Read the Open Letter by Dr. Matthias Rath On the 2020 PandemicA pandemic is currently threatening the health and lives of people around the world and ruining the economies of entire nations. The shockwave from this pandemic is only surpassed by the audacity through which potentially life-saving information on the possible containment of the pandemic is being systematically withheld from the people, as well as from many political decision-takers worldwide.   Social life is being disturbed, basic civil rights are being taken away, and economic damage in unprecedented proportions is being accepted, all in the name of curtailing the pandemic. And yet neither the so-called ‘experts’ nor the politicians they advise are providing people with the most basic – and potentially life-saving – health advice: An optimum intake of vitamins and other essential micronutrients is a key measure for anyone to strengthen their immune system. This scientific fact – recognized by nine Nobel Prizes and documented in countless textbooks of biology and biochemistry around the world – is notoriously absent from essentially every public health recommendation.

The news about a novel coronavirus infection and COVID-19 spread faster worldwide than the infection itself creating concerns and fears. In most cases this infection generates mild flu symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, a sore throat and mild fever. However, in older people and those with weakened immunity due to other health problems, it can lead to respiratory complications with serious consequences, and even death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about half of all American adults tend to have advanced gum problems at the time of diagnosis. Gum problems are so frequent that they remain second to the common cold. This is because their symptoms appear in the more advanced stages. Symptoms such as red, swollen, painful gums, bleeding while brushing and flossing, constant bad breath, or a bad taste in mouth due to bacterial infection in the gum pockets, warrant attention and further evaluation as they can lead to developing carries and even tooth loss. Some studies show a connection between dental problems and heart disease, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and many others.

Despite the current controversy, vaccination has a proven record to be an effective and economic way to prevent many communicable diseases and their complications. In our last Health Science News Page we explained the important side benefit of vaccination that is population immunity important for protecting infants, the elderly and immunocompromised people in society who are not fit to get individual vaccinations for their health reasons. At the same time, it is also important to be aware of health risks associated with some of the ingredients and adjuvants present in vaccines such as aluminum, thimerosal, formaldehyde, MSG, and so on. Since the vaccination process mimics a real infection, and micronutrients are known to protect against various infections and modulate our immune system, this Health Science News Page focus is on the micronutrients required for the protection of health, improved immunity and increased vaccine safety.

Vaccination has been surrounded by controversy for a long time. Some people are afraid of getting vaccinated for multiple reasons. Most often the reason is not having enough knowledge about how vaccines work and what ingredients they contain.  Historically, people had a misleading perception about being injected with the same pathogen that causes the disease. However, recent focus of the vaccine controversy has shifted to the presence of additives in vaccines that can cause harmful health effects.

Influenza (flu) is a common viral disease affecting up to 20% of the world’s population. In most cases, the flu is benign, but it can also have serious consequences especially in people with compromised immune systems, the elderly, and children. It is estimated to cause 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide each year1.

Despite advances in understanding the development of cancer and how it spreads, the method of cancer treatment has not changed much. For the past several decades the main treatment options for a cancer patient have been surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Although there are newer chemotherapy drugs available to treat cancers, the cancer death rate continues to rise. Each of the current treatment options is associated with inherent risks and side effects and most patients are submitted to some combination of these options.

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the US, and about 1 in 8 are likely to develop it during their lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 62,930 of noninvasive (in-situ) breast cancers will be diagnosed in the US this year. Despite expensive treatment options and the availability of pharmaceutical drugs, the long-term outlook for curing breast cancer remains poor. While women are aware of breast cancer, very few take steps towards prevention other than mammogram screenings. Men can also develop breast cancer and one percent of all breast cancers are in males. However, male breast cancer is difficult to treat, which is mainly due to lack of awareness and a delay in diagnosis resulting in the cancer having already spread.

Diabetes, which is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, is the fastest growing non-communicable disease in the world today. In the last two decades, the number of people suffering from diabetes has skyrocketed and it is projected to increase from 171 million in 2000 to 438 million in 2030. Approximately 6000 Americans are diagnosed with diabetes. Type II diabetes has been considered by many as a disease affecting older and overweight people; however, it is now more frequently diagnosed in children and young adults under 25 years of age, as well as in individuals that are not necessarily overweight. Sustained high blood sugar levels can lead to serious diabetic complications including atherosclerosis, stroke, kidney failure, neuropathy, impaired wound healing, and cataracts, and it can lead to long-term disability.

With the arrival of summer, people become acutely aware of exposure to the sun, the risk of skin cancers and the importance of the use of sunscreen. Skin cancer is the most common of all types of cancers in the USA and other developed countries. Worldwide, it accounts for more than 30% of all diagnosed cancers. Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma are the most common forms of skin cancers, and malignant melanoma is the most dangerous of all of them. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 96,480 new melanoma cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2019 and melanoma will be attributed as a cause of death for 7,230 people. It is estimated that one in five people will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.