DOCTOR YOURSELF Newsletter (Vol. 5, No. 14 for November, 2005)

[Guest guest]

" Andrew W. Saul " <drsaul

DOCTOR YOURSELF Newsletter (Vol. 5, No. 14 for November, 2005)

Thu, 20 Oct 2005 12:44:22 -0400

 

 

 

 

To for free: dynewsletter-

 

" We have nothing to fear but fear itself. " (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

 

The DOCTOR YOURSELF NEWSLETTER (Vol. 5, No. 14 for November, 2005)

 

" Free of charge, free of advertising, and free of the A.M.A. "

 

Copyright 2005 by Andrew W. Saul of http://www.doctoryourself.com ,

which

welcomes over 1.5 million visitors annually. Commercial use of the

website

or the contents of this Newsletter is strictly prohibited.

 

IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1) BIRD FLU: WHAT TO DO?

 

2) VITAMIN C MYTH-BUSTERS

 

A. VITAMIN C SAFETY

 

B. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE DECREASED BY VITAMIN C

 

C. VITAMIN C DOES NOT CAUSE KIDNEY STONES

 

D. VITAMIN C PREVENTS AND CURES RECTAL POLYPS

 

E. MEGAVITAMIN NEWS FOR FREE

 

3) PNEUMONIA

 

4) DENTIST YOURSELF

 

5) ADHD

 

6) SCHIZOPHRENIA AND PSYCHOSIS

 

7) Happy 88th Birthday, Abram Hoffer!

 

8) UNSTRESS YOUR LIFE, Part 6

 

POLLY WANT A FLU SHOT?

 

by Andrew W. Saul

 

My daughter's parakeet is in grave danger.

 

Need you ask why? Because the Bird Flu is coming!

 

With all this terrifying talk about bird flu, I have a lingering

question:

Has anyone thought about protecting the birds? Living near Lake

Ontario, I

regularly feed entirely too many seagulls. They come inland as well.

Just

this weekend, I fed a characteristically ravenous flock of them at an

interstate highway parking lot. The gulls encircled me like a Hitchcock

movie. Another time, I was ungraciously harassed by a renegade herd of

emus

that I was, perhaps unwisely, attempting to feed. I had to climb up

onto

some boulders to get out of range.

 

Nice ol' birds; they just wanted a nosh.

 

Too bad they are all going to die. And soon, too.

 

Yes, every one of them. There will not be a gull (or at the lake, a

bouy)

left standing. Surely, now, if bird flu is truly dangerous, the birds

are at

terrible risk. All of them. No more starlings. No more pigeons.

Goodbye, Mr.

Hawk. Goodbye, Mrs. Robin. No more Woody; no more " Beep-Beeps " ; Donald

is

doomed.

 

And then there's all the gorgeous song birds, all those tiny little

dickie

birds, like the ones I've held in my hand while they were being banded:

they

are all dead meat.

 

What's that you say? That I'm exaggerating? That all the world's bird

species are NOT condemned to get Bird Flu? Then I say, Ask yourself how

that

can be.

 

After all, no shots means no chance. Or at least that is the gist of

our

pharmaphilic government's and media's clanging presentations to the

public.

 

Truth be told, this is nothing new. They've tried this before with the

colossal Swine Flu panic some thirty years ago. Remember?

 

The U.S. Government cannot say without qualification that flu shots are

either safe or essential.

 

Here is what the government of the United States said about the

infamous

Swine Flu vaccine, in a 1976 mass-distributed FDA Consumer Memo on the

subject:

 

" Some minor side effects - tenderness in the arm, low fever, tiredness

-

will occur in less than 4% of (vaccinated) adults. Serious reactions

from

flu vaccines are very rare. "

 

So much for blanket claims of safety, for many persons well remember

the

very numerous and very serious side effects of Swine Flu vaccine that

forced

the federal immunization program to a halt.

 

As far as being essential, in the same memo the FDA said this of the

same

vaccine:

 

" Question: What can be done to prevent an epidemic? Answer: The only

preventive action we can take is to develop a vaccine to immunize the

public

against the virus. This will prevent the virus from spreading. "

 

This was seen to be totally false; after all; the public immunization

program was abruptly halted and still there was no epidemic of Swine

Flu. If

vaccination were the only defense, literally tens of millions of

Americans

should have been struck down with the Swine Flu, for a large percentage

of

the population of the U.S. was not vaccinated.

 

Surely there are other factors involved in prevention of illness or

epidemic. But try telling that to allopathically-oriented health

commissioners and doctors. You'd think that monks and nuns who work

with the

sick would have to get their patients' diseases... but they seldom do.

Did

the elderly and diminutive Mother Theresa die from leprosy? From AIDS?

 

If germs or viruses are all around us, why aren't we all dead, or at

least

deathly ill? And how come crows and vultures regularly eat diseased and

decaying road kill, pressing their faces into a maggoty mess, and then

fly

happily away?

 

And, as my friends and I used to so energetically search railroad

underpasses for sick and injured pigeons to take to our treehouse and

nurse

back to health, well, I now wonder how we survived at all.

 

But as for you, you non-bird you, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

and

the medical media say that without a shot, you are a sitting duck for

bird

flu.

 

 

It seems to me, by logical extension, that without vaccinations for all

birds, all birds are goners. Ducks included, sitting or otherwise.

Without

flu shots for birds, there will be no birds. Silent spring.

 

Birds are seemingly such frail little creatures. Their permanently

feverish

bodies are already around 104 degrees Fahrenheit every day. A bird with

a

fever must be one hot little number indeed. Yet, every year, tiny

little

chickadees spend entire frigid winters in my backyard. Gale force

subzero

winds and our typical eight to ten feet of snowfall do not stop them.

And

they do not have vaccinations. Not a one. They don't even have heated

socks.

How on earth do they do it?

 

So: Shall I have my daughter's little green budgie vaccinated? All the

more

reason, really, since the parakeet is also at risk from all the human

flu

strains. Yes, Virginia, all those zillions of Human Flu viruses are out

there, just waiting to kill your 'keet. And you with it.

 

Influenza is a serious disease, and historically, has been the Reaper's

scythe. About 10 million soldiers were killed in World War I, charging

machine guns and getting mowed down month after month. There were

nearly a

million casualties at the Somme and another million at Verdun. A

terrible

slaughter went on for four years. Yet, in just the two years following

the

war, over 20 million people died from influenza. That is more than

twice as

many deaths from the flu in one-half the time it took the machine guns.

That

is no way to make light of that.

 

On the other hand, there is ample reason to now, finally, end our

wishful

belief that flu shots stop the flu, because generally they don't, not

even

in the elderly, their target audience.

 

NBC and the Associated Press (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9438511/)

reported on

Sept 22, 2005 that

 

" A new analysis of 40 years of research provides more evidence that flu

shots are not as effective in the elderly as commonly believed. But

health

officials said older people should still be vaccinated. . . The

findings are

similar to those of a study done by U.S. National Institutes of Health

that

found flu shots for the elderly in the United States had not saved

lives. "

 

And then they add: " Flu shots may be required in all nursing homes.

Federal

officials urging flu shots for all this year. "

 

Will Rogers sure was right: with stuff like this in the papers, who

needs a

comedy writer? Congress writes farce so very well, and the news

obligingly

tosses it straight into to our living rooms.

 

But wait: there's more!

 

An interesting if not downright revealing article at medicinenet.com

(1)

says, in part:

 

 

" According to a study appearing in the Sept. 22 online issue of The

Lancet,

vaccines against influenza are only " modestly effective " in people in

long-term care facilities and even less effective for elderly people

still

living in the community. . . " The vaccine doesn't work very well at

all, "

said study author Dr. Tom Jefferson, an epidemiologist with the

Cochrane

Vaccines Field in Rome. " Vaccines are being used as an ideological

weapon.

What you see every year as the flu is caused by 200 or 300 different

agents

with a vaccine against two of them. That is simply nonsense. " Dr. Marc

Siegel, author of " False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear, "

agreed. " We have set up a situation where a fear is created, and then

we try

to create the treatment for this fear. The public gets the idea that

the flu

is going to kill them and the vaccine will save them. Neither is true, "

he

said. "

 

For the record, both these critics are medical doctors.

 

With our century's worth of accumulated scientific hindsight, we must

today

ask this: Was a lack of vaccinations really the cause of those flu

deaths,

or was it really wartime stress, and especially war-induced

malnutrition,

that set the stage in 1918? And now, once again, we have an alarming

and

rather similar scenario: between nutrient-poor processed convenience

foods,

McNothing meals and TV news scare stories, we have the basic

ingredients for

an epidemic.

 

But we now also have a simple, safe and effective answer. First, the

nutrition solution: eat a good, healthy, whole foods natural diet, and

take

lots and lots of vitamin C. And second: relax! De-stress your life,

take it

easy, and cheer up. It has been very well said that you are of much

more

value than any number of birds. You are factory-equipped with a

kick-ass

mammalian immune system that is a true marvel of nature. To maximize

your

resistance to any viral disease, including any strain of flu, I think

you

would do well to stop eating processed junk food, and load up on

ascorbate.

 

You too can be chipper and chirping away, ignoring swine flu hype, SARS

scares, bird flu panics, or any other viral bogeymen being used to

scare you

into a coerced relationship with a flu shot.

 

Reference:

 

1. Gardner A. Flu vaccine only mildly effective in elderly. HealthDay

Reporter, Sept 21, 2005. http://www.medicinenet.com

 

MEDICAL DOCTOR CONFIRMS: VITAMIN C CURES BIRD FLU

 

The best presentation I have ever seen on just how vitamin C megadoses

prevent and cure avian influenza is posted for free reading at the

website

if Robert F. Cathcart, M.D.:

 

http://orthomed.com/bird.htm

 

These online articles may also be of interest:

 

Flu vaccines are largely ineffective:

 

http://www.jrussellshealth.com/fluvacc.html

 

Bird Flu Background and Relation to Vitamin

C:http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2005/10/08/avian_influenza_are_you_prepar\

ed.htm

 

Bird Flu Dangers Greatly

Exaggerated:http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2005/10/19/bird_flu_in_perspect\

ive_public_fears_exaggerated.htm

 

 

 

VITAMIN C MYTH-BUSTERS

 

Is some clown still trying to tell you that vitamin C is somehow

dangerous?

Or that you shouldn't take more than 200 mg/day? There is an excellent

summary article you will want to read at

 

http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/misc/ascorbate-lies.htm

 

And here's some more really good news for all you health nuts who every

day

try so valiantly to convince friend, foe and family to take their

vitamins:

 

NEW VITAMIN C SAFETY STUDY

 

 

" Ascorbic Acid is a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substance . . .

Mice

given Ascorbic Acid subcutaneous and intravenous daily doses (500 to

1000

mg/kg bw) for 7 days had no changes in appetite, weight gain, and

general

behavior; and histological examination of various organs showed no

changes.

Ascorbic Acid was a photoprotectant when applied to mice and pig skin

before

exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. . . . Pregnant mice and rats

were

given daily oral doses of Ascorbic Acid up to 1000 mg/kg bw with no

indications of adult-toxic, teratogenic, or fetotoxic effects. Ascorbic

Acid

and Sodium Ascorbate were not genotoxic in several bacterial and

mammalian

test systems, consistent with the antioxidant properties of these

chemicals.

.. . These data coupled with an absence of reports in the clinical

literature

of Ascorbic Acid sensitization strongly support the safety of these

ingredients. " (PMID: 16154915)

 

(Elmore AR. Final report of the safety assessment of L-Ascorbic Acid,

Calcium Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate,

Sodium

Ascorbate, and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate as used in cosmetics. Int J

Toxicol. 2005;24 Suppl 2:51-111.)

 

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE DECREASED BY VITAMIN C

 

" (T)here was a 27% decreased prevalence of coronary heart disease and a

26%

decreased prevalence of stroke among those in the highest serum vitamin

C

category. In the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study, it was found

that

the highest intakes of vitamin C had a 25% to 50% reduction in

cardiovascular mortality. " (Simon, JA et al. Serum ascorbic acid and

cardiovascular disease prevalence in U.S. adults. Epidemiology,

1998;9:316-321.)

 

VITAMIN C DOES NOT CAUSE KIDNEY STONES

 

" The relation between the intake of vitamins B6 and C and the risk of

symptomatic kidney stones were prospectively studied in a cohort of

85,557

women with no history of kidney stones. . . Large doses of vitamin B6

may

reduce the risk of kidney stone formation in women. Routine restriction

of

vitamin C to prevent stone formation appears unwarranted. "

 

(Curhan, G. C., Willett, W. C., Speizer, F. E., Stampfer, M. J. Intake

of

vitamins B6 and C and the risk of kidney stones in women. J Am Soc

Nephrol

10:4:840-845, Apr 1999.)

 

VITAMIN C PREVENTS AND CURES RECTAL POLYPS

 

Jerome J. DeCosse, M.D., Ph.D., Mark B. Adams, M.D., Joseph F. Kuzma,

M.D.,

Paul LoGerfo, M.D., and Robert E. Condon, M.D. Effect of ascorbic acid

on

rectal polyps of patients with familial polyposis. Surgery, November,

1975,

Vol. 78, No. 5, pp. 608-612.

 

http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/197x/decosse-jj-surgery-1975-v78-n5-p608.\

htm

 

MEGAVITAMIN NEWS FOR FREE

 

The Orthomolecular Medicine News Service (OMNS) regularly issues

vitamins-cure-disease press releases. If you would like to receive this

wire-service style newsfeed without charge, please go to

http://www.orthomolecular.org/.html .

 

 

VITAMIN C CURES PNEUMONIA

 

(Editor's note: I know this to be true. When I got run down enough to

get

viral pneumonia, I took 2,000 mg of vitamin C every 6 minutes. It

lowered my

fever 3 degrees in 3 hours, and stopped a cough that codeine could not.

Read

on an marvel at how this is possible.)

 

PNEUMONIA

 

by Margaret Whittaker, Doctor Yourself volunteer, Diploma in Herbal

Studies

 

Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lungs that can be caused by any

number of different infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria and

fungi. It is typically preceded by an upper respiratory infection such

as a

cold, influenza or measles. Factors that increase the risk of pneumonia

include being either under one year or over sixty years of age, a

weakened

immune system, malnutrition, and exposure to chemical irritants.

 

Infants can contract pneumonia due to a Clamydia trachomatis infection

transferred to the child during birth. Childhood pneumonia can also be

caused by the same bacteria that causes whooping cough. Young children

with

compromised immune systems are very vulnerable to the potentially

life-threatening effects of this illness.

 

Most cases of pneumonia do not require antibiotics because they are due

to

viral infection. The natural approach to pneumonia involves two primary

goals:

 

 

a) Enhancement of the immune system

 

b) Stimulation of normal processes that promote the expectoration of

mucus

 

 

Particularly helpful in enhancing the immune system is high dosage

vitamin C

therapy. In the early 1900's, many controlled studies demonstrated the

efficacy of large doses of vitamin C, but only when started on the

first or

second day of infection. If

 

administered later, vitamin C tended only to lessen the severity of the

disease. Researchers also demonstrated, long ago, that in cases of

pneumonia, white cells took up large amounts of vitamin C in an attempt

to

have the necessary ammunition they need to fight infection. (F Bicknell

and

F Prescott, The vitamins in medicine. Minneapolis: Lee Foundation

1953).

 

The value of vitamin C supplementation in patients with pneumonia was

demonstrated clearly in a more recent double-blind study involving 57

elderly patients who were admitted to St Luke's Hospital in

Huddersfield,

for acute pneumonia. (C Hunt et al " The Clinical Effects of Vitamin C

Supplementation in Hospitalised Patients with Acute Respiratory

Infections, "

1994) The patients were either given 200mg of vitamin C per day or a

placebo. Patients were assessed by clinical and laboratory methods.

Patients

who received the modest dosage of vitamin C demonstrated substantially

increased vitamin C levels in all tissues, even in the presence of an

acute

respiratory infection. Using a clinical scoring system, results

indicated

that patients who received the vitamin C fared significantly better

than

those who took the placebo. These results indicate that even small

doses of

vitamin C in a hospital setting can produce significant clinical

improvement.

 

Many herbs have also been shown to have antibacterial, antiviral and

immunostimulatory effects. Echinacea is widely used to boost the immune

system, treat colds and flu, fight infections, help speed wound healing

and

reduce inflammation. Its immune stimulating properties are due to

polysaccharides and phytosterols. It helps to activate white-blood-cell

macrophages that are directly involved in the destruction of bacteria,

viruses and other infectious agents. Echinacea also increases

production of

interferon.

 

Botanical expectorants are very useful in treating pneumonia because

they

help decrease the viscosity and aid in the expulsion of mucous from the

respiratory tract. They also have antibacterial and antiviral activity.

Some

of the most popular are horehound, elecampagne and licorice.

 

(Editor's note: An internet search will bring up more on these

alternatives.

For my suggestions on how to determine if internet health information

is

reliable, please first look at

http://www.doctoryourself.com/healthquestions.html )

 

 

 

FROM " DOCTOR YOURSELF " TO " DENTIST YOURSELF " :

 

10 ways in which nutrients and simple techniques have been shown to

improve

the health of our mouths.

 

by Michael Jolliffe, Doctor Yourself volunteer

 

1) Vitamin C: Taken orally in gram doses or applied topically as

calcium or

magnesium ascorbate. A 2001 study published in the Journal of

Veterinary

Dentistry showed that for treatment of cats a gel of zinc ascorbate was

" most effective in decreasing bacterial growth, plaque formation, and

gingivitis when applied following a professional teeth cleaning

procedure "

[1]. Not only that, it also cleared up cat halitosis. It seems that we

should visit the vet if we need reliable, non-toxic treatment for our

teeth

and gums.

 

2) Vitamin E: Like vitamin C, vitamin E can be applied topically by

piercing

a 400 IU capsule and applying it evenly along the gum line to reduce

inflammation.

 

3) B-complex vitamins: A study recently published in the Journal of

Periodontology found that patients supplementing 50mg of each of the

B-vitamins daily, with 400mcg of folic acid, experienced statistically

significant oral wound healing in comparison to those taking placebo

[2].

 

4) Coenzyme Q10: As long ago as 1973, Drs. Folkers and Matsumura

completed a

double-blind study, published in the International Journal for Vitamin

and

Nutrition Research, using CoQ10 for periodontal (gum) disease. They

reported

that it was superior to the then treatment of choice [3]. A Dr. EG

Wilkinson

reported in the late 70s that at dosages of 50 to 75 mg per day

coenzyme Q10

often " halted the deterioration of the gums with healing sometimes

occurring

within days " [4].

 

5) Flavonoids: Abundant in fruits, flavonoids have been shown to work

with

vitamin C in reducing gum disease [5]. Another reason for an apple a

day.

 

6) Magnesium: It's vital to eat sources of calcium AND magnesium. In

December 1963 the Journal of the Southern California Dental Association

published an study in which the consumption of a high-calcium, low

magnesium

diet lead to an average of 3.64 dental caries compared to only 1.16

from a

diet containing high-magnesium whole-wheat flour [6]. Don't make the

mistake

of eating the one without the other. There is lots of magnesium in

almonds,

brown rice, quinoa and dark-green vegetables and good

multivitamin/minerals.

 

7) Throw away mouthwashes containing harmful ingredients: for example

propylene glycol (anti-freeze), sodium lauryl sulfate (industrial

strength

detergent) and alcohol. A study published by the National Cancer

Institute

showed that women who regularly used mouthwash with an alcohol content

of 25

percent or higher were nearly twice as likely to develop oral cancer as

those who didn't [7]. Instead use a mouthwash containing protective

ingredients such as grapefruit seed extract, vitamin C, tea tree oil or

green tea extracts.

 

8) The same can be said for toothpastes containing saccharin, fluoride,

and

synthetic colour pigments (commonly derived from coal tar).

 

9) Tongue scraping: It sounds more painful than it is, but even the

Journal

of the American Dental Association has advised that " scientific

evidence has

validated the need to practice habitual and thorough tongue brushing "

[8].

Medical texts dating back hundreds of years describe the cleaning of

the

tongue as part of people's daily hygiene routine to remove accumulated

impurities. From personal experience the first few scrapes aren't

pleasant,

and may leave a bad taste and a sore tongue, but persevere and the

feeling

of freshness is well worthwhile.

 

10) Keep the calcium in your teeth: A review in the Journal of

Prosthetic

Dentistry recorded that " high sodium, protein, alcohol, and caffeine

intakes

caused increased urinary losses and negative calcium balance " [9].

 

[1] Clarke DE. Clinical and microbiological effects of oral zinc

ascorbate

gel in cats. J Vet Dent. 2001 Dec;18(4):177-83.

 

[2] Neiva RF, Al-Shammari K, Nociti FH Jr, Soehren S, Wang HL. Effects

of

vitamin-B complex supplementation on periodontal wound healing. J

Periodontol. 2005 Jul;76(7):1084-91.

 

[3] Matsumura T, Saji S, Nakamura R, Folkers K. Evidence for enhanced

treatment of periodontal disease by therapy with coenzyme Q. Int J

Vitam

Nutr Res. 1973 Apr;43(4):537-48.

 

[4] Wilkinson, E.G., Arnold R.M. Folkers, K. Bioenergetics in Clinical

Medicine. VI. Adjunctive Treatment of Periodontal Disease with Coenzyme

Q10.

Res. Commun. Chem. Pathol. Pharmacol. 1976 4:715-9.

 

[5] El-Ashiry GM, Ringsdorf WM, Cheraskin E. Local and systemic

influences

in periodontal disease. II. Effect of prophylaxis and natural versus

synthetic vitamin C upon gingivitis. J Periodontol 1964;35:250-9.

 

[6] http://www.mgwater.com/rod10.shtml

 

[7] Blot WJ, Winn DM, Fraumeni JF Jr. Oral cancer and mouthwash. J Natl

Cancer Inst. 1983 Feb;70(2):251-3.

 

[8] Christen AG, Swanson BZ Jr. Oral hygiene: a history of tongue

scraping

and brushing. J Am Dent Assoc. 1978 Feb;96(2):215-9.

 

[9] Faine, M.P. Dietary factors related to preservation of oral and

skeletal

bone mass in women. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry 1995;73:65-72.

 

(Editor's note: Before you write, may I state that No, I do not know

how to

fill cavities naturally, nor do I know how to avoid a necessary root

canal.

" Dentist Yourself " is not about never seeing your dentist; it is about

not

needing any work done when you get there.)

 

ADHD

 

Solving the Mystery of ADHD Naturally, by Linda Santini

 

Battle Creek, MI: Acorn Publishing, 2004.

http://www.acornpublishing.com

 

Paperback, 228 pages plus bibliography and index. ISBN 097289697X

 

Reviewed and copyright 2005 by Andrew W. Saul

 

" What's he done this time? " How many times have I heard a parent say

this

after I've commandeered the school phone to call home about their

child's

behavior. Author Linda Santini, herself a teacher, has been on both

ends of

such a conversation. While it is no picnic to teach a class populated

with

ADHD kids, life is infinitely harder for Mom and Dad, the

long-suffering

people Dr. Abram Hoffer calls " battered parents. " And with good reason.

 

Most if not all ADHD kids are stimulation addicts. They are little

adrenaline junkies, craving the very rush that poisons their cranium.

Adrenaline is the catecholamine neurotransmitter of sturm and drang, of

storm and stress. Over stimulation can mean overproduction of

adrenaline.

Excess adrenaline is oxidized into adrenochrome, an LSD-like bad trip

hallucinogen that, to use a 1960's phrase, flips you out. Commonly,

such

adrenochrome-whacked kids also crave dietary overstimulation,

particularly

colored and sugared junk food, which further assaults their brain. All

the

time, day after day.

 

If you have an ADHD child, Santini's new book, Solving the Mystery of

ADHD

Naturally, will instantly resonate with you. " That's him! " you will

say. I

know, because I did. The book perfectly describes a boy I helped to

raise

for eight years. As a preadolescent, he was having worse than usual

behavioral problems at school and at home. Interestingly enough, the

child

had been taking physician-prescribed little bits of niacin, though

totaling

less than 150 mg/day. Not a bad beginning, since the RDA for kids is

under

20 mg/day. But it wasn't enough to be effective, and the lad was slated

for

the Ritalin-for-lunch bunch. But pharmacy was no answer, for when

tried,

drugs generally made him worse: more angry and still more

confrontational,

bordering on paranoid.

 

The boy did not want to take much niacin because he so strongly

objected to

the flush. Knowing that the dose had to be increased far over 150

mg/day for

any hope of success, his Mom finally tried giving him 500 mg

niacinamide

three times daily (1,500 mg total). There was noticeable improvement.

At

3,000 mg/day, the youngster was doing even better, but developed nausea

from

the niacinamide, and the dosage was cut way, way back. In time, the boy

had

a violent psychotic episode severe enough that his parents had to hold

him

down while the now 13-year-old lad screamed death threats at them.

 

After that, to increase the B-3 dose without nausea, the now

highly-motivated mother went to plain niacin, flushes and all. With

about

500 mg every two hours, the boy was a new person. He was the most

cheerful,

cooperative, affectionate youngster imaginable. Adding vitamin C and

B-6 to

his regimen helped even more. His school performance soared, and the

teachers loved him. When his liver function tests read high, the niacin

dose

was again reduced, but not by so much this time. At age 15, his

maintenance

dose is about 3,000 mg/day. This is exactly in line with what Dr. Abram

Hoffer has repeatedly demonstrated effective for over 50 years.

 

Behavior is at least as much biochemical as anything else.

Unresponsive,

uneducated physicians routinely overlook the nutrition connection.

That's

fine for them; they see the child as a patient for only minutes.

Parents

cannot escape: they go home at the end of the day to a child that may

be

hostile, antsy, and out of control. Behavior modification and

counseling,

while laudable ideas, all too often fail because ADHD kids are

unreceptive

to behavior counseling because the behavior itself is biochemical. As

you

cannot implant happy thoughts in a victim of arsenic or cyanide

poisoning,

so you cannot adequately counsel kids with adrenochrome coursing

through

their bodies.

 

Linda Santini, an experienced counselor, knows this well, and she

communicates it even better. Solving the Mystery of ADHD Naturally is

especially well written. The author has a clear and engaging writing

style.

Her facts are straight and her anecdotes are well paced, to the point,

and

vivid. The book is well organized and well indexed. The first portion

of the

book spotlights the problems, as intensely witnessed by the author and

her

family, while part two accentuates the solution. The combined result is

an

excellent, easy to follow presentation of orthomolecular (megavitamin)

medicine which should required reading for all health professionals.

 

As actress Margot Kidder says, " You can fix your brain. You can fix

your

brain with nutrition. " I highly recommend Solving the Mystery of ADHD

Naturally, a book that shows you how, and offers a way out for you and

your

ADHD child.

 

(end of review)

 

SCHIZOPHRENIA AND PSYCHOSIS

 

Recovery from the Hell of Schizophrenia

 

by Carlene Hope. Introduction by Abram Hoffer, M.D.

 

Morrisville, NC: Lulu Press http://books.lulu.com/content/63707 , 2005.

 

Paperback, 187 pages plus bibliography. ISBN 1-4116-2706-7.

 

Reviewed and copyright 2005 by Andrew W. Saul

 

" When you are sick of sickness, you are no longer sick, " says a Chinese

proverb. This is all the more true if you have found a way out of the

illness. For the family locked in a 24-hour a day struggle with a

child's

schizophrenia, Recovery from the Hell of Schizophrenia will be both

very

familiar, and very encouraging reading.

 

The book is composed of four sections. Part One is an extensive

autobiographical prologue. While granting that it sets the stage, to me

the

strength of the book begins on page 46, as the author's son first

exhibits

symptoms of mental illness. Part Two is the story of the disease's

progression, failed pharmaceutical attempts to contain it, and eventual

success with orthomolecular megavitamin therapy. While the narrative is

from

a mother's vantage point, Part Two concludes with a question and answer

session with the patient, and Part Three is entirely devoted to the

father's

perspective. Part Four is a digest of quotes and passages from seminal

orthomolecular writings, introducing the work of Abram Hoffer, Carl C.

Pfeiffer, and others.

 

The author holds little back, describing her experiences with nearly

cathartic intensity. But even better, she thoughtfully and repeatedly

points

the reader to available nutritional solutions. Lists of specific

nutrients

and doses are provided. She also includes her son's medication

reduction

diary, and is upfront about the fact that although drugs alone were far

from

curative (and the side effects debilitating), some medication did prove

helpful when taken in concert her son's nutritional program. I like the

way

the author itemizes and dates specific behavior improvements. Most

readers

would likely agree that the book would benefit from an index.

 

Any science teacher who has taught metrics will not be surprised to see

that

the book contains a repeated unit of measurement error. On pages 97,

128 and

132, the recommended selenium dose is stated as 100 " mgs " (milligrams)

twice

daily when it should be 100 mcg (micrograms). This is not a nit-pick,

since

the difference is a factor of 1,000. 200 micrograms of selenium/day is

beneficial and completely safe. 200 milligrams/day (200,000 mcg) would

be

neither. All other nutrient doses are stated accurately.

 

The overriding value of this book is its simple, sometimes impassioned,

but

always unmistakable testimony: vitamin therapy works. Having lived

this, the

author describes her previously hospitalized but now recovered son:

" You

would never know by looking at him today that he has ever suffered from

this

disease. Our son is driving. He cooks for himself. He prepares his

vitamin

packets and takes them on schedule. He no longer sleeps and lives on

the

couch. He handles his checkbook flawlessly. " And, perhaps the most

moving

maternal comment of all: " He never asks me why I brought him into this

world

anymore. "

 

So another Chinese proverb comes to mind: " The person who says it

cannot be

done should not interrupt the person doing it. " Results say everything.

Recovery from the Hell of Schizophrenia is an uncomplicated

presentation of

simple, safe, and effective niacin-based nutrition therapy, aptly

described

by the author as " Hoffer's Key. " This is the right book for any family

that

has never known they had a nutritional option, that never had the

chance to

try it and change their lives with orthomolecular medicine.

 

(end of review)

 

HAPPY 88TH BIRTHDAY, DR. ABRAM HOFFER!

 

On November 11, 2005, the dean of megavitamin therapy celebrates his

88th

b-day. Dr. Hoffer did the very first double-blind, placebo controlled

experiments in the history of psychiatry, way back in the early 1950's

He is

the originator and still the world leader in megadose niacin therapy

for

mental illness. He has saved countless lives, has had an enormous

influence

in the field of natural medicine, and, on a personal note, has been a

wonderful mentor to me.

 

If you'd like to send an appreciative greeting to this world-renowned

physician, you can mail your birthday card to:

 

 

Abram Hoffer, M.D., PhD.,

 

2727 Quadra, Suite 3

 

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8 4E5.

 

 

 

UNSTRESS YOUR LIFE, Part Six

 

by John Mosher, PhD

 

Biology Professor Emeritus, State University of New York

 

IRRITANT, OR PEARL?

 

There are perceptions and outlooks on life's situations which can turn

what

appears to be an uncomfortable, undesirable or stressful situation into

one

of gain. An example of this would be the pearl. The beautiful,

desirable

pearl has a beginning that, to the oyster, may seem like an unpleasant

situation. A grain of sand getting inside the oyster's shell is an

irritant.

This ongoing irritation causes the oyster to form a smooth protective

coat

around the irritating sand. This coat eventually becomes the pearl. If

the

oyster can do it, why can't we? Why can't we take the obvious, the

irritant,

the stressful situation and reverse it to produce a pearl of great

wisdom or

at least a positive situation?

 

Reacting to a stress with frustration and anger just produces more

stress.

But if you take the situation, reverse the obvious, and keep your

awareness,

you may bring compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, and understanding to

the

situation. Therefore, instead of taking the low-road response of adding

more

anger or chaos to the situation, you have reversed it by bringing

calmness

and peace to the situation. A simple example of how this idea might be

brought into an ordinary frustrating situation is one of misplaced

keys. You

may be in a great hurry and discover you cannot find your car keys. One

obvious response would be to get upset and blame others and storm

around

shouting and raging. This behavior does not find your keys and may

actually

be so distracting that it hinders you from systematically looking for

your

keys. It may even cloud your perception and keep you from remembering

where

you may have put them. This behavior or irritation will be repeated

endlessly until you observe that this behavior does not solve the

problem of

misplacing your keys. When the light of realization finally goes on,

your

internal observer, the Knower, might say, " This will always happen

until you

make a change. " The change to be made is simple, just develop the habit

of

always leaving your keys in the same place. This simple change solves

the

problem.

 

From the irritating, inconvenient situation came the motivation to

change. I

believe much of the irritation, pain and suffering in our life

situation is

really to function as a stimulus to get our attention, to wake-up and

change! Perhaps to take the obvious and reverse it or transform it into

a

positive life supporting situation is the ultimate challenge.

 

The pearls of wisdom, such as the recognition of beauty, love and

happiness,

can arise from a seemingly demanding, unpleasant situation. With

discipline,

some creative thinking, and practice we can create " pearls " out of what

may

seem to be distressing and undesirable.

 

HOW TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

 

A major part of stress reduction is learning to be mindful. That means

to be

aware and conscious of your thoughts and what you are doing. For

example,

let's say you are standing in line at the cashier of a grocery store

and

having negative and impatient thoughts. First, realize that you are

having

these thoughts. When you do, immediately make the choice to observe the

thoughts, be aware of them and let them go. Replace the space with

positive

thoughts. You might think " I wish all the people in line and in the

store

happiness, good health and success. " Actually send thoughts of love and

appreciation to them and especially the cashier who is working so fast

to

reduce the size of the line. Put yourself in her or his place and send

them

kind thoughts. So by practicing or cultivating positive states of mind

you

are putting uplifting intentions into the surroundings. Practice the

technique of being present and consciously replacing negative thoughts

and

feelings with ones of compassion, selflessness, tolerance, kindness,

forgiveness, gratitude and appreciation. This is a good start to

reducing

much stress. Remind yourself that there is no written rule that says

things

have to be the way you think they should be. Take a life situation as

it is

and bring as much love and compassion into it as you can. Over and over

again, research results point out that a positive attitude toward life,

a

sense of humor and laughter strengthens the immune system and even

seems to

extend ones life. Be present and think positively!

 

Counselor and professor of biology John I. Mosher, PhD, is the author

of

several articles at the DoctorYourself.com website, all easily

searchable.)

 

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