Barriers to CAM Research - CAM practitioners are often criticized for the limited amount of research in their arena. However, significant barriers exist to conducting this research. Barriers exist in the areas of study design, funding, approval, and publishing…

A significant portion of costs associated with developing and evaluating new treatments in conventional medicine is borne by the pharmaceutical or medical equipment industry. They consider this a cost of doing business, with the potential to recoup all these costs, as well as a significant profit, when they patent a new treatment and have the exclusive rights to sell that treatment for many years. Therapies such as herbs and vitamins are typically not patentable. This is not to say that companies are not making significant profits selling these products.

However, our government has structured the oversight process for herbs and vitamins in such a way that companies have little to gain by conducting expensive research, and, from their stockholders’ viewpoint, much to lose in this competitive market if they were to reduce profits to support research. As use of these products increases, we are beginning to see some increase in resources for investigating both quality and efficacy of these products. The budget of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has increased significantly and modifications have been made to the grant review process, helping to ensure that the reviewers who determine what research will be funded are familiar with CAM therapies.

Source - www.pbs.org - The Alternative Fix

(Excerpts) - Even after ten years of federally funded research, very little is known about whether most alternative therapies work at all and which methods are safe. Scientists and alternative practitioners are unanimous in their agreement that more research is necessary, but sometimes disagree on what it takes to prove something works. In these excerpts from their interviews, NCCAM director Stephen Straus, Harvard University's Tom Delbanco and Marcia Angell, alternative practitioner Andrew Weil and medical historian James Whorton discuss the scant evidence we have and why it's so hard to come by.

How can we know which controversial therapies work and which are quackery?

Researching the medical literature for studies on alternative therapies can be a frustrating experience for doctors and patients alike. Although there are thousands of studies and reports, not all published studies are equally authoritative. Here's a brief overview of the different types of reports you may come across, and an explanation of why solid evidence on alternative medicine is so hard to come by.

Understanding the Evidence

What are the different types of studies? Should all evidence be weighed the same?

Anecdotal evidence. We are all familiar with this. A friend tried a supplement and lost weight; a relative went to a chiropractor and his back problems went away. Also called a personal testimonial, this kind of evidence is highly persuasive, especially when the person is someone we know. But anecdotal evidence is not sufficient for us to draw conclusions about the supplement or therapy in question - it could be that the person healed by chance, by something else they were doing at the time, or by combining a conventional treatment (i.e. something their doctor gave them) and an alternative one. There are too many variables that prevent us from isolating the effect of the alternative treatment alone.

Observational studies. Observational studies are just that - researchers observe what happens over time to a group of people who are, for example, taking a weight-loss pill or using a homeopathic remedy. They are referred to as the treatment group, because they are receiving some kind of medical treatment or therapy. But over time, some people get better just by chance or because of something else they are doing not related to the treatment, and some people don't. The problem with observational studies is that there is no way to know why people improved. Was it the pill, or was it because the person started exercising more? Observational studies do not take these factors into account.

Naturalized experiments. Naturalized experiments go one step further. Along with a treatment group, they have a control group. A control group is a group of people with similar health characteristics to the treatment group, except for the fact that they are not taking the pill or remedy. That way, when you compare the two groups over time, you can attribute differences between them to the treatment itself (the pill or therapy), and not to random chance. But even the results of these studies can be flawed. Because people were not randomly assigned to the treatment group or the control group, there may in fact be significant differences between the two groups that account for at least some of the difference over time. For example, the people in the treatment group, who have all chosen to take the supplement or see a reflexologist, might be more concerned about managing their health than the people in the control group, who did nothing. Therefore, it may be true that the people in the treatment group are more motivated to take care of themselves and improve their condition. In that case, it could be the differing levels of people's motivation that causes differences over time, and not the pill itself.

Randomized controlled clinical trials. These studies are the gold standard of medical research, because they attempt to control for all of the potential biases that frequently skew the results of observational studies and naturalized experiments. `Randomized' means that people are selected at random to be in the treatment or control group. `Controlled' means that the researchers have done as much as possible to ensure that there are no statistically significant differences between the treatment and control group at the outset of the study that could potentially influence the results. If the study is double-blind, that means neither the patient nor the doctor administering the medicine knows if the person is receiving the real pill or a placebo (an inert pill). This prevents the doctor from inadvertently giving facial or body gesture clues to patients about which pill (the real one or the fake one) the person is taking. Research findings from randomized clinical trials are considered to be the most reputable by the medical community.

Why is there such a lack of good evidence?

There are many reasons, but they are simple. Consensus in the medical community about the efficacy of an alternative therapy - or a mainstream one, for that matter - is reached only after many large, well-designed, randomized trials find the same, or similar, results. And to do a randomized trial well costs a lot of money - often in the tens of millions of dollars - requires the recruitment of hundreds if not thousands of volunteers, and takes many years to complete. After funding scores of smaller-scale pilot studies on the efficacy of various alternative therapies during the past ten years, the NIH has started funding much larger clinical trials on everything from acupuncture to St. Johns Wort. But the vast majority of them are still underway.

Another reason is self-interest. Many of the studies currently being conducted are funded by the manufacturers of the herbal supplements, and many of the researchers themselves have a stake or financial interest in the drug under review. Even if researchers are not explicitly told to doctor the results, they are often under pressure to demonstrate the drug or herbal supplement yields a positive effect. If the study comes out saying otherwise, it might be suppressed. When considering the validity of a study's results, always ask: who funded this study? Are they neutral, or do they have a stake in the results? Are there potentials for bias, or conflicts of interest? Did the researchers subject the study to the scrutiny of their peers by publishing it in a peer-review journal, or it is just on a supplement maker's website? Answers to these questions will help you determine how to weigh the various, and often contradictory, evidence you will encounter.

How does NCCAM decide what to study?

We study approaches that will address the most important public health indications. We study approaches that we can study in terms of the ethical constraints, in terms of the resource restraints. We study modalities that are the most promising and we don't study things that are the least promising. We don't have enough money, enough time, and enough resources to study everything. Please link to read the entire topic...www.pbs.org

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Alarming Statistics

Source - www.cancer.duke.edu - pdf

It’s often assumed that, in conventional medicine, all treatment recommendations are based on research results. While this is a goal, in reality, conventional medicine is as much art as science, and as fraught with controversy as is complementary and alternative medicine. The U.S. Office of Technology Assessment issued a report in 1978 entitled 'Assessing the Efficacy and Safety of Medical Technology'.¹

This report indicates that only 10 - 20% of medical procedures have been shown to be of benefit. Many common treatments had never been evaluated by clinical trials. In addition, up to 75% of studies published at that time had 'invalid or unsupportable conclusions as a result of statistical problems'. Few well-designed trials were found and the preponderance had positive results, indicating that studies with negative results are less likely to be published…

Retrieved from - mercola.com

Results from Other Studies Evaluating Effectiveness of Mammography

Archives of Internal Medicine⁷ published a meta-analysis of 117 randomized, controlled mammogram trials. Among its findings: Rates of false-positive results are high (20% to 56% after 10 mammograms), and “although few women 50 years of age or older have risks from mammography that outweigh the benefits, the evidence suggests that more women 40 to 49 years of age have such risks.”

A study published in the British Medical Journal⁸ in December 2011, confirmed that breast cancer screening may cause women harm, especially during the early years after they start screening. This harm is largely due to surgeries, such as lumpectomies and mastectomies, and other (often unnecessary) interventions. The study highlights losses in quality of life from false positive results and unnecessary treatment.
In September 2010, the New England Journal of Medicine published the first study ⁹ in years to examine the effectiveness of mammograms. Their findings are a far cry from what most public health officials would have you believe. The bottom line is that mammograms seem to have reduced cancer death rates by only 0.4 deaths per 1,000 women—an amount so small it might as well be zero. Put another way, 2,500 women would have to be screened over 10 years for a single breast cancer death to be avoided.

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The following diagnostic or practices are currently not mainstream or widely accepted methods.

Breast Thermography and MammoTherm Technology

Source - www.sawilsons.com

DR. NICHOLAS GONZALEZ ON NUTRITIONAL CANCER THERAPY: There are doctors who believe that rising rates of breast cancer correlate completely with the rising use of mammography, & that we may be like a dog chasing its tail. Frequent mammography exposing that delicate breast tissue to X-ray may actually be precipitating an increase in cancer rate. The very tool they're using to diagnose cancer may be causing it.

What is Breast Thermography? Breast Thermography is an imaging of the temperatures on the surface of the breast. The pattern reflects metabolic activity inside the breasts as well as the neighboring lymph nodes. Certain breast problems tend to produce recognizable thermal patterns while benign cysts/lumps tend to show no thermal activity. This helps differentiate a problem from a non-problem.

Source www.thermologyonline.org - American College Of Clinical Thermology

Breast thermography is a 15 minute non invasive test of physiology. It is a valuable procedure for alerting your doctor to changes that can indicate early stage breast disease.

The benefit of breast thermography is that it offers the opportunity of earlier detection of breast disease than has been possible through breast self examination, doctor examination or mammography alone.

Thermography can detect the subtle physiologic changes that accompany breast pathology, whether it is cancer, fibrocystic disease, an infection or a vascular disease. Your doctor can then plan accordingly and lay out a careful program to further diagnose and /or MONITOR you during and after any treatment.

… Thermography is a painless, non invasive, state of the art clinical test without any exposure to radiation and is used as part of an early detection program which gives women of all ages the opportunity to increase their chances of detecting breast disease at an early stage. It is particularly useful for women under 50 where mammography is less effective.

Thermography's role in breast cancer and other breast disorders is to help in early detection and monitoring of abnormal physiology and the establishment of risk factors for the development or existence of cancer. When used with other procedures the best possible evaluation of breast health is made.

This test is designed to improve chances for detecting fast-growing, active tumors in the intervals between mammographic screenings or when mammography is not indicated by screening guidelines for women under 50 years of age.

Thermography as a physiologic test, demonstrates heat patterns that are strongly indicative of breast abnormality, the test can detect subtle changes in breast temperature that indicate a variety of breast diseases and abnormalities and once abnormal heat patterns are detected in the breast, follow-up procedures including mammography are necessary to rule out or properly diagnose cancer and a host of other breast diseases such as fibrocystic syndrome, Pagets disease, etc.

Canadian researchers recently found that infrared imaging of breast cancers could detect minute temperature variations related to blood flow and demonstrate abnormal patterns associated with the progression of tumors. These images or thermograms of the breast were positive for 83% of breast cancers compared to 61% for clinical breast examination alone and 84% for mammography.

It is in this role that thermography provides its most practical benefit to the general public and to the medical profession. It is certainly an adjunct to the appropriate usage of mammography and not a competitor. In fact, thermography has the ability to identify patients at the highest risk and actually increase the effective usage of mammographic imaging procedures.

Until such time as a cure has been found for this terrible disease, progress must be made in the fields of early detection and risk evaluation coupled with sound clinical decision making.

Thermography, with its non-radiation, non-contact and low-cost basis has been clearly demonstrated to be a valuable and safe early risk marker of breast pathology, and an excellent case management tool for the ongoing monitoring and treatment of breast disease when used under carefully controlled clinical protocols.

Reference - healthmedicinecenter.net

Breast thermography has demonstrated a higher degree of success in identifying women with breast cancer under the age of 55 in comparison to other technologies, and it's also an effective adjunct to clinical breast exams and mammography for women over 55. Finally, it provides a non-invasive and safe detection method, and if introduced at age 25, provides a benchmark that future scans can be compared with for even greater detection accuracy. The Health Medicine Forum is dedicated to raising awareness of this diagnostic option among women and health care professionals, alike.

This thermal imaging technology has been validated as effective and approved by the FDA for breast cancer risk assessment. Recent studies have documented that thermography, as a single test, has 99% accuracy in identifying breast cancer in women in the 30 to 55 age group. For women over 55 the accuracy is still an impressive 95%.

Medical DITI, Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, is a noninvasive diagnostic technique that allows the examiner to visualize and quantify changes in skin surface temperature. An infrared scanning device is used to convert infrared radiation emitted from the skin surface into electrical impulses that are visualized in color on a monitor. This visual image graphically maps the body temperature and is referred to as a thermogram. The spectrum of colors indicate an increase or decrease in the amount of infrared radiation being emitted from the body surface. Since there is a high degree of thermal symmetry in the normal body, subtle abnormal temperature asymetry’s can be easily identified.

Medical DITI’s major clinical value is in its high sensitivity to pathology in the vascular, muscular, neural and skeletal systems and as such can contribute to the pathogenesis and diagnosis made by the clinician.

Medical DITI has been used extensively in human medicine in the U.S.A., Europe and Asia for the past 20 years. Until now, cumbersome equipment has hampered its diagnostic and economic viability. Current state of the art PC based Infrared technology designed specifically for clinical application has changed all this.

Clinical uses for DITI include;

To define the extent of a lesion of which a diagnosis has previously been made;
To localize an abnormal area not previously identified, so further diagnostic tests can be performed;
To detect early lesions before they are clinically evident;
To monitor the healing process before the patient is returned to work or training.

…Medical DITI is filling the gap in clinical diagnosis …

X ray, C.T. Ultrasound and M.R.I. etc. are tests of anatomy. E.M.G. is a test of motor physiology. DITI is unique in its capability to show physiological change and metabolic processes. It has also proven to be a very useful complementary procedure to other diagnostic modalities.

Unlike most diagnostic modalities DITI is non invasive. It is a very sensitive and reliable means of graphically mapping and displaying skin surface temperature. With DITI you can diagnosis, evaluate, monitor and document a large number of injuries and conditions, including soft tissue injuries and sensory/autonomic nerve fibre dysfunction.

Medical DITI can offer considerable financial savings by avoiding the need for more expensive investigation for many patients.
Medical DITI can graphically display the very subjective feeling of pain by objectively displaying the changes in skin surface temperature that accompany pain states.
Medical DITI can show a combined effect of the autonomic nervous system and the vascular system, down to capillary dysfunctions. The effects of these changes show as asymmetry’s in temperature distribution on the surface of the body.
Medical DITI is a monitor of thermal abnormalities present in a number of diseases and physical injuries. It is used as an aid for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as therapy follow up and rehabilitation monitoring, within clinical fields that include Rheumatology, neurology, physiotherapy, sports medicine, oncology, pediatrics, orthopedics and many others.
Results obtained with medical DITI systems are totally objective and show excellent correlation with other diagnostic tests.

www.fda.gov

Despite widely publicized claims to the contrary, thermography should not be used in place of mammography for breast cancer screening or diagnosis.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says mammography— an X-ray of the breast—is still the most effective way of detecting breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. Thermography produces an infrared image that shows the patterns of heat and blood flow on or near the surface of the body.

The agency has sent several warning letters to health care providers and a thermography manufacturer who claim that the thermal imaging can take the place of mammography.

Web sites have been touting thermography as a replacement for mammography and claim that thermography can find breast cancer years before it would be detected by mammography.

The problem is that FDA has no evidence to support these claims.

"Mammography is still the most effective screening method for detecting breast cancer in its early, most treatable stages" said Helen Barr, M.D., director of the Division of Mammography Quality and Radiation Programs in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "Women should not rely solely on thermography for the screening or diagnosis of breast cancer."

"While there is plenty of evidence that mammography is effective in breast cancer detection, there is simply no evidence that thermography can take its place," said Barr.

Thermography devices have been cleared by the FDA for use as an adjunct, or additional, tool for detecting breast cancer. Toni Stifano, a consumer safety officer in FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, explains that this means thermography should not be used by itself to screen for or to diagnose breast cancer.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, estimates that about 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer sometime in her life.

The greatest danger, says Stifano, a breast cancer survivor herself, is that patients who substitute thermography for mammography may miss the chance to detect cancer at its earliest stage. There has been a steady decline in breast cancer deaths and one of the reasons is early detection through mammography, says FDA.

As for concerns about exposure to radiation from a mammogram, evidence shows that the benefits outweigh the risks of harm, especially when compared to the danger of breast cancer.

FDA is advising patients to continue to have regular mammograms according to screening guidelines or as recommended by their health care professional.

Patients are also advised to follow their health care professional's recommendations for additional diagnostic procedures, such as other mammographic views, clinical breast exam, breast ultrasound, MRI or biopsy. Additional procedures could include thermography.

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Find an ACCT Approved Thermography Clinic in Your Area

www.thermologyonline.org

medicalbreastthermography.com

ACCT Approved Thermography Clinics in over 450 cities

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Understanding How Low Oxygen Levels Promote Spread of Breast Cancer

Reference - physics.cancer.gov - Research - 2013

One of the characteristics of most breast tumors is that regions can become starved for oxygen. This condition, known as hypoxia, is associated with an increased risk that the tumor will spread beyond the breast and eventually lead to death. New research results from the Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center (PS-OC) has now identified key molecular events triggered by hypoxia and demonstrated how they might enable breast tumor cells to metastasize.

The Johns Hopkins PS-OC team, led by Gregg Semenza and Denis Wirtz, focused their studies on a molecule known as hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1), a protein known to activate the transcription of dozens of genes when oxygen levels in a tissue fall below the normal range, and its effects on collagens, the chief components of the extracellular matrix that holds tissues together. The results of these experiments showed that HIF-1 triggers the production of three specific proteins that together cause collagen fibers to align in organized tracks within breast tissues. Such tracks enable malignant cells to migrate through the tissue. Drs. Semenza and Wirtz and their collaborators published their findings in two papers appearing in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Cancer Research.

Reference - www.sciencedaily.com

Low oxygen levels could drive cancer growth, research suggests

May 3, 2012 — Source: University of Georgia - Low oxygen levels in cells may be a primary cause of uncontrollable tumor growth in some cancers, according to a new University of Georgia study. The authors' findings run counter to widely accepted beliefs that genetic mutations are responsible for cancer growth.

If hypoxia, or low oxygen levels in cells, is proven to be a key driver of certain types of cancer, treatment plans for curing the malignant growth could change in significant ways, said Ying Xu, Regents-Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and professor of bioinformatics and computational biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

The research team analyzed samples of messenger RNA data-also called transcriptomic data-from seven different cancer types in a publicly available database. They found that long-term lack of oxygen in cells may be a key driver of cancer growth. The study was published in the early online edition of the Journal of Molecular Cell Biology.

Previous studies have linked low oxygen levels in cells as a contributing factor in cancer development, but not as the driving force for cancer growth. High incidence rates of cancer around the world cannot be explained by chance genetic mutations alone, Xu said. He added that bioinformatics, which melds biology and computational science, has allowed researchers to see cancer in a new light…

"Cancer drugs try to get to the root -- at the molecular level -- of a particular mutation, but the cancer often bypasses it," Xu said. "So we think that possibly genetic mutations may not be the main driver of cancer."

…Xu relied on the gene HIF1A as a biomarker of the amount of molecular oxygen in a cell. All seven cancers showed increasing amounts of HIF1A, indicating decreasing oxygen levels in the cancer cells.

Low oxygen levels in a cell interrupt the activity of oxidative phosphorylation, a term for the highly efficient way that cells normally use to convert food to energy. As oxygen decreases, the cells switch to glycolysis to produce their energy units, called ATP. Glycolysis is a drastically less efficient way to obtain energy, and so the cancer cells must work even harder to obtain even more food, specifically glucose, to survive. When oxygen levels dip dangerously low, angiogenesis, or the process of creating new blood vessels, begins. The new blood vessels provide fresh oxygen, thus improving oxygen levels in the cell and tumor and slowing the cancer growth-but only temporarily.

"When a cancer cell gets more food, it grows; this makes the tumor biomass bigger and even more hypoxic. In turn, the energy-conversion efficiency goes further down, making the cells even more hungry and triggering the cells to get more food from blood circulation, creating a vicious cycle. This could be a key driver of cancer," Xu said…

Xu explained that this new cancer-growth model could help explain why many cancers become drug resistant so quickly-often within three to six months. He stressed the importance of testing the new model through future experimental cancer research. If the model holds, researchers will need to search for methods to prevent hypoxia in cells in the first place, which could result in a sea change in cancer treatment.

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Bio Oxidative [Oxygen] Therapy - Curse or Cure

Pros

Source - www.sciencedaily.com

Healing power of hydrogen peroxide: How injured cells regenerate during wound healing

Date: May 25, 2011 - Source: Public Library of Science - Hydrogen peroxide has long been known to be a toxic byproduct of cellular damage, but only recently has it been appreciated that low concentrations of it can activate certain molecular pathways that regulate cellular development. Whether hydrogen peroxide also plays a role in peripheral axon regeneration had not been explored.

What is Ozono Therapy?

Ozonotherapy is the use of medical grade ozone, a highly reactive form of pure oxygen, to create a curative response in the body. The body has the potential to renew and regenerate itself. When it becomes sick it is because this potential has been blocked. The reactive properties of ozone stimulate the body to remove many of these impediments thus allowing the body to do what it does best – heal itself.

Ozonotherapy has been and continues to be used in European clinics and hospitals for over fifty years. It was even used here in the United States in a limited capacity in the early part of the 20th century. There are professional medical ozonotherapy societies in over ten countries worldwide. Recently, the International Scientific Committee on Ozonotherapy (ISCO3) was formed to help establish standardized scientific principles for ozonotherapy. The president of the AAO, Frank Shallenberger, MD is a founding member of the ISCO3.

Ozonotherapy was introduced into the United States in the early 80’s, and has been increasingly used in recent decades. It has been found useful in various diseases:

It activates the immune system in infectious diseases.
It improves the cellular utilization of oxygen that reduces ischemia in cardiovascular diseases, and in many of the infirmities of aging.
It causes the release of growth factors that stimulate damaged joints and degenerative discs to regenerate.
It can dramatically reduce or even eliminate many cases of chronic pain through its action on pain receptors.
Published papers have demonstrated its healing effects on interstitial cystitis, chronic hepatitis, herpes infections, dental infections, diabetes, and macular degeneration...
There is no medicine as powerful as oxygen.

Cons

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov - 1993 Jan-Feb

Abstract: "Hyperoxygenation" therapy--also called "oxymedicine," "bio-oxidative therapy," "oxidative therapy," and "oxidology"--is a method of cancer management based on the erroneous concept that cancer is caused by oxygen deficiency and can be cured by exposing cancer cells to more oxygen than they can tolerate. The most highly touted "hyperoxygenating" agents are hydrogen peroxide, germanium sesquioxide, and ozone.

Although these compounds have been the subject of legitimate research, there is little or no evidence that they are effective for the treatment of any serious disease, and each has demonstrated potential for harm. Therefore, the American Cancer Society recommends that individuals with cancer not seek treatment from individuals promoting any form of hyperoxygenation therapy as an "alternative" to proven medical modalities.

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THE BIO OXIDATIVE THERAPY CONTROVERSY

Source - www.o3center.org

Q: Why is there so much prejudice against these therapies by the medical establishment?

A: A major reason for this lack of interest in bio-oxidative therapies is that ozone and hydrogen peroxide are non-patentable substances that are very inexpensive to manufacture and use. In Germany, Russia and Cuba, physicians have successfully treated many serious and chronic conditions (including cancer and heart disease) without expensive surgery. The net cost of the materials for a treatment of autohemotherapy or a medical infusion of hydrogen peroxide is under $10.

Even though physicians must include professional fees and the use of their offices and equipment, bio-oxidative therapies administered in a medical setting cost up to fifty percent less than traditional therapies, especially for patients suffering from chronic and degenerative diseases. Self-administered treatments by patients themselves, while not recommended, can cost far less. For these reasons, ozone and hydrogen peroxide pose a threat to the continued dominance of the medical establishment: the pharmaceutical industry, medical centers and physicians who are accustomed to providing expensive drugs, complex medical procedures and long hospital stays.

Q: But why don't agencies like the FDA and Health and Welfare Canada encourage clinical trials on these therapies?

A: Because government health agencies are often influenced by the pharmaceutical industry and medical lobbies, objective investigation and development of effective protocols for bio-oxidative therapies have been difficult to undertake. However, the Canadian government has shown a greater willingness to investigate these therapies than American government agencies like the FDA or NIH, as shown by the HIV studies cited earlier. However, like the American press, the Canadian media largely ignored the important findings that ozone can completely remove HIV, hepatitis and herpes viruses from the blood supply.

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History of Bio Oxidative Therapy

Source - www.biohealthcenter.com

Is Bio Oxidative Therapy New? The intravenous use of hydrogen peroxide was first reported in the scientific literature in 1920. The use of hydrogen peroxide to generate oxygen in the body has been studied at many major medical research centers throughout the world, including the USA, Germany, England, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Russia and others. Between 50 and 100 new scientific articles are published each month about the chemical and biological effects of hydrogen peroxide. Dr. Charles H. Farr, first president of the American Board of Chelation Therapy and founder of the International Bio-Oxidative Medicine Foundation (IBOM), received a nomination for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1993 for his research with intravenous hydrogen peroxide. IBOM Foundation currently publishes a protocol for the safe and proper administration of intravenous hydrogen peroxide.

How Does It Work? Scientists are discovering that Bio Oxidation is far more complex and important than had been previously recognized. There are many theories about the different functions of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide in the body. There is a great deal of scientific evidence to support almost every one of these theories. Using oxygen, hydrogen peroxide is produced in the body in different amounts for many purposes. It is part of a system that assists in the use of Oxygen for breathing. It is part of the system that helps to regulate all living cell membranes. It is a hormonal regulator, necessary for the body to produce such substances as estrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormones. It is important in the regulation of blood sugar and the production of energy in cells. It helps to regulate certain chemical compounds necessary for brain and nervous system function. It is used in the defense system to kill bacteria, viruses, yeast and parasites. Both oxygen and hydrogen peroxide have been found to be important in regulating the immune system.

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What Are Oxidative Therapies

Ozone, Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy (HBOT), Ultraviolet blood irradiation (UVBI) and hydrogen peroxide are all oxidative therapies and are a unique form of therapy that both heals and detoxifies at the same time.

Breathing is an oxidative process as is converting sugar to energy in the body. The body also uses oxidation as the first line of defense against bacteria, virus, yeast and parasites. We know there can be no life if oxidation does not occur.

What Is Ozone? It is a very powerful therapy that helps increase oxygenation, detoxification and immune stimulation. There are only a limited number of clinics in North America that offers this treatment. The oxygen you breathe is present in the air as a pair of oxygen atoms. This is the most stable form of oxygen, and it’s colorless. Ozone is a blue colored form of oxygen (it is what makes the sky blue), and unlike regular oxygen, it is composed of three oxygen atoms instead of two. It is the addition of the third oxygen atom that makes ozone “supercharged” oxygen, and gives it all of its remarkable medical properties.

The use of ozone to treat various medical conditions was first developed in Germany in the early 1950's.Today, medical ozone therapy is common throughout Europe, and its use has gradually been spreading in America over the last 25 years.

Medical Properties of Ozone: Ozone addresses the key issues in almost all disease conditions: oxygen delivery, circulation, and immune system function. It has proven beneficial effects such as:

Increasing oxygen delivery to cells, tissues, and organs
Increasing blood circulation
Detoxification
Boosting of the immune system

Treatment Methods of Oxidative Therapies

Ozone Autohemotherapy: Autohemotherapy is the most common, and in most cases the most effective way ozone is administered. The patient sits in a chair and has from 6-12 ounces of blood removed into a sterilized bottle. Ozone is then injected into the bottle, and the bottle is gently shaken, allowing the red and white blood cells to take up the ozone. The ozonated blood is then returned to the body. The entire procedure takes about 30-40 minutes.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) - Hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivers a massive influx of oxygen—even to areas with poor blood flow—and results in remarkable benefits that cannot be achieved with any other therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is medicine's most efficient method of transporting oxygen to cells throughout the body. Safe and painless, it involves breathing concentrated oxygen inside a specially designed, pressurized chamber. (Hyperbaric means “under pressure.”)

The result is dramatic benefits for stroke, traumatic head and spinal cord injuries, diabetic ulcers, slow-healing wounds, burns, autism, and a broad range of other conditions. The process delivers up to 20 times the normal oxygen concentration at the cellular level, which:

Promotes healing
Supports the growth of new tissue and blood vessels
Decreases swelling and inflammation
Stimulates collagen production
Increases the body’s ability to fight infections
Helps metabolize toxins

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) Therapy - In IV H2O2 therapy, Hydrogen peroxide is infused into the circulatory system through a vein in the arm…

It kills, or severely inhibits the growth of, anaerobic organisms (bacteria and viruses that use carbon dioxide for fuel and leave oxygen as a by-product). This action is immediate, on contact with the anaerobic organism. Anaerobic bacteria are pathogens, the organisms which cause disease. All viruses are anaerobic.
Aerobic bacteria (those that burn oxygen for fuel and leave carbon dioxide as a by-product — as humans do) found in the human intestine are friendly bacteria, which aid in digestion. These organisms thrive in the presence of hydrogen peroxide.
H2O2 provides singlet oxygen, which, in turn, transforms biological waste products and industrial toxins into inert substances by oxidizing them. This makes them easy to handle for the kidneys and liver. It doubles the rate of enzymatic metabolism in the mitochondria within each cell, thus enabling the body to cleanse itself of toxins and still have plenty of energy to handle the business of living from moment to moment. This increase in metabolism probably accounts for some of the antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects of hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide is a part of normal metabolism. Your body produces it constantly. There are units in certain white blood cells called "peroxisomes," which produce H2O2. These white cells then engulf bacteria which cause disease and mix them together with these peroxisomes. They both then disappear as the singlet oxygen from H2O2 destroys the bacteria or virus. This happens naturally, without any help from outside sources of hydrogen peroxide.

Source - www.consumerhealth.org

Hydrogen Peroxide Research: The intravenous injection of hydrogen peroxide was first described in scientific literature in 1920 by Oliver in the British medical journal, Lancet…There is no secret about the way hydrogen peroxide works. There are 6,000 or more scientific documents available about hydrogen peroxide that have been conducted at major universities throughout the world. These are all peer reviews. Some are good, some are bad. Most of them are intra-arterial, meaning hydrogen peroxide is injected into an artery. Most of the studies were interested in the oxidizing ability of hydrogen peroxide to open up a blood vessel that is clogged up and dissolve the cholesterol.

Free Radicals, The Immune System and Healing: In the 6,000 research articles on hydrogen peroxide, 4,000 of these concern free radical chemistry. Every cell in the body with the exception of one, produces hydrogen peroxide. So the idea that hydrogen peroxide is extremely dangerous because it produces free radicals is both true and false. This depends on both concentrations and conditions. When we give hydrogen peroxide in the vein, we administer it in very very small amounts, and our intention is to destroy weak cells. The body's efforts will be duplicated, and the immune system will also be stimulated. For normal metabolism in the body, it is necessary for every cell to produce hydrogen peroxide, your white cells in particular. It's the body's natural way to heal.

The body produces hydrogen peroxide specifically to kill weak cells. When you have infections such as viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal, your white cells engulf the invaders and squirt them with hydrogen peroxide. That is the way it kills them. Without hydrogen peroxide, your body would be defenseless. This is a normal, natural process. Hydrogen peroxide stimulates T-helper cells. Oxidated T-helper cells cause you to produce gamma interferon. That is not bad stuff. It helps support the cell and make it work harder, increases its activity five times. Hydrogen peroxide produced by the cells kills bacteria. Viruses, yeast and parasites can be inhibited or destroyed if they do not produce catalase. Some species of bacteria produce catalase which blocks the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide. That is why some infections clear right up and some of them don't.

Free radicals are important in destroying cells. When you expose blood cells, hydrogen peroxide kills a lot of them. Does this sound like a good thing? Do you think your old sick cells get well? No. When a cell becomes ill, nature destroys it, absolutely. If you want to get well, you have to get rid of sick cells, and in doing that you stimulate the growth of healthy cells. So health really is a process of death and replacement.

Cons of Hydrogen Peroxide

Source - www.drweil.com

The idea that oxygen might destroy cancer cells goes back at least to the 1930s when Otto Warburg, M.D., a Nobel Prize winner, discovered that compared to normal cells, cancer cells have a low rate of respiration (i.e. oxygen-based metabolism) and seem to thrive in low-oxygen environments. He proposed that higher levels of oxygen should be toxic to cancer cells and might kill them. Unfortunately, Dr. Warburg was wrong. Oxygen doesn't slow cancer growth - in fact, tumors grow rapidly in tissues well supplied with oxygenated blood. According to the American Cancer Society, attempts to treat cancer patients by injecting hydrogen peroxide directly into solid tumors or into the blood system have generally been ineffective.

Diluted hydrogen peroxide has legitimate medical uses - to cleanse wounds, for example. But taking it by mouth, as some proponents suggest, or injecting it into veins can be dangerous. Food grade hydrogen peroxide is more than 10 times stronger than the solution approved for use on the skin. The higher strength solution is approved by the FDA to clean food surfaces and for use in certain phases of commercial food production. However, the FDA also requires that any peroxide added to food must be broken down into oxygen and water before the product reaches consumers. Drinking food grade hydrogen peroxide can cause vomiting, severe burns of the throat and stomach, and even death. What’s more, it can burn your skin, and if it gets into your eyes, can damage the corneas, causing loss of vision.

Diluted hydrogen peroxide administered intravenously as some promoters recommend, is particularly dangerous. It can cause gas embolism, a condition that can lead to permanent lung damage, embolic stroke, and, sometimes, death. Andrew Weil, M.D.

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Alkaline Water Therapy

Retrieved from - www.mercola.com

The trouble is, most public water supplies are loaded with hazardous contaminants, such as disinfection byproducts (DBPs), fluoride, and pharmaceutical drugs, to name just a few.

Nevertheless, you DO need to make water your beverage of choice if you want to be healthy - but it should be purified water. But beyond water filtration, there’s also the issue of pH - alkaline versus acidic water. There are quite a few astonishing health claims being made about alkaline water, but are they true?

Most of them are not.

The theory behind alkaline water is, in a nutshell, that alkaline (ionized) water is a powerful antioxidant with surplus electrons that can “mop up” the dangerous free radicals you have coursing through your veins. Marketers claim alkaline water can correct excess acidity in your tissues, which can then prevent or reverse cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases.^[i]

In truth, there are very, very few legitimate scientific studies about the effects of alkaline water on human health.

The reality is, most of the circulating information is distributed by clever marketers, with very little scientific validity to back up their claims.

Source - www.mayoclinic.com

Because alkaline water has a higher pH level than does plain tap water, proponents say that it can neutralize acid in your bloodstream, boost your metabolism and help your body absorb nutrients more effectively. Some even say that alkaline water can help prevent disease and slow the aging process. However, researchers haven't verified these claims.

Some studies suggests that alkaline water may help slow bone loss, but further investigation is needed to determine if this influences overall bone mineral density and if the benefit is maintained over the long term.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Unlike conventional drinking water, pH 8.8 alkaline water instantly denatures pepsin, rendering it permanently inactive. In addition, it has good acid-buffering capacity. Thus, the consumption of alkaline water may have therapeutic benefits for patients with reflux disease.

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The Future of Medicine - Regenerative Medicine

www.regenerativemedicinefoundation.org

The mission of the Regenerative Medicine Foundation is to accelerate the discovery and development of new therapies for disease and translate those therapies into treatments for patients through the science of regenerative medicine.

Scientists in Regenerative Medicine study the molecular, cellular, and developmental processes that control the development of new, healthy tissue. In order to provide an overview of what Regenerative Medicine entails it is helpful to discuss the objectives of the field:

To understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of regeneration where it occurs naturally and how these mechanisms differ from the mechanisms of scarring.
To use the knowledge gained from this mechanistic understanding to develop therapies that will stimulate functional regeneration of damaged human tissues that do not possess the capacity to regenerate on their own.

In understanding these mechanisms, scientists will gain the ability to manipulate the growth of cells and tissues toward a state of regeneration rather than fibrosis.

The field of Regenerative Medicine seeks to treat and cure diseases by discovering the underlying mechanisms that are utilized by nature to restore the structure and function of damaged or diseased tissues and organs.

By bringing together multiple disciplines, including biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and computer science, to name a few, Regenerative Medicine is evolving to help revolutionize the world of science and medicine.

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What is Regenerative Medicine?

Reference - www.unmc.edu - The field of Regenerative Medicine seeks to treat and cure diseases by discovering the underlying mechanisms that are utilized by nature to restore the structure and function of damaged or diseased tissues and organs.

www.stemcellresources.org - pdf - Regenerative medicine is a new scientific and medical discipline focused on harnessing the power of stem cells and the body's own regenerative capabilities to restore function to damaged cells, tissues and organs.

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History of Regenerative Medicine

...Regenerative medicine has grown from prior activities including surgery, surgical implants (artificial hips), and increasingly sophisticated bio-material scaffolds (skin grafts). The work that truly launched regenerative medicine into a tangible area of science began as cell therapy. Work in the field of transplantation in the mid-1950s gave rise to some of the first therapeutic surgeries in medicine. Performed on identical twins, the first kidney transplant occurred in 1954 followed by the first liver and lung transplants in 1963, pancreas transplant in 1966, and the first heart transplant in 1967. Bone marrow transplants for treatment of leukemia patients had the public and scientific communities in an uproar of excitement. Following this wave of enthusiasm, cell biologists began to question the capabilities of the integrity of the tissues being transplanted and wondered whether it was possible to create, grow, and harvest these tissues in the laboratory. Thus began the era of Tissue Engineering which has lead us into the field of Regenerative Medicine.

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Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine

Typically, when the term ‘Regenerative Medicine’ arises people automatically think about stem cells, particularly, embryonic stem cells. Being that embryonic stem cell research is currently a highly debated topic in both the scientific and political field, the assumption that Regenerative Medicine Research only involves embryonic stem cell research can be narrowing to the field and does not allow one to understand its full potential. While all stem cell work is vital to the advancement of Regenerative Medicine research and therapies, we cannot interchange the two terms as equals. As we learn more about Regenerative Medicine, we must broaden our minds, so as not to limit the vast possibilities that Regenerative Medicine researchers seek to find in the inherent mysteries of our biological systems.

How are stem cells and Regenerative Medicine linked?

As discussed in other portions of this site, Regenerative Medicine is a comprehensive term used to describe the current methods and research employed to revive and/or replace dead or damaged tissue. A portion of Regenerative Medicine research revolves around the use of stem cells, including embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), however there are many other resources that are utilized in order to carry out the mission of Regenerative Medicine research. These include transplants, biomaterials, scaffolds, machines and electronics, stimulation pathways, drug therapy, and many others. This is thoroughly discussed on the ‘What is Regenerative Medicine?’ page.

Stem cells have a very important role in Regenerative Medicine Research and have many potential applications. First, because of their role in development and their potential to develop into many different cells types, stem cells are vital to the field of developmental biology. Developmental biologists seek to uncover what genes and pathways are involved in cell differentiation (how cells develop into specific cell types such as liver, skin, or muscle cells) and how these can be manipulated to create new healthy tissues. Second, stem cells can be applied to drug testing and development. New drugs that are developed in Pharma could be safely and effectively tested using differentiated stem cells. As scientists learn more about how stem cells develop to form new tissue they will be able to apply their knowledge in maintaining differentiated cell types that can be used to test particular drugs. This method is already underway in the cancer therapy world, where cancer cells and grown in the laboratory for the purpose of testing anti-tumor and chemotherapeutic drugs.

Finally, and of most interest to patients and scientists is the role stem cells will play in Cell-Based Therapy. These therapies will apply the understanding of stem cell development, differentiation, and maintenance to generate new, healthy tissue for diseases needing transplant or replacement of damaged tissue, such as arthritis, Parkinson's disease, type 1 diabetes, and coronary disease. Cell therapies may one day be able to replace organ donation and eliminate the issues that accompany it such as rejection and tissue insufficiency. Although there are still many difficulties surrounding the field of stem cell research and therapy, over the coming decades scientists hope to continue to make discoveries that will enable the potentials of cell-based therapy to become a reality.

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Stem Cell Research Questions and Ethnics

what-about-stem-cell-research

Creationists additionally recognize human life as "the image of God," to be valued and protected. To destroy purposefully the image of God reveals an underlying attitude toward God Himself. Humans, healthy or unhealthy, young or old, born or unborn, deserve this protection.

Thus the question, "Should the stem cells of an unborn human be harvested to save the life of an ill human?" is fraught with difficult decisions. Should one life be valued over another?

While Christian/creationists can hardly support murder, we do support medical research and treatment of the infirm. Surely there must be a better, less destructive way. An analogy might help put the issue in perspective. Hopefully, all reasonable people would oppose "harvesting" the healthy heart of a living but unwilling individual to save the life of one in need of a heart transplant. Is this any different from harvesting an unborn's cells to save another? I think not.

There's a better alternative. In adult humans there remains the possibility of triggering certain cells to return to their stem cell capabilities. Likewise, umbilical cords retain much of this versatility. Who knows what other options are present? Let's look for them rather than focusing on killing the unborn.

Much of this destructive impulse derives from possible huge profits as well as personal pride. But I think the issue goes deeper for many. Evolution has often been exposed on these pages as the anti-God religion. It has justified untold brutality and death throughout the millennia, including racism, the holocaust, abortion, etc. Could we not conclude that hatred for the "image of God in man" is a major doctrine of this religion, and destruction of that "image" its sacrament? Nothing else explains the fervor with which it is demanded and the unwillingness to consider options.

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Understanding the Stem Cell Debate

In the ongoing debate about stem cell research, few people differentiate between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Also, few know that there are over 70 successful treatments from adult stem cells and none from embryonic.¹

What has many up in arms is that the production of embryonic stem cells endangers the life of a very small, but distinctly human, person. Once a human egg has been fertilized, a new cell results, called a zygote. This single cell contains all the instructions required to mature and develop a full-term baby and is therefore rightly considered an immature person. The zygote continually divides and undergoes "differentiation" where, in the context of the womb, scores of different tissues manifest in their proper positions (assuming a healthy embryological development occurs).

Those who support the use of embryonic stem cells claim that these cells have the best potential for health and medical research. The National Institute of Health website states: Pluripotent² stem cells offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat a myriad of diseases, conditions, and disabilities including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.³

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, but their controlled development has thus far been impossible to manipulate. However, investigators have successfully converted adult stem cells back to pluripotent cells.⁴

This would seem to negate the need for embryonic stem cells. Nonetheless, some scientists are still set on using embryonic stem cells and they are looking to obtain them from other sources. At the beginning of 2008, the U.K. licensed the University of Warwick to begin developing human-pig hybrids, from which they hope to derive embryonic stem cells.

This leads to many ethical questions, but the central issue is the sanctity of human life. With the availability of adult stem cells, there is no medical need for embryonic stem cells--except for those who are attempting to create human or human-animal clones.

Between the development of human-animal hybrids, campaigns for ape rights, and continued lobbying for embryonic stem cell research, it seems as though there is an effort to blur the definition of what is human. Though opinions vary widely regarding what will offer the greatest benefit to humanity, it is only when we respect God and His unique creations that we will be able to steer a judicious course through these murky issues.

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Doing Evil to Do Good

The recurring argument from those who support the harvesting of embryonic tissue is the “good” that would result from stem cell investigation. Personalities with spinal cord injuries, such as the late Christopher Reeve, have been effectively used by the stem cell lobby. Certainly, specialized stem-cell treatments could possibly be used to treat Lou Gehrig’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Criticism has been sharp both in the United States and abroad as stem cell research advocates emphasize the medical breakthroughs that studies might accomplish.

Yet, many—including not a few scientists and President Bush—have opposed expanded embryonic research because of the issue of where these embryonic cells come from. When the House of Representatives recently voted to lift the ban on stem cell funding, President Bush threatened to veto, citing the “ongoing destruction of emerging human life” (AP 2005).

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Stem Cell Alternatives

In May of 2005, a South Korean research team made medical history by taking a piece of skin from a patient and growing stem cells (adult stem cells) containing the patient’s DNA. This is good news because it obviously does not involve stem cells from an embryo, yet may prove medically beneficial.

There has also been another development in the news that might make the stem cell issue moot. It’s possible that other ordinary cells of the body (like skin cells) could be converted into embryonic stem cells. Washington Post writer Rick Weiss, quotes James F. Battey, chief of the stem cell task force at the National Institutes of Health as saying, "That would really get around all the moral and ethical concerns" (2005). As the field of molecular biology continues to make strides, particularly in the area of DNA, this discovery indeed looks promising. Researchers hypothetically could activate certain genes in specific cells that would literally make them embryonic again – without embryo destruction. Additionally, there is a move to set up a national databank for umbilical cord blood. This source of stem cells, called multipotent cells, does not involve the eradication of the embryo. A national databank could possibly be used for various stem cell treatments and research.

How should the Christian respond to the harvesting of embryonic tissue? Scripture teaches that human life is special (Psalm 139:13-14) and that people have been created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Listing the benefits of stem cell research does not null the destruction cell harvesting causes.

In conclusion, for all the good scientific investigation this field has produced, there are alternatives to embryonic stem cell research, and these options, including adult stem cells, look promising.

Source - www.euronews.com - 2013/04/17 The-Future-of-Medicine

Regenerating the Future of Medicine - Regenerative medicine is poised to dramatically alter conventional methods of treatment, shifting the focus away from symptoms and targeting the specific causes of different defects.

Within this field, adult stem cell research has already established itself as a concrete option for curing several diseases and researchers are excited by the possibilities opening up before them.

Professor Silviu Itsecu, founder and CEO of Mesoblast, a regenerative medicine company, expanded on the potential opportunities: “We’re developing products now based on the stem cells that could allow them to be delivered very simply by an intravenous injection, taking advantage of the properties that they will home (take back) to this specific damaged tissue that we’re trying to target.”

He gave a couple of examples: “An inflamed joint in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, these cells will find themselves going to the inflamed joint and selectively treating that joint. Otherwise, we’re looking at lung disease. So in certain inflammatory lung diseases the cells from simple intravenous injection will find their way straight to the inflamed lung and be able to do their thing (their job) locally, without actually getting to other healthy tissues where we don’t want them to go.”

And yet, whilst the prospect of cell replacement is increasingly acknowledged, its current limitations are also worth noting. Sir John Gurdon, the 2012 Nobel prize winner for Physiology or Medicine, has been one of those eager to stress this point;

“Where people need one kind of cell type, I think that’s a very good promise. It’s quite another thing to say ‘We will replace a whole heart or a whole brain’, that’s complicated, but to replace individual cell types seems very good prospects,” he told euronews.

One party keen on progress, is the Catholic Church, which controversially championed the new technology as an ethical alternative to embryo stem cells research.

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Urine Therapy (Urotherapy)

A bit of an oddball, auto-urine therapy (AUT) is gaining popularity to combat a host of illnesses and to maintain good health. It is considered effective in treating a wide array of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, colitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, hepatitis, pancreatic insufficiency, psoriasis, eczema, diabetes and herpes.

According to Xinhua news agency more than three million Chinese drink their own urine believing that it is good for their health. AUT is an ancient practice as it finds mention in many old texts of India such as Shivambhu Kalpa Vidhi and Damar Tantra. Shivambhu literally means water of Lord Shiva, a Hindu God. Urine therapists often speak of drinking Shivambhu, which means drinking the water of auspiciousness.

What is urine therapy? Urine therapy entails using your own urine externally or internally as a way to promote or maintain good health. Sometimes when all else fails, AUT will turn a patient around. The first question that probably comes to mind is whether urine is a toxic substance and how a waste product already excreted from the body can be of any benefit for your health. Urine is NOT a toxic waste product, claim AUT practitioners. They cite that 95 per cent of urine is water, 2.5 per cent consists of urea and the remaining 2.5 per cent is a mixture of minerals, salt, hormones and enzymes.

Is It Toxic? The first question that probably comes to mind is whether urine is a toxic substance and how a waste product already excreted from the body can be of any benefit for your health. Urine is NOT a toxic waste product, claim AUT practitioners. They cite that 95 per cent of urine is water, 2.5 per cent consists of urea and the remaining 2.5 per cent is a mixture of minerals, salt, hormones and enzymes.

Toxic substances are being removed from the body through the liver, intestines, skin and through exhalation. The main function of the kidneys is to keep the composition of the blood in optimal balance. Hence the primary component of urine is not toxic at all. Only urea can be poisonous when present in very large amounts in the blood. However, this is irrelevant in the practice of drinking urine, as urine is not immediately put back in the blood stream. When urea gets back into the body in small amounts, it is purifying, clears up excess mucus and has a number of other useful effects.

Moreover, it has a wonderful healing and toning effect when applied to the skin. Urine is sterile after secretion and has an antiseptic effect.

Is it scientific? Dr. B.V. Khare, an allopathic doctor and Mumbai-based follower of AUT, says: "The Italian surgeon Stanislau R. Burzynski, now settled in America, separated anti-neoplastin from human urine and showed remarkable results in the treatment of cancer. Another substance found in large quantities in the urine is called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). It is a hormone related to testosterone. This, as research showed, has anti-cancer, anti-obesity and anti-aging properties. It has also been found that urea when recycled by ingesting, is converted into essential amino acids."

Medical researchers have discovered that many of the elements of the blood that are found in urine have enormous medicinal value, and when reintroduced into the body, boost the body's immune system and stimulate healing in a unique way.

The therapy can be applied in many ways. The most common is to consume your morning urine (not the first few drops) completely and without dilution. Gargling, massage and sniffing have also been found to be useful.

Basic rules

Midstream urine should be used, the exception being in a fast where urine is being passed every ten to fifteen minutes. The first flow should always be midstream.
Urine should be sipped like tea and not drunk like water. This will prevent excessive problems in the form of loose stools and other eliminative processes.
The first flow of the day is the most important and the best time of the day to drink it is between three and four a.m., especially if one is doing yoga sadhana.
Drink at least one liter of water per day.
Pungent and salty food as well as excessive protein should be avoided.
Urine passed during the night before three a.m. should not be used.
The quantity used is left up to the individual.

Advise and precautions

During any form of internal use of urine, the following should be observed:

Amaroli should not be started if medical or any other form of treatment is being used. Two days should intervene between the stopping of medication and the commencement of amaroli.
People with liver, kidney or heart disease, in whom protein intake and water balance is a problem (for example if there is swelling of the tissues of the legs, abdomen, hands, etc., with water), should consult an experienced therapist or doctor before starting amaroli.
Pus filled urine should not be used in amaroli. Only those people with great faith and experience would attempt to treat infections of the kidney, bladder or urethra with amaroli.
Diet for the most intense forms of the internal technique (that is three or more glasses per day), should be low in protein and salt. Refined, processed and synthetic foods should be avoided, for example, white sugar, refined flour, tinned food, and so on. Spicy food may make the urine pungent and difficult to drink. Some proponents recommend that milk consumption be stopped too.
Intake of alcohol and tobacco should be reduced to the barest minimum, or preferably avoided totally if possible.

A healing crisis is said to be a sign that the body is purifying itself very rapidly. These crises may take the form of loose stools, skin eruptions such as pimples and boils, vomiting, fever of unexplained origin, cough, general weakness and debility. The advocates say that there is no need to panic and take drugs for any of the above mentioned processes. They usually occur because the body systems are now strong enough for the elimination processes to handle the deeply ingrained toxins and poisons.

These other methods (e.g. healing crises) are then employed by the body to dispose of the excess, and as a result, strange and perhaps as yet un-experienced manifestation may occur. If this happens the best way to handle the situation is to reduce the intake of urine or to stop completely and rest the body. Complete rest and fasting may also help, or a fruit diet can be instigated, depending on the manifestations that occur. Please do not run to your doctor and start taking medications to suppress the healing crises. Let them unfold naturally and according to their own sequences.

The following are the most common manifestations of the healing crises and their recommended treatment:

Loose stools: fasting and complete rest for one day is probably the best measure. Plenty of boiled or distilled water and lemon juice is suggested. The toxins of the body that have been loosened by amaroli then have a chance to be eliminated. The second day one should eat some boiled rice and curd, or some boiled rice with mung beans. By the third day all manifestations should have subsided and amaroli can again commence.
Skin eruptions such as pimples and boils can be treated in the following ways. In the early stages rub the lesion with urine and leave the urine on for one or two hours before washing if off (in cold water without soap) to stop the process. If they continue to cause trouble or if boils develop, urine packs can be applied. Fomentation with warm water, cotton wool and Dettol or salt should be applied at night before sleep. Boils should never be lanced, squeezed, pressed or touched by the hand. These manifestation usually disappear after three to seven days. A light diet of fruit only will help the process. Please remember that boils and pimples are the bodies natural way or expelling overloads of toxins. They usually excrete from the skin if the other filtering and eliminative channels (lungs, colon, liver) are not functioning optimally. Once the toxins have been excreted the boils should disappear for good.
Vomiting may occur when the urine is especially bad tasting and smelling as in fevers, jaundice and other illnesses. The urine of such dis-"eases" may seem totally unpalatable, yet if the patient has steeled his mind to drink it, then copious supplies of water will help to dilute the urine and make it easier to drink. If you can hold down the first flow, then the second should be more dilute and better tasting, and so on, until clear pleasant tasting urine finally comes.

Vomiting is good in that it cleans the stomach just as kunjal kriya does, therefore, it should not cause any undue worry. After vomiting, the nausea is usually relieved and you feel better. If vomiting persists and dry retching occurs, you should seek professional help. After vomiting urine, you should rest and take some light fluids such as lemon water or some other fluid replacement. When fully rested, try amaroli again.
Mild fever of unexplained origin can occur as a reaction of the body, designed to burn up the toxins. It is one of the most thorough of the eliminative series and requires nothing more than complete rest and constant fluid intake. After the fever, fruit and a light diet should precede the commencement of amaroli. NOTE: regular checking of the body temperature should ensure that it does not go too high. In such a case the head should be cooled down with cold water application and the feet massaged with ghee. If the temperature still stays up after one hour, aspirin may be taken only as a last resort.
Cough and cold may appear and indicate elimination of mucus from the lungs and respiratory passages, again reduce or stop the intake of urine and start the practice of kunjal and neti kriyas once or twice a day. Neti using half water and half urine is good to relieve all discomfort and to help wash out mucus form the nasal passages and sinuses. The diet should exclude milk and milk product and all mucus producing foods such as fats and excessive starch until the cold is finished.
General debility may be felt as a result of the excess toxins, and in such a case plenty of sleep, rest and good food will help.
Fasting may be too difficult for some people, especially if they have been suffering from a chronic illness for considerable time, for example, low blood pressure, heart disease, and so on. These people should proceed very slowly and gradually. They may prefer to start with one meal a day fasts or fruit fasts before trying the more complete water and urine only fasts. This rule should be applied to all people, for the slow approach usually ends up with better and faster results than one in which we jump into the most advanced practices and, finding that we can not swim, have to stop in order to resolve the problems we have inflicted upon ourselves.
In some diseases the urine becomes dense, pungent and seemingly unpalatable. It is advised that you attempt to utilize this urine even though it may be difficult to do so. Dense and scanty urine may contain mineral salts and other body components of value. Wash it down with plenty of water.
Pregnant woman can use amaroli with the following restrictions. The first flow of the day (on arising form sleep) should be completely discarded. Then water, tea, milk, or any beverage can be consumed and the second or third flow can be used. However, the urine should have a light color and should not be too pungent or concentrated.
Each person is different, so the results of your friend's experimentation may not apply to you. Age, constitution, physique, diet and disease all lead one on a different path to the same goal, that of good health.

Over the years, urine therapy has proved to be an effective tool for healing. Most urine therapists, some of whom have been practicing urine therapy for decades, have never sought an explanation for why it works: their own experiences were sufficient proof. You too can join the growing legions of urine drinkers. Follow the above logical rules and you will see a marked improvement in your health.

Coen van der Kroon covers almost all questions concerning urine therapy and its history in his book The Golden Fountain; The Complete Guide to Urine Therapy.

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Urotherapy Clinical Research Effectiveness

Source - www.naturalstandard.com

Urine therapy refers to use of one's urine to maintain health, to prevent or cure sickness, to enhance beauty, or to promote meditation and spiritual enlightenment. Urine may be ingested, injected, or applied topically.

Urine therapy can be traced back as far as 5,000 years to early civilizations such as Aztecs, ancient Egyptians, ancient Chinese, and Native Americans. It is believed that the origin of this practice comes from certain religious rites among Hindus, where it is called amaroli in tantric religious traditions. Medically, urine is referred to as "plasma ultrafiltrate." Advocates of urotherapy claim that this treatment is effective for dry skin, cancer, and numerous other diseases and disorders.

Research has revealed components of urine such as urea, hormones, and enzymes. Many of these components have been commercially isolated and marketed. For example, urokinase (an enzyme that promotes the break-up of blood clots) is used in drug form and sold as a thrombolytic for unblocking coronary arteries. Furthermore, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone are the active components in Pergonal, a drug used to stimulate fertility in women. Urea is used in several creams to promote healthy skin.

Current researchers are investigating urotherapy in the treatment of AIDS and cancer. To view the full monograph [clinical research findings and detailed studies] SUBSCRIPTION fee required

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Urotherapy for Patients with Cancer

Source - www.sciencedirect.com

Abstract: Cancer cells release various antigens, some of which appear in the urine. Oral autourotherapy is suggested as a new treatment modality for cancer patients. It will provide the intestinal lymphatic system with the many tumor antigens against which antibodies may be produced. These antibodies may be pierced through the blood stream and attack the tumor and its cells.

What does it involve? Urotherapy is an alternative method that involves the use of a patient's own urine to treat cancer. Patients undergoing urotherapy may drink their own urine (from a few drops to full glasses), use it as an enema, or have it injected directly into the bloodstream or into tumors. In powdered form, urea, the primary component of urine, has been applied directly to tumors appearing on the skin. Urea may also be packed into capsules or dissolved in a flavored drink. There are no established guidelines for how much urine or urea should be used.

What is the history behind it? The thought of drinking urine may offend the sensibilities of most Westerners, but the fact is that human urine has been considered a healing agent in many Asian cultures for centuries. Even now, some physicians recognize urine's antiseptic properties, and in some cultures it is poured directly on wounds to prevent infection. Others mix it with several ingredients to make a tonic that is drunk to promote health.

What is the evidence? There are some individual (anecdotal) reports of urotherapy’s ability to stop cancer growth. However, available scientific evidence does not support claims that urine or urea given in any form is helpful for cancer patients. Two small studies done during the 1980s found urea did not cause tumors to shrink in patients with cancer in the liver.

Are there any possible problems or complications? Individuals have reported that drinking or injecting urine or applying it directly to the skin is safe and not linked to any harmful side effects, but the safety of these practices has not been established by scientific studies. There have been reports of nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, and diarrhea after drinking one’s own urine, especially during the first few days.

Practitioners believe that urine has some anti-cancer capabilities as human body may transfer some of the cancer cell antigens to the urine. The antigens can be re-introduced to our immune system to boost the antibodies production. In general, urine drinking is not an idiosyncratic or quirk behavior reserved only for the rich and demented. Some popular individuals use urine for health purposes, for example Sarah Miles, a famous British actress, has been drinking her own urine for about 30 years and she claims that it can immunize her against allergies and other diseases. Madonna explained in the David Letterman’s show that she treated athlete’s feet by urinating on her own feet. Some baseball players urinate on their hands to treat calluses and allow them to play without using batting gloves.

It’s natural to think that urine is both toxic and loaded with waste products. However, urine is not toxic. It is not a result of waste filtration; in fact, urine is simply the by-product of blood filtration. Urine is consisted of 95% water, 2.5% urea and the rest is a combination of salt, various mineral, enzymes and hormones. Many essential nutrients and chemicals end up in the urine and they reflect how a person’s body functions work. These nutrients and chemicals can be re-utilized as natural antiviral, antibacterial and even anti carcinogenic agents. Urine can also act as allergy reliever and hormone balancers.

It may take time to overcome the initial gag response, but you may eventually realize that if you’re searching for an easy cure, this could be an area you should investigate. Colitis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, hepatitis, cancer, pancreatic disorder, hyperactivity, eczema, psoriasis, mononucleosis, herpes, allergies, adrenal failures and many other health problems can be effectively treated using this therapy. Even so, for beginners, the therapy should be performed under the strict supervision of an experienced urotherapist. These are some precautions for those who plan to undergo urotherapy:

People taking therapeutic drugs and heavy smokers shouldn’t use their urine. Due to the presence of harmful microorganisms, people with venereal disease or bladder infections shouldn’t drink their own urine.
Before taken orally, urine shouldn’t be boiled or heated.
Only use morning urine, however the initial fluid should be discarded as it may contain some bacteria.
Side effects of urotherapy are rashes, itches, diarrhea, headache, soreness, fatigue, pain and sometimes fever. Side effects may be more severe when the person has certain diseases. To limit side effects, only small amount urine should be used initially.

Spices can make urine difficult to drink due to the resulting pungent odor and taste. Some practitioners also advise patients to stop consuming milk, while tobacco and alcohol must be reduced significantly or stopped, if possible. A healing crisis period may occur a few days after the treatment and it’s the sign that our body begins to purify itself. Common forms of crises are boils, pimples, loose stools weakness, fever and cough. When experiencing the symptoms, it is highly inadvisable to take medications to treat those symptoms. You shouldn’t interrupt the ongoing toxin elimination process.

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Urine Therapy Online Downloadable Book

Reference - www.scribd.com - The-Water-of-Life

Download – the entire book by Dr. John Armstrong (author of The Water of Life)

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Colon Cleansing

Colon hydrotherapy (colonic irrigation) is a body-based hydrotherapy treatment. During a colon hydrotherapy session, water is gently introduced into the large intestine through the anus in a controlled manner by a qualified therapist or self-administered under the guidance of a qualified therapist.

The purpose of colon hydrotherapy is to achieve the optimal bowel function through the restoration of fluid, matter and gas balance, removal of excess wastes and exercise to the large intestine for the benefit of assisting absorption, assimilation and elimination which is instrumental in maintaining health and wellbeing of the body and mind.

(Self-administered unsupervised or unguided introduction of water into the large intestine of any nature cannot be described as colon hydrotherapy and falls into broad category of enemas).

Colon cleansing with colon irrigation (high colonics). The first modern colonic machine was invented about 100 years ago. Today, colonic hygienists or colon hydrotherapists perform colon irrigations. Colon irrigations work somewhat like an enema. But they involve much more water and none of the odors or discomfort. While you lie on a table, a low-pressure pump or a gravity-based reservoir flushes several gallons of water through a small tube inserted into your rectum.

After the water is in the colon, the therapist may massage your abdomen. Then you release the water like a regular bowel movement; the process flushes out the fluids and waste. The therapist may repeat the process, and a session may last up to an hour.

The practitioner may use a variety of water pressures and temperatures and may or may not combine water with enzymes, herbs, coffee, or probiotics. Probiotics are supplements containing beneficial bacteria.

What is the theory behind natural colon cleansing? One of the main theories behind colon cleansing is an ancient belief called the theory of autointoxication. This is the belief that undigested meat and other foods cause mucus buildup in the colon. This buildup produces toxins, the theory goes, which enter the blood's circulation, poisoning the body.

Some people claim these toxins cause a wide range of symptoms, such as:

Fatigue
Headache
Weight gain
Low energy

On the surface, the idea of toxins being reabsorbed by the body makes some sense. After all, rectal suppositories are used to rapidly administer drugs. Could toxins, too, be quickly entering the bloodstream from the colon?

If colon cleansing has any effect, however, it likely has less to do with toxins than with its impact on the nervous system. What's the evidence? Reflexes in the bowel affect the entire nervous system. In fact, a wide range of symptoms caused by constipation can be relieved by enemas. If this is true of enemas, then perhaps colon cleansing has a similar effect.

Is natural colon cleansing needed?

Are bowel movements enough to clear the colon? Or is it true that colon cleansing can be beneficial. This is still unclear. We do know that the body alone can do the following:

Natural bacteria in the colon can detoxify food wastes.
The liver also neutralizes toxins.
Mucus membranes in the colon can keep unwanted substances from reentering the blood and tissues.
The colon sheds old cells about every 3 days, preventing a buildup of harmful material.
The normal number of bowel movements varies from person to person.
Increasing the number of bowel movements doesn't improve weight loss. That's because the body absorbs most calories before they reach the large intestine.

Are there risks associated with natural colon cleansing?

Remember that "natural" doesn't necessarily mean safe. The government doesn't regulate natural colon cleansing products, so their potency, safety, and purity can't be guaranteed. And, each state has its own rules about whether or not practitioners must be professionally licensed.

If you do decide to see a colon-cleansing therapist, choose one who is licensed by a recognized national organization and who follows that organization's standards. It's always a good idea to talk with your primary health provider before starting a new practice such as colon cleansing.

Although the risk becomes greater the more often you have a colon cleanse, a review of similar procedures, such as enemas and sigmoidoscopies, shows the risk of severe effects is low when colon irrigations are performed by trained personnel using low pressures with the right equipment. In Britain, where practitioners carry out 5,600 colon irrigations each month, no serious side effects have been reported.

However, there are some potential side effects:

Vomiting, nausea, cramps
Dizziness, a sign of dehydration
Mineral imbalance
Potential interference with medication absorption on day of procedure
Bowel perforation
Infection
Depletion of helpful normal bowel flora unless replaced (i.e. probiotics)

Are there risks associated with natural colon cleansing? Be aware, if the therapist adds a substance to the water during colon irrigation, you run the risk of an allergic reaction. Do not use laxatives or colon irrigations long term. They can irritate or upset the balance of your colon's good bacteria and interfere with normal bowel function.

Avoid colon irrigations, if you have:

Diverticulitis

Ulcerative colitis

Crohn's disease

Severe hemorrhoids

Tumors in your rectum or colon

Recent bowel surgery
Heart disease or kidney disease, unless approved by your health care provider

Regarding children, there may be an increase risk of mineral imbalances, therefore use caution with children. Follow the guidelines of the IACHC (International Association of Colon Hydrotherapists www.i-act.org) and your health care provider.

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The History of Colonics

Colonic irrigation is not a new therapy. Enemas and rituals involving the washing of the colon with water have been used since pagan times. The first record mentioning colon cleansing is an Egyptian medical papyrus dated as early as 1500 B.C. The Egyptians employed purgatives, enemas, diuretics, heat, steam and blood-letting to treat diverse diseases.

Ancient and modern tribes in the Amazon, Central Africa and remote parts of Asia have used river water for bowel cleansing, usually as part of magic-medical rites of passage performed by priests or shamans. Colon cleansing therapies were an important part of Taoist training regimens. These therapies still form one of the fundamental practices of the yoga teaching.

Hippocrates, Galen and Paracelsus, who are recognized as the founding fathers of Western medicine, described, practised and prescribed the use of enemas for colon cleansing.

Both in Europe and in the USA, the popularity of colon cleansing treatments was remarkable in the early decades of the twentieth century, when colon irrigation equipment was commonly used by doctors practising in sanatoria (health spas) and hospitals. From the 1920s to the 1960s, the regular use of enemas was standard practice amongst most medical practitioners and they were implemented as common treatment in most hospitals.

Cautions and Warnings

Source www.jfponline.com - Article 1 pdf

The dangers of colon cleansing - Colon cleansing, also called colonic irrigation or colonic hydrotherapy, is performed by colonic hygienists or colon therapists, or can be self-administered. The procedure works like an enema. The patient generally lies on a table and water (with or without additional herbs or compounds) is pumped through the rectum via a tube.

Unlike enemas, for which a small amount of fluid is used, however, colon cleansing calls for a large volume of fluid—up to 60 liters—to be introduced into the rectum.^3,4 Fluids and waste are expelled through another tube. The procedure may be repeated several times.

Where’s the evidence? - Despite colon cleansing’s long history and current popularity, the literature does not support its purported benefits. Historically, colon cleansing was thought to prevent autointoxication from toxins originating in the colon, but the evidence for this claim is limited.¹¹ A search of the literature using the terms “colon cleansing,” “herbal colon cleanse,” “colon detoxification,” and “colon irrigation,” yielded no scientifically robust studies in support of this practice. One study suggested that lymphocytes might migrate from the gut into the circulation after the procedure, which may “improve colon and immune system function.”¹²

Even though colon cleansing is touted as a commonly used form of holistic, complementary and alternative medicine, the Natural Standard Professional Database concluded in a monograph that there is “limited clinical evidence validating colon therapy as a health promotion practice” and noted a “lack of sufficient evidence” for most of its prescribed uses.¹³

4 things to tell patients about colon cleansing:

Colon irrigation is not wise—particularly if you have a history of gastrointestinal disease (including diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis) or a history of colon surgery, severe hemorrhoids, kidney disease, or heart disease. These conditions increase the risk of adverse effects.^2,3,11,16
Side effects of colon cleansing include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities, acute kidney insufficiency, pancreatitis, bowel perforation, heart failure, and infection. ^2,3,11,16
The devices that practitioners use for the procedure are not approved for colon cleansing by the US Food and Drug Administration. Inadequately disinfected or sterilized irrigation machines have been linked to bacterial contamination. ^2,11,19
Colon cleansing practitioners are not licensed by a scientifically based organization. Rather, practitioners have undergone a training process structured by an organization that is attempting to institute its own certification and licensing requirements.

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