Editor’s Comment
Although we have a cram-packed issue of AMH News as always, I want to point out the article by Dr. James Lake (Complementary and Alternative Mental Health Caucus Established in APA) as being especially significant.
Dr. Lake, co-author of Chinese Medical Psychiatry, spoke at Safe Harbor’s Non-Pharma II conference in 2003. He announced at that conference that an effort had been made at the 2003 annual American Psychiatric Association meeting to form a committee on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) but the committee did not come to fruition.
While CAM has caught on like wildfire in much of traditional medicine, the field of psychiatry has been one of the last realms where CAM has had not a significant influence.
But at this year’s meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), thanks to the efforts of a number of psychiatrists, an official caucus has been created within the APA to promote the use of CAM in American psychiatry.
The APA guidelines defines a caucus as a group of self-selected special interest psychiatrists for whom there is no other vehicle or subspecialty organization already relating to the APA. The purpose of an APA special caucus is to promote communication and networking among psychiatrists/members of the association who share a special interest; and to provide a voice to association members who share a common interest so that they may bring to the association’s attention important or emerging issues that will affect patient care and the practice of psychiatry within that special interest area.
Safe Harbor would like to URGE psychiatrists who are APA members to take part in this caucus to promote this critical area of care within psychiatry. This is a very special chance to infuse a breath of fresh ideas into American psychiatry that would eventually have far-reaching effects into millions of lives.
Dr. Lake and his participating colleagues are to be commended for their humanitarian efforts in persisting along this course and for planting a seed that will ultimately sprout a forest of hope and recovery for psychiatric patients across America.
Six Announcements
CMEs Offered for Safe Harbor’s Non-Pharma III Conference
We are happy to announce that we are offering CME (Continuing Medical Education) for physicians at Safe Harbor’s Non-Pharma III conference. Full details are below.
We are able to do this thanks to our co-sponsoring partner, ACAM, the American College for the Advancement of Medicine. Founded in 1973, ACAM is a not-for-profit medical society dedicated to educating physicians and other health care professionals on the latest findings and emerging procedures in preventive/nutritional medicine. It is the leading organization of its kind in the world.
Safe Harbor’s Non-Pharma III Conference
NON-PHARMA IIISafe Harbor’s Third Annual Medical Conference:
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FEATURING: A special afternoon with Michael Lesser, M.D., author of The Brain Chemistry Diet, with a new book, Nutrition and The Mind, to be released in 2004, and one of the pioneers of nutritional psychiatry in the United States.
Join Safe Harbor and the nation’s leading voices on safe, non-drug treatments for the mentally unwell.
When:
Saturday, June 5, 2004, 8:30 AM to 6 PM
Sunday, June 6, 2004, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Where: Glendale Hilton Hotel, Glendale, CA (just outside Los Angeles). The Hilton is next to downtown Glendale with an array of nearby shopping, restaurants, theaters, etc. Rooms $109.00 per day. Mention Safe Harbor when booking. Event parking $8.00 per day. For reservations, call (818) 956-5466.
Fees: Before May 20: $130 for both days (lunch not included) After May 20: $160 (lunch not included)
Day Rates Available
Continuing Education Units
- 15 Hours of CMEs (continuing medical education) for physicians – $160.00 extra.
- 15 Hours continuing education units (CEUs) for CA LCSW/MFTs and nurses – $60 extra (BBS Prov. No. BCE 2516; BRN Prov. No. pending – No refunds after May 24.).
- 15 Hours of CEU credit for members of the Society of Certified Nutritionists (newly named National Association. of Nutrition Professionals) – $60.00 extra.
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of the American College for Advancement in Medicine and Safe Harbor. The American College for Advancement in Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide and sponsor continuing medical education for physicians. The American College for Advancement in Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 15 category 1 credits towards the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the activity.
Registration
Register by phone – (323) 257-7338,
email – SafeHarborProj@aol.com or online at:
https://secure.corpsite.com/secure_alternative/donation.htm
Seating is limited!
If you want to exhibit at the conference, please contact wendy@alternativementalhealth.com.
Schedule
With a dozen speakers, presentations will include:
Saturday, June 5, 2004
7:45 AM – 8:30 AM: Registration
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Opening Remarks: Dan Stradford, President, Safe Harbor
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Peter Muran, M.D.: Holistic Approach to Mental Health Through the Balance of Neurotransmitters, Hormones, and Nutrition
Dr. Muran, host of the TV show “Longevity Healthcare” and director of the Longevity Healthcare Center of Laguna Hills, California, is a recognized expert in the treatment of candidiasis, natural hormone replacement therapy, treatment of digestive disorders, and chelation for cardiac disease and mercury toxicity.
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM: Break
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM: Barbara Massey, R.N.: Reversible Dementias – Detecting and Treating Common Medical Causes of Dementia Symptoms in the Elderly
Ms. Massey is program director for G.E.N.E.S.I.S. – a unique community outreach project established in 1995 under the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Their mission is to organize medical and social services for seniors having difficulty caring for themselves. They do not accept most diagnoses of “dementia,” reporting that the majority of cases are due to treatable medical problems.
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM: David Steenblock, M.S.,D.O.: Reversing Psychiatric Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury
Dr. Steenblock is the director of the Brain Therapeutic Medical Clinic of Mission Viejo, California. Dr. Steenblock’s clinic was the first to combine Hyperbaric Oxygen with a comprehensive program including nutritional therapies, cardiovascular rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, biofeedback and neuro-biofeedback, acupuncture, and pulsed electromagnetic therapy, in addition to conventional treatment protocols, to increase the potential for improvement. (www.strokedoctor.com)
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM – Lunch
1:15 PM – 2: 45 PM: Denis Wilson, M.D.: Hidden Thyroid Conditions That Commonly Affect Mental Health – And How to Treat Them
Dr. Wilson is the discoverer of Wilson’s Thyroid Syndrome, originator of the thyroid hormone sustained-release T3, and author of Wilson’s Thyroid Syndrome – A Reversible Thyroid Problem. (www.wilsonssyndrome.com)
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM: Randy Martin, Ph.D.: Homeopathic Treatment of Anxiety and Depression
Dr. Martin, author of Optimal Health, How to Get It, How to Keep It, has published numerous articles nationally and internationally on homeopathy and Oriental medicine (www.optimalhealth4u.com).
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM: Break
4:00 PM – 5:15 PM: Raymond Silkman, D.D.S.: Is It Mental or Is It Dental? How Mercury Fillings, Root Canals, Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Syndrome, and Other Dental Issues Affect Mental Health
Since 1992, Dr. Silkman has been practicing holistic dentistry, orthodontics and treatment of TMJ and related disorders in cooperation with chiropractors, homeopaths, acupuncturists, osteopaths, and other health professionals.
5:15 PM – 6:00 PM: Gottfried Kellermann, Ph.D.: Laboratory Testing for Neurotransmitters and Its Clinical Application
Sunday, June 6, 2004
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Karen Barth Menzies, Esq.: The Rising Tide of Pharmaceutical Lawsuits: What the Practitioner Needs to Know About the Future of Psychiatric Drug Litigation
Ms. Menzies is the drug products liability attorney for Baum Hedlund, legal counsel for the Paxil class action law suit and one of the nation’s leading law firms for pharmaceutical litigation (www.baumhedlund.com).
9:30: AM – 10:30 AM: To be announced
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM: Break
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM: Victoria L. lbric, M.D., Ph.D.: EEG Biofeedback Treatment for Depression, Anxiety, Addiction and Other Disorders
Dr. Ibric is a board certified instructor who offers internship training for therapists interested in using Neuro/biofeedback in their practice. Dr. Ibric graduated from medical school in Bucharest, Romania and obtained her PhD in both immunology and health psychology. Dr. Ibric practiced medicine for more than 20 years in the field of oncology, neurology and cancer research. Presently she has a full time thriving private practice in Pasadena at the Therapy & Prevention Center, and she is consultant for UCLA- Pain Medicine Center, Kaiser Permanente, and other clinics. She provides Neuro/biofeedback for a variety of disorders or symptoms caused by stress, as well as peak-performance training. Since 1993 Dr. Ibric has had a high rate of success using Neurofeedback training on patients with disorders such as chronic pain, sleep or tremor disorders, traumatic brain injury, ADD/ADHD, autism, and seizures. Dr. Ibric continuously applies her research experience while practicing neurofeedback. Many of her results have been presented at National and International conferences, and have been published in peer review journals. She has been and continues to be an active promoter of Biofeedback/ Neurofeedback in the community. (www.neurofeedback-dribric.com)
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM – 3:15 PM: Michael Lesser, M.D.: Nutrition and the Mind
An afternoon with Michael Lesser, M.D., one of the founders of the orthomolecular (nutritional) psychiatry movement in the U.S.
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM: Break
3:30 PM – 5:15 PM: Safe Harbor’s 2004 Recovery Panel
6 people, now leading drug-free lives, tell their remarkable stories of recovery from mental disorders.
5:15 PM – 5:30 PM: Closing remarks, Dan Stradford, President, Safe Harbor
Pfeiffer to Offer Patient Services in Scottsdale, Arizona
Location: Chaparral Suites, 5001 N. Scottsdale Rd., May 17-19
The PFEIFFER TREATMENT CENTER is an outpatient clinic dedicated to assisting children and adults with biochemical imbalances. We offer natural, individualized treatment emphasizing ADD, ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, depression, thought & mood disorders. Our doctors prescribe individualized nutrient therapy for each patient’s unique biochemistry.
For information or an appointment call 630-505-0300
8:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. (CST) Mon.-Fri.
Be sure to visit the Pfeiffer website, www.hriptc.org
Safe Harbor Miami Launches with May 22 Autism Conference
We are very happy to announce the establishment of Safe Harbor Miami, headed by Dr. Andrew Levinson, a reputable orthomolecular psychiatrist and member of Safe Harbor’s professional listserv, Integrative Psychiatry. The Safe Harbor Miami chapter is kicking off with a bang by co-sponsoring a superb autism conference:
REVERSING AUTISM
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Saturday May 22, 2004 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Functional Therapies and Cutting Edge Research
An all-day conference for parents of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) together with clinicians and health care professionals seeking to advance their awareness of therapeutic options for reversing the symptoms of Autism.
World Renowned Researchers and Leading Physician Experts
- Andy Wakefield, MD, Gastroenterologist & Research Director, ICDRC – Dr. Wakefield’s current research is an investigation of the immunological and pathological changes occurring in association with autistic enterocolitis, and the relationship of this condition to possible environmental causes such as childhood vaccines. His research, dedication to ASD children & IOM (Institute of Medicine) testimony has brought him international acclaim.
- Timothy Buie, MD, Harvard University Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General – Dr. Buie is an instructor of Pediatrics at Harvard and a clinician & consultant with the LADDERS program (Learning and Developmental Disabilities Evaluation and Rehab Services). He is known for his expertise in diagnosing children with GI complications and dynamic approach to treating gut issues in children on the spectrum. His current research work regards carbohydrate enzyme deficiencies in ASD.
- Andrew Levinson, MD, Founder & Director, Vitality Health & Wellness – Dr. Levinson is an orthomolecular psychiatrist, with expertise in treating children on the spectrum. His work in heavy metal detoxification, nutritional therapies and dietary intervention offers effective options to parents looking for treatment alternatives to pharmacologic sedation and institutionalization.
- David Berger, MD, Director of Pediatrics Vitality Health & Wellness – Dr. Berger is an expert in treating children with ASD. His comprehensive appreciation of the potential risks of vaccine injury and the biochemistry of the pathways that are affected in Autism give him insight that few other doctors have.
- Doreen Granpeesheh, Ph.D, Director & Founder, C.A.R.D. – Dr. Granpeesheh has been providing diagnosis, assessment and behavioral treatment for children with Autism and related disorders for over 25 years. She founded CARD in 1990 and has provided ABA services for over 5000 children through CARD’s 14 offices worldwide.
- Jeff Bradstreet, MD, FAAFP Founder & Director, ICDRC – Dr. Bradstreet’s current research in the area of genetics, environmental toxins, and biochemistry redefines the diagnosis of Autism. He is an adjunct professor at two universities and is the founder of the International Child Development Resource Center (ICDRC)
Saturday May 22, 2004 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kovins Center
FIU Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street
North Miami, Florida 33181
Early Registration $115/$140 after May 14. Parking and Lunch included. Sign up Now! Call 305-466-1100 or register online by going to: http://www.vitalitywellness.com/seminars/rev_autism_register.php
Please join us and our speakers for dinner in the evening in honor of Dr. Wakefield
Dinner, Cocktails, Live Art Auction
Call 305-466-1100 for an invitation
Chispa Restaurant Bar, 225 Altara Avenue, Coral Gables.
This fund-raising event is sponsored by Oleomed and Safe Harbor Miami. All monies raised will go toward Autism research – Medical Interventions for Autism (MIA) 501(C)3.
For more information on our center, go to www.vitalitywellness.com.
Safe Harbor Los Angeles Support Group Meeting, May 12
The Los Angeles Safe Harbor Support Group meeting will be held at the Safe Harbor office, 1718 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock, from 7 to 9 PM, Wednesday, May 12th.
We will present James Hopson, L.Ac., speaking on Metabolic Typing and foods that promote mental health. He will share how he dramatically turned his own physical and mental health around.
The meeting is free and open to all interested persons. Kindly RSVP (323) 257-7338 if you will be participating.
The support group will meet from 7 PM to 8 PM and the talk will be presented from 8 PM to 9 PM.
Complementary and Alternative Mental Health Caucus Established in APA
by James Lake, M.D.
In recent decades there has been a growing trend toward the use of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) approaches to mental and emotional disorders. Recent surveys suggest that 60% of psychiatric patients, especially those suffering from anxiety and depressive disorders, use some form of alternative treatment. Further, most patients who use alternative approaches don’t disclose this fact to their psychiatrists. At the same time, increasing numbers of psychiatrists and non-medically trained mental health professionals believe that certain CAM modalities are valid and effective treatments, and administer these therapies directly, or refer patients to CAM practitioners for the treatment of diverse psychiatric disorders including depressed mood, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety and others.
The decision of the American Psychiatric Association to establish a special Caucus on complementary, alternative (CAM) and integrative approaches in mental health care represents a strategic response to the widespread use of non-conventional treatments in mental health care. The first meeting of this A.P.A. caucus has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 4th, during the A.P.A.’s annual meeting in New York, hosted by Darrel Regier M.D., director of the American Psychiatric Research Institute.
Initial objectives of the Caucus include the systematic examination of established and emerging CAM and integrative assessment and treatment approaches with the goal of providing reliable information on safety and efficacy to the A.P.A., member psychiatrists, other professional medical societies, and non-medically trained mental health professionals. The diverse perspectives and backgrounds of Caucus members reflect the widespread and increasing interest among conventionally trained psychiatrists in complementary, alternative and integrative treatments addressing the range of psychiatric disorders. The Caucus will advise relevant A.P.A. committees (including the Committee on Research on New Treatments) on significant emerging research findings or safety considerations pertaining to CAM or integrative approaches to psychiatric disorders. An important long-term goal is the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the use of CAM or integrative assessment and treatment approaches in mental health care.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Anyone wishing to contact Dr. Lake on this matter or psychiatrists interested in participating in the APA caucus can contact Dr. Lake at egret4@mindspring.com
Testimonial: Life After Catatonic Schizophrenia
Safe Harbor’s web site, www.AlternativeMentalHealth.com, was created several years ago after an episode with one woman who had been diagnosed with catatonic schizophrenia in her mid-30s. Her husband called us numerous times, refusing to give up on his wife and leave her on medications. We encouraged him, through a number of phone calls, to find a doctor to FULLY examine her and yet every doctor refused, saying there was no need – she simply had schizophrenia.
He finally found a doctor to fully test her and an organic acids urine test by Great Plains Lab found the woman dramatically deficient in glutathione, a nutrient that clears up toxins. We still have her lab results in our files. The woman, nearly mute by this time, was given glutathione injections and supporting nutrients and 24 hours later got on the phone and spoke for an hour. A month later she was normal.
We launched our site to help others in finding practitioners. The woman’s story – we called her Mrs. J – was the first testimonial to appear on our site. When she contacted us last year, we found she had returned to college and had gotten her university degree.
The following came in to us very recently from her
I am Mrs J and, living life now, I just wanted to give you a personal update and to share some recent victories: Firstly, I made the first page of my local paper for being one of two convenors of a writers conference that turned over a profit to a nonprofit organization; secondly, a piece of my poetry won first place and the mayor of my city presented the award on behalf of the city; and thirdly, a piece of my writing just appeared in a teacher’s magazine (circulation 58,000)!
Life is getting better and better. I work with children, helping them to write essays. It is truly wonderful to watch a child gain certainty and knowledge. It is very true that helping the individual, one can get a forward advance in the future and culture of civilization. But there are more successes to be had, so off I go to find them and enhance the world around me.
I have so wanted, for some time now, to write you a short note on how life is going. The future is in front of me and I look forward to creating it. Thank you for all the work you are putting into this website as it is so valuable in saving the lives of others.
Testimonials: Healing Mental Symptoms with Homeopathy
The use of homeopathy to treat mental disorders is a safe, successful approach not well known in some circles. On Safe Harbor’s directory at www.AlternativeMentalHealth.com/directory we have a number of homeopaths who treat severe mental symptoms in their practices. Such practitioners include Tim Shannon, N.D., in Oregon (drt@drtshannon.com) and Michele Galante, M.D., in New York (mgalante@earthlink.net).
To offer some insight into homeopathic recoveries, we present these testimonials, recently posted to our site. They are from the practice of Gabrielle Traub, Doctor of Homeopathy at 3268 Governor Drive, San Diego, California 92122; Phone: (858) 531-5279; Email: drtraub@san.rr.com
I began treatment with Dr. Traub in July of 2003. My medical history consisted of a chemical imbalance called Bipolar Disorder. With Dr. Traub’s expertise in homeopathic medicine and her experience with this condition, I was given a remedy that changed my life. I felt better immediately. I never was one who slept well or regularly. Now I sleep soundly and I feel better than I’ve ever felt in my life. My moods are much better since I sought homeopathic treatment. I was cleared of my prior diagnosis and now do not take any medication at all. I am so grateful for Dr. Traub’s thoroughness and attention to details of my medical profile. She is kind, supportive and her treatment has made me healthier than I’ve ever been. I have referred friends and family to Dr. Traub and they have had wonderful experiences as well.
— NZ
I was diagnosed bipolar two years ago. I started to take lithium, antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. The problem with those drugs are that I felt “flat,” I mean, without emotions. I gained weight, too, and had acne problems. My husband was afraid of the side effects of lithium (including kidney damage) so he started to look for natural options. We found Dr. Traub and started to have a consultation with her in April 2003, and she helped to wean me off of drugs using only homeopathic medicine. After three or four months on homeopathic treatment I?m really fine, I?m off all medications and enjoying life again with my husband and my children. I?m really thankful to her.
— from Mexico
Anxiety, Depression, Hypothyroid
By using the homeopathic remedy Dr. Traub has given me, I am now off Paxil and on my way to healing my thyroid. Dr. Traub has been a very caring person through the entire process; no other doctor has ever been so concerned and taken so much time to really help me. I wish that someday Western medical doctors will have the same sympathy and understanding and diligence to help their patients as Dr. Traub has shown. Most doctors spend literally 5 minutes with you and send you on your way; you end up wondering if they even gave you the right medicine or if they really know what is wrong. How can they, in just 5 minutes? Something that I was not being treated for has gone away, an eczema spot on my hand permanently which had been there for years has disappeared! I was having terrible side effects on Paxil and the homeopathic remedy has no side effects in relieving my anxiety and depression. I decided to try homeopathic treatment for my hypothyroid because I did not want to be on medication the rest of my life. The last blood tests showed that my thyroid is completely normal from taking my homeopathic medicine.
Article: Feingold Program Affords Simple Remedy for Mental Symptoms
“Trouble may begin in the grocery cart,” says the homepage of www.feingold.org, the website of the Feingold(r) Association of the United States. Continuing the work of health pioneer Ben F. Feingold, MD, this non-profit public charity promotes a diet to eliminate ADHD symptoms that is neither expensive nor difficult to follow. Acceptable products and their suppliers are listed on the website, along with a free downloadable chapter of the book Why Can’t My Child Behave? – featuring many encouraging success stories like this one:
“Mark was such a cheerful little baby until he was about six months old and I introduced solid food. We moved at this time, and I assumed his radical change in behavior was the result of the move. I never suspected it was triggered by the foods and baby vitamins he ingested.
“His record for sleep was 3 hours. A day with my son alternated between loudness, constant motion, and short periods of sleep — generally one or two hours. By age one he slept through the night, but woke screaming. This was his only form of communication except for one word: ‘see.’ When we got a puppy, Mark learned to imitate it. Looking back, it’s funny to recall that my son spoke two words, one of which was ‘woof.’ But at the time, my husband and I didn’t laugh at that, or at much of anything else, for that matter. I was with this miserably unhappy baby for 24 hours each day. Who would want to baby-sit? There were times when I thought I was cracking up, and I even daydreamed of being institutionalized — somewhere restful and quiet!
“The few other adults I encountered weren’t much help. ‘You’re spoiling him.’ ‘He certainly knows how to get his way.’ Why was I made to feel so guilty? I turned to my doctor for help and received a sarcastic, ‘If he’s this bad at two, we’ll refer you to a psychiatrist.’
“When Mark was one and a half he got a terrible case of diarrhea. (I didn’t realize at the time that it was caused by cow’s milk.) This went on for three months, and all the medications my doctor tried were of no help. Another doctor in the group told me to put Mark on a very restricted diet, with only three foods. Gradually the diarrhea stopped, but most astonishing was the dramatic change in Mark’s behavior. Gone was the child who behaved as though he was possessed, and my sweet little boy was back. (‘See, he outgrew it,’ explained a relative.)
“On the Feingold diet, my two-year-old’s vocabulary of one word and a bark suddenly became a torrent of words and even some short sentences. Within a week he was naming all of the letters of the alphabet.”
| Disclaimer from www.feingold.org: | |
| “Neither a diagnosis nor a prescription is required in order to implement the Feingold Program as a healthy diet choice. This information is not intended, however, to replace competent medical diagnosis.” | |
Article: Fluoridation Enables Lead, Aluminum to Invade The Brain
Evidence is mounting that various compounds of fluoride from a variety of sources, most notably municipal water supplies that are deliberately fluoridated, act to compromise the blood-brain barrier. (Definition: “A barrier that exists between the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid which prevents the passage of various substances from the bloodstream to the brain.”) www.sonoranspine.com/glossary.htm
The chemical most commonly used to fluoridate America’s drinking water is associated with an increase in children’s blood lead levels, according to research presented to the 17th International Neurotoxicology Conference (“Children’s Health and the Environment,” Little Rock, Arkansas, October 17-20, 1999), as quoted at www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof.
Pro-fluoridation literature uniformly cites a handful of studies done on sodium fluoride, an aluminum industry waste product used in fluoride toothpastes and dental treatments. Since 1997, the FDA has required fluoride toothpastes to carry the warning: “…if the child swallows more than a pea-sized amount, contact a Poison Control Center immediately.”
Here’s some enticing promotional copy from a Chinese manufacturer’s website:
Sodium Fluoride “Properties: White powder, soluble in water, slightly soluble in alcohol, poisonous. Uses: Be used as manufacture of enamel, vermin destroyer, rat poison; as insecticide, preservatives for wood and food, antiseptic in alcohol distillation.”
While far from proven safe, sodium fluoride is significantly less toxic than the cheaper silicofluorides used in most fluoridated communities.
Sodium Fluorosilicate “Usage: It can be used as white-adding reagent of porcelain enamel and glass, melt-supporting reagent, antiseptic of wood, insecticide in agriculture, moisture absorption reagent of acid tolerance cement, solidification matter of natural latex products, … filling substance of plastic.” www.china-fluoride.com/web_c/cpjs_e.htm
Fluoride applied topically to teeth may provide some decay resistance, but no published research supports the assumption that ingesting fluoridated water has the same effect.
Researchers Roger D. Masters, Ph.D., of Dartmouth College, and chemical engineer Myron Coplan, found that the silicofluorides (SiF) do not separate completely, as sodium fluoride does. “As a result, water treatment with silicofluorides apparently functions to increase the cellular uptake of lead,” according to their findings published in the International Journal of Environmental Studies (September 1999).
Masters and Coplan studied lead screening data from 280,000 Massachusetts children. They found that average blood lead levels are significantly higher in children living in communities whose water is treated with silicofluorides. (Lead and arsenic are significant components of the “chemical soup” recovered from the smokestack scrubbers of phosphate fertilizer plants and repackaged as a water treatment.)
“Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES III) and a survey of over 120,000 children in New York towns (population 15,000 to 75,000) corroborate this effect,” adds the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof/_pgg5.php3).
Masters and Coplan reported that some minorities are especially at risk in high SiF exposure areas, with significantly higher blood lead levels than they do in unfluoridated communities.
Silicofluorides are used by over 90% of U.S. fluoridated towns and cities. Ironically, children with higher blood lead levels also have more tooth decay (Journal of the American Medical Association, June 23/30, 1999).
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and at high levels, seizures, coma and even death.
“Lead is a highly significant risk factor in predicting higher rates of crime, attention deficit disorder or hyperactivity and learning disabilities,” said Dr. Masters.
The Aluminum Connection
Research findings covered in previous issues of Alternative Mental Health News point to a link between Alzheimer’s Disease and aluminum in the brain. Unfortunately, fluoride has a strong affinity for aluminum and helps the metal atoms get past the “blood-brain barrier.”
Isabel Jansen, R.N., wrote of a simple experiment regarding the use of aluminum pots, where you can easily prove for yourself that both the aluminum and the fluoride content in water both increase dramatically, when combined:
“In January 1987, experiments performed at the Medical Research Endocrinology Dept., Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and the Physics Dept of the Univ. of Ruhana, Sri Lanka, showed that fluoridated water at 1 ppm, when used in cooking in aluminum cookware, concentrated the aluminum up to 600 ppm, whereas water without fluoride did not. (Science News, 131:73)
“The researchers suggested that because of the known fact that aluminum is neuro-toxic and is in abnormally high concentrations in the brain of Alzheimer’s and other neurological disease victims, including AIDS, that these findings raise questions about adding fluoride to the water supply of communities to reduce tooth decay.
“Because of these findings, a test was made of Antigo, Wisconsin water which had been fluoridated for 33 years. The water was examined by a certified Wisconsin laboratory, and showed that when it was used in cooking in aluminum cookware, it concentrated the aluminum by 833 times and increased the fluoride content by 100%.
“The maximum allowed aluminum content of water is set by the World Health Organization at 200 micrograms per liter. This makes Antigo water, when cooked in aluminum, 75 times over the maximum. No test was made of distilled water, as the Antigo Water Dept. does not dispense distilled water. Antigo water pipes are also encrusted with (calcified) fluoride from 26 to 3,100 ppm. This latter was analyzed and diagnosed by the Wisconsin Dept of Hygiene as being aluminum fluoride. Regardless of which findings are true, to chance exchanging a hole in a tooth—which can be repaired at a nominal fee—for dementia (organic brain disorder) in later years, for which there is no remedy at any price, hardly seems to be a good bargain.
“Therefore, it would seem imperative that other communities test their water in the same manner to see if it produces the same results, as tests may vary depending on the mineral variations of the water and the type of aluminum cookware. This simple test can be done by anyone, with the help of a laboratory to do the analysis.” ISABEL JANSEN, R.N. (Journal of the National Academy of Research Biochemists – Jan/Feb ’90)
These quotes about aluminum are thanks to users.rcn.com/mgfree/Medical/Fluorine/FluorineApathy.html.
If Your Water Is Fluoridated
If you are drinking bottled water, be sure to check out the guidelines at www.bottledwater.org. Ironically, many companies add fluoride to bottled water, as listed at www.bottledwater.org/public/fluorida.htm.
In fluoridated areas, 80% of the fluoride assimilation is through the skin in bathing, so drinking bottled water alone is not enough. Few home water filtration systems are equipped to trap the chemical, so read the fine print if you are about to install a system.
Sailors used to take one-minute showers. Travelers have learned to do so in areas where water is scarce. Cutting back does not have to be this extreme to be effective, however. Consult the references at www.aquasafe.us and the other websites listed in this article for information about who is most at risk (kidney patients, diabetics, small children) and what exposure levels you should be concerned about in your area.
Article: Attention Problems Linked to Early TV Exposure
As we reported in Issue 6:
Dr. Alan Gaby, medical editor of the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Holistic Medicine reports, “Time-lapse cinematography studies have shown that first-grade children sitting under fluorescent lights become hyperactive, compared to those exposed to standard lighting.
“The radiation emanating from television sets (not to mention the questionable programming) may also have an adverse effect on behavior. In one study, rats were placed in a cage fifteen feet away from a television set. Although the sound was turned off and all visible light from the screen was shielded by a piece of black cardboard, the rats became hyperactive and aggressive. However, if a lead shield was placed over the black cardboard, the rats behaved normally.”
Radiation exposure decreases as the square of distance. This means, for example, that children sitting a foot from the television are bombarded with 25 times more radiation than they would be at five feet away, and 225 times more than the unfortunate rats in the study.
Now, a study has been published linking early television exposure and subsequent attentional problems in children. (Pediatrics Vol. 113 No. 4 April 2004, pp. 708-713)
“Cross-sectional research has suggested that television viewing may be associated with decreased attention spans in children. However, longitudinal data [data covering an extended period of time, often several years] of early television exposure and subsequent attentional problems have been lacking,” says the abstract of the study.
When study author Dr. Dimitri Christakis of the University of Washington, Seattle, analyzed longitudinal data for 1278 children at age 1 and 1345 children at age 3, he found:
“…for each additional daily hour of television that young children watched on average, the risk of subsequently having attentional problems [by age 7] was increased by almost 10.”
This means that 1- to 3-year-olds who watched eight hours of television a day “would have an 80 percent higher risk or attentional problems compared to a child who watched zero hours,” he explained.
“Our hypothesis is that it’s the rapidity of image-change that’s potentially damaging to children’s brains,” Christakis said. “They are experiencing events unfolding in a surreal fashion — this is not how life unfolds.”
Christakis, a pediatrician at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, tells all of the parents he works with that “they should not let their child watch television during the first two years of life, and subsequently they should exert extreme caution both with respect to the amount and content.” Current guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics agree.
Article: Easy “ADHD” Prescription: Green Fields and Open Sky
Researchers at the Human Environment Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (www.herl.uiuc.edu) have found that “green time” – time spent outdoors in parks, farms or grassy backyards – reduces symptoms of ADHD when compared to time spent at concrete, asphalt or indoor playgrounds.
Reported on in Psychology Today (www.psychologytoday.com/htdocs/prod/PTOArticle/pto-20040406-000015.asp), the study by Andrea Faber Taylor and Frances Kuo adds to the lab’s earlier finding that neighborhood ties are stronger, and reports of domestic violence less frequent, in public housing developments when grass and trees are part of the environment.
The new findings were consistent regardless of the child’s age, gender, family income, geographic region or severity of diagnosis. Parents rated their child’s behavior after extracurricular and weekend activities. The researchers eliminated the effects of physical exercise as a factor.
If doctors eventually prescribe “green time” for the treatment of ADHD, it has the advantage of being widely accessible, free of side effects, nonstigmatizing and inexpensive, Kuo says.