Morgellons Disease – A New Autoimmune Disease?

What is Morgellons Disease? There are several answers to this question. Ask the CDC or far too many conventional doctors and they will tell you Morgellons disease doesn’t exist, that it is a psychosomatic disorder, most likely a combination of delusional parasitosis and obsessive picking of the skin. In other words, it’s all in the patient’s head, except for the skin lesions caused from self abuse.

Ask a Morgellons sufferer or the rare doctor who believes this disease is real, and you will hear a far different story. Morgellons is a systemic disorder that involves many symptoms common to auto-immune sufferers including:

chronic, severe fatigue
joint pain
neurological problems
memory and cognitive disruptions (including brain fog)
mood changes

It also involves bizarre symptoms particular to this disease:

crawling sensations on and under the skin
the sensation of itching or biting
skin eruptions or lesions with little black specks on or under the skin
filaments or threads under the skin and erupting from the skin

Morgellons is currently in the news due to the emergency hospitalization of iconic singer /songwriter Joni Mitchell, who suffers from this disease. In 2010, she told the Los Angeles Times, “Fibers in a variety of colors protrude out of my skin like mushrooms after a rainstorm: they cannot be forensically identified as animal, vegetable or mineral.”

Doctors and researchers who do not believe Morgellons to be real think the fibers are lint, though all sufferers tell them the fibers are growing out of their skin- that they pull them out as if they were pulling out a hair.

Who Has Morgellons Disease?

While most studies of Morgellons report the majority of patients were middle age white females, the University of Oklahoma says adults and children are equally affected. And while individuals within a family may have this disease, they have also witnessed families where multiple members have the disease. Therefore, it is not known whether the disease is inherited or contagious.

What Causes Morgellons?

There appear to be three major hypotheses as to the cause of this disease (by those who believe the disease is real):

It is believed to be a parasite.
It is believed to be caused by Borrelia spirochetes (the bacteria associated with Lyme disease).
It is believed to be a parasitic fungus. The threads or filaments are hyphae and the black and while specs are sporangia.

Unfortunately, it is far too common for conventional medical doctors to dismiss any patient when the diagnosis is unclear. Twenty years ago, is was common for someone suffering from an autoimmune disease to be summarily dismissed, especially since the cognitive and mood disturbances so inherent in the syndromes provided an easy dismissal due to mental health. Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are still laughable diagnoses to many doctors. The truth is, both of these diseases are more likely sets of symptoms related to a more complex systemic problem, but nonetheless, the debilitating symptoms are not psychosomatic.

More research is needed to determine the definitive cause or causes of Morgellons. It may have one cause, but it is quite likely to be a combination of a fungal disease and a bacterial or parasitic condition. When the immune system is compromised, multiple, simultaneous infections are common.

Morgellons Treatment

Doctors who believe the disease is caused by a parasite are treating patients with anti-parasitic pharmaceuticals. Those who believe the cause to be bacterial are treating with antibiotics. And those who believe the problem to be fungal are treating with anti-fungal medications.

Alternative treatments range from colloidal silver to strange concoctions of borax and dishwashing soap.

Recovery of health, regardless of the manifestation of disease, begins by flooding the body with the nutrients it needs to heal while detoxing. A truly healthy diet with lots of raw, organic produce will help the body to detoxify and eliminate parasites while regenerating the immune system. Disease starts in the gut. Balancing the ecosystem inside the gut heals the body. See How To Kill Candida And Balance Your Inner Ecosystem, and (what kills Candida kills other fungi as well), and check out Herbs and a Protocol that Eliminates Parasites. See the first source below for more on diet.

Recommended Supplements:

Further Reading:

Sources:

Algae-Growing Nuns In Central African Grow Spirulina For Malnourished Children

Many people believe the word “superfood” is a term used for click bait and nothing more, but superfoods not only exist, they are the superheroes of the food world. Spirulina is one such food.

In the Central African Republic, Catholic nuns are using the blue-green algae to fight malnutrition at the St. Joseph Health Center. Bangui, where the nuns are located, has been dealing with the effects of a conflict that has made resources scarce. The lack of food has had an especially pronounced effect on children in the region.

After a meeting with a French pharmacist who advised them on how to grow spirulina, the nuns at St Joseph Health Center were able to successfully harvest the algae to combat malnutrition.

Spirulina is a remarkable source of nutrients, containing the highest natural source of complete proteins, omega fatty acids, iron, and antioxidants. The health applications of a superfood like spirulina can translate across countless circumstances, from saving lives in the Central African Republic to providing everyday nutrients to anyone around the world.

UNICEF CAR — Nuns at the St. Joseph Health Centre in Bangui, Central African Republic, grow their own algae as a supplement for malnourished children who have suffered the ravages of war since 2013. Photo by Sebastian Rich

Working Smarter – and Making a Difference

The number of children who suffer from severe malnutrition in the Central African Republic is on the rise. Compared to last year, reported cases of acute malnutrition have tripled as conflicts in the region leave families unable to plant crops, to earn a living, or to access sanitation, clean water, and health care. Provisions from aid organizations are an inconsistent food source, as security issues often keep the protein supplements from reaching their intended targets. These are the struggles facing the nuns at St Joseph as they care for vulnerable children and mothers.

Spirulina has given them an inexpensive, effective, and reliable way to feed the people who come to the health center. Once a solution to the malnutrition problem presented itself, the nuns obtained the materials to build the algae tanks from the community through begging and borrowing. People are paying attention to St Joseph Health Center because of how effective the spirulina has been and the inspiring initiative shown by the nuns who work there.

The sisters at St. Joseph are proud of how many children they are able to help. After such great results, others in the Central African Republic and areas beyond who suffer from malnutrition see the sisters as both an inspiration and a source of practical knowledge.

Why Spirulina is Awesome

Most people are familiar with algae. It’s the murky, clingy, dingy green stuff in ponds and dirty aquariums. Unappetizing as it sounds, spirulina is among the most nutritious foods on the planet with 18 vitamins and minerals, 8 amino acids, chlorophyll, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. The stuff is loaded. In addition to that goodness, its soft cell walls make it easy to digest. It also absorbs heavy metals and toxins. Eating algae plain might not be for the squeamish, but a quality green nutrition powder can give you the benefits of spirulina without the slime.

Spirulina is incredibly eco-friendly; it yields 25% more nutrition per square foot than any other plant. If you find yourself inspired by the nuns at St Joseph and want to try some DIY spirulina at home, the Internet is here to help. Great DIY tutorials like the one here can get you started on a window aquarium filled with spirulina. It may take more than one try to get it to work, but, in time, you’ll be able to guarantee a quality supply of homegrown spirulina, perfect for survival and prepping, too! The use of spirulina in the Central African Republic has shown the great impact it can have on health. This Total Nutrition Formula is the perfect recipe for your spirulina, and it’s the best multi-vitamin/mineral/protein supplement I know of. Even if building an algae farm isn’t a viable option, finding a quality source of it can give you access to even better health.

Recommended Supplements:

Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula

Football Players Are Deciding Concussions Are Not Worth The Risk

We often hear that professional football players are in the best shape of their lives. Their level of fitness cannot be denied, but what about their overall health, specifically their brain health? There has been increasing concern over the long-term effects of the concussions football players routinely suffer from collisions on the field. A professional football player will receive 900-1500 blows to the head during a single season and will have a 75% chance of suffering a concussion.

Previously, players sacrificed their brain health for the love of the game, for money and opportunities, or because they felt they had no choice. Now a 24-year-old professional football player named Chris Borland has decided the risks of football aren’t worth it. He’s not the first, but he is the youngest and the one who has shocked a country that is still actively resisting the idea of putting their health first until it’s too late. There is an important distinction between a young athlete protecting himself and an aging athlete trying to preserve whatever brain function he has left. It’s an example of a new mindset, one concerned with health and armed with more information than ever before.

The Football-Concussion Connection

Common sense says that being hit over the head with a heavy object is not a good idea. It follows that the effect of football on players has been a concern for a long time, but determining the level of damage and consequences of repeated trauma has been harder to do. In 1994, the NFL formed the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, paying lip service to health concerns over players and giving the NFL the opportunity to control the concussion narrative.

Athletes who are willing to ignore, or those who don’t know, the long-term health effects of what they’re doing are essential to the financial well being of professional football. The growing wealth of information available on concussions and brain health is available to anyone with the Internet, and it’s impossible to avoid the identification of sports and football as a major cause of these issues. The Internet’s ability to disseminate information has taken the latter away from the NFL, and the public and players are beginning to ask if football is worth the health risks. It’s also posed the question of trust. Are the people receiving the financial benefits from a 9 billion industry really the ones players should trust to care for them and their quality of life?

Degenerative Brain Disease Links

A concussion is an injury to the head that leads to a temporary loss of brain function. While the effects of a mild concussion are usually temporary, people who have had a concussion are more likely to suffer from another, and the damage from repeated brain injuries does accumulate. Recent research has found that NFL players who have suffered from multiple concussions have increased rates of memory and attention deficits and are more likely to develop Parkinson and Alzheimer like symptoms. Older athletes who experienced concussions were tested. It was found that the cortex had thinned, which combined with the presence of abnormal proteins in the brain, echoes the brains of those with Alzheimer’s. Technology has made studies like this possible and provides a great resource for people who are concerned about the effects of playing an aggressive and violent sport like football.

Degenerative Disease Can Strike Anyone’s Brain

There are a few ways to look at these findings. An increasing number of players are retiring while they are still relevant and able to play at a high level. Chris Borland, Patrick Willis, and others are hanging up their cleats early because they feel like the game is no longer worth the health risks. On the flip side, playing sports professionally is a huge opportunity for others, and trading their potential quality of life in their later years for the shot at sports fame and fortune is something they’re willing to do. Concussions can have a serious effect on the brain. As people weigh the benefits of football against the costs, more people, especially parents, are deciding that it’s simply not worth it.

For more on brain health, intelligence, and for repairing brain damage, check out Increase Your IQ With The Right Foods, Herbs, and Vitamins (check out the brain tonic recipe).

Sources:

Johnson & Johnson Subsidiary Fined Paltry Amount for Contaminated Infant Medicine

In May of 2009, a consumer noticed black specks in the bottom of a bottle of Infants’ Tylenol, which were found to be nickel and chromium particles.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, pled guilty to charges of selling contaminated medicines and was fined 25 million dollars. The medicine contained metal particles (nickel, iron, and aluminum) smelled like mold, and included errors on labels.

Prosecutors said McNeil failed to take immediate steps to fix the problem. A search through the FDA website for product recalls certainly backs up this assertion and shows that there were multiple problems with many drugs. The first recall was in January of 2010 and does not address metal particles or Infants’ Tylenol. [Bulleted copy is taken directly from the FDA website on product recalls.]

01/15/2010 – Motrin, Tylenol, Benedryl, more Drug Products. Off-odor. McNeil Consumer Healthcare
In April of 2010, the company initiated a voluntary recall.
04/30/2010 – McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. McNeil Consumer Healthcare.

Along with this statement:

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.
The company is conducting a comprehensive quality assessment across its manufacturing operations and has identified corrective actions that will be implemented before new manufacturing is initiated at the plant where the recalled products were made.

And yet, two months later they are forced to make another recall. A month later another recall for the same problem, and 3 months later another recall for the same problem. Recalls do not address metal contamination until 12/09/2010 and with this particular recall, children’s liquid medicines are not mentioned.

06/15/2010 -Benadryl; Tylenol. Over the counter (OTC) products. Uncharacteristic smell caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) McNeil Consumer Healthcare
07/08/2010 – Benadryl; Tylenol; Motrin, Over the counter (OTC) products, Uncharacteristic smell caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) McNeil Consumer Healthcare
10/18/2010 – Tylenol, Over the counter (OTC) products, 8 Hour Caplets, Uncharacteristic smell caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA), McNeil Consumer Healthcare
11/15/2010 – Benadryl, Motrin, Children’s Benadryl, Children’s Motrin, Insufficiencies in the development of the manufacturing process, McNeil Consumer Healthcare
December 18, 2009 – Mcneil Consumer Healthcare Announces A Voluntary Nationwide Recall Of All Lots Of Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 Count With Ez-Open Cap
12/09/2010 – Rolaids, Rolaids Soft Chews, Foreign materials, including metal and wood particles. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc.
11/24/2010 – Tylenol, Tylenol Cold Liquid Products, Labeling update, McNeil Consumer Healthcare
11/15/2010 – Rolaids, Uncharacteristic consistency or texture. McNeil Consumer Healthcare

Drug recalls hit an all time high in 2009 with 1,742 recalls, a 309% increase over the previous year. One thousand were from one company, Advantage Dose, which is now out of business.

Twenty-five million is a lot of money, but for Johnson & Johnson, a company with a net worth estimated at 65 billion, this fine is small. Previous judgments include the following:

April 2012 – Arkansas – 1.2 billion judgment for concealing or minimizing the dangers of Risperdal, an antipsychotic drug.
January 2010 – Texas – subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, for $158 million.
2011 – South Carolina – subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals – $327 million.
2010 – Louisiana – subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals – nearly $258 million.

At a time when we are being pushed to believe that pharmaceutical companies who make vaccines have our best interest at heart, that they would never do anything to hurt a child, Johnson & Johnson stands as a reminder that these corporate giants are all about the bottom line. When a trusted company like Johnson & Johnson continues to sell tainted products for a year or more for babies and toddlers, how can any of us keep believing in their safety or efficacy?

If you’ve been bamboozled into believing vaccines and other drugs are good for you, it’s time to rebuild your gut flora and detox from pharmaceutical contaminants.

Sources:

In Response to Consumer Demand, Costco Stops Selling Antibiotic Laden Chicken

Costco has decided to phase out the sale of chickens that have been treated with shared-use antibiotics. This is a big win in a few ways. First, the low levels of antibiotics meant for human use that find their way into the raising of conventional meat make the antibiotics less effective, as they only succeed in killing the low-level bacteria and creating antibiotic resistant superbugs by allowing the stronger strains to survive. Second, consumers who are voting with their dollars for healthier meat that isn’t full of unnecessary hormones and antibiotics are being heard. This announcement from Costco comes on the heels of a similar announcement from McDonalds. McDonalds and Costco, the third largest retailer in the US, are deciding to go against traditionally accepted agricultural practices because of public pressure and demand, showing that informed consumers can and do make a difference.

Antibiotic Resistant Superbugs

Antibiotics began as a way for medicine to fight the most serious of infections. Now it feels like they’re used to treat anything and everything, from pneumonia to ear infections to acne. They’re also being used to continually dose factory farmed animals, which is giving virulent bacteria capable of surviving weaker antibiotics an opportunity to thrive. Costco’s decision to stop purchasing animals who have been dosed with human-use antibiotics will have a positive long term effect on the effectiveness of antibiotics and make immune systems stronger.

The best immunity you can have is a natural immunity. Fortifying your immune system through diet and exercise can keep you from getting sick, but our overuse of antibiotics is not helping. It’s like giving the bacteria a ten second head start in a race to see which organism wins. If you’re exposed to a low level strain of bacteria and beat the infection, it gives your immune system more protection against stronger version of that particular infection. Low level dosages of antibiotics kill the weak bacteria, combining with the sickening conditions of factory farming to create ideal condition for antibiotic resistant, transmittable to humans infections like E Coli, Salmonella, and Staph. Feeding antibiotics to factory farmed animals is not only unnecessary and unhealthy, it’s dangerous. The groups receiving long-term benefits from this practice are big agricultural companies and big pharmaceutical companies. When major retailers like Costco and McDonalds choose to stop purchasing those products, the lack of that business sends a powerful message.

Seeing Food Differently

People care about what’s in their food. From labeling GMOs to buying organic to finding local farmers they can trust, consumers are using their dollars to advocate for food transparency. Chipotle is famous for letting consumers know what’s in their food. They label local products and GMOs, offer organic ingredients, and use responsibly raised meat without added hormones and sub-therapeutic antibiotics. Lobbyists for the meat industry like to claim that antibiotics save farmers money and therefore save consumers money. When Chipotle chose to purchase meat from responsibly raised animals, they had to increase prices. Rather than cause an outrage, their sales doubled.

The food landscape is changing. People now think before they eat, and cheap, fast, unhealthy food is on the decline. McDonald’s recent sales reports showed that earnings were down 1.7% worldwide and down by 4% in the United States. In light of that, it’s not hard to see their decision to phase out chickens treated with shared-use antibiotics is a desperate grab for an informed public who is no longer willing to accept their chemical-laden excuse for food. Costco cited human health as their primary reason for beginning to phase out meat treated with human use antibiotics. Consumers are having an impact, and major retailers are listening and adjusting their actions. This momentum is huge.

Keep It Going

The best way to keep encouraging food transparency is to continue to ask for it and to pay for it. You can get involved in legislation that asks for labels, like those for labeling GMOs. Find out if your state has proposed any labeling laws recently and call your representative. The U.S. Senate recently introduced a bill (S.621) designed to minimize the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria while taking care of animals. Buy organic and local produce and meat whenever possible. Local farmer’s markets offer a great opportunity to speak with the farmers and get to know what they’re doing. Getting healthy and fixing your immune system can reduce the potential negative impact of irresponsibly raised meat on your health.

If you have been eating conventional chicken or other meats laced with antibiotics, it’s time to restore your intestinal flora.

For more on the detrimental impact of convention farming methods and how we can change the world with progressive farming, check out the first two sources below.

Sources:

Facebook’s a Year in Books program is pushing the pro vaccine agenda

Now that Oprah has discontinued her much-beloved book club, billionaire owner of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has stepped in with an attempt to fulfill the void for people who enjoy basing their reading on what famous people suggest. The program entitled “A Year in Books,” suggests a new book every two weeks and promises to emphasize learning about new cultures, beliefs, histories, and technologies. Response to the recent venture has been mixed. Sales of the first book chosen for the series spiked dramatically, but the actual reading of the book and interaction on the group’s Facebook page has been lackluster. But now, Mark (or the employee hired to captain this endeavor), has taken a look at the resources available to them, cough Facebook cough, and hatched a plan that’s guaranteed to get people, or at least the media, interested in the book club. Let’s read a book about vaccines!

Because Of Course Vaccines

The book chosen by “A Year in Books” for their vaccine discussion is “On Immunity” by Eula Biss. An extended essay, the author discusses our perceptions of immunity and how it affects individuals and society, all through the lens of a brand new mother. Reading the summaries of the book, the language is interesting, as Biss frames the issue in terms of fear. The Amazon description makes sure to note her conclusion that you cannot immunize your child from the world… but immunize them anyway. Mainstream media has been thrilled with the book, and the New York Times Book Review has selected it as one of the 10 best books of 2014. It’s not hard to see why the Zuckerberg team chose this book. The topic is controversial, and the book club’s post made a point to mention how short it is in an effort to entice more readers.

Normally, the speculation as to the deeper meaning and ramifications behind this choice would be rampant. Thankfully, guesswork is not needed in figuring out the motivation behind this choice. In additional statements, Zuckerberg says, “The science is completely clear: vaccinations work and are important for the health of everyone in our community. This book explores the reasons why some people question vaccines and then logically explains why the doubts are unfounded and vaccines are, in fact, effective and safe.” He’s entitled to his opinions, but what are the ramifications of this stance for those of us on Facebook who may not agree?

New Fears for Facebook

Though Facebook has multiple privacy settings and options, it seems safe to assume at this point that everything on the site is being monitored in some way. Even the privacy policy spelled out by the company mentions their intent to share your information with third parties. As a privately owned company, Facebook is able to choose their content, and Zuckerberg definitely has the power and capital to push any agendas he might have. There is the distinct possibility that Facebook could find ways to penalize those who veer from the accepted path.

If you’ve been vaccinated, check out How to Detoxify from Vaccinations & Heavy Metals, and Top 5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins.

Sources:

Your medical searches on the internet, and your privacy (or lack thereof)

It’s no secret that the National Security Agency is capable of tracking your movements from your cell phone signal. Facebook is registering everything you click on, using advertising as an excuse to insert itself even further into our lives. Online advertisers collect and catalog “cookies” left behind on sites you search and browse. With more and more of your online behavior followed, every area of your daily life that you expose may be monitored by government agencies or corporations for their own purposes. Your health and your interest in specific medical information is certainly one of those areas. Studies have found that sites like WebMD, CDC.gov, Mayo Clinic, and Livestrong all contain tracking software that sends any pages you look at to businesses like Facebook, Twitter, and data brokers like Experian and Axciom.

Medical Searches and Where the Data Goes

It’s easier now than it has ever been to look up medical information, from specific diseases to symptoms and treatments. But like with all convenience, it comes at a price. Over 90% of the top 50 search results of nearly 2,000 common diseases made third-party requests to other websites like Google, Facebook, and AppNexus among others. For-profit health sites were among the worst offenders. WebMD, one of the most popular online websites for health related concerns, sent third-party requests detailing individuals searches to 34 separate domains, including data brokers Axciom and Experian. Experian is especially troubling, as they have been involved in selling consumer data to services perpetuating identity theft.

WedMD is first and foremost a business, and it’s not difficult to believe they would sell search data in the name of profit. Perhaps more surprising is the role of healthcare.gov in this race to make a quick buck from violating consumers’ medical privacy. As millions signed up for health care, the data they gave the website was transmitted to at least 14 third-party domains. Personal information was sent to these sites even if the person using healthcare.gov had specifically enabled Do Not Track. Other government health websites, notably CDC.gov, are also loaded down with tracking software. What does it say about a government that spies on its own citizens and then turns that data over to companies who are willing to further exploit them?

The Long Reach of Google

Does this mean all health websites have only their own interests at heart? Probably not. More likely than not, they have Google. In the study that analyzed third-party requests from health websites, 78% of pages on those web sites included content from Google. Today’s standard website almost always includes some type of analytics, video material, and social media. This would also account for the second and third most present third party contents, Facebook and comScore, another analytics company.

Last year in Canada, Google was taken to task for violating the government’s privacy laws after a citizen discovered he was being targeted with ads for a sleep condition he was searching. The Office of Canada’s Privacy Commissioner was able to recreate the plaintiff’s experience, showing what Google is capable of divining about your personal medical information through its online properties.

Is Privacy Possible?

Unfortunately, software tracking of any and all activities involving technology are already firmly entrenched in our way of life. For the average user of the Internet, it’s next to impossible to avoid. Even so, you can still take measures to protect yourself. If you’re looking for sensitive health information or want a little more privacy, consider using an app like Privacy Badger or AdBlock to increase your chance of blocking third-party requests. Clearing your browser history often also gives corporations less information to easily dig through. Since there are so many companies involved in selling your information online, it’s up to you to protect yourself.