Medical and Health Pages

Time to return our healthcare to our own doctors

Hearing that hospital systems cannot cope with increased cases of seriously ill Covid patients is angering frustrated medical experts who tell me there is no need for this, and the guilty parties are the public health organizations and politicians, catering to the pharma industry,  that have prevented the ability of millions of citizens from receiving safe and effective medication, either as a prophylactic or a cure, in early stage cases.

It has been proven that self isolation and paracetamol, a drug with allergic side effects but recommended by the WHO, has driven thousands of early stage Covid patients into overcrowded hospitals, and in too many cases, death.

Questions About the Ketogenic Diet

What is a ketogenic diet? How does it differ and is it more effective than other diets?  Apart from the hype surrounding this diet, what are the medical concerns about it?

Recent marketing of the ketogenic diet suggests it’s a new one. But a report from the University of California says it’s been used for years to treat medical problems such as epilepsy in children.

But what is it about the ketogenic diet that causes weight loss? A major factor is that it’s low in carbohydrates and high in fats.

Blood sugar (glucose) is normally the body’s main source of energy. But when blood sugar is diminished by eating less carbohydrates, the body is unable to maintain needed levels. To compensate, the body must start burning fat for energy. It also obtains more energy by converting some amino acids from protein in foods. And if this does not suffice, it gets energy from muscles

What You Should Know About a Silent Heart Attack

Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher, wrote that “Silence is a source of great strength.” Possibly sound advice in some situations. But for people who’ve had a silent heart attack, silence is far from a virtue. In fact, according to a report from the University of California, up to one half of heart attacks are totally silent! So, how dangerous are these myocardial infarctions, and what is the treatment?

The first indication of an attack may be when an electrocardiogram (ECG) is done for another medical reason and shows a damaged heart. But it may remain undiscovered until an autopsy revels scarring in the heart’s muscle.

Why does the silent heart attack fail to cause symptoms? Some people have a higher threshold of pain than others. Or a higher blood level of endorphins helps kill pain. Or a smaller coronary artery is involved, causing less damage. And diabetes can cause degeneration of nerves.

It takes guts to have good health

Why is it that some people eat to their heart’s content and never gain a pound, while others gain weight with a glance at the plate? As Bill Gates said, “Life is not fair. Get used to it.” But fair or unfair, is there a complex, unseen system that plays a role in weight management for each of us?

Your ability to maintain a healthy weight involves factors beyond diet and exercise. Some people’s metabolism, or operating system, is faster than others, requiring more energy to run.

But there’s more than speed and efficiency. The gut microbiome contains microbial cells, including bacteria, that outnumber the cells in the body. Having evolved with us for millions of years, they all serve important functions, using us as hosts and interacting with our environment. The conditions of our environment and our interactions with the world affect the microbiome and thus our performance.

Scientists develop new gene therapy for deafness

Delivering healthy genetic material into the inner ear cells of mice with a genetic defect that causes deafness enables the cells to function normally, according to a new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU).

The novel treatment prevented the gradual deterioration of hearing in these mice. It could lead to a breakthrough in treating children born with various mutations that eventually cause deafness.

The study, led by Prof. Karen Avraham of the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, was published in EMBO Molecular Medicine on December 22.

From aging to chronic wounds, is hyperbaric oxygen a cure-all?

It’s easy to see why Prof. Shai Efrati has been flooded with inquiries since the publication of his study showing that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can reverse aging at the cellular level.

Is this really the fountain of youth? ISRAEL21c had a Zoom chat with the Israeli physician to find out more about HBOT’s wide-ranging benefits.

Efrati explains that in HBOT, patients breathe in high-pressure oxygen at various concentrations through a mask or a hood, while seated inside a pressure chamber, to stimulate healing.

HBOT has long been used to treat conditions such as divers’ decompression sickness and diabetic skin wounds, even bone infections and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Microbiome transplants can reprogram immune system to attack tumors

Changing the gut microbiome can reprogram the immune system to attack malignant tumors, according to results of a unique clinical trial at Sheba Medical Center in Israel.

The results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science by a research team led by senior GI oncologist Dr. Ben Boursi, senior oncologist Dr. Gal Markel and MD-PhD student Erez Baruch.

“For the first time in the world, we have successfully fought cancerous tumors by changing the gut microbiome,” Boursi said.

Medical weapons of mass destruction A continuing tradition, in which COVID is the latest example

After a hundred years of intense propaganda promoting the idea that diseases are everywhere, and each disease is caused by a single germ, which must be killed by a medical drug…

The fallout has been extreme, to say the least.

Let’s start here:

When will hysterical defenders of “science” face up to the destruction the US medical system is causing?

What Did You Learn in Disastrous 2020?

How carefully have you been reading our column over the past year?  Take our True or False quiz.

#1: Excessive amounts of fructose, one of the main carbohydrates in refined sugar, is converted by the liver into fat. Glucose, the other component of sugar, is burned up as energy by all cells.

#2: It’s prudent to brush the tongue after eating, not just your teeth, as this removes bacteria, fungi, and even protozoa from deep fissures with benefits for your overall health.

#3: Magnesium found in dark leaf greens and whole grains helps to dilate arteries and lower blood pressure.

You can kill Covid with a flick of a switch, study shows

As the world continues to race toward a vaccine for Covid-19, new Israeli research shows that the humble light bulb could become a major player in the fight against the pandemic.

Researchers have discovered that coronavirus can be killed quickly, efficiently and cheaply using ultraviolet light-emitting diodes, or UV LED lights.

In a study recently published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology researchers found the optimal wavelength for killing the coronavirus is 267 nanometers.

A brilliant analysis of vaccination, by Richard Moskowitz, MD and homeopath

In the age of COVID, vaccination looms large. As in mandatory. And of course, toxic.

I’ve already covered two new vaccine technologies, one of which has already been pushed forward, to “protect” people from a virus that has never been properly proven to exist.

DNA vaccines, aka gene therapy, permanently alter recipients’ genetic makeup in unknown ways. RNA vaccines (Pfizer’s, just approved for COVID) can cause auto-immune reactions—-which means the body attacks itself.

Stay with the happy people

This year, the holidays aren’t what they should be. At least the vaccine’s roll-out brings anticipation that 2021 will see a return to normal. Until then, what would be our health advice to cooped up readers in this unusual holiday season? Here are a few suggestions:

Say hello. Connecting with extended family by phone is our best option for now. It’s a great time to reach out to old friends too. Behavioural scientists at the University of Chicago and UC Berkeley report we underestimate the positive impact of connecting with others for both our own and others’ well-being.  Their research shows that we tend to abhor a conversation with a perfect stranger until we have it.  So when the pandemic subsides, say hello to whomever sits beside you on a park bench.

Try social media. There are important cautions about social media. Health promotion is not always the norm, for instance for children accessing adult content. But having a strong social network is associated with positive mental health and well-being. Harvard researchers have shown that using social media as part of everyday routine and responding to content that others share is positively associated with social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health. (We invite you to connect with us on Instagram!)

Vitamin D and COVID 19: The Evidence for Prevention and Treatment of Coronavirus (SARS CoV 2)

Professor Roger Seheult, MD explains the important role Vitamin D may have in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.  Dr. Seheult illustrates how Vitamin D works, summarizes the best available data and clinical trials on vitamin D, and discusses vitamin D dosage recommendations.

Roger Seheult, MD is the co-founder and lead professor at MedCram

He is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine and Assistant Prof. at Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Dr. Seheult is Quadruple Board Certified: Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

Interviewer: Kyle Allred, Producer and Co-Founder of MedCram.com

How Would You Treat Your Own Mother?

It was 1949 and I was making rounds at the Massachusetts General Hospital with Professor Edward D. Churchill, an original thinker who taught medical school students and residents the importance of science in surgical practice. The X-ray showed a small mass in one lung in a very frail elderly lady. If it was a benign lesion, an operation might kill her. If it was malignancy and we did not operate, it might end her life. After much discussion, Professor Churchill asked a question I’ve never forgotten, “How would you treat your own mother?”

I told this story to Diana while discussing the number of people dying in seniors’ homes due to COVID. What treatment would we want for our family members?

Measure Your Coronary Risk with the Omega-3 Index

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in North America. Almost half of all U.S. adults have some type of cardiovascular disease, and in Canada, a woman dies of heart disease every 20 minutes. Heart disease is not often a disease of chance or bad luck. For the most part, it is a lifestyle disease. There are things we can do to prevent it.

We write columns every week to help readers avoid becoming a statistic. The fact that omega-3 fatty acids can help make the difference between life and death has been a frequent topic.  But don’t take our word for it. Take a test and find out for yourself. That’s exactly what we are doing.

Do Masks Cause Infections?

A 1981 study published in the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England looked at the effects of masks on post-operative wound infections in a forty-bed surgical ward. All kinds of surgeries were performed there: cholecystectomies, gastrectomies, thyroidectomies, bowel resections, prostatectomies, herniorrhaphies, cystoscopies, bronchoscopies, and gastroscopies. No masks were worn in the operating room for the six-month period from March-August 1980.?

The number of post-operative wound infections dramatically decreased.?

People in Pain Need Protection from False Pot Promotion

What’s the worst kind of pain? At the top of the list is debilitating chronic pain that, despite painkillers and other treatments, is unrelenting day after day. Chronic pain gradually destroys the soul. A study of suicide cases between 2003 and 2014 found evidence that as many as 10% of cases involved chronic pain. Now, with the availability of marijuana for medical treatment in Canada and most US states, is new hope being corrupted by false advertising?

No one should suffer pain that can be safely managed. The addition of medical marijuana as a treatment option has helped many. But despite heavy regulation, there are unscrupulous entrepreneurs ready to make a quick buck, and they are banking on your trust. What hurts, is that they are taking your money while also betraying your hope for pain relief.

Study shows hyperbaric oxygen can reverse the aging process

Hyperbaric oxygen treatments can stop the aging of blood cells and even reverse the aging process in healthy aging adults, according to a recently published study from scientists at Tel Aviv University (TAU) and Shamir Medical Center.

The researchers found that a unique protocol of high-pressure oxygen treatments in a pressure chamber can reverse two major processes associated with aging: the shortening of telomeres (protective regions at both ends of every chromosome) and the accumulation of old, malfunctioning (senescent) cells.

What Steak Lovers Should Know About Plant-Based Meats

We live at a time of growing choices regarding food substitutes. But how good are these new products when compared with the old staples? Think of margarine versus butter. Or more recently plant-based meats versus the real McCoy? Was William Shakespeare right when he wrote, “A substitute shines brightly as a King, until a King be by”?

A report from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University provides plenty to chew on. Deciding what to do isn’t just a personal decision. It also involved implications for our planet.

Take steps to relieve chronic stress

Nothing can be more heart wrenching than the sudden death of a loved one. The visualization of a wrench tightening on the heart is apt. It can feel that way and the physical harm done from such intense pressure is not good for your health.

Isaac Asimov, professor of biochemistry and prolific writer of science fiction, said, “Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome.” It’s troublesome for the individual at death’s door, certainly. But it’s also tragic for family and friends. It’s devastating – and lasting – for a life partner.