Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

I am a mother of 4 wonderful children, one of whom is an 8 year old boy. To say that they are the loves of my life is a pure understatement, as any mother will attest to. The worst thing that can happen to any mother is to lose a child. Does it make it worse knowing that it was due to medical intervention?  I don’t know but it does seem that there is something about being harmed or killed by a medical intervention that makes it even more of a tragedy because maybe it did not have to happen.

My youngest sister has a friend that just lost her 8 year old son, as he had a fatal reaction to the Flu vaccine. Not the Flu itself, but to the vaccine.  Due to this reaction, they ran tests and the family was informed that he had an immune system disorder that may have contributed to his death. The mother was told he may have died in the near future anyway. I don't know if that gives this poor mother any consolation to know that she may have eventually lost her child or even if this was true. To me, having a few days let alone years more with my child, seeing him enjoy his life for whatever length of time he had left, would have been better. Much better.

This flu vaccine; it's a hard decision for any parent/person; I just think we need to get as informed as we can, and not be pressured into doing anything we do not feel comfortable with for ourselves as well as for the people we love.  Certainly every person should have the right to do whatever makes them feel most comfortable once they review the information available on both sides.

Post 1 day later: I wrote the above post originally being told that it was the Swine Flu vaccine, but in fact it was the regular flu vaccine. I just found this out this morning as well as the fact that he did NOT have any rare immune disease. The cause of death was attributed to the flu vaccine and nothing else. The more I learn about what happened to this poor little boy and his family, the more devastated I become.

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Some claim the swine flu will return worse this fall, but others disagree. New findings in Journal of the American Medical Association say the next wave of swine flu will probably be about the same:

"In doing so, it is difficult to find evidence of 1918-like waves herald waves, or other such phenomena," they noted. The most recent flu pandemics, occurring in 1957 and 1968, "generally exhibited no more than one (mostly seasonal) recurrence" before settling down into relatively innocuous seasonal flu, [experts] said.

Overall, "examination of past pandemics reveals a great diversity of severity," Morens and Taubenberger said, adding that "some newer evidence [is] casting doubt on original herald wave theories."

One infectious-disease expert called the new analysis "absolutely correct."

Looking back at 20th century flu pandemics, "secondary waves have pretty much been either the same or even of less epidemiologic significance than the first wave," said Dr. Pascal James Imperato, dean of the school of public health at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City.

Next to John & Kate, swine flu has been the story of the year, with reports like swine flu reaching 1 million cases in the United States and becoming the first pandemic of the 21st century. If you're worried about the flu, here' some advice from Dr. Fuhrman:

Americans eat a diet style that weakens their normal resistance to simple viral infections. In spite of advances in science that reveal the critical importance of thousands of protective micronutrients in the natural plant kingdom, much of the modern world consumes a diet rich in processed grains, oils, sweets and animal products. In the United States, for example, less than five percent of total calories consumed come from fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. These are the foods that are richest in micronutrients.

The key to health is nutrition per calorie. Those of us who eat the Standard American Diet (SAD) have a very low nutrient (per calorie) intake. This chronic malnourished condition is the true life-threatening epidemic in the modern world, resulting in a medical care crisis and untold tragedies. And this ubiquitous malnourishment may also eventually enable the Avian influenza viruses to spread more easily and develop into virulent forms. With the ubiquitous consumption of fake foods such as white bread, pasta, oil and sugar, nutritional incompetence is the norm.

The flu is a simple viral illness which a healthy body has scores of adequate defenses against. No flu, including the bird flu, is any match for a well-nourished immune system.

Via HealthDay News.

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Swine flu rattles on! U.S. health officials now believe the virus has infected an estimated 1 million Americans. In June, it was reported the infamous flu already nailed all 50 states. According to the CDC, the United States has roughly half of the world’s swine cases, with 3,065 hospitalizations and 127 deaths—and the number of hospitalizations is growing; DiscoveryNews reports.

I could cover swine flu everyday—I’ve tried my best to spare you—but it’s still important to keep you updated. Like how vaccines currently used to against swine flu, such as Tamiful, are useless and that Dr. Fuhrman recommends healthy diet and good hygiene to prevent the flu.

And here’s another important tidbit. Researchers have determined non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—called NSAIDs—used to treat the flu may cause multi-organ failure. Eek!

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Swine flu has everyone freaked! I guess the news that piggy flu hit all 50 states and was declared the first pandemic of the 21st century scared people silly. That’s why some officials at the U.S. Health and Human Services Department envision a scenario where vaccinating kids in school is logical. What a pay day for drug companies! Here are Dr. Fuhrman’s thoughts on this:

We don't know yet if this swine flu is really a significant risk enough to our country and the world to generate and distribute a vaccine for it in this time frame. It may even be gone by then.

But for sure, it has generated a great marketing opportunity for the drug companies and vaccine manufacturers and it is likely that as large numbers of children and adults become vaccinated, the people harmed from the inoculations will likely be greater than those harmed by the flu.

We have to wait and see how virulent and potentially dangerous this turns out to be. For now, it has not developed into anything that warrants such a dramatic intervention.

Via DiscoveryNews.

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German officials say the H1N1 swine flu virus has begun to mutate and could potentially morph into a more aggressive variant. Currently, Germany has the third highest rate of infection in Europe, with 275 confirmed cases. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 27,717 cases of swine flu, with 127 deaths; via Reuters.

Last week, H1N1 showed up in a couple of new places. In Brazil, a man returning from Mexico was diagnosed with swine flu and three children at a Georgia summer camp came down with the virus. And to make matters worse, experts believe the flu will come back stronger in the fall.

But swine flu has already made its mark. The World Health Organization declared swine flu as the first international pandemic of the 21st century, and warned it could become unstoppable.

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Oh that nutty swine flu is at it again! In Brazil, scientists claim they have discovered a new strain of swine flu. It was diagnosed in a 26-year old man who had been hospitalized with flu symptoms following a trip to Mexico, where it’s believed the H1N1 outbreak began. However, officials aren’t sure if this new strain is more dangerous than the original virus; via HealthDay News.

And be careful when shipping your kids off to summer camp. Three children at a Georgia camp have contracted swine flu. One child was hospitalized briefly with mild symptoms and another 60 campers and few staffers were being quarantined and treated just in case; CNN reports.

It’s getting repetitive to say, but the best defense against flu viruses—even swine and bird flu—is excellent nutrition and good hygiene, like frequent hand washing. Try chanting oink-oink too.

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On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared swine flu (or H1N1) as an international pandemic, urging world governments to prepare for a lengthy battle with a potentially unstoppable new flu virus. Swine flu is already in all 50 U.S. states and countries like Canada, Australia, Chile and the United Kingdom. Scientists worry swine flu could mix with bird flu or other seasonal flu viruses and current vaccinations—such as Tamiflu—are ineffective; Reuters reports.

Last year, experts at the WHO stated 11% of flu viruses in the United States and 25% of flu viruses in Europe are resistant to antiviral drugs. So far, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there have been 17,855 cases of swine flu and 45 deaths the United States.

To help protect against swine flu—as well as other serious strains of flu, such bird flu—Dr. Fuhrman recommends superior nutrition and good hygiene, like washing your hands frequently.

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As of Monday June 1st the CDC reports there are now confirmed cases of swine flu in all 50 states. To date, Alaska has the fewest with 1 case, Wyoming with 2 and both Vermont and West Virginia with 3. The CDC says the total number of cases in the U.S. is 10,053, but the actual figure could be as high as 200,000, due to unreported or less severe symptoms; via HealthDay News.

If you’re betting on the flu, take the over. Just last week the number of cases was 7,927 and the high figure was only 100,000. Quick, call your bookie! With vaccines only working against 11% of flu strains, except those numbers to jump even further by next week.

And experts predict the swine flu pandemic will reach the U.K. by the fall. Currently, there have been 225 confirmed cases of H1N1 in England, followed by Scotland with 17.

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During a news conference this Tuesday the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that influenza outbreaks usually come in waves and, like the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, swine flu might be much worse this fall. Currently, officials estimate there have been 7,927 confirmed and probable cases of swine flu in the United States, with 11 deaths, but all victims had underlying health problems prior to being infected; HealthDay News reports.

Kind of a big jump, only a couple weeks ago the number was 4,700 cases, but many experts suspect it could be a lot higher, as high as 100,000, since not all cases are severe. A little scary because most Americans aren’t healthy and today’s flu vaccines are pretty much worthless.

And last year, a report by the World Health Organization and the CDC determined 25% of flu viruses in Europe and 11% of flu viruses in the United States are resistant to antiviral drugs.

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Officials confirm there have been 4,700 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States, but now experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim the actual number may have hit 100,000 nationwide. Not all incidences are severe, with many cases appearing to be mild. States hit hardest are Illinois with 638 infections, Wisconsin 613, Texas 506 and California with 504 and deaths have been reported in Arizona, Texas, Washington and now New York; HealthDay News reports.

The swine flu is frightening. While it may not be the big one, Dr. Fuhrman insists a flu epidemic is likely—at some point—because most Americans are unhealthy and flu vaccines don’t work. Instead, a better defense is a healthy-immune system bolstering diet and good hygiene, like hand washing.

In related pig news, Japan insists cloned meat, including swine, is safe to eat. And some scientists suggest pigs may easily transmit deadly bacteria, like Staphylococcus, to humans.

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