“Be
anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto
God.”
(Philippians 4:6)
Anxious For Nothing
Dear Friends,
Greetings! We would like to thank all of you who have responded to our appeal letter, “The Laborer “ as well as those of you who have faithfully helped to support this ministry over the years.
We are about half way to our goal and want to continue to ask those of you who can, to help us with a monthly pledge of support.
If you have not read our appeal letter you can do so by clicking on this link, "The Laborer" . It explains what goes into the making People of the Keys each week.
God bless you and thank you for your help.
***
Godreports
Could Christians be fooled by the antichrist?
February 24, 2016
By Mark Ellis
Some thought Adolph Hitler might be the antichrist
In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul teaches that before the Day of the Lord the antichrist will be revealed. This coming world ruler will attract followers from all over the world with his magnetic personality.
He will be a financial and political genius.
In Daniel 7 he is referred to as the “man of sin, the “little horn.” Daniel wrote, “This horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.”
He will be boastful and egotistical, a megalomaniac in his quest for world power. He will come preaching peace. But Daniel says, “through peace he will destroy many.” (Daniel 8:25)
His authority will be overpowering, his hatreds intense, his political techniques first rate. The news media will not be able to resist covering his every move and pronouncement – however outrageous.
A magnetic personality fooled many
He will be a master deceiver, able to make many people think good is bad and bad is good. During his administration, everyone will receive an ID number. You won’t be able to buy food or anything else unless you have this government-issued ID.
You may be thinking, “He won’t deceive me!” The Bible says, “He will deceive the very elect, if it were possible.”
Antichrist’s extraordinary ego will soak up the adulation and worship from his followers. Like his father the devil, what he ultimately wants is worship.
Paul wrote that he “takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” Some interpreters understand that to refer to a rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem on or near The Dome of the Rock.
Other scholars think the temple of God may refer to the church, since Paul calls the church the temple of God elsewhere.
Paul wrote that the antichrist will be restrained until the right moment. “And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”
Paul says someone or something is restraining this coming world ruler, until just the right time. Who or what is
Will he take his seat in a rebuilt Jewish temple?
this restrainer? Some scholars believe it refers to the Roman Empire or governments that succeed the Roman Empire.
Others believe the restrainer is the church. Other scholars believe it is the Holy Spirit working through the church. And still others think this restrainer could be Michael the Archangel.
Whoever or whatever the restrainer is, the restrainer functions to make sure the antichrist is revealed in his time and not before. But right now Paul says, even before he appears on the world stage, the mystery of lawlessness is at work.
What’s behind the mystery of lawlessness? This is the spirit of antichrist that has been at work throughout history. It has a venomous hatred toward believers. This spirit attacks Christians (and Jews) and tries to undermine God’s plan.
Ephesians 6 tells us there are spiritual forces of evil at work in the invisible, supernatural realm. These demonic entities deceive and lie and try to undermine and destroy Christian leaders, Christian marriages, Christian ministries, and Christian homes.
What is behind the rise of teen suicide? I believe this same mystery of lawlessness seeks to destroy young people using drugs or depression, lies and deception, to drag young people into a pit of darkness and despair.
The only hope for any of us is another mystery – the mystery of godliness, which is: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Praise God the mystery of godliness will defeat the mystery of lawlessness.
Right now there’s a restrainer at work. God has said to the devil, “You can go so far, but no further.” God still has the world in His control. No matter what the devil does, no matter how evil his plots and schemes, God is still in control.
God is unfolding his ultimate plan—and those plans will result in the final, triumphant return of Jesus.
And when he returns he will destroy the antichrist with just one word from his mouth – actually, just the breath from his mouth. With one word, God created the universe. And with less than a word, just a breath, he defeats the antichrist.
Paul warned about the antichrist’s deception. “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Paul tells us the antichrist, empowered by Satan, will use powerful signs and wonders to deceive those who are perishing. Satan threw everything he could at Jesus before Satan was defeated at the cross. Now the devil throws everything he has at humanity before Jesus returns.
Paul says the signs and wonders are false — not because they’re not real — but because they have nothing to do with the truth and advancing the gospel. Satan’s goal, through antichrist, is to deceive people with these signs and wonders and take them away from the truth.
So this should stand as a warning to people of faith. Don’t make signs and wonders the basis for your faith or the foundation for the truth you believe. And keep a wary eye on the political stage for politicians bearing a false witness and carrying a magnetic appeal.
***
STEVE QUAYLE.com
FROM MY BRIGADIER GENERAL FRIEND RETIRED, RESIDING OUT OF COUNTRY :A GENERALS WARNING-COPYRIGHT CLAIMED MAY BE SHARED PROVIDED LINK BACK TO MY ALERTS
Hi Steve,
Please put this in the “I need to get this off my chest” category. I know you know most (if not all) of this, but I believe, as a somewhat recently retired US Army General, I have an obligation to put this out there.
We have all heard it said that generals are always fighting the last war. I did not find that true during my military career. In fact, I found the opposite. There were many exceptionally smart men and women who strained to look through fog, into the future, in anticipation of what would come next. The problem is, this is extremely difficult to do.
Do you think post-World War II (and to some extent post-Korean War) planners could have envisioned the Viet Nam War?
Do you think the post-Vietnam planners could have foreseen kicking in doors in Afghanistan and Iraq?
What do you think post Afghanistan/Iraq planners are envisioning next?
As you know, the Pentagon has war plans for multiple contingencies….along with concomitant branches and sequels. Some predict total war, but those plans rarely see the public eye. With today’s technologies and weaponry, it is too difficult to fathom that any nation would go down this path. Besides, anyone in a position of power, who publicly predicted such a war--- and urged immediate preparation-- would likely see his/her career end rather quickly.
Yet sadly, history would indicate total war is the most likely next outcome.
Those who fought the last total war, (World War II) have mostly passed. Those who remain have seen their voices grow dim. We are now in the fourth generation from World War II…and all current US generations have come to believe the following about war:
· Wars are protracted affairs that can last a decade or more.
· Wars are low-level conflicts.
· Wars do not affect the general populace of the US. (We bomb others, they don’t bomb us.)
· Only a few are needed to prosecute a war. (Currently, less than one half of one percent of our population have served in the military.)
· War is good for economy.
· The status quo is maintained regardless of war’s outcome.
· God is on our side.
If history is any guide, all of the above beliefs will be shattered during the next war.
Steve, there are historical “war cycles.” Not every war can be total (WW II), or a stand-off (Korea), or swiftly-victorious-but-without change (Desert Storm), or indecisive (Vietnam/Iraq/Afghanistan). There is a rhyme and rhythm to human conflict and we are on course for total war. Strauss and Howe do an excellent job of explaining such cycles in their 1997 classic book, The Fourth Turning.
With that said, I believe the next war will:
· Last only 2-3 weeks.
· Be a high-level conflict where more people will die than in all previous wars combined.
· See the general US population targeted (and stunned) at the devastation.
· Affect everyone—not just those in uniform.
· Decimate the economy. Those not killed directly will struggle to survive post-hostilities.
· Destroy the status quo and usher in a new order.
· Make manifest that God is no longer on our side. We chose to abandon Him, so He honored our free will.
The reality is, Americans have not fared well at the beginning of most wars. We get caught off-guard, stumble, and suffer casualties we should not suffer. Our strength is in our ability to recover and adapt. As a people---and as a military—we have proven ourselves able to adjust “on the fly” and overcome overwhelming odds.
This trait is not lost on our enemies. Their solution? Win before we can adjust. Attack so hard and so fast, we cannot get up. The Japanese had this idea at Pearl Harbor, but did not have the means to execute the strategy. Today’s weapons/technology allow for such a strategy to be successful.
The difficulty for most American leaders is that they have been brought up to believe there is a linear path to things such as civilization’s progress, economic growth, cultural achievement, technological advancement, military improvement, and so on. Yet, this has never been the case. Things cycle. The ancients knew this. Our founding fathers knew this.
Linear thinking is a relatively new mindset…fueled and reinforced in large part by the industrial and technological revolutions. And, while the material achievements have been amazing, and seemingly straight up, the human condition has not changed. Like everything in nature, human behavior cycles.
(As an aside, the Romans also believed technological advances were linear and destined to grow to the sky. Yet, after the Empire fell, Europe forgot how to make concrete for over 700 years. When Rome fell, knowledge was lost in the areas of health care, architecture, hygiene, plumbing, engineering, etc. This knowledge was not recovered until centuries later. Thus, even technology cycles, if you look back far enough.)
The point is, among other things, industrial and technological advances have reinforced a false belief-system that past is prologue….despite overwhelming historical evidence to the contrary. The result is, we are careening down a destructive path that many Americans can “feel”, but cannot articulate.
This is not intended as fear mongering…there is plenty of non-substantiated nonsense out there. As hard as this is to write, however, there is substantial evidence to indicate total war is on the horizon. I believe future historians will look back and say, “How could they have not seen the path they were on?”
Your website has offered many solutions of what people should do. Your recent prepper articles have been outstanding. Of course, the best way to live through total war is to not participate. Given this, what can the average American do?
· Leave the battlefield, which in total war, is the entire nation. Go south of the equator.
· If you can’t leave the country, leave the urban areas.
· Prepare as best you can for the war and its aftermath.
· Get right with God.
· Be attuned to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The early Christians were told via visions, dreams, & prophets to flee before the Romans sacked the city in 70 AD.
There is another issue. Your readers are going to have to make a judgment call as to whether the next war is a “God’s judgment war”. If you determine in the affirmative, then your bravery, good intentions, self-sacrifice, and noble deeds will be in vain. You will not be fighting a foreign foe. You will be fighting His will. You will lose. And please, do not fall into the trap that “at least we are better than the other guys”. The Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians were not saints, yet God used them to judge ancient Israel and Judah.
Thankfully Steve, you get it…and have gotten it for a long time. You are trying to save lives, both in the physical and the eternal. I am merely adding my voice to yours. I hope this small contribution will convince those who are on the fence to recognize the current situation and take appropriate action.
Is there hope? Of course…but it would require repentance and revival on scale we have not seen for a long time in the US. Fast and pray.
Your friend in Christ
Greg
BG, Retired
THE SPECTATOR
Written by Meaghan Bitters, Staff Writer
Imagine a world where people can enter buildings and turn on machines using a tiny microchip in their hands. Well, that future—at least for Sweden—isn’t too far out.
A few office workers in Sweden are being injected with a microchip the size of a grain of rice “that will open doors, turn on machines and serve as a business card,” according to Q13 Fox.
The Swedish company plans to eventually have the chip allow workers to pay for their meals at the office café as well. Epicenter is a high-tech office complex in Sweden. The point of this product is to test the efficiency of the technology.
“We want to be able to understand this technology before big corporates and big government come to us and say everyone should get chipped – the tax authority chip, the Google or Facebook chip,” Hannes Sjoblad, chief disruption officer of Epicenter, said.
Government microchips are already a concern in America. NBC has reported their prediction of all Americans being micro-chipped by 2017. According to the recently passed H.R. 4872 bill, the implantable radiofrequency transponder system is intended to enable access to patient identification and health information. The bill also states that manufacturers of the microchips have to complete certain government testing requirements and submit a premarket notification before putting them on the market.
Such testing includes: biocompatibility, information security, software validation, migration testing of implanted responder, performance testing of implanted transponder, performance testing of inserter, performance testing and hazard analysis of electronic scanner, electromagnetic compatibility, electrical safety performance testing, sterility, magnetic resonance imaging compatibility, and labeling for any precautions for packaging and sterility.
Accusations of the government chipping all Americans and being able to locate people by their chip cannot be confirmed. As of now, the only information that can be confirmed is that the FDA has approved radiofrequency identification devices that enable access to patient identification and provide corresponding health information. Basically, these chips would be able to confirm the person to be who they say they are; an implanted social security, or health insurance card. More advanced chips that serve as a debit card are likely to be created in the future.
***
BUSINESS INSIDER
STRATFOR: A world without cash is looking inevitable
Bob Bryan
Feb. 29, 2016, 5:20 PM
Anti-austerity protesters burn euro notes during a demonstration outside the European Union (EU) offices in Athens, Greece June 28, 2015.
Physical currency is going extinct, according to Stratfor.
In a recent paper, the global forecaster said that the world is on a march to a cashless society and even if there are setbacks the endgame is inevitable.
"All of these trends, allied with the unstoppable progress of technology, will likely make cashless transactions ever more prevalent in the global economy, especially as the emerging economies of Africa and India embrace concepts such as mobile banking," said the note.
The pronouncement was driven by a spat of news regarding the elimination of high denomination currencies.
The euro zone is nearing a decision to eliminate the 500 euro note and Harvard professor Larry Summers has recently called for the end of the $100 bill in the US.
Both moves are being presented as a way to combat criminal activity as few everyday transactions are done in high denomination currency. But according to Stratfor this is simply one part of a larger trend.
"Obviously, technological advancements are making cash-free transactions easier than ever before, but there are also distinct structural advantages to a cashless economy that make it more appealing in today's regulatory environment," said the note.
There were a 2 major economic shifts Stratfor highlighted:
1. Negative interest rates: With countries in Europe and Japan venturing into the never-before-seen area of negative interest rates, Stratfor said that a cashless society eliminates one of the biggest concern of the move. Theoretically, if banks charge consumers to hold money, then consumers will drain their account and hold everything in cash. "Electronic money eliminates this threat, of course, since money that cannot be held physically cannot be withdrawn," said Stratfor. "In theory, then, a cashless society frees up central banks to explore an entirely new set of financial tools, which could be useful in fighting the low inflation that has so far defied already unprecedentedly low interest rates."
2. The rising use of capital controls: "The link between capital controls and a cashless society is simple. A geographically remote country such as Iceland, an island in the middle of the Atlantic, can easily impose restrictions on the movement of capital. It is harder, however, to stop a determined Greek national from crossing the Bulgarian border with a backpack full of 500-euro notes. As more countries consider capital controls a possibility — and much of Europe must at least consider the possibility of finding itself in Greece's position — the attraction of a cashless society becomes stronger."
Additionally, Stratfor said this would make it easier for countries to accurately track incomes, making tax dodging more difficult.
There will be some pushback, the firm concedes, especially from countries that have had a traumatic monetary experience in the past (think hyperinflation in Germany after the World Wars). But the 500 euro note will soon be eliminated and in Stratfor's view, this will be just the first domino to fall.
"Of course, widespread monetary trauma or a loss of faith in central institutions could drive citizens back to cash or even into gold, "the firm writes. "But such retreats will only slow the trend; they are unlikely to reverse it."
***
Mirror
Scientists claim they can create babies without men by injecting eggs with artificial sperm
The Chinese team says the new discovery could pave the way for exciting new treatments to boost male fertility
17:00, 25 FEB 2016
UPDATED 10:11, 26 FEB 2016
BY JOHN VON RADOWITZ
Ground-breaking: Scientists say they have created mouse babies using artificial sperm
Scientists have claimed they have found a way for women to have babies without men by creating artificial sperm.
The team from China claim they have created healthy mouse babies by injecting laboratory-made sperm into eggs to produce mouse offspring.
The scientists claim their stem cell technique could pave the way for new treatments for male fertility.
But British experts have called for the results to be independently verified and pointed out that any practical application is likely to be a long way off.
The mouse cells produced were technically "spermatids" - undeveloped sperm that lack tails and cannot swim.
Yet when they were injected into mouse eggs, mimicking a common
IVF technique called Icsi (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), they delivered viable embryos and healthy, fertile babies.
In the UK, using spermatids in the same way to produce a pregnancy would be illegal.
Dr Jiahao Sha, from Nanjing Medical University, who co-led the research, published the results in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Stem Cell.
He said: "If proven to be safe and effective in humans, our platform could potentially generate fully functional sperm for artificial insemination or in-vitro fertilisation techniques.
"Because currently available treatments do not work for many couples, we hope that our approach could substantially improve success rates for male infertility."
The scientists began with stem cells taken from mouse embryos which were exposed to a carefully mixed cocktail of chemicals.
This triggered their transformation into primordial germ cells, the first step on the developmental path to becoming sperm.
Next, the germ cells were exposed to testicular cells and testosterone in an attempt to mimic the natural environment of the testes.
When the resulting spermatids were injected into mouse eggs, they proved capable of producing embryos that developed normally.
Scientists have previously taken early steps in the process of creating artificial sperm and eggs in the laboratory.
In 2011 a Japanese team produced mouse germ cells from stem cells which eventually developed into healthy viable sperm, but only after they were injected into the testicles of male mice.
Infertility affects around 15% of couples and can be traced to the man in about a third of cases.
A major cause of male infertility is the failure of pre-cursor cells in the testes to undergo a special type of cell division called meiosis.
In 2014 a team of distinguished reproductive biologists writing in the journal Cell proposed a set of "gold standard" criteria to prove that all the essential steps of meiosis have taken place in artificially created eggs or sperm.
They included showing evidence of correct DNA content in the cell nucleus at specific meiotic stages, normal chromosome number and organisation, and the ability of the engineered cells to produce viable offspring.
The Chinese team claims to have passed all these tests.
Dr Sha said: "Our method fully complies with the gold standards recently proposed by a consensus panel of reproductive biologists, so we think that it holds tremendous promise for treating male infertility."
Scientists in the UK praised the "mammoth" achievement of their Chinese colleagues but said there were still many obstacles to be overcome before sperm-like cells grown in the laboratory could be of use to infertile men.
Professor Richard Sharpe, from the Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh, said safety was a major issue.
"Bear in mind that if germ cells do not format their DNA correctly, it may not only affect the resulting individual but might also affect the next generation," he pointed out.
Allan Pacey, Professor of Andrology at the University of Sheffield, said the study was an "interesting step forward".
But he added: "It's important to note that the sperm-like cells produced in the study were not fully mature sperm as we might know them. "
"In spite of these encouraging results, we are still some way from immediately applying this technique as a potential cure for human male infertility," he continued.
"It remains to be seen if this technique could be applied in humans to create sperm-like cells that might be usable in IVF."
(And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. Romans 1:23,26)
***
WND
BEETLE-MANIA! BUG INVASION OF 'BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS'
'The end of times is near ... they can sense it'
Published: March 2, 2016
DOUGLAS ERNST
A black horde of beetles has arrived on Argentinian shores near Buenos Aires
A giant black mass of beetles invading Argentinian beaches has local citizens worried about the apocalypse.
Frogs, lice, flies, locusts and other calamities once plagued Egypt, and now resorts near Buenos Aires are dealing with their own infestation of biblical proportions.
Social-media sites have erupted with warnings of “impending doom,” the U.K. Mirror reported Wednesday. One man said those experiencing the swarm realize “the end of times is near … they can sense it.”
The newspaper said a user identified as khnagar had a much simpler explanation for the beetles’ arrival: science.
“It looks like Black Maize Beetle (Heteronychus Arator), which are known for having mass flights in the summer/autumn where they mate and all that,” the observer noted. “Or it’s some similar type of beetle. They only live for a few days at that stage after crawling out of the ground. So a lot of beetles flew, got swept out to sea by the winds, and then came back to the beach, most of them dead or dying. Most likely scenario I can come up with.”
Whether the beetles are a sign that God will soon smite Argentina, or just a scientific marvel, citizens are making money on the insects.
Entrepreneurial Argentinians are allegedly selling the beetles for $30 per pound. They claim that secretions from the insect boost the human immune system and aide it in combating everything from asthma to AIDS, the Mirror reported.
***
***
Natural News
Medical tyranny comes to Colorado: Law would demand names and addresses of unvaccinated children be registered with the state
Friday, February 26, 2016 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
See the full text of the proposed bill at this link. It was sponsored by representative Pabon in the House, and Aguilar and Humenik in the state Senate.
Over the last few years, the for-profit vaccine industry has increasingly turned to state coercion to intimidate and criminalize parents who seek to protect their children from vaccines. Even as vaccines have been proven to cause widespread brain damage in children as openly admitted by the UK government last year -- and now the American College of Pediatricians is warning about the harmful side effects of Gardasil -- some Colorado lawmakers think the state government should force these toxic injections onto children in total defiance of the preferences and beliefs of their parents.
The CDC openly admits that vaccines contain multiple brain-damaging chemical adjuvants and preservatives, including neurotoxic mercury, aluminum, MSG and formaldehyde. My own laboratory tests on flu shots showed they contained over 50,000 ppb mercury, which is 25,000 times the mercury limit in drinking water set by the EPA. Perhaps this helps explain why so many young girls die after receiving HPV vaccine shots.
The state owns your children
Colorado government, like California government, essentially believes that the state owns your children and can therefore do anything it wants to them. The march toward medical tyranny is a rapid one, and immediately after the passage of SB 277 in California, the state's Secretary of Health and Human Services, Diana S. Dooley, announced that all California children should be injected with mercury vaccines because the state ran out of mercury-free vaccines.
Many Colorado citizens are up in arms over this latest attempt and government-run medical tyranny. "House Bill 1164 is designed to circumvent the law protecting privacy and bully people into every vaccine on the market," said Colorado mom Pam Long as reported by CBS Denver.
Even parents that are pro-vaccine are still opposed to this government tracking bill. "I have the freedom to report what I’m going to do with my children or not," said another local citizen as reported by CBS Denver. "I don’t think it’s the government’s business."
The march of vaccine tyranny continues across America thanks to wildly corrupt government and a sellout mainstream media that participated in absolute censorship of the CDC whistleblower Dr. William Thompson. He openly admitted to taking part in CDC science fraud to alter data and cover up any statistical link showing that vaccines cause autism in African-American boys. There isn't a single mainstream media outlet that covered that story... even though it was one of the most historic whistleblower stories in the history of medicine.
Now, lawmakers in Colorado are marching down that same road of science fraud, suppression of factual truth and the stripping away of medical choice from parents. Medical tyranny is alive and well in Colorado, and it's no longer just a theoretical fear that they're coming for your children. It's about to become state law.
Take action: OPPOSE this medical tyranny law in Colorado!
The HSLDA has published an excellent action strategy to oppose House Bill 1164.
From the HSLDA website:
HSLDA supports the right of parents to make health decisions and maintain records without needless government intrusion. That is why we oppose this legislation. We encourage you to share your opinion on H.B. 1164 with members of the House Health, Insurance and Environment Committee using the following message in your own words:
“I oppose H.B. 1164 because it would needlessly centralize sensitive private health information in a government database. Some states like Michigan and Indiana have used centralized information like this to scare parents into obtaining non-required health services (e.g. HPV vaccines where they are not required). This kind of bill would make it too easy for pharmaceutical companies to use government data for their own profit-making activities. The bill imposes unnecessary burdens on schools and parents to report sensitive and private health-related information that could be exposed to hacking or other inappropriate purposes. Please vote against H.B. 1164 in committee. Thank you.”
Make no mistake: The government of Colorado wants to register unvaccinated children for the same reason they want to register gun owners. It's all about tracking, intimidating and ultimately outlawing individualism while demanding absolute obedience to a totalitarian state.
Sources for this article include:
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2016/02/25/bill-w...
http://www.hslda.org/cms/?q=bill/house-bill-...
http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2016A/...
http://www.naturalnews.com/049423_swine_flu_...
http://www.naturalnews.com/051622_swine_flu_...
http://www.naturalnews.com/053043_Gardasil_v...
http://www.naturalnews.com/037653_vaccine_ad...
http://www.naturalnews.com/045418_flu_shots_...
http://www.naturalnews.com/052142_flu_shots_...
http://www.naturalnews.com/046630_cdc_whistl...***
PRESSTV (This is the real reason for the war in Syria. Ed)
US wants Assad out for not backing Qatari pipeline: Kennedy
Thu Mar 3, 2016 11:47PM
American attorney and nephew of US President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Washington’s intention to overthrow Syria's legitimate and democratically-elected President Bashar al-Assad results from his refusal to back a Qatari gas pipeline project, an attorney says.
According to an article published by Politico on Thursday, American attorney and nephew of US President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., wrote that the US decided to topple Assad after he declined to back a gas pipeline project of the Qatari government.
The project was aimed at building a gas link from Qatar through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Turkey to Europe.
The $10 billion pipeline project first surfaced in 2000 and the CIA went ahead with the plan until nine years later Assad announced that he would not support the pipeline initiative, a move that could grant Qatar direct access to European energy markets via terminals in Turkey.
“Soon after that the CIA began funding opposition groups in Syria," said Kennedy.
“If completed, the project would have had major geopolitical implications. Ankara would have profited from rich transit fees. The project would have also given the Sunni kingdoms of the Persian Gulf decisive domination of world natural gas markets and strengthen Qatar, America's closest ally in the Arab world," he noted.
Kennedy added that the pipeline would have also strengthened Saudi Arabia by giving the kingdom additional leverage against Iran.
In a separate interview with Sputnik, Kennedy said, “If we study the history of America’s relation with Mideast and looking at the US’ violent intervention in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt over time and the extraordinary and astonishing thing is the solid record of the cataclysmic failure every time we venture there in violent fashion. Most Americans are completely unaware of us attempting to overthrow the democratically elected government in Syria, contrary to our own state department policy and contrary to American values.”
Since March 2011, the United States and its regional allies, in particular Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, have been conducting a proxy war against Syria. The years-long conflict has left somewhere between 270,000 to 470,000 Syrians dead and half of the country’s population displaced.
(“From whence [come] wars and fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.”) James 4:1-3
***
EXPRESS
REVEALED: SECRET MAP SHOWS WHAT CONTINENT REALLY THINKS OF ‘DOOMED’ EU
EUROPE is turning against Brussels with anti-EU feeling spreading through the Continent - as our exclusive map today reveals
Caroline Wheeler
FEBRUARY 28, 2016
Optimism about the EU’s future has plummeted in all but three of the 28 member states, most strikingly in the Netherlands and Germany, where people are now overwhelmingly negative about the outlook for the union.
According to the latest figures from the EU’s own Eurobarometer survey, the scale of optimism is lowest in Greece, where just 34 per cent are upbeat about the future of the EU, compared with 63 per cent who are pessimistic.
In Cyprus fewer than four in 10 – 37 per cent – are positive about the EU’s prospects, compared with 58 per cent who are negative.
In Austria 37 per cent are optimistic, compared with 56 per cent who are pessimistic.
***
SOUTH FRONT
HOLLANDE WANTS POLAND’S EU MEMBERSHIP SUSPENDED
Editor's choiceEurope 02.03.2016
Original published by pch24.pl; translation by J.Hawk
French president Francois Hollande said in a France Inter radio interview that Brussels ought to take a hard line against EU members who are governed by right-wing parties. Such as Poland.
–EU membership can be suspended because Europe has treaty-guaranteed legal measures which may be applied to prevent violations of democratic principles, Hollande said.
He also added that “when media freedoms are threatened, or constitutions or laws are violated, Europe cannot act simply as a safety net, but ought to implement procedures to eliminate such countries due to their violations.”
Hollande is in favor of far-reaching monitoring and “preventive control” over proposed changes to Polish laws. The European Commission began the “rule of law protective procedure” on December 13 against Poland due to the Constitutional Tribunal confusion.
In 2000, 14 EU member states introduced political sanctions against Austria for 8 months after Austria’s ruling coalition invited Joerg Haider’s Freedom Party. EU countries froze official contacts with Austrian government representatives. However, as Die Welt wrote just before the sanctions were lifted, European Commission maintained normal relations with Austria’s representatives. Which is why it undertook to mediate in the matter of restrictions.
Haider offended some EU countries by praising Nazi labor policies and claiming that concentration camps were ordinary prison camps. He died in a car crash in 2008.
Hollande’s current comments appear as his popularity is dramatically decreasing. According to recent polls, 74% of the French do not want him or his predecessor Sarkozy to run for election in 2017.
A survey published last month by Le Parisien, 56% intend to support Alain Juppe. 38% would support the current PM Manuel Valls or the National Front leader Marine Le Pen.
***
BREITBART
Cameron Wants to Vet Foreign Leaders’ Speeches In Case They Damage ‘In’ Campaign
by NICK HALLETT
2 Mar 2016831
The British Prime Minister wants world leaders to send him any speeches they plan to make on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU) so they can be vetted to make sure they do not undermine his campaign to prevent Brexit.
In a bid to gain control over what the British public hear ahead of June’s referendum, aides to David Cameron have asked that foreign leaders consult them before speaking on Brexit in case they inadvertently boost the “Leave” campaign.
The plan was exposed by one of Mr Cameron’s closest advisors at a lunch last week when he told gathered diplomats from other EU nations they had already made a similar request to the White House.
“The people need to be aware that there’s an impact in the U.K. debate about what they’re saying in their own countries,” Downing Street advisor Daniel Korski said, according to Politico Europe.
“If a leader stands up and says something to their own parliament — it won’t just play in their own domestic media, it will make it to the U.K.”
Also, despite spending months attempting to negotiate a new deal for Britain in the EU, the Prime Minister will barely mention the deal at all during the campaign and instead focus on more general arguments about how the UK is supposedly “stronger, safer and better off” in the EU.
There are already signs that interventions by foreign leaders pleading with Britain to stay in the EU are backfiring. A petition calling on US President Barack Obama to stay out of the debate has now gathered over 15,000 signatures following reports he was planning a “big, public reach-out” to tell Brits to vote against Brexit.
John Kerry had already caused controversy by saying America had a “profound interest” in a “strong UK staying inside a strong European Union”.
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg responded: “The intervention of patronising foreign potentates such as Kerry… can only help the Leave campaign.
“They speak to their national interest not ours so will antagonise the freedom loving British voter.”
***
WAKING TIMES
Science Explains How Complaining is Negatively Altering Your Brain
Alex Pietrowski, Staff
March 3, 2016
Listening to someone complain, even if it’s yourself, has never done anyone any good. Some people say that it may act as a catharsis, a way to let go of negative emotions and experiences, and maybe letting it all out once in a while does feel good, but taking a closer look at what complaining actually does to the brain gives us even more cause to strive for a positive frame of mind and cut out the complaining.
“Synapses That Fire Together Wire Together”
The brain is a complex physical organ that somehow works in tandem with consciousness to create the personality of a human being, always learning, always re-creating and re-generating itself. It is both the product of reality and the creator of reality, and science is finally beginning to understand how the brain actually creates reality.
Author, computer scientist and philosopher, Steven Parton, examined the ways in which negative emotions in the form of complaining, both expressed by the self and experienced from others, affect the brain and body, coming up with a number of keen observations that help us to understand why some people can’t seem to get out of a negative mood.
His theory suggests that negativity and complaining actually physically alters the structure and function of the mind and body.
“Synapses that fire together wire together,” says Parton, which is a concise way of understanding the essence of neuroplasticity, the science of how the brain re-wires itself based on whatever it is repetitively exposed to. Negativity and complaining breeds more of the same, as this theory points out.
Parton explains further:
“The principle is simple: Throughout your brain there is a collection of synapses separated by empty space called the synaptic cleft. Whenever you have a thought, one synapse shoots a chemical across the cleft to another synapse, thus building a bridge over which an electric signal can cross, carrying along its charge the relevant information you’re thinking about.
…Every time this electrical charge is triggered, the synapses grow closer together in order to decrease the distance the electrical charge has to cross…. The brain is rewiring its own circuitry, physically changing itself, to make it easier and more likely that the proper synapses will share the chemical link and thus spark together–in essence, making it easier for the thought to trigger.”
Furthermore, his understanding of this process includes the idea that the electrical connections most utilized by the brain will become shorter, and therefore more frequently chosen for use by the brain. This is how one’s personality is altered.
However, as conscious beings, we have the power to affect this process, simply by being aware of how the universal play of duality is at work in the nascent moments of thoughts. We have the power to choose to generate thoughts from the consciousness of love, over fear, thereby ensuring that the brain and personality are positively altered.
Empathy and the Mob Effect
There is more to this action than just the effect that complaining has on the self. This line of scientific reasoning extends to the dynamics between two-people, giving scientific understanding of how one’s complaining brings other people down.
Mirror-neurons ensure that we learn from our environment, and are the essential bio-chemical element of empathy. The brain relates to what another person is expressing, and the empathic portion of ourselves responds by ‘trying on’ this emotion as an attempt to relate to and understand the externally unfolding drama.
So, when a person enters and drops a huge boatload of gossip, negativity and drama on you, you can be assured that it is affecting you bio-chemically, and is decreasing your chances of actually being happy. Exposure to this kind of emotional outburst actually causes stress, and because stress kills, complaining and negativity may seriously be contributing to your early demise.Parton refers to this outlook as ‘the science of happiness,’ and the example of the behavior of complaining does make a fitting case study for the connection between the power of thought and the amount of control a person can exert on the creation of our shared, three-dimensional reality.
(“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things”. Philippians 4:8)
***
Natural Blaze
New Preschool Teaches Gardening And Urban Farming
By John Vibes
A new preschool is teaching children gardening and urban farming, and many of their classes are hands-on, working on an actual farm.
Edoardo Capuzzo Dolcetta and a team of other designers have been working to bring children closer to nature during their studies and teach them skills that they will actually need in the real world.
Dolcetta’s team, which includes Gabriele Capobianco, Davide Troiana, and Jonathan Lazar, recently gained attention for their ideas when they won the AWR International Ideas Competition.
They won the competition with a proposal called “Nursery Fields Forever,” which is a classroom and lesson plan that merges farming education with academic learning.
“We think that kids should enjoy nature. So we designed this strange school: No classrooms, but open spaces where vegetables grow inside and animals can come in too. It’s a mixing of the two things, school and nature,” Dolcetta said.
“We tried to make a different way to learn. So not reading a book, or listening to a teacher, but experience directly based on practice. A typical school has desks and chairs—in our school, there are not these things. And there’s the freedom to stay inside or go outside,” Capuzzo added.
The layout of the school is designed in such a way where the schoolhouse overlooks the farm.
This may be one of the most ambitious plans for a farming pre-school so far, but this is actually not a new idea. There is already a similar school that exists in Norway, and an urban farm school that recently opened in Asheville, North Carolina.
Also, group called Tiny Trees Preschool from Seattle, Washington will be starting a new program in September of 2016 that will teach outdoor preschool classes in 9 different parks around the city.
The Urban Farm School in Ashville is a bit different because it is primarily for older students and not preschool students. However, teaching such skills to children at a young age will undoubtedly make it easier for them to carry those skills on to adulthood.
This article (New Preschool Teaches Children Gardening And Urban Farming) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com.
John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can purchase his books, or get your own book published at his website www.JohnVibes.com.
ALTERNET (Edited from longer article. Ed)
Two-Thirds of All Shoppers Are Tricked by the Word 'Natural' at the Supermarket—Are You One of Them?
There's a gigantic food labeling scandal going on. Now there’s a campaign to get the FDA to ban it.
By Reynard Loki
March 2, 2016
A recent Consumer Reports study shows that nearly two-thirds of shoppers are being misled to believe the label “natural” on food packages means more than it does — including that the foods are free of GMOs, hormones, pesticides or artificial ingredients. But the truth is, these foods often contain the ingredients and chemicals consumers are trying to avoid.
As an example, some “natural" shredded cheese contains natamycin, a pesticide. And “natural" fruit snacks can contain artificial preservatives like potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. Consumers shouldn’t be misled in this way, and now there is a campaign to get the U.S. Food & Drug Administration either to fix the label "natural," or ban it altogether. In response to a petition filed by Consumer Reports, the FDA is asking for public comment (through May 10, 2016) on what the word natural should mean on food packaging.
I had a chance to speak with Urvashi Rangan, the executive director of the Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Center, who is leading the organization’s fight for clearer food labeling, about the new study and campaign.
Reynard Loki: What’s the problem with the “natural” label on food products?
Urvashi Rangan: “Natural” is one of the most misleading labels that's out on the marketplace. Year after year when we have asked consumers about what they think it means, they think it means more than it does. We have spent the last 15 years or so reading labels on foods. We've been educating people about what natural doesn't mean for a really long time. We even give that information for free because we believe it’s a public service.
RL: In December, Consumer Reports conducted a national phone survey to assess consumer opinion regarding the labeling of food. What did you find?
UR: With the case of “natural,” with nearly two-thirds of consumers looking to buy that food, and thinking that it means something specific, we've been able to quantify the percentage of consumers who are mislead by the natural claim. In the story, we report what consumer expectations are around natural. There's what they think it means, and a good majority are being misled to think that it means something it doesn't: no GMO's, no artificial ingredients, no pesticides, for example.
Then you ask them what they think it should mean, and almost an overwhelming majority think it should mean no chemicals used during processing, no artificial ingredients, no toxic pesticides, no GMOs. We've been helping to educate consumers about that for a long time. We've kicked that up a little bit in the last two years by really focusing on this particular label as a bad actor.
RL: Have you targeted any specific food brands that are misleading the public with the natural label?
UR: In this latest article we've pointed out seven major brands that are selling products that have a natural label on it, highlighting why it is we think they don't really comport with what people think of as natural, and marrying that to our new survey findings which shows that people continue to be misled by the natural label.
RL: Someone could just look at the ingredients and find out that something's not natural in that food. But it wouldn't list pesticides that may have been used on one or more of the ingredients.
UR: Yeah, that's true. And sometimes it isn’t so easy to figure out if an ingredient is natural. Sometimes you see things like cellulose, a dietary fiber derived from wood pulp. It's a natural compound, but not really something you would think of eating. Yet that can still be found in some things. Xanthan gum comes from a bacterial slime that is chemically extracted. Caramel color is another natural sounding ingredient, but two types are made with caustic ingredients that can create 4-MEI, a potential carcinogen. That isn’t really what we think of having in natural foods.
There are lots of examples where you do not see the chemicals used to extract something on an ingredient label. Pesticides are another example of that. “Natural flavors” and “natural colors” don’t have to disclose the potentially dozens of ingredients in their formulas as they are considered to be proprietary. Things that are called processing aides, or food contact substances or secondary food additives — you will never see them listed as ingredients.
RL: What would you recommend the definition of “natural” to be?
UR: We would love to see it banned. Ideally, when we look at what people think it ought to mean, it comes very close to what people expect from the organic label. Organic is not perfect, but it comes a whole lot closer to providing a meaningful set of standards behind it. Ideally, we don't think the government should waste the public’s money redefining it, by coming up with a new label program.
Organic has been defined. It took 12 years to do it. The government created standards behind it. There's verification required. It's got all of the basic, good fundamental elements in place. We think that the organic label can improve in some ways to meet consumer expectations, and that has a lot to do with the approval process and use of artificial ingredients in “organic” foods. Five percent of organic foods can contain certain artificial ingredients.
What we'd like the government to do is ban the natural label, focus on organic and what really it should mean. If they're going to define it and won't ban it, then defining “natural” for processed foods, which is what FDA oversees, should mean organic and no artificial ingredients. At least that way it cannot mislead consumers because the bar is set high. It would really be reserved for a subset of organic processed food products out on the market.
REALfarmacy.com
Turmeric is a Potent Inflammation and Cancer Fighter: How Much You Should Take & How Often
By Deane Alban
JAN 27
Historically, spices are treasured for the unique flavors they bring to food and for their healing properties.
Most spices provide some health benefits.
But one spice that shines for its medicinal benefits is turmeric.
You may have seen turmeric in the news as a potential treatment for diseases as diverse as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, psoriasis, and Alzheimer’s.
But does this spice live up to its press?
And can you get the benefits of turmeric from food alone or should you take a turmeric supplement?
Turmeric and curcumin are often used interchangeably. What’s the difference between them?
Here’s everything you need to know about the health benefits of turmeric.
Traditional Health Benefits of Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice that comes from the root of Curcuma longa, a beautiful flowering tropical plant native to India.
Turmeric has been used for healing for thousands of years going back to Ayurveda, India’s 5,000-year-old natural healing system. (1)
Cooking residue found on pottery shards shows that people in parts of Asia cooked with turmeric 4,500 years ago. (2)
It is one of several spices used to make curry powder, an essential ingredient in south Asian cuisine.
It’s usually used dry, but the root can also be grated fresh like ginger.
This versatile spice was used traditionally to improve digestion, dissolve gallstones, relieve arthritis, and alleviate symptoms of allergies and colds. (3, 4)
It was applied externally for wounds and skin conditions.
It was also used as a beauty treatment. (5)
Soaps and creams containing turmeric are experiencing a surge in popularity today.
Turmeric paste is still applied to the skin of both the bride and groom in a ceremony before marriage in some parts of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to beautify skin and as a form of good luck.
The Relationship Between Turmeric and Curcumin
Many websites, even authoritative medical sites, incorrectly use the terms turmeric, curcumin, and even curry powder interchangeably.
This makes it hard to understand the information on turmeric.
Let’s clear up any confusion.
Curry powder is a mix of many spices including the spice turmeric.
Turmeric contains hundreds of compounds, each with its own unique properties.
But of all the compounds in turmeric, curcumin is by far the most promising and is the most widely studied.
Curcumin is not unique to turmeric, it is also found in ginger, another spice with a long history of medicinal use.
You can find many websites that make unrealistic claims about turmeric.
A few natural health websites boldly state that turmeric has been proven beneficial for over 600 ailments.
But the vast majority of studies were done on the isolated compound curcumin, not turmeric.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says this about turmeric studies: “… there is little reliable evidence to support the use of turmeric for any health condition because few clinical trials have been conducted.” (6)
Why would this be?
It’s easier to study a compound like curcumin which can be isolated and standardized and acts more drug-like than spice-like.
But the overriding reason may be that there is little monetary incentive to research a spice that’s already found in millions of kitchens worldwide unless it can be transformed into a substance that can be patented.
Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric
As we’ve seen, the majority of studies have been done on curcumin — not turmeric — and it looks like there aren’t many health conditions this compound won’t help.
Proven health benefits of curcumin include alleviating allergies, breaking up the brain plaques of Alzheimer’s, easing the pain of arthritis, treating depression, controlling diabetes, and decreasing risk of heart attack. (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
But what about turmeric — what is it good for?
So far, turmeric has been found to contain at least 20 compounds that are antibiotic, 14 known cancer preventatives, 12 that are anti-tumor, 12 anti-inflammatory, and at least 10 antioxidants. (14)
Turmeric is considered a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer agent. (15, 16)
And studies point to a few specific conditions that turmeric can help.
Turmeric for Alzheimer’s
One of the most exciting benefits of turmeric is that it may prevent Alzheimer’s.
Elderly villagers in India who eat turmeric as a regular part of their diet have the lowest rate of Alzheimer’s in the world. (17)
Over 200 compounds have been identified in turmeric and curcumin is not the only one being studied for Alzheimer’s. (18)
Another compound in turmeric, turmerone, stimulates the production of new neurons and seems to encourage the brain to repair itself. (19)
This property could make it a useful treatment for a variety of degenerative brain diseases besides Alzheimer’s, including Parkinson’s, traumatic brain injury, and stroke. (20)
Turmeric for Arthritis
Arthritis and other inflammatory diseases are extremely common.
Over $650 million is spent in the United States every year on natural remedies for treating chronic inflammation.
Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and has been found to be beneficial for arthritis when taken internally and when applied topically. (21)
The Arthritis Foundation reports that turmeric can provide long-term improvement in pain and function for those with osteoarthritis.
Their suggested dosage for osteoarthritis is to take one capsule (400-600 mg) three times per day or 0.5-1.0 gram of powdered turmeric root up to 3 grams per day.
Turmeric for Cancer
Curcumin is a promising candidate as a cancer treatment. (22)
It selectively kill tumor cells while leaving normal cells unharmed and works synergistically to increase the effectiveness of both chemotherapy and radiation. (23)
Dr. Saraswati Sukumar is a medical oncologist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and has been involved in hundreds of studies on the effects of turmeric on cancer. (24)
She has found that eating turmeric prepared in food provides more benefits than taking either curcumin or turmeric supplements. (25)
Turmeric Is Better than Prozac for Depression
Turmeric has impressive antidepressant properties.
In fact it’s been found to be more a more potent antidepressant than fluoxetine, the generic name for Prozac. (26)
It is believed to work by reducing the stress hormone cortisol while increasing serotonin, the neurotransmitter associated with happiness.
This is great news for the millions who have tried antidepressants without success or for those who experience unacceptable side effects (27)
Unlike antidepressant drugs, turmeric either in food or as a supplement can used indefinitely.
It can also be safely combined with other natural remedies for depression such as St. John’s wort and SAM-e. (28)
Enhancing Turmeric Naturally
Unfortunately, turmeric’s main active ingredient curcumin is not very well absorbed.
Unless the right steps are taken, it largely passes through the intestines unutilized.
You can greatly increase absorption by adding black pepper, as is done in curry powder.
The compound piperine found in black pepper increases curcumin absorption by a whopping 2,000%. (29)
Since curcumin is fat soluble, its bioavailability is enhanced when turmeric is cooked in oil. (30)
Again, tradition has this covered.
Indian cuisine liberally uses peanut, sesame and coconut oil, and butter-derived ghee. (31)
Turmeric Tea
Turmeric tea is a great compromise between to trying to get enough turmeric into your daily diet and taking supplements.
Boiling turmeric in water for 10 minutes increases the solubility of curcumin up to 12 times. (32)
The people of Okinawa, Japan are the longest-lived in the world, with an average life span of 81.2 years.
And they drink large amounts of turmeric tea. (33)
To make basic turmeric tea, put 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder in 1 cup of water and simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain if needed and serve.
If you actually enjoy it, you’re in luck because not everyone is crazy about it.
It’s very bitter and medicinal-tasting.
I’ve been experimenting to find a recipe that’s both healthy and delicious.
This recipe is tasty and assures maximum bioavailability by both heating and adding coconut oil, a top brain-healthy fat.
Liquid Gold Turmeric Tea
½ cup water
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Honey or stevia to taste
Bring water to a boil. Add turmeric powder and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Add coconut milk and coconut oil. Heat until warmed through.
Sweeten with honey or stevia to taste.
Feel free to experiment with the ingredients and proportions to create the brew that is just right for you.
You can substitute almond milk or regular milk for coconut milk, as long as it contains some fat.
Ghee, traditional clarified Indian butter, works great instead of coconut oil and adds a rich buttery flavor.
Turmeric Dosage
Most of us in Western countries are familiar only with the turmeric found in the dried spice section at the grocery store.
But you can buy turmeric root in some produce sections — it looks a lot like ginger, a plant cousin that’s another source of curcumin.
According to the University of Maryland’s Complementary and Alternative Medicine Guide, here are suggested turmeric dosages for adults:
Cut root: 1.5-3 grams per day
Dried, powdered root: 1-3 grams per day
Fluid extract (1:1): 30-90 drops per day
Tincture (1:2): 15-30 drops, 4 times per day
Their recommended curcumin dosage for a standardized powder supplement is 400-600 mg, 3 times per day.
Look for products standardized for 95% curcuminoids that also contain piperine or black pepper extract.
When unsure, follow the dosage instructions on labels. (34)
Turmeric Supplement Side Effects
Turmeric consumed as a spice in food is considered safe.
There are almost no known turmeric side effects except for an increased risk of kidney stones in those susceptible. (35)
But I was somewhat surprised to learn that turmeric supplements carry a large number of possible side effects, interactions, and warnings.
While clearly turmeric and curcumin are not identical, their respective side effects and reactions are treated as one on sites like Drugs.com, RXlist.com, and the National Institutes of Health’s MedLine.
All three sites were in agreement that you should not take either curcumin or turmeric supplements if:
You are pregnant. Curcumin stimulates the uterus and raises the risk of a miscarriage. The safety of this spice while breastfeeding has not been established.
You are trying to conceive. If you are having trouble conceiving, turmeric could add to your difficulties.
You have a hormone-sensitive condition. Turmeric can act like estrogen so should be avoided if you have reproductive cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids.
You have gallstones or gallbladder disease. Turmeric can make gallbladder problems worse.
You are scheduled for surgery in the next two weeks. Turmeric increases the risk of bleeding.
You take medications that slow clotting such as aspirin, clopidogrel, diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, and warfarin. Turmeric increases the risk of bruising and bleeding.
You have GERD, ulcers, or other stomach problems. Turmeric can make GERD worse and cause gastric irritation, stomach upset, nausea, and diarrhea.
You take drugs to reduce stomach acid. Turmeric can interfere with the actions of medications like Zantac, Tagamet, and Nexium, increasing the production of stomach acid. (36)
You take diabetes medication. Turmeric increases the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
You have an iron deficiency. Turmeric can prevent the absorption of iron.
According to Drugs.com, 70 drugs interact adversely with turmeric and curcumin supplements.
Turmeric Benefits: The Bottom Line
Turmeric is a traditional healing spice with a long history of safe and effective use.
While there are turmeric capsules and turmeric tinctures available, their bioavailability is questionable.
They are also significantly more likely to cause side effects than cooking with turmeric which has no downside.
Some experts believe that the liberal use of turmeric in cooking is all you need to get therapeutic amounts.
We agree that it’s prudent to start first with turmeric in food and tea for that sweet spot of maximum benefits with virtually no risk of side effects.
And if you don’t get the results you want, you can try turmeric supplements.
If that still doesn’t bring the relief you’re looking for, then you can try curcumin supplements, staying mindful of interactions and side effects.
Source:
bebrainfit.com
via
wisemindhealthybody.com
***
Until next week...keep on believing.
Almond tree Productions
“
And we explained to Noah all the medicines of their diseases, together
with their seductions, how he might heal them with herbs of the
earth.”
(Book of Jubilees 10:12-13)
SEFER
NOAH
Translated
from the Hebrew texts published by Adolph Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch:
Sammlung kleiner Midraschim und vermischler Abhandlungen aus der
ältern jüdischen Literatur (6 vols.; repr., Jerusalem: Bamberger
& Wahrmann, 1938), 3:155-160.
The angel told (him; i.e., Noah) the remedies for the afflictions of
humankind and all kinds of remedies for healing with trees of the
earth and plants of the soil and their roots. And he sent the leaders
of the remaining spirits to show Noah the medicinal trees with all
their shoots, greenery, grasses, roots, and seeds, to explain to him
why they were created, and to teach him all their medicinal
properties for healing and for vitality. Noah wrote all these things
in a book and gave it to Shem, his oldest son,9 and the ancient sages
copied from this book and wrote many books, each one in his own
language. Knowledge about medicine increased on the earth among all
the nations who examined the books of remedies, (particularly) among
the sages of India, Macedonia, and Egypt, for the sages of India
traveled about in quest of every kind of medicinal tree and spice,
and the sages of Aram discovered the medicinal properties of all the
different kinds of plants and their seeds, and they translated into
Aramaic an explanation (øùô) for the contents of the books.”
