General information

Many foods contain proteins called lectins that can bind to sugars (including blood type antigens) and thus agglutinate the cells of certain blood types but not others, meaning that a food may be harmful to the cells of one blood type, but beneficial to the cells of another.

When you eat a food containing protein lectins that are incompatible with your blood type antigen, the lectins target an organ and cause the cells in that area to stick together and agglutinate. In effect, lectins interfere with digestion, insulin production, food metabolism, and hormonal balance .The key is to avoid the lectins that target your blood type. For example, chicken, which is fine for Type O and Type A, contains a lectin in its muscle tissue that agglutinates the cells of Type B and Type AB.

Why eating right is important
About 60% of our immune system is expressed in our digestive system. It serves as a protective agent, recognizing and targeting foreign antigens that could damage the body. When you eat a food containing lectins incompatible with your blood type, the incompatible lectins target an organ/s and cause cellular agglutination.

Detrimental effects of lectins include ;

· Interfering with the immune system and creating reactions often mistaken for allergies
· Blocking digestive enzymes, interfering with protein digestion and impairing absorption of crucial nutrients.
· Activating auto-antibodies in inflammatory and autoimmune disease
· Damaging the intestinal lining and influencing gut permeability.

Food Groups and Weight Gain
For each of the blood groups there are certain foods that are “no nos”. If a particular blood type were to indulge in that food group, they are highly likely to put on weight or fall sick.

Group O
For Blood Group O, they thrive on chemical free meats, poultry and fish. They function best when their system is slightly more acidic. They also produce more stomach acid to digest protein. This is generally not true for other blood types. They also tend to have a slightly low thyroid function. Wheat has the effect of clogging the function of their system (corn to a lesser extent). Certain legumes like kidney beans, navy bean, lentils, cabbage contain lectins that deposit in the muscle tissue making them more alkaline and less primed for the explosive activity that is suitable for Type O. Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard greens are items that tend to lower Type O’s thyroid function further. On the other hand kelp, iodised salt and seafood contain iodine that would increase thyroid hormone production. Liver is an efficient source of B vitamins that would boost metabolism. Red meat, kale, spinach and broccoli all aid efficient metabolism.

Group A
For blood group As they were descendants of farmers. As such they would flourish on vegetarian diets. On an incorrect diet they would be inclined to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Some type A’s experience fluid retention as their digestive system process the unwieldy food. While Type Os burn their meat as fuel, Type As store them primarily as fat. This is because while Type Os have high stomach acid which promotes easy digestion of meat, Type As have low stomach acid content, ideal for an agrarian diet. Dairy products inhibit nutrient metabolism. Both kidney bean and lima beans interfere with digestive enzymes and slow metabolic rate. Wheat in abundance inhibits insulin efficiency and impairs calorie restriction. Vegetable oils on the other hand aid efficient digestion and prevent fluid retention. Soy foods aid efficient digestion and are metabolised quickly. Vegetables aid in efficient metabolism and increase intestinal mobility. Pineapple increases calories utilization and increases intestinal mobility

Group B
Group Bs generally have strong systems. More likely to develop exotic immune system disorders such as multiple sclerosis, lupus and chronic fatigue syndrome.For Blood Group B their diet is balanced and wholesome and includes a wide variety of foods.Corn inhibits insulin efficiency, hampers metabolic rate and cause hypoglycemia. Lentils inhibit proper nutrient intake, hampers metabolic rate and cause hypoglycemia. Peanuts hampers metabolic efficiency and cause hypoglycemia and inhibit liver function. Sesame seeds hamper metabolic efficiency and cause hypoglycemia. Buckwheat inhibits digestion, hampers metabolic efficiency and causes hypoglycemia. Wheat slows the digestive and metabolic process, causes food to be stored as fat, not burned as energy and inhibits insulin efficiency.Green vegetables, meat (except chicken), eggs, low fat dairy products and liver all aid efficient metabolism. Licorice tea counters hypoglycemia (doctor’s supervision only)

Group AB
For Blood Group AB reflect the missed inheritance of both As and Bs. So although they are genetically programmed for red meat, they often lack enough stomach acid to fully digest it. Red meat is poorly digested ,stored as fat and makes the intestines toxic. Kidney beans, lima beans, inhibit insulin efficiency, cause hypoglycemia and slow the metabolic rate down. Seeds and buckwheat cause hypoglycemia. Corn inhibits insulin efficiency.
Wheat slows metabolic process, inefficient use of calories and inhibits insulin efficiency.

Green vegetables, tofu seafood all aid efficient metabolism. Dairy improves insulin production. Kelp improves insulin production. Pineapple aids digestion and stimulates intestinal mobility.

Be well

Dr Sundardas

For most of us, genetic inheritance plays a limited role in determining our health. More important is where and how we live, work, and play — the quality of what we drink, eat, and breathe. From the time of conception, throughout development, and into early and late adulthood, environmental factors either directly impact biological tissues or influence gene expression and shape subsequent disease risks.

Although links between exposures to environmental contaminants and health impacts have been known for centuries, recent research documents an expanding list of previously unrecognized effects occur after fetal or infant exposures. The developing fetus and child are particularly vulnerable to toxic insults. During this time cells are rapidly dividing, and growth is dramatic. Various events, including development of the brain and endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems, are uniquely susceptible to
disruption that is often permanent. To compound the problem, pound for pound, children are often disproportionately exposed to toxic environmental agents because of the way they breathe, eat, drink, and play. Moreover, immature detoxification pathways in children frequently result in increased impacts of toxic exposures when compared to adults.

To the limited degree that health care providers address environmental factors at all, most focus nearly all of their attention on personal behaviors, like smoking, substance abuse, or use of sunscreens. These are more easily addressed by individuals than more complex problems like air and water pollution, hazardous waste sites, agricultural systems that inevitably result in farmworker pesticide exposures, and mercury contamination of dietary fish. Global environmental conditions, however, are changing, along with the changing pattern of disease and disability, and our increasing understanding of the importance of environmental factors in determining the health of individuals and populations places a new and special responsibility on the medical profession.

Consider that

** The release of ozone-depleting chemicals used for industrial and agricultural purposes has depleted the stratospheric ozone layer and is likely a major contributor to the increased incidence of malignant melanoma.

** Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased by nearly 30 percent in the last 150 years. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Hazardous air pollution, in general, is the norm in most parts of the U.S. and elsewhere in the world.

** Humans are responsible for more atmospheric nitrogen fixation than all other sources combined. Nitrates contaminate groundwater, surface water, and air at toxic concentrations.

** Humans are responsible for most of the mercury deposition on the surface of the earth. Mercury makes its way into the food chain, where it bioconcentrates. In most states, freshwater and marine fish are sufficiently contaminated with mercury to require warnings to women of reproductive age to limit consumption because of risks to fetal brain development.

** In addition to naturally occurring products like lead and mercury that are mined from the earth, novel synthetic industrial chemicals contaminate the world’s ecosystems, its human and non-human inhabitants, their breast milk and egg yolk, ovarian follicles, amniotic fluid, and meconium. The toxicity of most is little known.

** Of the approximately 85,000 chemicals on the federal inventory, nearly 3,000 are produced in excess of 1 million pounds annually. For these high-production volume (HPV) chemicals, toxicity data are surprisingly sparse. Even basic toxicity testing results are not publicly available for 75 percent of them.In the U.S., according to the 2000 Toxics Release Inventory, over 6.2 billion pounds of the listed toxic chemicals, including 2 billion pounds of known or suspected neurotoxicants, were released into the environment by major emitters required by federal law to file reports. Emissions from
small industries and neighborhood shops are unquantified. The extent of exposure from these releases and from the use of various consumer products that contain them is also largely unknown, but population-based surveys give an indication of the ubiquity of exposures.

Small exposures to substances like lead, mercury, or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which have no discernible impact on adults, can permanently damage the developing brain of a child, if the exposure occurs during a window of vulnerability. Early exposures to dioxin or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chemicals from industrial activities that bioaccumulate in dietary fat, damage the developing immune system, making the child more prone to infections, risks of asthma and high blood pressure are increased by early environmental exposures. Recent research from Sweden concludes not only that environmental factors play a more important role than genetic inheritance in the origin of most cancers, but also that cancer risk is largely established during the first 20 years of life.

Some birth defects, including disorders of the male reproductive system and some forms of congenital heart disease, are increasingly common. Sperm counts and fertility are in decline in some areas of the U.S. and other parts of the world. Asthma is more common and more severe than ever before. Genetic factors explain far less than half of the population variance for most of these conditions. Although smoking and sun exposure are well-recognized risk factors for some conditions, improved understanding of development of the brain and the immune, reproductive, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems leads to the conclusion that other environmental factors play a major role in determining current patterns of disease.

Be well
Dr Sundardas

In 1957, Dr. William Coda Martin tried to answer the question: When is a food a food and when is it a poison? His working definition of “poison” was: “Medically: Any substance applied to the body, ingested or developed within the body, which causes or may cause disease. Physically: Any substance which inhibits the activity of a catalyst which is a minor substance, chemical or enzyme that activates a reaction.”1 The dictionary gives an even broader definition for “poison”: “to exert a harmful influence on, or to pervert”.

Dr. Martin classified refined sugar as a poison because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals. “What is left consists of pure, refined carbohydrates. The body cannot utilize this refined starch and carbohydrate unless the depleted proteins, vitamins and minerals are present. Nature supplies these elements in each plant in quantities sufficient to metabolize the carbohydrate in that particular plant. There is no excess for other added carbohydrates. Incomplete carbohydrate metabolism results in the formation of ‘toxic metabolite’ such as pyruvic acid and abnormal sugars containing five carbon atoms. Pyruvic acid accumulates in the brain and nervous system and the abnormal sugars in the red blood cells.

These toxic metabolites interfere with the respiration of the cells. They cannot get sufficient oxygen to survive and function normally. In time, some of the cells die. This interferes with the function of a part of the body and is the beginning of degenerative disease.”

When the Muslims originally clashed with the Christian warriors in the Middle-east at the time of the Crusades they were formidable warriors.
As they slowly started capturing Christian territory and took over the sugar cane plantations and began to cultivate a “sweet tooth” they slowly lost their invincibility.

A molecule of sucrose requires 27 nutrients before it can be broken down to supply energy in the Kreb’s cycle. Which means that since white sugar is “empty” calories, every molecule of sugar will strip 27 nutrients from the body (normally from the nutrients stored in the liver for detoxification). When you smoke, you are exposed to about 4000 toxic items in the cigarette smoke which your body must use up nutrients from your liver to detox.

It is a noticeable trend that more and more food items have “low-sugar”
labels on them. With respect to human body needs, how much sugar do wereally need daily? Low sugar labels are fine. Sugar substitutes however can be even worse as in aspartame or nutrasweet. Refer to Andy Ho’s article a few years ago about aspartame being used to kill ants because of its neurotoxic properties.

The world (particularly East Asian) countries are facing an epidemic called “Syndrome X”. One of the major reasons for this is the introduction of refined carbohydrates and white sugar.

You need from 1200 calories for women to 1800 calories for men on a daily basis. You can get these calories from foods which are packed with nutrition or from foods with empty calories like white sugar. If you get them from nutrient rich food than as you meet your caloric needs, you are also meeting your nutritional needs for vitamins and minerals.

When carbohydrates from your diet are processed in you body they are broken down into glucose. You don’t need to take extra sugar, provided you meet your caloric needs.

There are different forms of sugars and sugar substitutes. Some of you may wonder what they are all about. Fructose is fruit sugar. Table sugar is sucrose which is the most common form of empty calories. Glucose is the form that all forms of carbohydrates and sugars are broken down in your body to naturally.

Molasses is what is obtained from sugar cane juice when itsconcentrated. Honey is from bees. These are probably the healthiest ways of getting your sugar, because they are often rich in nutrients.

Nutrasweet or aspartame – I have mentioned above is neurotoxic. One account states that diabetics who sued it found their diabetes hard to manage in the long term.

Many people experience craving for sugary items, e.g. cakes and cookies, when they are stressed, and they feel better after satisfying the craving. Some health reports point out that this is in fact very bad for health. This is often related to hypoglycemia. As they get stressed, the body overreacts and the sugar level plummets down.

So they take more sugar rich foods, which further strips the body of nutrition and upsets the body’s biochemistry. As they keep doing this, the cells become increasingly resistant to glucose so they move towards either Syndrome X or diabetes.

How does want start to reduce sugar in one’s diet? One teaspoonful of granulated sugar contains 15 calories, 8 teaspoonfuls of sugar is found in one can of coke. You don’t need to drink coke. If you must drink
coffee and tea, do it without sugar. This is one extreme. If you really
wanted to cut out totally empty calories, this is how you can do it. Instead of drinking coke, drink water.

For some, this feels like too much. So they can gradually cut down. If you drink one coke a day, do it on alternate days for one week, the next week once in three days. The week therafter, once in 4days, than once in five days and so on. Finally you drink only one can of coke a week.

Be well

Dr Sundardas

  A few years ago, I was talking to one of my ex-wife’s ( we were still married then), very good friend. I was talking to her about wellness screening and early prevention. Like many Asian ladies who feel what they don’t know won’t hurt them, she said, “ I really rather not know. That way, I can carry on doing what I am doing” Barely six months later, she discovered she had a lump in her breast and she had to do a needle biopsy. Fortunately for her, the lump was benign. It could have very easily been otherwise.

  Contrast this with a Spanish lady from Thailand who flew in to consult me after discovering she had a small lump that was cancerous. Her lifestyle was okay, her diet was better than mine and no one had any idea why she developed her cancer. She was smart enough after the surgery to remove the lump not to “Let sleeping dogs lie”. She wanted to get to the root cause. In the end we discovered that the smoking gun was a badly leaking mercury filling that was situated in the tooth related to the stomach meridian. For those who have no idea of acupuncture, the Stomach Meridian is one of the few meridians that passes along the pathway of the breast. Most breast cancers have a dental link, either a badly leaking mercury filling or a root canal gone bad.  

The American Medical Association after saying for 40 years that three square meals a day could feed your nutritional needs, has totally reversed this stand. The statement below totally repudiates that stand. The AMA has been forced to revise its views in light of the new evidence. They say it takes 25 years before a new idea takes hold in medicine. In 25 years every medical doctor will be studying nutrition thoroughly. Currently average medical education spends 7 to 12 hours out of a 7 year education on food, vitamins, minerals and health. Can you afford to wait for 25 years before your GP has the “right” education to help you prevent illness? 

“ Vitamin deficiency syndromes such as scurvy and beriberi are  uncommon in  modern (Western) societies. However, suboptimal intake of some  vitamins, above levels causing classic vitamin deficiency, is a risk  factor for chronic diseases and common ……  especially the elderly. Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with  suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12, are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E, and C) may increase risk for several chronic diseases. ……it appears  prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements…….. Physicians should make specific efforts to learn about their patients’  …. to ensure that they are taking vitamins they should, such as folate supplementation for women in the childbearing years, and avoiding dangerous practices such as high doses of vitamin A during pregnancy or massive doses of fat-soluble vitamins at any age. “ (JAMA. 2002;287:3127-3129)

 I saw this young lady who said she had a lump in her breast. She refused to have it  X-rayed or scanned. I felt that I could not responsibly treat someone without appropriate testing. She opted to work with someone else who promised that her condition would clear up. This someone kept selling her health products for two years giving her the impression that her cancer would improve. She survived for two years and then her cancer went out of control. What would have been a fairly simple issue with the correct surgical intervention with nutritional follow up became a death dealing downward spiral.

 Every other week I see a new young autistic child in my practice. Most of these children which I am treating will within 1.5  years will be unrecognizably positively changed in their physical, mental and emotional ability. They will have the ability to increase their educational and emotional horizons in a way their untreated brother sand sisters will not have.

 Meanwhile there will be mainstream doctors saying nothing can be done and you have to live with it and complementary and alternative physicians saying that  they can do “something” when the reality is that they do not understand what they are dealing with. I attended a International Homeoepathic Conference of mostly classical homeopaths who were still trying to treat autistic cases using classical homeoepathy. Than I heard about acupunturists from China who were claiming to treat autism with acupuncture. Nether group had done any kind of serious formal research to document the effectiveness of their study. I found this really sad. Parents will be given false hope. When these methods fail to provide results, there will be a backlash (like there was in Singapore) and someone will deliver a blanket statement that non of these methods work for “Autism” Its absolutely amazes me how such definitive comments are passed.

What you can do for yourself in the event of having a significant health issue? Educate yourself. Find out what is the standard medical approach? What are the success rates. What are the down sides? Check for complementary approaches to the problem. Explore exactly the same issues, the plus and minuses. Talk to physicians that you trust from both camps about what their experiences are. See if you can find a consensus approach. There are very few absolutes. If someone says that they all the answers on one topic, it may be possible. If they purport to be an authority on a whole scope of unrelated medical conditions, its time to be careful.

Nothing of course beats pre-emptive wellness care. Eat wisely. Exercise appropriately and for long enough (but not too long). Make sure you are taking enough supplements.

And no, taking just 1000 mg of Vitamin C and nothing else is not appropriate supplementation. Make sure that you are taking Vitamins and Minerals. If you are older than  35, ensure you have digestive enzymes and probiotics as well together with a broad spectrum essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6 and 9). Ensure that you do some form of wellness screening especially after 35 apart from the standard medical testing. What happens after this? Make sure that you have a life worth living. Meaningful work, a happy family. Friends that share your interests and you can have deep conversations with.

A deep meaningful spiritual connection in whatever way that speaks to you. And yes curiosity and an open mind.

 Be well

Dr  Sundardas

Dr James D’Adamo’s initial observations of individuals under naturopathic inpatient treatment showed that certain kinds of people improved on different types of diet. The principles behind the observations of James D’Adamo were researched by Peter D’Adamo, resulting in the basic theory determining the selection of foods according to blood group. This has been comprehensively illustrated in the series of books, starting with Eat Right 4 Your Type (ER4YT), which lists foods according to their status: beneficial; neutral or avoid.

Each of the four blood types, which develop at separate times in human evolution, exhibit biochemical differences. Type O, the oldest and most common blood type, has no true antigens (chemical markers that incite antibody production, the reason why people die when given a blood transfusion which is not compatible with their own blood. The next oldest, Type A, first appeared in Asia or the Middle East between 25,000 and 15,000 BC as an evolutionary response to the rise of densely populated agrarian communities. The Type A antigen causes antibody reactions in Type O and Type B, the third blood type.
The Type B antigen appeared between 10,000 and 15,000 BC among nomads in the Himalayan highlands. The most recent and least common, Type AB, has the antigens of Types A and B, combining many of the characteristics of the two.

The Protein Diet vs Blood Type (Atkins)

The protein diet is one that suggests that a low-carbohydrate, high protein diet is the way to lose weight and keep it off. It also suggests that it is the only way to regulate weight, cholesterol and be healthy. This diet has had its spectacular successes and its adherents. There are people for whom it does not work. The ‘O’ type would benefit from high protein diet (Carbohydate:Protein:Fat in the ratio of 40:40:20.). However all the other blood types would not benefit from this. I actually had a patient who experienced his cholesterol and triglycerides getting worse on this diet years ago.

The 30% Carbo, 40%Protein,30%Fat Diet versus Blood Type (Zone Diet)
This diet which basically revolved around carbohydrate intolerance focused on keeping the Carbohydate:Protein:Fat in the ratio of 30:40:30. This diet works spectacularly for those who have problems regulating their blood sugar levels. It also has its fair share of success. Many people with insulin and blood sugar problems have benefited from it.
Again the ‘O’ type would benefit from this program. (Carbohydate:Protein:Fat in the ratio of 40:40:20.). The other blood types would not benefit as much. The A (Carbo70%) and AB (Carbo 60%) types in particular would have a hard time adjusting to this programme.

The Vegetarian Diet versus Blood Type
The vegetarian diet has two major variations. The raw food proponents who are those who basically juice and eat their salads raw. Then there are vegetarians who eat cooked vegetables. Under this category there are lacto vegetarians (those who drink milk and vegetables), lacto-ovo vegetarians (drink milk and eat eggs and vegetables). You rarely see a fat raw vegetarian. There are however cooked food vegetarians who are overweight.
The ‘A’ type would benefit from being vegetarian. The other blood types would not be as comfortable. If a “O” type attempted a vegetarian diet, they would experience accelerated ageing. One of my very good friends, an “O” type insists on being vegetarian for religious reasons. His skin is beginning to age very rapidly. I once had a patient who was a marathon runner. She was a long term vegetarian despite being an “O” type. Eventually she developed an Achilles tendon injury that would not heal. She was persuaded to eat meat. After a few days of this diet, the injury healed really well. She found herself ravenous for meat.

The Macrobiotic Diet versus Blood Type

We have the macrobiotic diet with its emphasis on cooked grains, and vegetables and modest portions of fish and other meats. The “A”, ‘B’ and “AB” type would benefit from doing this.. If a “O” type attempted it, they would be undernourished and lethargic.

Having had the opportunity to put more than 4,000 individuals on supervised diets, I have had the opportunity to observe that different individuals benefited from each of the different diets. There was no underlying rationale as to why a particular worked until the Blood Type Diet unified these ideas.

The Weight Loss Factor – there are no ‘one-size-fits-all’ diet (METABOLIC)

be well

Dr Sundardas

On a daily basis when I work with my clients and I have to present to them information that upsets their mental models, I get a variety of responses. These responses range from

1) Are you sure about this? (mildly skeptical)
2) Why did my doctor or dentist not tell me this?
3) How come the FDA passed this?
4) Why isn’t the government doing anything about this?

For the mildly skeptical responses (its only mildly skeptical now because those who come to me know about my somewhat unorthodox views), I simply give them the facts and let them decide. They are of course shocked that the precious antibiotics that the doctor gave them for their viral influenza was quite useless and it was in the best (or worst) case scenario (depending on your perspective) meant to protect against the possibility of a secondary bacterial infection (if it occurred). Most people believe however that the cold got better because of the antibiotics. It is because of the indiscriminate use of the antibiotics we now have “flesh eating bacteria” proliferating and
the development of antibiotic resistant bacterial species.

The next scenario is that of “Why did my doctor or dentist not tell me this”. I have a good friend of mine who is a general practitioner who regularly tells his patients when they have a cold that they do not need antibiotics. Some of his patients love him. His relatives when they see him professionally for a cold and are told they do not need antibiotics go away disgruntled grumbling under their breath, “What kind of doctor are you?” This is one reason doctors do this. They do not want to lose patients. If a patient feels he needs antibiotics and nearly everyone else is doing it, than “I must do it as well’.

On the subjects of mercury fillings, I can wax lyrical but I won’t. I will simply say that in many countries until quite recently, a dentist could lose his license for suggesting that mercury was not a suitable material to be used in the teeth. Now there are states in the US outlawing the use of mercury. One wag once said that

1) If they used the same standard of double blind studies on mercury as a dental filling that they do on drugs, it would never have cleared clinical trials

2) If the US government were to openly ban mercury as a dental product, it would go bankrupt under the weight of the lawsuits filed by its military serviceman

In Singapore, dentist are advised not to use mercury for pregnant mothers by the Ministry of Health. Makes you wonder doesn’t it? Is it not safe for pregnant mothers or is it not safe for the babies? If its not safe for mothers and babies, how about the rest of us poor mortals?

One of the other major issues is that of vaccines and its safety. A certain percentage of the cost of the vaccines goes towards legal fees. There are legal companies in the good old USA who specialize in cases of vaccine damage in children. They take these companies to court and win. I will let you ponder on the meaning of a purported medical procedure that is supposed to protect children but leaves 2 % of the children handicapped and brain damaged and autistic some way. Before the serious advent of modern vaccines, the incident of autistic features was 0.1% to 0.2 % . Ahh…the wonders of modern medical science.

For the longest time, the FDA has been held up as the bastion of medical safety and reliability. I have already written about the makeup of the FDA committees when they sit in deliberation. However let me add a new piece to the puzzle.
In what may be among the longest-running and widest-ranging cases of academic fraud, one of the most prolific researchers in anesthesiology fabricated much of the data underlying his research, said a spokeswoman for the hospital where he works.
The researcher, Dr. Scott S. Reuben, an anesthesiologist in Springfield, Mass., who practiced at Baystate Medical Center, fabricated data in some or all of the 21 journal articles dating from at least 1996, said Jane Albert, a spokeswoman for Baystate Health.

The reliability of dozens more articles he wrote is uncertain, and the common practice — supported by his studies — of giving patients aspirinlike drugs and neuropathic pain medicines after surgery instead of narcotics is now being questioned.

The drug giant Pfizer underwrote much of Dr. Reuben’s research from 2002 to 2007. Many of his trials found that Celebrex and Lyrica, Pfizer drugs, were effective against postoperative pain.
“Independent clinical research advances disease treatments and improves the lives of patients,” said Raymond F. Kerins Jr., a Pfizer spokesman. “As part of such research, we count on independent researchers to be truthful and motivated by a desire to advance care for patients. It is very disappointing to learn about Dr. Scott Reuben’s alleged actions.”
Last but not least, the government of any country is the last resort in the chain of medical responsibility. When all else fails and there is a epidemic, pandemic or global financial meltdown than the government steps in.

My question to you my dear reader is, how responsible are you going to be for the health care of you and your family?

Be well
Dr Sundardas

Research shows there are 2,000 deaths/year from unnecessary surgery; 7000 deaths/year from medication errors in hospitals; 20,000 deaths/year from other errors in hospitals; 80,000 deaths/year from infections in hospitals; 106,000 deaths/year from non-error, adverse effects of medications – these total up to 225,000 deaths per year in the US from iatrogenic causes which ranks these deaths as the # 3 killer. Iatrogenic is a term used when a patient dies as a direct result of treatments by a physician, whether it is from misdiagnosis of the ailment or from adverse drug reactions used to treat the illness. (drug reactions are the most common cause).

Based on the findings of one major study, medical errors kill some 44,000 people in U.S. hospitals each year. Another study puts the number much higher, at 98,000. Even using the lower estimate, more people die from medical mistakes each year than from highway accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS. And deaths from medication errors that take place both in and out of hospitals are aid to be more than 7,000 annually.

A statistical study of hospital deaths in the U.S. conducted at the University of Toronto revealed that pharmaceutical drugs kill more people every year than are killed in traffic accidents.

The study is said to show that more than two million American hospitalized patients suffered a serious adverse drug reaction (ADR) within the 12-month period of the study and, of these, over 100,000 died as a result. The researchers found that over 75 per cent of these ADRs were dose-dependent, which suggests they were due to the inherent toxicity of the drugs rather than to allergic reactions.

The data did not include fatal reactions caused by accidental overdoses or errors in administration of the drugs. If these had been included, it is estimated that another 100,000 deaths would be added to the total every year.

The researchers concluded that ADRs are now the fourth leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

According to a USA Today (Dennis Cauchon, Sept 25,200) study, more than half of the experts hired to advise the government on the safety and effectiveness of medicine have financial relationships with the pharmaceutical companies that will be helped or hurt by their decisions. These experts are hired to advise the Food and Drug Administration on which medicines should be approved for sale, what the warning labels should say and how studies of drugs should be designed. The experts are supposed to be independent, but USA TODAY found that 54% of the time, they have a direct financial interest in the drug or topic they are asked to evaluate. These conflicts include helping a pharmaceutical company develop a medicine, then serving on an FDA advisory committee that judges the drug.

The conflicts typically include stock ownership, consulting fees or research grants.

Federal law generally prohibits the FDA from using experts with financial conflicts of interest, but according to the article, the FDA has waived the restriction more than 800 times since 1998. These pharmaceutical experts, about 300 on 18 advisory committees, make decisions that affect the health of millions of Americans and billions of dollars in drugs sales. With few exceptions, the FDA follows the committees’ advice.

The FDA reveals when financial conflicts exist, but it has kept details secret since 1992, so it is not possible to determine the amount of money or the drug company involved.

A USA Today analysis of financial conflicts at 159 FDA advisory committee meetings from Jan. 1, 1998, through last June 30 found:

At 92% of the meetings, at least one member had a financial conflict of interest.

At 55% of meetings, half or more of the FDA advisers had conflicts of interest.

Conflicts were most frequent at the 57 meetings when broader issues were discussed: 92% of members had conflicts.

At the 102 meetings dealing with the fate of a specific drug, 33% of the experts had a financial conflict.

“The best experts for the FDA are often the best experts to consult with industry,” says FDA senior associate commissioner Linda Suydam, who is in charge of waiving conflict-of-interest restrictions. But Larry Sasich of Public Citizen, an advocacy group, says, “The industry has more influence on the process than people realize.”

In an article written by Andrea Knox for Knight Ridder Newspapers appeared on January 7, 2001 in “The Star,” a Ventura County Newspaper.

“In the past four years, 10 prescription drugs and a vaccine have been taken off the market after killing and injuring thousands. According to the article, it is estimated that US drug fatalities runs 100,000 a year. There is no way of confirming the numbers because there is no reliable way to track and investigate problems with drugs. Doctors are not even required to report bad drug interactions.”

It also doesn’t help that the FDA has cut the time for routine drug approvals, making the real-life test for drugs coming after it has actually been approved. Without a proper monitoring system, it takes longer to discover what drugs could be causing problems.
The above is to show that unless as an informed consumer to take responsibility for your own health, nobody else out there in terms of a regulatory body is looking after the safety of drugs. While nutritional and natural medicine products are being stringently regulated in nearly all first world countries, drugs which are infinitely more deadly are not regulated to the same degree.

For example in Singapore, there was a scare about skullcap. Based on adverse drug reports on a handful of individuals in Germany and Switzerland, the drug was banned in Singapore. Compare this with the drug Vioxx. Dr. Graham told the Senate Finance Committee (US) that Vioxx may have caused 55000 deaths alone, more than the 28000 projected by the FDA. Only then did Merck take it off the shelves.

So the next time the next wonder drug comes up, let someone else check it our first. The FDA is too busy doing things other than safeguarding the medical safety of America and the world.

Be well

Dr Sundardas

Very often when it comes to the subject of food, there is enormous misinformation. When it comes to the subject of nutrition, there are even more arguments on both sides of the fence. In order to resolve this debate, I would like to outline the profound ways that the world has changed from the time of our grandparents.

Our diets have changed considerably in the last 50 years and not necessarily for the better. In fact this information is so widely accepted that only a few still think this way by clinging to the misguided concept that we can get all the nutrition we need from a well balanced diet.

Despite the wide spread acceptance of the use of dietary supplements to augment the foods we eat, I feel that it is necessary to raise a few points so as to effectively make the issue clear!
There are several major reasons why we eat more lifeless, nutrient deficient foods than any other nation on earth. The first reason is forced production. For example America is the ‘bread basket’ of the world. Not only do they provide food for their 250 million residents but export food and food products to many countries around the world. This places a tremendous demand upon the growers to continually increase the yield per care of crops produced.

The NPK Philosophy

Back in the 1930’s there was a big controversy over soil conditioning (that which was to be put back into our farmlands after each growing season). A group of agricultural scientists were talking about the re-mineralisation of the soil by using full spectrum trace and major minerals. This idea met with considerable opposition by the food industry who only saw this proposal as a greatly added expense that they were not keen to accept. They therefore lobbied the US Department of Agriculture heavily against the re-mineralisation program and subsequently won their point. Because of that in the United States it is what has come to be referred to as the NPK philosophy – the initials which stand for the three major minerals found in all present-day fertilizers, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.
They argued that with these three nutrients, in varying ratios, the very highest yield per acre could be achieved thus increasing production and profit for the farmer. Since farmers have always lived with the difficulty of turning a profit, they too were excited by this ‘new NPK philosophy’. This turned out to be bad news!
It is true that yield per acre did increase measurably but after a few years of practising this limited re-fertilization, farmers began to notice that the health of their crops were becoming compromised. Pests would invade the fields at various stages of growth and destroyed far more of the crop than was increased by the new fertilizer program. Science responded by developing even stronger pesticides and other chemicals in an attempt to protect the crops to maturity. Long ago we have exceeded the savings from limited re-fertilization through the expense of adding chemicals to croplands which not only leave residues in the foods, but subsequently sink in to the ground and end up in the water table thus adversely affecting all animal life, including humans.

This de-mineralisation of our soils has created sick plants that cannot survive to maturity on their own. They are so mineral deficient that livestock of various species fed upon them must be supplemented with numerous ‘salt blocks’ containing various combinations of minerals in order to remain healthy.

Mineral Deficiencies and Chronic Disease

Humans are at the top of this vast food chain, and whatever benefits of deficiencies exist are magnified at the top. In the 1930’s Dr William Albrecht predicted that if we followed the concept of restricted fertilization using the NPK concept, we would see a rise in diseases of a chronic, degenerative nature such as we would compare with the infectious plagues of the past. His dire warning appears to have come true. Today the leading causes of death in Europe and the United States are not contagious, infectious diseases, which by the way are also again on the rise, but rather are the very chronic degenerative diseases predicted by Albrecht and other scientists more than 50 years ago. Heart disease, cancer, arthritis, adult onset diabetes and other such debilitating conditions are not contagious, they merely appear and are diagnosed with little or no hope of effective treatment or amelioration. The rest of Asia follows suit.

What else have we done to cause the destruction of our food supply? While there are undoubtedly many points that could be discussed, for the purpose of our illustration here we will address two other major factors. Soil erosion is the next potential problem – one that only gets worse. It is estimated that 85% of America’s topsoil is at the bottom of the ocean. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the problem is so widespread and so severe that it would be prohibitively expensive to correct. This means that they are feeding 250 million people and serve as the ‘bread basket to the world’, on 15% of their topsoil. Is it any wonder that the foods produced and subsequently eaten are mere shadows of those produced 50 or 100 years ago?
The third and perhaps the most devastating factor in the destruction of the American diet has been the food industry itself. Through over-processing of virtually every food we eat, dozen of nutrients are either destroyed or greatly decreased. This adulteration of foods by the industry that controls them not only robs us of the vital minerals but also the vitamins, making most of our food products nothing more than empty calories.

Unless we seriously embark upon a program of diet, nutrition and supplementation, we cannot expect our “three square meals” to be enough to keep us healthy and fit.

be well,

Dr Sundardas

As the computer visual display (VDU) unit became more common in the workplace, the issue of radiation hazards associated with the prolonged use of VDU’s were tested by reputable laboratories and found to emit no detectable levels of X- rays. A similar study by Canadian Radiation Protection. Bureau researchers arrived at the same conclusion. World Health Organisation (WHO) experts endorsed similar findings. Given such reassurances, the temptation has been to conclude that VDU’s are harmless. However, deeper more haunting statistics suggest that health problems from VDU’s could arise from electromagnetic radiation.

The early research did not consider all the relevant data. Since 1979 small clusters of miscarriage and birth defects among VDU users in a dozen or more office locations have been reported. Due to the low level of X-ray radiation around VDU’s, authorities often dismissed the increased incidence of these abnormalities as chance occurrences, while others argued alternately that the reported defects could be hereditary.

In 1982 Delagado and others reported powerful inhibitory effects on chicken embryos produced by weak 100 H2 {28} electromagnetic fields. The following year Ubeda and others also observed ‘teratogenic” changes or monstrous mutations to chicken embryos exposed to low intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields of 100Hz. The most deterious effects were observed with a weak magnetic field strengths of about 1 micro Tesla, with stronger and weaker fields less effective. Since the original work of Delgado and co-workers, several more recent studies have confirmed that weak electromagnetic fields are capable of interacting with biological systems of specific frequencies and intensities. Since magnetic field strength pulses of up to 400,000 microtesla have been reported with VDU’s it follows that weak magnetic pulses will exist even at a considerable distance from the units.

With approximately half the workforce using VDU’s being women of childbearing age, the health implications are enormous. McDonald and co-workers who studied births in the Montreal area in 1984, reported, that the rate of spontaneous abortion in 2609 current pregnancies with no VDU use was 5.7% compared to 8.3% for 588 with weekly exposure of less than 15 hours and 9.4% for 710 pregnancies with VDU use greater than 15 hours per week. In 1988 Goldhaber and co-workers found in a case control study of pregnancy outcome that there exists: “Significantly elevated risk of miscarriage for working women who using VDU’s for more than 20 hours per week during the first trimester of pregnancy compared to other working who reported not using VDUs”. The increased risk could not be explained by age, education, occupation, smoking, alcohol consumption on other maternal characteristics.

Reported cases of foetal damage from VDU’s.

1. In 1979, four out of seven pregnant VDU operates who had worked on the classified advertising department of the Toronto Star gave birth to infants with defects. One had a club foot, another a deft palate, a third an underdeveloped eye and the fourth had multiple heart abnormalities. None of the mothers had smoked or taken drugs during the pregnancies.During that period, three other employees at the Star who didn’t work on VDU’s gave birth to normal babies.
2. Due to excessive fetal retardation and birth defects among the off-spring of women and animals exposed to radioactive fields in Eastern Europe, pregnant women in Czechoslovakia have been specifically prohibited from working in areas where the “safe” level of micro-waves was exceeded. The Czech standard is one-thousandth the recommended American guideline.

The following items also possess a significant electromagnetic field; television, electric razors, electric blankets, electric-power transmission and distribution networks, fluorescent lights, electric clocks, hair dryers and electric heaters, microwave ovens, personal radio transmitters not to mention handphones. Research done by Dr. Robert O. Becker M.D. appears to indicate that all of the above appliances at times have radiation levels that sometimes exceed current safety levels of radiation.

The rise of phenomena such as electromagnetic – hypersensitivity syndrome has been verified by several scientists, like Robert Becker M.D. and Dr. William Rae. It refers to the phenomena whereby an individual develops an allergy due to electro-magnetic fields. Chronic-fatigue syndrome has also been linked to electro-magnetic fields.

Dr. Hans-Anne Hanson of the Institute of Newsbiology at the University of Goteborg, Sweden began experimenting a newborn experimental animals. Brief exposure to microwaves, resulted in damage to nerve-cell structures that became visible, as a latent effect, only two to four months following the exposure. The nerve cell damage was visible in the brain, retina, optic nerve and cerebellum. It is interesting to note that clinical studies done by Dr. E. Courchesne of the Neuropsychology Research Laboratory at Children’s Hospital Research Center, San Diego, report finding a specific pathological lesion in the cerebellum in fourteen of the eighteen autistic children be examined.

Years ago, I had the interesting experience of working with mum to be who was a newscaster. She mentioned that all her female colleagues who worked with her had had babies with congenital birth defects. She wanted a diet and nutrition program si that her baby would be normal. She came in about six months before her intended time to get pregnant, so I put her on a tailored program of diet and supplements to support system. Her baby when she delivered was normal.

A brain surgeon in Singapore recently commented that her noticed a higher incidence on brain tumours in young children. Would any body wonder if this was related to radiation hazards perhaps?

be well,

Dr Sundardas