formaldehyde Archives | Natural Health with Merrilyn Hope

Allergy To Printing Ink And Bleached Paper Causes Candida

Toxic Chemicals

I been aware of the toxic nature of printing inks and paper for many years. The chemicals used in the paper and printing industries, such as chlorine bleach, formaldehyde, and goodness knows what else, can upset the intestinal flora, which can result in candida outbreaks.

Migraine headaches, poor memory, high or low blood pressure, nausea, nervous twitches and other allergic symptoms can result in sensitive people who become over-exposed to these chemicals. In time, if exposure to these chemicals continues, then I believe that serious diseases such as multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s. cancer, and arthritis could arise, especially with the synergistic effect of RoundUp weedkiller or other toxic pesticides which people commonly use.

Interesting to note that just last Saturday, I heard the news on radio which told us of the discovery that some antibiotics are made redundant by weedkillers such as RoundUp.

Well, this is no surprise: I do not talk about using antibiotics much, as I am a proponent of the homeopathic/holistic approach. But I have found weedkillers and pesticides such as snail bait to cause severe candidiasis when my neighbours have used these chemicals. If they so readily kill bacteria in the bowel, then they will also be capable of destroying antibiotic medicines.

Studying at university was made especially difficult for me, because of my sensitivity to photocopied material. Handling photocopies, or handling newsprint on a daily basis caused me migraine headaches, nausea, made my nerves shake, and affected my memory.

Handling cardboard boxes also causes these problems: on the occasions I have been moving house, which has required the handling of a good many boxes over a good many days, I have become sick with the same old allergies.

The allergy to printing inks and bleached papers became even more acute during the time that New Zealand’s MAF was regularly aerially spraying toxic chemicals over much of Auckland, ostensibly to rid us of the ‘apple moth’, around 2003 to 2005. This spraying of our environment made many people very ill. Eventually, Victoria |University in Wellington proved that the apple moth poison was most definitely adversely affecting the health of Aucklanders, and so the programme was stopped.

I have found that printing inks and bleached paper if you are exposed to enough of them, are about as damaging to the immune system as herbicides such as RoundUp, and many toxic pesticides. They all have the effect of killing off the good bacteria in the digestive system, which causes inadequate digestion and allergies or sensitivities to various foods.

It is a fortunate thing, though, that one can avoid over-exposure to printing ink/paper toxins, and it surely is unfortunate that we often have no choice in the matter regarding our exposure to toxic herbicides and pesticides: we have to suffer the latter because there is no law which prevents people from poisoning our environment.

But even without harmful chemicals such as ‘RoundUp’, or apple moth spray, printing ink chemicals, and bleached paper still make me sick if exposure to them goes on for long.

Very recently, I was offered a great deal to have the local newspaper delivered, and so |I decided to try it. I thought that if I was very careful, and kept the newspapers out of the house, then I might be able to enjoy reading the paper each day.

After around two weeks, all the old allergic reactions appeared. After three weeks or so of continuing to receive the papers, I felt I might have a stroke. Now I have stopped handling and reading the papers until the alllergy symptoms subside.

Natural Remedies to Counteract Allergic Reaction: Homeopathic Arnica/Symphytum is working well to reduce blood pressure and relieve the headache. Thuja on occasion is also good. Rhus Tox did not work so well, but instead, exacerbated the symptoms of poisoning. Arnica/Symphytum has a very cooling, calming effect, is great for shocks to the system, and so I am sticking to that for the next few days.

Note: The Arnica was followed by Urtica Urens once it became apparent that I had developed a urinary infection. Chlorine bleach and formaldehyde, found in printing inks and newspaper, alter the pH level. This results in an over-alkaline body which can breed urinary or bladder infections. I remember this was a problem whilst studying at uni and handling so many photocopies. Photocopy toxins, plus MAF’s apple-moth killing toxic chemicals being sprayed every few weeks over Auckland , resulted in almost continual urinary tract infections.

Three consecutive doses of 2000mg of non-acidic Vitamin C in the one day, plus around 5 doses of Homeopathic Urtica Urens 30C, served to rapidly fix the kidney and bladder infection.

I wondered about my neighbour, who had a mild stroke only a week ago: He h as a weak heart and is prone to strokes, but he also gets his paper delivered.

Blood pressure was affected, causing the body to overheat, with extreme migraine headache and bloodshot eyes. The smell of the newsprint seems to have permeated the house, even though the discarded papers are kept outside the back door.

I have stopped the delivery for the weekdays, but have decided to try getting just the weekend papers. My aim this time is to wear protective gloves so that I do not absorb any chemicals from the paper through the skin on the hands.

I figure if I want to avoid a stroke and memory loss, both of which are healthy concerns to keep with my advancing age, then I it will pay to be extra cautious about the handling of such things as newsprint or photocopied material of any kind: This is one area of my environment which I do have some control over.

Temporary Allergy To Drying Sage Leaves

Sudden extreme sensitivity to newspaper print caused a sudden allergy to the sage leaves which I picked only yesterday. They have had to go back out into the garden, along with the newspapers which are awaiting the paper collection on Friday.

Sage is usually OK for me to keep in the house in small quantities. I had picked several cupsful this time, to dry before the winter. The effect of having these leaves outside the door in the sun was simply intolerable today, after becoming sensitized to the newsprint.

This evening, I have discarded all the sage into the furthermost point of the garden. Sage is obviously a borderline item for me, which I am probably best to leave alone, except for picking a leaf or two of fresh sage occasionally, straight from the garden.

Herbs like sage, in quantities far beyond that needed for flavouring one dish, can have a very disturbing effect on the nervous system.

I do not think that I will be dying my graying hair black with sage afterall.

Conclusion: Herbs in concentration need to be avoided by sensitive people.

Natural Remedies

Culpeper says of Sage that it ’causes the hair to become black’.

Garden sage has many therapeutic uses.

In the garden, its flowers provide medicine and nectar for the bees, as well as a herbal tonic to the neighbouring plants.

It is well-known as an aid to oral hygiene. It has strong antiseptic qualities and is supposed to whiten tooth enamel.

Sage is still used today in some tooth-pastes. It is reputedly one effective remedy for bleeding gums, and improving gum health: The crushed fresh leaves are massaged several times a day onto the gums and teeth.

The tea is gargled to relieve sore throats, colds and flu, and ulcers in the mouth.

It can be effective to reduce fevers, and has been used in the past for thyphoid fever. (see ‘Herbal Remedies and Homeopathy’ published by Geddes and Grosset.)

It is a valuable nerve medicine, and is a useful stomach remedy for improving a weak appetite.

Natural Herbal Hair Dye and Tonic: Sage can help restore healthy hair and improve the colour.

Strong sage tea encourages hair growth and darkens the hair, if it is used on a regular basis. Many herbalists describe it in their writings: see John Heinerman’s ‘Encyclopedia of Fruits Vegetables and Herbs’.

Rosemary is another wonderful herb which can help hair growth, but it does not have such a darkening effect on the hair, as sage does.

Recipe For Sage Hair Dye: Here is a simple, natural hair dye and tonic which you can try. It is perfectly safe to use, as it does not contain any harmful additives such as you might find in commercial dyes for darkening the hair.

Take two cups of fresh sage leaves and put into a stainless steel saucepan.

Add one cup of dry black tea leaves

Add half a cup of cider vinegar and eight cups of water.

Simmer very gently, with no lid, for one hour on a very low heat. You should have around half the original quantity of liquid left at the end of an hour. If you need to add a little more water, make sure you do so well before you finish simmering the brew. If you add more water at the end of the simmering, then your mixture will not keep so well.

Take off the heat after an hour of simmering. Set aside to cool.

Once your sage mixture has cooled properly, strain it off.

To the liquid remaining add the same amount of vodka.

Put into a bottle with a screw-top lid and store in a cool place.

Massage around a tablespoonful of the sage infusion into the hair each day. Use more or less, depending on how much hair you need to cover.

Massage the sage tonic well into the roots of the hair as well, so that it feeds the scalp and hair follicles. Massaging the scalp with the sage tonic will help the hair to grow again.

The oils in the sage leaves will put a natural shine to the hair.

Once the hair is sufficiently darkened, which may take several weeks, you can reduce the amount of applications each week. Once or twice a week may be enough to maintain the darker colour.

Sage is really very good for the hair in so many ways.

Alternative Sage Tonic Without Alcohol: You could make up your sage tea without the alcohol if you wish. Only, remember that your mixture will not keep for longer than a week, and it must be kept in the fridge. You could make up a lesser amount, enough to last a week, and then make up a fresh brew of tea for the following week.

My new book is available on Amazon:

Household Chemical Reactions

Toxic Chemicals in the Home:

There are many household chemicals which are very poisonous. Household chemical reactions are not uncommon, as there are not only many invisible toxic chemicals in the environment, but those to be found in many products you have around the house, from cleaning products to that face cream you smear on your face daily.

There are many household chemicals which could cause reactions: 884 different toxic chemicals have been found in personal care products alone.

Here are some of the most common household chemicals which you would be best to avoid using, whether they be found in cleaners or make-up, or products designed for your baby:

PROPYLENE GLYCOL:

Even if you avoid using products which contain harmful chemicals, it is difficult to avoid contaminating your environment with this chemical, as we shall see. This insidious chemical is found in many products which we use every day in the bathroom or the kitchen. Propylene glycol is used in many toothpastes, face creams, shampoos, conditioners, ice cream, and BABY PRODUCTS.

Propylene glycol is commonly known as industrial anti-freeze. It is one of the most corrosive chemicals known. It is to be found in the mechanic’s workshop, and sometimes in the garages of the home handy-man, as it is used in brake fluid, degreasers and anti-freeze products .

Petrol stations are the worst place for picking this chemical up, as it gets spilt about when people top up their brake fluid, or use anti-freeze. Propylene glycol is carried about from place to place very easily, as the greasy quality of anti-freeze and brake fluid makes it easily transferrable. You get a coating of it on the soles of your shoes as you fill up your car with petrol, and walk over to the check-out to pay your bill. The coating on your shoes then gets transferred to your car floor, and then to floor of the house when you return home.

This is one very good reason for removing your shoes at the door, before you enter your house, or that of anyone elses.

In a chemical analysis which I read about, it was found that propylene glycol was the most common chemical to be found on the floor of well-trodden public places, such as pubs, or railway stations. It was commonly found in the carpets of most households. You can see how easily propylene glycol can get onto your skin, or onto your food, simply because there is a film of it on the floor of your house which has been tramped in from the street.

Propyelene glycol, or ‘anti-freeze’ is known as a humectant, which means that it is capable of attracting water. This is the reason it is used in cosmetics, because it keeps your skin moisturized. This is why it is used in baby products, as it works to ‘protect’ your baby’s skin from nappy rash.

So- there is a danger to health if you regularly apply face creams to your skin, or use nappy-rash creams or moisturisers on your baby: you will absorb small amounts of propylene glycol through the pores of the skin. The stuff then finds places to store itself in the body, most commonly in the liver.

Propylene glycol, or anti-freeze has very bad side effects. In my view, this chemical is possibly more to blame than plastics are, for the many conditions of ill health which afflict so many people today.

Propylene glycol is an extremely corrosive substance, it eats away at your nervous system, and weakens the walls of the veins, capilliaries and arteries. Breathing the fumes from brake fluid is just about as damaging to your throat and lungs as is smoking. It is extremely irritating to the eyes. It will increase blood pressure and cause heart palpitations. This is because the body sets off alarm bells in order to try and shunt the blood around more quickly in order to rid it of the toxins eroding its pathways. This increases the liklihood of stroke and heart disease.

It has an immediate effect on the pituitary gland, which controls the hormonal production of the various centers in the body’s glandular system. The result of exposure to propylene glycol – a disfunction of the pituitary gland, could be the reason so many people have a problem with obesity and depression today.

Remember that whilst the application of a nappy-rash cream will protect against nappyrash, your baby will be absorbing propylene glycol directly into its body through the pores of the skin. This could cause problems such as anxiety, or excessive crying. Propylene glycol upsets the digestion and ruins the beneficial bacteria in the bowel. This, alone, can cause a crying baby. This toxin also causes, from my own experience, breathing problems, asthma-like symptoms, sinus trouble, ear ache and poor memory. If you are not the sensitive type which suffers these reactions, toxic chemicals in your body are still a potential hazard to your health, as they will lie dormant, building up over time only to take the body by storm later in life: serious immune deficiency diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s disease, or cancer could be the outcome.

Some warnings on the use of Propylene glycol state that ‘prolonged and repeated contact with the skin may cause irritation, skin rash, and dermatitis’, however, these are the least of the health concerns regarding propylene glycol, or brake fluid. It is extremely damaging to the immune system and to the nervous system.

A relative of mine who worked as a mechanic for years, changing brake fluid for people as part of his job, became very ill with ‘M.E.’ and acute depression. His immune system shut down completely, and it took several years before he was well enough to work again. His health practitioner blamed it on the brake fluid, the propylene glycol.

Of course, the amounts he was getting splashed onto his skin and onto his clothes was far more than what your baby will absorb through use of a nappy-rash cream. However, this chemical IS absorbed through the skin, and if you use the cream on a daily basis, then your baby’s health will be affected, in the long run. You just cannot tell what a ‘safe’ dose will be. It could cause early cancer in the child’s life, or the child may be prone to arthritis, or multiple sclerosis later in life, if he/she is continually exposed to this, and other, chemicals during its childhood.

It is important to avoid this chemical: avoid those commercial products which contain it, and take measures to avoid the contamination of your home and environment by removing shoes at the door. Be careful to wash the hands well after going downtown for petrol, or even shopping.

FORMALDEHYDE

This is another chemical to watch out for. It is probable that you will have reactions to this household chemical, not realizing where the root of the problem may lie: It is found in many products commonly used about the house. Many cosmetic products: nail varnish, lipsticks, face creams and conditioners, have formaldehyde added, because it is a very convenient and cheap preservative. It is found in many house paints and varnishes. It is found in many cleaning products, including some soap powders. It is found in some commercial dyes, such as leather-tanning dye, and clothing dyes.

Formaldehyde, like the propylene glycol in brake fluid and other products, is easily absorbed through the pores of the skin.

Formaldehyde is a carcenogen. However, the immediate effect one notices after exposure to this chemical is loss of memory, disorientation and confusion.

I have personal experience with the effects of formaldehyde poiisoning: This chemical was fairly new to the medical profession when I was a girl. It was regarded as the latest wonderful invention, as it immediately sterilized medical equipment upon contact. In the 1950’s, when I had my appendix removed after peritonitis, a jar of formaldehyde was kept beside the bed to sterilize the thermometer. The thermometer sat in this fluid day by day, until the nurse came around to take temperatures, at which point the thermometer was simply flicked a few times, then put straight into your mouth. I noticed some alarming and frightening reactions after each thermometer reading: it was obvious the stuff in the jar, which had the most distinctive and sickening smell, was causing a general blanking out of the brain, then memory loss , disorientation and confusion once my brain ‘came to’ again.

I consider myself lucky: many nurses who used formaldehyde regularly in the 1950’s suffered such extreme memory loss that they had to give up nursing.

If you use products which contain formaldehyde on a daily basis, you might not associate your poor memory, or lack of motivation, with the source, because the poisoning will occur gradually, over a period of time. But there is no doubt about it – formaldehyde directly affects the brain and its memory function. It also causes cancer.

Being a painter of buildings, or boats, is probably the most hazardous of occupations where formldehyde is concerned. But glamorous women who use nail polish all the time are also at great risk of getting cancer, or suffering memory loss in the interim. Formaldehyde is absorbed through the nail tissue on your fingers and toes. This has been proven by doctors who analysed Jacqui Davison’s cancer in the 1980’s: the source of the cancer had come from the big toe, and the big toes were the only toes which she kept continually painted with nail varnish.

PROTECT THE HEALTH OF YOUR CHILDREN:

The American Red Cross did a study in 2008, at the request of the Environmental Working Group. The blood from the umbilical cord of newborn babies was analysed. These are the facts from a leaflet entitled ‘The Scandal of this Generation’ which was recently given to me by a promoter of ‘New-ways’ products:

287 compounds were found which had MILTIPLE toxic effects:

134 were found to cause cancer

151 were found which are known to cause birth defects

154 were found to disrupt hormone production

186 caused infertility

130 were known to affect the immune system

158 were known to be neurotoxins

Even if you do not perceive an immediate reaction from using products with these harmful chemicals in them, it is advisable to avoid them if you want to protect your health and the health of your children in the long term. Below is a list of some of the most common toxic ingredients used in household products and cosmetics:

Di-ethanol-amine, used as a foaming agent, reacts with nitrates in babies’ drinking bottles. The chemical forms the compound NDEA – nitrosodiethanolamine, which has long been recognized as a cancer causing agent. Apparently, in 1980 the FDA announced that about 42% of all cosmetic products were contaminated with this compound. Germany banned the use Di-ethanol-amine, which forms DEA/NDEA. Dr Samuel S. Epstein M.D. who wrote the books ‘The Politics of Cancer’ and ‘Unreasonable Risk’ discusses this ingredient.

Dioxin, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, PEG-12 (polyethylene glycol-12), Sodium Monofluorophosphate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, and Sodium Saccharin are other very dangerous chemicals widely used in personal care products, and other household products.

Dentures

Keep Your Own Teeth If You Can: Dentures should be fitted only when your old teeth are causing you health problems which cannot be remedied by dental specialists or doctors. It is far better to keep your own teeth for as long as possible, and here are the reasons why:

COSMETIC: The roots of your natural teeth are embedded well down into the gums of the jaw. When your teeth are removed, the natural shape of the mouth is undermined, as this causes the gum line to become eroded; imagine it being more or less mined, by the digging out of the natural teeth. The denture gives you teeth replacements, but it cannot possibly repair or fill out the damage done to the natural shape of the mouth and jaw once your teeth have been removed. Your appearance is changed forever once you have your teeth out; that is, unless you can afford expensive dental implants and jaw reconstruction. Even keeping old roots in the gums helps prevent your face changing shape and it developing that sunken look which is characteristic of one who has dentures.. Unless the roots of broken teeth are causing you health problems, then it is really better to leave them there.

CHEWING with your own teeth is far more effective than chewing with dentures – assuming you have enough of your own teeth left to do the job. Dentures, if they are made by an artful dental technician, can work surprisingly well, but never as well as your own teeth, because the bottom plate is not fixed to your jaw and does not have anything to hold it there. Consequently, it can move around, even as you are eating, or worse, while you are simply talking to people, which proves to be very embarrassing. It is possible to get tooth implants on either side of the lower jaw, for the purpose of holding down the plate. But if you think about it, instead of dental implants, then it might be best to keep a few of the original back teeth in the first place, so that these could be used for anchoring the plate. No one advised me about these things when I got my teeth removed. These notes are all from personal experience !!!

ALLERGY to modern denture-making materials is the worst aspect of having dentures in my experience.

DENTURES WITHHOLDING TOXINS is another issue.

These two things are inter-related: I find that the very best materials have a life of only about three years. After about three years of wearing a new plate I begin to notice that my memory has become very bad. It continues to worsen over the next year or so, but by then I am beginning to feel quite ill for a lot of the time. My immune function becomes weaker, I suffer candida throughout the whole digestive system beginning with the mouth, my eyesight becomes poor, my nervous system is shot, and my skin begins to suffer from eczema. I feel very depressed. Then I usually cotton on to the fact that it is the plastic in the denture which is breaking down and making me feel so bad, as I can taste the plastic, like apoxy resin, or formaldehyde, in my mouth all the time. Then I remember that this is EXACTLY what happened three or four years ago before I got the new dentures – and, YES -the time has passed very quickly, as I have had these teeth for all of three or four years, the same life which the previous teeth had.Then I do an experiment whereby I leave the teeth out for a few days. Like magic, my memory begins to perform quite a lot better, and I stop feeling sick. Putting the teeth back in brings back all the old symptoms, and by now it is quite obvious that the teeth are the cause of all the problems, as I have begun to feel normal, both mentally and physically, without the teeth. After doing without the teeth, I cannot stand their effect any longer, and I have to simply go without the teeth until the new ones are made up for me.

My wonderful dental technician is fairly sure that if I had the old teeth relined after two years or so, then this problem would not occur. He is convinced that the reason my health declines so badly is because of bacteria which get into the plastic once it begins to pit after a few years. However, knowing about my sensitivity to formaldehyde and plastics, etc, I am not convinced, and so I have gotten brand new teeth made each time, just to make sure.

I have found a new dental technician who has made just the greatest teeth for me using porcelain teeth to minimize the effect of having too much plastic in my mouth. But years before meeting my new dental technician, I went to a man who made up new teeth very cheaply: the plastic in these dentures caused panic attacks and all kinds of ill health immediately from the moment I began wearing them. The actual teeth of these dentures was plastic as well as the plate. They tasted of plastic all the time. Now, after having experienced ill-health with several different dentures over a period of about twenty years, I know that the plastic in those dentures was the cause of a sudden decline in health, especially mentally, which occurred once I began wearing that set of new dentures.

I think that the old kind of plastic which was used in denture making in war time was harder and more durable than modern denture-making materials. My father still has the same set he was issued with in 1942. He has a fantastic memory. This type of plastic doesn’t break down as quickly as what the softer modern materials used by dental technicians today do: they use these softer materials because they are easier to work with, and they probably get a better fit with the newer materials; but I think the bad effect of these plastics and acrylics on people’s health has yet to be determined. A condition similar to alzheimer’s affects me after several years of wearing a product made with these new plastics/acrylics. One plastic, as already mentioned, caused memory loss and anxiety right from the moment I began wearing it. I wonder how many people suffering alzheimer’s might have dentures made with modern plastics/acrylics?- Of course, it won’t be the sole contributing factor in the occurrence of this disease , but I think that research in this area definitely needs to be done.

VITAMIN C has a damaging effect on dentures. Megadoses of Vitamin C, whilst being good for the purpose of detoxifying the body, actually cause the plastic of your denture to erode and break down more quickly than otherwise, and this will mean that you are unknowingly ingesting particles of plastic along with the Vitamin C. If you need to take Vitamin C, then it is best to take it with the dentures removed, or to swallow a tablet quickly with a glass of water rather than let it sit in the mouth where it will interact with the plastic of your teeth. Many other strong vitamins, minerals and herbal products cause this effect to denture plastic; or they are retained in the denture plastic for a period after dosage.

DENTURE CLEANER is another thing which can cause health problems. Even after having brand new dentures fitted this time I began to feel dizzy and unwell after a few days: I had been recommended a denture cleaner, and thought that regular use of this product might keep the bacteria at bay and therefore give more life to the teeth. But, again, these modern plastics/acrylics have the ability to attract and hold poisons, including the chemicals in denture cleaner. Once I realized where the source of the problem lay, more or less after I recognized the taste of the cleaner remaining on the teeth even after using copious amounts of water to flush the teeth, I stopped using the product: but it took about a month before the dentures were clear of these chemicals.

I found that ordinary baking soda toothpaste made for people with their own teeth worked well: there is nothing harmful in the baking soda toothpaste, which I used, for the denture plastic to absorb. I decided, against professional advice and marketing ploys on telly, which tell you that this type of toothpaste scratches your dentures, making pits where germs can breed, that I would just have to risk using normal baking soda toothpaste and “the pits” rather than use a specific denture-cleaning product whose chemicals were obviously poisoning me.

The effects of CHEMICAL POISONING FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES is made worse, again, because modern, soft denture plastic/acrylic materials draw chemicals into their fabric, which intensifies the effect of the poison. Using any strong cleaning chemicals, or even walking near areas where herbicides have been sprayed on grass verges affects the person who is wearing modern dentures more so than someone who has their own teeth, because the poisons are absorbed very quickly into the fabric of the acrylic/plastic fiber. My experiment with the denture cleaner on brand new teeth has proved the point, at least to myself. However, this experiment confirms what I sensed to be true on another, earlier, occasion:

MAF, in Auckland, New Zealand, carried out a huge aerial spraying programme over Auckland city several years ago. This was, ostensibly, to get rid of the ‘apple moth’ which we were told, via ads in our letter boxes and newspapers, was a risk to the pine trees which are grown here en mass by multi-million dollar overseas companies. (and therein lies another story – much of the profit goes overseas, for a start, but growing pine trees en mass is bad for our precious soil: the practice causes mass erosion, and it affects the rainfall in an area, since pine trees repel water; so planting them in other countries and locations where they do not belong, where there is a rainfall considerably higher than where they come from thus has an effect on climate, generally) Just how MAF and our government expected to rid the place of a moth by spraying a whole city is beyond me – many of us feel that there was some ulterior motive behind this weird spraying programme.

Back to the story: every time the aerial spraying was done, many people reported detrimental effects to their health. These reports were generally referred back to the special MAF doctors and advisers, which was useless, as they had every-which-way reason to tell you that the spray wasn’t making you sick at all. You were ‘screened’ – had you ever had a problem with alcohol? – any mental illness in the family? – do you suffer from depression? -do you have allergies? – the implication was that these factors were the reason you were ill again, nothing to do with the apple moth aerial spraying. And it was no use writing letters to our one and only newspaper in Auckland: they were running the huge, expensive, full page ads for MAF which portrayed the spraying programme as being helpful to us and the community at large: they refused point blank to publish anything which argued that the spray was detrimental to our health. A few weeks, earlier in the programme, the newspaper published a few letters, then suddenly said that the matter was ended and no more letters would be published. So it was difficult to prove publicly that the apple moth spraying programme was affecting our health, because we had no voice. In the end, the Victoria University of Wellington’s medical school proved conclusively that the spray was damaging the health of people in Auckland, and it was stopped immediately at this point: But this was years after much spraying abuse had been suffered by many, many people. Thank God for the Victoria University of Wellington.

I began to suspect during this time that dentures retain toxins: I could taste the spray chemicals in the teeth, and no amount of cleaning or soaking in any product would remove these poisons. I was being poisoned continually by the MAF spraying programme to eradicate the apple moth: not only were MAF helicopters and aeroplanes spraying us about every three weeks during parts of the year, but the toxins were being retained in the plastic fabric of the teeth after each spraying. I became VERY ill during this time, both physically and mentally. I was not treated for a mental disturbance, but my memory packed up, my eyesight became blurred, my nerves were extremely fragile and I became very neurotic. In the end, I had to do away with the teeth. As soon as I had done this, and left the city to avoid the spray completely, my health radically improved: I could remember again. I had new teeth made up for me. Gradually, my health was restored to normal.

Best to keep your own teeth if you possibly can.

Memory Loss

Natural Health

Consider the possible environmental causes – see Merrilyn’s new post, published 12 Feb, 2017:

Global Amnesia Cause Probably RoundUp Glyphosate Formaldehyde

Memory loss is something which concerns many people today. Even young people can suffer from memory loss.

We are all afraid of getting alzheimer’s disease: when the memory and brain function have declined so badly that we are incapable of making decisions and caring for ourselves, then we have lost control of our lives, we get put into care, and our active contribution to society ceases. We all wish to avoid this scenario.

There are several main causes of memory loss in people who are not yet old. If you have reason to believe that your memory function is declining, or is impaired, then it would be prudent for you to consider the list below which outlines memory loss factors, then you can begin to take measures which will help remedy the problem.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION can cause memory loss. Lack of sleep makes you feel tired, and it also makes the brain tired. This causes not just short term memory loss, but a general inability to think clearly, to make decisions or string your sentences coherently together. Sleep deprivation can also cause you to become depressed and listless.

DEPRESSION, whether it be from lack of sleep or from a deep-seated emotional cause, or from lack of certain nutrients in the diet, can cause short term memory loss. Addiction to alcohol or other drugs can cause depression.

ANXIETY which is often associated with sleep deprivation and depression, can inhibit brain function, including memory. Vitamins and good nutrition can help enormously in minimizing anxiety, and DEEP RELAXATION exercises which include YOGA BREATHING and YOGA NIDRA do wonders for alleviating stress, anxiety and depression, thus helping the problem of memory loss. Try to remove emotional factors in your life which could be causing anxiety, or learn, via these yoga techniques, to overcome them.

POOR NUTRITION alone can be the cause of short term memory loss. Lack of IRON is a well known factor in memory loss, poor mental function, and general tiredness. Lack of VITAMIN B complex components, especially NIACIN, and VITAMIN B12, can contribute to temporary memory loss.

A fluctuating blood sugar level (hypoglycaemea) means that the brain is not being fed a constant supply of blood sugar, and this is the cause of many people’s memory loss.

Keeping sugar to a minimum and using other quality foods which help the blood sugar level to be more stable should be the aim. Use rice instead of wheat products and bread. Eat adequate protein. Include enough good quality fats and oils in your diet: These things all help improve memory function.

If you find that some days your memory is good, while on other days it seems to be poor, then try a diet which excludes wheat, bread, sugar and dairy products, alcohol and coffee for a while. On the other hand, a quick-fix of sugar, best from fruit or honey, can alleviate a sudden attack of memory loss, but it is best to avoid letting things get to this state of affairs by following a good dietary regime and leading a sensible life style.

ADDICTION TO ALCOHOL OR MARIJUANA OR OTHER DRUGS can cause short term memory loss as well as long term memory loss. Too much COFFEE can affect memory function also: too much makes the brain tired, as it, and alcohol, etc, deplete the brain of essential nutrients, causing a state of malnutrition. Many young people smoke marijuana thinking that they are avoiding the harmful of effects of alcohol – well, alcohol probably affects the liver and nervous system more drastically, but marijuana affects the brain and its memory function much more quickly than alcohol: it doesn’t take very long for a young brain to manifest the memory loss effect of smoking marijuana. Of course, some people have more resistance to the stuff than others, but there is plenty of evidence to show that marijuana causes memory loss.

DENTURE plastic/acrylic could be contributing to your state or memory loss. Check out the article I have posted on DENTURES which follows this post on memory loss. Dentures should be made of quality materials and really are best, for the benefit of mental function including memory, to be changed for a new set every three years or so. In my experience, the life of a denture is about three years before it begins to affect memory adversely.

DEHYDRATION: Insufficient water causes the brain to malfunction and suffer memory loss. WATER is necessary for a healthy brain. Alcohol, coffee and other drugs and medications can make you dehydrated. Check your water intake: start your remedial measures to counteract memory loss and improve your brain by drinking plenty of water each day.

SLUGGISH BOWELS can, and DO cause memory loss. It is very important to get the bowels cleared of effete matter which causes auto-intoxication. A diet which includes plenty of fresh, raw fruit and vegetables, and which avoids those dairy products which clog the bowel with mucous, is imperative. Using rice, preferably brown, instead of wheat products, plenty of salads with sprouted grains and seeds with adequate proteins will help cure your sluggish bowels.

ENVIRONMENTAL POISONS, such as preservatives in our food, herbicides on grass verges, household poisons such as pesticides and weedkillers, and petrochemicals, are very bad for your health generally: they contribute to cancer setting in, but also affect your memory very badly. Fly sprays, potions which kill fleas on the dog or the cat, are all very harmful for the general health and for the memory, both to your pet and to you. Every time you pat your pet you will be getting a dose of that poison you put there to counteract fleas. Make sure that you buy safe homeopathic or herbal preparations for your pet.

Many hair products, especially hair dyes, could be affecting your state of memory loss.

FORMALDEHYDE is extremely toxic to humans and to animal life. Formaldehyde is probably the most potent of the chemicals known to cause memory loss. It is found in many products used about the home, and is even found in some cosmetics and balms. It is found in particle board flooring (fake wood, or chip board) and in many synthetic building materials. It is found in many glues, paints and varnishes. It is found in dyes and in leather-tanning products. Much of our clothing, which comes now from China, is made with cheaper dyes and materials which use formaldehyde and other extremely poisonous chemicals.

If you handle photocopy print, or inks a lot, then beware – many of these contain formaldehyde and other dangerous chemicals.

When formaldehyde first became popular as an antiseptic in the 1950’s, it was used widely in hospitals and dental surgeries in New Zealand and other parts of the world. It was regarded as a best friend to nurses, doctors and surgeons, as surgical objects, after being used on a patient, could be placed in a jar of formaldehyde which would sterilize them immediately. No one was aware of the dangers to the health, especially to the brain. I read an article years ago which documented two nurses who were working in New Zealand in the 1950’s. Their memories were shot well before time, and they attributed this to the fact that they had freely used formaldehyde, even dipping their hands in a bowl of it to quickly kill off all germs, while they had been working in hospitals. They were reported as saying that there was no point in reading a book, as they had forgotten completely what the plot and the characters were all about by the time they had gotten very far along with the story.

I had peritonitis when I was about five years old, in early 1955, the year of my sixth birthday. I remember the glass of formaldehyde which sat beside my bed in the hospital where the operation to save my life had been done. The smell of the glass of formaldehyde made me feel sick, but the worst thing was the thermometer which permanently sat in the fluid. The nurses would come around, take the thermometer out of the liquid formaldehyde, give it a quick flick, and put it straight into my mouth. I was getting dosed, inadvertently, with formaldehyde. I quickly began to associate the ‘white outs’ in the brain, when it was apparent to me that not only could I not remember anything, but it seemed as if I did not exist at all; and confusion and drowsiness, the heavy sleep which followed, with the stuff in the jar, as these things happened to me straight after each thermometer reading. I therefore began to scream loudly every time they came to take my temperature, and to fight them off, but to no avail, of course. I was simply held down and forced to take the thermometer. I remember, after returning home from hospital, screaming hysterically every time my mother opened the bottle of dry cleaning fluid, which was carbon tetrachloride: I feared that this might put me to sleep just as the formaldehyde had done, as it smelt similar. I suspect it probably is just about as bad in its effect on the memory, but I never waited to find out. I would run out the door to gasp at the fresh air outside. Because of this early experience which sensitized me to formaldehyde, I have to be very careful with anything containing formaldehyde, or indeed most chemicals, as they can cause complete memory loss. But fortunately, once I get onto a fasting diet and the offending toxins are removed from my body, my memory improves again.

Vitamin C in mega doses is one of the best things to get rid of toxins from the body and the brain. 1000 mg of ester C or another non-acidic type of Vitamin C such as calcium ascorbate, work wonders. You can take a 1000mg dose once, or twice, or even three times a day in cases of acute poisoning.

ELECTRO MAGNETIC RADIATION. This is affecting people’s memories today. Cell phones, cell phone towers, electricity transformers which are located near your home, electricity meter boxes which are too close to your bed or working space, TV aerials too close to where you sleep or work, an environment which is too well-circuited with electricity wires and plugs, such as apartment buildings where you have a super-charged electrical environment because of the TV upstairs and below and to the side of you, and all the wiring to go to stoves, meter boxes etc above and all around you: all these things affect your brain function, including your memory. Apartment buildings are bad also because of the clusters of cell phones being used all about you: this energy is intensified with more cell phones being in use together.

MENTAL STIMULATION: It is important to stimulate the brain on a regular basis. Crossword puzzles, chess and card games, writing short essays on chosen topics, reading stimulating books, learning new pieces on the piano or another instrument, and conversing with people, all stimulate the brain. Communicating with people and interacting socially is very good for mental function as well as the emotional state. It is amazing how quickly you can lose confidence in communicating verbally with people if you are living in isolation. The brain becomes really slow at responding if it is given a chance to be idle for too long. Keep the brain active by enjoying activities where you get to talk to people, about meaningful things, or simply just in a caring way, to friends, family and neighbours.

CONCENTRATION: Make sure that you concentrate totally on the task in hand, or on the conversation you are having. Do not allow yourself to daydream whilst you are talking to somebody, or, say, listening to the news. How can you remember the important things people tell you if you are not listening with full attention? Day dreaming is OK too, but day dream with your full attention, and not too long at a time. Try to have a half hour of snoozing/daydreaming, or meditating, and then get straight onto a specific task which you will give your full attention. Give yourself projects which you find exciting: having goals is a great thing for encouraging the memory to perform well.

EXERCISE: Physical exercise, whether it be from yoga, or light jogging, playing tennis, swimming, or such-like, cannot be underestimated in the beneficial effect on the physical body and the brain. Memory loss can be helped enormously by taking up an exercise such as these listed above, especially if they are done daily, or at least three times a week. Working up a bit of a sweat helps eliminate toxins from the body and the brain. Physical exercise also helps move the lymph around the body and to the brain: this is important in helping your brain to function optimally, as the nutrients are carried throughout the body and brain, not just via the blood, but via the lymph.

SAUNAS are very useful in helping memory loss. Saunas will help your body to sweat out all those toxins which are impairing your mental function.

Modalities such as MASSAGE, ACUPUNCTURE, ACUPRESSURE, HERBAL MEDICINE, HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE, and AYURVEDIC MEDICINE can also have a beneficial effect on the brain when the right treatment is given.

GINKGO is reputed to help people with memory loss. However, I find that I cannot ingest the stuff, as it has the effect of lowering my pulse rate too much, which makes me feel terrible. Funnily enough, though, I picked up some fruit of a giant ginkgo tree in Remuera yesterday, which I took home to have a go at growing from the seed inside. Just handling and smelling these pale, lemon coloured fruits has had a definite positive effect on my brain and powers of recall. But I have kept them outside to avoid a negative effect which could result from having too much of the stuff around me.

Hair Dyes And Nail Polish Linked To Cancer

Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics Can Cause Cancer:

Hair dyes are extremely bad for you. Many hair dyes contain harmful chemicals which are known to be carcenogenic.

Apart from making the hair fall out over time, and hair growth to diminish, hair dye can contribute to states of cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s and other degenerative disease. Jacqui Davison, who recovered from melanoma using diet and purgatives, confirms that hair dye and nail polish contributed to her cancerous condition. The origin of the cancer was found to come from under a toenail which she had always kept painted with nail polish. If you have cancer, then hair dye and nail polish should be the first chemical pollutants to be struck off the list, and cleansing should begin immediately.

Nail polish is also very bad for you, because, like hair dye, the chemicals are absorbed through the body tissues, skin and nails, into the blood stream. Even when the polish has dried, formaldehyde and other chemicals continue to be absorbed through the nail tissue. These chemicals then collect in the liver where they remain stored unless you regularly cleanse the liver by either fasting, using enemas, eating raw foods, or taking some purgative like castor oil, which helps eliminate these toxins from the body.

The build-up in the liver for most people might include a mix of hair dye, nail polish chemicals, make-up chemicals, food additives, household cleansers, fly spray, garden chemicals, and agricultural pesticides and herbicides. This is surely a dangerous situation for the health.

Hair dye, because of its colour, can be easily detected in the bowel motions when it is expelled through the use of a purgative and fasting. Jacqui Davison and others confirm that hair dye was expelled in the first few weeks of cleansing after using castor oil to detoxify. Jacqui, who had been given only days to live before she began the Gerson approach to recovery, says in her book that she had used hair dye for years, as well as nail polish. She was horrified to see just how much had been stored in her liver.

The liver suffers with the use of commercial hair dyes, but so do the eyes and the sinuses. Even in the weeks following dye treatment, fumes from the dye are emitted which affect these organs. Vision can be impaired by the regular use of hair dyes.

If you want to prevent cancer, or are treating it or another degenerative disease like arthritis, then you will stop using hair dye and nail polish forever and begin ridding the body of its accumulated toxins.

N.B. – HENNA is SAFE to use.

Henna powder, which is derived from a plant, is NOT toxic and is the only hair dye which you can safely use, in my opinion. You must be sure to get the raw henna powder with no additives. There are some products which have chemicals as well as natural henna, or other natural hair dye added, but these products should be avoided, as very often the added chemicals pose a danger to your health. Powdered, natural henna is safe.