The monthly Special Updates from the AHHA are Reports with items of interest to those actively enhancing their health and well-being. Each Report features a health or health freedom issue. It also features a research item and an AHHA resource.

These free Reports are sent out to subscribers. You can have these AHHA Special Updates sent to you personally by signing up online.

The Archives of these AHHA Special Updates Reports are maintained here for those who have not yet signed up to receive them by email and those who wish to review past issues.

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April 26, 2024

FEATURED RESEARCH ARTICLE
Intravenous vitamin C for cancer
“A 68-year-old man with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma refused conventional treatment and opted for intravenous vitamin C in doses of 75 to 125 g two to three times a week….He survived nearly four years, during which time he received more than 450 vitamin C infusions and had objective evidence of disease regression.” From a Townsend Lette  research article, “Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer with Intravenous Vitamin C.”

FEATURED ISSUE
Dietitians’ monopoly?
Reaching the goal of being healthy requires choosing a healthy lifestyle. One of important lifestyle choices involves the nutritional choices you make in what you eat. The professional associations for dietitians and nutritionists have a strong history of seeing that the general public learns about healthy nutrition from a variety of approaches. However, something is currently unfolding that appears to have a disturbing side-effect

Have you heard about the Dietitian Interstate Compact? This is a legal maneuver currently being enacted by the states to make it easier for Registered Dietician Nutritionists (RDNs) to be allowed to practice in multiple states. The concerning side-effect is that it appears to be establishing a professional monopoly for the RDNs to be the providers of nutritional guidance. If this happens, the general public would be deprived of access to nutrition professionals offering other nutritional approaches.

Note that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) is the trade group for RDNs, which is the  group of dieticians that has a history of partnering with industries offering junk food. Compare this, for example, with what is offered by Certified Nutrition Specialist® that are certified by the American Nutrition Association.

ISSUE: Will the Dietitian Interstate Compact create a monopoly for Registered Dietician Nutritionists and block out other nutrition professionals?

AHHA strives to maintain a neutral position and views knowledge as power. For those interested in this month’s Issue, a few key articles have been selected to get you started in studying this matter.

Dietitian Licensure Compact
The Council of State Governments

Dietitian License Compact
National Center for Interstate Compacts

Junk Food and Junk Advice (4/11/24)
Alliance for Natural Health

What is the difference between nutritionists vs dietitians? (6/26/23)
Medical News Today

You are also encouraged to go to our blog at ahha.org/blog and post your comments.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
How to find a progressive physician
Are you searching for a medical doctor who delivers care that is more than just drugs and surgery? Check our Holistic Practitioners database. If this does not help you locate such a physician in your geographic area, the Practitioner Referral Sources list is a useful next step. This list includes a wide variety of healthcare modality associations that give referrals, some of which are exclusively for medical doctors. Physicians who are affiliated with the organizations in our databases are definitely the open-minded, progressive ones who have gone beyond drugs and surgery. Where else but with AHHA can you find so many of these special physicians so easily?

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March 22, 2024

FEATURED RESEARCH ARTICLE
Neglected heart health factors
“Whether an individual seeks peak exercise performance goals or generalized wellness, quantifying sufficient pulmonary function and competency is of paramount importance.” “Increasing levels of NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) through supplementation with NR (nicotinamide riboside) is critical for cardiovascular health and cardiac energy metabolism.” From a Townsend Letter research article, “Novel Ways to Support Cardiac Energetics” by Chris D. Meletis, ND.

FEATURED ISSUE
Vitamin B3 levels controversy
The United States and fifty other countries have for decades fortified flour and cereals with niacin (vitamin B3) because of past research showing that B3 helped to prevent disease related to nutritional deficiency. But new research published in Nature Medicine in February 2024 found that about twenty-five per cent of the study’s participants were designated as developing cardiovascular disease caused by consuming higher levels of vitamin B3.

This research is so new that your family physician may not yet have had an opportunity to study the now conflicting positions in the medical community related to how much vitamin B3 would be optimal for you. Before you do consult with your family physician, therefore, you may want to inform yourself about what is currently known about various vitamin B3 levels, determine how much vitamin B3 is in your daily diet, and look at your heart’s health.

ISSUE: What is the relationship of my heart health and the amount of vitamin B3 I consume?

AHHA strives to maintain a neutral position and views knowledge as power. For those interested in this month’s Issue, only a few key articles have been selected that you are encouraged to study the contents of both viewpoints in detail (rather than skimming). You are further encouraged to stay alert for future studies that will hopefully provide broader and deep research into this aspect of maintaining a healthy heart, and perhaps identifying something else that is involved in triggering the vascular inflammation.

New research changing viewpoint of niacin (vitamin B3) level related to heart health
Cleveland Clinic-Led Study Discovers Link between High Levels of Niacin – a Common B Vitamin – and Heart Disease (2/19/24)
Newsroom of Cleveland Clinic
“Cleveland Clinic researchers have identified a new pathway that contributes to cardiovascular disease associated with high levels of niacin, a common B vitamin previously recommended to lower cholesterol…..The main takeaway is not that we should cut out our entire intake of niacin – that’s not a realistic approach,” said Dr. Hazen. ‘Given these findings, a discussion over whether a continued mandate of flour and cereal fortification with niacin in the U.S. could be warranted.’”

A terminal metabolite of niacin promotes vascular inflammation and contributes to cardiovascular disease risk (2/19/24)
by Marc Ferrell, et. all.
Nature Medicine
“Niacin is an essential micronutrient fortified in food staples, but its role in CVD (cardiovascular disease) is not well understood.”

Hesitancy to adopt new B3 level based on one study
B3 in the crosshairs––should you worry? (3/8/24)
by Dr Ronald Hoffman
Intelligent Medicine
“I, for one, am not ready to jettison my use of B-vitamin containing supplements and NAD-supporting nutrients on the sketchy basis of a single study, no matter how much it’s been uncritically amplified by the media.”

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
How do YOU define “holistic”?
Have you discovered that others are not defining the term “holistic” the same way you are? AHHA has always recommended that when you’re talking about holistic concepts, it’s wise to define terms and make sure you and the person you are talking with agree on those definitions. AHHA offers articles on this important topic. See the What is Holistic? category in our Self-Help Articles Collection. Perhaps these articles will also help you clarify your own thinking about what “holistic” really means.

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February 23, 2024

FEATURED RESEARCH ARTICLE
Fibromyalgia pain relief
“Fibromyalgia is dramatically increasing in both prevalence and public awareness.” Learn about “a comprehensive protocol to see optimal results…from severe fatigue and widespread pain” in a Townsend Letter research article, “Effective Treatment of Pain and Sleep in Fibromyalgia: A Comprehensive Clinical Approach” by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD.

FEATURED ISSUE
WHO Pandemic Treaty
It appears that the World Health Organization (WHO) is positioning itself to be calling the shots for addressing future health pandemics. This United Nations (UN) health agency is currently refining agreements for the 194 member countries to grant total power to WHO, overriding national and personal health preferences. Final legally binding documents will be voted on in May 2024 at the World Health Assembly in Switzerland.

Some of the key items you may want to track for the Pandemic Treaty and International Health Regulations (IHR) are:

• Requirement for UN member countries to recognize WHO as the guidance and coordinating authority of international public health response during public health.
• Requirement for UN member countries to give WHO binding powers to dictate health policy to member states for medical countermeasures to address a public health emergency.
• If the United States continues to join with those UN member countries calling for the negotiations and drafts of the documents to remain closed to the public.
• If there are penalties if a UN member country does not follow WHO dictates related to health policies.

 

ISSUE: Might I lose my personal health freedoms when the next pandemic arrives?

AHHA strives to maintain a neutral position and views knowledge as power. For those interested in this month’s Issue, the following articles have been selected so that you can begin to be aware of the possible threats to your future health freedoms. You are encouraged to delve deeper and expand your knowledge of this matter using these articles as a springboard.

From WHO:
International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005)
World Health Organization (WHO)

Article-by-Article Compilation of Proposed Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) submitted in accordance with decision WHA75(9) (2022)
World Health Organization (WHO)

Proposal for negotiating text of the WHO Pandemic Agreement (10/30/23)
World Health Organization (WHO)

Comments from other organizations:
Concerns About the WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty (10/10/23)
C-Fam  Center for Family & Human Rights

Health Freedom Threatened by WHO Power Grab (2/16/24)
Alliance for Natural Health

WHO ‘Pandemic Treaty’ Draft Reaffirms Nations’ Sovereignty to Dictate Health Policy (3/2/23)
by Catalina Jaramillo
FactCheck.org

Why the WHO Pandemic Treaty Threatens Freedom of Expression
by Giorgio Mazzoli
Real Clear Politics

WHO Pandemic Treaty Remains Fatally Flawed (2/5/24)
by Brett Schaefer and Steven Groves
The Heritage Foundation

WHO member states are negotiating a pandemic treaty. But will countries follow the new rules? (2/15/24)
by Elliot Hannon, Nina Schwalbe, Susanna Lehtimaki
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

You are also encouraged to go to our blog at ahha.org/blog and post your comments.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Change a life
Check out the AHHA Gift for a Better Life, a single-sheet flyer that introduces the powerful concept of the holistic approach. It’s available for free!. Who do you know who could benefit from receiving a copy? You can download the flyer and share it by emailing it or hand delivering a printed copy (double-sided). It can empower that person’s life. Note that this flyer is available in both English and Spanish.

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January 26, 2024

FEATURED RESEARCH ARTICLE
Essential oils as self-care resource
“Due to their multifaceted properties, essential oils bridge the link between the mind and body. They are synergistic with many integrative and conventional treatments based on their influence on one’s mindset, mood, and biology.” From a Townsend Letter research article, “Mind-Body Applications of Essential Oils: A Case Study of Anxiety” by Sarah A LoBisco, ND, IFMCP.

FEATURED ISSUE
Troubling excessive mortality rates
In your circle of family and friends, how many have died in the last twelve months? Is your real world experience matching the scientific articles that report mortality rates for all age groups as “excessive”? Probable causes for death statistics that are higher than expected are listed, but calculated in a variety of ways, so it is difficult to compare to look for consensus. Plus, articles are highly technical, so they are also not easy for the general public to fully understand.

If you are a take-charge individual and want to learn from these statistics in order to improve your longevity, you might wish to dig through some of the articles with the goal of discovering some gems of data that would be appropriate for you and your physician to incorporate into your prevention program.

ISSUE: Why are mortality rates continuing to be so high in the United States?

AHHA strives to maintain a neutral position and views knowledge as power. For those interested in this month’s Issue, the following articles have been selected so that you can begin to be aware of the troubling excessive mortality rates in the United States. You are encouraged to delve deeper and expand your knowledge of this matter using these articles as a springboard.

Are humans really dying more quickly than expected? (1/12/24)
by Rob Verkerk
Alliance for Natural Health – International
“First, there appears to be a very real — not an imaginary — increase in excess deaths that was apparent throughout 2023 that is almost certainly ongoing into 2024 that is affecting younger people, not the older age groups that were most affected during the early, most lethal phase of the pandemic.
Second, there has been a consistent inability for any of the authors, funders or health authorities, that have been responsible for collating, analysing and publishing the excess mortality data considered here, to reflect on a much wider range of possible contributory factors.”

US Mortality Rates Remain Increasing Long After COVID Pandemic; Why Are Americans Dying So Young? (12/14/23)
by Conelisa N. Hubilla
The Science Times
“Public health agencies have reported that Americans are dying in abnormally high numbers long since COVID-19 waned. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf even describes this trend as a catastrophic decline in US life expectancy.
Industry analysts and actuaries predict that excess deaths will continue among people with life insurance through 2030 and will be highest at younger ages. This prediction contradicts normal mortality expectations for a vigorous population with life insurance. The worst is even expected from poorly insured Americans who are afflicted by disabilities.”

The Missing Americans: Unprecedented US Mortality Far Exceeds Other Wealthy Nations (7/14/23)
by Jillian McKoy
Boston University School of Public Health
“Comparing age-specific death rates in the U.S. and 21 other wealthy nations from 1933 through 2021, the authors find that current death rates in the US are much higher than other wealthy nations, and the number of excess U.S. deaths has never been larger.”

Annual numbers of excess deaths in the US relative to other developed countries are growing at an alarming rate (6/13/23)
by Patrick Heuveline
The Conversation
“Rising living standards and medical advances through the 20th century have made it possible for people in wealthy countries to live longer and with a better quality of life. Given that the U.S. is the largest economic power in the world, with cutting-edge medical technology, Americans should have an advantage over other countries in terms of life span and death rates.
But in the last 50 years, many countries around the world have outpaced the U.S. in how fast death rates are declining, as revealed by trends in life expectancy.”

What Is the Cause of Increased Mortality Rates? (9/2/22)
by Dr. Joseph Mercola
The Defender
“As one can see, we have lost 349,000 younger Americans to something besides COVID and non-natural death, during the period from 3 April 2021 to 13 August 2022.
The current rate of mortality in this ICD categorization, is around 5,000 – 8,000 per week … which exceeds most weeks of the COVID pandemic itself (save for the absolute peak periods). By now, if all these mortality excesses were indeed a holdover from COVID-19 itself, they should have already begun to tail off. Unfortunately, they are not only not tailing off, in many cases they are still increasing.”

You are also encouraged to go to our blog at ahha.org/blog and post your comments.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Do you have any treatment questions?
Perhaps the most important resource created by AHHA is the Treatment Researchers list. This unique list includes organizations whose experts can answer your health questions and research treatment options for any health condition using conventional medicine and/or alternative approaches. If you know of someone dealing with a life-threatening or debilitating diagnosis, it is vital for you to inform him or her of this valuable support option, so that they have a wide range of options to consider.

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Current Special Updates Archives
Special Updates Archives for 2023
Special Updates Archives for 2022
Special Updates Archives for 2021
Special Updates Archives for 2020
Special Updates Archives for 2019
Special Updates Archives for 2018
Special Updates Archives for 2017

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