The Alliance For Natural Health (ANH) have reported on a grey area of scientific research. They report that in many cases where clinical trials were either biased or even just wrong, the underlying intentions were not necessarily honest. Their report is based on a survey of scientists’ research carried out at The University of Edinburgh.

In the survey, 5% of scientists admitted to blatant dishonesty in their work. One third admitted manipulating data to give a false impression. A third also had observed others doing the same thing. This is science fraud.

This is very concerning, when you consider that if in the medical research field, misleading result could make the difference between a blockbuster drug or a so-so one; and could be the cause of much pain and suffering or even death.

Medical fraud – the study.

The ANH report.

When my partner and I had blood tests in Denver, her cholesterol test didn’t come out. She said fine – she’d get the doctor to do one. After all, her mother had just had a stroke which was good enough resason to ask the doctor for a test.

She hadn’t been to the doctor for years, so it should be a formality.

Not. Talk about the third degree! That surgery just did not want to help with a blood test at all.

She got one – but only because she is a feisty woman and stuck at it. You could see how many people would be put off by the response of the receptionist.

Surely a cholesterol test once in your life should be straightforward to get on the NHS? If you don’t know you’ve got high cholesterol and that leads to artery disease you’re going to be much more expensive than a blood test.

At a minimum, we should all be having cholesterol, homocysteine and c-reactive protein measured every one or two years.

Another recipe idea – I found this garlic chicken recipe. But I’ll make two points.

1. You don’t have to fry. Frying glycates the chicken – bad news for aging. Make the recipe avoiding frying and I defy you to tell the difference.

Anything which has been browned is glycated – meat, toasted bread, grilled fish – just miss out the frying parts of this recipe. I can’t tell the difference in the taste myself.

Glycation is really bad for you. It causes wrinkles of the skin – and internal organs. Bad news.

I would also add some vegetables to the mix: how about green or red peppers? Some chillie if you like them?  Mushrooms? Green beans? Lovely.

2. You don’t have to use chicken! Make the same recipe using chick peas. It will be fantastic.

If you do use chicken, go for using the breast, skin off, to reduce cholesterol and saturated fat to a minimum.  Alternatively, use turkey breast which is especially low in cholesterol.

I think both these recipes are lovely – with chicken or chick peas.

This is such an easy recipe – make a ton of it; freeze it in portions; then you just have to remember to get a pack from the freezer in the morning to defrost. Add steamed vegetables and voila – a very quick meal.

The garlic is really good for you – just make sure any friends you a likely to see in the next few hours also have some. Probably best to invite them to share some.

Power Garlic Capsules

For a painless way to take a low-odour garlic supplement try our high quality Power Garlic Capsules. Grown organically in USA, Power Garlic is treated so that it’s allicin – the smelly part – is released very slowly – thus reducing odour to a bare minimum.

We recommend taking one capsule with each meal to support the heart, arteries and immune system.

Buy Power Garlic Capsules

US scientists have found that caffeine doses equivalent to three large cups of coffee could help Alzheimer’s disease. The research was carried out at the University of Florida.

Mice with symptoms of dementia were divided into two groups. One group received coffee equivalent to six shots of espresso, the other had water instead. After two months those receiving the coffee performed significantly better in memory and thinking tests.

Obviously this requires more resesrach; but an interesting result.

The Stimulist Blog loves this story – about its favourite beverage!

A hospital in Bath, the Royal United Hospital, is using Manuka honey and maggots to treat wounds, especially leg ulcers, and even those affected with MRSA.

The Manuka honey has an action which actively draws fluid from the wound so helping it to heal, and remove dead tissue.The maggots can have a similar effect. Those of the common greenbottle are used.

After a course of this treatment, one patient said: “I’m able to sleep without sleeping tablets and for the first time new skin is forming over my ulcer.”

This treatment is most unconventional, but is minimally invasive  and drug-free. Let’s hope the idea spreads.

Link to story.

To me, using garlic in cooking is second nature. In fact, I add garlic and chillie to most meals I cook.

Garlic is very good for health, so if you do not use it in cooking already, why not start using it regularly? Many people think that garlic in food is the best way to take it. I think supplements are necessary too – unless you are prepared to smell strongly of the stuff.

So I use garlic in moderation in food and also take some Power Garlic Capsules supplementally, as a ‘top-up’.

If you want some more ideas on using garlic in cooking, here is a list of recipes which make use of garlic:

Humous With Garlic

One time I do use garlic more is when making humous. This is then raw, so it is much stronger in taste. And the odour has gone off my breath (I hope) by the time the evening comes and I am more likely to be face-to-face with friends.

Homous is so easy to make – and it freezes very well. It’s such a good mid-morning snack with crudites dipped in. Brilliant.

Power Garlic Capsules

For a painless way to take a low-odour garlic supplement try our high quality Power Garlic Capsules. Grown organically in USA, Power Garlic is treated so that it’s allicin – the smelly part – is released very slowly – thus reducing odour to a bare minimum.

We recommend taking one capsule with each meal to support the heart, arteries and immune system.

Buy Power Garlic Capsules

I posted on the 4th about a site containing a video indicating a certain lack of agreement concerning psychiatrists’ and patients’ views of a typical consultation. I gave a ‘FYI’ that the site had links to Scientology.

I noticed a link containing a list of the ‘top 10 people” who you wouldn’t expect to be ‘Big S’ but were. Charles Manson is the number 1 person – but that’s a bit of a cheat because he actually isn’t one: but the twist is that he tried it, but left because he said it was too far out for him.

The most disappointing one is: Beck. He made one tremendous album (Modern Guilt), and… well, I don’t know why I am disappointed really. The album is still good. It just seems a little … tainted.

I was immersed in ‘Big S’ as I lodged with a family when an acupuncture student. I didn’t succumb.

They have their pluses – but they’re weird.

If you are not used to cooking with garlic, a good start is to use it to cook fish, such as salmon, in the oven.

My own cooking is usually quite simple, and I cook fish in a slow oven a couple of times a week. It is an easy dish and is healthy and tasty. I often use wild Alaskan salmon.

Salmon Recipe With Garlic

I generally use a container with a lid – such as Pyrex oven-proof glass. You can also use foil, doubled over, which you fold over to make an airtight package.

Do psychiatrists – and by extension other doctors – lie?

A reader, Polly, pointed out this website which is very enlightening. It contains a number of videos.

The video I watched asks psychiatrists and patients similar questions, with different answers.

First, a psychiatrist are asked questions such as:

• How long is an initial consultation?
• Are the drugs addictive?
• Do you tell patients of the side effects?

Then the patients are asked the same questions

• Were you told of the side effects
• …etc.

The results are more and more shocking as you watch through.

OK – it’s not scientific; but those patients are just not lying!

Maybe I am biased because my sister took her own life when on Prozac. She and her husband had no idea that ’suicide’ was a well-known side effect – though at the time, only within the industry.

And he is a professor of biochemistry, and often an expert witness in poison cases, you’d think he would have a better chance than most of knowing the risks.

Here’s a link to the actual video.

(FYI: the site has some sort of link to Scientology, a cult ‘religion’.)

New research in the USA has shown that regular takling of a multivitamin can reduce heart disease by 16%.

The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

I would certainly recommend everyone take a high quality multivitamin every day. It’s just too easy to be short of one or other essential nutrient. Even if you take enough in your diet, your DNA might act against you to deplete certain nutrients.

The only real way to be (nearly) sure is to have comprehensive blood tests carried out – and I don’t mean those you’d get on teh NHS. In the absense of that, take a multivitamin.

I take the one from Life Extension Foundation – Life Extension Mix.