I’ll admit it, ladies — I’m not sure I’ll ever fully understand the trouble so many of you endure to look beautiful. It’s a challenge to get a guy like me to just iron a shirt.

Women go through a lot of trouble to look their best, but here’s something you should never have to suffer as part of your beauty regimen — cancer. Yet, according to a new study, that’s exactly the deal many top cosmetics manufacturers are asking you to accept.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley studied 32 cosmetic products found in drugstores and department stores across America, and guess what they learned? That lipstick or mascara you are applying two or three times a day may be LOADED with dangerous levels of cadmium, aluminum, and other toxic metals.

I know what you’re thinking — as long as you don’t use your lipstick as a snack, what’s the big deal, right? Well, if you ever lick your lips while wearing lipstick, you ARE ingesting these metals. In fact, researchers estimate that you could be eating 24 milligrams of lipstick a day if you apply it just twice. Depending on the brand you use, that means you could be ingesting enough hexavalent chromium — a known cancer-causing agent — to exceed safety guidelines.

If you’re wondering where you’ve heard of hexavalent chromium before, it’s the metal that made all those people sick in the movie Erin Brockovich.

Fortunately, Dr. Wright has been warning us about toxic cosmetics for years. He recommends a great website created by the Environmental Working Group where you can tell right away if your favorite makeup may be loaded with dangerous toxins.

I’ve been married a long time, and I know that asking my wife to swear off makeup would be like asking her to stop breathing. But use this website for a list of safe products that will keep you looking your best without the dangerous side effects.

P.S. If your gut is letting you down and occasionally keeping you from enjoying your favorite foods I have a video you need to see to believe! A revolutionary breakthrough could have you enjoying PERFECT digestion faster than you ever thought possible! Check out this special presentation from our friends and affiliates at Real Advantage Nutrients.

Sources:
Some Lipsticks Contain Toxic Metals: (news.yahoo.com)

If there’s a better smell than a fresh pizza baking in a brick oven, I haven’t found it. There’s something about pizza — whether it’s biting into a thick, crunchy crust or nibbling your way through a gooey pile of cheese, the world just feels a whole lot better when there’s a slice of pizza sitting in front of you.

And if you’ve been looking for an excuse to make delicious pizza a part of your menu from time to time, today may be your lucky day. According to some very brilliant New York researchers, one of my favorite pizza toppings may just hold the key to preventing Parkinson’s disease!

If you’re serious about staving off Parkinson’s, which can cause tremors, stiffness, and a loss of muscle control and independence, start tossing the dough now. Just make sure you have a healthy supply of fresh peppers on hand!

You see, researchers have long observed that cigarette smokers seem to have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, and they’ve surmised that nicotine plays a role in preventing the disease from developing.

There’s only one problem with that — assuming the risks of heart disease, stroke, and cancer that come with cigarettes just so you can avoid a fairly rare disease like Parkinson’s just doesn’t make sense.

End of the story, right? Not so fast. You see, peppers are actually from the same plant family as tobacco, and they’re excellent natural sources of nicotine. So researchers analyzed data on over 1,000 patients — nearly half had developed Parkinson’s — and what they found could forever change how we prevent this debilitating disease.

Folks who included the most peppers (any variety…bell, hot, etc…) in their diets had a dramatically lower risk of developing Parkinson’s! That one miracle vegetable that tops your pizza and salads may be fortifying your brain against a dangerous and incurable disease.

It sounds shocking, but researchers have been exploring the link between nicotine and Parkinson’s for years. There’s even a study occurring right now that’s looking at nicotine patches as a method for preventing Parkinson’s.

Wearing a patch may seem like a simple solution, until you consider the long list of dangerous and annoying side effects like itching, burning, dizziness and chest pains. Why bother, when you can just toss some peppers into your favorite pasta dish or on top of a fresh, mouth-watering slice of pizza?

That’s a no-brainer to me, friend. And if you’re serious about protecting your brain from the ravages of Parkinson’s, give peppers a try. Keeping healthy never tasted so good!

Sources:

Eating Peppers Tied to Lower Parkinson’s Risk, Study Finds: (nlm.nih.gov)

Joint pain, fatigue, depression… the list of symptoms fibromyalgia sufferers endure on a daily basis is like a laundry list of misery. But I’ve always thought the worst symptom of fibromyalgia is the headaches — you know, from years of banging your head against a wall, looking for a cure.

That’s the worst part about fibromyalgia — first it takes forever to get properly diagnosed, and then the mainstream tells you there’s almost nothing they can do to help. Thanks for nothing, right?

Well, now there’s an intriguing new study out of Brazil that may offer some hope for the millions of Americans who suffer from debilitating fibromyalgia. Brazilian researchers asked fibromyalgia sufferers to spend 16 weeks supplementing daily with creatine, an organic acid that’s critical to maintaining your energy levels and muscles.

And, wow, how those muscles grew! Volunteers who supplemented with creatine increased their strength by as much as 10 percent over the course of the study, while the patients who didn’t take creatine actually became a bit weaker.

Previous research had shown that fibromyalgia sufferers often lack adequate levels of creatine in their brains, which could explain the fatigue and muscle weakness.

The bad news is that creatine won’t do much for your depression, joint pain, and other fibromyalgia symptoms — but most fibromyalgia sufferers will be excited by the opportunity to gain strength using a supplement they can buy for just pennies a day.

You can walk into just about any store that sells bodybuilding supplements, and find dozens of products packed to the gills with creatine. But let me tell you something, friend — stay far, far away from that stuff.

The typical bodybuilding supplements with creatine are designed for those meatheads who waddle their way into the gym in sunglasses and a T-shirt that’s about three sizes too small.

You know the type — guys who will take literally anything to pack on muscle. And the supplements they take often feature unsafe levels of creatine, which can cause permanent kidney damage.

Instead, work with your doctor to find a creatine product that is appropriate for your age, and has the right dose to give you maximum benefit. You could be just weeks from a whole new — and much stronger — you!

But, of course, creatine isn’t the only way to fight fibromyalgia. In fact, Dr. Wright has given us an inside look at the “natural cocktail” that has helped relieve the suffering of thousands of fibromyalgia patients. Click here to get all the details.

Sources:

Creatine supplementation in fibromyalgia: (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

We all want our children to be little geniuses — and not just smart alecks. Whether you’ve played music to your child in the womb or spent hours reading him books, I’m betting you pulled out all the stops to stimulate your newborn’s noodle.

But if you’re serious about raising the next Einstein or Newton, Mother Nature has a trick up her sleeve — and you’re going to have to roll up YOUR sleeve to take advantage of it.

A new study out of Australia has a powerful recommendation for expecting moms — head right over to your doctor’s office, stick out that arm (or head to the bathroom, if he does urine tests), and get your iodine levels checked. Making sure your levels are balanced could be the best thing you can do to supercharge your baby’s brain.

Researchers analyzed the iodine levels of pregnant women and followed up a decade later when their children were nine years old. The women who were even slightly iodine deficient had children who performed, on average, below the national mean on standardized education tests. Meanwhile, the kids whose moms had sufficient iodine levels scored at or above national averages.

Now, the role of iodine in brain development is no secret. For years we’ve known that iodine plays a key role in motor, cognitive, and auditory development. But this is the first study that shows that even a modest iodine deficiency could be bad for your baby’s developing brain.

The secret isn’t to load up on iodine — it’s to get your levels right. You can find plenty of iodine in milk, certain fish and vegetables, and in iodized salt. It’s an essential nutrient that your body can’t make itself. You need to get it from your diet.

So if you are an expecting mom — or if you know one — it’s time to get those iodine levels checked. Work with your doctor to optimize your levels and who knows? You might be raising the next Nobel Prize winner before you know it!

P.S. Did you know iodine is also a promising breast cancer treatment? Get the scoop from Dr. Wright in one of his Q&A sessions with readers.

Sources:

Moms’ iodine levels tied to kids’ poor test scores: (news.yahoo.com)

Every former smoker I know went through a three-step process when they finally swore off the cancer sticks for good — craving, irritability, and then a lingering question that haunted them for years:

“What on earth have I done to myself???”

If you’re an ex-smoker, it probably felt great to trade in that morning cigarette for a cup of joe, or to be able to hop in your car without feeling the need to light up. But many former smokers are haunted by concerns over how much damage they may have inflicted on their lungs, hearts, and other vital organs during their years of riding the Tobacco Train.

That’s why I’m so excited about new research out of Ohio State that shows that one powerful vitamin may hold the key to wiping away years of smoking damage!

In the study, which was just presented at the Annual Experimental Biology Meeting in Boston, 30 smokers were asked to ditch their nicotine habit for a week. Half of the smokers were given gamma tocopherol, a type of vitamin E, and the rest received a placebo.

Every smoker in the study saw an increase in his or her vascular function in just one week. No surprise there — the benefits of quitting smoking can be nearly immediate.

But here was the HUGE surprise — study participants who took vitamin E every day saw an additional 54 percent improvement in their vascular function. That means a healthier heart… healthier blood vessels… healthier everything!

And it just took ONE WEEK!

This form of vitamin E may hold the key to undoing years of smoking-related damage. And while there’s more research to be done, the benefits of vitamin E are long established. A few weeks back I shared with you an exciting study that found that a form of vitamin E may even be able to starve cancer cells!

It’s never too late to stop smoking, friend. It’ll be the best health decision you ever make. And if you’re interested in turning back the clock on some of the damage those “coffin nails” may have caused, print this article, show it to your doctor, and have a chat about giving vitamin E a try.

And if you’re really serious about beating back Father Time, give this book by our friend and affiliate Dr. Alan Spreen a read. He throws back the curtains on doctors’ secrets to looking and FEELING younger than ever! You could feel 20 years younger in just weeks!

Sources:

Former Smokers: This Vitamin Could Make You Healthier: (news.menshealth.com)

They say some things are worth dying for. But when I tell you the mind-boggling story behind this one sex secret, that legend has it men have literally risked their lives to get their hands on for thousands of years, you’ll sure be glad you don’t have to risk your own life to get your hands on this marvel.

It all started with a bleeding rock.

Yes, you did read that right… a rock that “bleeds.” This special rock is found high up in the snowy peaks of the forbidding Himalayan Mountains.

According to stories that have been passed down through the generations, early explorers were stunned to learn from the locals that the mysterious dark substance that leaked from the stones was being credited with being an “anti-aging” elixir of sorts that kept the men feeling young, spry, and full of sexual energy well into their golden years.

Called “Blood of the Mountains,” the substance was so prized by the locals that the men were perfectly willing to scale the notoriously dangerous icy peaks in search of it.

When those early explorers brought word of the miraculous bleeding rocks back to civilization the incredible sexual rejuvenator apparently stayed a closely-guarded secret. But some legends hint that the “Blood of the Mountains” mystical ability to supercharge libidos could have been the key to the applause-worthy bedroom performances of some of the most legendary lovers of all time.

And let’s be honest, what guy wouldn’t want to become a legend in his own bedroom?

Well I’ve got great news! You CAN get your hands on the “Blood of the Mountains” and you won’t have to buy any rock-climbing equipment to do it. Our friends and affiliates over at NorthStar Nutritionals have done all the dirty work for us.

They managed to secure a supply of shilajit (the real name of this powerful elixir) and have put it at the center of their new male performance formula, Prime Power. Then they took it one step further, rounding out their formula with other well-studied and time tested libido-supporters like Korean Red Ginseng and Malaysian Ginseng making this one of the most complete formulas of its kind that you’ll find.

If you want to learn more about how Prime Power could help you go from yawn-inducing sessions in the sack to a legendary lover in your own home… if you’re really ready to secure your place in the love-making hall of fame… click here.

Scientists have stumbled upon something sharp and metallic that you can use daily to get your stubborn high blood sugar under control.

And here’s the best part — it’s not an insulin needle. It’s a fork!

A researcher from Oklahoma State University has found that if you use that fork to lift some mouth-watering mango into your mouth every day, you may be well on your way to putting your blood sugar woes behind you for good!

Sounds good? Here’s what you need to know.

According to the research, which was just presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, obese adults who ate just half a mango a day saw their high blood sugar fall like a house of cards in a hurricane after just 12 weeks!

That’s right, friend! Just three months of mango was all it took for research subjects to start getting their high blood sugar — a problem that had been plaguing them for years — under control.

And guess what else? These research subjects didn’t lose weight, spend hours at the gym, or change their body composition one bit — they just ate one serving of delicious mango every single day.

What’s the secret behind this blood sugar-busting fruit? Mangos are high in fiber, which can limit your body’s absorption of sugar. Plus, they’re jam-packed with plant polyphenols, which may prevent the development of fat cells — and keep the fat cells you have smaller.

(Long time e-Tips readers probably won’t be too surprised by these findings since all the way back in 2010 we revealed that polyphenol-rich seaweed also had the power to reduce both blood sugars and weight. If you missed that important story, click here to catch up.)

We’ve been singing the praises of mangos for so long, that we’re thinking of starting a band — Mango & the Marvelettes.

OK, we’re still working on that. But if you’ve been reading for a while, you know that mangos may also be a powerful tool for helping to prevent cancer.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure our Creator didn’t want us to spend our golden years as pin cushions. If you’re tired of those constant finger pricks and insulin injections it takes to get your blood sugar under control, speak to your doctor about giving 12 weeks of mangos a try.

You just might see your high blood sugar drop like a stone, one delicious bite at a time. And if you’re looking for other safe, natural ways to support healthy blood sugar, check out our online archives!

Sources:

The Fruit That Lowers Blood Sugar: (news.menshealth.com)

Turning over rocks is a dangerous and disgusting business, friend. You never know what you’re going to find slinking or slithering around.

We spend a lot of time here turning over stones and exposing the dark underside of mainstream medicine — a world of dangerous drugs unfit for human consumption, shady overseas clinical trials, million-dollar Big Pharma payoffs, and more.

But there are also many people in the medical community who put patients first, and who are making an earnest effort to make the world a better place — and it warms my heart when I get to tell you about some of them.

The good folks at the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association announced recently that their members would be stepping up and making sure that the men and women who lost limbs during the barbaric Boston Marathon bombing would have access to modern, high-quality prosthetics — whether they could afford them or not.

There are millions of Americans who lack health insurance, and those who do may have coverage limits for prosthetics as low as $1,000. The problem is, an above-the-knee prosthetic leg can cost as much as $60,000.

That’s why the members of the AOPA are stepping forward and offering to pay the bill for patients who may not be able to afford the prosthetics that will help them regain some of their former independence. As AOPA Executive Director Tom Fise said, it would be a travesty for these folks to be victimized twice — and I couldn’t agree more.

The Boston Marathon bombings are a tragedy that will be etched into our memories for all time. But they also produced stories of astounding heroism and compassion. Here’s a tip of the cap to the medical device manufacturers of the AOPA for offering another example of human decency we can all feel good about.

Sources:

Companies to Donate Prosthetic Legs to Boston Bombing Victims in Need: (nlm.nih.gov)

I’ve heard gout compared to walking across hot coals, but I’m not sure that does it justice. It’s a little more like performing jumping jacks on lava-covered razor blades.

The debilitating pain of gout, which often starts in the big toe but can affect your knees, ankles, and more, can leave you bed-ridden and sidelined for weeks at a time. But according to a new study out of Canada, gout may be far more than a pain in the toe — it’s a potentially deadly pain in the ticker.

That’s the conclusion from researchers at the University of British Columbia who studied the heart health of nearly 60,000 people and found that if you’ve been limping along with gout, you may be a heart attack waiting to happen.

In fact, this massive study found that women with gout were a shocking 39 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack! That’s nearly FOUR TIMES the added heart attack risk that men with gout face.

The research proved conclusively that gout is far more than a painful nuisance — it’s a potential lethal attack on your heart that you need to take very seriously.

But if you’re waiting for some good news, friend, I’m not about to let you down. Dr. Wright has some proven treatments that could help you defeat the pain of gout — and maybe, if this new research is right, they’ll keep your ticker in tip-top shape to boot.

Dr. Wright has found that drinking 32 ounces of cherry juice (real cherry juice, without sugar) can head off the pain of an attack if you drink it right at the onset of symptoms. He’s also discovered that you may be able to reduce the frequency of gout flare-ups with 10-15 milligrams of low-dose lithium and 2 grams of vitamin C taken twice a day.

You see, gout is triggered by a buildup of uric acid in the body, and vitamin C can reduce serum uric acid levels while lithium prevents uric acid from crystallizing. That could mean less pain for you — and a better chance of getting your gout under control.

If you’ve been taking a grin-and-bear-it approach to gout these natural treatments should give you something to really smile about. For some added heart protection you might also want to toss some fish oil and other proven heart-helpers into the mix.

But fish oil isn’t the only proven natural heart-healer. Far from it!

In fact, Dr. Wright has compiled a staggering list of 33 of them! If you’re a subscriber to Dr. Wright’s Nutrition and Healing just click here for free access to this comprehensive list.

And if you’re not already a subscriber, that’s easy to fix… just click here to learn how to become one and get access to not only this helpful list, but all of Dr. Wright’s healing archives.

Sources:

Gout increases heart attack risk in women: (newsfix.ca)

If you suffer from the pain, itching, and flaking of psoriasis, I’m guessing you’ve tried just about everything to get well — special soaps, shampoos… maybe even a few of Big Pharma’s chemical cocktails.

But if you’re desperate to find a cure for this debilitating condition, don’t accept Big Pharma’s “help” too quickly. It turns out that an element in one of those chemical cocktails could have you unknowingly trading your psoriasis for a deadly brain disease.

Reports in the New England Journal of Medicine claim that the main ingredient in Fumaderm, a drug used to treat psoriasis, may be associated with a rare, but potentially deadly, brain disease called progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML). So far, four cases of the disease may be linked to the active ingredient in the drug, according to those reports.

Some of the symptoms of PML include weakness, paralysis, vision loss, and even cognitive decline. It’s caused by a virus that lays dormant in most of our bodies, but dimethyl fumarate, the main ingredient in Fumaderm, may allow the virus to spring to life letting it go nuts on your noggin.

The manufacturer, of course, is fighting back against the claim that dimethyl fumarate could cause PML. But since researchers have uncovered at least four cases they believe may be linked to the drug in Europe, that’s what I would call a cause for concern. And that’s bad news for the drug company execs because a drug featuring dimethyl fumarate has just been approved for treatment of multiple sclerosis in the United States.

There are literally HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars at stake here, so expect a long, drawn-out fight. But while that nonsense plays out, you can keep turning to us for safe, natural treatments for psoriasis. For example, Dr. Wright reports great success treating psoriasis patients with a powerful combination of nickel and bromide.

Meaning that you may be able to protect your skin AND your brain simply by shunning Big Pharma’s latest, potentially dangerous drug. Sounds like a plan to me.

Sources:
Ingredient in New MS Drug Linked to Serious Brain Disease: (nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus)