The American Presidential Election and Medical Politics

The bibliography lists many articles that justify an orthomolecular approach to medicine as well as articles that detail problems in money-driven medicine, which uses an approach called polypharmacy. In polypharmacy many different drugs are given to the same patient. This is very expensive, and often the taxpayers foot the bill. This is also a very problematic approach with drug to drug interactions, drug-nutrient interactions, horrible side effects, etc.

The first item in the bibliography describes how cannabis can make patients worse and reports progressive brain tissue loss in schizophrenia. This means that schizophrenia is not a neurodevelopmental disorder as was previously thought by some mistaken scientists. Schizophrenia is a neurodegenerative disorder.

Tryptophan

The second item in the bibliography deals with an abnormality reported in tryptophan metabolism in schizophrenia. Tryptophan metabolism is excessive in this disease. Tryptophan is found in the diet, so a diet low in tryptophan is suggested by this author (Olson).

Massive amounts of money could be saved in healthcare costs if orthomolecular treatments (involving nutrition) are used. The article claims an excess of kynurenine, which is a major metabolite of tryptophan. This happens in schizophrenia. It appears to mean that tryptophan is being metabolized to an abnormal extent in schizophrenia, at least in this pathway.

Cancer

My Father had chemotherapy. He died. He never smoked. He had colon cancer, but he was turning yellow in his final days. My theory is that the chemotherapy was possibly giving him jaundice.

Patrick Quillin recommends a nutritional approach. This doesn't mean that you can't have surgery. You can use both approaches. Quillin recommends that you eat carrots, Brussels sprouts, and other vegetables. His views are similar to those of the late Linus Pauling and of the living Dr. Abram Hoffer. They feel that certain vitamins are protective.

Yahoo! Shine reported 20 cancer-fighting foods (see 5 in the bibliography. The report was written by Glamor magazine. Usually I use medical journals and medical books as my sources, but this Glamor information is consistent with my information from the medical sources. They may have used the same sources that I do. The article recommends green, leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, etc.), curry, berries, etc. I like broccoli, and I also like berries.

The Yahoo! report recommends certain micronutrients including lutein, vitamin A, and folate. My sources recommend beta carotene, which is not exactly the same thing as vitamin A (retinol). Beta-carotene is the precursor of vitamin A. Beta-carotene is less toxic. In small quantities vitamin A is a very good thing, but too much of it can be toxic, unfortunately. My sources, including orthomolecular.com, recommend vitamin C. Vitamin C is considered to strengthen the immune system, which fights cancer. Unfortunately the immune system doesn't always win, but we can help it.

The Glamor information came from scientific studies. I may discuss the Glamor article more in the future, but I wish to touch on a lot of things in my current article.

Medicare Doesn't Provide Dental Benefits

This has also been a problem with Medicaid, or MassHealth, in Massachusetts. MassHealth is given to extremely poor individuals, but it doesn't cover dental problems. I consider this a form of discrimination based on medical problem. Dental problems are usually not life threatening, but they can affect your entire health. Severe dental infections can tax your immune system. I favor dental coverage for both medicare and medicaid.

Will Obama be Open to Alternative Medicine?

This is a good question. It appears that Bush isn't. What we have now is the drug companies controlling the White House. I don't even trust the people who make shock treatment machines. The drug companies gross over $200 billion a year. You can buy a lot of friends with that kind of money.

But What About the War?

The war in Iraq has been a disaster with all kinds of innocent civilians being killed. McCain said that we may have troops there for a hundred years.

Conclusions

Other political and medical issues are discussed in the bibliography. For example, animal rights is an issue. Farm animals get mistreated on factory farms. I believe that farm animals should get sunshine. To fail to give any sunshine to these animals could result in a lack of vitamin D. We could get sick from eating unhealthy farm animals. Farm animals should not be kept in filthy conditions. They should not be fed filth.

Cancer is very complex. It is a cluster of diseases, much like mental retardation. Depression is complex. People have gotten kidney problems and thyroid problems from lithium. A number of psychiatric drugs have caused movement disorders. These things should not be happening. It is completely unnecessary to give people brain damage in the name of mental health.

There are issues with homelessness. Many mentally ill people, including substance abusers, are homeless. Better treatment is needed. See the bibliography for more information and discussion on these issues.

A study has shown tomatoes to be protective against cancer. However, there have recently been food poisoning cases associated with tomatoes in this area. I will probably buy tomatoe juice made in Russia for a while. It may be the lycopene (a carotenoid) in tomatoes that is the protective factor.

Bibliography

1. Rais, Monica, Wiepke Cahn, Neeltje Van Haren, Hugo Schnack, Esther Caspers, Hilleke Hulshoff Pol, and Rene Kahn. "Excessive brain volume loss over time in cannabis-using first-episode schizophrenia patients.(Author abstract)(Report)." American Journal of Psychiatry 165.4 (April 2008): 490(7). Health Reference Center Academic. Gale. Needham Free Public Library. 28 June 2008
2. Miller, Christine L., Ida C. Llenos, Mary Cwik, John Walkup, and Serge Weis. "Alterations in kynurenine precursor and product levels in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.(Report). ." Neurochemistry International. 52.6 (May 2008): 1297(7). Health Reference Center Academic. Gale. Needham Free Public Library. 28 June 2008
3. Sareen J, Kirshner A, Lander M, Kjernisted KD, Eleff MK, ReissJP. Do atypical antipsychotics ameliorate or exacerbate obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms: A systematic review. J Affect Disord 2004;82:167-74.

4. Seal, M et al Abnormal white matter microstructure in schizophrenia: A voxelwise analysis of axial and radial diffusivity.(Report). Schizophrenia Research 101.1-3 (April 2008): p106(5).

5. http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/20-cancer-fighting-foods-to-eat-all-summer-187234/ .

6. www.associatedcontent.com/article/830971/the_blood_and_schizophrenia.html

7. www.associatedcontent.com/article/830865/barack_to_the_future_.html

8. www.associatedcontent.com/article/826491/a_tribute_to_dr_abram_hoffer_a_man.html

9. www.associatedcontent.com/article/823035/fruits_vegetables_their_value_and_composition.html

10. www.associatedcontent.com/article/820047/the_composition_of_various_foods_.html