Ross Walter Nutritionist and Naturopath health articles and blog - Ross Walter Nutritionist & Naturopath

Cancer scare in hand sanitisers

7/6/2022

Are you still using hand sanitiser? Perhaps you shouldn't, as an independent investigation in the US found toxic amounts of cancer-causing benzene chemicals in many hand sanitiser products. Benzene is known to cause Leukaemia, a type of blood cancer.

An independent laboratory (Valisure) that tests drug products for safety tested 260 hand sanitiser products and found elevated levels of benzene in 21 of them (CBS New York, 2022). Benzene was still found in most of them, but within alleged "safe" limits, which might also be questionable. Some products did have no detectable benzene in them (Valisure, 2022).

The US regulator of such products, the FDA, apparently relaxed their standards on benzene in products, which allowed companies to get away with adding more into hand sanitiser and not be investigated.

So this is another warning message to always check the ingredients list of products you buy, whether it be food or washing or cleaning products, make-up, or anything that can come in contact with your skin.

Check your hand sanitiser product ingredients and if there is any benzene in it, throw it out. Just using soap and water is enough to keep your hands clean.

Be healthy!

References:

CBS New York. (2022). Hand Sanitizer Study Finds Elevated Levels Of Cancer Causing Chemical In 21 Out Of 260 Hand Sanitizers. Retrieved 4th May 2022 from https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/hand-sanitizer-benzene/

Valisure. (2022). Valisure detects benzene in hand sanitizers. Retrieved 4th May 2022 from www.valisure.com/valisure-newsroom/valisure-detects-benzene-in-hand-sanitizers

The importance of organic foods and to reduce cancer risks

7/6/2022

A recent investigation by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) on the US Department of Agriculture data found that nearly 60% of kale samples tested were contaminated with a likely carcinogenic (cancer-causing) pesticide (EWG, 2022).

The toxic pesticide, known as DCPA or Dacthal, was classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a possible carcinogen in 1995, but only recalled by its manufacturer 10 years later in 2005 (but only on some crops), banned in the European Union in 2009, is STILL being used in the US on crops such as kale, broccoli, sweet potatoes, eggplant and turnips. Other leafy greens in the US were also found to be contaminated with the same chemical. And this was not the only chemical used on these plant crops.

Kale production has increased by 56% in recent years due to more interest in their nutritional value.

Dacthal is also being used in Australia for brassica vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, spinach etc), legumes, alliums (onions, garlic, etc), potatoes, carrots and many other crop types (NuFarm, 2022).

This information stresses the importance of knowing what you are eating, and what your foods are exposed to, such as pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals. Just because someone is natural, green, or plant-based, doesn't mean it's going to be good for you. This is why certified organic foods or home grown vegetables can be healthier and safer for you to eat.

Be healthy.

References:

Environmental Working Group (EWG). (2022). More than half of kale samples tainted by possibly cancer-causing pesticide. Retrieved 5th June 2022 from https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/kale.php

NuFarm. (2022). Dactal 900WG. Retrieved 5th June 2022 from https://nufarm.com/au/product/dacthal-900wg/

Bayer settles glyphosate (RoundUp) damages for $10Billion

6/7/2020

I have previously written several articles about the dangers and health effects of glyphosate, one of the active ingredients in the RoundUp herbicide. The use of RoundUp on many food crops is licensed and regulated, but how would you know whether your foods are exposed to this cancer-causing chemical? Well, you don't and won't know...

Despite the safety claims of the manufacturer, Monsanto, glyphosate or RoundUp greatly damages the environment (in the soil and waterways), affects animals and plants, and damages our health too, as shown in many published studies.

In some recent high profile court cases, Monsanto were ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for RoundUp causing cancer in several people. This brought many tens of thousands of similar lawsuits against Monsanto and its new owner, Bayer, who bought out Monsanto in 2018. The court cases showed beyond doubt that RoundUp was causing cancer, and that Monsanto had covered this up, paid for studies that faked the safety of their product to hide the truth, and used legal action against farmers who tried to speak out about the product.

One of the ways Monsanto were able to get away with selling this carcinogenic and environmentally damaging chemical for so long was that it managed to corrupt the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the USA. Instead of the EPA protecting the environment and the health of farmers, their families and the public in general, they turned a blind eye to the toxicity and damage that RoundUp was doing. A recent court case in the US (June 2020), found that the EPA broke the law in approving RoundUp and other glyphosate chemicals. The court case found that the original approval should not have been allowed, and it is now illegal for farmers to use these herbicides, as the EPA's approval of them has been cancelled!

Following recent discussions, Bayer have agreed to pay approximately US $10 BILLION (or $15.9 BILLION in Australian dollars) to settle about 95,000 lawsuits in the USA alone, related to health effects of RoundUp! This settlement will only cover about 75% of the current lawsuits against the company.

Despite the agreement to settle the large number of lawsuits against the company, Bayer is still defending the product and does not plan to add a cancer warning label to the product! In 2019 the German government (with Bayer being a German company) approved a ban on glyphosate, but not until 2023.

The huge settlement did very little to the company's stock price, which is disappointing. But we can all help by not buying or using RoundUp or any other similar herbicide containing glyphosate, for your health and that of the environment.

Let's hope the end is near for RoundUp and glyphosate, one of the most toxic and dangerous chemicals to the environment and your health.

The data, dangers and deaths of the Gardasil vaccine

16/6/2020

Introduction to the Gardasil vaccine
The Gardasil vaccine has been considered to be a breakthrough vaccine for women and women's health, marketed incorrectly and somewhat ironically as "the cervical cancer vaccine", allegedly for the prevention of cervical cancer. But does it really do this? No!
The Gardasil vaccine is not going to prevent cervical cancer, as it is an HPV vaccine - a vaccine against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a viral infection that is mostly, but not completely, a sexually-transmitted disease. With over 100 HPV viruses in the wild, can this vaccine really prevent an HPV infection or even cervical cancer? Again, no!

In 2007, the first Gardasil vaccine became available for public use, containing 4 strains of HPV - 2 which can cause genital warts, and 2 that may cause cervical cancer. Hence this version is now known as Gardasil 4. In 2018 a new Gardasil vaccine became available, with 9 strains of HPV viruses - still a long way short of the 100 possibles (WHO, 2019). The Gardasil vaccine was initially given only to girls of pre-teen or teenage years. In more recent times, teen boys are now recommended to get this vaccine too, as while they do not have a cervix, they too can carry the HPV vaccine and infect their sexual partners.

This article will look at what you are not being told about this vaccine, why it is one of the most dangerous vaccines to ever come onto the market, and why you need to read this and confirm this information, BEFORE you inject your children with it... This is called "informed consent" - the right to know what you and your children are being injected with in this medical procedure, of the risks vs benefits, side effects and possible adverse outcomes of which there are many, so that you can make up your own minds as to whether you wish to submit your children to this almost untested vaccine, and the right to decline based on being given this information. Yes Gardasil is "almost untested" is actually true - it wasn't tested in a true scientific way, as explained in these referenced facts below.

In this article and the following facts, I will refer to the original Gardasil vaccine as "Gardasil 4" to differentiate it from information from the new 2018 version of "Gardasil 9".

The following is a summary of key points in the history, testing, and use of the Gardasil vaccines, including side effects and severe adverse reactions:

The original Gardasil 4 vaccine was fast-tracked by US drug regulators, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after only a 6-month clinical test. Normally, new vaccines take many years to a decade or longer to undergo testing before approval is granted. This lack of testing will be explained further below, and is why it has many health effects.
There are over 100 types of the Human Papillomavirus (WHO, 2019), yet the original Gardasil vaccine only contained virus particles to 4 of them (FDA, 2018). The new Gardasil 9 still only contains 9 types of HPV particles.
In scientific testing of pharmaceuticals and vaccines, the manufacturer must compare the results of the test group (those receiving the drug or vaccine) against a control group (those receiving a placebo) - people who do not actually get the drug or vaccine. The placebo generally must be an inert substance, or one which does NOT have any effect, such as a sugar pill or a saline (salt) injection. Tests are normally done "blinded", meaning that the test subjects are not aware that they are getting the actual product being tested or the placebo, or "double-blinded", so the test subjects AND the researchers don't know who is getting what - to reduce any possible bias or manipulation of the data. In Gardasil 4, the manufacturer did NOT use an inert placebo, but one containing "Amorphous Aluminium Hydroxyphosphate Sulfate" (Seqirus, 2019), being the adjuvant (immune system stimulating) product used in the real vaccine! The same adjuvant was used in the vaccine AND in the control group. This was a deliberate attempt at manipulating the test results to show that the vaccine caused no more side effects than the placebo, and thus be deemed "safe". Despite the fact that the vaccine (and the placebo) both caused many side effects, and the manipulation of the scientific method used in the tests of this product, it was approved by the authorities. Read more below about the issues with this aluminium adjuvant.
Gardasil 4 contains 225 micrograms of aluminium as an adjuvant. Gardasil 9 has over DOUBLE this amount of neurotoxic aluminium at 500 micrograms (Sequiris, 2019).
The Gardasil vaccine protocol requires a series of 3 vaccinations. This is because the seroconversion, or development of HPV antibodies, is very low or non-existent in many recipients after the first shot. Hence a second and third shot are needed, to try and stimulate the immune system into producing HPV antibodies. Even after 3 Gardasil vaccinations, some recipients may not have developed any antibodies, and are therefore not immune to the virus.
Gardasil was tested by the manufacturer on females from 16 to 45 years old, and males from 16 to 26 years old. Yet the age group which the vaccine is given to is much younger - usually 12-15 years (Sequiris, 2019). In effect, those in this age group are given a vaccine which is UNTESTED for this population.
Even in the manufacturer's own testing of the vaccine, people still contracted HPV and some even developed cervical cancer to CIN III stage, which was serious enough to require surgery. Yet the manufacturer still claimed 100% efficacy for protection against the 4 HPV types (Seqirus, 2019).
Even the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, the US medicines regulator) says on their website that "Most people don't have any signs (of HPV infection). HPV may go away on its own-- without causing any health problems"! So why do we need this dangerous vaccine?! (FDA, 2018)
The manufacturer noted in their product information for Gardasil 4 that testing showed "Subjects who were already infected with one or more vaccine-related HPV types prior to vaccination were protected from clinical disease caused by the remaining vaccine HPV types" (Seqirus, 2019). This is your natural immune system doing its job! So actually contracting the HPV naturally actually stimulates immune protection against the other types! So again, why do we need this vaccine?
The manufacturer also noted that test subjects who already had HPV at the time of testing the vaccine "did not show a statistically significant reduction of CIN or AIS (cervical cancer) compared to placebo". They also said "GARDASIL has not been shown to protect against the diseases caused by every HPV type, and will not treat existing disease" (Seqirus, 2019).
People who are sensitive to any of the ingredients of Gardasil must not receive the vaccine. Those who develop symptoms of hypersensitivity after receiving a dose of Gardasil should not receive further doses (Seqirus, 2019).
Gardasil 4 was not been tested for whether or not it, or its ingredients, may cause cancer. It was also not tested for whether it may cause gene damage which can precede or subsequently cause cancer (Seqirus, 2019).
Gardasil 4 was tested for possible effects on fertility, in rats, without any effects. Gardasil 4 was also tested for fertility effects in women (Sequiris, 2019).
Gardasil 4 was not tested in pregnant women, and is not recommended for pregnant women. Despite scientific protocols banning pregnant women from being used as medical test subjects, Gardasil 4 was tested on pregnant women, which resulted in spontaneous abortions, miscarriages, late foetal death, and birth defects in those who received either the Gardasil 4 vaccine or the (aluminium-laced) placebo in 22-27% of cases known. Yet despite these results, the manufacturer claims, "there is no evidence to suggest that administration of GARDASIL adversely affects fertility, pregnancy, or infant outcomes" (Seqirus, 2019).
Gardasil 4 was not tested in humans for effects on lactation (breastfeeding). Studies in rats showed HPV antibodies in the offspring, so the vaccine does get transferred via breast milk (Seqirus, 2019).
Side effects of Gardasil 4 were only recorded within 15 days of the vaccination, and include pain and swelling around the injection site, headache, fever, nausea, dizziness and pain in extremities, difficulty breathing, joint pains, migraines.
Other Gardasil side effects and reactions include seizures, systemic pain, headaches, muscle pain and weakness, joint pain, paralysis, fatigue, numbness, low blood pressure, high heart rate, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, respiratory difficulties, asthma, menstrual disorders, psychological issues, hallucinations, cognitive impairments, memory difficulties, poor concentration, sleep disorders, and many more (Beppu et al., 2017).
Due to the number of adverse reactions and complaints about Gardasil, some countries (such as Japan) have stopped the Gardasil vaccination program (Beppu et al., 2017). Considering that other countries are having exactly the same adverse reactions and deaths, why haven't our health departments or drug regulators done the same?
Because Gardasil contains aluminium as an adjuvant, and aluminium having neurotoxic effects - being toxic and damaging to nerves, the nervous system and brain, Gardasil can cause nerve damage that results in chronic, severe and long-term side effects (Shaw & Petrik, 2009; Alleva, Rankin & Santucci, 1998; Shaw, Li & Tomljenovic, 2014).
Side effects to Gardasil can be varied and difficult to trace back to the one of the 3 shots needed.
The HPV virus is responsible for 70% of cervical cancers, so a vaccine against this virus isn't going to prevent all possible cases (New Scientist, 2006).
Ten people died from the original manufacturer's testing of the 2 Gardasil vaccines, 5 in each study. Many hundreds more have died from the Gardasil vaccination since it has been on the market. Death shortly after being vaccinated with Gardasil is a very real outcome. Hence why it is so important to be informed of this information, and having a right to decline this vaccine. Where there is a risk, there must be a choice. And an informed choice, which you have not been given, until now.
Before Gardasil 4 was introduced, rates of cervical cancer were already falling and were at their lowest levels ever recorded. This reduction of incidences of cervical cancer were due to increased sex education, promotion of condoms and other initiatives.
When Gardasil 4 was released in 2007, the rates of cervical cancer have INCREASED in Australia, the UK and other countries every year since. Gardasil has NOT reduced rates of cervical cancer at all! (Cancer Research UK, 2019)
Cancer Research UK announced an alarming 54% rise in cervical cancer among 24-29-year-olds, the first generation to receive the HPV jabs (Cancer Research UK, 2019). See the graph above, which shows 3 blue lines rising since 2007 for increased incidences in all these age groups...
Gardasil is known to cause several autoimmune conditions, including SLE (ie, lupus), ASIA syndrome (Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants), Multiple Sclerosis, Transverse Myelitis (an autoimmune neurological condition, similar to Multiple Sclerosis or paralysis), and others, in many cases very shortly after the vaccination (Vadalà, Poddighe, Laurino & Palmieri, 2017; Hu, 2019). The manufacturer's own product insert states that 2.2% of Gardasil 9 recipients and 3.3% of Gardasil 4 recipients developed NEW autoimmune medical conditions after the vaccine (Merck, 2020). See this statement taken from the USA product insert in the above image. Note that this statement does NOT appear in the Australian product information insert for Gardasil 9.
Gardasil can cause a little-mentioned adverse event condition called "ovarian failure", or in another word, "sterility" in females (Vadalà, Poddighe, Laurino & Palmieri, 2017). Affected girls and women won't be able to have children, as a direct result of the Gardasil vaccine. Hence if you (as a parent) are looking for more balanced and informed advice on Gardasil, and if you would like grandchildren, perhaps you should not recommend this vaccine to your children.
Vaccinations only give at best a temporary immunity to an HPV infection, of approximately 4 years (WebMD, 2020). After this time, when many adolescents are beginning to have sex, they may no longer be immune to HPV.
As Gardasil doesn't protect people from other sexually-transmitted infections, condoms and/or other contraceptives are still required. Condoms can reduce the risks of contracting HPV, genital warts and also cervical cancer, even without the vaccine (CDC, 2019).
In Australia there is a class action legal action taking place, for victims of the Gardasil vaccine who had severe adverse reactions. They have a Facebook page called "Gardasil Class Action Australia" if you would like to join and find out more.

Risk factors for contracting HPV and development of cervical cancer
Studies have shown that cervical cancer isn't only caused by the HPV virus. In fact, other causative factors must also occur for the development and progression of cervical cancer, especially:

an imbalance in the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, and male hormone testosterone (Roura et al., 2016),
and an immune system dysfunction.

Other factors which can increase the risks of HPV and cervical cancer include (Burd, 2003):

Stress - very common around teenage and adolescent years, as stress causes a hormone imbalance, nutrient deficiencies and lowers immune system function
Nutrient deficiencies - for nutrients needed for immune system function, hormone production, growth and tissue repair
Lifestyle factors - drinking, smoking, drugs, insufficient sleep quantity or quality, low exercise
Medications - anti-inflammatories, NSAIDs, corticosteroids, and immuno-suppressives
Other infections - Cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus 6 and 7 and others
Oral contraceptives - long term use of these can be a significant factor in some studies.

If a female has any PMS symptoms, irregular periods, pain, cramping, sore breasts and other period symptoms, this indicates a hormone imbalance which should be assessed by a health practitioner (Nutritionist/Naturopath) as these symptoms can be cleared to reduce the risks of HPV and cervical cancer.

If these risk factors are identified and minimised, the risks of contracting HPV and it causing cervical cancer can be greatly reduced. All without a dangerous vaccine.

Independent investigation into Gardasil 9
In 2019, an independent team of Italian scientists from a group called Corvelva, started investigations into many common vaccines and their ingredients. They reviewed the Gardasil 9 vaccine ingredients from several batches, looking at the genetics of the RNA and DNA of the pathogens and other ingredients in the vaccine. They found the following (Corvelva, 2019):

The Gardasil 9 vaccine should contain antigens from 9 HPV viruses, but only 7 were actually found!
One of the missing HPV viruses (type 11) is commonly associated with cervical lesions, and another (type 58) is frequently associated with cervical cancer, hence no protection will be present for these 2 HPV strains.
There were 338 chemical contaminants detected which should not have been in the vaccine.
Various bacteria and yeasts from laboratory contamination were found in the Gardasil vaccine. In fact 54% of the DNA in this vaccine was from over 2 dozen other bacteria, parasite and yeast microbes which shouldn't be there!
Human and mouse DNA. This can increase the risk of autoimmune conditions by causing immune system dysfunction.
HPV virus DNA fragments - which are not intended parts of the vaccine per se. These are more contaminants which may be able to be integrated into your DNA and cause autoimmune reactions.
Molluscum contagiosum virus - a type of pox virus which causes skin blemishes and rashes, now quite common but not so much in the past. Now you know why there's more of it around...
Other retroviruses - which can become integrated into your DNA, can cause genetic mutations and cancers. This includes Human endogenous retrovirus K, L-BC virus, narnavirus, infectious equine anaemia virus, all which were found in this vaccine.
Mouse leukaemia virus - which causes a white blood cell cancer.

Clinical Observations
In my clinical practice, I have seen many female patients who have presented with very strange symptoms that no doctor was able to find the cause of, or diagnose, or be able to treat to reduce their symptoms. My detailed questioning in my initial consultations picked up on the onset of their symptoms, which was around the start of their teen years. On intuition initially and lately from experience, I asked what may have happened at that time, or whether they had the Gardasil vaccine. In many cases, they said the symptoms appeared shortly after this vaccine. Sure this is what is known as “anecdotal evidence” but the published evidence referenced here, and from many more studies since the Gardasil vaccine became available, confirms that these side effects and adverse reactions are from the vaccine and are very real. Because doctors don't try to trace the root causes of health conditions, they don't know that Gardasil has these reactions. This can lead to the patient suffering for years to a decade or longer before being diagnosed, if at all.

A very common ongoing adverse reaction I have seen in practice is a combination of chronic digestive complaints together with heart symptoms. The heart symptoms often present as a racing heart (tachycardia) which the person may or may not feel, or slow pulse (bradycardia), or arrhythmias (irregular heart beat), or having all of these - a fast heart beat becoming slow then racing again in quick succession. Heart rate testing can show a very wide range of beats, often a difference of 20+ beats per minute from low to high and low again when rested. Orthostatic testing of heart activity, of testing blood pressure and pulse when laying down, and immediately on standing, can show a steady BP but an even higher pulse rate on standing, and an overall difference in pulse of 30-40+ beats per minute. In teens who have these symptoms, many cannot tolerate any exercise, and some athletic teens have had to give up on their sports because of a sudden reduced performance after their Gardasil vaccination.

Other related symptoms from the heart dysfunction include frequent fainting and dizziness, headaches, weakness and fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, poor thinking or low memory and concentration (NHS, 2019).

Together with the irregular heart function, the same patients also have chronic digestive complaints, of pains, cramps, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Ulcerative Colitis, hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid), chronic nausea, and other digestive complaints.

The digestive system is affected together with the cardiovascular system, as both systems are controlled by nerves, or more particularly, branches of the autonomic nervous system. The dysfunction of these systems can suggest a diagnosis of Dysautonomia, or "dysfunctional autonomic nervous system". The particular dysautonomia diagnosis I have found as a direct result of the Gardasil vaccination is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS. In my investigations of many patients with Gardasil reactions, I have diagnosed POTS from their symptoms, history, and orthostatic testing of their blood pressure and heart rate. I have referred patients to their GP for a formal testing and diagnosis, only to be told that they don't know what POTS is or who to refer to.

Luckily, POTS can be diagnosed, treated and reversed, but not with medical interventions. It can be treated with nutritional medicine, lifestyle improvements, and herbal medicines.

I have also seen cases of cervical cancer being diagnosed in women who tested negative for HPV, but some had the Gardasil vaccine (which is known to cause cervical cancer). They also had hormone imbalances, and other factors like stress and nutrient deficiencies.

Conclusions
This document is a summary of many published studies into the Gardasil vaccine, information from the manufacturer, official government statistics, information from drug regulators, and from my own clinical experience with patients who have had many side affects, adverse reactions and chronic health conditions resulting from the Gardasil vaccine.

The Gardasil vaccine was not thoroughly tested, and not tested to accepted scientific protocols before being approved for use. Testing did not include using an inert placebo in the control group, which enabled the manufacturer to claim very little difference in side effects between the vaccine and an active placebo. This is an unconscionable act which was done deliberately to hide side effects in order to gain a fast approval. It also shows a lack of thoroughness of the drug regulators to not see this deliberate ploy of deception, prior to the vaccine being approved.

The Gardasil vaccine does not do what it claims to do - to reduce incidences of cervical cancer in women. In many countries, including in Australia, cervical cancer incidences have increased every year since Gardasil was introduced. And any protection from antibodies has only a short lasting effect of 4 years. After this time, there is no immunity to HPV. Gardasil has been shown in studies to actually cause cervical cancer. Gardasil simply does not work.

Gardasil causes many side effects, long-term health effects, and causes many deaths. One of its key reasons for this is the use of an aluminium adjuvant, used to heighten the immune response to producing antibodies, and many recipients still do not develop antibodies to HPV. Aluminium in the body is a neurotoxin - it damages nerves of the autonomic nervous system, to cause a great many symptoms and health issues, such as heart conditions and digestive conditions.

HPV alone is not the only cause of cervical cancer - an imbalance in male and female hormones and a dysfunctional immune system are also required factors for the development and progression of cervical cancer. Improve the immune system function and improve the hormone imbalance and cervical cancer can be prevented or reversed, without needing the dangerous Gardasil vaccine.

All parents of teenage children must be given full informed consent of all the risks of the Gardasil vaccine, including the chronic health conditions and reactions it can cause, including death. I do not see this information being given to parents or teens. Where there is a risk with a vaccine, and there are many with Gardasil, parents and teens must be fully informed and also allowed the right to decline this medical procedure. Luckily there are other options available to reduce the risks of this infection and to also reduce the risks of cervical cancer.

Schools around the country (and in other countries too) are the target for government-funded mass vaccination programs for the Gardasil vaccine. All Year 7s in Australia are rounded up and taken somewhere in the school for this shot. Often, letters or forms by concerned parents to not get this vaccine are ignored by teachers and the health department staff who simply assume that all children will get the vaccine. It is best to inform your children of the dangers to this vaccine, and keep them home on the allocated day, or to avoid it by hiding during the time it is being done.

(The full article and references list is avaiable as a PDF download at the bottom of this page)

References:

Alleva, E., Rankin, J., & Santucci, D. (1998). Neurobehavioral Alteration in Rodents Following Developmental Exposure to Aluminum. Toxicology and Industrial Health, 14 (1-2): 209-21. doi: 10.1177/074823379801400113.

Beppu, H., Minaguchi, M., Uchide, K., Kumamoto, K., Sekiguchi, M., & Yaju, Y. (2017). Lessons learnt in Japan from adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine: a medical ethics perspective. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 11 (2). Doi: 10.20529/IJME.2017.021

Burd, E.M. (2003). Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Cancer. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 16 (1): 1–17. doi: 10.1128/CMR.16.1.1-17.2003

Centre of Disease Control (CDC). (2020). Fact Sheet for Public Health Personnel. Retrieved 15th June 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/latex.html#:~:text=Consistent%20and%20correct%20use%20of%20latex%20condoms%20reduces%20the%20risk,genital%20warts%20and%20cervical%20cancer).

Corvelva. (2019). Initial results on Gardasil 9 chemical composition. Retrieved 15th January 2019 from https://www.corvelva.it/en/speciale-corvelva/vaccinegate-en/initial-results-on-gardasil-9-chemical-composition.html

Hu, Y. (2018). Multiple Sclerosis Development in Two Teens After HPV Vaccination. Retrieved 15th June 2020 from https://www.neurologyadvisor.com/conference-highlights/actrims-2018/multiple-sclerosis-development-in-two-teens-after-hpv-vaccination/

Merck. (2020). Gardasil 9 product insert. Retrieved 15th June 2020 from https://www.fda.gov/media/90064/download

National Health Service (NHS). (2019). Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS). Retrieved 15th June 2020 from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/postural-tachycardia-syndrome/

New Scientist. (2006). First cervical cancer vaccine is approved. Retrieved 15th June 2020 from https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9305-first-cervical-cancer-vaccine-is-approved/#:~:text=The%20first%20vaccine%20against%20cervical,month%20fast%2Dtrack%20clinical%20test.

Roura, E., Travier, N., Waterboer, T., de Sanjosé, S., Bosch, F.X., Pawlita, M., Pala, V., Weiderpass, E., Margall, N. Dillner, J., Gram, I.T., Tjønneland, A., Munk, C., Palli, D., Khaw, K., Overvad, K., Clavel-Chapelon, F., Mesrine, S., Fournier, A., Fortner, R.T., Ose, J.,Steffen, A., Trichopoulou, A., Lagiou, P., Orfanos, P., Masala, G., Tumino, R., Sacerdote, C., Polidoro, S., Mattiello, A., Lund, E., Peeters, P.H., Bueno-de-Mesquita, B., Quirós, J.R., Sánchez, M-J., Navarro, C., Barricarte, A., Larrañaga, N., Ekström, J., Lindquist,D., Idahl, A., Travis, R.C., Merritt, M.A., Gunter, M.J., Rinaldi, S., Tommasino, M., Franceschi, S., Riboli, E.,& Castellsagué, X. (2016). The Influence of Hormonal Factors on the Risk of Developing Cervical Cancer and Pre-Cancer: Results from the EPIC Cohort. PLoS One, 11 (1): e0147029. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147029

Sequiris. (2019). Australian Product Information – GARDASIL® 9. Retrieved 15th June 2020 from https://labeling.seqirus.com/PI/AU/Gardasil/EN/Gardasil-9-Product-Information.pdf

Shaw, C.A., & Petrik, M.S. (2009). Aluminum Hydroxide Injections Lead to Motor Deficits and Motor Neuron Degeneration. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 103 (11); 1555-1562. doi: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2009.05.019.

Shaw, C.A., Li, D. & Tomljenovic, L. (2014). Are There Negative CNS Impacts of Aluminum Adjuvants Used in Vaccines and Immunotherapy? Immunotherapy, 6 (10):1055-71. doi: 10.2217/imt.14.81.

Vadalà, M., Poddighe, D., Laurino, C., & Palmieri, B. (2017). Vaccination and autoimmune diseases: is prevention of adverse health effects on the horizon? European Association for Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (EPMA), 8:295–311. Doi:10.1007/s13167-017-0101-y

WebMD. (2020). HPV, Cervical Cancer Vaccine: 15 Facts. Retrieved 15th June 2020 from https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/features/hpv-cervical-cancer-vaccine-15-facts#2

World Health Organisation (WHO). (2019). Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. Retrieved 15th June 2020 from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-papillomavirus-(hpv)-and-cervical-cancer#:~:text=There%20are%20more%20than%20100,the%20onset%20of%20sexual%20activity.

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Plastics are bad for the environment, and your health too!

16/6/2020

In my consultations, I always ask my clients about their use of plastic products, such as using plastic water bottles, or plastic food containers, or whether foods are cooked in the microwave in "microwave safe" plastic containers. There's no such thing as "safe" plastic!

In short, all plastics leach chemicals into the food or water they contain. And plastics leach chemicals at much greater rates when the plastic or food is warmer, or even when frozen in plastic containers.

The issues with plastics are that the chemicals in them (BP-A, BP-S and similar, PCB, PVC, phthalates, parabens and more) are "endocrine disruptors" or chemicals which mimic or disrupt your body hormones, particularly your sex hormones and mainly the female hormone oestrogen. An increased amount of oestrogen in your body can cause a number of severe and dangerous symptoms or effects, such as:

Thyroid hormone disruption (which will affect your metabolic rate and whole body function)
Blood sugar imbalances, and poor blood sugar control
Male and female infertility
Menstrual symptoms - PMS, irregular cycles, painful periods and heavy bleeding and more
Premature puberty and menstruation in girls, even as young as 7 years
Breast cancers in women and men
Ovarian and uterine cancers in women
Endometriosis
Weight gain
Smaller penises and testicles in boys
Reduced sperm count in males
Genital defects
Enlarged prostate in men
Prostate cancer in men
Manboobs and weight gain in men
Gender dysphoria - a mismatch between physical gender and how one feels, favouring a more female identity especially in males.

Hormone-disrupting and cancer-causing chemicals in plastics can be found in unlikely places, including from:

Plastic cookware and utensils
Plastic kettles
Drinking water from plastic water tanks
Chemicals in shampoos, body washes and hair products
Cosmetics
Fragrances and perfumes
Household cleaning products and vinyl products in flooring and cars
Childrens' toys
Thermal receipts from shops
Canned vegetables, especially tomatoes (the cans are lined with BPA)
And many more sources.

Excess oestrogens in your body from plastic exposure can have a severe effect on your health. Which is why you need to avoid plastics and their hormone-disrupting chemicals from all sources.

If you have any of the symptoms or conditions above, reducing your exposure to plastics needs to be a key initial step. Additional work will need to be done to reduce your levels of these chemicals, balance your hormone levels again, and improving your whole body health to recover - which is what I can do!

Cancer in children is increasing

17/2/2020

According to a very recent study (published today) in the Medical Journal of Australia, incidences of childhood cancers have been rising dramatically over the past 30 years. In 10 years, from 2005 to 2015, childhood cancer rates have been increasing at 1.2% PER YEAR. The study estimates that childhood cancers are expected to rise by 40% in the next 20 years. The media only reported a 7% increase – no idea where they pulled that number from. These are truly shocking statistics.

Statistics in other developed countries are similar, with the USA finding one in 285 children being diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday. This equates to 3.5%, and in both the USA and Australia, cancer is currently the biggest cause of child mortality (other than accidents).

The MJA study claims the causes of cancer in children is unknown, and that more research is needed. No, we know what the causes are, so I will save them time and research money…

Cancers arise from chronic inflammation which causes a low functioning immune system. As your immune system detects cancer cells and destroys them, the prevention of cancer is completely dependent on the effective functioning of your immune system.

What causes chronic inflammation? Lots of things, including:

Stress
Lifestyle factors – smoking, alcohol, drugs, low exercise, poor sleep etc
Nutrient deficiencies, or excesses of some foods
Toxins and chemicals in foods, water, the environment, and from other products that the body is exposed to
Medications – especially antibiotics, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, and other immune system suppressing drugs
Viral infections
Radiation exposure
Weight gain
Hormone imbalance
Other existing chronic health conditions
Genetics – only in 5-10% of cases.

These are your causes of cancer.

The medical and pharmaceutical industries are always after research money to find the ONE cause of cancer. They won’t find it when there are many causes of cancer, and the causes can also vary from person to person. This makes research very difficult to prove, and why they have no answer after decades and many billions of dollars of research.

To prevent cancers, you need to avoid the above root causes. To treat cancers, you need to fix the above root causes.

This is why I like specialising in investigating and treating chronic inflammatory conditions, immune system dysfunction, autoimmune conditions, and cancer too! I can get to the root causes of each person’s issues, and put a plan in place to treat the causes and reduce symptoms too.

We all want our kids and family to be healthy and happy, and sometimes it’s difficult to know what actually is good or healthy for us or not, or what are the most effective treatments for long-term health. If your family are frequently sick with infections, or have chronic inflammatory conditions, then something is wrong with their immune system. That’s where I can help, by investigating the causes and fixing them!

Your immune system finds and destroys cancer cells!

1/11/2019

If you know me or have read some of my articles here, you may know that the topic of cancer comes up a lot, because it has been my main area of interest in natural health treatments for many years.I was initially drawn to natural cancer treatments because the general public believe that this is the biggest and baddest health problem, because a diagnosis of "cancer" fills people with such dread and fear, that it reminds people that we really are mortal. We shouldn't fear cancer at all, but welcome it, as it is your body giving you warnings and telling you that it is not liking what you are doing to it. It may take some time to change this perception of cancer, but we can start now.

My fears of cancer disappeared when I started reading cancer research over 12 years ago, when I found that your body's white blood cells, in particular the Cytotoxic CD4+ T-cells and NK (Natural Killer) cells, have a primary task every day in our bodies to find and destroy virus-infected AND cancer cells! Hence it is your own immune systems that CAN and DOES fight cancer every day!

I have linked a short video showing this - actual footage of your immune system cells attacking cancer cells and destroying them! Watch this video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntk8XsxVDi0

This information and this video highlights the importance of your immune system for the prevention and treatment of cancer!

Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are NOT the only options for cancer treatment! These actually don't help you much at all, because both chemotherapy and radiotherapy (ie, chemical therapy and radiation therapy, respectively) actually CAUSE more cancer by poisoning the body and destroying the immune system - the main part of your body's defence against cancer! It just doesn't make sense to do this.

I still read a lot of cancer research, and I put this knowledge into practice with my clients. There is no one cure for cancer (and probably never will be) as treatment requires a holistic (whole body) approach using a combination of correct nutrition and avoiding some specific foods, supplementation, stress relief and management, detoxification, mindset, lifestyle, exercise and other treatments.

If your immune system is not strong, or you get frequent infections or illnesses, or if there is a family history of cancer or autoimmune conditions, this is where I can help - this is what I do!

Sunscreens are a major cause of skin cancers

1/11/2019

Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of skin cancers in the world. But incidences are also rising in countries that are generally colder or not well known for having a lot of sunlight, such as the UK or in the Scandinavian countries.
There are several reasons for this, including the lack of the protective ozone layer in the southern hemisphere, and the increasing use of sunscreens as a result of government sun-safe campaigns.

From looking at the research into sunscreen ingredients and health, I would not recommend using commercial sunscreens as they are the main reason for causing skin cancers. When their marketing says they protect you from the sun, it isn't true. Sunscreens CAUSE skin cancer.

There are 3 ways sunscreens cause skin cancer:
1) Sunscreens block the production of vitamin D, required for absorption of calcium for healthy bones and teeth, and prevention of hundreds of illnesses and chronic diseases, from colds and flu to mental health disorders. Cancer risk is reduced by over 50% with having sufficient vitamin D levels in your body. Vitamin D is a massive immune system booster, and as your immune system destroys cancer cells when it is working well, you need to support your immune system to do this. See my other articles on sunscreens, vitamin D and cancer below.

2) Sunscreens block the UV-B radiation which protects you from the sun and prevents sunburn. But it's the UV-B light which is needed for your body to produce vitamin D! HOWEVER, sunscreens therefore allow you to stay outside in the sun longer (and not get burnt) to be exposed to more of the UV-A radiation, which is the one that causes skin cancer... Let that sink in - sunscreens give you a false sense of security to stay out in the sun longer and be exposed to MORE skin cancer causing UV-A light.

3) Many chemicals in commercial sunscreens (read the ingredients list again) include carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals and hormone-disrupting chemicals which can affect your whole body to negatively affect your health.

Even sunscreens promoted by the Cancer Council have very toxic ingredients including neurotoxins, or they affect fertility or cause DNA damage (ie cause cancer), or disrupt your normal hormones. Australia's Cancer Council's own brand sunscreen contains 5 cancer-causing chemicals, and 4 hormone-disrupting chemicals, in their ONE product! It also contains other chemicals banned in other countries and other damaging chemicals too.

Scientific research proves this:
One study published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2000 (entitled: "Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma"), it showed that people who used sunscreens did NOT have a reduced risk of malignant melanoma, that they spent more time in the sun and got melanoma even if they didn't get sunburnt, and there was an increased risk of melanoma from sunscreen use.

An expert Dermatologist, Dr Bernard Ackerman, who has published 625 research papers on skin cancer says that there is no proven link between sun exposure and melanoma. And people with melanoma have it on less exposed body areas.

Sunscreens actually CAUSE more skin cancer than they prevent.

Please check your sunscreens, and do your research on the ingredients in them. For your family's health, be sun-safe by getting some sunlight on your skin in small doses regularly (but not enough to burn) and if you need to stay out in the sun for longer, cover up with clothes and a hat, or use a natural sunscreen that does not have toxic ingredients in it, from a health food shop.

If you do not think you are getting enough sunlight to maintain your vitamin D levels (at around 5-10 minutes per day in spring or summer) you can opt for a good vitamin D3 supplement - ask me for details!

Glandular fever and EBV can lead to ongoing health issues

25/3/2019

I've been seeing a lot of people lately with ongoing complications of Glandular Fever, caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV).

Many people don't know they have had Glandular Fever, unless their doctor tests for it, as it presents just like a flu infection, but usually with a longer period of fatigue afterwards (called the "post-viral fatigue"). Symptoms include enlarged lymph glands in the neck and throat, enlarged spleen, jaundice (yellow skin colour, as the virus can infect the liver in some people), very sore throat and heavy cough, muscle aches, headaches, no appetite, fever, and more.

Glandular fever is sometimes called "the kissing disease" as it is transmitted by saliva! You don't need to kiss to transmit it, but can be from shared food, kitchenware, cups, or saliva on hands. The infection is most common in adolescents and young adults.

Natural treatments for Glandular Fever are the same as for most viral infections - rest and sleep, supporting the immune system to fight the infection, and antiviral nutrients or herbals to kill the virus, and more. There are no current traditional medical treatments for EBV, and you are usually just told to rest and keep fluids up. Not all that helpful...

There can be serious complications of the initial EBV infection, including inflammation of the heart muscle (causing irregular or abnormal heart beats), neurological problems (meningitis, seizures, facial and muscle paralysis), blood clotting disturbances, thyroid conditions, and chronic fatigue which can last for weeks or months afterwards.

Once you have recovered from the initial infection that may not be the end of it, as EBV has a tendency to hibernate when your immune system is fighting it. But when your immune defences are down (because you might not be looking after yourself), it comes out of hibernation again and again to cause havoc around your body. EBV can infect your infection-fighting white blood cells to cause them to multiply rapidly but also reduce their function. This is how EBV is linked to several types of blood cell cancers like lymphomas, and other types of cancers too, including cancer of the breast, stomach, and EBV is also linked to causing AIDS.

EBV is also lead to immune system dysfunction and autoimmune conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, Coeliac Disease, Lupus (SLE), autoimmune thyroid conditions (Hashimoto's and Grave's Disease) and many more. EBV reactivation has also been linked to Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Bartonella, Chlamydia, and other infections.

If you have had Glandular Fever and/or EBV confirmed in the past, the key is to look after your health so that your immune system remains strong and able to keep EBV at bay. If you aren't looking after yourself with lots of stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, poor lifestyle choices etc, then EBV can be reactivated and contributing to your health issues, including some very serious conditions as mentioned above.

If you have some of these health issues - thyroid conditions, liver and digestive problems, heart conditions, and you have had Glandular Fever or EBV confirmed, I can help with improving your immune system to fight the infection, to reduce symptoms, as well as prevent it reactivating. So you can kiss the EBV goodbye!

why you should avoid plastic water bottles and containers

16/1/2019

When I see clients for helping them to improve their health for all types of health conditions, I always ask about their fluid intake - what types of drinks they consume daily, how much, and with regards to water, what type of water they drink, tap water or filtered or bottled, and what type of container they use to store or carry their water in.

While it's great that most people do take water with them to work or when they go out, most people I see are still using plastic bottles for this purpose. I explain why this isn't good for your health, and they quickly change to healthier options!

We now have "BPA-free" plastic bottles and containers because BPA (Bisphenol-A) was added into plastic decades ago to make plastics flexible and durable. But in 2010, the Australian government announced a voluntary phasing-out of BPA in baby bottles only, based on scientific studies showing that BPA was causing many health issues. Other products followed, but it was still a voluntary measure by the plastic producers. Other countries also made similar decisions to reduce BPA in products.

BPA was replaced by BPS (Bisphenol-S), apparently being safer. As time went on and more studies were done on BPS, it was found that BPS is causing exactly the same health problems as BPA and is just as harmful. Some studies show that 81% of Americans have BPS in their urine.

BPA and BPS, even in very small amounts, have large effects on your cells and your body. These chemicals leach from the plastic into the water or food they contain. BPA and BPS are endocrine disruptors or xeno-oestrogens, as they mimic oestrogen and its effects in your body. Endocrine disruptors and xeno-oestrogens disrupt your hormones to affect a cell's normal functioning to cause metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity, asthma, birth defects, heart conditions, menstrual cycle issues and PMS symptoms, infertility, prostate enlargement, and many types of cancer.

The issues with BPA and BPS and other chemicals in plastics are worse when the plastic is exposed to warmer temperatures, as the chemicals leach much more in summer, or in hot cars, or worse, when used in the microwave oven to cook or heat foods. BPA and BPS also causes similar affects in animals and wildlife, as our waste water and plastics get into waterways.

BPA chemicals are also found in your shop receipts, in the thermal paper used. BPA is also found in the lining of many tins of various foods, with tinned tomatoes being the worst possible to buy and consume. Tomatoes are very acidic and this eats away at the BPA, so there will be BPA in the tinned tomatoes, and this will affect your health. Just use fresh tomatoes instead! Steam some fresh and organic tomatoes yourself to use in cooking, as well as being better for you and the environment! BPA and BPS exposure can also come from using plastic cooking utensils, plastic kettles, and paper cups lined with BPA/BPS, soft drink cans, and other sources.

Even if you have "BPA-free" plastic bottles and containers, the manufacturers are not telling you that the BPS or other chemicals added to them are just as dangerous to your health as BPA. No plastic bottles or containers are safe! Get rid of them! Replace plastic containers and utensils with glass, stainless steel or other inert containers!

Roundup (Glyphosate) is in foods and known to cause cancer

13/8/2018

Being a Clinical Nutritionist and Naturopath isn't just about helping people with what to eat, but is also about education on what to eat, when, and how, and in even more detail!

One extra little detail is what your food was exposed to in terms of chemicals, toxins, or manipulation during or after production (such as irradiation or genetic modification, and how foods are cooked) which can make all the difference between a food that is healthy and a similar food that is damaging to your health.

One such suggestion I like to make is to avoid your food being exposed to toxic chemicals, such as herbicides, pesticides, fungicides etc. One of the most prominent and dangerous herbicides used on food crops is Roundup (also known as glyphosate, and found in many other brands of herbicides). Even though Roundup is promoted as safe (by its manufacturer, Monsanto), it can cause severe adverse health effects as found in recent research, including birth defects, spontaneous abortions, infertility, hormone disruptions, autoimmune conditions, neuro-degenerative diseases and even cancer (especially Non-Hodgkins lymphoma). It also gets into the environment, animals and the water supply, causing more issues.

Many food crops are genetically modified to be "Roundup Ready", meaning that the crop can be sprayed with Roundup when it's still young to kill the weeds around them, but the young plants can survive being sprayed. Such Roundup Ready crops include wheat, corn, canola, soy, and even cotton.

Roundup is also sprayed on cereal crops (ie wheat and corn), to kill the plants once their grains/seeds have set, to make it easier to harvest them. Unfortunately this leads to the chemical being present in your foods - breakfast cereals, breads, bakery products, soy foods and canola oil. This is one reason why I do not recommend people to eat wheat, corn, soy, or any processed foods with canola oil - unless it has been tested and certified as "organic".

A judge and jury in the USA have just awarded a 46-year old man about $289 MILLION in damages after successfully proving that Roundup caused his cancer. He was a gardener/groundsman and used Roundup regularly, but he isn't expected to live much longer because of his cancer. There are many hundreds more people suing Monsanto for health issues caused by Roundup.

Avoid using Roundup in your gardens or around food crops, as it can be absorbed through your skin to have the same effect. Have a look online for safe, natural herbicides or pesticides that you can cheaply and easily make at home, or just pull your weeds out by hand!

Local councils around Australia are notorious for using Roundup around the streets and parks, but some are heeding the warnings of Roundup and are trialling using steam as a more environmentally friendly and safer alternative to killing weeds! And of course it will be much safer for their employees and the general public too.

For your health and that of your family, please avoid using Roundup in your garden, and avoid Roundup Ready GMO foods.

How your immune system works to keep you alive!

20/7/2018

This article is about your immune system! You might not think much about your immune system or think that it does very much, but your immune system is on alert constantly to protect you from all known and unknown infections, injuries, damaged cells and more, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, for your entire life! Your immune system, quite literally, keeps you alive!

There are two main parts to your immune system:
1) Innate immune system - these cells protect you from all unknown infection-causing microbes, bacteria and viruses! They recognise what is "self" or safe and what isn't, and will attack and destroy any foreign invaders. This part of your immune system is how we have been able to survive for millenia without modern medicines or medical interventions! The innate immune system, when confronted by a new microbe or invader, learns from this and then trains the adaptive immune system for longer-term defence mechanisms.
2) Adaptive immune system - the adaptive immune system develops antibodies against each invader. Antibodies are then used by the immune system to more quickly respond to and stop infections in future!

Contrary to popular belief, newborn babies do have an immune system! They get this from the mother during development, then from being exposed to good bacteria during birth, and from breast milk which is high in immune system proteins and antibodies. Their immune system gets stronger each day to protect them!

Your immune system is affected by factors such as stress, a poor diet (ie, nutrient deficiencies or excesses), poor digestive system function, chemicals and toxins in foods and environment, poor sleep quality or quantity, and chronic (long-term) infections, medications (antibiotics, NSAIDs, anti-inflammatories, immunosuppressives, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, steroids, etc), and other factors. then it's not going to work as well as it should. Reduced immune system function can lead to longer and more severe infections, reduced or slow healing of wounds, inflammatory conditions, auto-immune conditions (where the immune system turns against your body to damage organs and tissues), and even cancer. Your immune system has several types of cells which find and destroy cancer cells, so when the immune system isn't working optimally, this can allow cancers to grow and spread.

Suppressing your symptoms and your immune system with medications (as listed above) may reduce your symptoms, but will increase the risk of further or more severe infections or other chronic conditions such as cancer.

Having a good immune system is incredibly important, not just to prevent those nasty head colds or flus in winter, but for your long-term health and survival! Your immune system can be affected and reduced by so many factors. If you suffer from frequent infections such as colds, flu, tonsillitis, sinusitis, UTIs, allergies or intolerances, any autoimmune conditions, cancer, or any chronic infection, then your immune system needs help!

This is where I can help! By investigating all possible causes of a poorly functioning immune system and treating the causes, you CAN have your health back!

PMS or menstrual symptoms indicate a hormone imbalance

30/4/2018

Why are females so complicated?! I don't mean in a relationship sense, but hormonally! Male hormones (mainly testosterone) by comparison are generally stable (females may say that men are emotionally "flatlined"!), but there are many more dynamic hormones in a female (FSH, LH, several oestrogens, progesterone, testosterone and more!) which can change from day to day through their cycles.

Female hormones must be finely tuned and balanced for menstrual cycles, fertility, pregnancy and other processes. Unfortunately many things can upset the delicate hormone balance, such as stress, nutrient deficiencies (and excesses), alcohol, digestive system function, exposure to toxins and chemicals, exposure to plastics, and other potential factors.

If you are female and have any regular symptoms just before and/or during your period such as headaches or migraines, cramps (especially if severe), bloating, pains, acne, clots, being very emotional, sore breasts, difficulty getting pregnant, miscarriages, or if your period is irregular in frequency and duration, then you have a hormone imbalance. A "normal" period really should be symptom-free, except for the bleed! Unfortunately, other period symptoms have become normalised by doctors, when they really are signs of hormone imbalance.

In addition, if you (or any other female you know) has PMDD, PCOS, endometriosis, fibrocystic breasts, fibroids, or cancers of the breast, ovaries, cervix or uterus, these are more chronic and severe symptoms of hormone imbalance. Hormone imbalances can result in these very serious conditions. This is why hormone imbalances should not be ignored or hidden each month with painkillers and anti-inflammatories or contraceptive medications. The root causes of the hormone imbalance needs to be investigated and resolved. This is what I do!

In my detailed questioning, I will seek to identify all root causes of hormone imbalances. I may also recommend specific pathology testing, including a saliva test of female hormones (which I have noted that not a lot of doctors or even specialists even look at), before recommending a personalised treatment plan.

How good would it be to not have any PMS symptoms or other chronic female conditions (PCOS, Endo, fibroids, etc)?! You can! And I would like to help you have a "normal" period again, or resolve other female hormone related health issues.

Does coffee really cause cancer?

2/4/2018

A Judge in the US (30th March 2018) has recommended that Starbucks and other coffee companies must put a warning label on coffee products sold in California, because of a cancer-causing chemical produced in the roasting process!

The chemical in particular is called acrylamide, which is formed when sugars in foods are exposed to high temperatures when baked, roasted or fried. The amount of acrylamide formed is also dependent on the species of the plant, how long it has been stored or cooked, or other factors.

Typical foods which can produce acrylamide are vegetables such as potato (fried chips, crisps, hash browns etc), bakery products (toast, breads, biscuits, cakes etc), breakfast cereals, and other high-carb starchy foods.
But does coffee cause cancer?

Generally it does not! BUT acrylamide in foods such as coffee can increase the risk of SOME types of cancers in animal and human studies. This is despite the assurances from the Australian Food Standards organisation which suggests that there are no human studies showing this.

But cancer is a very complex condition for which there are multiple causative factors in each person, and there is no one single cause of cancer in anyone. This also means that acrylamide on its own is unlikely to cause cancer, and certainly not from one cup of coffee! Perhaps acrylamide exposure over a long period of time on its own can increase cancer risk, but the other nutrients such as antioxidants and others in coffee can potentially negate that risk.

There are many studies also showing the benefits of coffee in some types of cancers too!

Every week we see a study suggesting something like coffee, red wine, chocolate etc being bashed in the media as causing cancer, then the next week another study comes out saying how good it is for you! Nutrition science is so confusing if you just follow the sensationalist media, and not look at the details of the published studies. The summary graph attached shows multiple studies showing both benefits and risks of coffee, wine, tea and other common foods and drinks!

The issue with scientific research in nutrition is how well designed the study was. For example, whether a study was just looking at the increased risk of acrylamide alone on cancer and inferring that as coffee contains acrylamide, it causes cancer. Or whether whole coffee beans were tested for acrylamide content and then showing an increased risk in coffee drinkers versus non-drinkers. Or what temperature the coffee beans were roasted at, or the water temperature in the coffee, or whether a coffee drinker had good nutrition intake and lifestyle, or an increased genetic risk for cancer, or a thousand other possible factors!

Have your coffee! Drink it and enjoy it! I generally recommend 1-2 cups of brewed coffee per day at most, and preferably none after midday, as it can affect sleep! If you feel the need to have a coffee for an energy pickup after lunch, then there are reasons for this which can be explained and can be resolved without the need for coffee at that time of the day! You will need to see me for this!

What is MTHFR?

19/1/2018

What is MTHFR?! No, it isn't an acronym for something very rude, but for Methylene-TetraHydroFolate Reductase, which is a bit of a mouthful, so MTHFR is much easier!

MTHFR is a human gene, which codes for the production of an enzyme of the same name. The MTHFR enzyme is important for chemical reactions in the body involving vitamin B9 (also called "folate"). The enzyme converts the folate in your food (mainly in plant based foods) into the active form of folate which your body can then use.

Folate is important for many purposes - the synthesis of DNA and the production of new cells, for "methylation" reactions (such as turning on and off gene expression), for metabolising amino acids from proteins (for hormone and neurotransmitter production), for the production of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, to turn off inflammation, for energy production, for critical detoxification functions, and many more functions.

The MTHFR gene and enzyme are especially important because mutations of this gene can have significant impacts on your health. Depending on which mutation of this gene you may have, of which there are 34 different ones, there are 2 main variants which can be tested for, because of their importance in your body.

Depending on the type of MTHFR mutation you may have, it can mean a 20% loss of function, or 40% or even up to a 70% loss of function to the MTHFR enzyme activity. This means that all of the uses of folate can be severely compromised. One of the biggest impacts of a MTHFR mutation is regarding detoxification of chemicals from the body. If your body cannot detoxify environmental toxins efficiently, this can cause a lot of chronic physical and mental health issues.

"Folic Acid", which is an artificially synthesised form of folate found in many vitamin and mineral supplements, is not the same thing as the natural folate. It doesn't have the same effects at all. But most importantly, IF you have the a MTHFR genetic mutation, you MUST NOT be taking any supplement with folic acid in it. Because your body cannot metabolise folic acid properly, folate levels in your blood and body can build up and reach toxic levels, and also inhibit the metabolism of natural folate. Some studies and researchers have suggested that even people without any MTHFR mutation should still avoid all supplements with folic acid in them. There are other forms of folate in supplements which are safer and more effective!

MTHFR mutations are common in people who have heart disease, glaucoma, many psychiatric or mental health conditions, some types of cancers, high levels of inflammation, infertility and recurrent miscarriages, autism spectrum disorders, and many other chronic health issues which don't seem to go away no matter what you do for them. If you suspect you may have a MTHFR mutation due to chronic health issues, you can get tested for this.

Testing for the MTHFR mutation can easily be done with a simple blood test. This test costs just $90, but can be very useful in helping you to achieve your health goals! If you have (or someone you know has) health issues which don't seem to be improving, despite being on a good treatment plan, then a MTHFR genetic mutation can often be the cause of this. Testing for the mutation can give peace of mind and the effects of the mutation can be greatly reduced as there are additional steps in a treatment plan which you may need to include. Please contact me or the clinic to arrange a MTHFR test!

NEW CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING - IS IT ANY BETTER?

5/12/2017

At a recent (but terrible) cancer prevention presentation at the Qld Cancer Council (see my previous article on sunscreens), it was announced that the National Cervical Screening Program of pap smears for women every 2 years is being replaced as of 1st December 2017. Pap smears are no longer being done as a form of preventative screening. However it appears that not many women know about this change...

The current pap smear tests which check for abnormal cervical cells as a form of... proactive checking against cervical cancer is being replaced by the new Cervical Screening Test (CST). Instead, the CST will only check for the HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), which is one cause of cervical cancer. And the CST will only be required every 5 years instead of 2 years for the pap smear.

The CST will still require the same uncomfortable procedure to obtain cervical cells as the pap smear, just less frequently. Only if the HPV virus is found will someone actually visually check your pap smear for abnormal cells.

The issues here are several:
- The CST test is only looking for ONE possible causative factor of cervical cancer, being the HPV,
- The CST ignores all other possible causes of cervical cancer,
- and the less frequent testing (a money saving measure?) is a concern.

I believe these changes may in fact put more women at risk of cervical cancer. Abnormal cells found in the pap smear test are a better indicator of potential cervical cancer, so why the change?

Recent research (Oct 2017) suggests that an HPV infection alone is NOT sufficient to cause cervical cancer! Cervical cancer, and other reproductive cancers in women, are related to female hormones and often an imbalance between the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. The same research also suggests that an immune system dysfunction and inflammation are also equal causative factors in the development and progression of cervical cancer. Other recent research (Oct 2017) says these other factors are mandatory for the development of cervical cancer. So pap smears or the new CST are simply not good enough screening tests for this type of cancer.

As a better preventative for cervical cancer, or other female cancers, or in fact ANY cancer, you can get your immune system function checked, inflammation levels tested, and female hormone levels tested regularly for a much better picture for the prevention of ALL female reproductive cancers, and for your overall health.

Ask me for details of these tests, for a better peace of mind.

do you know what is in your sunscreen?

11/11/2017

Apologies about the longer than usual article this time! But it's important.

Because I have been running a series of “Cancer Prevention” presentations around Brisbane for the past couple of months, as so happens in Facebook, you get adverts targeted to you! I got one from the Cancer Council for their “Cancer prevention for educators” talk in Brisbane, so being very sceptical and curious, I booked in!
I attended their talk recently. The first thing I noticed was a display of various unhealthy drinks at the front, and which they explained later, was to show the amount of sugar in each, as sugar contributes to weight gain they said. They ignored the main issue of sugar, that it directly causes and feeds cancer, or that it causes inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, and many other chronic health issues! None of that was mentioned.
And the ironic thing they missed was regarding the refreshments table at the back of the room – sugar-laden snacks of muffins and cakes… They just don’t get it do they?!
I expected the “same old” information, and yes that’s what I got. They said at the beginning that it would be evidence-based information. I thought otherwise, as you will see when you read some more of this article…
Their “prevention“ advice was pretty light, and a lot was missing. More troubling was that much of their advice was actually going to cause more cancer in many people.
On the topic of sun health, they want everyone to slather on sunscreens every 2 hours, wear sun protective clothing, wear tight-fitting and wrap-around sunglasses when outside ALL the time, and stay out of the sun ALL year around in Qld, because the UV light levels are allegedly too high and dangerous even in Winter!
They obviously didn’t read or know about my last article on the dangers of wearing sunglasses for prolonged periods – research shows that they block up to 98% of sunlight entering your eyes, but you need this to make your sleep hormone (melatonin), your feeling happy hormone (serotonin) which prevents depression and other mental health issues, and your protective skin pigment melanin, which prevents you burning more severely.
I asked the presenter if they were aware of the health implications of wearing sunglasses, which I summarised, and they said they were not!
I asked a question about the issue of getting enough vitamin D, due to the importance of maintaining good levels to improve health and prevent chronic disease. They said everyone should have enough vitamin D from just walking from their house to their car each day… really?! That’s nowhere near enough from the research I’ve read, and I’ve only seen 2 clients with healthy vitamin D levels in the past couple of years.
The topic of eating well came up, and of course they said to follow the government food guidelines, which we all know is a pile of brown smelly stuff, and is the reason why we are seeing so many chronic health conditions these days. They showed an example of a “good” kids lunch box, which was anything but. It also included a small plastic bottle of water. I commented that they should be informing people of the dangers of using plastic bottles, especially for children, and especially in summer – as the hotter the temperature is, the more hormone-disrupting and cancer-causing chemicals will leach from the plastic into the water. A cancer council representative said it was a good point, but they are just focusing on getting kids to just drink more water at the moment. Even if it’s toxic and cancer-causing?
There was a lot more which was not that exciting, and other bits which were shocking, but I will write about those in another article.
Lastly, I spared their embarrassment somewhat when I spoke to the speaker and her boss afterwards, to ask about what testing is done on sunscreens. They said they are tested by the TGA which uses the highest quality testing. Ok, I said, so how do you explain the 4 hormone-disrupting chemicals, 5 cancer-causing chemicals, and many other toxic ingredients in your own brand sunscreens? (See the info in the meme picture)
They looked a little surprised, but said they have faith in the TGA and their scientists who made it. I asked if they can look further into this, because the resources I used to check their ingredients is highly regarded.
I gave them a copy of the meme picture, and 2 pages of recent published research which contradicted their “advice” on sunscreens, skin cancer, sunglasses, and vitamin D.
I hope they look further into this, as they are supposed to provide “evidence-based” information to the public for preventing cancer. But on what I saw and heard in this presentation, they do neither.

WHAT IS CANCER?

29/10/2017

What actually is cancer?

The typical definition is that “Cancer is a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body”. This is not entirely correct or a complete enough definition.

My definition is better (IMHO) and is “Cancer is a SYMPTOM of chronic and systemic dysfunction, toxicity and disease, which causes the cells to lack the ability to perform normal functions such as metabolism, growth and programmed cell death.”

Cancer is not a disease, but a symptom of whole body disease. Tumours are a symptom of cancer, not the disease itself!
Despite what various cancer charities tell us, there are many known causes of cancer, many of which we are exposed to on a daily basis. When we know what the causes are (which we actually do know), prevention becomes very simple.
I have put together a 1-hour introductory presentation on cancer, which explains what cancer is, how it starts in the body, what causes it, and how you can prevent it. Follow-up or advanced presentations are available on cancer treatments, both medical and alternative. These presentations also make up a cancer workshop which Ross is presenting in person and online soon!

More information on this will come soon in further articles on this topic!

is water fluoridation good for you?

30/3/2017

There has been a few mentions in the media this week on various chat shows about some comments that a TV personality (Pete Evans, celebrity chef and paleo advocate) said on the topic of water fluoridation. This article dives into the murky waters of water fluoridation! Yes the pun was absolutely intended!The truth is that we NEED fluoride for healthy bones and teeth! But in the form of CALCIUM fluoride which can be found in only some natural waterways, or in your fruits and vegetables! This "natural" fluoride only occurs in some natural waters under high pressure as calcium fluoride is generally insoluble otherwise.

Unfortunately calcium fluoride is NOT the form of fluoride which is added to Qld water (or in other states in Australia or the USA or in a literal handful of other countries around the world). The "fluoride" added to our water is either sodium fluoride (used as a rat poison), sodium hexafluorosilicate and fluorosilacic acid - which are waste products of fertiliser and aluminium smelting and extremely toxic poisons... Hence not all "fluoride" is the same, or safe to ingest.

Some other facts about fluoride which the government or medical authorities won't tell you:
1) One of the world's most prestigious medical journals, The Lancet, published a study in 2014 which concluded that fluoride was one of several industrial chemicals which are neurotoxins (ie, toxic to the brain). In this study, neurotoxins like fluoride were said to cause developmental delays in children, and are linked to and increased risk of autism, ADHD, and other cognitive issues.
2) Other studies on fluoride have shown that children exposed to fluoride in their drinking water have a lower IQ.
3) Despite the Qld government's decision to fluoridate water supplies in 2007, only one-third of Qld councils are doing so, as many have reversed their decision and stopped fluoridation, after researching the issue more.
4) Water fluoridation has been shown in published research in 2015 to cause thyroid and parathyroid dysfunction including hypothyroidism (low thyroid function, which leads to low body temperature, reduced metabolism, fatigue and weight gain), reduced immune system function, increased inflammation, and other health conditions.
5) Some types of fluoride used in public water have been shown in research in 2011 to cause cancer, especially bone cancer in teenage boys and thyroid cancer.
6) Excessive fluoridation can cause fluorosis in teeth, which is a mottling discolouration with lighter and darker patches. Because fluoride also gets into bones, a similar effect occurs there to cause bone damage.
7) Research from 2011 also suggests that water fluoridation toxicity causes genetic changes in our DNA, which can explain why this leads to cancer and other side effects.
8) Almost all countries in the world do not fluoridate their water, because they are aware of the scientific studies linking the toxic waste product forms of fluoride with a wide range of adverse health effects.
9) Water fluoridation does NOT solve the causes of tooth decay, which are from poor oral hygiene, not brushing teeth correctly or frequently, and a poor diet of too much SUGAR in your food and drinks! Sugar feeds oral bacteria which produce acidic wastes that eat away at your teeth. Better education and public awareness campaigns for oral hygiene will achieve far more benefit and for less cost, and much safer than water fluoridation.

Water fluoridation is an example of government, medical and industry-sponsored mass poisoning of the population. It's about making money for them, as it's not for any health benefit. Luckily there are some things you can do to avoid toxic fluoride - a good quality water filter such as a reverse osmosis filter with specific fluoride filter and remineraliser can remove 99% of fluoride, or some ceramic filters can reduce about 80%. The jug or tap adapter type filters won't remove any fluoride. I'm contacting a couple of water filter suppliers to see what deals they can offer you!

If you don't believe me, please do your own research into what forms of fluoride are added to your water, where they come from and what effects they have on your body, for your health and that of your family. There's tons of published, peer-reviewed research to back this up, and very easy to find - now that you know the forms of fluoride to look for.

why you should avoid all plastics - even THOSE "BPA-FREE"

29/1/2017

Plastic bottles, containers, utensils, toys and other everyday items are seen and used everywhere because they are cheap, easy to make, convenient, light and easily replaced. But this creates a lot of problems to the environment, animals, and even your health.

This article is mainly about the dangers of plastics to the health of you and your family.

No plastic bottles or containers are safe! It doesn't matter whether it be store-bought plastic bottles of water, or reusable bottles that you carry around, or those the kids take to school or which you keep in the car. They ALL contain toxic chemicals which have been proven in research to leach chemicals into the water or foods they contain. It also doesn't matter if the plastic is "BPA-free", PET, Tupperware or anything. They all leach chemicals into the water or food, and 50 times more so when they are hot, which is just one reason why you should never use plastic containers in the microwave oven, or to store hot foods...

The chemicals which leach from plastic containers include hormone-disrupting chemicals and cancer-causing chemicals. Plastics contain chemicals like phthalates which mimic the female hormone oestrogen, and are therefore called xeno-oestrogens. Pregnant women and children are the most vulnerable to phthalates and other hormone-disrupting chemicals, according to research. These oestrogen-mimicing chemicals interfere with your evenly-balanced oestrogen levels to cause a wide range of symptoms and health issues, such as birth defects, male infertility or prostate cancer, early puberty in girls as young as 7 years, PMS symptoms or an irregular cycle in adult females, and other conditions. Other chemicals in plastics have also been shown in research to cause cancers. So you don't want these chemicals in your water, food or on your skin where they can be absorbed to cause these health issues!

If you can try this experiment - put a plastic bottle 1/2 filled with water in your car and leave it there all day in the sun. Then take off the lid and smell the water - it will smell a lot of chemicals. DON'T drink it! In fact, once a plastic bottle has been left in a hot car or in the sun, it should be thrown away. And yes this applies to refillable water bottles which children take to school for the same reason - they get hot in summer and leach chemicals which can affect their health.

There was a problem with BPA plastic a few years ago, proven to disrupt hormones and cause cancer, then this was replaced by "BPA-free" or "BPS" plastic... which sure enough after a few years, was shown to have exactly the same issue. No plastic bottles or containers are safe for hot foods or hot conditions. BUT, it has been shown that freezing water or foods in plastic containers has a similar leaching effect.

Other plastic items which you may not have thought of being a major health hazard include:

Plastic cooking utensils - replace with stainless steel
Plastic kettles - replace with stainless steel
Tinned vegetables, especially tinned tomatoes (as the tin liner is BPA plastic to stop the acidic tomatoes from eating away at the metal tin) - replace with FRESH tomatoes and vegies
Plastic wrap in contact with your food
Frozen "ready meals" in so-called "microwave or oven safe" plastic containers - remove the meal from the plastic and put into a glass container or stainless steel saucepan to heat up
There are plasticiser chemicals like phthalates found in cosmetics, hair care, body washes, fragrances and perfumes, household cleaning products and vinyl products in flooring and your car - use natural alternatives, and check the ingredients!
Thermal receipts from shops.

So what products should you use instead of plactics?! For children's water bottles, stick to stainless steel bottles for their durability. Yes they mostly have plastic lids, but this usually isn't in contact with the water if standing upright. For adults, use stainless steel or glass containers, perhaps with a neoprene or silicon cover to protect it. For cooking and storing of foods, again use stainless steel, glass, enamel or cast iron cookware (not aluminium or copper, as these too can cause toxicity). For other plastic products, find alternatives which are safer. More frequent washing of your hands after contact with plastics may also reduce your health risks.

You may not be able to completely avoid all plastic products, but you can be more aware and find replacement products for most of these to reduce your risk of health issues.