Dr. Ingrid Pincott's Volume 6, No. 4 · May/June 2000
NATUROPATHIC WISDOM NOTES

Natural Treatment for Lice

May 27 is Rachel Carson Day

Frankenstein Foods: Don't Eat Them

A New Anti-Aging Test: The Oxidata test

Teenage Health

Herbal Products and Supplemental Nutrients Used in the Management of Diabetes

MSP Coverage for ND's threatened!

New Product for the treatment of diabetes

Glucometer Rentals

To live content with small means,
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion,
to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich,
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly,
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart,
to bear all cheerfully,
do all bravely,
await occasions,
hurry never-
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.

Kwellada is a brand name for Lindane, a common treatment for head lice. It is an organochlorine, which has been banned as an agricultural pesticide because of its severe toxicity to the nervous system and persistence in the environment. Physicians should be using natural alternatives and the following suggestion comes from Dr. Sat Dharam Kaur, ND. Mix together 20 drops rosemary, 10 drops geranium, 20 drops lavender, 10 drops eucalyptus and 30 drops tea tree oil. Add to 1/2 cup olive oil and rub into scalp and leave overnight.

Exposures to these organochlorines and other toxins such as PVC's and formaldehyde increases the risk of breast and prostate cancer. Getting these out of our immediate environment is another step in cancer prevention.

Environmental Health Committee Newsletter For Family Physicians, Ontario

Rachel Carson started the environmental movement with her book, Silent Spring , published in 1962. She was a marine biologist, ecologist, environmentalist, writer and activist. She was born May 27th 1907 and died April 14th 1964, of breast cancer. Her spirit and passion for the environment is celebrated across the country on Rachel Carson Day. On this day, do what you can in your own corner of the world to preserve the safety of the environment. Remove toxins from your home, reduce the use of plastics, join others and lobby against PVC, radiation, pesticides, dioxin and chlorinated chemicals. Create awareness for the environmental links to breast and prostate cancer every year on May 27th. Do it for yourself, for your children, for the wildlife, for the earth, air and water. Just do it! Make every day a Rachel Carson day!

For more information contact www.healthybreastprogram.on.ca

Genetically modified foods are a hot topic these days and you may have noticed lots of ads on the TV and radio supporting biotech foods. These ads proclaim they are safe for humans, the environment and are important in feeding the hungry of the world. I am reprinting a lecture I gave in conjunction with the Women's Institute at the Campbell River Lodge April 19th 2000. The lecture was filmed and is shown on the local TV station, CRTV. This is a very important issue to stop dead in the water. Act today and write a letter to your local politician opposing this threat to the planet and to human health!

Protesters in Europe have labeled genetically modified (GM) products as "Frankenstein foods". In May 1999, the British Medical Association issued a statement to the government against the introduction of GM foods. Concerns include an irreversible impact on the environment, farming practices, human health (fear of new cancers, birth defects and dangers to the immune system), separating GM and non GM crops, labeling of products, increase use of pesticides and herbicides and that non GM foods be readily available for consumers.

Genetically modified foods are in your diet right now and you probably don't know it! It is estimated that over 70% of processed foods currently sold in Canadian supermarkets have been genetically modified. The whole foods now approved for genetic engineering in Canada include soy, corn, canola, potatoes and tomatoes. Despite this, there are few labels to identify which foods have been altered. Dr. David Suzuki cautions Canadians that politicians and scientists are performing a massive experiment on millions of people the results of which will not be known for decades. These products have not been proven safe, as the experiments have not been done on humans. Genetically engineered pig and salmon have created bazaar results. The pig was unable to stand or walk, and the salmon had a monster head, and couldn't swim, eat or breathe properly. These are only a few examples of hundreds of such outcomes. According to Richard Wolfson, PhD of the Consumer Right to Know Campaign, cattle, deer, hogs and raccoons will not eat GM crops growing in the fields, but will seek out the non-GM crops to eat!

Genetic engineering (GE) is a form of genetic surgery, carried out in the laboratory, where genes (DNA particles) are transferred from one organism to another. These genes reprogram the cells of that organism to function in new ways. For example the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin is injected into Russet potatoes for the purposes of killing the major potato pest the Colorado potato beetle. Up until the introduction of GE, organic and sustainable farmers have been using the natural form Bt toxin topically on their crops, which is washed away with rain, difficult to apply to large fields and labour intensive. Large conventional farms have not used it for these reasons. With the Bt toxin inserted right into the genes, the pesticide is right inside the plant raising several concerns. These potatoes contain Bt toxin, resistance of the potato beetle to Bt toxin will inevitably occur, organic farmers will find the natural Bt toxin no longer effective due to resistance of the beetle, and they may also find it hard to get the natural form of the Bt toxin.

Monsanto Co. of the US, who is best known as the maker of Agent Orange and PCB's, is one of the major companies working in Canada to convince farmers and the government to switch to GM crops. Canadian farmers who grow GM crops, especially corn and canola, find themselves in a bind these days as they try to market their GM crops to Europe who are refusing them! In Canada approximately 60% of all canola, 45% of corn and 30% of soy crops are GM products.

Countries opposed to GM foods and which require labeling include Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and the European Union. Canada and the US have no such law as yet, however public outcry will hopefully change this in the near future.

You may be familiar with the tryptophan fiasco that happened in 1989 ago where a "contaminated" batch of tryptophan caused thirty deaths and illness in thousands of people. What may not be commonly known was the contamination was due to genetic engineered tryptophan created by a Japanese manufacturer, and the legal battles still ensue. Many food items contain soy products. If they are not marked non-GMO call the supplier to clarify. If your child is refusing soy milk the reason may be similar to those cattle that refuse to eat GM foods! Even organically grown soy may be GM! Consider Vitamin E capsules. Most Vitamin E is made from soy oil, and Vitamin E may be made from US grown soy and that soy may be GM! There are no laws in place to segregate GM and non GM crops in Canada or the US so the soy oil at the very least is mixed GM and non GM. As you the consumer demand to know the source of your food, the manufactures will follow suit and switch to non GM sources, when they realize that 68% of Canadians will not buy GM foods if they were labeled as such! Keep in mind this is not the same issue as organic versus non organic. If you want organic sources, make sure they are from non GM crops.

For further information contact Richard Wolfson at 500 Wilbrod Street, Ottawa, ON. Canada, K1N 6N2 tel 613-565-8517, fax 613-565-1596, HANS at 1-888-432-4267, Women's Institute 250-246-2120, or contact my office for a GE brochure which outlines addresses for letters to be sent to.

The oxidata test is a monitoring system for testing the amount of free radical activity in the body. Free radicals are formed with almost every biochemical reaction in the body. The body then quenches these free radicals in the presence of antioxidants. If the body doesn't have enough, then these free radicals can create many diseases of the body including cancers and heart disease as well as hastening the aging process. If the test reveals that you are low on antioxidants then increasing the intake of antioxidants in your diet and supplements will show improvement within a month when a retest is done and you will feel better too! To prepare for the test all supplements are avoided for 24 hours and a first morning midstream urine is evaluated in the office. The cost is $25.00. Take charge of your health now!

Save 20% if you have both the oxidata and the heavy metal urine test, (discussed in the last newsletter), done with the same urine sample. Call Hayley for preparation details on the heavy metal urine test.

Other health concerns we should have for this age group with the huge consumption of soft drinks is diabetes and breast cancer. The greatest amount of added sugar in the diet is consumed during the ages of puberty in the form of soft drinks.

Eur J Cancer Prev,1999;8:289-2955 article #33945

Onion, beans, bitter gourd and fenugreek improve glucose utilization; St John's Wort can help with depression and diabetic neuropathy; the antioxidants, Vitamin E and Vitamin C, slow the aging process which is hastened in diabetes; Vitamin B6 improves glucose metabolism and improves nerve function; magnesium, chromium, inositol, zinc, biotin all improve glucose metabolism.

The BC government is threatening to withdraw MSP coverage of alternative health services including Naturopathic Physicians. You may not be hearing about this in the news, but is happening quietly behind the scenes. For more information we have an article in the office we would be happy to send you. Write your local MLA today and have your say!