by Maireid Sullivan
2021, updated 2025
Work in progress
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Part 1
- The Oxford Circle
- Samuel Hahnemann, MD, (1755-1843) "Father of Homeopathy"

Part 2
- Industrialisation of medicine - by industrialists
- The Hopkins Circle
- Flexner Report (1910)
- Updating the Flexner Report - 100 years later
- Historical example: The Spanish Flu (1918-1920)
- Current Opinion in Microbiology

Part 3
- Insights on "BigPharma" history
- Covid19 Vaccination reports
- In the news: 2024 - Medical Industry payments to peer reviewers
- Payments to Healthcare Professionals

Part 4
- What is Precision Medicine? - "health care tailored to you"

Part 5
- Worldwide health impacts of Nutrition Education
- Medical School Teaches Doctors How to Cook
- The China Study Project: Revealing the Relationship Between Diet and Disease

Part 6
We've come a long way with "orthodox" medicine!

Part 7
- There's an APP for better food choices

Part 8
Sustainable Agriculture

Part 1
The Oxford Circle
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"The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge" In the middle of the 17th century, an extraordinary group of scientists and natural philosophers coalesced as The Oxford Circle and created a scientific revolution in the study and understanding of the brain and consciousness. Founded in 1660, following a lecture by Professor of Astronomy Christopher Wren: Twelve men of science established The Royal Society - a 'College for the Promoting of Physico-Mathematical, Experimental Learning' at Gresham College, London. Oxford and the Royal Society’s origins OXFORD NEWS BLOG by Pete Wilton - 2 February, 2010 Excerpt They built telescopes and transparent beehives, observed the microscopic world of cells and the motions of the planets, developed new methods of calculation and invented everything from watches to talking statues. They were a small group of mid-17th Century natural philosophers based at Oxford University who would play a key role in both the scientific revolution and the founding of the Royal Society. . . the Oxford circle was one of many informal science clubs that emerged around this time in Britain, France and Italy: the power of print meant that, from its very inception, science was an international business that respected neither city walls nor national boundaries. However, with a core membership that never exceeded 10 or 12 people, the Oxford group exerted a disproportionate influence on the course of scientific history: nurturing or inspiring some of the nation’s most talented scientists and engineers, and paving the way for Britain to become a scientific super power.

Samuel Hahnemann, MD, (1755-1843) - "Father of Homeopathy"
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Washington DC monument dedicated in 1900 to German physician Samuel Hahnemann, MD - "Father of Homeopathy" Until a century ago, Boston University, Stanford University, New York Medical College, and more, taught homeopathic medicine: Across the United States, there were 22 homeopathic medical schools, 100 homeopathic hospitals, and over 1,000 homeopathic pharmacies. Dr. Hahnemann coined the term allopathy to make a clear distinction between 'conventional' medicine and homeopathy.

1. The only monument in Washington Honoring a Physician The Homeopathic Revolution (2007), by Dana Ullman, MPH, CCH - (See NCBI review) Excerpt: Although trained as a medical doctor, Hahnemann was a learned chemist and author of the leading German textbook for apothecaries (pharmacists) of the day. He was conversant in at least nine languages and even supported himself in his mid-twenties teaching languages at the famed University of Leipzig. Learning languages enabled Hahnemann to become familiar with the latest developments in medicine and science. He further expanded his knowledge and his growing prestige by translating twenty-two textbooks, primarily medical and chemistry textbooks (several of which were multi-volume works). Over a twenty-nine-year period, Hahnemann translated some 9,460 pages. 2. Homeopathy Plus: 17 Tutorials The Law of Similars Discovered Excerpt: Homeopathy emerged during a time when medical practices were unregulated and perilous. Patients faced treatments involving toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, or procedures like bloodletting, purging, and blistering. Many individuals died from the treatments rather than the diseases they were intended to cure. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), the founder of homeopathy, studied medicine during this period and established a practice after graduating from the University of Erlangen in 1781. However, he grew increasingly disillusioned with contemporary medical practices and stopped practicing medicine in 1790 out of concern for his patients’ well-being. . . . In 1796, Hahnemann published a groundbreaking essay detailing the Law of Similars phenomenon, demonstrating its effects in numerous substances. The concept of “like treats like” was finally validated... 3. Homeopathy and Law of Similars by Mihael Dorfenik, PhD, University of Maribor, 2019 Abstract This paper explains the elementary law of homeopathy, the Law of Similars, on the bases of thermodynamic aspects by means of the chemical thermodynamic. . . . In addition, the application of the Law of mass action during the re-establishment of the initial equilibrium in an ill person when digesting the remedy exposed the Law of Similars as the strongest outcome of homeopathy. Introduction Homeopathy in Greek “homeo pathos”, is the principle of treating “like cures like” - the phenomenon that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in healthy people. This being the primary axiom of homeopathy, often referred to as the “Law of Similars”. It dates back to Hippocrates (460-377 BC) . . . . If a chemical system at equilibrium experiences a change in concentration, temperature or total pressure, the equilibrium will shift in order to minimize that change.

Part 2
Industrialisation of medicine - by industrialists
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In the United States, until a century ago, Homeopathic Medicine was taught and applied across 22 homeopathic medical schools, 100 homeopathic hospitals, and there were over 1,000 homeopathic pharmacies. The Hopkins Circle The founding of Johns Hopkins University in 1876 changed the course of medical education in America. Johns Hopkins (1795-1873), Maryland-based banker, philanthropist, slaveholder, and Quaker, "In his will, set aside $7 million to establish a hospital and affiliated training colleges, an orphanage, and a university. At the time, it was the largest philanthropic bequest in U.S. history." - JHU History & Mission

Flexner Report (1910)
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“A pill for an ill!” Johns Hopkins University graduate Abraham Flexner's 1910 report, published by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 'reformed' medical education in the United States and Canada. Flexner's patron, John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937), agreed that all natural healing modalities were 'unscientific' and that medical education must be based on laboratory research followed by patenting of medicine. Rockefeller invited Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), among others, to offer grants to the best medical schools in America - with a caveat: only an allopathic-based curriculum could be taught. "The Pragmatist roots of scientific medicine: Reassessing Abraham Flexner's report on medical education" - Timm Heinbokel, 2024, Science Direct "Abraham Flexner's 1910 report on medical education is widely regarded as a watershed moment in the history of modern medicine in the US and beyond. . ." Excerpt from Introduction In 1910, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching published a report on “Medical Education in the US and Canada.” The report was submitted to the foundation by Abraham Flexner, who had begun his field visits to some 150 medical schools already in 1909. His report created a sensation. Fifteen thousand copies of the report went into print, and its conclusions made headlines in newspapers... Consequence: Following Rockefeller's influence, Congress established exclusive authority to grant medical school licenses to the AMA (American Medical Association). Conventional medicine, aka allopathic medicine, became the standard modality: Medical schools curricula were dismantled, removing all mention of the healing power of herbs or natural treatments. Teachings on diet and other natural (non-drug) treatments were completely removed from medical programs.

2011
Updating the Flexner Report - 100 years later
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History comprehensively reported: The Flexner Report - 100 Years Later by Thomas P. Duffy, MD NCBI: Yale J Biol Med. 2011 Sep; 84(3): 269–276. Abstract The Flexner Report of 1910 transformed the nature and process of medical education in America with a resulting elimination of proprietary schools and the establishment of the biomedical model as the gold standard of medical training. This transformation occurred in the aftermath of the report, which embraced scientific knowledge and its advancement as the defining ethos of a modern physician. Such an orientation had its origins in the enchantment with German medical education that was spurred by the exposure of American educators and physicians at the turn of the century to the university medical schools of Europe. American medicine profited immeasurably from the scientific advances that this system allowed, but the hyper-rational system of German science created an imbalance in the art and science of medicine. A catching-up is under way to realign the professional commitment of the physician with a revision of medical education to achieve that purpose. Read the full report here

Historical example: The Spanish Flu (1918-1920)

– aka The Great Influenza Epidemic 'spread' during World War I (1914-1918), when an estimate of 60 million soldiers (Koman 1915), from all over the world, including close to 5 million US soldiers, converged across Europe. Those who survived the war brought the virus back to their homelands: At least 50 million people died (CDC). Origin: The "Spanish Flu" virus emerged in cattle ranches near Camp Funston, now Ft. Riley, Kansas, USA (Barry 2004) in January 1918, and quickly spread with the arrival of US troups on the European war front, where military leaders suppressed the news in order to maintain morale, but news of outbreak in neutral Spain was freely reported, giving the impression that Spain was the epicenter - thus, the Spanish Flu misnomer. Bayer was founded in Germany in 1863: Bayer Aspirin, formulated in 1899 to reduce fever, became the leading pharmaceutical treatment for the 1918–1920 pandemic, Spanish Flu: In hindsight, it was discovered that a fever was required to suppress the virus. In 1925, Bayer became part of IG Farben, the powerful German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate, which supported the Third Reich: "In its most criminal activities, the company took advantage of the absence of legal and ethical constraints on medical experimentation to test its drugs on unwilling human subjects. These included paying a retainer to SS physician Helmuth Vetter to test Rutenol and other sulfonamide drugs on deliberately infected patients at the Dachau, Auschwitz, and Gusen concentration camps. Vetter was later convicted by an American military tribunal at the Mauthausen Trial in 1947, and was executed at Landsberg Prison in February 1949." >>>more Bayer's well documented 2016 purchase of Monsanto concluded on June 7, 2018. Bayer history is outlined on the Holocaust Encyclopedia: - Bayer is a pharmaceutical company. - Monsanto is a pesticide company. - Bayer bought Monsanto. - Bayer makes drugs for NonHodgkin's lymphoma (lymph cancer). - Monsanto makes Glyphosate-based chemical herbicides (RoundUp) to spray on FOOD crops. - Glyphosate causes NonHodgkin's lymphoma (lymph cancer): "Glyphosate can cause cancer" California Labor Code and the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) In addition, RoundUp controversy revolves around the herbicide’s connection to cancer: Cancer Lawsuit Guide While Aspirin "poisoning" has long been criticized, recent reports include warnings: "Effect of aspirin on deaths associated with sepsis in healthy older people (ANTISEPSIS): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled primary prevention trial" - NCBI, 2020

Current Opinion in Microbiology
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“Most clinically relevant classes of antibiotic are derived from natural products.” 2019 Antibiotics: past, present and future Current Opinion in Microbiology Science Direct, Volume 51, October 2019, Pages 72-80 Edited by Mattew I Hutchings, Andrew W Truman and Barrie Wilkinson, Excerpts: The first antibiotic, salvarsan, was deployed in 1910. In just over 100 years antibiotics have drastically changed modern medicine and extended the average human lifespan by 23 years. The discovery of penicillin in 1928 started the golden age of natural product antibiotic discovery that peaked in the mid-1950s. Since then, a gradual decline in antibiotic discovery and development and the evolution of drug resistance in many human pathogens has led to the current antimicrobial resistance crisis. Here we give an overview of the history of antibiotic discovery, the major classes of antibiotics and where they come from. We argue that the future of antibiotic discovery looks bright as new technologies such as genome mining and editing are deployed to discover new natural products with diverse bioactivities. We also report on the current state of antibiotic development, with 45 drugs currently going through the clinical trials pipeline, including several new classes with novel modes of action that are in phase 3 clinical trials. Overall, there are promising signs for antibiotic discovery, but changes in financial models are required to translate scientific advances into clinically approved antibiotics. 1. The development of antibiotics - A brief history of antibiotics - Why do microorganisms make antibiotics? - Prospects for natural product antibiotic discovery - Under-explored environments and ecological niches - Difficult to cultivate bacteria - Prospects for clinical development ... Table 1. All classes of clinically used antibiotics and their source ... Summary and outlook Closing paragraph: ... Thus, governments are starting to act and there is much to be optimistic about, not least the fact that most of the NP [new microbial 'natural products'] antibiotics that have been discovered come from a small fraction of the microbes on Earth. With suitable global action, this should lead to a renewed antibiotic pipeline to combat AMR alongside other emergent technologies, such as vaccines, antibody-antibiotic conjugates, probiotics, phage therapy and rapid diagnostics. >>>more 2023 Antimicrobial resistance World Health Organization (WHO) Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths (1). . . . Overview Antimicrobials – including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics – are medicines used to prevent and treat infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, disability and death. AMR is a natural process that happens over time through genetic changes in pathogens. Its emergence and spread is accelerated by human activity, mainly the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials to treat, prevent or control infections in humans, animals and plants. >>>more

Part 3
Insights on "BigPharma" history
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“Big Pharma” continues to make 'donations' to medical schools in exchange for teaching students to use their patented drugs. 1. "How Did Big Pharma Get Big?" Eric Schewe, PhD, 19 March, 2017, Jstor Daily Excerpt: Healthcare for average American adults is once again in crisis. ... One branch of the healthcare industry that receives particular opprobrium for its high costs in America compared to other countries is the pharmaceutical complex. Given that new drugs receive 20 years of patent protection and 5-7 years of exclusivity, the only factor determining the price of new drugs is the ability of the market to bear it. Moreover, the US government is forbidden by law from negotiating these prices on behalf of Medicare, Medicaid, and pension schemes, and foreign companies may not import drugs. As a result, we have witnessed several cases of pharmaceutical entrepreneurs buying drug patents and then increasing their price dramatically. ... 2. Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and The Forgotten History, by Roman Bystrianyk & Suzanne Humphries, MD, 2013 Summary Not too long ago, lethal infections were feared in the Western world. Since that time, many countries have undergone a transformation from disease cesspools to much safer, healthier habitats. Starting in the mid-1800s, there was a steady drop in deaths from all infectious diseases, decreasing to relatively minor levels by the early 1900s. The history of that transformation involves famine, poverty, filth, lost cures, eugenicist doctrine, individual freedoms versus state might, protests and arrests over vaccine refusal, and much more. Today, we are told that medical interventions increased our lifespan and single-handedly prevented masses of deaths. But is this really true? Dissolving Illusions details facts and figures from long-overlooked medical journals, books, newspapers, and other sources. Using myth-shattering graphs, this book shows that vaccines, antibiotics, and other medical interventions are not responsible for the increase in lifespan and the decline in mortality from infectious diseases. If the medical profession could systematically misinterpret and ignore key historical information, the question must be asked, "What else is ignored and misinterpreted today?" Perhaps the best reason to know our history is so that the worst parts are never repeated.

Covid19: Vaccination Research History
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Excerpts – (Meanwhile, traditional Natural disinfection systems prevent infection.) United States 3 January 2024 Florida State Surgeon General Calls for Halt in the Use of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines, Florida Department of Health Australia 9 October 2023 World Council for Health What everyone needs to know about DNA contamination United States 5 September 2023 13 Things To Know About Paxlovid, the Latest COVID-19 Pill Yale University [Originally published March 10, 2022] Yale experts answer commonly asked questions about the oral antiviral medication. Canada 5 July 2022 The Counter Signal Why did birth rates suddenly drop? ... questioning whether the COVID vaccines are linked to the dramatic drop in birth rates England 25 Feb. 2022 BBC News Vaccines: What we know about long-term safety now "We don't know the long-term side effects of Covid vaccines." That's a claim that's still common to see shared online. “A much rarer side effect which has been linked to the mRNA vaccines Pfizer and Moderna - myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart - also occurs in this phase.” Sweden 25 Feb. 2022 MDPI Intracellular Reverse Transcription of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 In Vitro in Human Liver Cell Line Introduction: … many challenges remain, including monitoring for long-term safety and efficacy of the vaccine. This warrants further evaluation and investigations. The safety profile of BNT162b2 is currently only available from short-term clinical studies. Less common adverse effects of BNT162b2 have been reported, including pericarditis, arrhythmia, deep-vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, intracranial hemorrhage, and thrombocytopenia ... There are also studies that report adverse effects observed in other types of vaccines... To better understand mechanisms underlying vaccine-related adverse effects, clinical investigations as well as cellular and molecular analyses are needed. United States 27 Dec. 2021 MedRxiv Risk of Myopericarditis following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in a Large Integrated Health System: A Comparison of Completeness and Timeliness of Two Methods. United States 1 Dec. 2021 American Heart Association (AHA) Clinically Suspected Myocarditis Temporally Related to COVID-19 Vaccination in Adolescents and Young Adults Background: Understanding the clinical course and short-term outcomes of suspected myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination has important public health implications in the decision to vaccinate youth. Israel / Europe 1 Oct. 2021 CHD Europe Serious violations and manipulations of the trial protocol: This is how Pfizer managed to obtain the FDA’s emergency authorization for children. United States 1 Oct. 2021 Naturopathic Perspective Scanning & Transmission Electron Microscopy Reveals Graphene Oxide in CoV-19 Vaccines Excerpt: Phase Contrast, Dark Field, Bright Field Microscopy, Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy Reveal the Ingredients in the CoV-19 Vaccines! Abstract Currently there are four major pharmaceutical companies who manufacture a SARS-CoV-2 now called SARS-CoV-19 vaccine. These manufactures and their vaccine are Pfizer--BioNTech mRNA Vaccine, the Moderna-Lonza mRNA-1273 Vaccine, the Serum Institute Oxford Astrazeneca Vaccine and the Janssen COVID -19 Vaccine, manufactured by Janssen Biotech Inc., a Janssen Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson & Johnson, a recombinant, replication-incompetent adenovirus type 26 expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The intended purpose of these vaccines are to provide immunity from the so-called infectious novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV- 2 virus now called the SARS-CoV- 19. These four pharmaceutical companies have not provided complete FDA disclosure on their vaccine box, insert fact sheet or label for many of the major and/or minor ingredients contained within these so-called vaccines. The purpose of this research article is to identify those specific major and minor ingredients . . . United States 9 Oct. 2018 Technologies to Address Global Catastrophic Biological Risks Center for Health Security: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Excerpt: This report highlights 15 technologies or categories of technologies that, with further scientific attention and investment, as well as attention to accompanying legal, regulatory, ethical, policy, and operational issues, could help make the world better prepared and equipped to prevent future infectious disease outbreaks from becoming catastrophic events. Vancouver, Canada October 2018 How vaccines train the immune system in ways no one expected Professor Christine Stabell Benn, TEDxAarhus, Global Health at the University of Southern Denmark “I hope I've inspired you to join me in the new era of vaccines as immune trainers. Because with you on board, we are one step closer to benefitting from the full powers of vaccines.”  - Professor Christine Stabell Benn, (b. 1968-), a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee: EDCTP, an EU-funded partnership between institutions mandated by the governments of 14 European and 16 African countries.

In the news: 2024
Medical Industry payments to peer reviewers
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A new study, published in JAMA on October 10, 2024, provides a comprehensive analysis of industry payments to peer reviewers of leading medical journals, including The BMJ, JAMA, The Lancet, and The New England Journal of Medicine: "Payments by Drug and Medical Device Manufacturers to US Peer Reviewers of Major Medical Journals" David-Dan Nguyen, MDCM, MPH1,2; Anju Murayama3,4; Anna-Lisa Nguyen, BHSc5; et alAlan Cheng, BHSc6; Liam Murad7; Raj Satkunasivam, MD, MS8; Christopher J. D. Wallis, MD, PhD1,9 Author Affiliations Article Information JAMA. 2024;332(17):1480-1482. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.17681 Excerpt: Although conflicts of interest of journal editors and authors have been investigated,1,2 the traditionally opaque nature of peer review has hindered their evaluation among peer reviewers, despite their crucial role in academic publishing. While most journals have established conflict of interest policies for authors, fewer extend these policies to peer reviewers.3 In many cases, journals or editors may inquire about reviewer conflicts of interest and consider these while managing the peer review process, although publicly available reviewer conflict of interest disclosures are rare. Reviewers of leading medical journals may have industry ties due to their academic expertise. We sought to characterize payments by drug and medical device manufacturers to US peer reviewers of major medical journals. Methods We identified peer reviewers for The BMJ, JAMA, The Lancet, and The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) using each journal’s 2022 reviewer list. These journals were selected for their high impact factor and reputation as leading publications of original general medical research. ... Results Among 7021 reviewer names, including duplicates, we excluded 332 reviewers who were not searchable in Scopus, 3257 non-US reviewers, and 1325 nonphysicians. This left 1962 unique reviewers, of whom 145 (7.4%) had performed peer reviews for more than 1 journal. Between 2020 and 2022, 1155 peer reviewers (58.9%) received at least 1 industry payment (Table 1). More than half (54.0%) of reviewers accepted general payments, while 31.8% received research payments. Reviewers received $1.06 billion in industry payments between 2020 and 2022, including $1.00 billion (94.0%) to individuals or their institutions and $64.18 million (6.0%) in general payments. Consulting fees and speaking compensation unrelated to continuing medical education programs accounted for $34.31 million and $11.80 million, respectively. Over the 3 years, the median general payment was $7614 (IQR, $495-$43?069) and the median research payment was $153?173 (IQR, $29?307-$835?637) among reviewers receiving such payments. Male reviewers had significantly higher median total payments ($38?959 vs $19?586) and general payments ($8663 vs $4183) than female reviewers. Statistically significant differences in payments existed between specialties (Table 2). ...

Payments to Healthcare Professionals
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1. Drug companies pay doctors over A$11 million a year for travel and education. Here’s which specialties received the most by Barbara Mintzes, Professor, School of Pharmacy and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney and Malcolm Forbes, Consultant psychiatrist and PhD candidate, Deakin University May 24, 2024, The Conversation Excerpt: Drug companies are paying Australian doctors millions of dollars a year to fly to overseas conferences and meetings, give talks to other doctors, and to serve on advisory boards, our research shows. Our team analysed reports from major drug companies, in the first comprehensive analysis of its kind. We found drug companies paid more than A$33 million to doctors in the three years from late 2019 to late 2022 for these consultancies and expenses. ... 2. Medicines Australia Medicines Australia is very pleased to make available a database of Member companies’ payments and transfers of value for Australian healthcare professionals. Accessible from www.DisclosureAustralia.com.au, this database holds information on these payments and transfers of value for activities since 1 November 2018 and data will continue to be added every six months in line with the requirements of the Code of Conduct. . . . Disclosure Australia provides a searchable database of payments and transfers of value made to healthcare professionals by Medicines Australia member companies.

Part 4
What is Precision Medicine?
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"health care tailored to you" 2022 "Researchers and physician-scientists are increasingly using precision medicine to develop new cell- and gene-based therapeutical options for diseases, building on the idea that the most effective defense against health issues is the body’s natural immune system." - The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, or CAMI, Nov. 2, 2022 2015-2016 The Precision Medicine Initiative: Data-Driven Treatments as Unique as Your Own Body, Jan 20, 2015 by Lindsay Holst President Obama White House initiative: Summary The President's 2016 budget includes investments in an emerging field of medicine that takes into account individual differences in people's genes, microbiomes, environments, and lifestyles. It's called the Precision Medicine Initiative. Excerpt Right now, most medical treatments are designed for the average patient. But one size doesn't fit all, and treatments that are very successful for some patients don't work for others. Think about it: - If you need glasses, you aren't assigned a generic pair. You get a prescription customized for you. - If you have an allergy, you get tested to determine exactly what you're allergic to. - If you need a blood transfusion, it has to match your precise blood type. Enter Precision Medicine: health care tailored to you... Learn about the NIH "All of Us" Research Program here 2015 (US) National Institutes of Health (NIH) "All of Us" Research Program The Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) Working Group was privileged to be given an audacious charge from the NIH Director to lay out a blueprint for a transformational Presidential Initiative. PDF: The Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Program – Building a Research Foundation for 21st Century Medicine Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) Working Group Report to the Advisory Committee to the Director, NIH September 17, 2015 Executive Summary Excerpt: ...Precision medicine is an approach to disease treatment and prevention that seeks to maximize effectiveness by taking into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle. Precision medicine seeks to redefine our understanding of disease onset and progression, treatment response, and health outcomes through the more precise measurement of molecular, environmental, and behavioral factors that contribute to health and disease. This understanding will lead to more accurate diagnoses, more rational disease prevention strategies, better treatment selection, and the development of novel therapies. Coincident with advancing the science of medicine is a changing culture of medical practice and medical research that engages individuals as active partners – not just as patients or research subjects. We believe the combination of a highly engaged population and rich biological, health, behavioral, and environmental data will usher in a new and more effective era of American healthcare... Genetic Science Learning Center, University of Utah Excerpt Right now, most medical treatments are designed for the average patient. Precision medicine, on the other hand, matches each patient with the treatment that will work best for them. Also called personalized medicine or individualized medicine, precision medicine takes individual variation into account: variation in our genes, environment, lifestyle, and even in the microscopic organisms that are living inside of us... Need a refresher on DNA, genes, proteins, and heredity? Visit the Tour of Basic Genetics 2025 Update Following a President Obama initiative: "champions nutrition-based, patient-centered care addressing disease roots" "The Precision Medicine Initiative: Data-Driven Treatments as Unique as Your Own Body," by Lindsay Holst, President Obama White House initiative, Jan 20, 2015. "From Censorship to Recognition: Orthomolecular Medicine Going Mainstream" By Richard Z. Cheng, M.D., Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief, OMNS | Expert Medical Reviewer, SC Board of Medical Examiners EXCERPT: "... More recently, a symbolic reversal occurred. I was surprised to receive an invitation to serve as an Expert Medical Reviewer for the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners-an opportunity that, just a few years ago, would have seemed out of reach for someone openly critical of many aspects of conventional medicine, especially its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a strong advocate for orthomolecular and low-carb approaches. During COVID-19, we witnessed many colleagues-and brave medical freedom advocates-investigated, disciplined, or even stripped of their medical licenses for speaking out. Frankly, I was nervous about the vetting process. But I chose to be fully transparent about my long-standing commitment to root-cause, nutrition-based care. To my surprise, not only was this accepted-it was embraced." . . . About the Author Richard Z. Cheng, M.D., Ph.D. - Editor-in-Chief, Orthomolecular Medicine News Service; Expert Medical Reviewer, South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners Dr. Cheng is a U.S.-trained and board-certified physician practicing in both the USA and China. He specializes in integrative and orthomolecular medicine, with clinical expertise in low-carb nutrition, high-dose vitamin therapy, anti-aging, and functional medicine. He also serves internationally as a medical educator, health consultant, and advocate for root-cause, nutrition-based healthcare reform.

Part 5
Worldwide health impacts of Nutrition Education
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2015: Nutrition Education in an Era of Global Obesity and Diabetes - Thinking Outside the Box David M. Eisenberg, MD & Jonathan D. Burgess, Academic Medicine: Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, July 2015, Volume 90, Issue 7, p 854-860 Excerpt: - In 1960, Americans spent three times as much on food ($74 billion) as they did on health care ($27 billion). - In 2012, Americans spent twice as much on health care ($2.9 trillion) as they did on food ($1.38 trillion).   Over the past five decades, food costs have increased 18-fold; health care costs, 102-fold. Our Current Situation Although genetics are an important consideration in health, during the past half-century our genes have not measurably altered, and yet we are significantly more overweight, obese, and prone to lifestyle-related diseases. Today, one-third of the U.S. population is obese. Two-thirds are overweight. The medical costs of obesity in the United States are estimated to be as high as 20.6% of total health care costs.3 Additionally, three-quarters of health care dollars are spent on chronic lifestyle-related diseases.4  Diabetes alone is estimated to cost the United States $245 billion per year.5  In 1960, U.S. diabetes rates were 1% of the population, with the majority of cases diagnosed as type 1 diabetes.6  Today 9.3% of U.S. citizens are diabetic, with the overwhelming majority suffering from type 2 diabetes. As the editors of the Lancet remarked: “The fact that Type 2 diabetes, a largely preventable disorder, has reached epidemic proportions is a public health humiliation. A strong, integrative, and imaginative response is required in which the limits of drug treatment and the opportunities of Civil Society are recognized.” These societal trends are even more alarming among children. Childhood obesity has trebled since 1970.9,10  One-third of children born after 2000 are expected to develop type 2 diabetes during their lifetime.11  Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine about generational epidemiological trends, Olshansky et al12 noted, “There is now evidence that America’s children will be the first in the nation’s history to live shorter lives than their parents.” These disease trends are spreading worldwide." >>>more 2015 Hidden hunger: America’s growing malnutrition epidemic Barbara Bush and Hugh Welsh, Feb, 2015, The Guardian (Food) Excerpt: The word “hunger” calls to mind thin, starving children in developing countries, but in the US today, the real picture of undernutrition is different. In some cases, children who are obese who are malnourished because they are consuming the wrong types of foods – foods that are calorie dense, but nutritionally poor. It is called “hidden hunger” and it robs billions of people the opportunity to reach their full potential. With hidden hunger, officially known as micronutrient deficiency, people eat enough calories, but fail to get essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. It’s a well-recognized issue in developing countries, where organizations like the World Food Programme and many others work tirelessly to ensure that people – particularly young children – get the essential nutrition they need to reach their full physical and cognitive potential. ...

The China Study Project:
Revealing the Relationship Between Diet and Disease
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Medical School Teaches Doctors How to Cook
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New Orleans: Tulane University School of Medicine, 2017 The first dedicated teaching kitchen to be implemented at a medical school. "We know from the literature that when people go home and start cooking from real ingredients for themselves that their health improves. We also know that they don't really know how to do that." ... Q: What are the major takeaways of your program? A: One major takeaway from the program is that we teach everybody from medical students and residents, to nursing students and community members. We do this by taking evidenced-based nutrition and Mediterranean diet principles and translating them for the American kitchen. In doing so, we’re helping health professionals translate this knowledge into the conversations they are going to have in the exam room about food. Ultimately, we’re changing the dialogue between a physician and a patient from “Hey, you need to lose some weight” to action oriented suggestions that meet best practices. ... Q: What’s your hope for the legacy of the program? A: My hope for the future is that every single medical and nursing school in America has a teaching kitchen exactly like ours. The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine is a winner of the 2017 Innovation Award for Health Care Provider Training and Education. To learn more, visit innovatinghealthcare.org – Dr. Timothy Harlan, executive director at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University: Read an interview with Dr. Harlan HERE

Part 6
We've come a long way with "orthodox" medicine!
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"All on doctor's orders." "a walk in nature-the first program of its kind in the U.K." "The health benefits of engaging with nature are numerous" Medical professionals are 'discovering' natural remedies and coming up with marketing strategies that make 'magical' claims for their products: For example: "How long does it take to get a dose of nature high enough to make people say they feel healthy and have a strong sense of well-being? Precisely 120 minutes." - Jim Robbins, Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health, January 9, 2020, Yale Environment360 A growing body of research points to the beneficial effects that exposure to the natural world has on health, reducing stress and promoting healing. Now, policymakers, employers, and healthcare providers are increasingly considering the human need for nature in how they plan and operate. - Doctors' new prescription: 'Don't just exercise, do it outside Sandy Buyers, Feb. 2015, The Guardian In the latest battle against obesity, doctors tell patients to specifically exercise outdoors. Will the green-prescriptions movement take off, or is it just a gimmick? Doctors in Scotland can now prescribe nature Evan Fleischer, Oct 2018, World Economic Forum, "the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation." Excerpt: Since October 5, doctors in Shetland, Scotland have been authorized to prescribe nature to their patients. It's thought to be the first program of its kind in the U.K., and seeks to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, and increase happiness for those with diabetes, a mental illness, stress, heart disease, and more. There is a whole leaflet of nature prescription suggestions that accompanies the program, filled with amusing, charming, sometimes seemingly off-kilter suggestions: in February, you can make a windsock from a hoop and material to "appreciate the speed of the wind"; in March, you can make beach art from natural materials or "borrow a dog and take it for a walk"; in April, you can "touch the sea" and "make a bug hotel"; in May, you can "bury your face in the grass"; in July, you can "pick two different kinds of grass and really look at them"; in August, you can summon a worm out of the ground without digging or using water; in September, you can help clean the beach and prepare a meal outdoors;; in October, you can "appreciate a cloud"; in November, you can "talk to a pony"; in December, you can "feed the birds in your garden"; and do so much more. All on doctor's orders. The evidence for the benefits of nature on mental and physical health are numerous. If you spend 90 minutes of your day outside in a wooded area, there will be a decrease of activity in the part of your brain typically associated with depression. Spending time in nature not only reduces blood pressure, anxiety, and increases happiness, but it reduces aggression, ADHD symptoms, improves pain control, the immune system, and—per a summary of research regarding the health benefits of nature—there's much more we don't know and are figuring out every day. Have you read? Why living near forests can benefit your mental health Nature boosts your health in a surprising number of ways, finds new research The Japanese practice of 'forest bathing' is scientifically proven to be good for you Landmarks (2016), by Robert Macfarlane, which is praised for its “joyous meditation on words, landscape and the relationship between the two" ... “a field guide to the literature of nature” ... "a keen way of knowing landscape, and a vital means of coming to love it" while the author bemoans the disconnect between the landscape and the words used to describe and engage with that landscape. The book serves as something of a catch-all for words Macfarlane worried were being lost.

Part 7
There's an APP for better food choices
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See Food For Thought for more details The Chemical Maze was first published in 2001, by Australian homeopathic researcher Bill Statham, to make it simpler and easier to recognise additives and ingredients in foods. Take preservatives, for example, from E200 on, there are over 50 preservatives in use, and only FOUR are considered non-toxic in food. E234: Nisin E235: Pimaricin (natamycin) E242: Dimethyl dicarbonate (prohibited in foods for infants) E243: Ethyl lauroyl arginate (prohibited in foods for infants) The APP is easy to use! Relaxation reduces stress - Move, stretch, dance, run, jump - - - Eat more fresh organic fruit and vegetables. - - Sleep helps us heal and grow - and LEARN! 'Learning' is processed into memory at the same stage of sleep as healing and growth. Sleep supports the immune system by distributing immune cells to the lymph nodes, where they prevent infections. - Go out into fresh air - sunlight energises infection-fighting T-cells which play a key role in immunity. - Anticipating a happy or fun event increases endorphins and other hormone levels that support a state of relaxation.

Part 8
Sustainable Agriculture
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Bio-Dynamic Agriculture (More details HERE) "Leaves are the sole organs on Earth able to create new material substance; in contrast everything else on Earth is a recycling of materials." –Australia's Bio-Dynamic pioneer, Alex Podolinsky 2007 Bio-Dynamic agriculture was the first ecological farming system to arise in response to commercial fertilizers and specialized agriculture. In 1924, Austrian scientist and philosopher Dr Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) originated the Bio-Dynamic farming method in collaboration with German soil scientist Ehrenfried Pfeiffer (1899-1961), whom Rudolf Steiner selected as Threefold Foundation ambassador of biodynamics to the USA: The Demeter Standard was registered in 1928. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer’s most influential book 'Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening' was published in 1938 simultaneously in at least five languages, English, German, Dutch, French, and Italian.  Origin of ORGANIC farming The following year, [1939] and just months before the outbreak of World War II, Pfeiffer ran Britain's first biodynamics conference, the Betteshanger Summer School and Conference, at the estate of Lord Northbourne in Kent. Pfeiffer's Betteshanger Conference is regarded as the 'missing link' between biodynamic agriculture and organic farming because the following year (1940) its host, Lord Northbourne, published his manifesto of organic farming 'Look to the Land' in which he coined the term 'organic farming'. Lord Northbourne, the man who invented organic farming, a biography, by John Paull, 2014, University of Tasmania "It was Lord Northbourne (Walter James; 1896-1982) who gifted to the world the term ‘organic farming’. His 1940 book Look to the Land is a manifesto of organic agriculture" Living Knowledge(pdf) 2007 Lecture by Australia's Bio-Dynamic agriculture pioneer, Alex Podolinsky (1925-2019) Excerpt: Medicine today has no concept of Health comparable to BioDynamics as "Builder of Health and not Healer of Sickness" Leaves are the sole organs on Earth able to create new material substance; in contrast, everything else on Earth is a recycling of materials. . . P. 18 . . . By these examples we show explicitly the value of holistic viewing and understanding, providing for healthy Bio-Dynamic agriculture contra a materialistic model and data “science”, which destroys soils, water, ecology and has to keep “plants” “alive” with chemicals. ..." Alex Podolinsky described this process: "Plants are fed naturally, that is, in soils with enhanced biological activity, determined by the humus level, crumb and root structure, so that plants are fed through the soil Eco-system and not primarily via soluble salts in the soil water, derived from artificial fertiliser and raw animal manure. Plants grown in this way are, therefore, under the influence of the sun, warmth and light, and may selectively acquire the nutrients they need for appropriate growth. Instead of synthetic fertilisers we use a soil activator called '500', a natural cow manure based, re-liquefied solution that is energised by having been stirred in body temperature water and sprayed over the pasture. This is used as a soil enhancer and activator rather than a manure or fertilizer, so to say, required to accommodate what is available through nature into the correct shape," - Alex Podolinsky, 1985, Bio-Dynamic Agriculture Introductory Lectures, Vol 1, p. 148

What's ahead for Sustainable Agriculture?
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"The art of agroecosystem design and management." The future of sustainable agriculture has never looked more promising or more challenging. On the one hand, the number of acres in organic and Bio-Dynamic production continues to rise, and sales of organic foods are growing at 20 to 25 percent a year. (More detailed overviews shared HERE) Definition of the term “Sustainable Agriculture” Ecological Agriculture Projects (EAP), McGill University (Macdonald Campus) Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, CANADA Excerpt: Widespread agreement on a definition of sustainable agriculture is proving to be elusive. EAP believes that the following definition is appropriate. It aims to be comprehensive, positive and descriptive. Sustainable agriculture is both a philosophy and a system of farming. It has its roots in a set of values that reflects an awareness of both ecological and social realities. It involves design and management procedures that work with natural processes to conserve all resources and minimize waste and environmental damage, while maintaining or improving farm profitability. Working with natural soil processes is of particular importance. Sustainable agriculture systems are designed to take maximum advantage of existing soil nutrient and water cycles, energy flows, beneficial soil organisms, and natural pest controls. By capitalizing on existing cycles and flows, environmental damage can be avoided or minimized. Such systems also aim to produce food that is nutritious, and uncontaminated with products that might harm human health. In practice such systems have tended to reduce or avoid the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. These substances are usually rejected on the basis of their dependence on non-renewable resources, potential for environmental disruption, and possible adverse impacts on soil organisms, wildlife, livestock and human health. >>>more

Worldwide Permaculture Projects
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1. MAP of growing list of permaculture projects worldwide 2. Featured Profiles: an interactive database of permaculture practitioners, teachers, consultants and aid workers from all over the world. In 1978, Australia's legendary Permaculture teacher, promoter and designer, Bill Mollison founded The Permaculture Institute, the first and longest running Permaculture Institute in existence. Over 26 years of non-stop travelling, designing, teaching and writing, he personally planted the seeds of Permaculture in over 120 countries. What Permaculture can teach us about The Commons by David Bollier, Feb. 7, 2017 Excerpt: As a developed set of social practices, techniques and ethical norms, permaculture has a lot to say to the world of the commons. This is immediately clear from reading the twelve design principles of permaculture that David Holmgren enumerated in his 2002 book Permaculture: Principles and Practices Beyond Sustainability. It mentions such principles as “catch and store energy,” “apply self-regulation and accept feedback,” “produce no waste,” and “design from patterns to details. . . My friendship and work with ecological design expert Dave Jacke have only intensified my conviction that permaculturists and commoners need to connect more and learn from each other."  >>> more

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