. ²¹

Moral Objections

Many churches are outspoken critics regarding the use of tissue used from abortions for vaccines or for any other product. There are many different religious objections to vaccines; the following are statements from three well-known Christian denominations.

Catholic Church View

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued the following statement about vaccines derived from aborted fetal tissue culture lines.

“Should a government agency or private company use tissue from induced abortions for vaccine development or other research? The Catholic bishops have answered in the negative. Such use tends to legitimize abortion as a source of “life-affirming” treatments, and requires collaboration with the abortion industry, which should be avoided. This judgment is reflected in policies governing Catholic health care.” ²²

Orthodox Church View

The Eastern Orthodox position is one opposed to abortion and any products that involve abortion. This includes using aborted fetal cell lines in vaccines.

A Baptist Pastor’s View – Utilizing Tissue from Aborted Fetuses

To get a broader Christian perspective, Pastor Scott Miller of the Summit Baptist Church was asked about Baptist views on fetal cell lines in vaccines. He gave the following statement:

“The statement I have written below does not represent the view of an entire denomination.  Baptist churches are autonomous.  I share this as a follower of Christ. God’s Word prioritizes life from the very beginning – in the mother’s womb.  In Psalm 139:13-16, David celebrates life before birth, and we should join our God in respecting and protecting every human being from conception to the grave.  Tissue from an aborted, pre-born child should not be utilized in any vaccine.  Such medical steps could rationalize or even promote and mobilize the abortion industry.  Think of the paradox – should a preborn baby be destroyed in order to enhance the life of a living person?  Let’s pursue both and a solution.  Let’s protect preborn children and continue to search for God-honoring, appropriate life-enhancing vaccines.”

Do You Trust China to Make Your Vaccines?

Quality control is far from adequate with vaccines. The majority of vaccines are manufactured in China. This puts the safety of vaccine manufacturing in doubt. There are many stories of Chinese manufacturing resulting in harm to their consumers. A prime example of this is the melamine contamination that left an estimated 300,000 babies sick and six dead. ²³

There are dangers that should not be ignored or minimized. If the manufacturers mistakenly put toxic ingredients in food products, what might they do with products that are supposed to have precise levels of toxins in them for them to be effective?

If we make vaccines mandatory while we simultaneously make it difficult to hold vaccine companies accountable, then this sets an incredibly dangerous precedent. The products don’t need to be of the highest quality and safety when the vaccine makers can’t be sued. This would mean that the profit motive would not necessarily motivate business to manufacture safe vaccines. Vaccines could be the invitation into the sick care system, so you can be a customer for life. Bad genetics is what is usually blamed instead of vaccines. But genetic epidemics don’t happen so quickly. We are in an age of autism where 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with autism.

It Takes A Lot Of Trust To Believe The MMR Vaccine Has No Connection To Autism

If we are going to trust a product to be injected into us, we need to trust the company. Also the product should be of such high quality that it can stand on its own, without special protections. A free market should not have coercion. If the MMR vaccine really is as perfectly safe as the pro vaccine crowd claims it is then it should be selling itself without the help of mandates. In California, current bills are being discussed that would force all children to be enrolled in public schools as well as all adults who work with children to be vaccinated, including the MMR vaccine. These bills would do away with religious and philosophical exemptions. ²⁴ We have a one size fits all vaccination program, which doesn’t take into account genetic vulnerability to vaccines. Why should healthy individuals be forced to take the MMR vaccine? Why should it be mandated to medically treat the absence of disease with medicine?

And as for the company, Merck is currently facing charges of defrauding the U.S. government due to two whistleblowers revealing how the company overstated the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine in order to meet the contracted efficacy. ²⁵ 

A Whistleblower Steps Forward

In the summer of 2014, William Thompson became a reluctant whistleblower when telephone conversations with another scientist were recorded and released without his permission. Thompson, a senior scientist with the CDC since 1998, admitted that he and others omitted data from a report that indicated a link between autism and the MMR vaccine in African American boys given the vaccine under age one.  In his statement, Dr. Thompson goes on to state his support for vaccines but says that it is the duty of the CDC to properly communicate those risks to those who receive those vaccines. ²⁶ Since this story broke, Thompson was granted whistleblower immunity status by the Obama administration.

A Doctor Who Dared to Speak Out is Vindicated

In 1998, Andrew Wakefield, a British physician, and 12 other doctors published a paper that showed a possible correlation between autism and the MMR vaccine. The paper called for further study into the subject.

Although the paper itself did not state a definite causal effect, Dr. Wakefield publically stated his belief that the MMR caused autism and called for the MMR vaccine to be discontinued in favor of single vaccines for each disease.

The outcry that followed resulted in a sharp drop in vaccine compliance and a backlash against Wakefield and others. The paper was declared fraudulent by The United Kingdom General Medical Council regulatory board (GMC) and  was retracted by the publisher.

Ten of the doctors signed a statement retracting any claim that the MMR caused autism (although the paper never said it did). Wakefield, Prof John Walker Smith, and Dr. Simon Birch refused and were brought up on charges of misconduct by the GMC.  Wakefield and Smith lost their licenses to practice medicine.

However, Smith won an appeal against the GMC in 2012 that not only restored his license, it ruled that the published paper was not fraudulent and the study it was based on met required standards.

Although Wakefield has not sued for restoration of his license, he certainly has been vindicated for the study and the publication in question. ²⁷

The MMR Comes With No Guarantees

A vaccine is considered successful if it generates antibodies some time after being administered. This does not impart lifetime or even long lasting protection from the disease, and the protection granted from the disease is not at all absolute. Many individuals who have had the MMR vaccine still contract measles, mumps, or rubella. This has been noted in criticisms of the MMR vaccine. Outbreaks among vaccinated populations occur frequently.

New Autism Studies and Vaccine Court

All over America, autism is on the rise, and for decades the government has vehemently denied that the vaccines have any connection with autism. But a new study reveals government duplicity regarding the vaccine autism link. The study was peer reviewed and published in Pace Environmental Law Review. The study was authored by Mary Holland, Louis Conte, Robert Krakow, and Lisa Colin.

The Federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Court records show 83 different cases of children with autism compensated for vaccine-induced injury. The study’s authors state this is probably just the tip of a very large iceberg. They also call on Congress to examine a potential lack of credibility; the lack of fairness and inconsistency in VICP compensation determinations.

How do the 5,000 cases of autism differ from compensated cases of “encephalopathy,” “residual seizure disorder,” and “developmental regression” ²⁸ that were compensated? Given how little we know about autism, how can we trust the vaccine court ruling that vaccines caused those injuries but that vaccines didn’t cause the other cases of autism?

These semantics are stretched even further in the case of Hannah Poling “In acknowledging Hannah’s injuries, the government said vaccines aggravated an unknown mitochondrial disorder Hannah had, which didn’t “cause” her autism, but “resulted” in it.” ²⁹

America’s infant mortality rate is the highest in the industrialized world, and we have the most aggressive vaccination schedule of the industrialized world with more vaccines than any other country in the world. We also have the highest SIDS rate in the world, with higher rates of autism, learning disabilities, and asthma than the rest of the industrialized world.

The Japanese not only banned the MMR, they vaccinate about half as much as we do. Their infant mortality rate is about half the rate of the U.S.

The Italians May Be Seeing The MMR Vaccine Differently

A landmark Italian ruling has been more straightforward in assigning blame. The Italian court has said that Valentino Bocca’s autism was provoked by the MMR vaccine that he received at 9 months old. ³⁰

It’s hard to find stories like this reported in mainstream media. With many other subjects, anecdotal evidence makes for good news stories, but not with vaccine injuries. This shows a clear bias in reporting.

Pharmaceutical companies heavily fund mainstream media. They bring enormous influence to bear in how vaccines are presented in the news. People who raise questions about vaccines are labeled as “anti-vaxx fanatics”. When the CDC whistleblower first came forward, mainstream media ignored the story. The media is very quick to present the pro side of the vaccine argument. Talking heads like CNN’s Campbell Brown proclaim the judgment is in and vaccines are safe. Vaccine “experts” like Paul Offit make bold claims such as “each infant would have the theoretical capacity to respond to about 10, 000 vaccines at any one time.” ³¹

The medical model’s argument for vaccines isn’t that there is no risk of an adverse reaction, their argument is that it is a bigger risk not to vaccinate than it is to vaccinate. But when the evidence for these claims is provided primarily by studies done by the CDC, you have to question the reliability of the source.

The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (with their deep ties to the pharmaceutical industry) choose to pretend that there is no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation is suspect because they get a lot of money from vaccine manufacturers to recommend their products.

Beyond what many consider to be morally questionable ingredients, live attenuated viruses, GMOs, animal products, human products, The MMR vaccine is said to work when the patient generates antibodies to the diseases, this does not equate to complete protection from the diseases. Outbreaks among vaccinated individuals still happen.

Conclusion

The mainstream media wants us to believe that vaccines are perfectly safe or that the risk is so minimal no one needs to be concerned. They want us to believe that anyone questioning a currently recommended vaccine is anti-science. Shutting down dialogue and ignoring and/or suppressing evidence is anti-science. All of the ingredients in the MMR vaccine are toxic to the body. The question is, do the benefits outweigh the risks? This is a very difficult question to answer when we don’t know the risks (because they don’t want us to know), we don’t know the efficacy (the few numbers they do provide do not add up), and we do know that corporations, pharmaceutical corporations or any other, put profit before human beings.

Also check out How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children.

Further Reading:

• Influenza Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness of the Flu Shot
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• How Plumbing, Not Vaccines, Eradicated Disease
• Autism and Vaccines: CDC Whistleblower Exposes Vaccine Dangers, Lies, and Cover-ups

Sources:

• ¹ MMR II Merck Product Insert – Merck
• ² Aidan Quinn connects MMR vaccine with his Daughter’s Autism – Healthy Family
• ³ Federal Court Compensated 83 Vaccine-Injured Autistic Children – Alliance for Human Research Protection
• ⁴ Transmission of Measles – CDC
• ⁵ Rinderpest – Encyclopedia Brittanica
• ⁷ Measles – World Health Organization
• ⁸ Signs and Symptoms of Mumps – CDC
• ⁹ Complications of Mumps – CDC
• ¹⁰ Jean Watkins, “Rubella: An overview of the symptoms and complications,” British Journal of School Nursing 9 (2014): 284-286.
• ¹¹ Watkins, “Rubella,” 284-286.
• ¹² Rubella – World Health Organization
• ¹⁴ Vaccine Ingredients and Manufacturer Information – Pro Con.org
• ¹⁵ Vaccine Excipient & Media Summary – CDC
• ¹⁸ FDA Issues Guidance for Warning Labels on All Drugs Produced Using Blood Products including Plasma-derived Albumin – The Cell Dish Culture
• ²⁰ Vaccines (Part II): Hygiene, Sanitation, Immunization, and Pestilential Diseases – Miguel A. Faria, Jr., MD
• ²¹ Why Japan banned MMR vaccine – Daily Mail
• ²² Embryonic Stem Cell Research And Vaccines Using Fetal Tissue– United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• ²³ The 2008 Milk Scandal Revisited – Forbes
• ²⁴ No on SB277 – California Coalition For Vaccine Choice
• ²⁵ Merck Whistleblower Suit A Boon to Vaccine Foes Even As It Stresses Importance of Vaccines – Forbes
• ²⁶ Statement Of William W. Thompson, Ph.D., Regarding the 2004 Article…  – rescuepost.com
• ²⁷  Enduring Memories: Prof John Walker-Smith recalls his life and the Wakefield affair – Age of Autism
• ²⁸ Federal Court Compensated 83 Vaccine-Injured Autistic Children – Alliance For Human Research Protection
• ²⁹ Family to Receive $1.5M+ in First-Ever Vaccine-Autism Court Award – CBS News
• ³⁰ MMR: A mother’s victory. The vast majority of doctors say there is no link between the triple jab and autism, but could an Italian court case reignite this controversial debate? – DailyMail
• ³¹ In Vaccines We Trust? Paul Offit threatens religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions. A response by Suzanne Humphries, MD – International Medical Council on Vaccination

Pharmaceutical companies are one of the biggest, if not the biggest, advertisers supporting mainstream news. Due to this reality, objective reporting can be hard to find. After all, no one wants to bite the hand that feeds them.

So when you hear about a celebrity being anti-vaccine or a celebrity speaking out against forced vaccines, they are often vilified. Like the rest of the population, their stand on the issue may not be black or white. Many who are labeled as anti-vaccine just want to see vaccines get cleaned up; they don’t believe mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde or any other toxic ingredients should be included in vaccines. Many are alarmed by the number of vaccines given to children, the practice of giving multiple vaccines at once, and the industry’s lack of liability.

Celebrities who publically question the safety or effectiveness of vaccines open themselves up to media attacks. They are often portrayed as stupid, anti-science, or dangerous to the public. And, since the public has become so polarized on this issue, any celebrity who openly criticizes the safety or efficacy of a single vaccine or vaccine ingredient risks alienating much of their fan base.

You might be surprised to learn what these celebrities have actually said or written about vaccines. Many “anti-vaccine” celebrities are actually better vaccinated than many of their critics. There are probably many more “anti-vaccine” celebrities, but these are the ones with the courage to speak out and deal with the backlash and the mainstream media spin.

Robert Deniro & Vaxxed Documentary:

Grace and I have a child with autism and we believe it is critical that all of the issues surrounding the causes of autism be openly discussed and examined. In the 15 years since the Tribeca Film Festival was founded, I have never asked for a film to be screened or gotten involved in the programming. However this is very personal to me and my family and I want there to be a discussion, which is why we will be screening VAXXED. I am not personally endorsing the film, nor am I anti-vaccination; I am only providing the opportunity for a conversation around the issue.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdCU2DfMBpU

Is Jenny McCarthy Anti-Vaccine?

Jenny McCarthy is arguably the most famous critic of vaccines. What’s not commonly known is that she isn’t all that opposed to them, but that isn’t how she is portrayed by mainstream media. Wikipedia even calls her an anti-vaccine activist. The truth is, her views aren’t black and white on the subject. She dares to question vaccine safety and the recommended vaccine schedule. She says, “We need to get rid of the toxins, the mercury—which I am so tired of everyone saying it’s been removed. It has not been removed from the shots.”

Jenny McCarthy has called for vaccine companies to develop less toxic vaccines with a safer schedule. She believes that a re-emergence of certain diseases will be the wake-up call we need in order to demand that vaccine companies make safer vaccines.

I am not anti-vaccine. …I’m in this gray zone of, I think everyone should be aware and educate yourself and ask questions. And if your kid is having a problem, ask your doctor for an alternative way of doing the shots.”

Jenny McCarthy has pointed out how people paint her as anti-vaccine when in fact, she believes that vaccines are a good thing. She believes that people should do their own research and ask their doctors questions. Parents should look for alternatives to the current vaccines and a different schedule.

The ironic thing is my position has always remained the same. People just never listened to it. Literally, throughout the years, I have said the same thing over and over again. But people will only read headlines instead of looking back and seeing what I’ve been saying.”

Jenny McCarthy has stuck to her position of making vaccines safer through the years, despite the attempts by mainstream media to paint her as a crazy anti-vaxxer.

I believe in the importance of a vaccine program and I believe parents have the right to choose one poke per visit. I’ve never told anyone to not vaccinate. Should a child with the flu receive six vaccines in one doctor visit? Should a child with a compromised immune system be treated the same way as a robust, healthy child? Shouldn’t a child with a family history of vaccine reactions have a different plan? Or at least the right to ask questions?”

Even though she has always stuck to her position of making vaccines safer and parents exercising their right to choose an alternate vaccination schedule, people have continued to attack her and try to portray her as being anti-vaccine.

Aidan Quinn Says His Child is Vaccine Damaged

“She was a normal child,” Aidan Quinn says. “Way above normal, in fact. And then she received a vaccination. She got a 106 degree fever, she turned blue, and she woke up the next day a completely damaged child after that.” His daughter, Ava, was so severely damaged that she lives in a special care facility and comes home on weekends, where she has to be watched every second.

For more on Aidan Quinn’s anti-vaccine views:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRB2TLFvc3s

Kristin Cavalari Will Not Vaccinate Her Children

Kristin admitted on Fox News while she was pregnant with her second child that she does not plan to ever vaccinate them due to autism fears.

You know what, I’ve read too many books about autism, and the studies…There is a pediatric group called ‘Homestead’…or…shoot—‘Homestead’ or ‘Home First.’ Now I’m pregnancy brain, I gotta confuse them…but they’ve never vaccinated any of their children and they’ve never had one case of autism. And now, one in 88 boys is autistic which is a really scary statistic.”

Here’s the thing: At the end of the day, I’m just a mom. I’m trying to make the best decision for my kid. There are very scary statistics out there regarding what is in vaccines and what they cause — asthma, allergies, ear infections, all kinds of things. And we feel like we’re making the best decision for our kids.” 

Alicia Silverstone is Adamantly Anti-vaccine

Alicia Silverstone took her views about vaccinations and boldly laid them out in her book, The Kind Mama. Silverstone gave extensive parenting advice including suggesting that parents reconsider getting their children vaccinated. She tells parents that proper nutrition can block the diseases that vaccinations protect children from. She also said she has witnessed a child become autistic immediately after a vaccination.

While there has not been a conclusive study of the negative effects of such a rigorous one-size-fits-all, shoot-’em-up schedule, there is increasing anecdotal evidence from doctors who have gotten distressed phone calls from parents claiming their child was ‘never the same’ after receiving a vaccine,” Silverstone writes in The Kind Mama. “And I personally have friends whose babies were drastically affected in this way.”

Billy Corgan is an “Anti-Vaxxer”

I say ‘propaganda’ because, in my heart, there is something mighty suspicious about declaring an emergency for something that has yet to show itself to be a grand pandemic,” Corgan writes on his new blog. “Our American President Obama has declared a national emergency about this virus, which he in his own words said was, at this point, a preventative measure. So, why declare an emergency if there isn’t one?”

“I do not trust those who make the vaccines, or the apperatus [sic] behind it all to push it on us thru fear. This is not judgment; it is a personal decision based on research, intuition, conversations with my doctor and my ‘family’. If the virus comes to take me Home, that is between me and the Lord.”

Corgan is obviously anti-vaccine, and he also criticizes a mandatory vaccination law in Massachusetts, stating: “Soon, you won’t even have the choice to live OR die as you wish!”

Charlie Sheen Appears to be 100% Anti-Vaccine

Dr. Peter Waldstein, a Bev Hills pediatrician, treated Charlie and Denise’s two kids. Charlie was pissed that the doc was immunizing his kids because he holds a strict anti-vaccine stance. He considers vaccines to be poison. Charlie sent Waldstein a letter demanding he no longer treat the children. The doctor fired his own letter back saying he would treat them if need be, no matter what. After failing to stop his children’s vaccinations by legal means, Charlie showed his disdain for vaccines by paying the outstanding $380 bill via a messenger with a big box filled with 7,600 nickels.

Donald Trump is Not Anti-Vaccine, Though He is Critical

I’m all for vaccinations, but I think when you add all of these vaccinations together and then two months later the baby is so different then lots of different things have happened. I really — I’ve known cases.” Donald Trump said. “I’ve seen people where they have a perfectly healthy child, and they go for the vaccinations and a month later the child is no longer healthy.”

Rob Schneider is Outspoken For Freedom of Choice and Vaccine Dangers

This policy of one size fits all Vaccine schedule for every child is as absurd as giving the same eye prescription glasses to every child. The fact is EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT and there is currently NO SYSTEM or thought to which child could be more susceptible to adverse reactions including permanent injury and death from any Vaccine or Vaccine ingredients.”

We couldn’t find any proof that Rob Schneider is 100% anti-vaccine. He has made it clear that he’s against mandated vaccines, that vaccines can do harm, and that the CDC has covered up evidence that vaccines cause autism. He is also outspoken against current, conventional vaccine practices.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxYtPD3eIUw

https://youtu.be/xv_IaLHwgAQ

Mayim Bialik Wants Us To Choose Our Vaccines Carefully

Mayim Bialik, with a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA, is the most formally educated out of all of the celebrities mentioned in this article. Mayim Bialik, or Dr. Bialik, if your prefer, is known to be “anti-vaccine,” but her views are a bit more conventional, and not nearly as “radical” as she may be portrayed.

The number of vaccines that you and I received when we were kids is a third or a fourth less than what kids get now. So my feeling is you can really do whatever you want, just like I get to do whatever I want, but I don’t inherently think that no one should get the flu, for example. And that’s my personal opinion.”

Jim Carrey is Not 100% Anti-Vaccine

Jim Carrey is not anymore anti-vaccine than Jenny McCarthy or Andrew Wakefield. He is clearly against vaccines including certain toxic ingredients that have been shown to be harmful and he is against mandatory vaccinations, the MMR vaccine, and the sheer number of vaccines recommended on the vaccine schedule.

“The truth is that no one without a vested interest in the profitability of vaccines has studied all 36 of them in depth. There are more than 100 vaccines in development, and no tests for cumulative effect or vaccine interaction of all 36 vaccines in the current schedule have ever been done. If I’m mistaken, I challenge those who are making such grand pronouncements about vaccine safety to produce those studies.

“If we are to believe that the ruling of the ‘vaccine court’ in these cases mean that all vaccines are safe, then we must also consider the rulings of that same court in the Hannah Polling and Bailey Banks cases, which ruled vaccines were the cause of autism and therefore assume that all vaccines are unsafe. Clearly both are irresponsible assumptions, and neither option is prudent.”

“In this growing crisis, we cannot afford to blindly trumpet the agenda of the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) or vaccine makers. Now more than ever, we must resist the urge to close this book before it’s been written. The anecdotal evidence of millions of parents who’ve seen their totally normal kids regress into sickness and mental isolation after a trip to the pediatrician’s office must be seriously considered. The legitimate concern they and many in the scientific community have that environmental toxins, including those found in vaccines, may be causing autism and other disorders (Aspergers, ADD, ADHD), cannot be dissuaded by a show of sympathy and a friendly invitation to look for the ‘real’ cause of autism anywhere but within the lucrative vaccine program.”

“With vaccines being the fastest growing division of the pharmaceutical industry, isn’t it possible that profits may play a part in the decision-making? That the vaccine program is becoming more of a profit engine than a means of prevention? In a world left reeling from the catastrophic effects of greed, mismanagement and corporate insensitivity, is it so absurd for us to wonder why American children are being given twice as many vaccines on average, compared to the top 30 first world countries?”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is Adamantly Anti-Mercury

Kennedy is an environmental attorney who has been tirelessly working to remove pollutants like mercury from our rivers and streams and now our vaccines. He has presented an impressive body of scientific evidence before Senator Barbara Mikulski, who brushed him off. She suggested that Kennedy bring his evidence to Sen. Bernie Sanders who “cares about brain health.” Mikulski made it readily apparent that the argument that mercury causes harm doesn’t interest her. It has consumed Kennedy for decades.

Kennedy has argued that if mercury was dangerous enough to remove from some vaccines, why isn’t it dangerous enough to remove from all vaccines? He also accuses the federal government of knowing and ignoring the dangers of mercury in vaccines. He openly accuses the CDC of blatant corruption. When the CDC says vaccines are safe, Kennedy argues that we can’t trust them.

They get the shot, that night they have a fever of a hundred and three, they go to sleep, and three months later their brain is gone,” Kennedy said. “This is a holocaust, what this is doing to our country.”

His comparison of vaccine damage to the holocaust offended many people. There was a public outcry over his poor choice of words. Kennedy stated,

I want to apologize to all whom I offended by my use of the word holocaust to describe the autism epidemic. I employed the term during an impromptu speech as I struggled to find an expression to convey the catastrophic tragedy of autism which has now destroyed the lives of over 20 million children and shattered their families.”

Bill Maher is Anti-Flu Shot and “Pro-Common Sense”

Maher has clearly spoken out against the flu shot, but states that he is not an anti-vaxxer, thoough he does question the current vaccine schedule.

I’m not an anti-vaxxer; I never have been. I’m an anti-flu shot guy. I think that’s bullsh*t and I think the fact that it was 23 percent effective this week bears that out. But if Ebola was airborne, I’d get the vaccine tomorrow.”

Robert Rodriguez Says Meeting Dr. Andrew Wakefield Changed Our Lives

We are forever grateful. His wise and measured advice about vaccinations helped us dodge a bullet . . . Our fourth son [had] multiple allergies and repeated infections . . . We now fully realize [he] would have been a victim of immune overload had we followed the regular vaccine schedule . . . [He] is [now] bright and healthy . . . This book provides a terrifying insight into what has been happening behind the scenes as efforts redouble to silence Dr. Wakefield . . . It is a wake-up call to those who think [he] is anything other than a modern day hero fighting for all of our children.”

Conclusion

Most of the celebrities mentioned in this article are not anti-vaccine, but rather pro-safety. Objections to the number of vaccines, or toxic ingredients are more common than objections to the practice of vaccination. Check out How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children.

Further Reading:

• Doctors Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Scientists Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• Influenza Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness of the Flu Shot
• The MMR Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview Of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness
• How Plumbing, Not Vaccines, Eradicated Disease
• Autism and Vaccines: CDC Whistleblower Exposes Vaccine Dangers, Lies, and Cover-ups

Sources:

1. Meet Hollywood’s Anti-Vaxx All-Stars – The Daily Beast
2. Aidan Quinn: Elementary star says you have to learn to live with life’s jokes – The Star.com
3. Kristin Cavallari Defends Anti-Vaccine Stance: “We’re Making the Best Decision for Our Kids” –Us Weekly
4. Celebrities Take a Stand on Vaccination Debate – TWC
5. Central‘Clueless’ actress Alicia Silverstone says parents should skip vaccinations, avoid diapers in new book – National Post
6. Billy Corgan Chimes In On Swine Flu Vaccine Debate – Twenty-Four Bit
7. Charlie to Dr. –I’ll Nickel You to Death – TMZ
8. Donald Trump’s Latest Paranoid Conspiracy Theory: Vaccines Cause Autism – The New Civil Rights Movement, LLC
9. Rob Schneider Demands Answers on CDC MMR Fraud- The Canary Party
10. Actress Mayim Bialik on TV, Science, and the Combo – NPR
11. The Judgment on Vaccines Is In?? – Jim Carry, Huffpost Healthy Living
12. Robert Kennedy Jr.’s belief in autism-vaccine connection, and its political peril – The Washington Post
13. Robert Kennedy Jr. warns of vaccine-linked ‘holocaust’ – The Sacramento Bee
14. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologizes for ‘holocaust’ remark in speech against California vaccine law – Fox News – Politics
15. Callous Disregard – Andrew Wakefield

 

It’s mosquito season again here in North America. All too often, this is the time when many people rely on pesticides for their yards or they use synthetic insect repellents. Many of us are under the false impression that this is the heavy-duty approach, and everything else is “not hardcore enough.”

There are numerous downsides to outdoor pesticide treatments and synthetic insect repellents. Pesticides create insecticide resistant bugs. The active ingredient in most commercial bug repellents is DEET, a dangerous chemical. DEET has been linked to neurological damage, cancer, and environmental damage. Chemicals are also less effective than natural methods. In addition, natural methods are cheaper and pose little to no health risk.

A Wealth of Options

There are many natural methods for mosquito control. You can grow the right kind of plants in your yard, and mosquitoes will leave you alone. You can make some changes to your diet to make yourself far less appealing to mosquitoes. Another tried and proven tactic is to create bird, bat, or frog habitats, which work well to keep mosquitoes and other bug populations down. Finally, you can use essential oils, the ultimate non-toxic, all-natural mosquito repellent to keep the dastardly bloodsuckers away.

Take Away The Mosquito Habitats

You also don’t want to make it easy for mosquitoes to reproduce. Remove anything that collects and pools stagnant water- that’s where they lay their eggs. Tires, buckets, pet bowls, birdbaths, gutters, and the like are potential breeding pools for mosquitoes. Eliminating these breeding spots is an essential step if you wish to be taken off the menu.

The easiest solution, and my favorite, is to use your green thumb against mosquitoes. All you need to do is grow the right plants. There are several dozen tested and proven plants that repel mosquitoes, and many are beautiful and easy to grow. You can use flowers such as marigolds (see further reading below), and ageratums (also known as floss flowers). Or you could use plants such as catnip, lavender, mint, or citronella. There are so many plants that repel mosquitoes.

There are many essential oils that repel mosquitoes and other biting insects. To avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and other pests including ticks, biting flies, and midges, you’ll need a combination of essential oils for complete protection. The following essential oils repel mosquitoes:

• Basil
• Bergamot
• Citronella
• Eucalyptus
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Pine
• Peppermint
• Rose geranium
• Rosemary
• Spearmint
• Tea Tree Oil
• Thyme
• Vetiver

Remember to try a little essential oil on your skin to test for an allergic reaction before you apply the oil more generously. Don’t use essential oils straight out of the bottle. You need to either dilute them with water, or better yet, you can mix a few drops of essential oils with coconut oil as a carrier, which also doubles as a sunblock. Coconut oil is also good for the skin.

It’s the Female Mosquitoes You Need To Look Out For

We call it biting, but being bitten by a mosquito more closely resembles a miniature needle jab. The bloodsucking tube of the female mosquito looks rigid; however, it is actually a very complex flexible organ that bends at right angles in order to find a good source of blood.

A mosquito’s needle-like hollow probe tapers to a point. The labrum is the flat strip that collapses as the mosquito pushes into the skin. This well-evolved feeding tube is finer than a human hair. From inside the tube, four tiny cutting filaments, known as mandibles maxillae, dig their way into the skin. The mosquito pushes in with these four filaments to drive the other mouthparts deeper.

These biting parts are only found on female mosquitoes. While, both the male and the female mosquito feed on plant nectar, only the female feeds on blood. The rich amounts of protein and iron in blood aids them in producing their eggs.

A Short Lifespan

All mosquitoes live a short life, but the females live quite a bit longer than the males with a typical lifespan could be 6 to 8 weeks. The male’s main purpose in life is to find the females and mate with them. Longevity is not needed for this endeavor. Once they have grown to an adult, males rarely last more than 2 weeks.

Some female mosquitoes can lay up to 300 eggs at a time, some lay less than a hundred. Most lay their eggs in water or very close to the water. The eggs quickly mature in water.

Mosquito eggs grow in stages, the four stages that are typical of many insect species: egg, larvae, pupae, and adult. Larvae and pupae mosquitoes need water in order to survive.

They Come in Many Sizes

Mosquitoes vary in size from 1.6 mm to 12.5 mm (up to 1/2 an inch). Half an inch doesn’t sound very big, but the big ones are 20 times the size of normal mosquitoes. The super-sized mosquitoes are known as gallinippers. Gallinippers can bite through clothing.

And in Many Different Species, Too

There are more than 3,500 different species of mosquitoes in the world, and about 200 of them are in North America. Many mosquitoes bite whenever the opportunity presents itself, but some are more choosey about their targets.

Some mosquitoes are very specialized – humans are not the meal they choose. Others, of course, are our biggest fans. Aedes aegypti feed on human blood almost exclusively. As the name implies, aedes aegypti originated in North Africa, but they, like others, have spread across the world. There are only a few safe havens like Iceland and Antarctica.

They Know What They Like

Mosquitoes are attracted to body heat, dark clothing, perfume, cologne, hairsprays, cosmetics, and natural body odors. Our skin can create over 340 different chemical odors, and these smells can be unappealing or appealing to mosquitoes. These are some of the reasons that mosquitoes like some of us more than others, but there are other reasons as well.

We have over a trillion microbes living on our skin. When scientists compare microbes from person to person, there is a great deal of variation. Mosquitoes are attracted to some kinds of bacteria while other kinds mask our scent. As chance would have it, some kinds are downright unappealing to them.

Our diet is the biggest factor influencing our microbial makeup, but there are other factors like how much we sweat, what kind of soap we use, how much we exercise, the last time we bathed, and of course, genetics are a big factor as well.

Predators and parasites both prefer their prey to be in less than optimal health. When we are in optimal health, our bodies are teeming with beneficial bacteria, killer white T-cells, and all of our other natural defenses. Diet plays a huge role in both health and micro-bio diversity.The microbes on our skin reflect the microbes in our gut. Mosquitoes like sugary blood and perfumes. If you are attracting mosquitoes and you aren’t wearing perfumes, you are probably eating too much sugar, and it is time to balance your gut flora. You might find it surprising how much less they’ll like you if you’re eating a truly healthy diet (see further reading below). It’s helpful to know mosquitoes don’t like garlic, onions, leeks, and vinegar. If you eat a healthy diet and enough of these foods, mosquitoes will like you a lot less.

Itchy, Painful Bites are Not the Worst-Case-Scenario

It’s a good idea to avoid mosquitoes and mosquito bites. Mosquitoes inject their prey with an anti-inflammatory and an anti-coagulate to make it easier to suck blood. Usually this bug spit that gets injected in the bite area just causes some mild irritation. In rare cases, people have severe adverse reactions. Symptoms of a mosquito allergy include:

• Increased swelling at bite
• Fever
• Hives
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Headache

This type of physical reaction is more commonly seen in children and is sometimes referred to as skeeter syndrome. Unfortunately, even this kind of reaction is still not the worst-case scenario for mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes are vectors of numerous diseases:

• Chikungunya
• West nile virus
• Filariasis
• Encephalitis
• Malaria
• Rift valley fever
• Yellow fever
• Dengue fever

Malaria is the most infamous disease listed. Roughly 200 million people contract malaria every year and the disease kills over a million people a year.

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

The biotech industry has turned to genetically modified mosquitoes as a means to reduce mosquito populations. They release genetically modified males that have been modified to be sterile. They are released in close enough proximity to where mosquitoes are found, so the males can seek out the females. Unsurprisingly, the males are really, really good at finding the females. GMO mosquitoes mate with the females, which denies them the opportunity to mate with fertile males.

GMO mosquitoes have been released in Brazil, Malaysia, and Florida. The male mosquitoes seek out the female mosquitoes and they impregnate them with doomed offspring. In a generation, large numbers of aedes egypti mosquitoes die off.

Of course, this is the ideal circumstance, a best case scenario. Only male genetically modified mosquitoes are supposed to be released. We don’t know what would happen if female GMO mosquitoes were to get free. People could be bitten by GMO mosquitoes, which would leave GMO proteins in their body. What if some of the genetically modified males malfunction and don’t work as they’re supposed to and they somehow produce viable offspring? The changes they could make to the population are impossible to predict. Though the first trials appear to be successful, it is a dire risk to manipulate the genes of any organism and then release it into the environment. We may not understand enough about genetics to be doing these kinds of manipulations to species and then releasing them, just hoping for the best. Many critics of this technology argue this approach is unrealistically optimistic.

Conclusion

Mosquitoes have been with us a long time, even before there was an “us”. Way before human beings or primates evolved, mosquitoes were doing their thing.

Fossil evidence puts mosquitos all the way back to the Jurassic period. Amazingly, the little buggers harassed the dinosaurs, too. Back then mosquitoes came a bit larger, up to 2 inches in size.

We hope you take the extra time to make it more difficult for mosquitoes to make a meal out of you or your friends and family. One of the best end results of repelling mosquitoes is the knowledge that you’re doing your part to reduce their population the natural way, by starving them out of the blood they need to reproduce. Donating blood should be reserved for fellow people in need, not these vile pests.

Recommended Products:

• Essential Oils

Further Reading: 

• Repel Mosquitoes by Cultivating Marigolds
• How to Kill Candida and Balance Your Inner Ecosystem 
• 80% Raw Food Diet

Sources:

• 11 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes – Natural Living Ideas
• Are You A Mosquito Magnet? Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others And an Easy Way to Avoid Bites – Real farmacy.com
• 32 Things You Did Not Know about Mosquitoes – SOFTPEDIA
• 33 Things You Didn’t Know About Mosquitoes – Mega Catch
• Natural insect repellants that bite back – Natural News
• Oxitecs Hadyn Parry on genetically modified mosquitoes at Wired 2013 – You Tube
• Natural Homemade Insect/Bug Repellant Spray – DIY Natural
• Green Cleaning: 10 Essential Oils that Naturally Repel Insects – ACHS Health and Wellness Blog
• What REALLY happens when a mosquito bites – Daily Mail

Marigolds are beautiful, strong smelling herbaceous flowers that are widely grown throughout the world. Most people grow marigolds for their season-long blooms, their beautiful scent, and because they are easy to grow. There are other great reasons to grow marigolds. The flowers are all edible though some taste better than others, and if you grow them from seed, they’re beneficial for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. However, the best characteristic of marigolds is that they repel mosquitoes. This makes for an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical insecticides. Insecticides are horrible for the environment, and they cause more harm to frogs and birds, mosquitoes’ main predators than they do to the mosquitoes. In the long run, this makes the mosquito problem much worse.

Marigolds Are Kryptonite to Mosquitoes

Unfortunately, mosquitoes are more than a nuisance; they are vectors for numerous diseases. For instance, malaria kills over a million people a year, and though the disease is currently not endemic to the U.S., many argue that it is only a matter of time before it becomes common in the U.S. again. Mosquitoes also spread encephalitis, West Nile virus, dengue fever and more. Instead of spending your hard earned money on chemical treatments that add to the mosquito population, in the long run, plant marigolds and other mosquito repelling plants in your yard for an immediate and cost effective solution.

More About These Remarkable Flowers

Marigolds are plants of the genus Tagetes, belonging to the family Asteraceae or Aster family. Though they are now found all over the world, botanists believe South America to be their most likely place of origin. This belief is rooted in evidence from fossils found in Argentina that date back 50 million years. Paleobotanists have discovered Asteraceae fossils that date to the Eocene Epoch (56 million to 33.9 million years ago). The plant family is from South America, and the marigold is believed to be a native of Mexico.

The name marigold is possibly derived from the Anglo-Saxon term for the flower: merso-meargealla. There are other competing claims that the name comes from the Virgin Mary, with the gold referring to the most common color of marigolds. Old English authors referred to the flower simply as golde.

Long-lasting blooms

Marigolds are beautiful flowers that bloom all season until first frost. They will bloom more profusely if you remove the dead flowers from the plant. Marigolds rarely have problems with pests. They have only a few natural enemies; of these, the most common are frost, slugs, and snails.

You can grow big marigolds, small marigolds, marigolds of many colors, even edible marigolds. The varieties of marigolds are endless.

A Wealth of Options

There are two types of marigolds that are well known and widely cultivated. These are French marigolds and African marigolds.

African marigolds are the larger of the two. African marigolds, Tagetes erecta, typically have large yellow to orange flowers that can measure as large as 5 inches across, with plant height varying an average of 10 to 36 inches tall. African marigolds are sometimes referred to as American marigolds. (There are quite a few names for these flowers).

French marigolds are bushier and display smaller blooms. Typically, French marigolds will grow up to 2 inches across and come in a wider variety of colors: yellow, reds, orange, or multi-colored such as the harlequin French marigold with its yellow and red striped flowers.

There are other varieties of marigolds less commonly known. Such as triploid hybrids, signet marigolds, or the flavorful calendula marigolds (only the flowers are edible). Your options with marigolds are legion. Plant what you want; marigolds basically grow themselves, with almost no work on your part. Even if you believe yourself to be botanically inept, when it comes to marigolds, I believe anyone can grow them successfully.

You could buy these flowers from a store to transplant, but this is not the best way to go. Store bought flowers often have neonicotinoids applied to them at levels high enough to prove fatal to bees. You and the bees are better off if you’re growing your own.

Marigolds are easy to grow; so easy in fact, that anyone can do it. You don’t need great soil, just your run of the mill dirt, which is easy to come by. And you don’t need to fertilize them or fuss over them. All they need is some soft ground, direct sunshine, and some water.

A One-Time Seed Purchase

Once you have decided on what variety of marigold you want to grow, you’ll only need to purchase seed once. The seeds are easy to save. After you cut the dead blooms off of your flowers a few times, you’ll have all the seed you’ll ever need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKDgyM-w7u4

Getting Dirty

The next step is less work than it sounds. You’ll need to loosen up the ground where you plan on planting your flowers. (Don’t forget about your underground utility lines, if you don’t already have your utilities marked, call 811 and get them flagged before you start digging). You can use any kind of hand tool for this, a hand tiller, shovel, etc. Once you have chosen the sites where you would like to grow your flowers (spread them out in multiple places across the yard), space the seeds apart according to your seed packet instructions. Alternately, you could grow the flowers in planters first, but this isn’t a necessary step. In the case of marigolds, I think it just creates more work in the long run. Your seed packet will tell you how deep to plant the seeds, but basically, you just barely cover them with dirt. Don’t let them dry out. While the plants are young, water them often, whenever the ground is dry. Don’t smack the plants with water from on high; be gentle with your watering and aim for the base of your plants. Blooms should appear within a few weeks, and they will stay in bloom all season.

They Don’t Ask For Much

Don’t fertilize marigolds. They bloom better and more profusely in poor soil. If you fertilize them, they will bloom less, and grow excess greenery. If you don’t fertilize your marigolds and they still turn out bushy with few blooms, then congratulations! These bushy marigolds should still repel mosquitoes, but this means you’ve got great soil in your yard; black gold if you will. This is a sign that you should grow something that is more of a challenge to grow than marigolds, like food, or more exotic decorative plants that still repel pests.

An optional extra step is to mulch the flowerbed once your flowers begin to pop out of the ground. Mulching a flowerbed makes it look more attractive and it conserves water. But you can get by without the mulch, especially when you’re dealing with marigolds.

By growing these flowers in your yard, you can be assured that the mosquitos will leave you alone and you’ll be helping out your local bees, too. They need all the help they can get. Sadly, it’s not easy being a bee these days. Bees are relatively fragile when it comes to pesticide exposure. If you’re helping out bees, you should feel good about it. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem. They are so important that biologists often refer to them as a keystone species. So by helping them out, you can feel like you’re doing the planet a favor.

Other Mosquito Repelling Options

Marigolds are probably the easiest to grow, but if you want to plant a variety of plants that repel mosquitoes, consider some of the following:

• Ageratum
• Asters
• Basil
• Bee balm
• Beauty Berry
• Cadaga tree
• Catmint
• Catnip
• Cedars

• 

  Citronella Grass

• Chrysanthemums
• Clove
• Eucalyptus
• Garlic
• Geranium (repels ticks)
• Horsemint
• Lavender (also repels ticks, moths, mice, black flies and fleas)
• Lemon Balm
• Lemon Grass (repels ticks)
• Lemon Thyme
• Lemon Verbena
• Mint
• Nodding Onion
• Peppermint
• Penny Royal
• Pineapple weed
• Pitcher Plant
• Pyrethrum daisies
• Rosemary
• Stone root
• Snowbrush
• Sweet Fern
• Tansy
• Tea Tree
• Vanilla Leaf
• Vetiver Grass
• Wild Bergamot
• Wormwood

When purchasing seeds, you’ll probably get a much better deal ordering from a catalog or an online seed company than you would from your local retail store. In our garden we’ve come to rely on Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They have over a dozen varieties of marigolds to choose from.

Conclusion

Even if you struggle to grow plants and have had limited prior success, you can grow marigolds, no matter how many plants have perished under your care. Please let us know how your marigold cultivation turns out!

Recommended Reading:

• Invasive Weeds You Can, and Should, Be Eating – Easy Foraging
• How to Regrow Your Favorite Herbs and Save Lots of Money
• Healing Allergy Inflammation With Stinging Nettle

Sources:

• 11 Plants That repel Mosquitoes – Natural Living Ideas
• Marigolds – Iowa State University Horticulture Home & Pest News
• Marigolds – The Old Farmer’s Almanac
• Asteraceae Plant Family – Encyclopedia Britannica
• 31 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes – Best Plants

GMO foods are very common in American and Canadian diets. Not because people choose to eat GMOs, but because they are unaware of how pervasive GMO ingredients have become in processed foods. Biotech companies have been very successful in lobbying to prevent labeling. There are no requirements to label GMO foods, despite concerted efforts by consumer groups.

Unnatural Isn’t Always Bad

As a general rule, the more natural and unadulterated a food, the better it is for you. Selective breeding is an exception to this rule. Selective breeding, or artificial selection, is the process of interbreeding plants to enhance positive qualities and eliminate or diminish negative qualities. Some cultivars are much better for our health than the original. For example, wild almonds contain amygdalin, a substance that is converted to cyanide in the body. Sweet almonds are the domesticated cultivar. Though they are less “natural,” they are better for you than their wild counterparts. Selective breeding is the good kind of unnatural.

But It Usually Is

The bad kind of unnatural is almost everything else that is being done to our food, including the majority of practices adopted by modern agriculture. Chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, concentrated animal feed operations, grain fed meats (vs grass fed), pasteurized foods, irradiated foods…the list goes on and on. Genetically modifying our foods is the latest insult to our food supply, and it is as unnatural as it gets.

One of the most common types of genetic modifications is to modify a crop so that it can withstand unlimited Roundup applications. This enables farmers to spray their whole fields with Roundup, killing the weeds while sparing their crops. Of course by this process, we end up with foods that have been soaked in herbicide. But this is not the only way that your food could be doused with Roundup.

Round Up Sprayed Just Prior to Harvest

Wheat, sugar cane, and other crops are often routinely treated with Roundup just prior to harvest. Of course some of this pesticide is making its way into our food. The Non-GMO project allows this practice. Non-GMO only means a food is not genetically modified. It could still be treated with all kinds of pesticides.

Recently, the World Health Organization released a report stating that the world’s most widely used herbicide, Monsanto’s Roundup, probably causes cancer.

What is a Genetically Engineered Food?

GMOs are made from combing genes from two or more unrelated species into one organism. The two most common types of genetic modifications are modifying crops to produce pesticides or modifying them to be immune to herbicides (making them Roundup ready). Sugar beets have been modified to be Roundup ready. Both kinds of genetic modifications have been done to corn and soy in the same seed.

What’s so bad about them?

GMOs have not undergone long-term studies. When biotech claims GMOs have been tested thousands of times, they’re referring to 90-day studies or studies done for less than two years that have been funded by the industry.

There have been several studies linking GMOs to numerous health problems. The most common problems associated with long-term GMO consumption are kidney and liver damage, faulty insulin regulation, accelerated aging, cancer, and infertility. To look at the results of these studies, please see the link below.

How to avoid GM Food

When asked, more than half of all consumers say they avoid eating GMOs. Sadly this isn’t the case at all. Consumers probably would if they were labeled. Over 90% of Americans and Canadians eat GMOs on a regular basis. If more of us knew what was genetically modified, we wouldn’t eat these foods, and Monsanto and other businesses would be forced to find another way to make money.

Buying organic is the easiest way to avoid GMOs, and when you buy organic you also avoid pesticides and other chemical additives. Non-GMO project verified is a safe bet that the food is free of GMOs, but other toxins from conventional methods of agriculture are a given if the food is not organic.

The eight most common GMO crops are corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, papaya, zucchini, and squash. Unfortunately, hundreds of other genetically modified foods are in development. It is only a matter of time before GMOs become much harder to avoid.

GMOs are almost always in processed foods. Soy, high fructose corn syrup (now also called fructose) or sugar from sugar beets are found in almost every processed food. Over 90% of soy, corn and sugar beets grown in the U.S. have been genetically modified. If you see these ingredients in your food, you can bet it has been genetically modified.

You have to Avoid GMOs to Detox from GMOs

Of course you can’t keep eating GMOs if you wish to fully detox from them. This means no restaurants (unless you eat at organic restaurants, which are very hard to find), and no processed foods, unless they are organic, or Non-GMO project verified.

Why Detox Genetically Modified Organisms?

Detoxification is defined as the removal of toxic substances from the body. This is often an emphasis of alternative medicine. The benefits of removing toxins from the body are numerous, too many to list in their entirety. Some of the better-known benefits are increased energy, improved sleep, weight loss, and lowered risk of diseases, such as colds, flu, and cancer.

How to Detoxify GMOs

In order to detox from GMOs, you’ll need to eat a diet rich in produce with lots of raw foods and sulfuric vegetables. A high fiber diet is essential. Drinking lots of clean water, and getting lots of exercise aids our bodies in detoxification. Salads and smoothies are staples of a detox diet. Detoxifying genetically modified organisms takes time, a clean diet, lots of clean water, and a healthy digestive tract with a strong and healthy ecosystem of beneficial flora. Speed up the process by eating large salads (recipe), killing candida and healing the gut, drinking lots of cranberry lemonade (recipe), and using a clean and pure nutrition formula with spirulina and chlorella (recipe).

Recommended Supplements:

• Formula SF722 (Kill fungi that inhabits unhealthy gut)
• Floramend-Prime by Thorne (Feed beneficial bacteria that GMOs killed)
• Total Nutrition Formula (Pull toxins out of the body, and multi-vitamin/mineral)
• Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse (Clean and heal intestinal tract, kill bad guys)
• Shillington’s Intestinal Detox (Heal and pull toxins out of intestinal tract)
• Systemic Enzymes – (For eliminating damage which is fibrin buildup, and they eliminate foreign proteins and many chemicals – this can aid the body in eliminating toxins).

Further Reading:

• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• Doctors Against GMOs – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Doctors Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Scientists Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• GMO Facts and Arguments
• GMO Science
• How to Avoid GMOs
• The Difference Between Heirlooms, Hybrids, and GMOs

Sources:

• Bitter Almonds vs. Non Bitter – E How
• IARC Monographs Volume 112: evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides – International Agency for Research on Cancer WHO
• WHO Report Links Weed Killer Ingredient to Cancer Risk – NBC News
• GMO Dangers – Institute for Responsible Technology

The human body is about is 70% water. Newborns are roughly 80% water, and elderly are as little as 50% water. Our muscles are about 75% water. Even our bones, which seem completely solid, are 25% water. Without food, we would eventually die, but without water, we would die a lot sooner. Depending on the amount of fat and muscle in our bodies, most of us can live several weeks without food, 5-7 weeks on average. The average person can only survive 5 days without water. Undoubtedly, water is life.

A Constant State of Dehydration is the Norm, not the Exception

Most people do not drink enough water. So of course, dehydration is very common. People normally drink water only when they are thirsty, or when their mouth is dry. Thirst and a dry mouth are signs of dehydration. If we drink water only when thirsty, we are perpetually dehydrated.

Too often, when people increase the amount of water they drink, they find they spend way too much time running to the bathroom. Naturally, they believe frequent bathroom trips are a symptom of too much water. Even though this may sound counterintuitive, this is usually not the case.

When we are not getting adequate water, our bodies go into a kind of survival mode and release aldosterone, a hormone that encourages water retention. Water is retained for vital organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.

Toxins and waste build up in this retained water – toxins and waste that our bodies ideally eliminate on a daily basis. When we increase our water intake, the body begins flushing out the water that has been retained in our organs and tissues, replacing it with clean water. With adequate hydration, this process will continue for a few days to a week before the frequency of urination decreases.

Signs of Dehydration

There are many other signs of dehydration including:

• Back pain
• Cramps
• Constipation
• Decreased urine output
• Dizziness
• Dry skin
• Dry, sticky mouth
• Fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Feeling lightheaded
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Irritability
• Indigestion
• Yellow urine

Less common, but other possible signs of dehydration include:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Depression
• High blood pressure
• Migraines

Signs of severe dehydration include:

• Confusion
• Extreme thirst
• Extremely dry mouth
• Delirium
• Fever
• Little to no urine, or very dark colored urine
• Listlessness
• Low blood pressure
• Rapid breathing
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sunken eyes
• Skin so dry and shriveled that it loses elasticity
• Unconsciousness

Doctors are Unlikely to Diagnose Mild to Moderate Dehydration

When you go to the doctor with complaints of back pain, constipation, muscle cramps, persistent headaches, or other symptoms of dehydration, doctors are more likely to prescribe medication than suggest you drink more water. There are many reasons for this. Doctors make more money when they write prescriptions, and their patients might think their money wasted if the medical advice they paid top dollar for was simply, “Drink more water.” Also, sadly, many doctors may not recognize the symptoms as dehydration.

“At medical schools more than 600 hundred teaching hours are allocated to the use of pharmaceutical products. Only a few hours are allocated to instructions on diet and food.” F. Batmanghelidj M.D.

Staying hydrated is good advice that is rarely taken seriously. Nearly all of the body’s functions run on water. Water is needed as the delivery system for oxygen, and nutrients. It is a crucial component of our nervous system and the medium by which the nervous system sends its signals. Water is also needed for our bodies to efficiently remove toxins.

When dehydrated, even when mildly dehydrated, our joints are robbed of fluids, since the body considers these areas of the body to be less vital. Cartilage is around five times slicker than ice; it is the ultimate lubrication for our joints. Nothing man-made functions as well as cartilage does. One of the best ways to keep cartilage in good condition is to stay hydrated; cartilage is 80% water. Dehydration wears down cartilage. Sadly, joint replacement surgery is a poor replacement for healthy joints. Replaced joints only last 10-15 years, and they don’t work as well as the real thing.

Back Pain is A Common Symptom of Dehydration

Do you ever suffer from back pain? If so, does your back hurt more in the morning? Many of us lose water throughout the night with nighttime bathroom runs and night sweats. If we don’t think to replace those fluids, dehydration results which inflames the kidneys, and this can cause to back pain. Whenever your back hurts, try drinking several glasses of water. The pain usually subsides. This makes sense because the fluid inside the body’s spinal discs supports 75% of the body’s weight.

“When the disks in your spine lack water, they begin to degenerate and herniate more quickly. It’s similar to driving a car on underinflated tires. The tires will either wear out faster or eventually blow out.” Don Colbert M.D.

Water is What Does All the Work

Water is the workhorse of our digestive system. Water is the primary part of all of our digestive fluids. Saliva, bile, stomach acid, pancreatic juices, and the mucus that lines our gastrointestinal tract are mostly water. Without adequate water intake, the digestive system doesn’t work as it should. The mucous layer in our stomach is actually 98% water, and this is the best protection against heartburn. The mucous layer contains bicarbonate, which effectively neutralizes stomach acid. When our bodies have adequate water this mucous layer is thick, but when we do not it is very thin. Contrary to popular belief heartburn is not caused by an antacid deficiency, but rather it is usually caused by a water deficiency. Water is the most effective heartburn medication there is, and the cheapest, too. Water doesn’t just help to prevent heartburn, water helps in all stages of digestion. We recommend that you avoid drinking lots of water with your food, because this can water down your digestive fluids. Drinking a lot of water before or an hour after eating is ideal.

A Natural Cure All

People who suffer from asthma and/or allergies typically have high histamine levels. Histamine forces the muscles in the bronchial tubes to constrict, which inhibits airflow through the lungs. Studies have shown that histamine levels drop as water intake increases. If you suffer from asthma or allergies “…water may improve your symptoms more than the latest round of inhalers or pills from pharmaceutical companies.” Don Colbert M.D.

Water is good for vascular health as well. Blood is more than 80% water. Adequate water intake can help to lower blood pressure, and it can play a part in preventing strokes and heart attacks. When we are dehydrated our blood is thicker and more prone to clotting.

Our brains, which are very sensitive to dehydration, are about 85% water. One of the easiest ways to improve brain function, especially your memory, is to increase water intake.

Water also enhances immune system function. Common medical advice is to drink lots of water when we are sick, but if we drink adequate amounts of water all the time, we are less likely to get sick in the first place. Daily intake is dependent upon weight, climate, and activity level – roughly half a gallon to a gallon a day for a person weighing 150 lbs. Drink enough water that you don’t feel thirsty.

Tap water is full of chemicals including pharmaceuticals, fluoride, chlorine, and chemical contaminants. Tap water is not the best water to drink. Bottled water can be better, but some bottled water is literally just tap water in a bottle. There are very few regulations controlling bottled water, and it’s hard to find water from a good source. Ideally, water should be from a natural source, high in minerals, very low in contaminants, and sold in a glass bottle. But the ideal is hard to find, especially at an affordable price. When ideal water isn’t available and affordable, we recommend buying distilled water. Distilled water is bereft of minerals but eating a variety of raw produce easily replaces those minerals. Spending a little more on higher quality water is an investment in your health and is certainly worthwhile.

Many people drink other fluids instead of water. Although it is true that these drinks are mostly water, the caffeine, sugar or artificial flavors and colors put a strain on your body in various ways, and this can cost your body more water than what was consumed in the drink. For those who want to drink more water, but need flavors and sweetness, here’s a recipe for cranberry lemonade that helps detoxify the body as well. If you love juicing, skip the sugar and try doing the truly healthy fresh juices like with this Golden Milk Tea Recipe.

Conclusion

If you’re not consuming enough water, you’re increasing the strain on your body, and accelerating the aging process. It is harder than most people think to drink too much water, and drinks that contain caffeine or sugar are very poor substitutes that rob the body of water (and minerals) with high acidity. There is no other substance that is as important to our health as water is. For more on detoxifying, lowering blood pressure, and getting the most from water, check out the previous cranberry lemonade link, and Hot & Cold Hydrotherapy. For the best water to detoxify with, see the first source below.

Further Reading:

• What’s the Best Water for Detoxifying and For Drinking?
• Why Water Fluoridation Continues, Despite Flying in the Face of Science
• What’s in Your Water?

Sources:

• The Healing Properties of Water – Dr. Brifa.com
• Diseases and Conditions Dehydration – Mayo Clinic
• Dehydration – Medline Plus
• Water: For Health, For Healing, For Life by F. Batmanghelidj M.D.
• Seven Pillars of Health by Don Colbert M.D.