There’s a strong possibility that American children would be among the first test subjects of a mass swine flu vaccination when they go back to or start school this fall.

This is a disturbing development because the swine flu vaccine might be more dangerous than the swine flu itself!

How the Swine Flu Vaccine is Developed

Vaccines are concocted by using dead viruses or live ones that have been weakened and made less harmful, natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola explains.

Aside from using a particular virus strain (in this case, the h1n1 virus), flu shots can also contain many dangerous substances such as antifreeze, formaldehyde and phenol.

Many vaccines also use immune adjuvants, which trigger your immune system to overreact to the introduction of the virus you’re being vaccinated against.

Adjutants hasten your immune system’s response to the immunization, which means a lesser amount of vaccine required per dose and a smaller number of doses given per patient.

Less vaccine required per person means more individual doses available for mass vaccination campaigns and, more money for Big Pharma.

The government has contracted several drug companies to develop and produce swine flu vaccines, and at least two of these companies – Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline – are using squalene as the adjuvant in their respective versions of the H1N1 vaccine.

The Dangers of Squalene in Vaccines

Your immune system recognizes squalene as an oil molecule native to your body, as it is found throughout your nervous system and brain, Dr. Mercola explains. You can consume squalene through foods like olive oil to experience its antioxidant properties.

However, squalene can quickly turn into something harmful, depending on its route of entry. When squalene is injected via a vaccine, it triggers your immune system to attack all of the squalene in your body, not just the vaccine adjuvant.

This means your immune response will try to wipe out all squalene molecules, including in places where it naturally occurs in your body and is vital to your nervous system.

Novartis’ squalene adjuvant for its h1n1 vaccine is known as MF59, an unapproved adjuvant used in experimental anthrax vaccines for soldiers who served in the Gulf War. This form of squalene has been linked to the devastating autoimmune diseases suffered by Gulf War veterans known as the Gulf War Syndrome (GWS).

Documented GWS symptoms due to squalene adjuvant include arthritis, fibromyalgia, lymphadenopathy, rashes, photosensitive rashes, malar rashes, chronic fatigue, chronic headaches, abnormal body hair loss, non-healing skin lesions, aphthous ulcers, dizziness, weakness, memory loss, seizures, mood changes, neuropsychiatric problems, anti-thyroid effects, anemia, elevated ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), Raynaud’s phenomenon, Sjorgren’s syndrome, chronic diarrhea, night sweats and low-grade fevers.

A study published in 2000 revealed that 95 percent of deployed soldiers suffering from GWS symptoms had antibodies to squalene and 100 percent of GWS patients given anthrax vaccine shots, while NONE of the deployed Persian Gulf veterans who did not show signs and symptoms of GWS had antibodies to squalene.

Even the World Health Organization has opposed the fast-tracking of the swine flu vaccine. “One of the things which cannot be compromised is the safety of vaccines,” WHO chief Dr. Keiji Fukuda said.

Would you allow yourself and your child to become Big Pharma’s guinea pigs this fall for this untested and potentially dangerous vaccine?

The information you’ve just read may go against your understanding of the nature of vaccines. As a parent and as a health conscious individual, it’s your responsibility to know the facts, and not just rely on your doctor or the media.

The International Vaccine Conference, the single best conference on vaccines in the world, will be held on October 2 to 4 at Reston, Virginia. This important event is held every five years and features the most knowledgeable experts, who will tackle the most pressing and timely issues concerning vaccines.

Do consider attending. Think of it as an investment for your child’s health and the health of future generations.

It was no different in the world of health and wellness. The salmonella outbreak, the Bisphenol A controversy, vaccines, cholesterol drugs and Obama’s promise to push for health care reforms were among the news that grabbed the headlines.

Before we welcome 2009 and as my Christmas present for you, I would like to share my top health articles of 2008 (in no particular order) from Mercola.com, the world’s top natural health website:

How to Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs Without Peeling – I love eating boiled eggs but I don’t have too much patience for the peeling part. Comes with a video of Tim Ferris, bestselling author of the 4-Hour Work Week showing how easy it is to get this done.

Avoid Flu Shots With the One Vitamin that Will Stop Flu in Its Tracks – Vitamin D was probably the most talked about nutrient in 2008. The article tells you why you should forget about getting a flu shot and make Vitamin D your primary line of defense against the flu.

One of the reasons why I’ve made a conscious effort to get more sun lately is because of Dr. Mercola’s recommendations. Now that we’re talking about Vitamin D and to help you get off 2009 on the right foot, Dr. Mercola’s just released a free one-hour lecture on Vitamin D, one of the MOST important videos he has created, to explain just how important it is to you and your family’s good health. Click here to watch the video.

This Company May Be the Biggest Threat to Your Future Health – When a company responsible for producing some of the most dangerous chemicals in the world wants to help secure global food supply, something’s not right. Dr. Mercola blows the whistle on Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company and inventor of chemicals such as Agent Orange.

12 Foods You Dont Have to Buy Organic – Dr. Mercola explains why eating organic foods is more than just a lifestyle choice.

Beware of Lemon Slices in Your Restaurant Drinks – This will make you think more than twice next time you order your favorite drinks.

Fungus Causing Cancer – A Novel Approach to the Most Common Form of Death– Cancer has already claimed numerous lives but the cause of this deadly disease continues to elude doctors and scientists, and the search for an effective cure continues. This article discusses a new cancer theory promising a safe, fast and effective cure.

12 Food Additives to Avoid – An important commentary by Dr. Mercola on the dangers of food additives to your children’s health.

Ten Healthiest Foods Under $1 – Dr. Mercola tells you how to shop for healthy food without overstretching your budget.

Vitamin C About to be Made Illegal in Canada! – A warning against legislation that could threaten the natural health industry and prevent you from seeking safer alternatives to improve your health and treat illnesses.

You Will Never Guess the Surprising Cause of Most Heart Attacks – Shows that emotional conflict, and not the conventional symptoms, may be the real cause of most heart attacks.

These are just some of the interesting and helpful information that I’ve read while regularly browsing Mercola.com’s library of health articles.
Do yourself a favor this holiday season. Visit Mercola.com now and be empowered to take control of your health. Good health is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and your family.

Happy holidays!

Yes, the dreaded flu season is upon us!

Do I sound too melodramatic? Well, if you’ve ever had the flu before, then chances are, you probably don’t want to catch it again. I remember last year when I had a pretty bad case of the flu. My head was aching like crazy, my nose was dripping like a broken faucet and I was absolutely barking with cough. Fortunately, I only had a slight fever and I was back to normal after a couple of days.

After that incident, I actually considered taking a flu shot. But it’s a good thing I did some research before I set an appointment with my doctor because I found out that the flu shot is not the best option to avoid the flu.

If you’re wondering how the flu shot is made, vaccine makers formulate it by PREDICTING what type of flu virus will be around to spread the flu a year in advance. Not very scientific if you ask me.

The choice is narrowed down to three virus strains, Then they collect sample body fluids from infected people from China and Australia, breed the viruses months in advance of the flu season, make the vaccine and voila, Americans line up for their shots!

Most people don’t know that there are ZERO safety studies before the flu shot is released and there are also ZERO studies on the flu shot’s long term effects on health!

Dr.Mercola explains that our body’s immune system was designed to combat diseases, including the flu. He points out that because the flu shot weakens the immune system, it simply doesn’t work and only leaves us more vulnerable to disease.

For Dr. Mercola, a healthy lifestyle, not the flu shot, will help you avoid the flu. I’m going to share with you the Doc’s seven simple steps on how to beat the flu without taking a single shot:

• Eat according to your nutritional type and avoid sugar – I’ve written a little about nutritional typing in my first blog post. Your body will function at the highest level if you feed it with the foods best suited for your nutrition type. Your immune system will be at its strongest when you’re on the right diet. Sugar weakens the immune system almost immediately, so your sweet treats definitely have to go, whether you feel like you’re going under the weather or not.
• Go get some sun – The best way to get vitamin D is through sunlight – which we don’t get enough of. Among the numerous health benefits of vitamin D are its antibiotic properties. Vitamin D increases special proteins in the body called antimicrobial peptides, which destroy the cell walls of bacteria, fungi and viruses, including the flu virus.
• Get more Omega 3 Fats – The Omega 3 fats DHA and EPA support the immune system and provide you with greater resistance to illnesses like the flu. Omega 3-rich food include fatty fish, flaxseed oil, walnut oil and grass-fed beef. Fish oil and krill oil are the more popular Omega 3 supplements.
• Exercise! – I know, this one is easier said than done. More than toning muscles, exercise increases circulation and blood flow and gets the components of the immune system circulated better, giving it more chances of fighting illnesses before they start.
• Sleep more! – This reminded me of a quote from super spy Jason Bourne. “Sleep is a weapon.” In this case, sleep is indeed one of the body’s weapons in fighting illnesses because you need the strength to repel potential invaders like the flu.
• Wash your hands – My mom always reminded me to do this when I was little. And I’m glad she did. Hand washing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent infection. It decreases the chances of spreading the flu virus and other diseases like diarrhea to other people. But don’t just wash your hands with water. Use warm water and soap, work up a good lather all the way up to the wrists for up to 15 seconds and rinse and dry thoroughly. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also an effective alternative.
• Deal with your emotional stress – Did you know that it has been estimated that 90% of illnesses and diseases are stress-related? Try any form of stress-relief activities like meditation and yoga to keep stress from wearing you out physically and emotionally.

So there you have it. I’m personally applying these steps because I don’t want the flu to keep me away from the things I love doing and the people I care about. Give them a try and let me know how they work out for you. Stay flu-free this season!

Luke