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Living in a Toxic World

by Dr. Stephen Sinatra

Published 02/16/09

It seems like I’m always on the road, both lecturing to and learning from doctors across the country, hopping from planes, trains, and automobiles to cruise ships for a conference on integrative medicine. As taxing as this can be, the good news is that momentum is clearly building to shift medicine in a new direction as more and more physicians take time out from their busy practices to share with their peers what they know about alternative medical approaches.

Instead of the "patch me up" paradigm that has dominated Western medicine for the last 60 years, the new models we're developing should help us understand why some people appear to be much more vulnerable to heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's—even the common cold. And the new breed of physician is keenly aware that primary prevention is what's needed—not treatment after the fact.

After attending a variety of conferences and listening to so many talented colleagues, I believe we're finally putting the puzzle pieces together. More specifically, I realize that I've underestimated the power of three major risk factors.

Stealth Viruses and Bacteria

You may know someone—a relative, a friend, or colleague—who seems to "catch" every possible virus and bacterium, getting sick time and time again. Maybe you have noticed a pattern of mysterious health problems in yourself. Researchers are finding chlamydia and CMV viral infections at high rates, even in coronary artery plaque analyzed at autopsy.

And now we know about nanobacteria (Nanobacterium sanguineum), a newly discovered bacteria only 1/1,000 the size of a regular bacteria, which has been cultured from the blood of humans and other mammals. Nanobacteria can band together and then secrete a toxic film that irritates the body, causing swelling and irritation in the affected site. Over time this inflammatory response can lead to all kinds of disease processes, including kidney stones, cataracts, dental plaque, and coronary artery disease (CAD). Such inflammatory and infectious causes of CAD are being recognized even by traditional cardiologists. Move over, cholesterol!

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