Vitamin E, Selenium and Prostate Cancer

NCI's Flawed SELECT Study Attacks Vitamin E

by Byron Richards (NaturalNews)

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) SELECT study (Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention ­Trial) for prostate cancer in men was halted this week after initial data analysis showed that selenium and vitamin E, taken alone or together for an average of five years, did not prevent prostate cancer.

Since the goal of SELECT was to prove a 25% risk reduction, and since early data suggested such a result was unlikely, the trial was stopped.

Furthermore, the researchers felt that there were non-statistically significant possible risks: "there were slightly more cases of prostate cancer in men taking only vitamin E and slightly more cases of diabetes in men taking only selenium.

Neither of these findings proves an increased risk from the supplements and may be due to chance."

I have a question for the nutritionally-challenged people at NCI; why did you design a study that couldn't possibly succeed and then waste taxpayer money on it?

Was it simply to discredit vitamins so that your highly toxic human experiments with dangerous biotech drugs (which cost taxpayers a fortune) would be the only choice?

Already, numerous Big Pharma-funded mainstream news organizations are running anti-vitamin E and selenium headlines, warning physicians to tell their prostate patients not to take vitamin E and selenium.

Useless Vitamin E Used in Study

The SELECT trial used non-natural and chemically-derived vitamin E

(dl-alpha tocopherol acetate) at a dose of 400 IU per day.

Any time you see an "l" after the "d" in a vitamin E product throw it in the trash where it belongs. This vitamin E molecule is synthesized from coal tar and typically made by German pharmaceutical companies like Bayer and BASF.

It has little or no antioxidant activity and is useless for human health - which was obvious long before the SELECT trial was started.

This is very similar to an earlier attack on beta-carotene, implying that beta carotene caused an increase in lung cancer in smokers who took it. Once again the "study" used a chemically-derived synthetic beta carotene made from acetylene gas produced by BASF, masquerading as a dietary supplement.

Natural Vitamin E is a Powerful Cancer Prevention Tool

Vitamin E is a required nutrient for immune system function.

If you lack it, especially as you age, it is not technically possible that your immune system will work at optimal capacity.

Thousands of studies confirm this statement, as well as fully documented molecular pathways relating to vitamin E and immune system function.

Many Americans over the age of 50 are lacking vitamin E because it is destroyed in food processing and many people don't eat enough of the fattier vitamin E containing foods - making vitamin E supplementation a necessity for immunologic health.

Unlike drugs that kill cancer cells with "overwhelming toxic force," that is if they can be killed at all before killing the person with the treatment, the majority of anti-cancer nutrients such as green tea and vitamin E have a level of intelligence in human physiology.

They are smart enough to know the difference between a healthy cell that should stay alive and a diseased cell that should die. This means the very same nutrient will help keep a healthy cell alive by protecting it while helping to kill cancer cells. This is truly a marvel of Mother Nature at work.

No drug is even on the same playing field as nutrients provided by nature.

This does not mean that nutrients alone are a treatment for cancer. It does mean they are a powerful player in the natural immune toolbox, nothing to be discredited by bogus or incompetent "science."

There are eight natural forms of vitamin E,

• 4 tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta) and


• 4 tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta).

While d alpha tocopherol is the most common form of vitamin E in dietary supplements, it is actually gamma tocotrienol that is one of the most powerful anti-cancer nutrients known to Mankind.

Why didn't NCI test natural gamma tocotrienol in their study instead a synthetic and useless form of vitamin E?

There are at least three known mechanisms by which gamma tocotrienol, unlike plain vitamin E, knocks out cancer cells.

1. The first is by directly inducing death signals in cancer cells, which has been demonstrated in prostate and breast cancer cells. It also activates the well-known tumor suppression gene, p53, which in turn governs the cell cycle to prevent cancer. And it even shuts off the flow of blood to tumors to help starve them of nutrition. It does all this while simultaneously keeping healthy cells alive and assisting in the flow of blood to healthy cells! This is not a miracle; it is simply Mother Nature at work to aid survival.

References:http://www.wellnessresources.com/studies/entry/tocotrienols_and_prostate_cancer http://www.wellnessresources.com/studie...

Don't for a moment think that cancer researchers don't know about gamma tocotrienol. They have specifically tested it in combination with chemotherapy drugs and found that they could kill cancer cells with far less drugs. This is very important because the toxicity of cancer drugs reaches a limit of success if the dose needed exceeds the ability of one's body to tolerate the inherent toxicity of the drugs.

The fact that the gamma tocotrienol form of vitamin E is not given simultaneously along with cancer treatments is a crime of omission by the 50 billion-dollar-a-year cancer industry.

They just can't stand the idea of using a natural supplement to help anything. It's all about money and control, not your health.

References:http://www.wellnessresources.com/studies/entry/tocotrienols_support_the_cancer_battlehttp://www.wellnessresources.com/studie...

It is one thing to fail to tell cancer patients what natural remedies are indeed helpful for prevention and treatment of cancer.

It is yet another to bad mouth vitamin E based on the use of a form of vitamin E that could not possibly help. In both situations, NCI's connections to the Big Pharma and Big Biotech cancer industry are driving their research at the expense of human health, and media that views its livelihood on perpetuating the sales of Big Pharma has no clue on how to report about nutrition in an accurate way.

Selenium and Cancer Selenium is needed to form glutathione, which is the backbone of life in all cells in your body. Adequate cellular glutathione is required to keep cells healthy, and like vitamin E, is required for immune system competence. Vitamin E and selenium work synergistically to support immunity, antioxidant defense systems, and cancer prevention. No bogus study will ever discredit these simple facts.

The form of selenium used in the SELECT study was l-selenomethionine at a dose of 200 mcg. This form of the nutrient is fine; although the dose of the nutrient may have needed to be three or four times the amount tested.

The study should have had various selenium dosage groups.

But if the form of the nutrient is fine, then why didn't the dose given seem to do anything useful? Researchers at NCI should have the brains to control for drug variables that would obviously influence the outcome of a selenium study - based on known principles of selenium biochemistry. In this case we are talking about a study group of 35,000 men at an age where they are at risk for prostate cancer.

The number one drug that directly interferes with the metabolism of selenium is the widely prescribed statin drugs to lower cholesterol. The researchers should have (and still probably could) divide the selenium-taking men into those taking statins (at various dosages) and those not taking statins (if there even are any in the group). The higher the dose of statin, the greater the suppression of selenium-containing antioxidant enzymes will be.

As cholesterol is synthesized one of the side roads of metabolic activity is to produce the selenium containing enzymes that form glutathione. This is part of a system of economy in human metabolism, essential for survival. An adverse side effect of blocking cholesterol synthesis with statin drugs is that the selenium-containing antioxidant system takes a hit.It is likely that the SELECT study contains a treasure trove of data that they haven't yet mined.

If they were to break down the selenium-taking men according to statin dose then a new picture of the data is likely. Those not on any statins would be likely to have a reduction in prostate cancer. Those taking statins would not have benefit, as the statin drug, especially as the dose gets higher, would block the benefits of selenium. Furthermore, it is far more likely that statins, which damage muscle and nerves as undesirable side effects and thus induce insulin resistance, are the most likely cause of an increase in any potential diabetes risk - not selenium. This flawed study design points out another problem with studies done in America.

The above data analysis is unlikely to take place even though the researchers are aware of the problem of statins interfering with selenium metabolism. Rather, management will order some bizarre and twisted sub-analysis of the data that somehow concludes selenium is a problem. Welcome to Big Pharma science in America, bought and paid for with your tax and health-care dollars.The SELECT study, however well-intentioned it may have been at the beginning, has turned out to be a crock of crud.Additional reading on statin side effects and vitamin E bashing:http://www.wellnessresources.com/content/articles/the_statin_scam_marches_on/For more information on tocotrienols:http://www.wellnessresources.com/tips/articles/tocotrienols_a_multi_dimensional_nutrient_powerhouse/ Link to more health articles by this author:http://www.wellnessresources.com/health...

About the author: Byron J. Richards, Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist, nationally-renowned nutrition expert, and founder of Wellness Resources is a leader in advocating the value of dietary supplements as a vital tool to maintain health. He is an outspoken critic of government and Big Pharma efforts to deny access to natural health products and has written extensively on the life-shortening and health-damaging failures of the sickness industry. www.wellnessresources.com askbyron@wellnessresources.com

H. pylori is NOT the bad guy! Keep it in balance!

Science Daily reports

Some bacteria may help protect against the development of a type of esophageal cancer, known as adenocarcinoma, according to a new review of the medical literature.

These bacteria, which are called Helicobacter pylori, live in the stomachs of humans.

Doctors have been treating ulcers by killing off H pylori....were they wrong???

"as H. pylori, including CagA-positive H. pylori, has become less common, esophageal adenocarcinomas have increased. The study suggests that the declining rates of H. pylori in developed populations may be partly responsible for this increase. Once a rare cancer, esophageal adenocarcinomas now constitute approximately half of all esophageal cancers cases in Western Countries like the U.S. and United Kingdom.
Although H. pylori was first discovered in the early 1980s, Kamangar says humans already had been living with the bacteria for 60,000 years. The bacteria were once present in the stomachs of just about everyone. Despite its potential for causing stomach cancer and ulcers, H. pylori's long history of co-existence with humans suggests it also may have some beneficial effects, including possible roles in reducing diarrheal diseases and asthma, Kamangar said."

Byron Richards of http://www.wellnessresources.com/ says that H. pylori is a normal inhabitant of the digestive tract. It is part of the necessary balance of power. It isn't good to have too much but we don't want to kill it all off so that we have none at all!

Increase Fiber to Decrease Heart Disease

http://www.wellnessresources.com/

by Byron Richards

A study of 1373 men over a 40 year period has found that an additional 10 grams of dietary fiber intake per day reduced coronary heart disease mortality by 17% and death from any cause by 9%.
The pushing of refined grains by the makers of junk food is one of the great crimes that has been allowed by the FDA and perpetrated on several generations. This has resulted in lower fiber intake, along with a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables.

25 grams of fiber is considered to be the minimum for health and most Americans eat half that.
I believe optimal fiber intake may be in the range of 30-40 grams per day. Adequate fiber is a nutrition basic of extreme importance for digestive health, proper bowel function, and the detoxification of many toxic waste products.

Cold Hands and Feet?

Did You Know That Iosol Iodine Could Keep Your Hands and Feet Warm This Winter?

By Byron J. Richards

Ezine Article

Iosol Iodine is a proprietary iodine formulation that has been in widespread use for the past fifty years. I am often asked what the difference is between this iodine supplement and others, and many have asked what the source of the iodine is that is used in Iosol.
Iosol Iodine is in my opinion the premier iodine supplement on the market today. This is because of the superior water solubility of the iodine. This feature makes free iodide readily available for your body to use.

There are two sources of iodine in the Iosol formulation.

1. One is from kelp. Iodine in kelp is naturally in the form of potassium iodide. However, potassium iodine is not very soluble in water and may be difficult for your body to easily use. For example, if you get liquid potassium iodide on your clothes it causes a permanent stain of red. If you get Iosol on your clothes the red will evaporate out in a few minutes or readily come out with washing. In fact, potassium iodide has been shown to congest the thyroid gland when taken in high doses - which is how Hashimoto's thyroiditis was first discovered (Japanese citizens consuming too many sea vegetables). This is why I don't use potassium iodide in any supplement I produce. During the production of Iosol, iodine is extracted from kelp and made into pure iodine crystals. This is an unbound form of iodine, not potassium iodide.


2. The second form of iodine used is ammonium iodide, a form that readily dissolves in water. These two forms of iodine are combined in a proprietary manner in a base of vegetable glycerin.
   Ammonium iodide is a combination of the mineral iodine and ammonium (NH4). This is a synthesized compound, not derived from a food source. It has superior bioavailability as the iodine readily disassociates from the ammonium upon exposure to water, producing a free iodide ion - exactly what your body would like to use in metabolism.
   Some people think that ammonium (NH4) sounds like some sort of toxin, compared to potassium or sodium iodide. This is far from the case. As different from ammonium, ammonia (NH3) is an irritant gas with a pungent odor. Anhydrous ammonia (meaning no water in the ammonia) is the third most synthesized chemical in the U.S., with one-third of it used by the farming industry as fertilizer and animal feed. The ability to fix nitrogen in some type of compound is vital to the growth of plants and crops. Many household cleaning products use ammonia in the form of NH3 plus water.
   Ammonium is a primary source of nitrogen for humans. It is involved in many cellular chemistry reactions necessary for health. As dietary protein is metabolized ammonium is produced. The liver converts any extra ammonium to urea, which is easily cleared through the urea cycle. The amount of ammonium in Iosol can act as a nutrient in normal cell metabolism or it can readily be cleared by the liver. The amount of ammonium in a dose of Iosol is trivial compared to the amount of ammonium produced in routine protein metabolism.
   Ammonium toxicity in humans occurs from excess consumption of protein or from liver disease wherein the urea cycle does not function well.

The bottom line is that Iosol Iodine is a very safe and effective form of iodine to use as a dietary supplement. In my experience over the past twenty years it has routinely produced outstanding results.

What is the dose of Iosol?
The most commonly used dose of Iosol is

• 1 drop of the preparation in a few ounces of water, taken once a day.


• Each drop has 1.8 mg of iodine or 1200% of the government's recommended daily value.


• If you would like to get only 100% of the daily value then take 1 tsp of a mixture of 1 drop of Iosol in 2 ounces of water; however, most people like taking more than this.

Adequate iodine tends to

• keep your head more awake during the day,


• helps support your energy level, and


• helps you warm up (if you are cold).*

Many people take 1-5 drops of Iosol per day, using enough to feel warmer and more energetic. While this can be taken all at once in the morning, some like to split the dose and take some in the afternoon as well.

Some people find that taking iodine every day really helps to support metabolism. Others find that they only need to take it once or twice a week. Regardless of the dose used or frequency of the dose, the goal is to notice energy support. And if you are too cold, another goal is to warm up. Iosol Iodine is one of the best nutrients for natural thyroid support.*
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.

Byron J. Richards, Founder/Director of Wellness Resources, is a Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist and has been a charter professional member of the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists (IAACN) since 1991. He is a nationally-renowned health expert, radio personality, and educator. He is the creator and pioneer of The Leptin Diet and has been a featured expert consultant on Fox News Live, CBS Infinity television, and The Wall Street Journal. Richards has appeared on hundreds of radio programs throughout the country. He is also a staunch defender of health freedom and a national leader in the fight against the FDA's desire to eliminate your natural health options. His book, Fight for Your Health: Exposing the FDA's Betrayal of America is widely regarded as the top book on health freedom today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Byron_J._Richards

Solve Snoring

Solve Snoring, Cut Fat and Increase Exercise
Sunday, October 19, 2008
by Byron Richards, CCN

www.wellnessresources.com

Snoring is a common problem that interferes with the health of the person who snores and the person who is disturbed by their partner snoring.

A new study indicates that those with the worst problems eat the most junk fat, whether they are overweight or not.
It has been known for some time that body weight is directly related to breathing problems during sleep. Weight loss always helps, as does an increase in exercise and reduction of alcohol. Not eating close to bed is especially important.
The new study points out that it is an over-consumption of calories in general, especially junk fat and to some extent protein, that is a primary driving force of the inflammation that locks in night-related breathing difficulties.

This means that individuals who snore should eat a high fiber and low fat dinner, and finish dinner 4-5 hours before bed. The amount of protein at dinner may also be an individual variable, and may or may not need to be on the lower side as well (pay attention). Increasing exercise will help clear stagnant fat out of your circulation, as well as help weight loss.
Eating a good diet and increasing exercise will help even an overweight person not snore. And as weight is lost the results will be much more stable from night to night, eventually getting to a weight wherein the problem is much less likely.
I have found that nutrients such as oregano oil and/or monolaurin, natural immune support for mucosal membranes, can also help especially if there is a pre-existing stuffy situation.

Full Article

Boost Your Immune System & Avoid Colds and Flu

Vitacost sells a product called Host Defense by New Chapter.

It is 100% Vegetarian Organic Mushroom Complex

This is the ultimate immune enhancing mushroom complex according to many happy users and Mike Adams, Health Ranger.

It is worth a try for a season - and the bonus, ladies, according to Natural News "New Chapter's "Host Defense" mushroom extract product, would be called one of the greatest cancer cures in the world if not for FDA censorship of truthful health claims"

Here is info from Vitacost

Host Defense has been shown to increase human Natural Killer (NK) Cell activity by up to 300%.

The immune-enhancing power of this product comes from two sources:

• the unsurpassed quality of the Myco-Medicinals mushrooms, and
• the proprietary combination of species.

Each of the MycoMedicinals species has, on its own, an ability to support human immune functioning, but the combination of these 16 mushroom sources creates synergies, waves of reinforcement that bathe us in immune support.

There is glory in each mushroom, but greater glory in the whole. For maximum benefit take with New Chapter's Gingerforce Supercritical Therapy formulation to increase bioavailability and activity.

Quinoa

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Never heard of Quinoa?

Pronounced Keen-Wah, it's a treasured ancient grain from Bolivia in South America.

Naturally gluten-free, Quinoa is a valuable source of complete protein.

It contains every single amino acid and is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients.

See Walton Feed for 10# can $22.20

Delicious Big Bowl - Quinoa Recipe from 101 Cookbooks.com

2 cups white quinoa, rinsed well

4 scant cups water

1 teaspoon salt

a few splashes of extra virgin olive oil

3 - 4 medium/large potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 large yellow onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 cup toasted nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, etc)

1-2 cups lightly cooked asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments

another splash or two of good olive oil or citrus dressing

Bring the quinoa, water and salt to a boil in a large thick-bottomed pot.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa opens up revealing a little spiral and is soft and pleasant to chew. If there is any remaining liquid at this point, drain it off and set the quinoa aside.
Warm a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the potatoes and a couple pinches of salt. Toss to coat the potatoes and cover for a few minutes to allow the insides of the potatoes to sweat and cook. Uncover, toss again, then cook a few minutes longer (uncovered) until the potatoes start to get some color. Continue tossing every few minutes to get more color and crispness. When they are cooked through and pleasantly crunchy, season to taste with salt and scoop out onto a plate. Set aside.

In the same skillet (no need to clean) warm another splash of oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until they soften up a bit.

Toss the quinoa with a splash of olive oil (I had leftover citrus parmesan dressing, so I used that).

Serve each bowl of quinoa topped with potatoes, onions, nuts and asparagus. Alternately, you can toss everything together in one big bowl and serve it up family-style.

Natural Remedies to Help Hashimotos Thyroiditis

From Suzy Cohen, 24 Hour Pharmacist:

A: Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disorder where your own body sees your thyroid gland as the enemy and launches an all-out attack. This creates inflammation and destruction of the thyroid gland. It causes an increase in “antithyroid peroxidase,” abbreviated as TPO.

This should be measured by your doctor in routine lab tests.

Some people have no symptoms while others suffer with disabling fatigue, depression, weight gain, dry skin and hair, muscle cramps, constipation and memory loss.

Some people develop a goiter which looks like a hump just below your Adam’s apple.

Physicians prescribe thyroid medication in order to raise levels of thyroid hormone: Levoxyl, levothyroxine, Synthroid, Cytomel and Armour Thyroid.

The medications don’t suppress the autoimmune attack in your body, but they do increase levels of thyroid hormone quickly.

For now, here are a few natural options.

• Selenium: This mineral can lower those TPO antibodies I mentioned earlier. This is awesome because high TPO spells misery. Try “L-selenomethionine” 200 mcg every day (or 100 mcg twice daily) for 6 months.


• Tyrosine: Your body uses tyrosine (and iodine) to make thyroid hormone. It’s a standard recipe. Take about 500mg one to four times daily. Careful: Excessive tyrosine can speed the heart.


• Avena sativa - From the wild oat plant, an effective tonic for improving thyroid function as well as other health benefits.


• Iodine: You can take iodine supplements such as Iodoral or you can use a seaweed that is rich in trace minerals, especially iodine. It’s called Bladderwrack, which is short for Fucus vesiculosus. Use short-term.


• Ashwagandha: Also known as Indian ginseng, this herb stimulates thyroid activity; it’s sold widely at health food stores. Make sure your brand is “standardized.”


• Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica): An Ayurvedic herb that is actually food for elephants. It goes by a few other names including Asiatic Pennywort and Luei Gong Gen. It contains chemicals which improve collagen formation in bones, cartilage and connective tissue. It also helps with circulation and the general health of blood vessels. Research suggests a beneficial effect for memory and concentration as well as healthy thyroid function.


• MycoPhyto: This is a blend of mushrooms that calms your body down. It tells your immune system to “Stop! Get a hold of yourself!” I love medicinal mushrooms because they are smart, they know how to balance your immune system and calm the overactive cells that spark all the trouble. This product can be used for any type of immune system disorder. This brand is sold online at various Internet sources.


• Coleus forskohlii: This is an herb from the mint family. Disregard the funny name, it’s powerful. It boosts energy, improves allergies, asthma and psoriasis, boosts thyroid levels and can help with glaucoma.


• Avoid soy since it lowers thyroid hormone. So does eating a lot of broccoli, Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables.
  

About Suzy

The Best Skin Moisturizer

From NaturalNews:

Nature provides everything that we need. Most people now recognize that there is absolutely nothing that man can do to our food without ruining it. The best food on the planet is that which has grown naturally for thousands of years.The very same goes for what we put onto our skin.

Coconut oil is perhaps nature's most perfect moisturizer, and has been used since the beginning of time for its beautifying properties. Women in countries where coconuts grow have been lavishing their skin with coconut butter to both smooth and protect.

Naturally ProtectiveMost skin creams on the market actually do more harm than good because they are full of chemicals that may make your skin look nice in the short term, but will cause damage long term.

Coconut oil is nature's finest moisturizer, full of goodness that will truly nourish and make your skin beautiful long term.

• Coconut oil is packed with natural antioxidants and is especially useful in fighting free-radicals, as it is unrefined and hasn't been stripped of any of its natural components through the refining process. These protect the skin from the environment and other toxins that cause damage and aging.
• It is the ultimate anti-wrinkle cream.
• Coconut oil balances our PH naturally. In fact, coconut oil has the same PH as our natural skin oils.

Highly Absorbent for Smooth, Protected Skin

• Another thing I love about coconut oil is the fact that although it is rich and creamy, it gets absorbed by the skin very quickly, so my skin doesn't feel greasy for very long, as it does with many other natural and organic skin creams and potions.

This is because the small molecular structure of coconut oil allows for easy absorption through the skin, giving it a soft, smooth texture. Coconut oil penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin and strengthens the underlying tissues.Another benefit of coconut oil's small structure is that it is absorbed into the skin and into the cell structure of the connective tissues, limiting the damage excessive sun exposure can cause.

Coconut oil is actually considered a natural sun screen! Since more and more studies are showing that sunscreen is highly toxic, we need to move forward in looking for new ways to protect our skin!

Coconut oil not oil smooths and protects, it also repairs the skin. It aids in removing the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother.

The skin becomes more evenly textured with a healthy glow.

How To Save Tomato Seeds

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From GardenWeb

It's nice to be able to save your own tomato seeds!
You may have brought home a particularly delicious tomato from the supermarket, or gotten an heirloom tomato from a Farmer's Market, or grown one in your own garden that is so wonderful you want to save the seeds from it and grow them next year. Nothing ever tastes quite as good as a home-grown tomato!

So, how do you save the seeds? The method is easy to do....it's a little gloppy, and it's a little funky, but you'll be able to save seeds in a manner that will lesson the occurence of tomato disease while giving you plenty of seeds to germinate, and with left-overs to share or trade. This seed saving process is a process of fermentation.

• Select to save seeds from a tomato that has a flavor that you love....if you're a home gardener and saving seeds from tomatoes that are growing in your garden choose tomatoes from the very healthiest looking plants.
• Take your chosen tomato and slice it in half across the middle (it's "equator").
• With a spoon or your well-washed fingers scoop out the seeds and their gelatinous "goo" into a clean cup or container.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the seeds.
• Cover the container with a piece of plastic-wrap and then poke the plastic-wrap with a paring knife or pen point to put a small hole in it...this is to allow for air-transpiration. (A little fresh air needs to get in and out of the cup to help foster fermentation.)
• Place the container of seeds in a warm location; a sunny windowsill or the top of the refrigerator are both excellent sites to place the container of seeds.
• Now Mother Nature will take over and begin to ferment the seed and water mixture. This takes about two or three days.
• Each night remove the plastic-wrap, stir the seed and water mixture, and then replace the plastic-wrap, if you use a new sheet of plastic-wrap then don't forget to put a small hole in it for air-transpiration.

The top of the liquid will look "scummy" when the fermentation process has seperated the "goo" from the seeds. It also helps destroy many of the possible tomato diseases that can be harbored by seeds.

• Take the container of fermented seeds to the sink and with a spoon carefully remove the scummy surface.
• Then pour the container's contents into a fine kitchen sieve and rinse the seeds with water several times...stir them while they're in the sieve to assure that all surfaces are thoroughly rinsed.
• Give a few sharp taps to the sieve to help remove as much loose water as possible from the seeds.
• Line an open plate with a piece of waxed paper or a large automatic-drip coffee filter.
• Place the rinsed seeds onto the wax paper or coffee filter and spread them about so they are in a single layer.
• Place the plate in a safe location where the seeds can dry for a few days. Stir the seeds a few times during the drying process to assure that all their surfaces are evenly dry.
• Spread them out again into a single layer after each time you've stirred them. Tomato seeds are thick and can take up to a week to dry thoroughly. If you're having a rainy week that drying time may lengthen by a few days.

How do I know when the seeds are dry? Dried seeds move quickly and easily across a plate, they do not stick to each other.
How do I store them?
I like paper packets or some folks like plastic. Whichever envelope style you choose is a matter of personal preferance. If you choose to store your seeds in plastic the seeds must be BONE DRY....otherwise any moisture in the seeds will be transferred to all seeds inside the plastic packet, it will foster mildew and rotting and the seeds will be ruined.
How do I label them?
Tomatoes are generally self-pollinated so there is rarely a chance of cross-breeding. If you save and trade your seeds you might wish to describe your trade offering as "open-pollinated" tomato seeds. That way the trader knows that Mother Nature was solely involved in the fertilization of the flower which produced the tomato that you have saved seeds from.
Onto the packet write the tomato variety name (if you know it) or a very good description if you don't, add the term "open-pollinated" if you're sharing or trading your tomato seeds, and also add the current year to the packet description.

And that's that! Do enjoy saving tomato seeds and growing your own tomatoes at home from them. Home-saved tomato seeds are a wonderful gift to tuck into a holiday card for when you want to add a "little something extra", or to share with friends and neighbors.
Trudi Davidoff

WARNING: Air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, mothballs and other deodorizing products Harmful to the lungs.

Read full article in Science Daily

Chemical In Many Air Fresheners May Reduce Lung Function
ScienceDaily (July 27, 2006) —

New research shows that a chemical compound found in many air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, mothballs and other deodorizing products, may be harmful to the lungs. Human population studies at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, found that exposure to a volatile organic compound (VOC), called 1,4 dichlorobenzene (1,4 DCB) may cause modest reductions in lung function.

"The best way to protect yourself, especially children who may have asthma or other respiratory illnesses, is to reduce the use of products and materials that contain these compounds."

*******************************************************************************

A Common Household Chemical That Can Cause Lung Damage by Dr. Ben Kim

Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences report that exposure to a chemical found in mothballs, air fresheners, and toilet deodorizers can cause lung damage and possibly even lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

The chemical in question is called 1,4-dichlorobenzene or 1,4-DCB.

If you know what mothballs smell like, you know exactly what 1,4-DCB smells like.

Researchers found that people with the highest blood levels of 1,4-DCB performed 4 percent worse on lung function tests than people with the lowest blood levels of 1,4-DCB.
Four percent may not seem significant, but this "modest reduction" in lung function can translate to serious health complications for people who already have lung challenges, like asthma, or for the young and elderly, who may not have strong immune systems.

How To Minimize Your Exposure to 1,4-Dichlorobenzene

• If you use mothballs to repel insects, replace the mothballs with cedar blocks. If you don't know where to find cedar blocks, type "cedar blocks" into your favourite search engine and you will find several sources. Sand your cedar blocks with fine sandpaper about once a year to keep them aromatic and effective at repelling insects.


• Don't use diaper pail deodorants, which commonly give off a steady dose of 1,4-DCB. If you choose to use diaper pail deodorants, be sure to at least keep them outside of your baby's room so that your baby is not exposed to fumes while he or she sleeps.


• Avoid conventional room deodorizers, especially if they give off a mothball-like scent.


• The best way to keep your home or work environment smelling fresh is to clean on a regular basis with non-toxic cleaners. Vinegar diluted with water is excellent as a multi-purpose cleaner.


• Don't use urinal and toilet bowl blocks/deodorizers that smell like mothballs.


• Strive to breathe as little as possible in public restrooms that smell strongly of mothballs. Just don't pass out!

Low to moderate-level exposure to products that contain 1,4-DCB can cause lung damage. Over time, steady exposure to large amounts of 1,4-DCB can cause a variety of health challenges such as headaches, dizziness, eye irritation, liver damage, and kidney damage.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has stated that 1,4-DCB "may be reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen."
The state of California has gone further in stating that 1,4-DCB is a human carcinogen.
Regardless of how products that smell like mothballs are classified now and in the future, it certainly won't hurt your health to be mindful of the five points listed above on how to minimize your exposure to 1,4-Dichlorobenzene.

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