Hello 

This week I went on my first farm visit, as part of a new PGS (participative guarantee system) for local organic farmers we're setting up in Stellenbosch. This in turn is part of a bigger initiative called The Green Road. More on that in letter newsletters. But what was fascinating for me was to see what Christine Jephta, who works 5ha of a collective farm, faces as she produces the excellent fresh produce I buy from her every week. Do you know who grows the food you eat? And what goes into growing it? It was with eyes wide open that I left after a few hours on a very hot windy afternoon. And gratitude for those who are prepared to farm with nature, not against her. 

This month Dr B looks at the 'war' on cancer, and how we are faring in treating it. The more I read about health and medicine, the more complex the story becomes, so it's good to have an expert explain things clearly.

There's also a reminder about apples and health, and a way to approach anger, plus many interesting snippets.

Thanks to all our new subscribers. Enjoy reading, and please give us feedback.  

Happy days

Jeanne 

From the desk of Dr Bernard Brom

It’s always good to keep a sense of optimism around the beginnings of a new year. The energy is flowing now and hopefully we can all take advantage of that.

Please make sure that you are taking the following two remedies to keep your energy and focus in place.  The two basic remedies that everyone should be adding to their diet are vitamin D and Omega 3. That’s basic. I haven’t yet come across anyone with normal vitamin D levels; and everyone needs omega 3 to balance the excess omega 6 and just to maintain good function of brain, nervous system, cell membrane integrity. Omega 3 also has anti-inflammatory properties. If you can afford it, then add vitamin C at least 2 to 3 grams per day. I guess my fourth nutrient would be a good quality ‘green mixture’. Any one of the mixtures containing spirulina, barley grass, wheat grass, chlorella etc will do.

Report of the month – the war on cancer

“What is surprising in this affair are the numbers and qualifications of those gone astray. They were not half-wits, fools or friends of the wondrous. No, they were true men of science, unbiased and honest men familiar with the scientific method: Men with cool and solid heads who, before and after their escapade, proved themselves worthy researchers.” - Jean Rostand, Confidences d’unBbiologist, Presses Pocket, Paris, 1990

With this quote at the beginning of his book, Dr Guy Faguet (MD) enters into a deep discussion about the failure of the war on cancer. The book is called ‘The War on Cancer’ subtitled ‘An Anatomy of Failure. A Blueprint for the Future’. Once doctors retire they feel at liberty to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  One of these is Dr Faguet. Dr Faguet is no small fry: He has written 140 peer-reviewed articles, seven book chapters and two previous books on cancer.

Chapter 7 is headed: ‘Treatment outcomes: Dismal by any standards.’ In it he says that while it sometimes seems that the cancer establishment is actually making progress, this impression comes about for a number of obvious reasons and the impression is generally not based on the facts. What is happening today, and what drives the statistics, is that cancer screening such as mammograms, PSA levels, X-rays and MRIs, colonoscopies etc are now identifying early-stage cancers. The problem is that many of these cancers are microscopic, slow growing, may disappear over time, may be wrongly diagnosed (false positives) and tend to create the impression that we are winning the war because of increased detection and apparently curing many, when in fact the cancers may never have progressed to the point of killing the person.

In Chinese medicine the heart is not just an organ but an ‘orb’ which includes the heart organ but also a field of ‘energy-information’.

Try standing in front of someone and find out your comfort zone with them. With some people you can stand much closer than others. There is some science to this now. The electrocardiogram (ECG) which doctors use to record the electromagnetic field of the heart can now be detected with supersensitive machines ¾ metre extending from the body.

When we stand close together then our heart energy fields are linked and communicating. What does that say about heart to heart conversations? In Chinese Medicine the heart is also the place where the spirit rests. Our feelings, which we experience in the heart area, are the sensory apparatus of the spirit/soul. These feed into the head area and are responsible for the intuition that the thinking mind relies on for inspiration and great ideas.

Try connecting more often with your feelings rather than the thoughts only. Your feelings open you to the Great Mystery. That is were the awe and magic of life can be found.

Is it  true that we don't know the cause of cancer or Parkinson's disease?
Why there is such a gap between the conventional medical model and view, and what patients seem to know intuitively?

Most patients will hear their doctor tell them that cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, hypertension and numerous other diseases do not have a cause known to science.

I saw a patient recently with hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and depression who had been given four different drugs at the clinic. The clinic consultation lasted less than 15 minutes and she was asked to report back in one month. And that was that. When I asked the woman what she thought the cause of her ill health was she was able to give me some pretty good answers.

A negative finding about supplements in the headlines. The study suggests that older women taking supplements  may die sooner than those not taking supplements. When scientists start out with the idea that supplements would not reduce the risk of death, then you can be sure that this is the outcome they will find. Scientist love to talk about ‘computer smoothing’ of results, adjusting the confounding factor,  ‘data massaging’  and using statistics to support their arguments. After all this is done, one can usually bet that the results will support their contention.

What are the confounding factors, for example? In the study the women taking supplements were more likely to be non-smokers, consume a better diet and be more physically active, so this according to the authors, needed to be adjusted for. How this is done is anyone’s guess, and why people who have taken the trouble to change their lifestyle should have an arbitrary adjustment made so that these factors are removed from the equation really makes no sense anyway.

There is also the question of dosage and quality of nutrients used which was not recorded as being a confounding factor. But it could nevertheless make a big difference to outcomes. Synthetic vitamins, for example, taken long term may not have great outcomes; and using vitamins in isolation is also not a good idea.  Vitamin E for example is a family of nutrients and includes tocopherols and tocotrienols, and the synthetic variety should not be used long term.

Scientist who don’t believe in, don’t use, and have little knowledge of nutrients should not be doing this research.  Nutritional medicine has become quite sophisticated today and should be left to those scientists with a  true understanding of healthy medicine.