Come on now - you can't still believe, can you, that psychoactive drugs are safe?

Come on now - you can't still believe, can you, that psychoactive drugs are safe? or intended to help patients? or that the drug companies, and the many venal medics ensconced in their capacious cash-filled pockets, have the slightest concern for anyone's health and well-being but their own?

If you do still believe that the intentions of those with vested self-serving interests are honourable, then I suggest you read these recent articles: Alliance for Human Research Protection's The Real Biederman Scandal and Gaia Health's Big Pharma Spends $95 Thousand Per Doctor on Marketing Each Year and this kxon.com whistle-blower story.

Your health is your most precious possession and your brain is not infinitely elastic. - Say NO! to psychotropic drugs. And do what you can to protect others from them - especially children. There is growing and widespread unease among decent healthcare professionals at the harm being done by these dangerous drugs and the criminal drug companies - especially to children.

Big Pharma: the lies and corruption that promote sales of their Psychotropic Junk

Big Pharma in America: the lies and corruption that promote sales of their psychotropic junk and are damaging the health and happiness of ever-increasing numbers of Americans, most tragically children, in exchange for vast profits. Watch this video that was uploaded onto YouTube earlier this month.

Remember: the idea that depression and other mental health conditions are caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain is a myth invented by drug manufacturers in order to sell their vile products. Say NO! to their costly, chemical crap.

If you would like to know more about toxicology

If you would like to know more about toxicology there's a very interesting website here. The website's Mission Statement says "A Clean Environment and Good Health Are Our Most Precious Resources to Leave Our Children."

A study suggests that mental problems may lead to people seeking unnecessary nose jobs/rhinoplasty

FoxNews reports on a study that suggests mental problems may lead to people seeking unnecessary nose jobs/rhinoplasty. It is suggested that some people requesting nose jobs are really suffering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Personally, I tend to be somewhat sceptical about putative mental illnesses like body dysmorphic disorder.

If you are considering a nose job because your nose is too big/fat/bulbous and it has been suggested to you that you are obsessing about an imaginary problem and do not need such an operation, let me suggest a non-surgical, non-psychological therapy you may like to try.

If you seriously cut down on salt/sodium and salty food, your fat nose will become less fat. - Truly it will. - And less red and swollen. - This is because the blood vessels will become less dilated. (Cutting down on alcohol also helps with the problem.)

Reducing your sodium intake also reduces excess weight and lowers high blood pressure and has a multitude of other health benefits, including making you feel much better in every way. - Why not give it a try? - Go on! - Give yourself and your nose a real treat!...(o:

Organic Food Festival 3-4 September, Bristol Harbourside

Organic Food Festival 3-4 September, Bristol Harbourside. "Over 150 organic food and drink producers * Celebrity Chef Demos * Live bands * Livestock * Kids Taste Experience * Gorgeous health and Beauty Products * Organic Gardening * Fabulous fashion and textiles." Details here.

Nationwide Building Society's board displays banker-style greed

Nationwide Building Society's board is displaying banker-style greed. Read report here. Well we all are living with the catastrophic consequences of some bankers' greed. Let's hope someone comes up with a way to curb these new fat tomcats with such inflated ideas of their own worth to the Society they are employed to serve.

About the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and its dire consequences

The film Inside Job takes a look at the financial crisis of 2008. It documents the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry, and the consequences of that systemic corruption. I strongly urge you to watch this if you can spare the time.

It takes nearly 2 hours but it is in 15 minute chunks and even if you only watch part of it I feel sure you will find it worthwhile. The greed, the lies, the corruption is so rank and did such terrible harm and caused such terrible suffering worldwide, the perpetrators should not remain unpunished and should not still be in positions of power - but they are still in positions of power! The Law has supported and protected these wicked people.

If you are one of the people who has suffered because of the financial chicanery of the banks and the useless regulators, venal politicians, etc. - and that is surely all of us - I do urge you to watch this film and see how easily and cynically it was done.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. I believe these horrors will happen again because the fraudsters/criminals are still in power - still raking in shedloads of cash - still robbing the poor of all lands.

Please try to watch it!

Are you aware that HRT is steroid medication that can cause massive weight gain?

Are you aware that HRT is steroid medication that can cause massive weight gain? Read more about HRT and Steroids here. Read my Mensa article about weight gain caused by HRT and Steroids here. And read about how to lose weight by eating less salt and salty food.

More medical ghostwriting

A University of Pennsylvania psychiatry professor is alleging that several colleagues - including his department chair - allowed their names to be added to a medical journal manuscript but gave control of the contents to GlaxoSmithKline. Read article at pharmalot.com

Rickets reported in Cardiff

BBC Wales reports that cases of the crippling children's bone disease rickets are being seen in Cardiff. "Caused by a lack of vitamin D, the disease can lead to deformities like bowed legs and stunted growth, but it largely disappeared last century. Eye on Wales has learnt health professionals working in communities in south Cardiff are reporting incidents."

Vitamin D deficiency can result in a host of serious health conditions, including susceptibility to colds and flu, overweight and dental problems. See Vitamin D Deficiency. Sunshine is a good source of vitamin D. Food sources include oily fish such as salmon and sardines, eggs, full fat natural yoghurt, whole milk and beef liver. Low fat diets are not healthy, but they are particularly bad for children. Your doctor can arrange for vitamin D level testing.

Bribery of doctors and other NHS healthcare staff by pharmaceutical companies may be reduced by the Serious Fraud Office

An Independent on Sunday investigation has revealed that the bribery of doctors and other NHS healthcare staff with lavish hospitality and freebies by pharmaceutical companies may be reduced by the Serious Fraud Office.

"Big drug firms have spent millions of pounds on bankrolling events and trips for NHS staff, an Independent on Sunday investigation of trust records has revealed. The catalogue of freebies includes Pfizer providing hospitality to dozens of doctors attending a meeting at the five-star Gleneagles hotel resort in Scotland, and a dinner meeting between three Eli Lilly staff and two nurses at which 22 alcoholic drinks were consumed.

Healthcare staff, who influence how the £12bn annual NHS drugs budget is spent, insist they are not swayed by hospitality. However, it has emerged that big firms such as Sanofi-Aventis, Napp and Cephalon all feature in reports by the industry's watchdog, the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA), into alleged breaches in the rules on hospitality."

I recommend reading the whole of this damning report, including the Comments beneath the report.

I took my pain to Brighton once - Short Story by Margaret Wilde

I took my pain to Brighton once. We hadn't been there before. On the way I rang an investigative TV programme. I rang from a callbox and got them to reverse charges because I didn't have enough change to speak for long on the phone. They were a little incredulous at the request but they complied.

I told them about my pain and how I could find no way to get the causes dealt with. I told them I had finally decided to put 'faith-healing' to the test and had arranged to visit a faith-healer in Brighton: a guy called Tom.

I found an inexpensive hotel in which to spend a night. I left my things there and went to the home of the spiritualist healer. He charged no fee. They make a big thing of it, these 'healers'. That they charge no fee. But they go on about the time and spiritual energy they spend praying, and, in those days, about postage and stationery costs. They clearly expect you to pay, to make a 'donation'. I forget how much I put into the collection plate that was prominently on the table beside me. Was it £2 or was it a fiver? I think it was a fiver. I forget. Whatever it was, it was money wasted...

Late that evening as I walked around not far from the hotel, I came across a sort-of drop-in centre cum coffee bar. I forget exactly what it was. At any rate, there were evangelical Christians there wanting to convert people, or help them, or discuss issues of faith or something. I had a coffee and told a young woman about the pain and what had caused it. I asked her if she would help me. She said she would pray for me. Did she pray for me? I don't know. If she did, it didn't help.

I took my pain to Brighton once. And I brought it home with me again.


Margaret Wilde © 2011

GMO damage to Hungary's agriculture

GMO maize damage may total billions, says expert
The damage to Hungary's agriculture caused through sowing genetically modified seeds and to the country's GMO-free status will total billions of forints, an expert told MTI on Wednesday.
Read article at caboodle.hu (Hungary)

Antipsychotics kill five UK dementia sufferers every day

The Telegraph reports that antipsychotics kill five UK dementia sufferers every day and that at last meaningful action is being proposed to instruct doctors to review all antipsychotics prescriptions and to seek to reduce them by finding “therapeutic alternatives” to these harmful drugs.

Diet Drinks will not help you lose weight or inches

Calorie-free Diet Drinks will not help you to lose weight or inches and they are particularly bad for your waistline. Read about the harm done by artificial sweeteners in this excellent article from the Daily Mail. In general it is best to avoid putting synthetic chemicals into your body.

Good, safe, natural ways to lose excess weight and reduce your waist measurement are to cut down on salt/sodium and salty food and to eat plenty of vegetables and fruit. - The natural potassium in vegetables and fruit displaces some of the sodium from the body. The body then loses some of the excess fluid it has been holding in the bloodstream. This extra fluid (water weight) is excreted in the urine and so you lose weight, have more vitality, feel tons better and less bloated, can think more clearly and move more easily, and altogether you will be sooo pleased with your new, healthier, happier self that I hope you will be motivated to make lower sodium intake a permanent feature of your (longer) life...(o: - Read also about safe, natural ways to reduce Fat Retention.

House of Lords committee finds Nudge Theory for improving health is not good enough

BBC News reports that The House of Lords science and technology committee finds Nudge Theory with regard to improving the nation's health is not good enough, and that legislation is also required. Well I'd certainly go along with that. - The current health nudges/snippets of advice include that increasing exercise levels helps with reducing obesity - but it doesn't! - and that saturated fat causes heart disease - but it doesn't! - and that high cholesterol levels should be treated by taking prescribed statins - although these drugs do most people more harm than good and cost a lot of money.

Another nudge is called voluntary agreement, and that is when the manufacturers of unhealthy food agree to reduce levels of harmful additives/contaminants/poisons in the processed junk/food they inflict on consumers, and then do this reduction by miniscule amounts at the speed of an exhausted snail on tranquillisers. - My especial grouse about this is the continued presence of toxic synthetic transfats in manufactured biscuits, cakes, etc. Adding these factory-produced poisons to food intended for human consumption should be banned by Law, and that Law backed up by criminal sanctions against the CEOs of any companies that continue to add them to their products.

If the continued rise in incidence and severity of obesity that wreaks havoc on the economy and great, unnecessary suffering on huge numbers of individual people, is ever to be stemmed, and, hopefully, reversed, then any nudges/advice given should be supported by reliable evidence that it is correct, and not just the repetition of unproven mantras, assumptions and misinformation.

Commonly prescribed medicines can destroy lives

Experts have called for increased awareness about the issue of adverse drug reactions after hearing how everyday prescription medicines are destroying the lives of some patients.
Read article at medicalxpress.com

High salt/sodium intake is a major cause of heart disease, hypertension and stroke

High salt/sodium intake is a major cause of heart disease, hypertension and stroke. It is also a major contributor to obesity, especially in children and other vulnerable groups. You could improve your health and lower your risk of many degenerative health conditions as well as reducing excess weight by cutting down on salt and salty food. - Lose weight by eating less salt and salty food! - Go on! try it! - You will feel so much better!

Criminal practices within Insurance Companies are causing immense suffering to many American citizens

Criminal practices within Insurance Companies are causing immense suffering to many American citizens. Read this account by one of the victims.

Rally against GM potato trials

A Rally against GM potato trials is to be held at The Forum, Norwich, 12 noon, Saturday 23rd July 2011. "British trials of genetically modified blight resistant spuds have been failing for the last ten years. But a conventionally bred variety of blight resistant potatoes has been available for 3 years. So why are we still paying for their dangerous experiment?"

Law and Order on ITV on Sunday evening

This was the first time I have ever watched Law and Order. It didn't grab me; I don't think I'll watch it again. However, some comments:

A young woman died in hospital. It was not her illness that killed her; it was the easily avoidable error of administering a fairly commonly prescribed painkiller - codeine - to a patient who was already taking an antidepressant drug known to have an adverse interaction with that painkiller.

The hospital record had been altered to change codeine to paracetamol and a page of the notes was missing. These are serious offences which are, sadly, not uncommon after medical negligence occurs. What is uncommon is for anyone to be punished for it.

The investigators were lied to about it all by several of the hospital staff, such that Bradley Walsh's character comments to his colleague that the staff were all agreed that nobody did anything wrong. - In my experience, this cover-up is standard practice in cases of medical negligence, the difference being in this story, that the lies were checked out, instead of simply being uncritically accepted.

It turned out that it was the consultant who was most to blame for the untimely death of the young woman, because he was addicted to codeine, and this addiction had impaired his mental abilities. He also lied both in court and prior to the court case. The death of the patient was not 'a mistake'. It was a consequence of his drug addiction. Nonetheless, and despite being found guilty, he received only a two-year suspended sentence.

A derisory sentence for avoidably causing the death of a young woman patient; no sentences at all, apparently, for the other hospital staff who sought to pervert the course of justice by lying to the police investigators; lots of sympathy and understanding for the negligent consultant; and bugger-all sympathy and help for the bereaved and blameless father of the deceased. - 10 out of 10 for accuracy about how medical negligence is dealt with in this country...)o:

The Food Programme Radio 4: Transfats are poisonous. Why is the Food Industry still allowed to put them into our food?

The transfats to which I refer are the artificial transfats that are added to food products, mainly in order to increase their shelf-life. In other words, they increase the profits of the food manufacturers. Artificial transfats are not a natural constituent of any food whatsoever. The body does not have a natural way to metabolise them. It cannot use them as food, because they are not food. They are toxic to the body. Toxic is a synonym for poisonous. For most consumers it is next door to impossible to know whether some of the foods they buy contain any of these poisons or not, and if they do contain any of these poisons, how much? and how much harm will they do? They damage your body and your brain. They contribute to your risk of stroke, heart disease, memory problems, dementia and more.

On the Food Programme on Radio 4 this week "Sheila Dillon investigates the issue of trans-fats in our food, and asks whether a voluntary agreement by the food industry to eliminate them by the end of the year is enough to prevent the kind of health problems associated with a diet heavy in industrial cooking fats." - I can tell you the answer to that question right now: it isn't...)o: - No way! No! It is not!

If you listen to this programme on iPlayer you will hear Sheila Dillon ask pertinent questions and you will hear slithering responses just as oily and toxic as the transfat content the apologists seek to defend. And do not be fooled by the talk of small quantities and of small percentages of calories from these transfats. They are very harmful even in very small quantities. And the damage they do is cumulative. - Remember the old adage: poison comes in small packages!

If you eat shop-bought biscuits, cakes, bread, pizzas, margarine, vegetable shortening, ice-cream, puddings & pudding mixes, ready-made pies, some confectionery - this list is not exhaustive - then you will almost certainly have eaten artificial transfats. Some groups of people are more reliant on processed foods than others are, and some groups of people, e.g. people whose health is already compromised by degenerative disease, are more vulnerable to the harm that artificial transfats cause in the body.

Unfortunately, the groups most at risk from these transfats are of minor importance to UK legislators. Otherwise there would be a BAN on adding these poisons to our food. Adding these poisons to our food swells the profits of the Food Industry, i.e. big business. Food Manufacturers are the groups whose welfare is important to our legislators. Their welfare is paramount.

That processed foods so often contain artificial transfats is yet another reason why, as far as you can, you would do well to avoid processed food, and eat fresh food that you eat raw, or that you cook yourself.

How can the GMC possibly be allowed to continue as a regulator?

How can the GMC possibly be allowed to continue as a regulator? - I have many times inveighed against the uselessness of the GMC and I have many times called for it to be scrapped. It has no regard at all, other than rhetorical, for the safety of patients, and it routinely protects lousy doctors from anything but the most lenient of punishments for very grave malpractice. But this report by the Sunday Telegraph of its investigation into the case of a grossly negligent, incredibly ignorant, fraudster of a doctor really MUST be followed by the speedy demise of the General Medical Council. This is a national scandal of mind-blowing proportions. I urge you to read the whole article; a mere summary seems inadequate.

An American assessment of the UK phonehacking scandal

Here's an American assessment of the UK phonehacking scandal. This thoughtful article is followed by equally thoughtful and pertinent comments by George W. Drance and "Lynn", the former drawing attention to the fraud and corruption perpetrated by rogue lawyers, who, like the British press, lack an independent regulatory body, and the latter pointing up the harm done to society when members of the professions, by dint of being accorded unmerited respect, are allowed to practise dishonesty and get away with it. I have myself come to realise that massive flaws in the practice of Law play a huge part in the ever-increasing instances of Medical Negligence and the avoidable suffering that results from it (See, for example, Lawyers Can Seriously Damage Your Health, by Michael Joseph). And I whole-heartedly agree with Lynn on the widespread suffering caused by professionals' dishonest behaviour. My own experiences illustrate the truth of both George W. Drance's and Lynn's Comments. See Fighting the System and Long in the Toothache.

Shameful facts about diagnoses of mental illness

Shameful facts about diagnoses of 'mental illness'. Read this book review. Personally, I don't believe in mental illness. If you do believe in it, I invite you, after you have read this book review, to try reading some of the many books by Thomas Szasz. You'll soon have a different take on it.

The News of the World is to close

The News of the World is to close on Sunday. See Guardian blog post. That's excellent news! Thank goodness we still have some ethical newspapers, among them the Guardian.

Kirstie brought her baby to see me today

My friend Kirstie brought baby George to see me today. It was so nice to see them. It is the first time I've seen them since George was born, nearly two months ago. He was wide awake and busy looking round and learning. Kirstie is giving him a good, healthy start in life by breastfeeding him, and she doesn't eat any salty food or other junk that would be bad for him. I gave her a tub of Yeo Valley whole milk probiotic natural yoghurt to take home with her. That will do them both good, with its no added ingredients, and the dairy calcium, vitamin D and Bifidobacteria it naturally contains.

Mitochondrial damage caused by some anti-retroviral drugs commonly used to treat HIV, study shows

A class of anti-retroviral drugs commonly used to treat HIV, particularly in Africa and low income countries, can cause premature ageing, according to research published in the journal Nature Genetics. The study shows that the drugs damage DNA in the patient's mitochondria – the 'batteries' which power their cells. The findings may explain why HIV-infected people treated with antiretroviral drugs sometimes show advanced signs of frailty and age-associated diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia at an early age.
Read article at medicalxpress.com

Children's health is being damaged and their lives shortened because they are eating too much salt and salty food

Children's health is being damaged and their lives shortened because they are eating too much salt and salty food. See Children are vulnerable to salt. It is important to protect children from processed foods/salty snacks/ready meals and the like. Children are more at risk from their salt intake than adults are.

Children are especially vulnerable to salt because of their small size and small blood volume, and because their blood vessels are weaker than those of adults. Salt, and the water it attracts to it, can more easily distend weak blood vessels than fully mature ones. The resulting increase in blood volume and other fluid retention results in weight gain, as well as higher blood pressure and many other undesirable consequences. The smaller the child, the less salt they should have - and a baby, of course, should have no salt at all. - Babies can die if they are fed salty food.

Because children have much smaller bodies than adults it would be best if they had no more than half as much salt as adults. Most children, however, have much more than this because they eat so many snacks and instant foods. Just one cheeseburger, for instance, contains almost double the recommended daily salt maximum for children. There are high amounts of salt in packet soups, instant noodles, ketchup and sauces, sausages, burgers and savoury snacks. Fat children will lose weight fast if they eat less salt. And even faster still if they eat plenty of fresh fruit and unsalted vegetables, because these are rich in potassium, which helps to displace sodium from the body. Overweight children should not be put on a diet; dieting is harmful and unnecessary and does not usually result in weight loss. Once children start dieting it is often the beginning of a lifetime of yo-yo dieting and increasing weight and ill-health.

Unfortunately bread contains a lot of salt and most families eat quite a lot of bread because of using it for sandwiches in packed lunches, and for toast, etc. Because of its high salt content bread is not a healthy food for little children or for anyone who is overweight. Some bread manufacturers have lowered the salt content of certain loaves, but most bread still usually contains 0.5g or more of sodium per 100g. This is too much. - Always check on the packet; look for the lowest sodium content.

Cheese is often recommended as being good for children because it contains calcium, but cheese is not really good for children because it has a high salt content. So don't give them a lot of it. Children can get plenty of calcium by drinking milk and by eating dairy yogurt (but avoid non-dairy yogurt and low-fat yogurt and the sort of yogurt that has added sugar or sweeteners, colours or other synthetic chemical additives).

Too many UK patients are prescribed high-risk drugs

"Findings of a new study suggest that too many patients in the UK are being prescribed high-risk drugs that could potentially cause them harm, and reveals that GP prescribing between practices remains significantly varied. According to the research paper, published in the British Medical Journal online, thousands of patients in Scotland particularly vulnerable to side effects from medicines were dished out 'high-risk' drugs by their GPs."
Read article at pharmatimes.com (UK)

Overall the level of pharmaceutical drug prescribing in the UK continues inexorably to rise, and with it the consequences of harmful side-effects, and the further risks of this abundance of 'legal' drugs getting into the hands of drug-dealers and potential addicts. We need statutory limits on prescribing levels, with serious sanctions, including permanent removal from the Medical Register, for doctors who contravene such limits. - "First do no harm."