Allergies and cancer on the rise due to GM foods

Food allergies have become a global epidemic and conventional medicine has no cure. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, food allergies (in kids) have increased by 50% between 1997 and 2011. Could this have anything to do with genetically engineered foods?

Since the 1990s, when genetically modified (GM) foods were approved, we have seen a dramatic increase in food allergies, asthma, ADHD and many forms of cancer. As expected, most corporately-controlled, government health 'experts' would say genetically modified (GM) foods are 'safe' - but where are the safety studies to back up this unscientific claim of safety? GM foods cause massive damage to the digestive system.

Leaky gut syndrome 'sets the stage' for food allergies and disease

We all know that a 'leaky gut' is defined as the development of gaps between the cells that make up the inner lining of our intestinal tract. As the intestines breakdown, they allow unwanted (foreign) substances to enter our bloodstream. Simply put - if you suffer from leaky gut - undigested food, bacteria and metabolic waste products pollute the entire body causing inflammation, food-related allergies plus many other chronic degenerative diseases.

The digestive system is responsible for maintaining about 80% of our natural immunity. How could any physician, in their right mind, not understand that toxic food creates a toxic body - which, in turn, produces symptoms such as food allergies, skin rashes, brain fog, fatigue - the list goes on and on. On the next NaturalNews Talk Hour, every doctor needs to tune in and discover the real reason why GMOs are literally destroying modern society.

GM corn linked to cancer tumors

A study  led by Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen, clearly states that eating genetically modified corn caused rats to develop horrifying tumors, widespread organ damage, and premature death. To make matters even more shocking - this is the only long-term study examining the health risks associated with eating GM foods. But that won't stop greedy corporations, like Monsanto, from pushing their agenda of owning the entire food supply through patent-protected, GM seeds.

If you're looking for a good reason to avoid GMOs - here are the shocking results of the French study - listed above:

Up to 50% of males and 70% of females rats suffered premature death.

Rats that drank trace amounts of Monsanto's herbicide Roundup Ready had a 200% - 300% increase in large tumors.

Rats fed GMO corn and traces of Roundup Ready suffered severe organ damage - including liver damage and kidney damage.

This study fed rats NK603, the Monsanto variety of GMO corn that's grown across North America and widely fed to animals and humans. Keep in mind, this is the same type of corn found in corn-based breakfast cereals, corn tortillas and corn snack chips.

'Dog Dust' May Combat Allergies and Asthma

Exposure to "dog dust," or the dried flakes of skin that fall from Fido, may protect against developing allergies and asthma in later life by altering intestinal bacteria, a new study in mice suggests. The dust appears to contain bacteria that, when present in an animal's gut, affects the production of immune cells in the animal's airway.

"Perhaps early life dog exposure introduces microbes into the home that somehow influence the gut microbiome, and change the immune response in the airways," said study researcher Susan Lynch, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Past research has shown that exposure to pets, particularly dogs, during infancy may prevent people from developing allergies, and other work has found that bacteria in the gut can affect allergies and asthma. The new study adds to the research because it links these ideas — showing that the reason exposure to dog dust may prevent allergies is that the dust affects the population of gut microbes.

In the study, Lynch and her colleagues exposed mice to dust from a dog owner's home, and then tested the mice's immune response to cockroach allergens and ovalbumin (a component of egg whites), two substances that commonly trigger asthma attacks. They found that mice exposed to dog dust had fewer immune cells in the airway that respond to allergens, compared with mice not exposed to dog dust.

The findings hint at a mechanism for how dog exposure may protect against allergies or asthma. "It seems to be that early life exposure to dogs, and cats to a lesser extent, can protect against asthma allergens," Lynch told LiveScience, though she stopped short of recommending exposing infants to dogs. Lynch added that the findings fit in well with the hygiene hypothesis, the theory that a lack of exposure to beneficial microbes is linked to the development of autoimmune diseases and asthma in western nations.

The researchers also found the gut microbial makeup of the two rodent groups differed: The mice exposed to dogs had more of the bacteria Lactobacillus johnsonii, an organism found in the dust from dog-owner homes. When the researchers added L. johnsonii to the diet of the unexposed mice, they found the mice showed a reduced immune response in their airways to both, though not as much as mice originally exposed to the dog dust.

The next step will be understanding exactly what these microbes are doing in the gut, and how they affect the immune response in the airway, Lynch said.

Ultimately, understanding this process could lead to the development of microbial-based therapies to treat or prevent asthma.

Prednisolone

Prednisolone is an anti-inflammatory drug. Prednisolone decreases natural defense response of the body and also decreases pain/swelling.

Side effects:
The common side effects reported with Prednisolone are sodium retention, fluid retention, congestive heart failure, hypokalemic alkalosis, hypertension, muscle weakness, steroid myopathy, loss of muscle mass, osteoporosis, vertebral compression, fractures, pathologic fracture of long bones,peptic ulcer, pancreatitis, abdominal distention, ulcerative esophagitis, impaired wound healing, thin fragile skin, facial erythema convulsions, increased intracranial pressure and menstrual irregularities.

Before Using:
There is an enhanced effect of Prednisolone in patients with hypothyroidism and cirrhosis. Millipred DP should be used cautiously in patients with ocular herpes simplex as it can cause corneal perforation. Prednisolone should be given in the lowest possible doses and dose reduction should be done at a slow rate. Prednisolone should be used with caution in nonspecific ulcerative colitis. Millipred DP drug is contraindicated in systemic fungal infections. The patient should be warned to avoid exposure to chickenpox or measles, as Prednisolone is an immunosuppressant.

Dosages:
The recommended starting dosage of Prednisolone is 5-60mg per day. The alternate-day therapy is a corticosteroid-dosing regimen in which twice the usual daily dose of Prednisolone is administered every other morning.

Did Bone Marrow Transplant Cure Peanut Allergy?

Unusual case report details how 10-year-old boy was treated for leukemia and lost sensitivity to peanuts

Bone marrow transplants may help cure peanut allergies.  The study involved a 10-year-old boy who no longer had a peanut allergy after undergoing a bone marrow transplant for leukemia.

"It has been reported that bone marrow and liver transplants can transfer peanut allergy from donor to recipient," study author Dr. Yong Luo said in a news release from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "But our research found a rare case in which a transplant seems to have cured the recipient of their allergy."

The case involved a boy who was diagnosed with a peanut allergy when he was 15 months old. He had the bone marrow transplant at age 10 and received his new marrow from a donor with no known allergies. Soon after the transplant, it appeared that the boy no longer had a peanut allergy. That discovery was confirmed by allergists through an oral food challenge, in which the boy ate a small amount of peanut and showed no allergic reaction.

The research was scheduled for presentation this week at the ACAAI annual meeting in Baltimore. Study co-author Dr. Steven Weiss said this and previous research indicates that "genetic modification during the early stages of immune cell development in bone marrow may play a large role in causing allergy."

Peanut allergy is the most common food allergy among school-aged children in the United States, affecting about 400,000 youngsters, according to the ACAAI. Unlike milk or soy allergies, peanut allergies tend to last a lifetime.

Even if a parent thinks their child may no longer have an allergy, proper testing should be done to confirm if the child is still sensitive to any particular allergens, according to the ACAAI.

Hypoallergenic Dogs Not Allergy-Proof

Although they've long been considered an allergy sufferer's best friend, so-called hypoallergenic dogs do not have lower household allergen levels than other dogs, according to a new study that measured allergen levels in babies' nurseries.

Dog breeds classified as "hypoallergenic" are believed to produce less dander and saliva and shed less fur. Researchers at the Henry Ford Hospital (HFH) in Detroit put this theory to the test by measuring environmental allergen levels in the houses of 173 dog owners one month after a newborn baby was brought home.

Researchers collected dust samples from the carpet or floor of each baby's bedroom and measured the levels of the dog allergen Can f 1. Only homes with one dog per family were involved in the study, and 60 dog breeds were analyzed overall, 11 of which are considered hypoallergenic dogs.

"We found no scientific basis to the claim hypoallergenic dogs have less allergen," said Christine Cole Johnson, chair of HFH's Department of Public Health Sciences and senior author of the study.

Dogs are often classified as hypoallergenic using one of four "schemes" based on their breed in order to compare allergen levels. Scheme A compares purebred hypoallergenic dogs to purebred non-hypoallergenic dogs, while scheme B compares purebred and mixed breed dogs with at least one hypoallergenic parent to purebred non-hypoallergenic dogs.

Scheme C compares purebred and mixed breed dogs with at least one hypoallergenic parent to purebred and mixed breed dogs with no known hypoallergenic component, and scheme D compares only purebred dogs identified as hypoallergenic by the American Kennel Club to all other dogs.

The study showed that all four schemes yielded no significant differences in allergen levels between hypoallergenic dogs and non-hypoallergenic dogs. In fact, in homes where the dog was not allowed in the baby's bedroom, the allergen level for hypoallergenic dogs was slightly higher compared to allergen levels of non-hypoallergenic dogs.

"Based on previous allergy studies conducted here at Henry Ford, exposure to a dog early in life provides protection against dog allergy development," Cole Johnson added. "But the idea that you can buy a certain breed of dog and think it will cause less allergy problems for a person already dog-allergic is not borne out by our study."

Allergy Shots Decrease Anxiety, Depression

Stinging insects are everywhere making them nearly inescapable. The thought of being stung can cause depression and anxiety for the two million Americans that are allergic to their venom.

But according to a study, allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, can improve quality of life for these sufferers. Allergy shots are the only allergy treatment known to modify and prevent disease progression, and can be life-saving for those allergic to insect stings. Researchers have found this type of treatment also decreases anxiety and depression in those allergic to wasp, bee and ant stings.

Insect stings send more than 500,000 Americans to hospital emergency rooms and cause at least 50 known deaths each year. A person who has had an allergic reaction to insect sting has a 60 % chance of having another similar or worse reaction if stung again. Immunotherapy has been shown to be an astonishing 97 % effective in preventing future allergy to insect stings.

Fresh Air to Combat Allergies

New research has found that we may actually be able to reverse allergies, even in adulthood. The fix may be as simple as taking a trip to the country.

For 15 years, researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark followed nearly 1,200 people who were bound for jobs in either farming or the army. They tested the subjects' sensitivities to common allergens at the study's beginning and end while also following where they lived and worked. What they found was that people who worked on farms in adulthood were less likely to become sensitive to allergens. People who moved from urban to rural environments showed the greatest benefit, but there was also a positive effect seen in farmers who had a farm upbringing.

Why the change? Researchers think that the diversity of microbes and bacteria on farms may help people's immune systems develop a more appropriate tolerance against allergens. "It doesn't protect you from allergies to stay away from all allergens," says Grethe Elholm, a post-doc at Aarhus University and co-author of this study. "It actually seems to help to be exposed to a lot more of many different things because your immune system needs to work out." Still, the research is fairly preliminary, and follow-up studies are expected. So it may be best for those with bad allergies to tread lightly in highly pollinated places.

Antihistamines in pregnancy and risk of birth defects

Antihistamines are a group of medications that are used to treat various conditions, including allergies and nausea and vomiting. Some antihistamines require a prescription, but most are available over-the-counter (OTC), and both prescription and OTC antihistamines are often used by women during pregnancy. Until recently, little information was available to women and their health care providers on the possible risks and relative safety of these medications in pregnancy, particularly when it came to specific birth defects.

A new study from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center, based on interviews with more than 20,000 new mothers, now provides important information for many of these medicines. The researchers considered antihistamines that had been suggested in earlier studies to increase risks of certain defects, and they also considered other possible risks that might not have been identified in the past. Where there was sufficient information in the study data, the authors found no evidence to support suggestions of risk that had been found in earlier studies. In considering possible risks that had not been identified by others, the investigators found very few suggestions that any given medicine might be linked to an increase risk of a specific birth defect, and though these few deserve further research attention, these findings may have been due to chance.

Dr. Allen Mitchell, the study's director, noted that "we were fortunate that our study was able to consider commonly-used antihistamines that were available OTC as well as those available only with a prescription. While our findings provide reassurance about the relative safety of many of these medications in relation to a number of common birth defects, more information is needed. As is the case for all types of medications, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should consult with their health care provider before taking any medicines, whether they are prescribed or OTC."

New Treatment for Common Allergies

There are two treatments, one for grass allergy, which is commonly known as hay fever, and the other for dust mite allergy. They are expected to be helpful for the millions of people who, as a reaction to grass pollen or the tiny bugs that live in house dust, have sneezing, itching eyes and a running nose that often significantly impacts their productivity at school or work.

The two studies were conducted by Adiga Life Sciences, a joint venture between McMaster University and Circassia, a U.K. based biotechnology company, and was supported by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
It is estimated that together, these allergens are responsible for more than 50% of allergic respiratory disease.

Between 15 and 25 per cent of the population in North America and Europe is sensitive to pollen from different grass species. One in four people is sensitized to house dust mites, more than any other common allergen, which includes millions of people in these regions. The treatments are from a new class of therapy, known as 'synthetic peptide immuno-regulatory epitopes', or SPIREs.

The 280 patients in the phase two clinical trial for the grass allergy treatment recorded their allergy symptoms while exposed to grass pollen in a controlled environment, both before treatment and at the end of the hay fever season. Study participants received one of three treatment regimens over three months, completed prior to the beginning of the pollen season. Those who had the optimal short course of therapy had significantly improved symptoms at the end of the season, compared to those who had a placebo. This treatment, called Grass-SPIRE, was well tolerated.

During the clinical trial for the dust mite treatment, 172 patients who received four doses of the treatment over 12 weeks had significantly improved allergy symptoms a year after the start of treatment, compared to patients who received a placebo. The treatment, called HDM-SPIRE, was well tolerated.
"This result is an important validation of the approach we are taking to treat allergic diseases," said Mark Larché, who led the design of the treatments. "Positive results, first with a cat allergy therapy and now with house dust mite and grass allergy treatments, suggest that this approach may be used for many common allergies."

Larché is a professor of medicine of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster and member of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
Hay fever is a seasonal response to many different grass pollens which are heaviest in the spring and fall.
Dust mites are close relatives of spiders and ticks and are too small to see without a microscope. They eat skin cells shed by people, and they thrive in warm, humid environments. Upholstered furniture, bedding and carpeting provide an ideal environment for dust mites.

Control fall allergies

Although many people associate allergy season with the onset of spring, fall can also wreak havoc with allergy sufferers. This year, instead of suffering under mounds of tissues or resorting to over-the-counter or even worse yet, prescribed medications or allergy shots, discover the relief that natural remedies can bring.

Fall allergy triggers

During both spring and fall, pollen is a common allergy trigger. Male plants that begin to pollinate during August, often continue this process into the fall season. The biggest offender is ragweed. A great number of people allergic to spring pollen are also allergic to ragweed. Moreover, the wind can carry ragweed pollen for hundreds of miles, so this offender may not necessarily come from your own back yard.

Another offender not to be overlooked is mold. Mold spores can easily become airborne, putting us at risk. Mold grows in damp areas, indoors and outdoors. A common place for mold growth is in those leaves that fall from trees during this season. Piles of damp leaves are perfect breeding grounds for mold.

Dust mites are another danger. Although dust mites are mostly present during humid summer months, they can be stirred up and become airborne when the furnace is first used on a cool fall night.

In certain parts of the country, fall allergens can also include goldenrod, curly dock, lamb's quarters, pigweed, sheep sorrel, and sagebrush.

Ways to control allergens

• Avoid contact with allergens as much as possible. Keep your house well ventilated, making sure that your filtration system is up to date.
• Rake those fallen leaves in your back yard in a timely manner.
• A natural diet containing antioxidants and omega-3 essential fatty acids will help to detox the body, thereby strengthening the immune system.
• Many people find significant allergy relief by consuming local, raw, organic honey.

Various nutrients, herbs and other supplements can support your immune system, minimizing or eliminating allergy attacks

• Colloidal silver provides immune support to the body, lessening or eliminating allergic reaction. It is also instrumental in preventing infections that can occur with prolonged or severe allergies.
• Butterbur taken four times a day is as effective as over-the-counter medications, without any adverse side effects.
• Quercetin stabilizes cells and prevents the release of histamines.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. People who eat a high content of Omega-3 fatty acids are more likely to resist allergy symptoms.
• Probiotics helps support the body's natural terrain and strengthens the immune system.
• Cayenne, ginger, onions, and garlic are effective allergy treatments.
• Use stinging nettle leaf at the first sign of an allergy.
• Fortify your body with vitamins C and E to strengthen your immune system.

Lastly, keep your body hydrated with plenty of water. It is important to replace those fluids that are being expelled from the body.