From: JAMES M
To: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 13:08:41 -0500 (EST)

Dear Todd,

I would like to share four things with you. They are organized by
paragraph so you can skip to the next one if you get bored with any of
them. I think number 3 is potentially the most important to you. Just
so you know I am not a whacko. I am a PhD candidate (December defense) in biology.

First, you are great. I love your site. I have told you that several
times before now.
 

Second, don't believe that stuff about aluminum being safe. I'm not
saying it isn't safe, but I am saying we don't know. I do know
something about Alzheimer's and research, although my familiarity with
Alzheimer's research is several years old. Anyway, here are my two
cents. Abnormally high concentrations of aluminum are found in the
brains of people who have died of Alzheimer's. This doesn't mean
aluminum causes the problem, but the point is no one knows what does
cause the problem. They don't know the biological mechanisms of the
pathology. Period. They can't even diagnose the problem until you are
dead. Alzheimer's is a default diagnosis. That means if they rule out
all other causes of dementia they say you have Alzheimer's. They have
to slice your brain and look for the plaques characteristic of

Alzheimer's to verify the diagnosis. So they found some genetic
component. Big deal. Everything has a genetic component. What do those genes do?

They don't know. How do they cause !

Alzheimer's? They don't know. Maybe they let Aluminum into your brain.
A little less aluminum may help then. Finally, research has to be
funded by someone. Most research is funded by the Federal Government.
If something isn't funded it doesn't get done. Things that are funded do get done.
Grants run typically for a year or two, maybe three. Then you must ask
for more money. The grant application says, "This is what I want to do,
and this is what I expect to find." Enough said.

Third, if you are taking any nutritional supplements, vitamins (other
than a common once a day multi-vitamin), or herbal energy crap, stop
it. Please STOP. Most of that stuff contains toxic levels of something.
It is all completely unregulated. No one is looking to see if it
contains toxic anything. No one is checking the ingredients. One
example of a common abuse would be protein shakes containing steroids.

Many students in my nutrition classes that work out use and swear by
protein shakes. I tell them, "if it puts on muscle faster than a piece
of chicken, it has steroids in it." I tell them to send it to a private
lab and see for themselves. None do. Many vitamins and most minerals are toxic in large (or not so large) quantities.

As far as herbal stuff goes, getting eaten is often harmful to a plant.
Chemical defenses that discourage grazing are often helpful.
Strychnine, caffeine, and most illegal drugs are all examples. Stone
fruit (peaches, apricots, etc) seeds often contain cyanide compounds.

At least a quarter of the plants outside (and
inside) your apartment building would make you ill if you ate them. The
crackpots selling herbal stuff do not possess the "ancient knowledge of
the ages" any more than a used car salesman does. Many people are
poisoned each year by this industry. Vitamin A poisoning is a leading
cause of accidental death in children in the US, for example. So is vitamin D. Enough said.

Fourth, why when I click on your site to contact you does Outlook
express come up? Yech! Does anyone actually use that? What a waste of
time. I would rather send a letter. I hate waiting for Outlook to come
up so I can copy the address, close Outlook, and then go to my email.

Just list the address already.

Your fan,

Jim

PS. If you have any questions or want references, just ask. If you want to hear a full on rant, ask me about Mad Cow.
PPS. Don't eat beef.
PPPS. Especially hamburger.

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From: Meghan.C.C
To: [email protected]
Subject: alluminum and stuff
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2006 10:21:57 -0700

Hey Todd,

So, I got scared about aluminum a few years ago because I heard that it
was strongly linked to cancer. My old boyfriend got me hooked on Old
Spice Deodorant. Not anti-perspirant mind you. Just Deodorant. Aluminum free.
And it works so well, but sometimes I smell slightly like a man. Better than BO I though. I was so excited.

But then I found out that all our skin care products have carcinogens
in them; at least like 4 known cancer causing agents in all of them.
And my ban on aluminum seemed futile. Here is a website about it if
your interested...

Its a pretty cool grass roots movement that I am part of, and partly
focuses on all the carcinogens in the makeup that women use.

>Say Roscoe, Mep and Elf Up!

>-Meghan

http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/162/1/65

"Older theories, such as aluminum playing a role in the pathogenesis of AD, have been mostly discarded as our understanding of pathogenic mechanisms of AD has advanced."

bill

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