Our mission

We believe that drinking water is the healthiest way to hydrate.

Our Mission

Our mission is to raise public awareness of healthy hydration, and encourage sustainable healthy hydration habits, by sharing scientific research, educational materials and practical tools.
Nutritional advice typically focuses on food intake. Yet, the quantity and quality of the fluids we drink every day can have a significant impact on our well-being and long-term health. Therefore, one of our primary challenges is to communicate the fundamental need for healthcare policymakers and practitioners to proactively provide healthy hydration advice.

Need for action

In the context of the development of obesity worldwide and the development of kidney disease, there is a need to develop prevention approaches. Among other healthy lifestyle measures, drinking an adequate amount of water every day can significantly contribute to maintaining good heath. We believe there is a need to increase awareness on the scientific evidence supporting the need and the benefits of drinking enough water each day and to educate all stakeholders. This is precisely what the Hydration for Health initiative aims to achieve:

• People need to be made more aware of the current worldwide obesity ‘epidemic’ and its implications for future health
• Healthcare professionals should be encouraged to talk with colleagues and patients about the importance of encouraging water intake, particularly in children
• Guidelines, particularly those covering hydration and health, should be made available for healthcare professionals to discuss with patients
• Consumption of water in preference to other beverages should be highlighted as a simple step towards healthier hydration

1. Professor Max Lafontan is a principal investigator at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm).
Prof. Lafontan obtained a PhD and a Doctorat-es-Sciences thesis from University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse, France) in 1979. He was appointed as assistant-professor in 1970 and as associate-professor of Animal Physiology in 1979. In 1985, he moved to Inserm as principal investigator and from 1988-2002, headed the Inserm Unit 317 (Adrenergic Regulations and Metabolic Adaptations) and the Institute Louis Bugnard Research Centre from 1990-1997.
His original team contributed to the identification of human fat cell alpha2-adrenergic and neuropeptide Y receptors and to the definition of the molecular determinants of the interplay between beta- and alpha2-adrenergic receptor mediated-events in fat cells of various species. The pioneering observation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) production by fat cells has been at the origin of the identification of a new adipocyte secretion (i.e., autotaxin, a lysophospholipase involved in LPA production). The discovery of the original role of Atrial Natriuretic peptides (ANP) in the control of lipolysis and lipid mobilization in humans in 2000 has opened an unsuspected field of research which is still under intensive exploration.

Prof. Lafontan was a Council Member and President of the French Association for the Study of Obesity (AFERO) and Council Member of the European Association for the Study of 0besity (EASO). He was awarded the Friederich Wasserman Award of EASO in 2003 for his research activity in the field of adipose tissue metabolism and obesity.

2. David Haslam graduated from St. Thomas’ Hospital Medical School in 1985 with a MB BS. He is a full-time GP with a special interest in obesity and cardiometabolic disease, a Physician in obesity medicine at the Centre for Obesity Research at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, Professor in obesity sciences at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and Chairman of the National Obesity Forum in the UK.

Prof. Haslam took charge of formulating guidelines for adult obesity management in primary care, and produced the first primary care guidelines for the management of childhood obesity with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
A visiting lecturer at Chester University and visiting Fellow at the Postgraduate Medical School of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, Prof Haslam is also a trustee and former chair of the ‘Foundations’ charity and co-founder of European Obesity Day 2010, supported by the European Parliament.

Prof Haslam has published numerous articles in journals and papers and speaks regularly, at an international level, on obesity and obesity-related diseases.

His books include 'Your Questions Answered - Obesity', ‘Fat, Gluttony and Sloth, Obesity in Literature, Art and Medicine’ with Fiona Haslam, and ‘The Obesity Epidemic and its Management’ with Terry Maquire.

3. Hardinsyah is Professor of the Faculty of Human Ecology (FEMA) Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), President of the Indonesian Food and Nutrition Society (PERGIZI PANGAN), and President of the CSR Society of Indonesia (AP-CSR Indonesia). Having received his Bachelor and Master degrees from IPB, majoring in community nutrition, Professor Hardinsyah was awarded his PhD in Nutrition and Food from University of Queensland, Australia and was a visiting scholar at Cornell University in the United States. Previously he was the Dean of FEMA IPB, Director for the Collaboration of IPB, Executive Director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy Studies IPB, Head of Department of Community Nutrition and Family Resources IPB, and Vice President of the Indonesian Society of Nutrition.

His current research includes the epidemiology of dehydration, malnutrition, food insecurity and poverty. Professor Hardinsyah is actively involved in a number of national task forces on food, nutrition and community empowerment.

4. Professor Jean-Francois Duhamel is Chief of Paediatrics at the Medical University Hospital of Caen. He is a corresponding member of the National Academy of Medicine and competent with the AFSSA. He is the author of "Acute dehydration of newborns and infants" published in 2003 by John Libbey Eurotext.

5. Dr. Barquera is a medical surgeon from the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City with graduate MS and PhD degrees from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston MA. He has been a consultant for WHO, PAHO, IFPRI and the IAAE in the fields of nutrition, obesity and chronic diseases. He is co-author of diverse books and scientific papers such as the Third Report on the World Nutrition Situation of United Nations, the Mexican Nutrition Survey (1999), the Mexican Health Survey (2000) and the Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey (2006) reports. In 2003 he was a member of the team that received the Fred L. Soper award to the excellence in health literature for an article characterizing the obesity and nutrition transition situation in Mexico. Currently Dr. Barquera is president of the nutrition board of professors at the Mexican School of Public Health and Director of the Nutritional Epidemiology Division at the Nutrition and Health Research Center. He is member of the advisory board in chronic diseases and diet for the Ministry of health and has been recognized as National Investigator by the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology.

6. Lawrence E. Armstrong, Ph.D., FACSM, is a Professor at the University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory with joint appointments in the Nutritional Sciences Department and the Department of Physiology & Neurobiology. He presently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Exercise Metabolism, Thermal Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Scientific Presentations, and Physiological Responses to Stressful Environments.  His research interests include the effects of mild dehydration with water replacement on cognitive performance, water-salt balance during exercise in hot environments, human temperature regulation, physiological effects of caffeine, and dietary interventions (i.e., low salt diets, glucose-electrolyte solutions) as they apply to laborers, athletes and military personnel. He serves as an Editorial Review Board Member for the International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, and the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.  He has authored/coauthored over 145 peer-reviewed scientific articles and published the book ‘Performing in Extreme Environments (2000)’; in 2003, he edited the book ‘Exertional Heat Illnesses’.  He formerly held the position of Research Physiologist, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA.  Dr. Armstrong is a present member of the Danone Research Scientific Advisory Board; past member of the U.S. National Research Council, Institute of Medicine, Committee on Military Nutrition Research; past member of the Board of Trustees of the American College of Sports Medicine; and a Past-President of the ACSM New England Chapter. 

Electromagnetic fields and public health

Exposure to extremely low frequency fields

Backgrounder
June 2007

The use of electricity has become an integral part of everyday life. Whenever electricity flows, both electric and magnetic fields exist close to the lines that carry electricity, and close to appliances. Since the late 1970s, questions have been raised whether exposure to these extremely low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields (EMF) produces adverse health consequences. Since then, much research has been done, successfully resolving important issues and narrowing the focus of future research.

In 1996, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the International Electromagnetic Fields Project to investigate potential health risks associated with technologies emitting EMF. A WHO Task Group recently concluded a review of the health implications of ELF fields (WHO, 2007).

This Fact Sheet is based on the findings of that Task Group and updates recent reviews on the health effects of ELF EMF published in 2002 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), established under the auspices of WHO, and by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) in 2003.

ELF field sources and residential exposures
Electric and magnetic fields exist wherever electric current flows - in power lines and cables, residential wiring and electrical appliances. Electric fields arise from electric charges, are measured in volts per metre (V/m) and are shielded by common materials, such as wood and metal. Magnetic fields arise from the motion of electric charges (i.e. a current), are expressed in tesla (T), or more commonly in millitesla (mT) or microtesla (µT). In some countries another unit called the gauss, (G), is commonly used (10,000 G = 1 T). These fields are not shielded by most common materials, and pass easily through them. Both types of fields are strongest close to the source and diminish with distance.

Most electric power operates at a frequency of 50 or 60 cycles per second, or hertz (Hz). Close to certain appliances, the magnetic field values can be of the order of a few hundred microtesla. Underneath power lines, magnetic fields can be about 20 µT and electric fields can be several thousand volts per metre. However, average residential power-frequency magnetic fields in homes are much lower - about 0.07 µT in Europe and 0.11 µT in North America. Mean values of the electric field in the home are up to several tens of volts per metre.

Task group evaluation

In October 2005, WHO convened a Task Group of scientific experts to assess any risks to health that might exist from exposure to ELF electric and magnetic fields in the frequency range >0 to 100,000 Hz (100 kHz). While IARC examined the evidence regarding cancer in 2002, this Task Group reviewed evidence for a number of health effects, and updated the evidence regarding cancer. The conclusions and recommendations of the Task Group are presented in a WHO Environmental Health Criteria (EHC) monograph (WHO, 2007).

Following a standard health risk assessment process, the Task Group concluded that there are no substantive health issues related to ELF electric fields at levels generally encountered by members of the public. Thus the remainder of this fact sheet addresses predominantly the effects of exposure to ELF magnetic fields.

Short-term effects

There are established biological effects from acute exposure at high levels (well above 100 µT) that are explained by recognized biophysical mechanisms. External ELF magnetic fields induce electric fields and currents in the body which, at very high field strengths, cause nerve and muscle stimulation and changes in nerve cell excitability in the central nervous system.

Potential long-term effects

Much of the scientific research examining long-term risks from ELF magnetic field exposure has focused on childhood leukaemia. In 2002, IARC published a monograph classifying ELF magnetic fields as "possibly carcinogenic to humans". This classification is used to denote an agent for which there is limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity in experimental animals (other examples include coffee and welding fumes). This classification was based on pooled analyses of epidemiological studies demonstrating a consistent pattern of a two-fold increase in childhood leukaemia associated with average exposure to residential power-frequency magnetic field above 0.3 to 0.4 µT. The Task Group concluded that additional studies since then do not alter the status of this classification.

However, the epidemiological evidence is weakened by methodological problems, such as potential selection bias. In addition, there are no accepted biophysical mechanisms that would suggest that low-level exposures are involved in cancer development. Thus, if there were any effects from exposures to these low-level fields, it would have to be through a biological mechanism that is as yet unknown. Additionally, animal studies have been largely negative. Thus, on balance, the evidence related to childhood leukaemia is not strong enough to be considered causal.

Childhood leukaemia is a comparatively rare disease with a total annual number of new cases estimated to be 49,000 worldwide in 2000. Average magnetic field exposures above 0.3 μT in homes are rare: it is estimated that only between 1% and 4% of children live in such conditions. If the association between magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia is causal, the number of cases worldwide that might be attributable to magnetic field exposure is estimated to range from 100 to 2400 cases per year, based on values for the year 2000, representing 0.2 to 4.95% of the total incidence for that year. Thus, if ELF magnetic fields actually do increase the risk of the disease, when considered in a global context, the impact on public health of ELF EMF exposure would be limited.

A number of other adverse health effects have been studied for possible association with ELF magnetic field exposure. These include other childhood cancers, cancers in adults, depression, suicide, cardiovascular disorders, reproductive dysfunction, developmental disorders, immunological modifications, neurobehavioural effects and neurodegenerative disease. The WHO Task Group concluded that scientific evidence supporting an association between ELF magnetic field exposure and all of these health effects is much weaker than for childhood leukaemia. In some instances (i.e. for cardiovascular disease or breast cancer) the evidence suggests that these fields do not cause them.

International exposure guidelines

Health effects related to short-term, high-level exposure have been established and form the basis of two international exposure limit guidelines (ICNIRP, 1998; IEEE, 2002). At present, these bodies consider the scientific evidence related to possible health effects from long-term, low-level exposure to ELF fields insufficient to justify lowering these quantitative exposure limits.

WHO's guidance

For high-level short-term exposures to EMF, adverse health effects have been scientifically established (ICNIRP, 2003). International exposure guidelines designed to protect workers and the public from these effects should be adopted by policy makers. EMF protection programs should include exposure measurements from sources where exposures might be expected to exceed limit values.

Regarding long-term effects, given the weakness of the evidence for a link between exposure to ELF magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia, the benefits of exposure reduction on health are unclear. In view of this situation, the following recommendations are given:

~Government and industry should monitor science and promote research programmes to further reduce the uncertainty of the scientific evidence on the health effects of ELF field exposure. Through the ELF risk assessment process, gaps in knowledge have been identified and these form the basis of a new research agenda.

~Member States are encouraged to establish effective and open communication programmes with all stakeholders to enable informed decision-making. These may include improving coordination and consultation among industry, local government, and citizens in the planning process for ELF EMF-emitting facilities.

~When constructing new facilities and designing new equipment, including appliances, low-cost ways of reducing exposures may be explored. Appropriate exposure reduction measures will vary from one country to another. However, policies based on the adoption of arbitrary low exposure limits are not warranted.

Further reading

WHO - World Health Organization. Extremely low frequency fields. Environmental Health Criteria, Vol. 238. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2007.

IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Non-ionizing radiation, Part 1: Static and extremely low-frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields. Lyon, IARC, 2002 (Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, 80).

ICNIRP - International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Exposure to static and low frequency electromagnetic fields, biological effects and health consequences (0-100 kHz). Bernhardt JH et al., eds. Oberschleissheim, International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection, 2003 (ICNIRP 13/2003).

ICNIRP – International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (1998). Guidelines for limiting exposure to time varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz). Health Physics 74(4), 494-522.

IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 28. IEEE standard for safety levels with respect to human exposure to electromagnetic fields, 0-3 kHz. New York, NY, IEEE - The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2002 (IEEE Std C95.6-2002).

Praise for Water Cure

To our Creator: In Awe with Humility, Dedication and Love.

WATER CURE ( www.watercure.com  to view his health educational products online)

"One man's solution to soaring health costs: water."
Paul Harvey

"Thanks to Dr. Batmanghelidj. I put your book next to the bible and I read them both."
Dick Gregory

"Thanks again. You have truly made the world a better place."
Amazon.com Reviews

"The Greatest single Discovery in the History of the World."
Tevor James Constable
author, historian, lecturer, scientist.
Bordeland Quarterly Journal of Borderland Research

"The water principle has a convincing logic but turns much of current medical practice on its head. Does it work? You only have to turn on the water tap to find out."
The European, London, December 1995

"He is arguing for a new scientific approach that turns clinical medicine on its head."
The Daily Telegraph, London, England

"I was particularly stunned by Dr. Batmanghelidj's lucid description of how lack of water is the primary cause of hypertension, which affects 50 million Americans."
Julian Whitaker, M.D., Health & Healing

It is claimed that fish probably have no awareness of the presence of water ; this book shows we may have done little better. Mostly we have treated symptoms, and often wrongly at that , but masterpieces come into being to produce paradigm shifts. if we learn this one, we may arrest the course of our patients in their all too rapid going the way of all flesh."
Book Reviews, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology

"The Greatest Health Discovery in the World."
Sam Biser, The University of Natural Healing

"After having read many of Dr. Batmanghelidj's recent works, including his jewel of a book, Your Body's Many cries for Water, it is very apparent that this work is revolutionary and sweeps nearly all diseases before it.  As an Internist/ cardiologist I find this work incisive, trenchant and fundamental. this work is a God Sent for all." 
Dan C. Roehm, M.D., F.A.C.P. (Fellow of the American College of Physicians)

"How like 'monkey mind' to bounce about, tying itself in knots with complex solutions while ignoring the profound significance of the simple! Circumstance helped Dr. Batmanghelidj perceive the elegant significance of one factor we too often overlook; water."
Jule Klotter, Townsend Letter for Doctors

"Dr.Batmanghelidj has researched the phenomenon of pain and water metabolism of the body. his research, published in various scientific journals, has led him to address pain as "proven but seldom recognized signal of local shortage of water in the body.'
The Rotarian

Doctor Finds Ulcer Remedy
"It started with a patient suffering unbearable ulcer pain one late night.  The Doctor treated him with 500 cubic centimeter of water. his pain became less severe and then disappeared completely. The physician was so impressed that he prescribed two glasses of water six times a day and achieved a "clinical" cure of the ulcer attack."
The New York Times "Science Watch"

"When Dr. Batmanghelidj thinks of a glass of water, he doesn't think of it as half full or half empty. He thinks of it as brimming over with the essential fluid of life. He thinks of it as the solvent of our ills and the deliverer of ripe old age. He thinks of it as the wave of the future."
The Washington Times

A Medical Atom Bomb!
"New! This book by a highly respected M.D. explodes a medical atom-bomb -- An entirely new paradigm for the cause and prevention of many degenerative disease! You owe it to yourself to read this incredible book!"
Nutri-Books

"The average American is woefully uninformed about water. Most people think they drink enough water, but they don't.  Dr. Batmanghelidj's book will create a tide of public opinion about the wonders of water."
The Connection Newspaper

"We have, he says in a new and highly controversial book, Your Body's many cries for water, forgotten how to respond to our numerous thirst signals. but if, instead of taking painkillers and medication, we just drank lots of ordinary tap water, we would probably find that not only the pain, but also the condition would go away for ever."
The Independent, London, England

"Stomach pains, migraines, allergies, asthma, and even arthritis may all be symptoms of dehydration that could easily be cured by a few more glasses of household tap water. But only drinking water when you are feeling thirsty will not provide you with enough, according to F. Batmanghelidj, whose controversial book, Your Body's many Cries for Water, sold tens of thousands of copies in the united States last year."
Daily Mail, London, England

"Dr. Batman's book are full of common sense and truthful medical advice. His suggested treatment of diseases goes to the roots, the cause of it and anyone who is fortunate enough to read them won't be disappointed with their purchase."
Laurence A. Malone, M.D., Ph.D., Dean for Academic Affairs, The Learning Center for College Sciences, Ohio

"I consider your insights some of the most amazing I have encountered in medicine. Sixteen years of private practice in OBG and 8 years as a GP have provided me with a perspective that appreciates the potentials of your proposals."
L.B. Works, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. (Fellow Of The American College Of Obstetrics And Gynecology)

"The author, as a result of his extensive clinical and scientific research, concludes that the body possesses many different thirst signals. many different symptoms and signs of dehydration have until now been viewed as classical diseases of the body."
Frontier Perspectives,
The Center for Frontier Sciences at Temple University

"After many years of study and practicing medicine, it is both rewarding and refreshing to discover the solution to many degenerative conditions beautifully explained by Dr. Batmanghelidj in Your Body's Many Cries for Water. This type of information fills a void left from traditional education."
Robert Battle, M.D.

"Thank you for the timely advice on using the combination of water and salt to treat my asthma ... not only calmed my coughing but took it away.  Once again thank you so much for sharing such insights into complex problems."
Jose A. Rivera, M.D.

"It is a well written book and easy to understand. I think reading of this book should be made compulsory in all the Elementary, Middle and High Schools. It will prevent lots of illnesses and suffering at almost no additional costs."
Hiten Shah, M.D.,
San Jacinto Medical Clinic, CA.

"Batmanghelidj leads us through these entities point by point and weaves a magnificent tapestry if not possibly allopathic medicine's shroud -- we can't both be right."
The Bioron Connection

"Batmanghelidj's book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water, hits the nail on the head - period."
Arthur Moll, D.C.

Small press Selection:
"Your Body's Many Cries for Water, a health book authored by a doctor combining holistic and medical facts about the effects of water and its healing possibilities on many diseases. This book was
chosen since water is a topic that has increasing awareness in the marketplace and the author has credentials."
Jan Nathan, Executive Director,
Publishers Marketing Association

"Both these books, as well as the publishing firm, bring the sort of news that could change your life. Clinics and counter-claims aside, Dr. Batmanghelidj has really got hold of something."
The Book Reader


"No pills! No pain! No fooling! ARTHRITIC CURE IN YOUR KITCHEN. Doctor's discovery heals for pennies a day."
National Examiner, December 14, 1993

"Yours is the most elegant description of arthritis pain I've ever read!"
Perry A. Chapdelaine, Sr., M.A.
Executive Director,
The Arthritis Fund / The Rheumatoid Disease Foundation

"Dynamite! Your hypothesis is precisely the paradigm breakthrough that generates quantum leaps forward in disease etiology."
Edmund H. Handwerger, D.D.S., M.P.H. (Doctor of Dental Surgery) , (Master of Public Health)

"Batmanghelidj gives example of patients who have followed his advice using ordinary tap water with positive results in reduction of blood pressure, allergy relief and weight loss. He even goes so far as to link the lack of water with depression."
The Irish Times

"It does seem sensible to adhere to the logic of the natural and the simple in medicine as fostered in the book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water."
Monsignor Philip A. Gray

"The content of your book is a huge gulp of fresh air, and holds much hope for the human race!"
Judge John B. Morgan, California

"I consider Dr. Batman's information as God-sent. It is my prayer that you too will benefit from his pain-relieving and life-extension revelations."
Lloyd Palmer, Straws in the Wind Newsletter, February 1996

"He has successfully treated allergies, angina, arthritis, headaches, hypertension, ulcers and more with the simplest of solutions -- water."
Nexus Magazine, Australia, January 1996

"As his controversial book quietly gathers support worldwide, the doctor behind one of medicine's most extraordinary theories explains why he has turned his back on conventional wisdom to treat his patients with water, not drugs"
Daily Mail, UK, August 27, 2001

"Revolutionary medical breakthrough ; The slimming new water cure! Learn how to drink away 40 lbs."
Finola Hughes
All My Children TV series
Woman's World (cover)
September 4, 2001

"Dr. Batmanghelidj's discovery regarding water was critical to my recovery. I could not have recovered (from cancer) without it."
Lorraine Day, M.D.
Positive Press
Interview with Bob Butts





 

Where Are Stem Cells Found In The Body?

Question:

Where are stem cells found in the body?

Answer:

Stem cells come from different places, depending on the type of stem cell you are talking about.

In leukemia and lymphoma, stem cells may be transplanted into the person with cancer to help replenish the bone marrow for production of new blood cells. In these cases, the stem cells come from the bone marrow or bloodstream of a living donor. Stem cells of this type are also known as adult stem cells and, more specifically, hematopoietic stem cells, since they give rise to blood cells.

 

The stem cell transplants performed in people with cancer do not use any embryonic cells.When it comes to stem cell research, however, stem cells might come from any number of different sources, including from specialized tissues of living human donors or sacrificed human embryos.

Stem Cells for Transplants (HSCT) in Cancer
The bone marrow makes all of your blood cells: red cells, white cells, and other cells called megakaryocytes that make platelets to help with clotting. Hematopoietic stem cells within the bone marrow are the “parents” or progenitors of all of these different cell types that form the blood.

These hematopoietic stem cells are transplanted into a person with cancer to help replenish healthy bone marrow and blood cells; high doses of chemotherapy kill cancer cells effectively, but also kill stem cells in the bone marrow. So, shortly after chemotherapy, stem cells are given into a vein, much like a blood transfusion.

The cells take some time to settle into the bone marrow and begin to grow and make new healthy blood cells.

 

Bone Marrow vs. Peripheral Blood

Years ago, the only source for stem cells used in transplants was bone marrow. Then a small number of blood-forming stem cells was discovered circulating out in the peripheral bloodstream.

Doctors learned to collect these stem cells from the circulating blood -- and to use them for transplants. This type of transplant, known as a peripheral blood stem cell transplant, or PBSCT, has become more common than transplants from bone marrow, however, both methods are in use today.

Other Stem Cells

In other cases, and in the absence of additional information, the term "stem cell" is ambiguous as to the source of the cells. Additional descriptors are needed to tell you what type of stem cell it is and where it comes from. There are currently three main categories of stem cells; each one has a different source:
Embryonic stem cells are the most controversial stem cells since they come from human embryos that have been destroyed, or harvested for science.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stem cells from sacrificed human embryos were first grown in a laboratory in 1998; they were originally “created for reproductive purposes,” but when they were no longer needed, they were donated with informed consent of "the donor" -- presumably the egg donor, but possibly the sperm donor -- or perhaps both -- in any case, consent obviously does not refer to the developing human embryo.

Children are usually deemed unable to provide consent for medical procedures prior to the age 16 years; sometimes 18 years of age is used as the threshold age for consent.

Adult stem cells are also called somatic stem cells. These stem cells are obtained without the destruction of a human embryo. Hematopoietic or blood-forming stem cells are an example of this kind of stem cell, and they have been used for generations. The term “somatic” means “body” and underscores that these cells come from a living body and not from a sacrificed embryo. Scientists have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than once thought possible. According to the NIH, adult stem cells have been found in many organs and tissues, including brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, heart, gut, liver, ovarian cells, and testis.

Induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs, are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to be more like embryonic stem cells. The source is adult or somatic cells and not embryonic cells, but these are adult cells that have undergone genetic engineering.

According to UCLA's Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, iPSCs usually start out as skin cells or blood cells, which then undergo genetic programming. It is currently possible to produce almost any desired cell type from any patient's cells. Laboratory research has shown promising results using these cells to correct a number of genetic disorders of the blood, nervous system and muscles.
Updated February 2016, TI.

_{Sources:
National Institutes of Health. Stem Cell Information. Stem Cell Basics. 
Simara P, Motl JA, Kaufman DS. Pluripotent Stem Cells and Gene Therapy. Transl Res. 2013;161(4):284-292.
Al-Shamekh S, Goldberg J. Retinal Repair with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Transl Res. 2014;163(4):377-386.
Finkbeiner SR, Spence JR. A Gutsy Task: Generating Intestinal Tissue from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 2013;58(5):1176-1184.
Priori SG, Napolitano C, Di Pasquale E, Condorelli G. Induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes in studies of inherited arrhythmias. J Clin Invest. 2013;123(1):84-91.
UCLA. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS).} 

 

"Bad Cholesterol": A Myth and a Fraud

We in the medical profession, totally oblivious of the vital roles of cholesterol in the body, have been duped into thinking that it is this substance that causes arterial disease of the heart and the brain. The pharmaceutical industry has capitalized on the slogan of "bad cholesterol" and has produced toxic-to-the-body chemicals that minimally lower the level of cholesterol in the body and in the process cause liver damage to thousands of people, some who die as a result of using the medication.

It is surprising that none of the frequently quoted and media-popularized doctors has reflected on the fact that cholesterol levels are measured from blood taken from the veins, yet nowhere in medical literature is there a single case of cholesterol having caused obstruction of the veins. Venous blood moves far slower than arterial blood and thus would be more inclined to have cholesterol deposits if the assumption of "bad cholesterol" were accurate. This mistake by us in the medical community, and its capitalization by the pharmaceutical industry, has caused an ongoing fraud against society.

In truth, the so-called "bad" cholesterol is actually far more beneficial than is appreciated. The reason for its rise in the body is because of complications caused by chronic unintentional dehydration and insufficient urine production. Dehydration produces concentrated, acidic blood that becomes even more dehydrated during its passage through the lungs before reaching the heart - because of evaporation of water in the lungs during breathing. The membranes of the blood vessels of the heart and main arteries going up to the brain become vulnerable to the shearing pressure produced by the thicker, acidic blood. This shearing force of toxic blood causes abrasions and minute tears in the lining of the arteries that can peel off and cause embolisms of the brain, kidneys and other organs. To prevent the damaged blood vessel walls from peeling, low-density (so-called "bad") cholesterol coats and covers up the abrasions and protects the underlying tissue like a waterproof bandage until the tissue heals.

Thus, the vital, life-saving role of low-density cholesterol proves this substance is of utmost importance in saving the lives of those who do not adequately hydrate their bodies so that their blood can flow easily through the blood vessels without causing damage.

Cholesterol is an element from which many of our hormones are made. Vitamin D is made by the body from cholesterol in our skin that is exposed to sunlight. Cholesterol is used in the insulating membranes that cover our nerve systems. There is no such a thing as bad cholesterol. If all the primary ingredients are available for its normal functions, the human body does not engage in making things that are bad for its survival. Until now we did not know water was a vital nutrient that the body needed at all times - and in sufficient quantity.

Water itself - not caffeinated beverages that further dehydrate - is a better cholesterol-lowering medication than any chemical on the market. It is absolutely safe and is not harmful to the body like the dangerous medications now used. Please share this information with those you care for.

For more information about my medical breakthrough on the topic of chronic unintentional dehydration and the diseases it causes, other than what is posted on this site, refer to my books and tapes - products of over 20 years of fulltime research.

F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.