Why You Should Think Twice Before Getting The "Flu Shot"

Why You Should Think Twice About Getting The "Flu Shot":

It's that time of the year again. It's the dreaded flu season. This is a time where we are implored by "health" care officials to get flu vaccinations injected into our bodies. I would like to show you some of the many reasons why flu vaccines are not only a waste, but also harmful to your body.

The first major truth that needs to be told is this: The flu vaccine does not prevent the flu, and it does not protect against the majority of flu related deaths.

First of all, the reports of flu deaths are vastly distorted. On the CDC's website, they claim that approximately 36,000 people die from the flu every year. However, if you look at the most recent data that is available (from 2005), the true numbers show that only 1,806 people died from the flu that year. The remainder of the deaths were attributed to the flu when in fact they were deaths from contracting pneumonia. Given these numbers, more people die from asthma every year than from the flu.

The second thing that people need to know about the flu vaccine is how it's made. At the beginning of each year, health officials travel to Asia to determine which strain of the flu will be active. They are assuming that the strain that is active in Asia will makes it's way to the U.S. If it so happens that the strain in the U.S. is different from what is active in Asia, your flu shot will be worthless.

The flu strains are cultivated in chick embryos, which are then inactivated by formaldehyde, which is a cancer causing substance. They are then perserved with thimerosal. Thimerosal is made up of 50% mercury. According to the CDC, some flu vaccinations contain up to 25 mcg of mercury per dose. THIS IS 250 TIMES THE EPA's SAFETY LIMIT FOR MERCURY.

In addition to mercury, flu vaccines contain the following:
- Aluminum, which is a neurotoxin
- Triton X-100, a detergent
- Phenol
- Ethylene Glycol (antifreeze)
- Betapropiolactone - a disinfectant
- Nonoxynol - used to kill or stop growth of STDs
- Octoxinol 9 - a vaginal spermicide
- Sodium phosphate

In addition to reactions to the unhealthy ingredients in the flu vaccine, you are at risk for the following:

-Guillain-Barre Syndrome (a severe paralytic disease that is fatal in about 1 in 20 cases)
- Encephalitis (brain inflammation)
- Neurological disorders
- Thrombocytopenia (a serious blood disorder)

So, given all of the hazards surrounding the flu vaccine, we need to know: Is it effective? In short, NO. The vaccination is based on the assumption that the flu strain will stay consistent from Asia to the U.S. Various studies have shown that the vaccine has terrible results in preventing the flu and flu deaths.

One of the most popular flu vaccinations is FLULAVAL. The following is a direct quotation from FLULAVAL's packaging insert: " FLULAVAL is an influenza virus vaccine indicated for active immunization of adults 18 years of age and older against influenza disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and type B contained in the vaccine. This indication is based on immune response elicited by FLULAVAL, and there have been no controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL.”

Let me repeat that, "...there have been no controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL." This quote is from the manufacturer of the vaccine!

Are you still not convinced? Consider this:

- A study published in the October 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons.

The researchers concluded that "significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting" examined.

- A 2008 study published in the Lancet found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people.

This supports an earlier study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

- Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia in the elderly, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.

- In 2007, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases: “We conclude that frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause mortality,have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits.”

- A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.

So, what can you do to prevent the flu if the vaccination is not helpful. I recommend taking the following steps:
1) Supplement with Vitamin D. Adults should take 4-5,000 IU's daily. Children should have 2,000 IU's daily.
2) Wash your hands often
3) Get plenty of sleep
4) Exercise
5) Eat a healthy diet

If you happen to come down with the flu, increase your Vitamin D dosage to 1,000 IU's per pound of bodyweight for 3 days and that should take care of your symptoms.  (yes, that much...)

In Health,
Dr. Daniel Boggs

Metabolic Syndrome: The Gateway To Diabetes

Metabolic Syndrome is a major cause of ill health in America.  This condition is also known as Syndrome X, but it would more easily be understood if it were called "pre-diabetes".  Metabolic Syndrome is quite possible the most pervasive health problem in the U.S., affecting approximately 60 million people.  These numbers increase every year and are starting to include more and more children.

So, what is Metabolic Syndrome?  According to the American Medical Association, if you meet any of the following three criteria, you have Metabolic Syndrome:

1.  A waist measurement of 40 inches or greater in men and 35 inches or greater in women
2.  Triglycerides of 150 mg/dl or higher
3.  HDL cholesterol less than 40 mg/dl in men and less than 50 mg/dl in women
4.  Blood pressure of 135/85 or higher
5.  Fasting blood glucose of 100 or higher

It is important to understand that the key issue with Metabolic Syndrome is control of the blood sugar, not just the glucose level on your lab test.  This is really an issue of how much insulin is need to keep the glucose level within normal limits.

The cause of Metabolic Syndrome is, quite simply, a poor diet.  This is a lifestyle modulated disorder.  Excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates rapidly convert to blood sugar and over time stress out the system.  Over time, the body becomes unable to metabolize carbohydrates normally, which means that you need more and more insulin to do the same work.  In essence, the normal amount of insulin isn't working.  This is called "insulin resistance."  Other factors that play a role in this disorder are stress, lack of exercise and nutritional deficiencies.

Why is this important to you?  Metabolic syndrome can have devastating effects on your health.  These include:  weight gain, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, fatty liver, inflammation, kidney destruction, blood clotting and eventually, diabetes.

This condition also affects hormone function.  Too much insulin in men can lead to decreased testosterone.  Elevated triglycerides can block substances called "leptins", which normally tell the brain that you've had enough to eat.  This leads to overeating.  Cortisol, which is your stress hormone, can cause glucose to be elevated even when you haven eaten.  It does this by breaking down lean muscle mass.

It is important to properly evaluate your metabolism to see how Metabolic Syndrome has affected your system.  A number of lab tests are relevant in this scenario.  These include: glucose, hemoglobin A1C, cholesterol, triglycerides, SGPT liver enzyme, uric acid and phosphorous.  Also, with heart disease being one of the primary concerns with Metabolic Syndrome, it would prudent to check c-reactive protein and fibrinogen.

Based upon your lab findings, there are a number of things that can be done to reverse Metabolic Syndrome.  Nutritional supplementation, diet and exercise are key.

Metabolic Syndrome can have devastating affects on your health.  Because of this, you should be coached through a recovery program with a doctor who is well versed in functional medicine and nutrition.   If you meet 3 of the above criteria and would like help reversing this syndrome, call Dr. Boggs at (304)255-4325.

Dr. Boggs' Top 20 Success Tips

1. Everything you need to live can be found in the produce section.
2. Shop two times a week in order to get fresh produce. Most leafy greens have a refrigerator shelf life of 4-5 days.
3. Buy your produce first. It is the most important food. If you are on a budget, shopping for produce will maximize your dollar as you will avoid junk food while you have a cart full of produce.
4. Wash leafy greens by separating the leaves. Rinse well in order to remove pesticides.
5. Keep your refrigerator well stocked with fresh vegetables. This way you will always have what you need for a delicious salad.
6. While shopping, ask, "How will this go with a salad." Try to consider everything as something that will go into a salad or alongside it.
7. Eat a variety of foods in a rainbow of colors.
8. If using salt, use Real Salt or Sea Salt.
9. Eat breakfast: You need to ingest food within 30 minutes of waking up.
10. Eat 4-6 small meals throughout the day. It will keep your metabolism going.
11. Eat last meal of the day before 6 pm.
12. Go to bed early and get at least 8 hours of sleep. Don’t sleep with pets in the bed
and don’t watch anxiety-inducing TV shows before going to sleep.
13. Exercise — according to Dr. Boggs’ recommendations
14. Learn to deal positively with stress.
15. Listen to the body. The body will tell you what it needs and what it doesn’t need.
16. Become educated on how the body works.
17. Live a positive, happy, healthy life.
18. Eat twice as many veggies as fruits
19. No processed foods! If its wrapped in plastic or boxed up by a big company with
flashy words on the cover….. think twice
20. No MSG, and NO CHEMICALS!