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Ross Walter Nutritionist & Naturopath
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New dangers of sunscreens containing toxic and harmful ingredients, including some causing cancer and hormone effects

21/11/2022

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For over 7 years I have been warning people on the health dangers and toxicity of sunscreens. I have investigated and written on the ingredients in sunscreens and how they actually INCREASE the risks of skin cancers and melanoma (the most dangerous type) and other health issues.
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Sunscreens cause more skin cancers (and other cancers) because of their toxic ingredients which are known to cause cancer, but also due to HOW they work - sunscreens block UV-B light to prevent the skin redness and burning, and prevents production of vitamin D which protects against cancer (!), but this gives you a false sense of security to stay outside in the sun longer to be exposed to more UV-A light, which is the one that causes skin damage and skin cancers...

I personally approached sunscreen manufacturers such as the "Cancer Council" about the ingredients they use in their sunscreens, and the many toxic chemicals, hormone disrupting chemicals (affecting male/female hormones or thyroid function), and known cancer-causing chemicals they use. They denied there was any problem, despite many published studies on the chemicals they use causing these health effects.

So every Spring and Summer I call them out on this, so that people are aware and don't use their dangerous sunscreens. There are much better and safer options available.

Karma might have caught up with the "Cancer Council" in May 2022, when their sunscreens had elevated levels of a cancer-causing chemical (Benzene) in them, and they were forced to make this information public and recall some of their products (TGA, 2022). But they have had these dangerous chemicals in their sunscreens for many years and they did nothing. For example, their "everyday" sunscreens had several known cancer-causing chemicals, AND several hormone-disrupting chemicals, and other toxic chemicals, and some chemicals banned in other countries, in ONE product.

Perhaps as a result of this finding, and perhaps my warnings (I'd like to think so!) the Cancer Council changed the ingredients in some of their products recently in 2022. So I checked out their products and ingredients again, and here it is...

The Cancer Council have so many more products now, mostly with the same toxic ingredients in each product, but some variations too. Their "everyday" sunscreen has one less chemical now, which wasn't one that was known to cause cancer, but did cause neurotoxicity and disruptions to hormones. The "everyday" product still contains 2 cancer-causing chemicals, 2 hormone-disrupting chemicals, and one being damaging the environment or wildlife.

I investigated some of their other sunscreens too, including their "ultra" and "kids" products. The "ultra" product has many more chemicals than the "everyday" product, and more toxic too, with 3 cancer-causing chemicals, 3 hormone-disrupting chemicals, and 3 which are toxic to the environment and wildlife.

The Cancer Council's "kids" product has the same number of chemicals as the "ultra" product, with most being the same, and containing 2 cancer-causing chemicals, 2 hormone-disrupting chemicals, but 3 which are toxic to the environment or wildlife. If you had children, would you really put this on them now?

The Cancer Council is well named isn't it... adding cancer-causing chemicals to their products which are supposed to prevent cancer, but actually causing it instead.

This article shows the importance of always checking the ingredients and chemicals not just in your foods, but what you put on your skin. What you put on your skin is typically absorbed into your body.

Luckily there are better and safer ways to prevent skin cancers, without the avoidance of healthy sun exposure that you need for vitamin D and other health benefits, and without being exposed to toxic and harmful chemicals.

Stay healthy!
 

References:

Cancer Council. (2022). Sunscreens. Retrieved 19th November 2022 from https://www.cancercouncilshop.org.au/collections/sunscreen

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). (2022). Multiple Sunscreens Recall - Low levels of benzene detected. Retrieved 20th November 2022 from https://www.tga.gov.au/alert/multiple-sunscreens-recall-low-levels-benzene-detected
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check your vitamin D levels for coronavirus prevention!

14/8/2020

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I've been checking on the vitamin D pathology results of clients through winter, and have yet to see ANYONE with sufficient vitamin D needed for good health, which is not at all ideal.

A quick recap - vitamin D is made in your body from direct sun exposure on your skin. There are many factors needed for this to occur, such as sufficient cholesterol levels, good liver and kidney function and more.

Vitamin D production is also dependent on your location, or distance from the equator. The further you are from the equator, especially in winter, the more time you need to spend in the sun to make sufficient vitamin D. In summer, the amount of time you need to spend in the sun in most capital cities in Australia to make the same amount of vitamin D is similar (at 6-9 mins daily, as shown in the attached table). In winter, however, the differences between the capital cities are very different. Much more time is needed in winter to make the same amount of vitamin D, at 9-12 minutes for northern cities, or up to 52 minutes daily in southern cities such as Melbourne (Diamond et al., 2005). Spending an hour outside in Melbourne in shorts and t-shirt every day in winter isn't going to happen!

Those at high risk of vitamin D deficiency include the elderly, who we have seen in the coronavirus pandemic have had the greatest loss of life, those in aged care and hospital, shift workers, mothers with breastfed infants, and those with darker skin who need 3-4 times this sun exposure to get the same vitamin D levels (Diamond et al., 2005).

Vitamin D acts as an anti-inflammatory hormone in your body, to reduce inflammation, as well as being a massive immune system booster (Prietl, Treiber, Pieber & Amrein, 2013) and prevention of most respiratory infections such as the common cold, flu (Fagbo et al. 2017), and even the new coronavirus (Grant et al., 2020). Normally, your vitamin D levels should be high through summer from the warmer weather and sun exposure, and high enough to keep your levels sufficient through the colder months. But sun-safe programs of avoiding the sun and wearing sunscreens reduce or even prevent the production of vitamin D, which explains why most people do not have enough of the preventative benefits of vitamin D. It is well known in published studies that a low vitamin D level in winter increases your risk of any respiratory infection.

I was not surprised when the coronavirus outbreak and pandemic occurred in the northern hemisphere during and immediately after their winter, being their highest risk period of low vitamin D levels. Southern hemisphere countries, such as here in Australia, were mostly protected as we were coming out of summer and when vitamin D levels are highest.

But now, being in the period of lowest vitamin D levels in Australia, this is the time of highest risk, but also the most critical time to prevent and reduce incidences of flu and the coronavirus, by addressing the major cause of respiratory infections and a low immune system function - by checking and improving your vitamin D levels.

You can get your vitamin D levels checked with a quick blood test. This can be requested through your GP, or even through me! Vitamin D testing is a paid-for test, at about $30 (ex GST) to the lab at the time of the test.

What result should you look for? In Australia, optimal vitamin D levels need to be at a minimum of 100 nmol/L. Other countries use different units of measurement, so your result may need to be converted.

If you are supplementing with vitamin D through winter or as a preventative for the coronavirus, GREAT! The dose is important too, more so if you have low levels. Therapeutic doses require a minimum of 3000-5000IU per day for adults for at least 6 weeks (Diamond et al., 2005), in order to increase your levels and get health benefits.

There are other factors which can reduce your vitamin D levels, which may need to be investigated and treated, in order to improve your results.

If you are in winter and further from the equator (NB, especially those in Victoria!) get onto the above high dose vitamin D supplementation to reduce your risks of the coronavirus, reduce incidences and mortality, and be able to get back to your free lives again!
 
References:
Diamond, T.H., Eisman, J.A., Mason, R.S., Nowson, C.A., Pasco, J.A., Sambrook, P.N., & Wark, J.D. (2005). Vitamin D and adult bone health in Australia and New Zealand: a position statement. Medical Journal of Australia, 182 (6), 281-285. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb06701.x

Fagbo, S.F., Garbati, M.A., Hasan, R., AlShahrani, D., Al-Shehri, M., AlFawaz, T., Hakawi, A., Wani, T.A., Skakni, L. (2017). Acute viral respiratory infections among children in MERS-endemic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2012-2013. Journal of Medical Virology, 89 (2):195-201. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24632

Grant, W.B., Lahore, H., McDonnell, S.L., Baggerly, C.A., French, C.B., Aliano, J.L., & Bhattoa, H.P. (2020). Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths. Nutrients, 12 (4), 988.  Doi: 10.3390/nu12040988
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Prietl, B., Treiber, G., Pieber, T.R., & Amrein, K. (2013). Vitamin D and Immune Function. Nutrients, 5 (7): 2502–2521. doi: 10.3390/nu5072502
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Open letter to health officials Re: Coronavirus prevention

4/5/2020

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Open letter to all Australian Health Ministers, Health Departments, Doctors, Politicians and Health Regulators, re: coronavirus prevention and containment

I am a Clinical Nutritionist and Naturopath, based in Brisbane and with many years of experience in treating acute and chronic health conditions. I am an evidence-based practitioner, using only proven therapies and treatments for my clients. I specialise in inflammatory and immune system related conditions.

Regarding the current coronavirus infection spreading around the world and Australia (confirmed as a Pandemic by the World Health Organisation), I have been following the statistics and government advice, and I would like to share my thoughts, based on evidence and clinical experience.
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Regardless of how the coronavirus came to be, the following facts are relevant:
  • SARS-CoV-2 is the official virus name, and the infection itself is COVID-19, as designated by the WHO, herein referred to as “coronavirus”
  • The coronavirus causes a respiratory infection, allegedly transmitted via aerosol droplets, mucus secretions and infected fomites (objects touched by those infected with this virus)
  • The TGA have recently published announcements to all health practitioners to not recommend any treatments or products that claim to prevent or treat this coronavirus, unless there is proven evidence of their effectiveness against this specific virus
  • With this virus being so new, there was NO evidence of anything, pharmaceutical or natural as being proven effective at the time of the TGA announcement
  • The virus appears to survive much longer than other viruses out of the body on surfaces
  • Improved hygiene practices such as washing of hands, coughing into the crook of one’s elbow, and self-isolation have been proven in the past to be effective in reducing the risks of other respiratory infections
  • There are no published studies showing the effectiveness of handwashing or improved hygiene against this specific coronavirus. I’m not saying that this should not be done, as past published evidence and anecdotal evidence (from observations, not clinical studies) shows handwashing can reduce transmission risks
  • But the TGA and health departments have only been recommending handwashing, sanitising, social distancing (a totally new concept), and other hygiene practices as preventions or to reduce the risks of this coronavirus, despite a lack of evidence
  • There are many other preventative and treatment strategies and products which have similarly been proven to be effective in the past against all other known coronaviruses (which cause the common cold infections, and previous pandemic viruses of SARS and MERS), but according to the new TGA guidelines, these preventions or treatments cannot be recommended by any health practitioners because there is “no current evidence”. All health practitioners in Australia are effectively "gagged" and cannot make any recommendations to prevent infections or save the lives of our fellow Australians.
I will summarise some statistics of the pandemic, and bring to light some new and missing evidence, and proven recommendations for further reducing the risks of this new virus. Or you can jump to the Conclusions for a brief summary!
 
Statistics

Some statistics on the current coronavirus infection include (as at 28th March 2020):
Country                          Coronavirus Mortality Rate

Australia                         0.39%
USA                                   3.0%
China                                3.9%
Italy                                  10.10%

Conclusion: the Italian Government, like Australia, is classifying deaths by many causes as from COVID-19 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2020b). Italy also has demographic, cultural and other factors contributing to a higher incidence and mortality rate (Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, 2020). There is a significant difference in mortality rates in different countries, or more accurately, by location.
There are many other major causes of daily deaths in the world, compared to the coronavirus:
Reason                                 Daily Deaths

Hunger                                 2,500 (UN, Food and Agriculture Organization)
Malaria                                 2,739 (UNICEF)
AIDS                                      2,100 (HIV.gov)
Influenza                             795 - 1,781 (CDC/WHO)
Coronavirus/COVID-19     270 (as at 11/3/2020), now approx 2000

Total deaths per day         144,000 (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2010)

Conclusion: we cannot believe the "official" death rates, when the Australian government and health departments from WHO recommendations, classifies any death as a "COVID-19" death even if someone were to die from a chronic health condition (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2020b).

These are additional statistics I have analysed (as at 28th March 2020):
Number coronavirus incidences by location/hemisphere
Coronavirus                  Northern            Southern            Equatorial   
incidences                     Hemisphere       Hemisphere       Region
 
No. countries affected         133                        48                        16
Incidences confirmed          96.8%                   1.4%                    1.8%
Deaths confirmed                 98.8%                   0.22%                  1.0%

Conclusion: There is a significant difference between the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths between those who live in the northern hemisphere vs southern.

Or a different analysis of the Australian mortality rate (as at 30th March 2020) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2020):
Australian Population                                     25,464,116
Coronavirus incidences                                  4,460
Coronavirus deaths                                         19
Coronavirus incidences (% population)      0.000175%
Coronavirus deaths (% population)             0.000000746%

Conclusion: Is this really worth shutting the country down for?
 
 
What is significant about the northern hemisphere as a factor of the coronavirus?
It is typical to see many more respiratory infections in winter than summer. Transmission rates and incidences of the common cold, influenza and pneumonia are greatly increased in the cooler months. The infection started in China, in their winter, and spread much more quickly through northern hemisphere countries in their cooler months of winter and early spring. There are several reasons for this difference in seasonal activity in respiratory infections:
  1. Humidity and temperature – the warmer months are generally more humid, especially in more tropical areas. Humidity appears to slow rates of infection transmission by causing infected droplets from coughing or sneezing to fall to the ground instead of floating more in the air and being transmitted to infect people nearby. In the MERS coronavirus outbreak, studies showed a higher temperature and humidity resulted in significantly less lower respiratory tract infections of 45% (Fagbo et al., 2017)
  2. Latitude – Where one lives on the planet, especially their latitude or distance from the equator, determines their Ultra-Violet (UV) light exposure in a given period. People in cities closer to the equator are exposed to more UV-B light on their skin. Direct UV-B radiation on exposed skin is needed to make vitamin D. People living much further away from the equator need more time in direct sunlight to make the same amount of vitamin D (Leary et l. 2017; van der Mei, 2007; Tamerius et al., 2011)
  3. Vitamin D deficiency – vitamin D acts as an anti-inflammatory hormone in the body, and regulates the expression of many genes to have a major systemic benefit to one’s health. Vitamin D isn’t just needed for bone health, but assists the immune system, reduces the rates of viral respiratory infections and influenza, reduces lung conditions like asthma, and can even reduce the risks of many cancers (Hossein-Nezhad & Holick, 2014; Martineau et al., 2017). Vitamin D can also offer antiviral and antibacterial actions as well as stimulating the innate immune system (which identifies and deals with unknown or new infections) (Martineau et al., 2017). Vitamin D deficiency can occur in any season, even in sunny Queensland in summer! (Leary et l. 2017). Vitamin D deficiency, especially in winter, can be a major cause of respiratory infections (Fagbo et al., 2017) and in this study, a vitamin D deficiency amongst a large percentage of the population (which occurs in winter) is the cause of influenza respiratory infection epidemics (Cannell et al., 2008).

There are other factors for the seasonal causes of influenza infections, including temperature, other concomitant infections, other nutrient deficiencies (selenium, vitamin E) (Tamerius et al., 2011), and more. There are other environmental and cultural factors which contribute to the differences in mortality rates between many countries, such as smoking status, air pollution, sleep quality and quantity and others.

The fact that Australia is now entering the cooler months highlights the importance of reducing the risks of respiratory infections using vitamin D supplementation interventions.
 
Virus Transmission and Severity, and the Germ Theory
The transmission of a virus, its severity, and the rate of incidences and mortality depend entirely on the strength and function of each individual person's immune system. This is confirmed with the majority of people with the coronavirus having very mild symptoms. It is only when someone is immune compromised or with a chronic health condition which has reduced their immune system function, that the infection to take hold in their body more quickly and severely. Having a compromised or immune system, perhaps together with ineffectual medical treatments (or no treatments) any virus is going to cause more severe complications like pneumonia.

The transmission, severity, incidences and mortality are not dependent on the coronavirus at all. This is old 1800s germ theory "science". Yet the health officials and media are blaming the virus and trying to stop the virus itself, which is futile and prolongs the pandemic. Washing hands, regular hygiene and isolation are not enough! In conjunction with improved hygiene, prevention and treatments should also focus on the individual, by supporting one's immune system to protect them for prevention, or to fight off the infection better.

The old Germ Theory promoted by Koch and Pasteur no longer applies as not everyone who is exposed to a virus actually develops symptoms or has the infection. This breaks Koch's famous postulates of the germ theory (MedicineNet, 2019), which states that a pathogen must cause the disease in EVERY case of exposure, which doesn't happen. Some more recent experiments have been conducted and results published, after deliberately infecting individuals with a flu virus - even with a strain that was similar to the one which allegedly caused huge mortality rates in the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. In this study, researchers found less than 40% of those who inhaled the virus actually developed symptoms! And of those who did develop symptoms, they were very mild to mild, and none had any serious symptoms at all (Cannell et al., 2008).
 
Evidence-based preventative (and treatment) strategies which should be recommended:
  • Vitamin D - Vitamin D supplementation can reduce risk of infections by reducing inflammation, reducing viral replication rates, reducing age-related morbidity, Vitamin D supplementation during winter has been shown to support immune system function and reduce the incidence of influenza A by approximately one third (Urashima, Segawa, Okazaki, Kurihara, Wada, & Ida, 2010). A very recent study by Grant et al (2020) found evidence that vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of influenza and COVID-19 infections and deaths, but required a higher therapeutic dose than the low recommended daily intakes.
  • Vitamin C – In early studies, a vitamin C deficiency is associated with pneumonia (an often deadly complication of a COVID-19 infection). Vitamin C deficiency is also associated with a reduced immune system function and increases susceptibility to respiratory infections, and vice versa, with infections causing a decrease in vitamin C concentrations (Hemilä, 2017).  Several studies are currently underway in China using vitamin C interventions, with results still to be published.
  • Zinc - is deficient in 49% of adults in the coronavirus risk age group of 51-70 (Boudrealt et al. 2017),  and in people who are frequently exposed to stress. Zinc is needed for good immune system support, as well as reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and improving the immune system response against viruses (Wessels, Maywald, & Rink, 2017). A zinc deficiency is often seen in those with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and contributes to lung injury from the use of a respirator (Boudrealt et al. 2017).
  • Keeping up good water intake – water is needed to keep mucous membranes moist as they act as a protective barrier against viruses in the respiratory tract (Chen, 2009)
  • Eating a good variety of quality foods – your food provides nutrients needed for immune systems function. Nutrient deficiencies reduce immune system function and increase susceptibility to infections.
  • Reducing intake of refined and processed carbohydrate foods - in a recently published study from China, patients with COVID-19 who had poorly managed blood sugar levels and Type 2 Diabetes were at much higher risk of increased incidence, more severe symptoms, and a higher mortality rate. High blood sugar increases inflammation and blood pressure, but reduces immune system function, whereas a well-controlled blood sugar level improved the outcomes of those with COVID-19 and pre-existing diabetes (Zhu et al., 2020). Type 2 Diabetes develops over time from a diet high in carbohydrate-rich foods (>60% of total daily energy from poor food choices), causes insulin resistance, insulin depletion from pancreatic insufficiency, obesity, and cardiovascular and heart disease, being the highest risk factors for incidence and mortality of COVID-19 (Frost, 2003).
  • Getting sufficient and quality sleep - as sleep is needed to maintain good function of the immune system Studies show reduced sleep reduces immune system function and increases susceptibility to respiratory infections (Prather, Janicki-Deverts, Hall & Cohen, 2015)
  • Moderate and regular exercise - a moderate exercise program can improve immune system function and reduce the risk of infections, but intensive training seen with athletes can have the opposite effects (Jones & Davison, 2019).
These recommendations and interventions are cheap, very easy to recommend and implement, and will have a very quick response. They can also reduce the strain on the hospital system by reducing infection rates and severity of symptoms, or in the case of those already having severe symptoms in hospital, these interventions can shorten the severity of symptoms and save lives.

I started recommending these preventative treatments back in January when news of the infection emerged. At the time there was no TGA ban on such advice.
 
The TGA and Expert Recommendations
The scientifically referenced and relevant recommendations in this document have been proven in the past to be safe and effective against many respiratory infections such as influenza and other types of coronavirus. New evidence has been published recently on these preventions and treatments, yet these recommendations are not approved by the TGA, and one must really ask why?

I see the TGA's guidelines of effectively banning all Australian health practitioners (medical and alternative/complementary) from giving any preventative or treatment advice, as being overly cautious. Yes there was little to no evidence for anything (either medical, pharmaceutical or natural) being effective as a preventative or treatment against this particular coronavirus at the time of their guidelines being announced. However, in times of something new like this novel coronavirus, past evidence and anecdotal evidence MUST be seen as the highest form of scientific evidence available. To restrict or ignore past evidence and anecdotal evidence is immoral, and will likely cause many more people to lose their lives in this virus outbreak, as well as prolong the outbreak, disrupt many businesses and perhaps cause the collapse of many companies, threaten the livelihoods of many workers and especially the casual workforce, affect the economy and stock markets, reduce investments, cause further desperation and panic amongst the public, cause social unrest, and more.

There have been a lot of new published studies since the TGA guidelines were announced, giving more clues as to what are some of the causative factors for increased risk of a COVID-19 infection, and for suitable preventions and even treatments. The TGA guidelines now must be updated to reflect this new evidence, and allow health practitioners to give additional preventative strategies and treatment options and further 'flatten the curve" for all Australians.

We have next to nothing to lose by implementing these preventative strategies, but there is so much to lose if we do not.
 
COVID-19 PCR Testing
The current PCR pathology test for COVID-19 is highly inaccurate. The PCR process was developed to increase the amount of a subset of the genetic code of a virus DNA (Ghannam & Varacallo, 2018). The inventor of the PCR process has publicly said it should not be used for pathology testing, based on studies showing it is inaccurate as PCR testing is not standardised with different labs or countries use different variations of the test (Teo & Shaunak, 1995), is not designed to give a definitive binary result of a "positive" or "negative" confirmation, is affected by contamination that can produce misleading results (Ghannam & Varacallo, 2018), is not consistently reproducible and gives a high percentage of false positive and false negative results that were observed in all laboratories (Defer et al., 1992; Zhuang et al., 2020). Even the World Health Organisation's PCR Working Group demonstrated high levels of false-positive and false-negative results (World Health Organisation, 2011).

In addition, limiting testing of the coronavirus to only people who meet a set criteria is skewing the rates of incidences. Hence the rates of incidences are not accurate and cannot be believed, yet the government and health authorities are making significant changes to laws to restrict rights and freedoms based on inaccurate statistics of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as an inaccurate test used to determine those statistics, and more recently the COVIDSafe app that is also reliant on accurate PCR testing!

We can't actually believe any of the "official" statistics of incidences or mortality rates of this pandemic when:
  1. The PCR test is inaccurate, as explained here, and
  2. The WHO and governments (including Australia) are recommending deaths from chronic health conditions and all respiratory infections (flu or pneumonia), to be caused by COVID-19, whether the patient was tested by a faulty PCR test or just ASSUMED to be having the virus (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2020b).
Thus inflating the true incidence rates and the mortality rates, which then gets turned into a fear campaign by the media, and knee-jerk reactions by state and federal governments to implement a raft of laws to restrict our rights and freedoms as well as wrecking the economy and many businesses, all for a generally mild infection for most people.

Instead, consider using faecal testing, as the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been detected in stool samples (Warish et al., 2020).
 
Flu vaccinations during the coronavirus pandemic
The Federal and state governments of Australia have been adding new laws to mandate flu vaccinations for healthcare workers or for the public to visit relatives in aged care, or even for general work. I believe that this decision is irresponsible, is not based on scientific evidence and can actually increase the risks of someone getting the coronavirus. The flu vaccine does not prevent or reduce the risks of getting the coronavirus infection - it's a different type of virus. Several published studies, however, have found that flu vaccinations can cause a phenomenon called "vaccine-associated virus interference"; that is, recently vaccinated individuals may be at increased risk for other respiratory virus infections, especially coronaviruses (Wolff, 2020). This study, on military personnel found a 36% increase in coronavirus infection risk after a flu vaccine (Wolff, 2020).

Another study by Cowling and colleagues (2012), found those who had the flu vaccine, who had no other respiratory viruses beforehand, over a follow-up period of 9 months had a significantly increased risk of confirmed non-influenza respiratory virus infections compared to a placebo group. The study also found no significant reduction in confirmed flu infections in the test group (those who had the vaccine), meaning that the flu vaccine was ineffective.
 
Herd immunity
Herd immunity has been discussed by some experts and being used as a strategy by some countries such as Sweden and Japan. Herd immunity is a theoretical belief that if sufficient numbers of people are immune to in infection (the "herd"), the spread of the infection could be reduced or stopped, thus protecting those who are not immune to the infection.

The theoretical percentage of the population who need to be immune to an infection has been increased over time from 50% to 80% to 90% to 95%, depending on the infection. The estimate has increased as outbreaks were still occurring in populations which had reached the previous "herd immunity" levels through vaccinations for many infectious diseases. Outbreaks still occur in populations with 100% vaccine coverage. Hence vaccination programs are not working.

The NHMRC have published a suggested herd immunity rate for the coronavirus in Australia of 61% (MacIntyre, 2020), based on the rate of transmission, in turn based on a faulty test as described above.

Unfortunately, health officials have confused herd immunity with "natural immunity" from contracting an infection, and "vaccinated immunity" from vaccinations. They are very two different concepts. Herd immunity never occurs from vaccinations for several reasons:
  1. Vaccines only give short-term temporary "immunity" from 6 months (in most flu vaccines) to just a few years for most others. Vaccine-induced immunity is significantly reduced at 5 years after initial whooping cough vaccination and 2x boosters (Lavine, Bjørnstad, de Blasio, Storsaeterf, 2012), and other studies show the same for other vaccines
  2. Not everyone who gets a vaccine develops immunity. This is why boosters or multiple shots are needed, to try and force immunity a second or third time (or more) in those who did not achieve immunity from previous shots. Seroconversion rates (ie, immunity developed via antibodies) can be as low as 16% effectiveness in the annual flu vaccines for some age groups (Sequirus, 2018) , hence in most vaccines, many people do not develop immunity
  3. With 75.2% of the Australian population being adults over 19 years (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2020a) and assuming that most adults do not get regular boosters, when the temporary vaccine immunity wears off a couple of years afterwards, those adults are no longer immune. So there is no longer any "herd" to protect those who cannot have the vaccine; herd immunity does not exist!
  4. Vaccinated women of a child-bearing age who have lost their temporary vaccine immunity cannot pass on this immunity to the foetus, in comparison to women with natural acquired immunity passing that onto the foetus via the placenta and breastfeeding (Jackson, 2006).
Herd immunity is only possible from more people being exposed to the actual infection, and developing antibodies that last a lifetime. Countries that are implementing a herd immunity strategy to combat the coronavirus allow healthy and younger people to continue their normal lives without any lockdowns or business shutdowns. Yes they may contract the infection but without chronic health conditions they are likely to develop only mild or even no symptoms. But they will develop immunity, will shorten this pandemic as the virus will die out, and will increase the level of true natural herd immunity that will protect others.

Those at risk of the virus with chronic health conditions should be recommended to continue to isolate themselves, but those who are young and healthy should be allowed to leave their homes, travel, and resume normal daily activities.

Herd immunity is never achieved from vaccination programs. In fact, the population loses more herd immunity as more people are vaccinated.
 
Recommendations:
For the prevention of coronavirus infections, reducing transmission rates, reducing duration and severity of symptoms, and other benefits, I recommend the State and Federal governments and their respective Health Departments undertake the following:
  • Increase social media marketing and traditional media coverage of better preventative strategies – more than just washing your hands and improved hygiene practices
  • Include recommending preventative strategies that are evidence-based, and have previously been shown effective against respiratory infections, viruses in general and/or other coronavirus strains:
    • Vitamin D – at least 1200IU per day, and safe sun exposure regularly. A study by Grant et al. (2020) recommended a higher dose of 10,000IU per day for a few weeks, followed by 5,000IU per day to get vitamin D levels in the range of 100-150nmol/L for the best benefit of prevention, and a higher dose for treatment
    • Vitamin C – at least 1000mg per day for children, and up to 6-8g per day for adults. A Cochrane systematic review of placebo-controlled trials found that children taking 1-2g (1000-2000mg) vitamin C daily shortened the duration of a common cold infection (a type of coronavirus) by 18% and reduced their severity. In adults the results were smaller (Hemilä & Chalker, 2013).  Best results for reducing respiratory infection duration and symptoms, including preventing pneumonia (a major complication in COVID-19 infections), requires a higher therapeutic dose of up to 6-8gm per day for adults (Hemilä, 2017).  
    • Zinc – 20-30mg per day for adults, and age/weight equivalent for children
    • Other nutritional advice – eating a healthy diet for a variety of nutrients
    • Reducing foods that cause high blood sugar levels - such as sugary foods and drinks, grain-based products, and dairy foods
    • Drinking sufficient water - to keep mucous membranes moist and prevent viral infections, and even using saline nasal sprays if required
    • Getting good quality and quantity sleep - of 7-8 hours per night
    • Moderate exercise.
  • Recommend cautions on using or self-prescribing anti-inflammatory medications such as Aspirin, NSAIDs, and others during a coronavirus infection. Studies have shown that the 1918 Spanish flu did not cause the high number of deaths, but from bacterial pneumonia (National Institutes of Health, 2008)) in conjunction with a new medication at that time - Aspirin, which was prescribed in too high a dose and it affected lung function in those who took it (Starko, 2009). NSAIDs and other anti-inflammatory medications suppress the immune system responses to an infection, leading to more severe symptoms, a longer duration of illness and higher risks of serious complications and deaths (Basille, Plouvier, Trouve, Duhaut, Andrejak, & Jounieaux, 2017).
 
Conclusion
The novel coronavirus pandemic is nothing like what we have seen before.  Hence novel strategies must be implemented to deal with it. Banning recommendations of previously-proven prevention and treatment strategies is immoral when there are many lives at stake.

There are many factors which influence your individual risk for contracting this infection, most of which are environmental. There are also cultural and geographic factors which can significantly increase your risk, which we see in the referenced studies here.

Incidences of respiratory infections (from colds, flu, pneumonia, asthma, and the new coronavirus) can be reduced with preventative vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and other natural interventions, and these should be recommended.

The reported statistics of incidences and mortality are highly inflated due to inaccurate PCR testing, and manipulative recording of deaths to blame the cause on COVID-19. Then these inaccurate statistics are used by governments to implement knee-jerk reactive legislation that destroys lives in many other ways with failed businesses, investments, jobs, and the economy.

A natural "herd immunity" strategy should be implemented to combat the virus, by allowing those who are fit and healthy to resume normal lives, travels and work. Those at risk with chronic health conditions should continue to isolate themselves while also working on improving their immune systems as detailed above. This way, we have a chance of achieving the herd immunity rate of 61% which can slow down the true rate of incidences and mortality, and bring this pandemic to an end quickly.

Please consider the abovementioned simple, cheap, and readily-available preventative and treatment recommendations in the overall prevention and treatment plans for the coronavirus pandemic. All of this evidence (and more) is available in peer-reviewed medical journals. Clinical Nutritionists and Naturopaths like myself have been using and recommending these preventions and treatments for all manner of viral infections with great success in the past, and they should be considered based on past evidence of safety and effectiveness against this coronavirus. As the medical system has no effective strategies or proven medications for this specific infection, it makes sense to use existing therapies such as the above. If not, in the reviews and inquiries after this pandemic, the public will be wondering why these simple and effective therapies were not allowed, or not tried, and why more peoples' lives could not be saved.

Thank you for your consideration.

Ross Walter
Clinical Nutritionist, Naturopath and Herbalist. ATMS

NB - a PDF copy of this article is available from the link below. Feel free to download and share this information to your family, friends, elected officials as needed.
coronavirus_letter_and_research_to_health_ministers.pdf
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Basille, D., Plouvier, N., Trouve, C., Duhaut, P., Andrejak, C., Jounieaux, V. (2017). Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs may Worsen the Course of Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Cohort Study. Lung, 195 (2): 201-208. doi: 10.1007/s00408-016-9973-1.

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Cannell, J.J., Zasloff, M., Garland, C.F., Scragg, R., & Giovannucci, E. (2008). On the epidemiology of influenza. Virology Journal, 5 (29). DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-5-29

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Fagbo, S.F., Garbati, M.A., Hasan, R., AlShahrani, D., Al-Shehri, M., AlFawaz, T., Hakawi, A., Wani, T.A., Skakni, L. (2017). Acute viral respiratory infections among children in MERS-endemic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2012-2013. Journal of Medical Virology, 89 (2):195-201. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24632

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Grant, W.B., Lahore, H., McDonnell, S.L., Baggerly, A.A., French, C.B., Aliano, J.L., & Bhattoa, H.P. (2020). Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths. Nutrients, 12 (4), 988. Doi: 10.3390/nu12040988

Hemilä, H. (2017). Vitamin C and Infections. Nutrients, 9 (4): 339. doi: 10.3390/nu9040339

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Hossein-nezhad, A., & Holick, M.F. (2014). Vitamin D for Health: A Global Perspective. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 88 (7): 720–755. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.05.011

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Lavine, J., Bjørnstad, O., de Blasio, B.F., & Storsaeterf, J. (2012). Short-lived immunity against pertussis, age-specific routes of transmission, and the utility of a teenage booster vaccine. Vaccine, 30 (3): 544–551. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.11.065

Leary, P. F., Zamfirova, I., Au, J., & McCracken, W. H. (2017). Effect of Latitude on Vitamin D Levels. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 117 (7), 433. doi:10.7556/jaoa.2017.089 

MacIntyre, R. (2020). Busting the myths about COVID-19 herd immunity, children and lives vs. jobs. NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence, Integrated Systems for Epidemic Response. Retrieved 14th April, 2020 from https://iser.med.unsw.edu.au/blog/busting-myths-about-covid-19-herd-immunity-children-and-lives-vs-jobs

Martineau, A.R., Jolliffe, D.A., Hooper, R.L., Greenberg, L., Aloia, J.F., Bergman, P., Dubnov-Raz, G., Esposito, S., Ganmaa, D., Ginde, A.A., Goodall, E.C., Grant, C.C., Griffiths, C.J., Janssens, W., Laaksi, I., Manaseki-Holland, S. Mauger, D., Murdoch, D.R., Neale, R., Rees, J.R., Simpson, Jr, S., Stelmach, I., Kumar, G.T., Urashima, M., & Camargo, Jr, C.A. (2017). Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. British Medical Journal, 356: i6583. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i6583

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Prather, A.A., Janicki-Deverts, D., Hall, M.H., & Cohen, S. (2015). Behaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold. Sleep Journal, 38 (9): 1353–1359. doi: 10.5665/sleep.4968

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Tamerius, J., Nelson, M.I., Zhou, S.Z., Viboud, C., Miller, M.A., & Alonso, W.J. (2011). Global Influenza Seasonality: Reconciling Patterns across Temperate and Tropical Regions. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119 (4). doi: 10.1289/ehp.1002383

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Urashima, M., Segawa, T., Okazaki, M., Kurihara, M., Wada, Y. & Ida, H. (2010). Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91, (5): 1255–1260. Doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.29094

van der Mei, I.A.F.,  Ponsonby, A-L., Engelsen, O., Pasco, J.A., McGrath, J.J., Eyles, D.W., Blizzard, L., Dwyer, T., Lucas, R., & Jones, G. (2007). The High Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency across Australian Populations Is Only Partly Explained by Season and Latitude. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115 (8): 1132–1139.  doi: 10.1289/ehp.9937

Warish, A., Angel, N., Edson, J., Bibby, K., Bivins, A., O'Brien, J.W., Choi, P.M., Kitajima, M., Simpson, S.L., Li, J., Tscharke, B., Verhagen, R., Smith, W.J.M., Zaugg, J., Dierens, L., Hugenholtz, P., Thomas, K.V., & Mueller, J.F. (2020). First confirmed detection of SARS-CoV-2 in untreated wastewater in Australia: A proof of concept for the wastewater surveillance of COVID-19 in the community. Science of the Total Environment, pre-proof. Doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138764

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Why are there huge differences in coronavirus incidences & deaths between the northeRN and southern hemispheres?

26/3/2020

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​In a previous article I crunched some numbers on the statistics of coronavirus incidences and deaths, and identified a large disparity between the incidences of the infection in the northern vs southern hemispheres.

In many studies on respiratory infections like the common cold, flu, asthma and pneumonia, there is a significant seasonal fluctuation with most incidences being in the cooler and drier months of the year (Fagbo et al., 2017). The causative link of much higher respiratory infections in winter is due to a vitamin D deficiency. In fact, some studies have shown that a vitamin D deficiency is THE cause of epidemics of respiratory infections in winter (Cannell et al., 2008).

I have crunched the numbers again on the coronavirus statistics, again to look at the differences between the hemispheres. With more data available, I get a similar picture to before, but showing an even more significant outcome. My findings are:

                                                           North                    Equator                South
No. countries affected                  67.5%                    8.1%                      24.3%
No. COVID-19 incidences              96.8%                    1.7%                      1.4%
No. COVID-19 deaths                     98.8%                    1.0%                      0.22%   

Note the huge difference in incidences and deaths between the northern hemisphere and the south. Yes 88-90% of the world’s population live in the northern hemisphere, which can account for some of the difference, but certainly not all of it.

Some more statistics and more differences in the seasonal influence of coronavirus:

                                                    Northern Hemisphere                  Southern Hemisphere
Average mortality rate*      2.04% (range: 0 - 10.10%)            0.57% (range: 0 – 2.07%)
Australian mortality rate    0.39%

* Using data from countries with over 100 incidences (as at 26/03/2020)

There is a 400% increase in coronavirus mortality rates in the northern hemisphere compared to the south. And a 500% difference in the maximum mortality rates between the hemispheres. Australia's mortality rate is very low overall, and when compared to other southern hemisphere countries, and far less than those in the north.

Why is there such a difference between the north and south? The northern hemisphere is coming out of their winter, the traditional season of the highest seasonal respiratory infections, and into spring, another time for seasonal respiratory issues with asthma and hayfever. The attached table shows the differences in the amount of time needed in the Aus capital cities to make the same amount of vitamin D in winter vs summer!  In summer, there's not much of a difference, but a huge difference in time needed in the sun in winter to make vitamin D, especially the further from the equator you are located. This is the problem that the northern hemisphere countries are having.

Low vitamin D levels, from low sun exposure in the colder months, is a cause of low immune system function in winter, and a major cause of respiratory infections and outbreaks like we are seeing (Cannell et al., 2008). Vitamin D is THE key! Vitamin D is the key to prevention and treatment in this pandemic. Conversely, as we in the southern hemisphere are coming out of our summer, our vitamin D levels should be optimal (if we don't use sunscreen every 5 minutes and don't avoid the sun!) to keep us healthy and our immune systems strong going into the colder months. That's the ideal situation, but I see very low vitamin D levels in many clients, even in summer in Qld!

As I keep saying, in order to fix health issues, you must “FIND THE CAUSE AND FIX THE CAUSE”! Normally I would recommend getting your vitamin D levels tested first to check, and then see if you are deficient and need to supplement. At this time with pathology labs working overtime to do coronavirus testing and more on those in hospital, there’s a delay for waiting on pathology results. I don’t think you should wait – get more sun time daily (without getting sunburnt!) AND take a good quality vitamin D supplement daily. You need vitamin D3 (NOT vitamin D2, so check the product label) from a good source, in a capsule form, or oral drops or oral spray, or in cod liver oil! There’s very little harm or risk in taking a vitamin D supplement daily at the moment and continue this while this pandemic is still around or until after winter (for those of us in the southern hemisphere).

Keep up with good hygiene practices, but more importantly, support your immune system better to help it prevent and fight this or any other infection! If you have to isolate yourself, through government mandates or due to infection, DON’T just stay inside! Get outside in the sun in your garden! Get some direct sun exposure on your skin to make more vitamin D (remember that glass blocks the UV-B light needed to make it), as it is the most powerful immune system booster we have!

Stay healthy!
 
References:
Cannell, J.J., Zasloff, M., Garland, C.F., Scragg, R., & Giovannucci, E. (2008). On the epidemiology of influenza. Virology Journal, 5 (29). DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-5-29
​
Fagbo, S.F., Garbati, M.A., Hasan, R., AlShahrani, D., Al-Shehri, M., AlFawaz, T., Hakawi, A., Wani, T.A., Skakni, L. (2017). Acute viral respiratory infections among children in MERS-endemic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2012-2013. Journal of Medical Virology, 89 (2):195-201. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24632
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Coronavirus outbreak is affected by season and vitamin D

16/3/2020

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A few days ago I investigated the statistics of the coronavirus incidences and deaths around the world to check a suspicion. This article is based on what I found. You can use this information to help protect yourself during this outbreak.

Looking at the statistics of the countries with tested and apparently confirmed coronavirus incidences, there are:
  • 83% are in the northern hemisphere, and
  • only 17% is the southern hemisphere.
In addition to these stats, out of the countries with coronavirus deaths:
  • 91% are in the northern hemisphere, and
  • just 9% in the south or on the equator...
This is extremely significant, but why?

Well, the northern hemisphere countries are just coming out of their winter.

From past experience and reading relevant research, I know that the rates of respiratory infections like the common cold, flu and pneumonia are higher in the cooler and drier winter months, and not in summer. So it didn't surprise me to see the coronavirus taking hold during the 2019-2020 winter in the northern hemisphere.

But why do we see this seasonal variation of respiratory infections?

It's quite simple really! During winter, and especially coming out of it, it is very typical of most people to have low vitamin D levels! Vitamin D is made by our bodies from direct sunlight on exposed skin. In summer we are outside in the sun more, exposing more skin to the sun and making more vitamin D. In winter the reverse is true.

Vitamin D is a massive immune system booster! Vitamin D also reduces inflammation, reduces the rates of viral respiratory infections and influenza, and reduces lung conditions like asthma (Hossein-Nezhad & Holick, 2014; Martineau et al., 2017). Vitamin D can also offer antiviral and antibacterial actions as well as stimulating the innate immune system (which identifies and deals with unknown or new infections) (Martineau et al., 2017).

Our summer vitamin D levels should be good enough to keep our immune systems functioning well through winter and into spring when it warms again (then we start going outside with less clothes on again!). But I see more clients than not are vitamin D deficient even in summer in Qld, which is crazy!

Vitamin D deficiency, especially in winter, can be a major cause of respiratory infections (Fagbo et al., 2017) and a vitamin D deficiency amongst a large percentage of the population (which occurs in winter) is the cause of influenza respiratory infection epidemics (Cannell et al., 2008).

Flu and respiratory infection epidemics are caused by a deficiency of vitamin D! Regardless of whether you are located in the northern or southern hemisphere, get out into the sun (without getting sunburnt!) daily to make more vitamin D, and/or start getting onto your vitamin D supplements NOW for prevention! And also look at some of the other immune system supportive nutrients and herbals, and antiviral products too, as mentioned in my earlier articles!

References:
Cannell, J.J., Zasloff, M., Garland, C.F., Scragg, R., & Giovannucci, E. (2008). On the epidemiology of influenza. Virology Journal, 5 (29). DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-5-29

Fagbo, S.F., Garbati, M.A., Hasan, R., AlShahrani, D., Al-Shehri, M., AlFawaz, T., Hakawi, A., Wani, T.A., Skakni, L. (2017). Acute viral respiratory infections among children in MERS-endemic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2012-2013. Journal of Medical Virology, 89 (2):195-201. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24632

Hemilä, H., & Chalker, R. (2013). Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1: 1465-1858. 

Hossein-nezhad, A., & Holick, M.F. (2014). Vitamin D for Health: A Global Perspective. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 88 (7): 720–755. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.05.011

Leary, P. F., Zamfirova, I., Au, J., & McCracken, W. H. (2017). Effect of Latitude on Vitamin D Levels. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 117 (7), 433. doi:10.7556/jaoa.2017.089 

Martineau, A.R., Jolliffe, D.A., Hooper, R.L., Greenberg, L., Aloia, J.F., Bergman, P., Dubnov-Raz, G., Esposito, S., Ganmaa, D., Ginde, A.A., Goodall, E.C., Grant, C.C., Griffiths, C.J., Janssens, W., Laaksi, I., Manaseki-Holland, S. Mauger, D., Murdoch, D.R., Neale, R., Rees, J.R., Simpson, Jr, S., Stelmach, I., Kumar, G.T., Urashima, M., & Camargo, Jr, C.A. (2017). Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. British Medical Journal, 356: i6583. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i6583

Tamerius, J., Nelson, M.I., Zhou, S.Z., Viboud, C., Miller, M.A., & Alonso, W.J. (2011). Global Influenza Seasonality: Reconciling Patterns across Temperate and Tropical Regions. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119 (4). doi: 10.1289/ehp.1002383
​
van der Mei, I.A.F.  Ponsonby, A-L., Engelsen, O., Pasco, J.A., McGrath, J.J., Eyles, D.W., Blizzard, L., Dwyer, T., Lucas, R., & Jones, G. (2007). The High Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency across Australian Populations Is Only Partly Explained by Season and Latitude. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115 (8): 1132–1139.  doi: 10.1289/ehp.9937

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Sunscreens are a major cause of skin cancers

1/11/2019

1 Comment

 
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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!​

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Are fish oil and vitamin D supplements good for you?!

22/11/2018

2 Comments

 
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This article is another example of how good quality scientific methods in research studies can be deliberately misused or manipulated to return a biased result, which then causes confusion amongst the public, in the media and in scientific circles.

A Harvard trial (called the VITAL study) studied almost 26,000 men and women taking supplements of vitamin D3 or omega-3 fish oil or both, to investigate any benefits in reducing the risks of cancer, heart disease or stroke. Despite overwhelming other evidence that both these nutritional supplements have shown anti-inflammatory benefits against these and other chronic diseases, this study concluded that neither supplements had any "significant" benefits against these chronic conditions.

The key word here is "significant". They arrived at this conclusion despite their calculated and stated 17-25% reduction in cancer risk from taking the vitamin D3 supplement! Their data said it DID have a benefit, yet their conclusion said it didn't! Great science there.

At least they did say that vitamin D3 was well tolerated, and people had few, if any, side effects. You can't say that about any pharmaceutical drug...

As for the omega-3 supplement, they noted an 8% reduction in risk for heart disease, which they again said was "not significant". But interestingly a subgroup DID see a very significant reduction in heart disease risk, being African Americans, who had a 19% reduced incidence of heart events or up to 77% reduction in heart attacks. Not significant?! Sure, nothing to see here, move along now...

How was the science manipulated to give their results as offering "no benefit", despite their data to the contrary? They simply did not use therapeutic doses of the vitamin D or omega-3 supplements! Simply by testing people on small or sub-optimal doses of the supplements, they produced results which didn't show a large benefit, or at least, not large enough for them to be "significant"!

Do I recommend vitamin D3 and omega-3 supplements? Yes, absolutely! But there are several things to keep in mind about this:

1) the quality of the product and ingredients. Not all vitamin D or fish oils are the same. There's a huge difference in quality and ingredients (and therefore, a difference in results) between cheap retail products and practitioner branded products
2) the dosing of the products. The dosing on retail products is simply a deficiency-preventing dose, similar to what was used in this study. For treatments of chronic health conditions, a therapeutic dose is needed for best results!

There are many good quality scientific studies on vitamin D and fish oils for their anti-inflammatory benefits for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, but their results are often negated by poor quality, poorly designed, and often biased studies paid for or "sponsored" by a group or company with a vested interest in the result. Even the editors of leading scientific journals have said in the media that up to 75% of studies are fake, manipulated or poorly designed.

On top of this all is the media's ability to misinterpret and sensationalise any result, both good or bad, to sell their news, which simply confuses people even more.
It's a shame that science can be bought, manipulated, or abused in this way.

I will keep taking fish oils and vitamin D supplements myself, and recommending them, because good quality scientific studies do show benefits, and I see this in myself and my clients too!
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Cold and flu prevention 2018 (Part3)

2/7/2018

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As mentioned in a recent article of mine, according to scientific studies looking at the infection rate of the flu virus, only about 20% of people get the flu even when deliberately exposed to the virus or from being in very close proximity to those infected with it.

So what protects you from flu - your immune system! This is why 80% of people won't get flu even when in very close contact with those who are infectious. You may only get symptoms of an infection when your immune defences are down and the infection gets on top of your immune system.

Your immune system has 2 main parts - the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system is mostly found in your respiratory and digestive tracts, but also reproductive and urinary tracts too. The white blood cells of your innate immune system find and destroy foreign microbes which are recognised as not being "self". These immune system cells are non-specific, meaning that they find and fight any foreign invaders, and especially those which haven't been encountered before.

The adaptive immune system develops from the innate immune system, so that the adaptive immune cells can "learn" about the newly encountered microbes, and develop antibodies to them for longer-term protection and a quicker immune response when the microbes are found in the future.
 
Another problem with the flu vaccine is that this bypasses the innate immune system, as the simulated "infection" starts in the muscle where the injection occurs, and not in the respiratory tract where the innate immune system would normally start the healing process. Because of this, the innate immune system doesn't trigger the normal "learning" about the flu virus to produce permanent or even long-term memory against the infection. As a result, the flu vaccine's attempt at "immunisation" or developing an immunity only lasts a few months at most. In a real flu (or other microbial) infection, the innate immune system triggers the adaptive immune system to develop antibodies and learn for a PERMANENT immune response against the infection. In this instance, the adaptive immune system will never forget how to respond to a particular natural infection, unlike what happens with a flu vaccine.

When many other published studies show little or no benefit to the flu vaccine in terms of duration or severity of flu symptoms compared to people who don't get the flu vaccine, you have to wonder why there's such a push for everyone to get this shot...

The Cochrane review studies, which are the highest form of published research, show that the flu vaccine only reduces the flu infection rate by 1%, or in other words, only one person in 100 actually benefits from the vaccine. Another Cochrane study found that the flu vaccine only had a modest effect on time off work (1 day difference) and had no effect on hospital admissions or complication rates compared to those who did not get the flu vaccine. This study also reported that "reliable evidence on influenza vaccines is thin but there is evidence of widespread manipulation of conclusions and spurious notoriety of the studies", and "Studies funded from public (ie, independent) sources were significantly less likely to report conclusions favourable to the vaccines". Meaning that there is a lot of bias in pharmaceutical industry studies reporting "benefits" to the flu vaccines.

Other studies I referenced in a previous article suggests that the flu vaccine actually causes more respiratory infections (viral as well as bacterial), which can spread and infect more people.

You are much better off preventing flu by:
1) Improving your nutrition intake and lifestyle factors, which can boost your immune system
2) Improving hygiene during winter - washing hands more, and not touching your eyes, mouth or nose
3) Improving your vitamin D levels with more safe sun exposure, or vitamin D3 supplements during winter. Remember, "Vitamin D is the key" to prevention and treatment of flu!

Stay healthy this winter!

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COLD & flu prevention (part 4) - the main cause is...

9/7/2016

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Here is part 4 of my recent "cold and flu prevention" article... enjoy! (please see parts 1-3 in other articles below)

The key to staying healthy this coming Winter is prevention and preparation!
Why do we get more colds and flu in Winter? I have heard doctors/GPs saying that we get more because there are more bugs going around in Winter, or they are more active. That is nonsensical and goes against the laws of physics! Viruses (which cause colds and flu) and bacteria are all around us, on us and in us all the time! We only get ill when our immune systems are not functioning well to stop them replicating out of control to cause illness.
The real answer to why we get more infections in Winter is very simple, and can be answered with further questions. What is the difference between Summer and Winter? The temperature, caused by the sun being further away and a shorter amount of daily sunlight! What does this have to do with colds and flu? Well, in Summer there is more sunlight and we spend more time outside in the sun, the opposite of Winter. Your body makes vitamin D from direct sunlight exposure on your skin, and vitamin D is a MASSIVE immune system booster, antioxidant and hormone, all required for many health benefits!
In Winter, you generally spend less time outside because it's colder, and with less skin exposed to sunlight (needed to make vitamin D), and the majority of people in Winter are deficient in vitamin D. The further from the equator you are, the more difficult it is to get enough from vitamin D in Winter. Therefore your immune system will not be functioning optimally to prevent colds, flu, cancer and many other infections or health conditions. Further adding to a lowered immune system function are a poor diet, stress, lack of exercise, exposure to toxins and chemicals, poor sleep, lifestyle and other factors.
Much scientific research proves that a vitamin D deficiency is THE major cause of colds and flu in Winter, because of a reduced immune system function. In Winter you need to spend about 3 times as much time in the sun to get the same amount of vitamin D as in Summer.
In an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study (2010), it was shown there was a 42% reduction in flu infections with vitamin D supplementation. Another study in the Virology Journal (2008) found that a vitamin D deficiency is the cause of flu epidemics.
To prevent colds and flu this Winter, you need to be prepared and do all you can to increase your immune system function by addressing all causes, and also preventing or replacing your deficiency in vitamin D with a nutritional supplement in a capsule, spray or oral drops form.
To prevent the incidence of colds and flu this Winter, OR to recover quicker remember this: "Vitamin D is the key!".
For the best vitamin D supplement for you, or other immune system boosting and preventative advice, please see me!


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cold and flu prevention (part 2)

26/4/2016

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Here is part 2 of my recent "cold and flu prevention" article... enjoy!

The key to staying healthy this coming Winter is prevention and preparation!
As I said in my previous article, you don't catch a cold or flu because it's "going around"! You get one because your immune system isn't functioning at its optimum to protect you from them. By looking at what actually causes your immune system to not function well, we can easily see what you need to do (and what to avoid) in order to stay healthy in the cooler months!
Your immune system function is affected by:
1) Stress, emotional issues, moods and attitudes

2) Your diet - vitamin and mineral deficiencies, eating junk foods etc
3) Your lifestyle - smoking, alcohol, drugs
4) Hygiene habits - yours and others
5) Your environment
6) Toxins, pollution and chemical exposure
7) Medications - many drugs lower your immune system response, including NSAIDs, corticosteroids, antibiotics and other immunosuppressive medications
8) Poor quality or quantity sleep
9) Imbalance in your gut bacteria
10) Lack of sun exposure - and therefore a vitamin D deficiency.
Therefore these are the main causes of you getting a cold or flu! These are the things I help you with as a holistic nutritionist - to improve your immune system function from many different aspects, in a gentle, safe and natural way! There is no single way to prevent a cold or flu - it's a combination of actions that are required on multiple causative factors as listed above.
Not only will your immune system improve, but other symptoms and health conditions can be reduced or cleared by working on these causes too! That's how I can help you to improve your health.
Stay tuned for another article soon on preventing a cold and flu, where I will tell you what the 2 biggest causes of colds and flu are!

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Sunlight doesn't cause skin cancer (part 2)

19/1/2016

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Here is part 2 of my article on "sunlight does NOT cause skin cancer": (please see below for the part 1 article if you missed it!)

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.
Queensland has the highest rates of melanoma per capita than anywhere in the world. Research shows that the greatest rise in melanoma is seen in countries/areas where chemical sunscreens are most heavily promoted and advertised, and not due to changes in the ozone layer.
In the Cancer Epidemiology Markers and Prevention Journal in 2011, 49000 women were studied over 15 years, and the research showed that there was no evidence of cumulative UV exposure increasing the risk of skin cancer. In the same journal in 2011, 38000 women were studied over 15 years, concluding that sun exposure reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and dying from any cause, but there was an increased risk of dying from solarium use.
Let's have a look at a sunscreen recommended and sold in Australia from the Cancer Council - one would think a reputable source for a good product?! Well, it appears not... Some of the chemicals in their sunscreens include (source: http://skinhealth.com.au/blog/product/everyday/):

Phenoxyethanol - a preservative. Unfortunately this is a neurotoxin and shown to affect the nervous system, causes dermatitis, causes reproductive damage and genetic damage (ie, cancer), according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Hydroxybenzoates - a paraben, antioxidant, antimicrobial and preservative. This chemical can cause skin irritation and allergies. Parabens are oestrogen hormone mimicking chemicals that have hormone interfering effects on the body, and have been linked to breast cancer development and growth.

Benzyl alcohol - a preservative. This chemical can irritate the skin and over time can cause allergic dermatitis, and is very dangerous for very young children as it has caused some deaths in premature babies. It can also break down into other chemicals, one of which is formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemical.

Not only do sunscreens cause skin cancer from giving you a false sense of security outside in the sun (they allow you to spend more time being exposed to the cancer-causing UV-A radiation and not getting burnt) but they also contain chemicals which can directly cause cancer too...

If you can't regularly get out into the sun, then vitamin D from food the next best option, particularly fish liver oils such as cod liver oil. Very few other foods actually contain vitamin D3. Some plant foods contain vitamin D2 but this isn't as usable in the body. You can also get vitamin D as a supplement, such as Vitamin D3 (not D2!) which can be taken as a tablet, capsule, liquid or oral spray. See your health practitioner or myself for any questions!

From recent research, it is clear that we need vitamin D from sunlight for many benefits to our health and we should not be scared of going out in the sun. Check the table in the attached picture to see how much sun exposure you should get for optimal vitamin D levels without burning. Also, avoid the toxic and cancer-causing chemicals found in most commercial sunscreens and either use a natural one from your local health food store, or look for a recipe online for a safe and effective sunscreen using coconut oil!

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Is dairy really good for you?

2/12/2015

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If you believe the government food guidelines (laugh!), the food pyramid (a bigger laugh!) and product marketing in the media (eye roll!), then dairy products are the main answer to healthy bones, or to have calcium supplements instead!

The real truth about calcium is a lot different!

The average serving of 100ml of full cream milk contains 107mg of calcium, which, depending on your age, is only about 1/3 to 1/4 of the daily recommended intake of calcium needed.

Dairy foods are not a great source of calcium for many people who have issues with dairy - being intolerant or sensitive to lactose (ie, the natural sugar in milk) or casein (a protein in milk), due to the processing of milk, including pasteurising (heating) and homogenisation (mixing the cream/fat into a more consistent liquid.

There are further issues with dairy, due to family ancestry and ethnicity, with many people from parts of the world not normally eating or drinking dairy products. Ancestors of indigenous cultures, Asians, Pacific Islanders have never historically had dairy in their diets, and their bodies have not got sufficient enzymes to digest these foods. This trait has been passed down to the current generation. As such they are more likely to suffer intolerances to dairy or even allergies. Dairy can affect your health by causing excessive mucus secretion, gastrointestinal issues, allergies, skin problems and inflammation (ie stress) in your body).

So for doctors, dietitians, food industry marketers and others to say everyone should consume dairy foods in order to get enough calcium is ill-informed or ignorant at best, as it can be quite dangerous to health at worst.

So where else can you get calcium from for healthy bones and a healthy body?! Calcium is actually more readily found in seafood, nuts, and vegetables and sometimes in much higher amounts than in dairy! Some of the non-dairy highest sources of calcium include (per 100g) in decreasing order:

- sardines (367mg)
- salmon, canned (334mg)
- almonds (250mg) (other nuts are also fairly high in calcium)
- figs, dried (200mg)
- parsley (190mg)
- mussels (173mg)
- oysters (132mg)
- sunflower seeds (100mg)  (other seeds are also fairly high in calcium)
- kale (100mg)
- bok choy (86mg)
- spinach (58mg)
- eggs (38mg)
- broccoli/broccolini (33mg)

As you can see, most green leafy vegetables are very high in calcium, as are nuts and seeds, and some seafood too! Whether you have a problem digesting dairy foods or don't like to eat dairy, there are many other options available to you for your calcium requirements!

The other major issue with getting enough calcium in your diet is that you also need other nutrients in order to be able to actually absorb and use the calcium from your food! The major one is vitamin D. Your body cannot absorb calcium for use in healthy bones and other functions without having good vitamin D levels in your body!

How do you get good vitamin D levels? From the sun! Your body makes vitamin D from direct sun exposure on your skin.  Not from sunlight through glass windows, and not with sunscreen on! You need to spend enough time in the sun on a regular basis (without burning) to raise your vitamin D levels. But what about the issue with sun exposure causing skin cancer, I hear you ask?! It doesn't happen. That's a whole other topic which I have written about previously on my blog. In short, scientific research shows that sun exposure (and increasing vitamin D levels) in moderate amounts does not cause skin cancer, and actually protects you against many forms of cancer! There are other factors at play that cause skin cancer which you can read about in my other article on this topic.

I don't recommend most calcium supplements as they aren't the easily digested and absorbed types of calcium, and you still need good vitamin D levels to get any benefit. Vitamin D supplements are available too, but again, it's often not the right type of vitamin D that your body can use! This is why you need to speak to a professional (that would be me!) who can holistically look at your situation, your health, diet, lifestyle and goals, to put a personalised plan into place that will actually work for you!

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