Funny swine flu video

Eye on the Flu Shot

What goes into that flu shot (the hilarious version)

H1N1 Flu Vaccine exposed

This article was taken from Dr Mercola's website and reproduced here in its entirety as it is available to members only.



Studies show that flu vaccines are unsafe and ineffective. This presentation by the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute includes a visual depiction of flu vaccine production -- how the flu vaccine is made and what it contains.

Dr Mercola's comments :

The video by Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute offers a good summary of what every person should know about the seasonal flu vaccine; how it’s made, and its effectiveness.

Signs and Symptoms of Influenza

As most of you probably know, influenza is a contagious viral respiratory infection. Symptoms include:

• Fever

• Chills

• Runny nose

• Sore throat

• Cough

• Muscle aches

• Fatigue

• Decreased appetite

Typically, the condition will improve after two to three days of bed rest, although some symptoms may persist for about a week.

What many people do NOT know, however, is that death caused directly by the flu virus is very rare. The vast majority of so-called “flu deaths” are in fact due to bacterial pneumonia – a potential complication of the flu if your immune system is too weak.

Other complications can include ear- or sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic health conditions.

The elderly and people with other pre existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, are at higher risk of developing pneumonia after a bout of the flu.

The Flu Vaccine Does Not Prevent the Flu, nor Protect Against the Vast Majority of Flu-Related Deaths

The conventional treatment for bacterial pneumonia is an antibiotic, not a viral flu drug, so to think that taking a flu vaccine will prevent death from pneumonia doesn’t really make sense.

“But the vaccine will prevent the flu, which will prevent the possibility of developing pneumonia,” some might say.

That sounds good in theory, but the statistics simply do not support this assertion.

Because study after study, and master studies that compile the results from several studies to get a more objective result, keep coming to the same conclusion: Flu vaccines DO NOT WORK, and in many cases do more harm than good.

In fact, one shocking statistic brought to light in this video is that BEFORE the CDC advocated vaccinating children under the age of five, the number of children dying from the flu was very low, and on the decline.

Then, in 2003, just after children aged five and under started getting vaccinated, the number of flu deaths SKYROCKETED. The death toll was enormous compared to the previous year, when the flu vaccine was not administered en masse to that age group!

How anyone can consider a strategy that yields a higher death toll to be a “success” is a mystery to me.

The Problem with Flu Death Statistics

However, as frightening as much of this may sound, it’s important to keep things in perspective. According to the statistics shown in the video above, more Americans die from asthma, and even malnutrition each year, than the flu.

Unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grossly distort the facts about flu deaths, making the flu virus seem far more dangerous than is warranted. On the CDC’s main flu page, they state that about 36,000 people die from the flu in the United States each year.

But if you search a little harder, you can find the actual number of people who died from the flu in 2005 (this is the most recent data that’s available) was 1,806. The remainder was caused by pneumonia. In 2004, there were just 1,100 actual flu deaths.

The statistics the CDC gives are skewed partly because they classify those dying from pneumonia as dying from the flu, which is inaccurate.

How is the Flu Vaccine Made?

This is another area that many people do not understand or take into consideration before getting a seasonal flu shot.

In January or February of each year, health authorities travel to Asia to determine which strains of the flu are currently active. Based on their findings in Asia, they assume that the same strains of viruses will spread to the U.S. by fall.

At this point, U.S. vaccine manufacturers start making that season’s flu vaccine, which will contain the strains found in Asia. However, if the viral strains circulating in the U.S. that season are not identical to those in Asia, the vaccine you receive is a complete dud.

And to add insult to injury, you’ve just been injected with a laundry list of harmful ingredients.

What’s in the Seasonal Flu Vaccine?

The flu strains selected are cultivated in chick embryos for several weeks before being inactivated with formaldehyde, which is a known cancer-causing agent. Then they’re preserved with thimerosal, which is 49 percent mercury by weight.

Even many health care professionals are confused about this and are not aware that the preservative thimerosal is mercury. As a quick side note, one of my chief writers told me that, “the doctor’s office told me the vaccine does not contain mercury, just something called thimerosal.”

Please, don’t be fooled by this incredible ignorance. If you have carefully studied this issue there is a great possibility you may know more than your physician about this topic. Don’t back down if they tell you something you otherwise know to be true.

According to the CDC, the majority of flu vaccines contain thimerosal. Some contain as much as 25 mcg of mercury per dose. This means that it may contain more than 250 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit for mercury.

By now, most people are well aware that children and fetuses are most at risk of damage from this neurotoxin, as their brains are still developing. Yet the CDC still recommends that children over 6 months, and pregnant women, receive the flu vaccine each year.

In addition to mercury, flu vaccines also contain other toxic or hazardous ingredients like:

• Aluminum -- a neurotoxin that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease

• Triton X-100 -- a detergent

• Phenol (carbolic acid)

• Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)

• Betapropiolactone - a disinfectant

• Nonoxynol - used to kill or stop growth of STDs

• Octoxinol 9 - a vaginal spermicide

• Sodium phosphate

How Safe is the Flu Vaccine?

Serious reactions to the flu vaccine include, but are not limited to:

• Life-threatening allergies to various ingredients

• Guillain-Barre Syndrome (a severe paralytic disease that is fatal in about 1 in 20 cases)

• Encephalitis (brain inflammation)

• Neurological disorders

• Thrombocytopenia (a serious blood disorder)

How Effective is the Flu Vaccine?

Remember that the potential effectiveness of a flu vaccine is dependent on the ASSUMPTION, made nearly a year in advance, that Asia’s viral strains will be the ones hitting the U.S. When they guess wrong, the vaccine is worthless from the very start.

But does that mean they withdraw the flu vaccine when they discover it contains the wrong strains? NO! They just keep giving it out anyway.

But even if they were to overcome that hurdle and actually select the correct strains, there’s still no evidence that it does anyone any good to get a flu vaccine.

Study after study comes back showing the same dismal results: the flu vaccines are not an effective method of prevention of the flu, and they do not save lives. As mentioned earlier, they may even be responsible for an increased death rate in some groups.

Sometimes determining efficacy is as easy as reading the information coming straight from the vaccine manufacturer.

How about this quote taken directly from the flu vaccine FLULAVAL’s package insert (which you likely never see when getting the flu shot) for the 2009-2010 formula:

" FLULAVAL is an influenza virus vaccine indicated for active immunization of adults 18 years of age and older against influenza disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and type B contained in the vaccine. This indication is based on immune response elicited by FLULAVAL, and there have been no controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL.”

That’s right, NO controlled trials demonstrating ANY decrease in your risk of contracting the flu at all after vaccination! (It also states that each dose contains a total of 25 mcg of mercury.)

For those of you who are still unconvinced, know that there’s plenty of scientific evidence available to back up the recommendation to avoid flu vaccines. In addition to studies mentioned in the video, here are several other examples showing that flu vaccines do not work for any age group:

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

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

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

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

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

• In 2007, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious

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

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

Last but not least, I think it says a lot that 70 percent of doctors and nurses, and 62 percent of other health care workers do NOT get the yearly flu shot.

The reasons why they opted to not get vaccinated were:

• They didn't believe the vaccine would work

• They believed their immune systems were strong enough to withstand exposure to the flu

• They were concerned about side effects

Might Influenza be Little More Than a Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin,” may very well be one of the most beneficial vitamins there is for disease prevention. Unfortunately it’s also one of the vitamins that a vast majority of people across the world are deficient in due to lack of regular exposure to sunshine.

Published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006, the hypothesis presented by Dr. John Cannell and colleagues in the paper Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D raises the possibility that influenza is a symptom of vitamin D deficiency.

The vitamin D formed when your skin is exposed to sunlight regulates the expression of more than 2,000 genes throughout your body, including ones that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. Hence, being overwhelmed by the “flu bug” could signal that your vitamin D levels are too low, allowing the flu virus to overtake your immune system.

At least five studies show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and 25(OH)D levels. That is, the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections:

1. A 2007 study suggests higher vitamin D status enhances your immunity to microbial infections. They found that subjects with vitamin D deficiency had significantly more days of absence from work due to respiratory infection than did control subjects.

2. A 2009 study on vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) confirmed a strong, positive correlation between newborns’ and mother’s vitamin D levels. Over 87 percent of all newborns and over 67 percent of all mothers had vitamin D levels lower than 20 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state.

Newborns with vitamin D deficiency appear to have an increased risk of developing ALRI, and since the child’s vitamin D level strongly correlates with its mother’s, the researchers recommend that all mothers’ optimize their vitamin D levels during pregnancy, especially in the winter months, to safeguard their baby’s health.

3. A similar Indian study published in 2004 also reported that vitamin D deficiency in infants significantly raised their odds ratio for having severe ALRI.

4. A 2009 analysis of the Third National Health andNutrition Examination Survey examined the association between vitamin D levelsand recent upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in nearly 19,000 subjects over the age of 12.

   Recent URTI was reported by:

   • 17 percent of participants with vitamin D levels of 30ng/ml or higher

   • 20 percent of participants with vitamin D levels between 10-30 ng/ml.

   • 24 percent of participants with vitamin D levels below 10ng/ml

   The positive correlation between lower vitamin D levels and increased risk of URTI was even stronger in individuals with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

5. Another 2009 report in the journal Pediatric Research stated that infants and children appear more susceptible to viral rather than bacterial infections when deficient in vitamin D. And that, based on the available evidence showing a strong connection between vitamin D, infections, and immune function in children, vitamin D supplementation may be a valuable therapy in pediatric medicine.

How to Prevent the Flu without Getting a Flu Shot

For most people the flu shot does not make you healthy; it does just the opposite and weakens your immune system.

If you follow a healthy lifestyle, you will not have to worry about getting the flu. Take it from me -- I’ve never received a flu shot, and I haven’t missed a day of work due to illness in over 20 years. The key steps that I follow to stay flu-free, which I suggest you follow too, include:

• Get plenty of sunshine, safe tanning bed exposure or supplemental vitamin D3

• Eat right for your nutritional type, including avoiding sugar

• Exercise

• Get adequate sleep

• Address emotional stress

• Wash your hands regularly

Related Links:

Do Flu Shots Work? Ask A Vaccine Manufacturer

Prominent Physician Advises Against Flu Shots

U.S. Government Ignores Flu Vaccine Death

source : mercola.com

H1N1

There's a lot of talk about H1N1 and swine flu in recent months. I have received an email from Australia detailing what the governments are not telling their citizens. The article is lengthy and the many links included should be convincing enough for us to make an informed decision before rushing for that vaccination.

Quoted article :
We have all heard of the new swine flu right?

Well there is a lot of information for good reason that the governments around the world are not telling you. They are really doing an awesome job right now at running fear campaigns to have everyone in the community running scared about H1N1.

Before you decide to get your shots voluntarily please take your time to weigh up the facts that could ultimately lead to protecting your health rather than just rushing into vaccination because your Government says it’s the right thing to do.

Did you know that the Australian Government has completed a deal with CSL to buy 21 million vaccinations for the Australian people and they start Australia’s single biggest immunization program ever on the 30th September 2009? – see
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfX&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=P&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfv&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=f&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfK&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=8&

Did you know that the Irish Government is making it Mandatory?
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDf2&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=j&
- there is a huge list of articles on the right hand side of this article – all on the H1N1 along with further info and videos you can watch.

Did you know that the UK Government is planning mass vaccinations?
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfZ&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=U&

Did you know that a Baxter International research facility in Austria sent a quantity of the H3N2 viral material to 18 European Laboratories? Watch this -
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfe&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=5&

Here is information about the law suit filed against Baxter & Avir:
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfo&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=k&

Did you know that 4.9 Billion Vaccines have been made for the H1N1 flu and they are about to be administered around the globe voluntarily to begin and eventually planned to be mandatory? Mass Vaccination Documents Leaked
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfL&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=Y& - Part 1
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfH&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=u& - Part 2

Ok so the vaccine is coming but what does this really mean for you?

Of course, everyone has free will to do what they want but before you make your decision, we just want to bring many important facts to your attention before you run out to get your
shot…. Take some time to read and watch the links below and you maybe shocked about the real facts of the H1N1 Flu….

This is the stuff the Governments won't tell you….

If you want more info on the affects of what this vaccine for swine flu can do along with the real facts of the swine flu then go to:
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfm&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=x&

Here is an interview by Dr Mercola talking about the Vaccine: -
please disregard any advertising on this video.
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfP&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=T&

As of August 28th 2009 (update 63)
(http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDff&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=c& ), there
have been 2185 deaths world wide from H1N1. Compared to seasonal flu, this does not constitute a pandemic let alone justify mandatory mass vaccination with a vaccine that will have dangerous side effects and little proof of efficacy.

Approximately 36 thousand Americans die from seasonal flu every year, 200 thousand are hospitalised. Between 250 - 500 thousand people die from seasonal flu world wide, also resulting in three to five million cases of severe illness.
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDf8&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=p& The world
wide 2185 deaths from H1N1 virus, does not constitute a pandemic yet alone grounds to begin mandatory vaccination around the world.

This doesn’t make sense to us and it seems there is some higher order or reason to be running this scare campaign around the world. There is also a massive cost to each tax payer along with a huge profit being made by the manufacturer of the vaccine.

While we are on manufacturers, can you believe a company called Medimmune filed a patent on the latest H1N1 flu more than a year before the first case? Yes you heard, a year before the swine flu started!!! Don’t believe us then watch this….
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfj&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=s& - H1N1 Swine
Flu Virus Patented by Medimmune Back in 2008

Funny that the Australian government cant even come clean on the actual cost yet they have put in an order for 21 million H1N1 vaccinations and there are only 21 Million people in the country!

If that is not starting to look like mandatory vaccination then what is? Why would the Government buy 21 Million Vaccines at a cost they can not even tell the tax payers of Australia about if they didn’t have a plan to max vaccinate? You be the judge…
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfv&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=f&
–Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says near the end of the article and we quote…

Ms Roxon was unable to put a precise figure on the cost of the vaccine.

"There are some confidentiality issues. We have a private contractual agreement with CSL for the priority provision for this vaccine," she said.

"I have made clear on the record before that it is over $100 million. It is not appropriate for us to be itemizing the exact cost, given the commercial interests that are also at stake."

Personally we find that very interesting that the government who has gone into contract with CSL can not give the Australian people (who will be consuming the vaccine should they choose to have it) an honest answer of what this vaccine is going to cost the tax payers nor the real facts behind the vaccine.

It is really interesting that CSL the makers of the vaccine have posted a tidy 63% profit also:
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfU&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=1&

Some more interesting sites, articles & videos worth reading & Watching before you make your choice to be vaccinated….

http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDf5&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=b&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfk&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=3&

http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfY&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=N&

http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfu&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=7&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfx&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=d&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfT&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=q&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfc&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=g&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfp&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=n&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfs&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=D&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDf1&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=a&
- action you can take if you are a US citizen
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfb&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=4&

http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDf3&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=A&
- Bioterrorism Evidence - 134page document
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfN&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=6& - US troopers reacting to flu vaccine

US National Vaccine Information Center
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDf7&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=E&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfd&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=B&
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfq&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=S&

Other non relevant Articles about what is going on right now:
Ok, what can you do?

Choose to take it or choose not to take it? Your choice of course….

If you do decide to take it please follow Dr Mercola’s steps in this video -
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfP&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=T&

If you don’t decide to take it, stand up and be counted now, please! Please tell everyone you love and care about what is really going on with the H1N1. There is a game being played by
the powers to be and now more than ever before, the people of the world need to stick together to defeat the barrage that is about to be onslaught to the worlds people.

Don’t believe us that there are some serious games going on?

Even world renown actor and bad boy Charlie Sheen has stood up addressing President Obama asking questions about so many things in an Address on the anniversary of the 9/11 bombing – see:
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfg&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=h&

Don’t know who is really controlling the world right now?
Watch this video and make up your own mind….
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfn&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=z&
- on the right hand side of the video you will see a lot more to watch. Feel free to research more at your own free will…
Believe what you will from it…

We believe there is a game being played in a big way right now and you need to know about it to assist you with the decisions you make for you and your family and to take action.

If what you have read and watched has you wanting to take actionand you live in Australia then Michael Bending of Alliance for Health Freedom Australia has a petition against mandatory swine flu vaccination on his site, he is aiming for 100,000 signatures
and has only just posted it so there are less than 1000 so far.

He needs as many health-wise people to sign this petition and send the message to Rudd and Roxson that mandatory vaccinations are TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.

The link is:
http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62b&lc=lDfD&mc=f&s=B6IEj&y=G&

Read the letter on the right hand side along with review the links in the letter. You can also send a copy of the letter to your local member if you live in Australia.

If you are not from Australia, research this more in your local country and make a stand now!

Please take action with your research today – time is ticking fast!

Please take it upon yourself to research the internet in your own country. Please google any of the following; “H1N1 Vaccination” “H1N1 vaccine” “H1N1” “H1N1 Update” “H1N1 Forced Vaccinations” to get you started.

Tulsi (basil) - remedy for swine flu

This article is from Yahoo News, August 12 2009.

In Singapore, the 'Himalaya' pure herbs carries basil (tulsi) in capsule form and is available from Watson's and Mustafa (I think).

Ayurveda, the traditional 'science of life', has a remedy for diseases when every other stream of medicine fails. Now, at a time when swine flu is spreading like wildfire across the world, Ayurveda has the remedy in the form of the miraculous herb, the basil leaves commonly known as Tulsi.

Tulsi, the purest and most sublime plant, has been known and worshipped in India for more than five millennia for its remarkable healing properties. Considered as an 'Elixir of Life', this wonder herb has now been claimed to keep the deadly swine flu at bay and help fast recovery in afflicted persons.

"The anti-flu property of Tulsi has been discovered by medical experts across the world quite recently. Tulsi improves the body's overall defence mechanism including its ability to fight viral diseases. It was successfully used in combating Japanese Encephalitis and the same theory applies to swine flu," Dr U K Tiwari, a herbal medicine practitioner says.

Apart from acting as a preventive medicine in case of swine flu, Tulsi can help the patient recover faster.

"Even when a person has already contracted swine flu, Tulsi can help in speeding up the recovery process and also help in strengthening the immune system of the body," he claims.

Dr Bhupesh Patel, a lecturer at Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar is also of the view that Tulsi can play an important role in controlling swine flu.

"Tulsi can control swine flu and it should be taken in fresh form. Juice or paste of at least 20-25 medium sized leaves should be consumed twice a day on an empty stomach." This increases the resistance of the body and, thereby, reduces the chances of inviting swine flu," believes Patel.

As its name suggests, Tulsi has again proved to be the 'the incomparable' medicine - this time, in the prevention and cure of swine flu.

The symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with novel H1N1 flu virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. The high risk groups for novel H1N1 flu are not known at this time, but it's possible that they may be the same as for seasonal influenza. However, Please consult a practitioner in case of any such symptoms. Doctors have strictly advised against self medication.

Alternative preventive measure against H1N1 - follow-up

I wrote about star anise being an alternative measure against H1N1 on 24 June. I have since come across more information from Dr Mercola's website about star anise.

Can Anise Cure What Ails You?

The licorice-flavored herb anise contains high levels of health-boosting compounds called phenylpropanoids.

A team of researchers isolated 22 compounds in anise essential oils, and found some phenylpropanoid compounds that were unique to anise, and four of the compounds had never before been identified in any plant.

Aside from effectively controlling aphids and the plant fungus Colletotrichum, the compounds also showed promise for human health problems. Specifically, some of the compounds were effective against:

• Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria in humans.
• Mycobacterium intracellulare, a bacterium that can cause illness in people with compromised immune systems.

Further, some phenylpropanoids had anti-inflammatory and phytoestrogen properties.

The researchers suggested that compounds in anise essential oils may be useful for developing pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.

Dr Mercola's comment :

Anise has been used since ancient times in Europe, the Middle East and Asia for both therapeutic benefits and taste. Traditionally, this licorice-flavored herb is said to help with digestion, which is why it’s part of a blend of seeds typically offered at the end of an Indian meal.

Anise was also popular in Rome during the first century, when it was used to make a spice cake called mustaceum that was served after feasting to prevent indigestion.

In the United States, anise (Pimpinella anisum) is often confused with fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), a similarly flavored vegetable that looks like a white bulb with green feathery leaves (that also produces fennel seeds). Anise is also a different herb from Chinese star anise (Illicium verum), which is used to make the dangerous flu drug Tamiflu.

Is Anise Healthy?

Like many herbs and spices, anise offers a unique set of benefits. In traditional medicine, anise is used to calm upset stomachs and help reduce gas, and its effectiveness in treating stomach cramps has been proven scientifically.

Anise essential oils also have phytoestrogen properties, which may explain why it is said to help new mothers stimulate breast milk production and in ancient times was used to increase libido. These essential oils, which are antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal, can also naturally get rid of head lice (a far safer alternative to using chemical lice treatments).

Rest assured, however, that pharmaceuticals developed with isolated active components of this herb will bear little resemblance to the natural plant. For instance, it takes 10 different steps for star anise to be made into Tamiflu, according to this New York Times article, and some of the steps are “potentially hazardous because they involve the use of sodium azide, the chemical that makes automobile air bags inflate in an explosive rush.”

So while you may very well enjoy a bit of anise seed sprinkled on your soup, please do not mistake an anise-containing drug to be all-natural or safe.

When Using Herbs, Listen to Your Body

Herbs and spices are a great way to add flavor, and often health benefits, to your food. But if a certain spice doesn’t agree with you, then take a pass. This is your body’s way of letting you know that it’s not the best spice for you, and in this case, your body always knows best.

H1N1 quarantine

A few days ago, EW sent me a concoction for preventing H1N1 flu. I was just back from a 4-day trip to Malaysia, was dog-tired and didn't get to try it out. I don't know whether it would have worked, as a couple of days later, my husband caught the flu.

Thursday, 25 June, 50 of my husband's colleagues were sent home for quarantine after one of the colleagues was confirmed a H1N1 case.

My husband was fine when he left for work in the morning, but towards the end of the day, he became unwell. After work, he went to our family doctor, who advised him to go home and call 993 for an ambulance. I was at a function and couldn't understand why he wasn't sent from the clinic as my 2 younger kids were home. I reached home about an hour after my husband and was surprised to find him still at home. I found out later that, as there were so many cases now, the wait for the ambulance would be long, that's why the clinic advised him to call and wait at home.

My husband was told the wait would be 45 mins. I called 993 when the ambulance did not turn up. In answer to my queries, they confirmed that my husband's call was logged, that the wait would be more than 2 hours and not 45 mins, that the one who said 45 mins was a new staff (probably temporary), that it would take 6 hours for test results to be out, and that preferably my husband should go alone.

The ambulance finally came after more than 2 hours. The attendants called for my husband to go down. My son accompanied him down and told me that my husband boarded the ambulance by himself. He was walking-fit and the virus is highly contagious, so the less contact the better.

My husband was initially told that he would be sent to CGH but later they called again and confirmed that he would be going to TTSH instead.

As he went in late at night, his blood samples were only taken at about 2 - 3 in the morning. Friday morning, my husband was told that the results would only be out at the end of the day. In the meantime, he would be sent home by ambulance to wait for the results. If it is positive, then they would send another ambulance to fetch him back to the hospital. In fact, he was sent back by a taxi specially arranged by the hospital.

Before he reached home, the hospital called looking for him. I gave them his mobile number. They called and the taxi sent him back to hospital because his results were positive.

His case was classified as mild, and they had initially wanted him to be quarantined at home, but he declined as the kids were home. They wanted to discharge him on Saturday, but he asked to stay until Sunday instead.

My son, who is working temporarily in a bank, was told by his company to stay home. No directives were given to us, so I called the hotline and was advised to preferably stay indoors, and that if there was a quarantine order, we would get it within 24 hours. None came.

I went to the ayurvedic master to collect medicine for the kids and myself. I developed a slight throat iritation and a mild cough. I missed a talk at the NCC on Saturday. Unfortunately, I would not be able to visit LY for some days. Thanks to HH and M of TRC for checking on us and offering help with the provisions and grocery, but we are managing ok.

Sunday afternoon, my husband came home, and was to serve out the rest of his medical leave, till Thursday, under home quarantine.

No doubt the virus was not as harmful as originally thought, but it is still highly contagious, and I find having an infected one on home quarantine very trying. Although my condition is stable now and 'in the pink of health', I am not as physically fit as before, but it would not have been so bad if only the skin on my hands are not so darn sensitive.

On top of that, I have 3 kids at home and I am especially worried for the second one who is having her exams now. My son, who is counting his dollars earned before he starts uni in August, is sorely missing out on his earnings, and itching to get back to work. I am still keeping the youngest at home as she is just recovering from cough and runny nose.

My husband has confined himself to the master bedroom which fortunately has an attached bathroom. And he had room service - food served to his door at meal times.

We gave him his phone charger and re-directed all his calls to his mobile phone. And he used his mobile to call the house phone for stuffs.

I did his laundry seperate from the rest and added a fair amount of vinegar to the wash, in the hope that the vinegar could take care of whatever little vermins on his clothes.

I have vinegar, antiseptic alcohol disinfectant (from my surgery days) and pine disinfectant (ayurvedic) and I used them alternately to clean the surfaces where my husband comes in contact with. As a result, the already sensitive skin on my hands itched like crazy now, even though I used disposable gloves, essential oil, medicated oil and hand cream and also soaking them in hot milk. I have also turned the hair dryer on them and grabbed a cupful of hot water to stop the itch.

I do wish to have my mum's maid over to help me, but my mum cannot be trusted to be left alone. She has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and just diagnosed diabetic not so long ago, and yet at every opportunity she would sneak out and gorged on food that she had been advised to avoid or cut down. Like, she could finished the whole box of durian all by herself, and the old aunties are always offering sinful stuff like pig's legs that she is always glad to receive.

It is tough to have healthy family members and highly contagious ones together. Every time we step out for necessities, we have to bear in mind to minimise contact and not get too close to others just in case we carry some germs ourselves.

I can't wait for the whole episode to be over. I think I need a break after that.

Alternative preventive measure against H1N1

Just received email from EW on alternative preventive measure against H1N1. It is from her friend who is studying Chinese medicine.

Use 9 star anise, 6 cups of water, boil in earthern pot if possible and avoid steel/metal pot.

Boil for about 30-40 mins until about 4 cups left. Drink twicely daily over the flu period. Above volume good for 2 adults per day, twice daily, half a cup each time.

For children, half that portion.

Caution though, you may feel dizzy for a few minutes, according to him, this is ok.

To add flavour, add couple of red dates (remove seed before boiling).

According to my ayurvedic master, this flu season is going to last till August. His advice is to build up the immune system and stay away from the beach, where the heat is worse, both coming from the top and the ground.