Avoiding/Curing the Common Cold

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Here we are in the midst of cold and flu season. I’ve written many articles on why you should shun the flu vaccine for good health. But, as life would have it, there are times we all succumb to the common cold virus. The old coughing, sneezing, stuffy head, sore throat and chest congestion complex is no fun at all.

Flu Shots-part 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Here is part two of the flu shot article we started two weeks ago.  These two articles are all the proof you need to show your medical doctor why you will not be taking the flu shots again.  If you want the specific citations of the research presented, you can email me for them.  They are mostly from mainstream, peer reviewed medical journals and other professional sources.   Continuing with her paper, she writes...

Flu Shots Harm Your Health-part 1

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Every year at this time we are bombarded and badgered by mainstream medicine about flu shots.  I have written several articles on these topics, so I hesitate to bring you yet another series on the flu shot.  Since they don’t give up trying to shoot you up with this poison, I take it as my duty to continue to inform those who haven’t heard the alternatives available.  The next two articles were actually written by my oldest daughter as an English composition essay.  I couldn’t have written it any better, so I’m just going to present it in a two part series. 

Does Colloidal Silver Really work?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

For thousands of years health care practitioners and health minded people have been using the health benefits of silver to treat a myriad of human ailments. The ancient Phoenicians understood that keeping water, wine and vinegar in silver lined vessels maintained the freshness of each. Silver is a germicide and a disinfectant. It is a natural antibiotic, anti-viral and anti-fungal agent. The only problem is that our wonderful government agency, the FDA, does not agree. They decided in 1999 that all colloidal silver products sold over the counter are unsafe and mislabeled. They state they are unaware of any evidence to support its use for any serious disease. [www.FDA.gov/ohrms/dockets/98f/081799a.txt]

Stop Throwing Good Money After Bad!

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

How many times have you been asked to give your hard earned money to one of the hundreds of causes working towards a cure for a particular disease? It seems like we are bombarded daily with pleas for help. How many of us just blindly give to one of these organizations without even looking into how your money will be spent?

Oregano Oil Benefits

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

In this time of antibiotic resistant diseases, many natural minded people are looking for holistic ways to prevent and treat common ailments which usually should not require prescriptions.

Essential oils are one of those useful tools. In this article we will examine oregano oil. What are its’ uses, composition, benefits, causative actions, safety and side effects.

Is the Germ Theory True?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Do you really catch a cold or get a communicable disease simply by coming in contact with a germ? If that was the case, wouldn’t we all be sick all the time?

Germs are everywhere, so simple contact with them obviously isn’t how we get sick. We get sick from these microbes because our body doesn’t fight them off, and succumbs to their effects. Therefore the germ theory is, in fact, not correct. Our bodies’ inherent inability to fight the disease is why we get sick, not that we simply came in contact with a germ.

Back Pain And Chiropractic

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

It is estimated that 80% of Americans will have chronic back pain (BP) at some point in their lives. At any point in time, over 30% of the population of adults will have back pain. Then why is it that only 7 to 10% of the population goes to the chiropractor? 

People struggling with BP take many different paths to find relief, many of which have been proven ineffective. Debilitating symptoms cause some to resign themselves to a lifetime of prescription pain killers, steroid shots and even multiple surgeries. All of these have been proven less effective than alternative treatments such as spinal manipulation, exercises and massage.

High Fructose Corn Syrup's New Name

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

High fructose corn syrup now has a sneaky new name, trying to fool you into believing it has gotten healthier.

In May 2012, I wrote an article on the danger of high fructose corn syrup, HFCS. Go to the website and read that article for further context.

HFCS is the number one source of calories in the USA today. This stuff is not good for your health, especially in the amounts it is consumed by many people. Soda and sweet drinks are the largest culprit, but many packaged foods have high amounts of HFCS too.

Hydration Principles

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

The heat of summer is here. The humidity makes some days unbearable, so we hide in the air conditioning. At those times you choose to be outside or must be in the heat, do you stay hydrated?

During strenuous activities, especially in the summer heat, we need to replenish liquids and sometimes, electrolytes. On a daily basis, listening to your thirst mechanism is a good way to stay hydrated. Pure, clean water is vital for optimal health.

Once your body has lost 1-2% of its total water content, you start to feel thirsty. During times of heavy exercise or work, by the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated to some degree. This is why it is important to drink plenty of liquids prior to and during periods of heavy sweating. Professional athletes tend to know this.

Aspirin- part 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Before you jump on the bandwagon of taking aspirin daily for the reduction of heart attacks, stroke and cancer, you really need to educate yourself on the actual benefits and side effects.   Like we showed last week, recent studies point toward no benefit in reducing heart attack with aspirin use.  In fact, use of aspirin by people who have not had a cardiac event seems to increase the incidence of heart attack.

Let’s start with the professed benefit of taking an aspirin a day. It is said to help prevent cardiovascular events, especially in a person who already has had a heart attack or stroke. A recent report came out saying aspirin prevents cancer when taken for at least 3 years. The process of thinning the blood so it can circulate more easily amongst clogged and narrowed arteries sure seems logical enough, if it only were true.

Aspirin- part 1

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

For many years, doctors have been prescribing aspirin therapy as a cheap, effective way to reduce cardiovascular events and improve survival after a heart attack. Neither of these is true.

Chewing two aspirin during a heart attack event has been shown to be very effective in reducing damage to the heart.  You must chew them, and it must be during the event.  That is not what we are talking about here.

Even low dose aspirin therapy has serious side effects that, just like statin drugs for cholesterol, overshadow any supposed benefit. The evidence in support of aspirin has always been weak, and over the last decade it has become even weaker.

The benefit purported by medicine for taking aspirin is that of its antiplatelet activity. They say that it helps save lives by reducing deaths from heart attacks.

Healing Laser Therapy

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Have you heard about the latest advance in pain relief?  It is called Class IV high power cold laser therapy.  Let’s take a look at the history of light therapy, what laser therapy is, what physiologic changes occur, what conditions benefit from its use and its safety and effectiveness.

Laser is an acronym.  It stands for Light Amplified by Stimulated Light Emission of Radiation.  It was theorized by Albert Einstein in 1916, invented by Theodore Maiman in 1960.  In 1967 Endre Mester discovered the bio stimulatory properties of laser light.

Peptic Ulcers or something else?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Is that pain in your abdomen just a belly ache, or could it be reflux or a peptic ulcer? How do you know?

A short term ache in the upper abdomen is usually just that, an upset stomach that passes quickly.

Pain in the upper abdomen that burns up into the chest and throat is most likely a reflux condition, actually caused by too little stomach acid. (See my website for an article on reflux on June 28, 2012.)

Peptic ulcers are a whole different problem. About seven percent of Americans are diagnosed with ulcers, some 16 million in total, and 500,000 new cases each year.

Obviously the stomach is at the bottom end of the esophagus. After the stomach, the upper part of the small intestine is next, called the duodenum. It is about 12 inches long. Glands inside the stomach produce acid and pepsin. The stomach also produces mucus to protect the stomach lining from the acid.

Cholesterol and Statins

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

It’s been a while since I’ve hit the cholesterol and statin drug topic. There are new research articles coming out all the time. Right now there is even disagreement in the medical community as to who benefits from statins and even if they are needed at all in some people.

For 40 years the medical community and the U.S. government have warned that eating cholesterol rich foods like eggs would raise our LDL and promote heart disease. Decades of research since then have failed to produce any correlation.

The guidelines are still misleading and wrong because the basic premise is faulty. Dietary fat is indeed associated with heart disease; BUT it is the processed vegetable oils and margarines which are loaded with trans-fats and omega 6 fatty acids that are the problem, not the animal fats and saturated fats which are beneficial to the heart.

Got a Charley Horse?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Have you ever had a charley horse? You know the muscle cramp in your calf that makes you jump straight out of bed. Why do they occur? Is it a deficiency in magnesium, calcium or potassium? Could it be your medications or a sign of a deeper problem?

According to recent research, about 1 in every 3 adults is affected by muscle cramps of the lower limbs. In most cases the pain is temporary and goes away on its own. Some people have severe regular cramping that interferes with sleep, daily activities and quality of life.

In a study of 500 people over 60 years old, 31 percent reported being woken up by muscle cramps and 15 percent had cramps more than 3 times each month.

Diet Soda and your Health

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

It feels like summer is fast approaching and we are thinking of fitting into swimming suits once again.  Some might feel that switching to diet soda is a way to cut calories, yet still enjoy the beverage.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news yet again, but it doesn’t work that way.  All soda has negative health effects, and should be consumed very sparingly, if ever. 

 

Pepsi has announced that Diet Pepsi will be switching from aspartame to sucralose, as the artificial sweetener.

So why is Pepsi Co switching?  As many studies over the years have shown, aspartame is just hazardous to your health. It is carcinogenic in many ways, and people are rejecting its use.

Dark Chocolate

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Since we are approaching the Easter season, many people celebrate with gifts of chocolates and candies. First, let’s remember why we have Easter celebrations. Secondly, we can look on the bright side of some of the candy we may consume.

Obviously, most candy is nothing but sugar and generally not what we look to eat regularly or in any serious amounts. Sugar in general is just not healthy and most candy is just that, not healthy.

What if I told you there is a sweet treat that is tasty and healthy? Of course I’m talking about dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains a high amount of cacao seeds, which is the secret to its healthfulness. The darker the chocolate the higher percentage of cacao, and the healthier it is. 

Actually raw cacao is the best option, but it is very bitter and not tolerated by most people. Choose a dark chocolate with 70% cacao or more for the best health benefits.

Gallbladder

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Most people know someone who has had gallbladder issues.  It is a common ailment causing many digestive problems from indigestion, heartburn and abdominal discomfort to vomiting, diarrhea and severe pain.

The gallbladder stores bile produced by your liver, and regulates the release of bile into the digestive tract, as needed. Bile emulsifies the fat we eat for better absorption in the bowel. It is the same mechanism for why we use soap detergent to clean greasy dishes. Without soap emulsifying the fat, it would never come off the dishes, right? The same goes for the bowel; unless the fat we eat is broken down, it is not absorbed and used to fuel our bodies. You are wrong if you think this sounds like a good diet plan; we need essential fats for fuel. In fact, most people should be eating more good fats to lose weight and for better health.

Low Dose Naltrexone part 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

In the last article, we introduced Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) as an important therapeutic breakthrough for those with diseases whose origins are rooted in a failed immune response, or autoimmune diseases, and other immune dysfunctions. LDN boosts the immune system, activating the body’s own natural defenses. (Go to my website TryChiropracticFirst.com to find the last article under 2 Cents 4 Health.)

LDN has demonstrated efficacy in thousands of cases and diseases. In all these cases where “the immune system plays a central role in the development of the disease, low blood levels of endorphins are generally present, contributing to disease associated immune deficiencies,” says the nonprofit website LowDoseNaltrexone.org.

Low Dose Naltrexone part 1

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

There aren’t many times when I’m excited for the possible uses of a prescription drug. Most medications have too many unintended consequences and treat symptoms rather than the cause of a particular disease. Health and recovery come from treating the causes of disease, whether that is inflammation, lack of essential nutrients, or physical inactivity. Obviously not all disease can be treated this way and medications are a necessary option if no others exist. Most times though, other options exist.

Opioid Use part 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

In the second part of this two column series on opioid use and abuse, we will cover some health issues caused by the drugs and what other remedies may be effective for pain control.

First, though, a recap is in order. Many politicians and doctors now regard opioid addiction as a ‘disease.’ Unfortunately, it is a disease knowingly created by the drug making industry with the federal governments’ permission. These are facts, based on admissions of falsely advertising their pills to doctors and patients in a court, and paying hundreds of millions in fines. The government is culpable because they believed the company’s initial lies and sanctioned their use to the public. Read the last article for an in depth review of these matters.

As it turns out, opioid drugs are very potent immune suppressors. They wreck your health from day one, leaving your health worse off by simply taking these drugs. It has been shown that these drugs cause an over stimulation of the opioid receptors, resulting in severe immune impairment.

According to Dr. Thomas Cowan from the Weston Price Foundation, “you will typically see that as soon as a patient starts taking opiates for chronic pain [or whatever reason] their health rapidly declines as their immune system becomes increasingly compromised.”

Opioid Use part 1

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

If you’ve read the national news or even picked up a local newspaper in the last year, you’ve heard of the opioid drug epidemic overcoming the nation. Do you know who is taking these drugs and how they are getting them? Are they prescription or illegal drugs, or both? Why are these drugs killing people? Do these drugs work for pain control and are there safer alternatives?

While any one reason may not be one hundred percent the cause, we can put a large amount of blame on the drug makers themselves. Oxycontin, Percocet, Duragesic and Fentanyl (a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin) are the brand names of these opioid drugs. Many believe the makers of these drugs need to be held accountable for this trend, especially since several have been caught lying about the benefits and risks of their drugs.  Heroin is the street drug of choice, but all the others are used and sold illicitly as well.

Let’s start with some statistics. In 2014, more than 28,000 people died from opioid overdoses. In 2013, 16,000 people died from prescribed opioid painkillers. A 2016 study showed a 300% increase in heroin use from 2003 to 2014, reaching 1 million users. Americans use 80% of the world’s opioid drugs. Alabama has the highest opioid prescription rates, 143 prescriptions per 100 people. As a result, more people now die from prescriptions of painkillers than die from street drugs like heroin. “The CDC states that addiction to painkillers is the strongest risk for heroin addiction, and among heroin users, 45% are also addicted to painkillers,” according to Dr. Mercola. How did we get to this point in America?

FluMist not effective?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

If you’ve read this column for any length of time, you know a frequent topic is vaccinations of any kind, but especially the treatment for influenza, aka the flu.

Unfortunately, many people actually believe recommendations from our governments Center for Disease Control (CDC).  They supposedly help people make important health decisions. For many years they have advocated that virtually every man, women and child be vaccinated yearly for the flu.

As recently as last year the CDC recommended that “either vaccine is appropriate (the shot or the nasal spray) for people age 2 through 49.” But, in a complete reversal of itself from last year, the CDC advisory committee now says that the nasal spray vaccine, known as FluMist, NOT be used. How can it be that one year it works and the next year doesn’t?