Cancer-detecting bra could be better than mammograms

New Cancer-Detecting Bra Boasts Better Track Record than Mammograms

"A bra saved my life"

    By next year, a cancer-detecting bra called the First Warning System should be available. Developers are currently waiting on FDA approval, which they expect by February of 2014.

    It might sound far-fetched, but the First Warning System bra is a non-invasive screening device for breast cancer that's been in the works for over 20 years. Now it's just about ready for prime time, and it could revolutionize breast cancer detection and treatment. Keep reading and learn more about this remarkable breakthrough...

Continued below. . .

Breast Cancer Breakthrough BANNED! U.S. Government Blocks Release of Doctor's Life-Saving Book     A mammoth discovery is wiping out most breast tumors better than anything seen yet in modern medicine. It makes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy look like something from the Dark Ages.     A Cornell-educated doctor followed more than 25 years of case studies and PROVED this treatment can cure breast cancer. With the discovery I'm going to tell you about, almost every woman makes it and without losing a breast to surgery or taking any toxic chemicals. Even those with late stage cancer!     You've got to include this treatment if you want to have any REAL hope of defeating breast cancer. Click here now and watch a new video presentation about this important discovery…

    Nedra Lindsay of Fairborn, OH, gives the First Warning bra credit for detecting her breast cancer early — and for saving her life. She wore the device at age 25 as part of the initial study. At that young age, she says breast cancer was the furthest thing from her mind.

    But the First Warning bra indicated she had cancer. Nedra underwent three different, increasingly invasive medical tests that were reviewed by three independent medical investigations. All confirmed the initial diagnosis made by the First Warning bra.

    Nedra's surgeon told her that under normal circumstances, her cancer likely wouldn't have been noticeable till she was closer to age 37. By then it could have progressed to a dangerous level. Nedra points out that under her insurance plan a mammogram wasn't even covered till she turned 40. Indeed, mammograms for women under the age of 40 are almost useless because the breast tissue in a younger woman is typically very dense.

    Now aged 45, Nedra is alive and cancer-free.

Cancer-detecting technology built into a bra

    According to Dr. Ronald Fletcher, Chief Investigator of the study and previous Director of Oncology at Greene Memorial Hospital in Xenia, OH, "Cancer is probably the most curable of all diseases — with the proviso that it's caught early enough." He points out women under the age of 44 aren't likely to be screened, but nearly 11 percent will eventually be diagnosed with breast cancer that will have already progressed to a late stage.

    In fact, it's young women who usually have the most aggressive types of breast cancer. Tumors found in women under age 40 grow the fastest but are hardest to detect. And the sad truth is, roughly 6.5 percent of the victims will die as a result.

    But if those tumors can be detected early, there's a nearly 100% survival rate.

    That's where the First Warning System comes in. It detects cancer cells years before those cells can be seen on an MRI or mammogram. It uses patented sensor-detecting technology that is painless, non-invasive, and highly accurate.

    To the naked eye, it just looks like a sports bra.

    The First Warning bra works by detecting minute temperature differences in your breast tissue. It's these fluctuations in temperature that indicate a possible cancer abnormality. When a cancer tumor starts to grow, your body builds a system of new, albeit abnormal blood vessels. The increased blood flow to the area creates something called a "heat signature" within the tumor. This small temperature variation occurs several years before the tumor itself is visible on a mammogram or MRI.

    But normal body temperature fluctuates throughout the day and varies from woman to woman. To account for that, the First Warning System needs to maintain constant contact with the body throughout a testing period of at least 24 hours. That's why a tight-fitting sports bra is ideal. Sensors located in the cup area of the bra stay in direct contact with the breast for as long as necessary to get a good temperature reading.

    The sensors collect data that is sent to the Internet, and from there the data is analyzed by complex algorithms and delivered to a trained doctor. You get to see the results, too, either through your computer or mobile device.

    So far, three clinical trials have shown an accuracy level of more than 90 percent for the First Warning System. As a screening tool, it's much more accurate at a gratifyingly earlier point in time.

    It's cheaper, too, coming in at around $200. Mammograms cost as much as $300 but are only effective after a tumor has reached a detectable size. Even then, you've got the false positive issue. But the First Warning System bra not only detects early-stage tissue abnormalities, it also reduces the false positives that are causing women so much angst.

One step forward in the healthcare maze

    This "magic bra" could be a massive step forward in easy breast cancer detection and early intervention. It should prove especially useful for women with dense breast tissue who are severely limited at present when it comes to diagnostic tools. (We've written before about how mammography and ultrasound are virtually useless for dense breasts, though few women know whether they have dense tissue and so aren't aware of their higher risk level — seeIssue #198.)

    Here's a quick update on that note — beginning in April of 2013, California will be the 5th state mandating that physicians tell patients whether they have dense breast tissue. Eleven more states, as well as the federal government, have legislation pending. This is a significant step forward because it means more women will be made aware that their dense breast tissue significantly lowers the effectiveness of mammograms.

    By the way, if you're ever diagnosed with breast cancer, you should read our Special Report Breast Cancer Cover-Up. It tells you the best natural and alternative treatments (and also the best tests — but not the First Systems bra, which hadn't come out yet at the time the report was written.)

    Navigating the American healthcare maze is a nightmare. Breast Cancer Cover-Up can help. And with advances like the First Warnings bra, we can look forward to new ways to find cancer at a very early stage, when it's easy to treat.

    If you haven't been reading Cancer Defeated for long, you may wonder, "Who needs this new breast cancer test? Don't mammograms do the job?" Glad you asked. Let's take a look. . .

A second opinion that came too late

    Just last week, a study from the Annals of Family Medicine revealed a shocking new statistic: As many as 60 percent of abnormal mammograms turn out to be false positives. These are cases where the breast X-ray says the woman has cancer, but she doesn't.

    ABC News with Diane Sawyer underscored this revelation, reporting recently on a woman who had an abnormal mammogram three years ago. The biopsy that followed revealed she had cancer. Because the woman's mother, sister, and three aunts had previously been diagnosed with breast cancer, she opted for a double mastectomy — the most radical treatment available.

    But in the messy process of getting her insurance provider to cover expenses, the woman had to hire a lawyer. The lawyer sent her original biopsy out for a second opinion. The cancer expert who gave the second opinion said the woman never had cancer in the first place. Both mammogram and biopsy got it wrong.

    Unusual? Not really. Another new and unsettling study shows as many as 4 percent of biopsies are misread — affecting as many as 10,000 women a year.

    While this woman was thrilled to learn she was cancer-free, she'd also sacrificed both breasts to medical error.

    It's a horrifying story, but it's not unique. Because mammograms can detect smaller lesions than ever before, an accurate cancer diagnosis has become much harder to make. That's led to an increase in false positive mammograms. Most of those are followed by a biopsy. And as noted, those are subject to error as well, although much less often than the X-rays.

    In the best of cases, women with a false-positive mammogram — even where breast cancer is ruled out — experience as much as three years of lingering anxiety about having a close brush with cancer.

    In the worst cases, the false positive results are taken all the way to the surgery table, with heartbreaking results like the example above.

    So always, always get a second opinion — and do it BEFORE moving forward with any treatment option. If your doctor is any kind of decent human being, he or she will welcome another set of eyes.

    These findings highlight the pressing need for improved screening tests. That's why the First Warning Systems bra is such welcome news.

Wipe Out 20 Years of Aging in 6 Months?

In July 1990, researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin revealed they found a way to reverse up to 20 years of aging in just 6 months – in a random group of men as old as 81.

These men lost 14.4% of their body fat... gained 8.8% lean body mass… their skin thickened...and their bone density increased. And it was backed up, peer reviewed, and published in one of the world’s most respected medical journals.

So why has this anti-aging miracle sat on the shelf for 22 years?

Watch this special video presentation and find out. Plus discover how you can get all details on how to ramp up your body’s production of this age-reversing compound all on your own – without a doctor.

These long-held secrets are now out in the open. But for how long?

I urge you to watch this special video alert now.

To your health,

Charlie Foster
Editor, INH Health Watch

Can a weed killer help cancer patients?

Could a rocket fuel and weed killer REALLY help cancer patients?     Well, not the products themselves...     But it's possible if you're talking about one of their components, hydrazine sulfate—also called HZ. Let me explain. . . Continued below. . . The Amish Cancer Secret How to cure just about any cancer the Amish way     Is it possible to cure just about any cancer the Amish way? Is it true that many Amish people easily get rid of cancer in just three or four weeks? Are the Amish onto something BIG?     To find out, I interviewed Jakob and Fannie, a young Amish couple from southern Minnesota. Jakob and Fannie are just two out of roughly 800 Amish people each year who travel 2,000 miles by train to go to a little-known cancer clinic.     They told me an amazing, lifesaving tip that everyone should know. . .but almost nobody does.     Click here and I'll share it with you, absolutely FREE.     Besides being ingredients in rocket fuel and weed killers, HZ compounds are also used to refine minerals… as a cleaning agent for soldering metals… and to perform blood tests…     And according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), one HZ compound has been used to treat Hodgkin's disease, melanoma, and lung cancer since the 1960s!     Despite gaining notice from a mainstream medical organization, this inexpensive treatment has endured its share of bad press.     For example, some critics point to early studies that suggest HZ caused lung and liver carcinoma in rats. And others focus on supposed evidence that HZ produces hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in dogs and rabbits.     Joseph Gold, M.D., director of the Syracuse Cancer Research Institute, has also developed HZ as an anticancer drug. Writing in the MedTruth blog, Dr. Gold exposed some of the tactics the cancer establishment has used in its smear campaign against HZ.     Dr. Gold is critical of NCI's 2004 statement that HZ "has shown no anticancer activity in randomized clinical trials." He says NCI failed to acknowledge the ten years of randomized clinical trials performed by Harbor-UCLA Medical Center from 1981-1990.     He further seeks to debunk claims that HZ may actually cause cancer. Dr. Gold acknowledged that HZ was shown to be carcinogenic in some mice that had ingested the drug in their drinking water since birth.     But he emphasized that there has "never been a case of human cancer reported as a result of HS therapy."     This is something that providers of chemotherapy drugs could NEVER say about their products, which Dr. Gold points out can produce up to 26 percent of "second cancers!" The case of HZ versus HZ     Why are some folks convinced that HZ is a marvelous cancer treatment while others insist it should be avoided?     Well, here are a few things that the conventional cancer heavyweights would prefer you didn't know about this remarkable compound… HZ is a combination of hydrazine salt and sulfuric acid that helps clobber cachexia—the muscle and weight loss that many cancer patients experience… Clinical trials conducted in the 1970s by the Petrov Research Institute of Oncology in St. Petersburg [then Leningrad], Russia found that some advanced cancer patients treated with HZ reported improved appetite, less weight loss, greater strength, or reduced pain. Some patients noticed that tumors either reduced in size or stopped growing… In 1980, randomized, double-blind clinical studies at Harbor UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles showed hydrazine sulfate could increase or stabilize a cancer patient's weight and lead to 'statistically significant survival increase' in patients with lung cancer. Successful clinical trials conducted on hydrazine sulfate have been published in peer-reviewed medical journals worldwide… Every controlled clinical trial of HZ performed according to internationally accepted standards of scientific conduct has indicated that it is both safe and effective!     In short, HZ isn't a miracle cure for cancer, but it does appear to relieve some of the unpleasant symptoms, such as pain, weight loss and nausea, and in some patients it actually controls or reduces tumors. It can be used in conjunction with chemotherapy.     Dr. Gold pointed out that the only contrary study results came from NCI-sponsored trials of hydrazine sulfate where researchers used incompatible medications with the test drug! This sort of allegation against NCI is common. It seems the Institute has a habit of sabotaging trials of alternative remedies.     HZ is known to be a potent monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor, a type of drug used to treat depression. MAO inhibitors are known to have a potentially deadly interaction with other nervous system depressants such as alcohol, barbiturates and other tranquilizers.     Because cancer patients frequently receive tranquilizers and similar compounds the NCI researchers were warned against using HZ in combination with any of these agents—a warning which they chose to ignore, according to Dr. Gold.     He says NCI researchers did use the anti-nausea agent Compazine and benzodiazepine tranquilizers in their animal studies.     Thus it's no surprise that the group published a series of three negative study results in the June 1994 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.     In some cases the rats that received both HZ and these incompatible chemicals became comatose. What's more, some 50-60 percent of animals that received the forbidden chemical combinations actually DIED!     In a subsequent 1994 investigation conducted by the General Accountability Office (GAO), NCI vigorously refused to acknowledge that HZ was an MAO inhibitor. This denial came despite decades of pharmacology entries describing the compound as just that.     Dr. Gold points out that despite investigations into charges of flawed study procedures—the final GAO report of the NCI studies was entitled, "Contrary to Allegation, NIH Hydrazine Sulfate Studies Were Not Flawed." The choice is yours…     The negative NCI studies might have been intended to put a nail in the coffin of an inexpensive cancer treatment.     Yet today, you can still find HZ marketed in the United States as a dietary supplement. It is also widely used as an anticancer treatment in other countries.     Hydrazine sulfate is typically administered three times a day in a small 60 mg pill. The only potential side effects noted were possible dizziness, drowsiness, mild numbness of fingers and toes, nausea and mild sensations of itching.     Remember to discuss HZ and any other cancer treatment options with your medical professionals.     There are no known compatibility issues with HZ and other cancer treatments or supplements. But because it is an MAO inhibitor, you should not use HZ while taking tranquilizers or alcohol.     With proper use, HZ could be an effective way to combat some sickening side effects of one of our greatest health enemies!

The Secret to Why Some People Age 10 Years and Still Look the Same

The Secret to Why Some People 
Age 10 Years and Still Look the Same

There is a little known '"Superfood" with the ability to reverse the effects of aging, make you feel and look younger and give you a steady stream of energy throughout the day...

It contains the secret to why some people can age, but not look older!

We all know—as we age our body simply doesn't heal as fast. Our immune system doesn't resist infection as well.  And our digestive system doesn't work as well anymore.  We get tired more easily, get sick more often and gain weight faster in places we didn't think possible!

As well, our skin doesn't maintain the moisture, elasticity and color it used to.

However—have you ever wondered how certain people can go from age 30 to 40 (or 40 to 50 even)... and not show any signs of aging at all?  These people are 10 years older, but they look and feel the same.  Their bodies are performing just as well a decade ago.

Why is that?  How is that possible? Do they have some secret anti-aging formula or a hidden "fountain of youth" in their backyard?

The simple truth about aging: cellular regeneration.

It's actually very easy to understand why some people age faster than others.

Aging is actually a very simple math equation.  We have daily wear and tear in our lives.  It can be physical, mental or even emotional stress.  When we put strain on our bodies, many of our cells get toxic, grow old or simply stop working.

When our cells finally die, new and better functioning cells replace them.

This is called "cellular regeneration".

Unfortunately, the process of replacing old cells with new cells requires a lot of energy.  Without energy, our cells die faster than we can make new ones.  But over time, our ability to make energy slows down. And when cells aren't replaced faster than they die off... we "age".

So the real secret of looking young, staying fit and shedding weight is energy?

Well, yes and no.

To be clear, it's your body's ability to create energy.   Here's what happens in the trillions of cells in your body...

Your cells are like factory assembly lines.  When you feed it enough oxygen, hydrogen, sugar (the good kind), good fats (like omega-3), vitamins, minerals and amino acids...

And in order for your cells to work optimally, you need to feed them properly.

Hopefully, you're already drinking tons of water and doing some exercise.  That takes care of oxygen and hydrogen.  For everything else, it's a matter of eating the right foods packed with the right nutrients.

Watching what you eat is harder than it sounds

A lot of the foods we get at the grocery stores today are full of toxic chemicals, additives and bad sugars like high-fructose corn syrup.

Recently, scientists have discovered a "Superfood" that's 100% raw, natural and organic.

No, it's not acai berries, chlorella, spirulina, goji, resveratrol or fish oil.

In fact, this Superfood is 100 times more potent and powerful than all those Superfoods combined.

How Powerful is this Superfood?

99% of all life on planet Earth depends on this one microscopic life source.

Without it, life would not exist.  (In fact, it's responsible for making up to 90% of our planet's oxygen... and it has nothing to do with trees).

And most importantly of all...

It has the power to "stimulate" your body to create trillions of healthy, new cells which is the secret to growing older without aging.

Click here to discover how this anti-aging "Superfood of the Future" hand-delivers the most important and essential nutrients and vitamins that will boost your energy levels and have you aging in reverse.

"Toxin-free" plastic containers aren't really

'BPA-Free'?
Uh, Not Really. . .

    Many consumers have taken steps to curb their use of products containing the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA. Thanks to this newsletter and other voices, folks are learning that BPA poses health risks that far outweigh its benefits. This toxic substance is commonly used in all things plastic including baby bottles, plastic food storage containers and nearly all drink containers — soda, water, juice, you name it.

    But if you've switched to "BPA-free" products, watch out! It turns out the plastic industry has merely substituted another dangerous chemical. Keep reading and I'll explain. . .

Continued below. . .

Hidden killer picking off Baby Boomers in their prime     Leg cramps that wake you up out of a sound sleep.     Fingers so cold you're embarrassed to shake hands at church.     Unsightly circles under your eyes--no matter how much sleep you get.     Bruises that appear after the slightest bump...and take WEEKS to go away.     These aren't just minor annoyances. They're the first signs of the hidden epidemic picking off Baby Boomers like flies. So deadly, it claims another new victim every 30 seconds. And yet--most M.D.s are completely overlooking it.     Which is why it's absolutely critical for you to watch this special presentation right now. It will tell you everything you need to know about this sweeping threat. Including the solution so stunningly simple, it puts modern medicine to shame. Please, don't miss it.

    Long-term exposure to BPA has been linked to a number of serious health concerns, including:

• Asthma
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Impaired learning and memory
• Low sperm count
• Obesity

    BPA in your body becomes a type of fake estrogen that can lead to hormonal imbalances. For additional details, see our reports in Issue #17 and Issue #196. Canada has totally banned BPA — that should give you a hint of how serious this is.

    With the discovery of the long-term health-damaging effects of BPA exposure, many manufacturers responded to public concerns by removing the chemical from their products.

    But this was nothing more than a magician's sleight of hand!

    What they didn't tell us about items sporting the "BPA free" label is that they now contain BPA's ugly cousin bisphenol S (BPS)—a chemical that may be even MORE toxic and dangerous to your health!

    Kurunthachalam Kannan, a research scientist at the New York State Department of Health in Albany, led a team investigating the prevalence of BPS in the environment.

    The investigators were surprised to find that your skin appears to absorb up to 19 timesmore BPS than its predecessor BPA.

    And here's one reason why your likelihood of coming in contact with the chemical is extremely high:

BPS is used on most of the paper receipts and paper
currency you handle for every purchase you make!

    What does 'most' mean? Well Kannan's research team tested 16 types of paper from the U.S., Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

    They found a whopping 87 percent of paper currency and 52 percent of recycled paper contained BPS.

    What's more, Kannan's group also found that 81 percent of 315 urine samples taken from men and women in the United States and seven Asian countries contained BPS. Japan had the highest average concentrations followed by the U.S.

The hidden dangers of a hormone imbalance

    Have you ever noticed that some middle aged men seem to carry a spare tire around their middle? And that some even have 'man boobs' where their chest muscles used to be?

    Chalk it up to estrogen overload!

    As men get older, they produce less testosterone, which can lead to a buildup of estrogen. If you're a man with rising estrogen levels—be aware that it can increase your risk of experiencing prostate problems, heart trouble and other serious health concerns.

    In women, excess estrogen causes fluid retention... hot flashes... night sweats... increased blood fat levels... and mood swings...

    Many women also complain about dry skin and dry eyes—and even an uncomfortable vaginal dryness that can make sexual relations painful.

    In 2002, government scientists abruptly ended a large study of a type of a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that made use of estrogen and progestin.

    The investigators determined that this treatment, prescribed to relieve the symptoms of menopause, significantly increased the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and strokes.

    Unfortunately, this news came some 50 years after countless HRT prescriptions had been doled out to unsuspecting women. Thousands of women promptly stopped hormone replace therapy — and the rate of breast cancer in the United States plunged!

    In other words, this commonly prescribed medical treatment was responsible for thousands of cases of breast cancer. But this gets worse. The evidence strongly indicates the real problem was that mainstream doctors used estrogen from horses, not human estrogen. (The HRT drug was called Premarin, extracted from mares' urine.)

    HRT that uses human estrogen is called bioidentical hormone therapy. Knowledgeable authorities say this type of HRT is safe, although the medical establishment insists the use of horse estrogen had nothing to do with the link to breast cancer.

    I bring it up because BPA and BPS chemically mess with the hormone levels in both men and women. The famous HRT scandal points up how even small deviations from natural human estrogen can have disastrous consequences.

Is there a BPS/cancer connection?

    The research on health effects of BPS is still in its infant stages. But what scientists do know is that BPS has a similar chemical structure to BPA. This means that, like BPA, BPS is likely to be tied to abnormal cell growth leading to cancer.

    In a study published in the International Journal of Clinical Oncology, Chinese researchers compared levels of BPA in about 500 adults to the rates of the brain cancer meningioma.

    They found that adults with higher levels of BPA in their urine had a greater likelihood of developing that form of cancer than did folks with lower levels. This was true even after the researchers considered other factors such as family history and whether the person had received hormone replacement therapy.

    In another study, University of Cincinnati scientists exposed human breast cancer cells to low levels of BPA. The group was surprised to find that BPA encouraged the production of proteins that prevent cancer cells from being killed by chemotherapy drugs.

    So according to study results, not only does BPA contribute to cancer formation—it also neutralizes one of mainstream medicines favored treatment options!

    So what's a consumer to do? Well, clearly you can't change the BPS levels in the products themselves. But you can minimize your exposure by opting for glass beverage and food containers versus plastic.

    And you can avoid microwaving foods in plastic containers to avoid leaching the chemicals into your meal.

    Also, try to wash your hands after handling receipts, money and other paper products that may be coated with BPS chemicals. As mentioned before, it appears these chemicals can be absorbed through the skin.

    These simple steps could decrease your exposure to this dangerous copycat chemical that may prove to be a serious health threat.

Pots & pans that don't poison you, Part II

Best Tips for Avoiding Toxins in Pots and Pans     We struck a nerve with our article a few weeks back on "Cookware That Won't Leach Poison Into Your Food" (Issue 265). Readers flooded us with their ideas and suggestions.     I'm not surprised people are so interested. The kitchen is usually the heart of the home. Even if you take pains to buy healthy, organic, free-range foods, it's a bummer to have to wonder if your pots and pans are sabotaging those efforts.     So this issue is a follow-up, including recent research on healthy cookware and an overview of cooking options we didn't mention before, often based on tips from our readers. They came up with some interesting types of cookware I didn't know about. . . Continued below. . . Oliver was doomed to die from cancer within 8 hours -- But then he found out what to do. . .     Oliver had reached the end of the road in his seven-year fight against cancer. His doctors didn't think this 32-year-old man would live through the night.     But when I talked to Oliver six years later, he was the picture of health! He got rid of his cancer completely.     Yes, Oliver found the answer — his own cancer miracle.     I sat down with him and his doctor and they told me an incredible story. . . a story that could help save you or someone you love from this dreaded disease.     If you'd like to hear it, click here now. Glass bakeware:     Many users of glass bakeware and cookware rave about the easy cleanup and assumed safety. But I wouldn't be so quick to recommend it. For one thing, the glaze on glass cookware is often manufactured with lead, the level of which is set by the manufacturer. That's what gives it shock resistance and color uniformity. It's possible to get unglazed glass pots and pans.     But the biggest problem with glass bakeware is that it can explode. Consumer Reportsstates that Pyrex and Anchor Hocking bakeware products, made from soda-lime glass, are more likely to shatter than European-made bakeware, which is made of a more expensive type of glass called borosilicate.     In fact, consumer-news website Consumer Affairs reported more than 20 complaints of exploding Pyrex in just the first three months of 2013. Pyrex-maker Anchor Hocking chalks this up to user error. It seems hot glass bakeware should never be placed on the top of the stove, on a metal trivet, in a sink, directly on a counter, or on a damp towel. Set the glass down on a dry towel or a dry, cloth potholder instead.     If you still like the idea of glass bakeware but the idea of exploding glass in the kitchen bothers you, I'd recommend doing an online search for "borosilicate bakeware" to find a better source, and be sure to look for an unglazed version. Ceramic-coated nonstick cookware:      Ceramic is not a new type of surface, but it's been improved in recent years. It used to be used to line heavy, cumbersome cast iron, but nowadays you can find razor-thin ceramic coatings fused onto a sturdy aluminum base. The base is lighter than before, and the cooking surface is said to be more nonstick and scratch-resistant then Teflon.     The biggest complaints about ceramic-coated products used to be chipping and cracking. But new lines on the market appear to withstand wear better over time.     Cuisinart is making a lot of noise over its GreenGourmet™ line, boasting that their ceramic-based (as opposed to petroleum-based) coating is completely free of PTFE and PFOA.     I've been happy with my cast iron (and pricey) ceramic-lined Le Creuset Dutch oven, but without a doubt it's heavy to lift. Clay cookware:     There's a newer product on the market called Flameware that sounds impressive, though I haven't had the chance to test it and found little information on it from consumer-test websites.     Several of our readers wrote in to recommend it, though, so I think it's worth mentioning here.     Made by a company called Longaberger, Flameware is made of 100% natural materials and has no lead, aluminum, or other harmful metals. The main ingredient is Australian clay. It's dishwasher safe, though you should only scrub it with non-metallic pads. Staining over time can be expected — some folks call this a patina or "history of use" on the pan. The pans take a little longer to reach standard cooking temperatures, but they also retain heat for longer.     The company recommends you season it using whole or homogenized milk — you're looking for the milk proteins to adhere to the bottom of the pan. This is supposed to make for easy cleanup, since the pans don't have traditional, toxic nonstick coatings (and so are completely free of PFOAs). Because of that, you'll want to cook with oils to keep your food from sticking.     According to the Longaberger website, the Chinese have been cooking on non-vitrified Flameware for thousands of years. Silicone Cookware:     Silicon is actually a common element found in rocks and sand. It makes up roughly 28 percent of the Earth's crust. Silicone is a synthetic rubber made out of bonded silicon and oxygen. It is flexible and strong, stain resistant and nonstick, and is now a popular material for muffin pans, cake pans, cupcake liners, and even spatulas.     Silicone pans are considered great by those looking to make perfectly-shaped cakes and cupcakes, because the material bends and stretches. This means you can "pop" out your baked goods with minimal damage. Silicone cookware also comes in bright colors — part of the "color revolution" going on in kitchens.     It would be great if all silicone cookware were 100% silicone. But filler materials found in low-quality silicone products reduce the quality and heat-resistance.     Some consider silicone cookware the next great innovation in the kitchen, but I'm not convinced. Early reports of overheated silicone cookware talk about dyes or silicone oil oozing out of the bakeware. As of now, there hasn't been much definitive research on the topic. Silicone rubber is said to be chemically inert and stable, meaning it's not likely to react with foods or leach chemicals. But if you have any kind of chemical sensitivity, I'd steer clear of it till we see more conclusive research.     While all these options sound fascinating, I do most of my cooking on stainless steel or copper lined with stainless steel, and those still seem like the most sensible choices to me. There's also a lot to be said for cast iron — I know serious cooks who love it — but I haven't used it much. Don't damage your cookware while cleaning     Getting serious about the health aspects of your cookware might mean changing how you clean things — especially if you've been relying on easy-to-clean Teflon. You're going to find the nontoxic surfaces are more challenging to clean.     One of our subscribers wrote in to recommend Cameo Stainless Steel Cleaner for scrubbing black stains that gather at the base of stainless steel pans. I've also heard ketchup and steel wool will do the trick — but steel wool is an abrasive (same stuff found in SOS or Brillo pads). It will scratch most surfaces.     As I said, I mostly cook on stainless steel, and clean it with steel wool pads. This approach is not for people who want to keep everything looking as good as new -- you lose the shiny, pristine surface. But it sure is easier.     Some sources raise a concern that this will release toxic nickel used in the manufacture of stainless steel, but an engineer assured me this is nonsense. He said there's no way you're going to get significant amounts of nickel from a stainless steel pan.     Another reader suggests you put ammonia in the pan, put the pan in a trash bag in the sun for a few hours, and then open (keeping your face away from the opening) and scrub with soap and water.     I haven't tried this approach. It may be effective, but I wouldn't be keen on putting ammonia on a surface I'm going to cook on or eat from. Presumably it all washes off, but it's nasty stuff and I just don't care for the idea. I should think this is for stainless steel only. It sounds like a bad idea for a ceramic, clay or silicone pan because ammonia is such a powerful solvent.     Cast iron is best cleaned immediately after use, when the pot or pan is still warm. Use a sponge with hot water, but avoid soaps and steel wool that might strip the pan's seasoning. Hard-to-clean spots respond best to Kosher salt and water. Another option is to boil water in the pan and then clean.     Searing foods is another technique that makes for easy cleanup and keeps you from having to use harsh cleaners. It works for stainless steel and cast iron: Get the pan hot enough to instantly sear your food when the food makes contact. That helps you avoid black stains that would otherwise require impossible scrubbing.     Searing has become a popular method of food preparation in recent years. Menus at good restaurants are full of seared fish, seared steak, seared this and seared that. The idea is that the inside of the meat or fish isn't cooked at all, it remains very rare, while the outside is blackened or dark brown. Many people like it that way. It's not to my taste. It's your life — opt for quality     We live in times of rapid change. People are cooking more at home and want to know where their food comes from. Along with that comes a natural vigilance for making sure your food is prepared in the safest way possible.     One thing is pretty clear: The safest cooking options are not the cheapest. That doesn't mean you have to shell out half your pension for toxin-free cooking. Shop thrift stores, eBay, and even garage sales if you're looking for cast-iron skillets or stainless steel (which is what I use, except for my prized Le Creuset Dutch oven).     At the end of the day, though, a splurge might be worth it. As someone once said, "Buy a cheap item and you cry every time you use it. Buy quality and you cry just once, when you pay the bill."     By the way, when you get rid of your Teflon-coated pans, do the world a favor and put them in the trash. Don't try to re-sell or donate used Teflon and pass the toxins along to someone else.     Someday I hope we'll see change (and hopefully, advances) on the cookware scene. There are loads of options out there, though I'd like to see a bigger emphasis on the long-term health effects of different cookware brands. I'll keep my eye on developments as they come and will pass them on to you.

The X-Factor in Fighting Cancer

Cancer is a hopeless, uphill battle if you don't know this: The X-Factor in Fighting Cancer This hidden health problem feeds cancer— and most doctors don't even know it exists. Treating cancer successfully – and stopping it from ever returning – comes down to one crucial question:  How can a person cure this disease if they  don’t eliminate THE HIDDEN X-FACTOR that’s keeping cancer alive and thriving? That’s right, there’s an insidious cancer-maker –  it lurks silently and stealthily inside the body – and mainstream doctors are completely unaware of it. Because they don’t know anything about it, they’re not doing anything to treat it. Click here to read the details about this shocking medical blunder. Believe it or not, even most alternative practitioners don’t recognize the sinister effects of the X-Factor. They can provide a treatment plan that seems great, but it’s probably missing an absolutely essential piece. So what exactly is the X-Factor? Find out right now, without paying a thing! Click here to read my  presentation.

One vitamin cuts your risk of cancer by half

This Vitamin Lowers Cancer Risk
By Nearly 50 Percent!

    That's right—a simple vitamin has been shown to provide a natural defense against cancers of the breast, colon and lung! It's remarkable that just one vitamin can do so much (imagine what you can achieve if you take them all!) Keep reading...

Continued below. . .

Natural Cancer Cure: A Million Times Stronger Than Chemo and No Side Effects?     Click here to discover the North American fruit tree extract proven in a National Cancer Institute-funded experiment to be a million times stronger than chemotherapy with no side effects. Gain access to hundreds of other scientifically validated natural cures for life-threatening diseases, including thediabetes remedy with a 100% success rate ... the non-drug arthritis cure that reverses the breakdown of cartilage ... the mind technology that causes spontaneous remission from disease ... and more.     Discover the single best source of "underground" health breakthroughsthat most people will never know.

    For maximum health, make sure you get plenty of vitamin B6, the HELPER vitamin! Your body uses B6 in a variety of important ways, including to:

• Help over 100 enzymes metabolize protein more efficiently
• Help skin cells regenerate quickly
• Prevent unwanted inflammation
• Process carbohydrates for energy
• Protect and strengthen your immune and nervous systems

    Even more exciting are the numerous studies that suggest higher blood levels of B6 could also reduce your cancer risk by as much as 49 percent!

    Results from one study published in the June 16, 2010 Journal of the American Medical Association compared 899 lung cancer patients with a group of 1,770 healthy comparison-group participants in the large European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.

    After taking smoking habits into account, the researchers found that people with the highest vitamin B6 levels had a 56 percent reduction in lung cancer risk, compared to those with the lowest levels!

    A group of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health noted a similar association when examining the vitamin B6 levels of breast cancer patients.

    There's more. Another study, published in the March 5, 2003 Journal of the National Cancer Institute, reported that higher blood plasma levels of folate and B6 appeared to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

    Although scientists say evidence for the link between vitamin B6 and breast cancer is mixed—anything that might help reduce the estimated 40,000 breast cancer deaths each year in the U.S. is a very good thing!

A gift from God for colon health?

    It has been said that death begins in the colon… and for good reason. Your colon's job is to change liquid waste into a solid form to be expelled from your body.

    If anything disrupts this process—it can mean pounds of rotting waste will fester in your bowels. Talk about a breeding ground for diseases such as cancer!

    But once again, nature has provided a potent cancer shield for your colon.

    A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed results of nine different studies focused on the relationship between vitamin B6 and colorectal cancer risk.

    The researchers concentrated on the active form of the vitamin, which is called pyridoxal 5-phospate or P5P for short. Their goal was to see how P5P blood levels affected cancer risk.

    The researchers concluded that for every 100 pmol/ml increase in P5P levels, the risk of getting colorectal cancer dropped an amazing 49 percent!

    The study authors thought this may be tied to the role of B6 in DNA synthesis and repair. Their theory was that low P5P levels are more likely to allow cancer to form.

    But one curious finding was that vitamin B6 intake didn't appear to have the same impact on colorectal cancer risk as P5P, the vitamin's active form. This could be due to the fact that people have differing abilities to convert B6 to P5P.

    Supposedly, most people can digest and convert B6 just fine. It's pretty rare for someone to need pure P5P.

    The authors of another study, published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, wrote, "Published studies of plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate [P5P] levels consistently support an approximately 30%-50% reduction in risk of colorectal cancer comparing high with low concentrations." The authors note that studies of B6, on the other hand, don't always show such dramatic results. So it seems you'd need to take P5P to ensure the desired result.

So how do I know if I need more B6?

    Vitamin B6 plays a critical role in cell formation. Because skin tissue regenerates quickly, it can be one of the first telltale signs of a B6 deficiency. In fact, skin disorders such as eczema and seborrhea have been linked to insufficient B6 in the diet.

    Because it also plays a critical role in protecting your nervous system—a severe B6 deficiency could also produce convulsions and seizures.

    A vitamin B6 deficiency could also impact red blood cell formation. This could lead to symptoms of anemia, malaise, and fatigue.

    If you're interested in boosting your vitamin B6 intake, there are plenty of food sources to explore. Some excellent choices include:

• Asparagus
• Bell peppers
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Garlic
• Salmon
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Spinach
• Summer squash
• Turkey
• Turnip greens

    Remember, your body has to be effective at digesting and converting the B6 into P5P for optimal colon health.

    If you don't want to leave this to chance, you can purchase P5P supplements—despite recent attempts by the company Medicure Pharma to manipulate the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into snatching this natural coenzyme off the market!

    As you can imagine, the drug company wants the FDA to ban sales of the P5P nutrient so they can chemically alter it and sell it as a drug! Why go natural when you can have a heaping helping of chemicals coursing through your veins?

    Nevertheless, a quick Internet search will show you their efforts to eliminate P5P natural supplements haven't been successful.

    In any case, bulking up on healthy foods rich in vitamin B6 may be an important first step in building your defenses against cancer.

    What's more, you'll enjoy a colorful and great-tasting meal to boot!

Best ways to purify your drinking water

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Best Ways to Filter Your Tap Water So It's Fit to Drink     Most Americans assume that when they turn on the tap, clean and pure water gushes forth. But as our last article showed, they're most likely mistaken. Drinking water in most communities is filthy and toxic. (We're rerunning that article below, following this one.)     The last article was about the problem. This one is about the solution. Keep reading to learn what you can do in your own home to create safe, drinkable water. . . Continued below. . . Breast Cancer Survivor was told: "You'll be dead in a year" (Pssst!! That was 12 years ago!)     Doctors didn't give Wiltrude much hope when they diagnosed her with cancer in the year 2000. Wiltrude, a German psychologist, never thought cancer would happen to her. But it did. And it came as a big shock.     One doctor told her, "You'll be dead in a year." Late stage breast cancer isvirtually incurable using conventional treatments. Even M.D.s admit it. They talk about "buying you more time." (Don't count on it. The evidence shows you're better off doing nothing than chemo.)     When Wiltrude told her doctor she was going to try alternative treatments, he said, "You are committing suicide with what you're doing." But she was determined to find a way to beat her cancer.     Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, this European woman came across a book by my good friend Bill Henderson, one of the smartest and wisest people I know when it comes to cancer treatment.     She tried Bill's top, number one recommendation — a gentle treatment you can do at home for just $5.15 a day. What's more, the cost goes down to $3.50 after six weeks because you just need a maintenance dose. And it even tastes good.     Not only has Wiltrude passed the five-year cancer survival mark, she's survived for 12 years. We just interviewed her recently for this publication. The radiologist who tests her every year told her, "You're the only one with this kind of result."     You can find out about Bill’s proven cancer treatment plan in a free video presentation — click here to watch it now.     When I ask him about some of the treatments that top alternative doctors use, Bill sort of shrugs and says, "They're fine, but why bother? My treatment works, you can do it yourself, and it costs practically nothing."     He's coached thousands of cancer patients with all different types and stages of cancer. Most of the people who follow the detailed, specific plan in this Special Report get over their cancer and live for years.     "Almost any kind of cancer is reversible," says Bill. "I never give up on anyone." Click here and watch the free video presentation about Bill’s amazing cancer protocol. Do you spend up to 10,000 times TOO MUCH for your water?     That's what you're doing if you choose to drink bottled water. It can be a reasonable solution, but it IS expensive. And if you choose the wrong product, it may not be all that safe.     The bottled water industry is actually LESS regulated than your local water system.     Your community's public waterworks are required to test for contaminants more often than bottled water companies do, and these public utilities must give consumers a report specifying what contaminants are in the water. A bottler doesn't have to do that.     In fact, there's little empirical evidence to suggest that bottled water is any cleaner or better for you than its tap equivalent. I'm confident that water from a quality, brand-name bottler IS better than most tap, but no long-term human studies really prove the health benefits.     Actually, much of bottled water originates from municipal systems, just like tap water. The bottlers just filter it, ozone it or whatever, then sell it to you at fantastic markups. And there's evidence that blanket assurances of purity and safety from the bottled water industry are false.     Testing shows that bottled water can be contaminated too. Of more than 1,000 bottles tested, 22 percent were contaminated at levels that violated California state limits. And 17 percent exceeded sanitary guidelines for microbiological purity.1 To be fair, that means something like 80% of such water (four bottles out of five) did meet the state standards.     But even the best bottled water probably has some level of contamination. Consider the fact that water containers are generally plastic, raising the danger that BPAs get into your water. These chemicals are known to be carcinogenic. We wrote about the dangers in Issue #196. In a few weeks we're following up with another article on BPAs. The high cost of bottled water     Millions pay 240 to over 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water…     If you're purchasing for a family of four, bottled water can set you back a hefty $950 to $1,800 or more per year. I don't know about you, but to me that's real money. A home water system may set you back some bucks, but our research suggests it should pay for itself in a year or two.     Secondly, what's all that plastic doing to our planet? The biggest toxic dump in the world now stretches from Hawaii to Japan, spewing out chemicals into our sea water and our fish. And due to plastic's slow breakdown, nearly all the plastic ever made still exists… somewhere. Why contribute to all that collateral damage by buying plastic bottles? Filter your tap water into safe drinking water     I advise anyone drinking tap water to use some form of filtration system to reduce your exposure to contaminants. Most pollutants can be drastically reduced or eliminated with the right filter.     Sorry to say, it's not easy to decide which filtering system to buy...     The first step is to find out what YOUR particular water issues are.     If you're on municipal water, you can learn about your supplier's water quality from the "Consumer Confidence Report" published by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) online here (http://water.epa.gov/drink/local/index.cfm). If it's not available online, you should be able to get it from your city or town hall. It is updated July 1st of every year.     But please be aware -- the report doesn't address what happens to your water during the trip from the street to your faucet. Old piping — municipal piping AND that in older buildings — may add lead and other junk. Even brand new copper piping in a brand new house is coated with oil. It washes off gradually after a short while (so they say. . .)     The best way to know for sure what's coming out of your tap is to have it tested. National Testing Laboratories, Ltd., of Cleveland, Ohio (with testing labs in Ypsilanti, Michigan) is known to be a high quality testing organization, and they'll test both city and well water.     Then, once you know what you're dealing with… Find the right filter for your contaminants…     Here's where it gets tricky -- and pays to do your homework! There's a wide range of prices, filter media, and effectiveness.     There are thousands of water filters on the market. Some of them are more full of empty promises than clean water. Some use multiple technologies, others use just one.     These are some categories of filters to consider: Pitcher Faucet-mounted Countertop Under-sink Shower filters (protect your lungs from breathing toxic fumes, and your skin from absorbing them) Water softener Whole house filter system     Whole house filters are more effective at removing sediment, rust and scale. Pitcher and faucet filters remove organic chemicals, industrial solvents, and chlorine byproducts — and will improve your water's taste. Which filter medium is right for you? A primer…     Once you've decided where to put your filter, consider which medium will best resolve your water's problems. The idea is select a filter that matches your budget and the type of toxins you need to remove.     Following is a short list of filter media and what they remove. They each have their pros and cons, and you'll have to weigh them for your personal situation. I wish I could say "just do this and your problem will be solved." But sometimes life is more complicated than we'd like (most of the time, come to think about it!) Activated Carbon. Gets rid of: bad tastes and odors, including chlorine. Activated charcoal with NSF 53 certification filters out most concerning pollutants, disinfection byproducts; pesticides; radon; and volatile organic chemicals (MTBE and TCE). A word to the wise: A countertop filter cannot remove perchlorate, a rocket fuel ingredient that contaminates some water supplies. Found in: Countertop, faucet filters, under-sink units. How activated carbon works: Positively charged, highly absorbent carbon attracts and traps contaminants. Disadvantages: While the primary advantage is a low up-front cost, its shorter filter life will nickel and dime you with frequent replacements. And it is unable to remove certain metals, fluoride, most radioactive compounds, asbestos, and bacteria. Reverse Osmosis. Gets rid of: Most contaminants, including parasites (Giardia and Cryptosporidium), heavy metals (cadmium, copper, lead and mercury), plus other pollutants including arsenic, barium, nitrates and nitrites, perchlorate, selenium… Found in: Under-sink, often in combination with a carbon filter or UV disinfection unit. How it works: Semi-permeable membrane separates impurities from water. Disadvantages: De-mineralizes your water. Most mineral particles are larger than water molecules, so the semi-permeable membrane of the RO system removes them. Removing naturally occurring minerals is like drinking distilled water, which robs you of valuable minerals, according to some health advocates. They say if there are no minerals in your water, the water will leach them out of your body because water's natural state is to contain some dissolved solids. This theory hasn't been proven, as far as I know, but it's plausible enough to make me wary of drinking distilled water or other mineral-free water without taking steps to make sure I'm getting enough minerals. Removing all minerals also leaves water rather tasteless. Some people re-mineralize their RO water for taste and health benefits. Acidity. Removing minerals makes the water acidic… often well below 7.0 pH. Many alternative health advocates very strongly believe that the body's pH balance is essential to good health. The body should be slightly alkaline. Acidity contributes to cancer and many other diseases. Again, I've never seen large-scale studies to support this acid-alkaline theory of health, but after years of seeing alternative doctors turn around cancer cases, it gets my vote. Wastes water. A reverse osmosis system uses substantial amounts of water during the process. Tap water is pretty cheap (especially compared to bottled water) so I don't think this needs to be a major consideration for most people. Ultraviolet Disinfection. Gets rid of: Bacteria, parasites… Has been studied since the 1930's and is used to destroy microbes that cause indoor air and water pollution, and in hospitals. Found in: Under-sink and whole-house systems, often combined with carbon and sediment screen. How it works: UV light deactivates and rearranges the DNA of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, thereby destroying their ability to multiply and cause disease. Some sources say UV is a must for anyone on a well. Expect to pay in the neighborhood of $1800 for a UV unit (which can be added to other units). Personally, I'm on a well and I don't have one. Very likely your body ALREADY HAS any microbes that are in your well, and if they haven't killed you yet, they probably won't. But I'm in the mountains and my water, while heavily mineralized, isn't downstream of a cattle or hog feed lot and doesn't contain runoff from cropland that's laden with pesticides and herbicides. THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S IN YOUR WATER AND GET A SYSTEM THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU. KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) with Redox — may be a major water purification breakthrough. Gets rid of: Best known for removing chlorine, iron, iron bacteria, and hydrogen sulfide (the rotten egg smell). Some sources say it also removes lead, mercury, calcium carbonate, magnesium, chromium, bacteria, algae, fungi, and more… However, one water expert we contacted wasn't so sure. How it works: KDF is a patented medium — a giant step forward in water purification. It uses the oxidation and reduction of ions known as redox (reduction of oxidation) to remove most soluble heavy metals, reduce mineral hardness scale accumulation, and reduce pathogen levels. KDF media are made from highly pure copper-zinc granules, and supplement or replace other technologies to dramatically lengthen the life of the system, control heavy metals, toxic gases and pathogens, lower total cost, and decrease maintenance. Hydrogen sulfide and iron are oxidized and are attracted to the media's surface as if to a magnet. Heavy metals (lead, mercury, iron, cadmium, aluminum) are removed via an electrochemical process. This redox process converts contaminant electrons into harmless components. It inhibits bacteria, algae, and fungi growth by creating an electrolytic field where most pathogens cannot survive, and forms substances that interfere with the pathogens' functional abilities. Disadvantages: KDF works best when combined with other media for full-spectrum protection. It does not remove organic chemicals (pesticides, disinfection byproducts, MTBE, etc.), or parasites (giardia and cryptosporidium) by itself. If that's a concern, use other media in combination. KDF filters must be backwashed periodically to remove insoluble contaminants. This wastes many gallons of water, and dislodged pollutants can come out later with the (supposedly) filtered water. Activated Alumina — a major breakthrough in fluoride and arsenic removal. Gets rid of: Fluoride, fluorine, selenium, and sulfur. Found in: Pitcher filters, countertop and under-counter, and whole house units. How it works: Made of aluminum oxide. With an extremely high surface-area-to-weight ratio, its tiny pores run like tunnels throughout. As water passes through, it absorbs and traps these poisons. Ion Exchange Water Softener. Gets rid of: Calcium and magnesium, which form mineral deposits in plumbing and fixtures, plus barium and other ions that can create health hazards. Used in: Whole-house, point-of-entry units How it works: "Softens" hard water — a simple, well-documented ion exchange process. Solves a common and basic water problem — hardness. It's simple, inexpensive and somewhat automatic… no strong chemicals needed (just salt). Disadvantages: Does not create high-quality drinking water but merely exchanges the hardness ions for less-troublesome sodium ions. The treated water contains sodium instead of calcium or magnesium — but it is still unsuitable for most uses. Distiller. Gets rid of: Heavy metals, like cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and mercury, plus arsenic, barium, fluoride selenium and sodium. Also kills all or most microbes. Used in: Countertop or whole house point-of-entry units, can be combined with a carbon filter. How it works: Boils water and re-condenses the purified steam. Disadvantages: Removes beneficial minerals from the water, and any toxins it fails to remove can easily become even more concentrated in your water. I guess it's possible that lightweight chemicals are retained in the gas (i.e. the steam or water vapor) and may not be eliminated. Alkaline water. Does not filter contaminants out per se. It simply alkalinizes water that's already been made pure. Before you buy…     Obviously there are many options depending on your location and situation. And, unless you're wealthy and very determined, it's not likely your water will end up being absolutely perfect.     Don't get caught in the trap of throwing up your hands and doing nothing because we can't give you a pat answer. Remember, in most cases you're better off doing something than doing nothing... removing some contaminants rather than none.     Aim to get rid of the big problems — lead and arsenic, for example. (Arsenic is common in some parts of the country.) Herbicides and pesticides. Chorine and fluoride, of course. A sink or pitcher filter might get rid of some of this junk. It's better than doing nothing.     Bacteria may or may not be a problem, depending on where you live and what's in your water. If you don't have deadly bacteria — congratulations! You don't need to spring for an expensive ultraviolet microbe-killer. But be especially wary if you're in a farm area with big factory chicken farms or livestock feed lots. The fecal matter may find its way into groundwater.     I'm not an expert, but here's my take: A combination of activated carbon and reverse osmosis will give you very clean, safe water, and you need to add a UV layer of protection only if bacteria are a real problem.     The only downside I see to this approach is that reverse osmosis removes desirable minerals. You can buy a system that adds back minerals or simply take mineral supplements (which you probably do anyway, if you're a fan of this newsletter). Potassium, magnesium and calcium (iron, too, if you're female) are very inexpensive supplements.     Next best option is a system to distill your water, and you can get countertop distillers that make a gallon or two for drinking and cooking. When you drink distilled water you know you're getting nothing but pure H2O, and, frankly, I find that attractive (okay, maybe a few lightweight chemicals are retained). True, distilled water doesn't have any minerals in it, but see above. That problem is easy to fix.     Some people say distilled water doesn't taste as good as mineralized water. I have to say it tastes fine to me. And attention, all you sellers of machines that alkalinize water: please don't write about the "dangers" of distilled water. I've heard your schtick. People who eat a mineral-rich diet including supplements have little to worry about. Okay, so how much is this going to cost?     Costs vary drastically between pitcher-style filters starting at around $25 (but requiring new filters very frequently), up to a whole house unit, which can cost from $1500 to $3000 when purchased outright but might go ten years without a new filter. (Rental is sometimes an option.)     Under-sink systems can shave the initial cost substantially (at around $300 to $500). This article is focused on drinking water. Obviously, an under-sink system won't filter toilet and laundry water. If you have a well, that may be a concern for rust stains.     Be SURE you know how often filters need replacing — and how much they cost. This can cost you some serious money, especially if the filters cost $30 or $60 and need replacing every week or month. Don't get scared off by a higher initial price if the unit has a much lowerongoing cost. Project the total lifetime cost of the unit.     Consider also how long you plan to stay in your home before springing for a $2000 or $3000 water system. If your time horizon is short you might want to opt for a sink unit instead of a whole-house unit, as most home-buyers won't place the same high value on whole-house as you do.     Once you narrow your options but before you invest, check out online reviews, consult with local water companies, and check to see that your proposed unit is certified by a reputable independent water certification agency.     One of the most stringent certifications is UL (Underwriters Laboratories), which verifies product claims, and ensures the system is structurally sound and that its literature and labeling are truthful.     Units certified by the California Department of Public Health must pass more rigorous standards than those found elsewhere. And National Sanitation Foundation is a reputable independent product evaluation company. You can also look for a Water Quality Association (WQA) certification.     Water is a life essential — so why not make it as healthy, clean and safe as possible today?