Abha Light Foundation
Alternative Medicine in the News
August 2009      edition 33
published weekly

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in this issue
:: Sixteen Active Plant Components Explained
:: Homeopathy and the World Health Organisation: A new target for our opponents
:: Children and Pregnant Women Targeted in U.S. Swine Flu Mass Vaccination Program
:: Flu Shots Put Children in the Hospital
:: Exciting new research into homeopathy and cancer
:: Ant deterrent tips
:: Canola Oil: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Sixteen Active Plant Components Explained
by Kirk Patrick
Along with minerals and vitamins there are many other active components that originate in plants. As each serves a particular function, and some plants contain more of these elements or compounds than others, familiarity with each one offers insight into their combinatorial and physiological effects. This article will detail 16 plant constituents along with providing common sources of each.

The Top 16 Plant Components
  1. Alkaloids - The most active ingredient found in plants, these (normally nitrogen bearing) molecules have various medicinal and even cancer fighting effects on the body but are also toxic in high doses. Most plants contain some alkaloids. One of the most popular examples of an alkaloid is caffeine and is found in coffee, tea, and cocoa. Another alkaloid is solanine, a toxin found in the nightshade family and one reason why some people are sensitive to tomatoes, peppers and potatoes.
  2. Anthocyanins - Antioxidant pigments that give fruits and flowers their blue, purple or red hue, anthocyanins help keep blood vessels healthy. Foods that contain large amounts of anthocyanins include grapes and blackberries.
  3. Anthraquinones - Anthraquinones are natural laxative components in plants that relieve constipation, soften stool and cause peristaltic action. Sources of anthraquinones include senna, cascara sagrada and chinese rhurbarb.
  4. Bitters - An essential food group and something the human tongue is designed to detect, bitters have largely been factored out of the human diet due to their unpleasant taste. Bitters however are a key to digestion as they cause the secretion of salivary enzymes that nourish and strengthen the body. Some popular herbal products feature concentrated bitters. Examples of bitter foods include coffee, unsweetened chocolate, bitter melon and citrus peel.
  5. Cardiac Glycosides - Natural diuretics that directly strengthen the heart by increasing the contraction rate, cardiac glycosides also improve circulation, lower blood pressure and relieve the urinary tract. Examples of plants containing cardiac glycosides are Digitalis lanata and Digitalis purpurea from which digoxin and digitoxin are derived. Caution: plants containing cardiac glycosides such as Foxglove are often poisonous. Consult your doctor before pursuing treatment with cardiac glycosides.
  6. Coumarins - Coumarins offer widely divergent strengthening mechanisms that include sunscreen protection, blood thinning and muscle relaxant action. Found in many plants, popular examples include the tonka bean (Dipteryx odorata) and members of the Umbelliferae and Solanaceae families.
  7. Cyanogenic Glycosides - Though based on highly poisonous cyanide, cyanogenic glycosides offer a sedative effect on the heart and muscles in small doses and are also used to sooth congestion and suppress a dry cough. Cyanogenic glycosides are found in Wild Cherry bark and Elderflower. Caution: Due to the risk of cyanide toxicity, consult your doctor before pursuing treatment with Cyanogenic glycosides.
  8. Flavonoids - Flavonoids are antioxidants known as polyphenols which improve circulation and relieve tissues damaged by pathogens. Based on the Flavone molecular backbone which comes in various sizes and includes neoflavonoids and isoflavonoids, flavonoids play a role in pigmentation and also have anti-inflammatory properties. Good sources of flavonoids include onion, garlic, basil, spinach and green leafy vegetables.
  9. Glucosilinates - Glucosilinates have an irritant effect, causing inflammation and blistering of tissues. Used to increase blood flow to an affected area, glucosilinates facilitate waste removal, relieve joint problems and reduce thyroid function. Glucosilinates are found exclusively in the mustard family (Cruciferae).
  10. Minerals - Minerals are the basic elements from the Periodic Table. Examples include magnesium, iron and copper. Certain minerals are essential for certain life forms. Minerals are the building blocks of vitamins and are found in all foods.
  11. Mucilage - Mucilage is a component of many plants that contains polysaccharides (large sugar molecules). These retain water to produce a jelly like mass which offers protective and moisturizing effects. Soothing to the skin, throat, lungs and other organs, mucilage is found in aloe vera and psyllium seed husks.
  12. Phenols - A component of many compounds including salicylic acid (aspirin), phenols are antiseptic and anti-inflammatory components of plants. Phenols actually have an irritant effect when applied directly to the skin. Phenols are found in all foods, but high phenol foods that should be avoided by those with sensitive digestive tracts include food dyes, Vanillin flavor, oranges, tomato, peanuts, and chocolate.
  13. Saponins - A group of two expectorant elements that induce hormonal activity, saponins (including triterpenoid and steroidal) are similar to naturally occurring hormones found in the human body. Licorice is perhaps the most popular saponin.
  14. Tannins - Familiar to wine drinkers as the ingredient that causes headaches, tannins are an astringent element found in bark and leaves of all plants and are there to repel life forms such as grazing animals, insects and pests. Used to `tan` leather, tannins cause tissue to contract the way Alum does. Sources include beer, wine, chocolate and citrus foods.
  15. Vitamins - Vitamins are the essential building blocks of life. More complex than minerals, vitamins are molecules versus atoms. Certain vitamins are required for proper cellular function, without which disease and disorder follow. For example, without vitamin C one will develop scurvy. Vitamins are found in all foods except iceberg lettuce.
  16. Volatile Oils - Volatile substances are constantly breaking down through oxidation or other natural interactions with the environment. Volatile oils are the component of plants that offer the strong aroma to attract foraging wildlife, and these oils often provide concentrated medicinal benefits as well. Volatile oils are strongly antiseptic and normally have anti-inflammatory properties as well. Aromatherapy involves the use of volatile (essential) oils to alter moods and perception as well as to detoxify the body. Sources of volatile oils include tea tree, black seed, peppermint and oregano oil.
Warning:
Plant extracts such as the ones described in this article can be extremely potent. Note that all substances have what is called the Therapeutic Index or the ratio of the lethal dose over the effective dose. For example, one vitamin E is therapeutic while 25 vitamin E can be fatal. Thus, vitamin E has a toxic to therapeutic ratio of 25/1 or a therapeutic index of 25. With many of the substances covered in this article there is a fine line between a lethal and effective dose so use caution.

References
The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants - Dorling Kindersley and Andrew Chevallier.
Homeopathy and the World Health Organisation: A new target for our opponents
from www.hmc21.org

On 1 June 2009 The Guardian published an article "British scientists ask WHO to condemn homeopathy for diseases such as HIV"; the article also specifically mentions TB and Malaria. In an open letter to the WHO, the authors write: "Those of us working with the most rural and impoverished people of the world already struggle to deliver the medical help that is needed. When homeopathy stands in place of effective treatment, lives are lost".
 
It is important to know that these scientists are a group of "early career medics and researchers from the Voice of Young Science network", linked to the Sense about Science group, well known for its attacks on homeopathy.
 
One wonders from where these "young early career scientists" get the idea that orthodox medicine is the only valid form of medicine? And where their evidence is that lives are lost because of homeopathy, since no evidence is provided in the article? And, above all, why they believe that the WHO would interfere in the national health systems of independent countries? Could this be a medical version of delusions of imperial grandeur?
 
Now Professor of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Edzard Ernst, who has shown to be wholly unscientific in his approach to alternative medicine (see Halloween Science by William Alderson), has made a renewed attempt to bring this matter to our attention in GP Pulse (29 June 2009 "WHO stance on homeopathy could harm Third World").
 
One cannot but wonder whether Edzard Ernst and his colleagues are now trying to influence the WHO to take homeopathy off the global map. Otherwise what are these public outcries about? We have not heard Ernst expressing concerns about the health problems in so-called developing countries before.
 
Lets have a look at the facts about homeopathy worldwide, then.
 
According to a report by the WHO in 2001 (Legal Status of Traditional Medicine and Complementary/Alternative Medicine: A World Review) homeopathy is part of the  national health system of the following countries, and in all of these (except for the UK) homeopathy is certainly used in the treatment of TB, Cancer, Malaria, HIV and any other serious diseases:
  • Brazil: In 1988 the Government recognised homeopathy and included it in the National Health System.
  • India: Since 1970 Homeopathy has been well integrated into the national health care system with State hospitals and dispensaries and State-supported research and training.
  • Mexico: Homeopathy has been accepted and integrated into the national health system. In 1996 the Government recognized homeopathy as a medical specialty.
  • Pakistan: Homeopathy is integrated into the national health system. The Unani, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Practitioners Act of 1965 was passed to regulate qualifications.
  • Sri Lanka: The Homeopathy Act of 1970 recognized homeopathy as a system of medicine and established the Homeopathic Council, which is responsible for regulating and controlling the practice and education of homeopathic medicine.
  • UK: In 1950 the Government gave official recognition to homeopathy in the Faculty of Homeopathy Act. Successive governments have ensured that as long as patients require complementary/alternative treatment, access to it will be guaranteed. As a result, the UK is the only country in the European Union with public-sector hospitals for homeopathy.
According to the WHO report homeopathy is practised legally in the following countries, and is the first or second most popular form of complementary/alternative medicine in many of these; several of these countries also include reimbursement for homeopathic treatment in mandatory or private health insurances:  Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand. Nicaragua, Norway, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia,  Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, USA, Venezuela.
 
This was in 2001; in the meantime homeopathy is available in many more countries (see the update on our website soon). A complete summary of the WHO report, including updates and with special reference to homeopathy, will be on our website www.homeopathyworkedforme.org.uk soon. Another document for the success of homeopathy!
Children and Pregnant Women Targeted in U.S. Swine Flu Mass Vaccination Program
Mike Adams, Natural News

The U.S. government is about to unleash a sweeping new vaccination program that claims to protect people from swine flu. The vaccines, which are of course completely useless against any mutated strain of the H1N1 influenza virus, are nevertheless quite useful at suppressing the immune function of those who receive them. Well-designed medical studies conducted over the years have consistently shown that the people who catch the flu (influenza) with the greatest frequency are precisely those who get the most flu shots.

To those who know anything about the immune system, vaccines and influenza, it may seem shocking to learn that the U.S. influenza vaccine program will first target those with the weakest immune systems to begin with: Toddlers as young as six months old, pregnant women and adults with degenerative disease. This is precisely what Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today. (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...)

Why is the swine flu vaccine targeting those least likely to need it?
It's all quite fascinating from a public health point of view, of course, especially since the U.S. government already announced the swine flu was "mild" and that it only really attacked those with healthy immune systems, not weak immune systems. So why is the first wave of vaccines now targeting the very children and adults who are least likely to be impacted by swine flu infections in the first place?

The answer, of course, is that swine flu vaccines have nothing to do with public health and everything to do with generating billions of dollars in profits for Big Pharma. For the drug companies to rake in all this money manufacturing vaccines, they obviously have to give the shots to somebody -- just to create the illusion that something productive might be going on in order to justify the government expenditures. It's a lot like war budgets: You gotta drop bombs on somebody in order to justify making new ones.

So the vaccines are dropping little viral bombs on precisely those citizens least able to fend for themselves: Children, pregnant women, senile seniors and adults suffering from chronic disease... these are the new "targets" of the U.S. government's mass vaccination program.

Note that they have deliberately avoided targeting the people most capable of speaking out and saying no to dangerous vaccines: Healthy young couples and middle-aged individuals who aren't victims of modern medicine.

Baxter inserts live flu viruses into vaccine materials
Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical factories are churning out huge doses of the swine flu vaccine: 100 million doses will reportedly be available for injection into victims by mid-October.

Curiously, one of the companies being contracted to manufacture this vaccine is Baxter International, the very same company that was caught late last year inserting live influenza viruses into vaccine materials distributed to 18 countries. Apparently, this company has already perfected the techniques for infecting vaccines with live viruses, and now the U.S. government has contracted with Baxter to help manufacture hundreds of millions of doses of swine flu vaccines to be injected into infants, pregnant women and chronically diseased adults.

For the more conspiratorially-minded thinkers out there, it's not difficult to put the pieces of this puzzle together: This fall's mass "vaccination" program might actually be a mass inoculation program designed to expose the population to a new wave of live viruses, thereby furthering the spread of swine flu in order to accomplish a number of nefarious aims such as global population reduction and a windfall of new profits for Big Pharma.

But wait, the skeptics ask: Modern medicine would never intentionally harm people for profit, would they?

THIS ARTICLE WILL CONTINUE NEXT WEEK
Flu Shots Put Children in the Hospital

At the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society recently held in San Diego, researchers presented a study showing that the flu vaccine - widely touted as a "must have" for children with chronic illnesses - isn't effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations in children, especially ones with asthma. But here's the most damning evidence that flu shots aren't the safe, helpful vaccine the Centers for Disease Control ( CDC) and other government agencies claim: the researchers also found that children who get the flu vaccine are more at risk for hospitalization than their peers who do not get the vaccine.
Scientist Avni Joshi, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told the meeting, "The concerns that vaccination may be associated with asthma exacerbations have been disproved with multiple studies in the past, but the vaccine's effectiveness has not been well-established. This study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the TIV (trivalent inactivated flu vaccine in children overall, as well as the children with asthma, to prevent influenza-related hospitalization."

Paradoxically, he then presented the results that appeared to show the vaccine did cause health problems serious enough to result in children being admitted to hospitals for care.

The children were harmed by influenza vaccines
To see if the vaccine actually reduced the number of hospitalizations for all children, especially those with asthma, over eight consecutive flu seasons, Dr. Joshi and his research team conducted a cohort study of 263 children. All the youngsters had been evaluated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota between the ages of six months to 18 years and each had had laboratory-confirmed flu between 1996 to 2006. The scientists documented which of the children had been vaccinated against the flu, and those that had not received the flu jab. The kids' asthma status was also noted along with records of and who did and did not require hospitalization.

Then the investigators checked the records for each child research subject to see who had been vaccinated before experiencing a flu-related episode that lead to a hospitalization during that illness. The results showed that youngsters who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization, as compared to children who had not received the vaccine. For kids with asthma, there was even a higher risk of hospitalization in subjects who received the flu shot. No other measured factors, which included insurance coverage or severity of asthma, was found to impact the risk of hospitalization.

So does this raise a red flag against vaccinating children, especially those who are asthmatic, against the flu? Incredibly, despite the findings of his own study, Dr. Joshi refused to find fault with the flu shot. "While these findings do raise questions about the efficacy of the vaccine, they do not in fact implicate it as a cause of hospitalizations," Dr. Joshi said in a statement to the media. "More studies are needed to assess not only the immunogenicity, but also the efficacy of different influenza vaccines in asthmatic subjects."

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) continue to recommend annual influenza vaccination for all children aged six months to 18 years. Moreover, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (3rd revision) pushes annual flu vaccination of asthmatic children older than six months. However, as reported last fall in Natural News (http://www.naturalnews.com/024624.html) there's little evidence flu shots work for youngsters. . A large study reported in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews of 260,000 children between 23 month and six discovered that the flu vaccine is no more effective that a placebo.

for more information
http://www.thoracic.org/sections/pu...
http://www.naturalnews.com/026271.html
Exciting new research into homeopathy and cancer

eCAM, the online scientific journal (Oxford University Press) has published some exciting new
research into the effects of homeopathic medicines on cancer cells.

The research showed that not only did the potentised doses have an immediate effect on the
cells, but the results were shown to be long-lasting. The study also showed that gene
expression was significantly influenced; that is the combination of genes that are turned on or
off in response to a significant condition such as cancer.

There has been little research into the effects of homeopathic medicines in vitro, the majority
of studies having been conducted on human subjects. This research (abstract in next paragraph) will surely add weight to the argument that homeopathy is more than placebo.

Dynamized Preparations in Cell Culture
Ellanzhiyil Surendran Sunila, Ramadasan Kuttan, Korengath Chandran Preethi and Girija Kuttan
Amala Cancer Research Centre, Amala Nagar, Thrissur, Kerala-680 555, India
http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/6/2/257?etoc

Although reports on the efficacy of homeopathic medicines inanimal models are limited, there are even fewer reports on thein vitro action of these dynamized preparations. We have evaluatedthe cytotoxic activity of 30C and 200C potencies of ten dynamizedmedicines against Dalton's Lymphoma Ascites, Ehrlich's AscitesCarcinoma, lung fibroblast (L929) and Chinese Hamster Ovary(CHO) cell lines and compared activity with their mother tincturesduring short-term and long-term cell culture. The effect ofdynamized medicines to induce apoptosis was also evaluated andwe studied how dynamized medicines affected genes expressedduring apoptosis. Mother tinctures as well as some dynamizedmedicines showed significant cytotoxicity to cells during shortand long-term incubation. Potentiated alcohol control did notproduce any cytotoxicity at concentrations studied. The dynamizedmedicines were found to inhibit CHO cell colony formation andthymidine uptake in L929 cells and those of Thuja, Hydrastis and Carcinosinum were found to induce apoptosis in DLA cells.Moreover, dynamized Carcinosinum was found to induce the expressionof p53 while dynamized Thuja produced characteristic ladderingpattern in agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA. These resultsindicate that dynamized medicines possess cytotoxic as wellas apoptosis-inducing properties.
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Ant deterrent tips
By Green Living Tips | Published  04/21/2008

Deterring and dealing with ants
I love to watch ants go about their business. They perform an important role in the environment, cleaning up dead insects and animals and aerating the soil. They aren't so adorable when they infest our houses though!

Usually we reach for insecticide when ants become a problem; but there are more environmentally friendly ways of deterring ants.

After a question from a reader about this, I dug back through the articles I have already published and found a few tips, but I also put the question to readers of my newsletter - and received a stack of great tried and tested ideas!

Ant deterrent tips
Here's some things you may want to try before reaching for that can of insecticide, depending on the application:
  • Pouring lemon juice around areas ants frequent.
  • Sprinkle cinnamon or place in cheesecloth bags in affected areas. Cinnamon was a very popular choice with quite a few readers reporting it being highly effective.
  • Baking soda can deter ants - pour a solid line in areas of activity and they won't cross it.
  • A ring of coffee grounds around sensitive plants can discourage ants.
  • A puree blend of orange peel and water can be applied to an area to discourage ants from crossing.
  • Ants hate vinegar; so spray it around doorways and other areas they frequent to repel them. A small container of vinegar mixed with honey placed in affected areas appears to do the trick too.
  • A reader reported baby powder stopped them dead in their tracks.
  • Pouring boiling water over their tracks (destroys the scent trail)
  • Sprinkling a circle of ground cloves around the pet food bowls
  • Removing rocks and wood from around the garden
  • Planting mint around vegetable patches, flower beds and around the house
  • Quite a few readers found cinnamon sprinkled across ant scent trails to be very effective
  • Citrus oil is a good deterrent; it can soaked into a piece of string and place around scent trails. Use a piece of chalk to draw a line over trails - again, the ants won't cross it. Chalk also has the advantage of being able to be used on vertical surfaces
  • One enterprising reader decided to work with the ants rather than against them. She made a sugar trail away from the house to her compost pile and put out the intent that they would find a greater feast there.  It worked!
Ants invade for a reason - usually for food or water, so be sure to keep food items well secured and clean up after you prepare food. Also check plumbing for leaks, particularly under sinks. Dead insects can attract large numbers of ants, so check window sills and other areas where they may accumulate.

Ant eradication tips
Unfortunately, some times you'll need to eradicate the ants rather than deter them. A couple of greener ways to do it:
  • A mixture of 1/8 teaspoon of powdered borax and sugar or honey will attract and kill ants. This is a mixture that is often used in commercial ant-specific products. Worker ants take it back to the nest and pass it onto other ants, killing the colony. While borax in small quantities is relatively harmless to larger animals, in big enough doses it can kill, so be cautious about placement and keep out of reach of pets and children.
  • A reader reported using dry grits (maize unga) to kill ants; a non-toxic strategy she's used with success for 20 years. The theory behind it is that the ants eat the grits and when they drink water the grits expand in their stomachs, killing them.
Hopefully one of the above tips will help you in your environmentally friendly control of ants! If you have any other tips, please add them below.
Canola Oil: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Corn oil comes from corn: sunflower oil from sunflowers, sesame oil from sesame seeds, peanut oil from peanuts, olive oil from olives, Canola oil from...Canolas? What is a Canola? And why is the word "Canola" capitalized?

Canola is an engineered plant developed in Canada. The oil is derived from the rapeseed plant (an excellent insect repellent, by the way.) The rapeseed is a member of the mustard family. Rapeseed oil has been used extensively in many parts of the world, namely India, Japan, and China. Before the rapeseed was genetically engineered, about two-thirds of the monounsaturated fatty acids were erucic acid. Erucic acid was associated with Keshan's disease, a condition which is characterized by fibrous lesions of the heart. In the late 1970s, Canadian plant breeders were able to create a variety of rapeseed which produced a monounsaturated oil which was much lower in erucic acid. This "new" oil was originally called LEAR oil (Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed.) Neither "rape" nor "lear" created an appealing image: hence, Canola ...("Canada" and "oil.")

The Good:
Canola oil is marketed as an oil very low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. Diets high in saturated fats have been blamed for the incidence of higher levels of heart disease (although recent research is supporting the value of select saturated fats such as grass-fed beef and organic butter.) Studies involving a traditional Mediterranean diet which is naturally high in monounsaturated fats are pointing to lower rates of both cancer and heart disease.

Canola oil also possesses a beneficial omega-3 fatty acid profile. Recent research touts the myriad benefits of omega-3's.

Polyunsaturated oils have recently come under increased scrutiny. Yet, studies involving olive oil, a monounsaturated oil, point to positive health benefits and disease prevention. Being that Canola oil is a monounsaturated oil, this may make Canola oil superior to other polyunsaturated oils such as sunflower, corn, and safflower oil.

Canola oil is, for the most part, tasteless, -- making it a good choice for baked goods.

The Bad:
Canola oil took the market by storm, as it is relatively inexpensive to produce, especially compared to olive oil. Olive oil has a long history of scientifically documented health benefits. The problem with olive oil is that there is not enough olive oil in the world to meet the industry's needs. In addition, olive oil is too expensive to use in most processed foods. Canola oil has filled this need for a mass-produced, publicly acceptable form of a monounsaturated oil.

Olive oil is the gold standard, documented with extensive research. Quality olive oil (Extra Virgin, Cold-pressed) is manufactured by this simple process: The olives are pressed, the oil collected. The food oil industry is promoting Canola oil as an equally healthy twin to olive oil. This is deceptive, as there are few studies involving Canola oil and human health. (Numerous animal studies point to serious and deleterious effects of canola oil on rats and pigs.)

In addition to the genetic modification, the process of making Canola oil is troubling. The procedure involves a combination of high-temperature mechanical pressing and solvent extract, usually using hexane. Hexane! Even after considerable refining, traces of the solvent remain. Like most vegetable oils, Canola oil also goes through the process of bleaching, degumming, deodorizing, and caustic refining, at very high temperatures. This process can alter the omega-3 content in the oil, and in certain conditions bring the trans fat level as high as 40 percent.

The Ugly:
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find products that do not contain Canola oil. A popular "crafty" mayonnaise brand boasts the phrase "With Olive Oil," along with a picture of an olive and olive leaves on the front label. Upon reading the fine print in the ingredients on the back label, you discover that Canola oil is listed at the top of the long paragraph, olive oil near the end. Even worse are products promoting that they are made with olive oil, yet listed in the ingredients, the manufacturers state: "May include olive, Canola, or sunflower oil." The consumer thinks they are buying salad dressing made with olive oil, yet it could be Canola or sunflower oil. This is insulting to the health conscious population.

Canola oil is victim to both hype and hoax. To view both the hype and the hoax, visit Snopes.com and type in: "Canola Oil."

The only way to prove either hype or hoax is to do more human studies evaluating the safety of this mass-produced and consumed human-engineered oil. The FDA claims that genetically altered/engineered foods are perfectly safe. (They made this same claim with Thalidomide and Vioxx.)

At least the FDA has taken a stance to protect babies from the unknown risks of Canola oil. The FDA prohibits Canola oil from being used in infant formula. Shouldn't we know why?

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (2009, February 13)

MG Enig, Trans Fatty Acids in the Food Supply: A Comprehensive Report Covering 60 Years of Research, 2nd Edition, Enig Associates, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, 1995

Wall Street Journal, June 7, 1995, p. B6
Medical Disclaimer: The information contained within does not take the place of medical diagnosis or prescription. See your health care provider in case of sickness.

Editorial Disclaimer: Publication of these articles are to promote food for thought. The opinions expressed in these articles may not be the opinion of editors.