Court rules that vaccine is responsible for autism

Finally, there has been a landmark victory in the war against needless vaccinations. After years of official government denial of the link between childhood vaccines and the onset of autism, a recent federal claims court ruled in favor of the family of a child whose regression into autism was caused by vaccinations.

This is the recognition that autism advocacy groups like the National Autism Association have been seeking for years. In the wake of the ruling, NAA president Wendy Fourtnier said, "We are confident that this is just the first of many cases that will confirm what we have believed for so long - vaccines can and do cause children to regress into autism."

The NAA and all of us battling against vaccines still face an uphill fight. Regardless of what the federal court rules, the government agencies that really count - namely the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - are still firmly in the pro- vaccination camp. And there's a lot of Big Pharma money that's encouraging them to stay that way. In fact, not long after this ruling, a CDC panel voted unanimously to recommend flu shots for all school-age children. As in all battles against the government, it's a case of one step forward and two steps back.

The NAA was quick to point out the paradox of the CDC's decision, and Fournier asked that the agency "acknowledge that the current vaccine schedule is not safe for every child and as with the administration of any medicine, individual risks and susceptibilities must be considered for each patient."

Of course, the CDC ignored her. What's more, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is steadfast in the conclusions that it has drawn about vaccinations: that there is "no credible evidence" of a link to autism. Author David Kirby, who wrote a book about the controversy over vaccines and autism, shares my suspicion that the court's decision's is merely another thing for the two sides to argue about. "The significance of this concession will unfortunately be fought over in the usual, vitriolic way," Kirby said. "Despite that, the language of this concession cannot be changed, or swept away." And yet the government is, as always, unchanging. All that's left for anti-vaccination groups to hope for is that the ruling will sway public opinion. Our society is so wrapped up in court cases and litigiousness, it's just possible that when the news gets out that a federal court has admitted a link between vaccinations and autism, it's tantamount to saying that the link is real, it's there, and it's undeniable. Eventually, public pressure may win out.

One simple way to lower your risk of gallstones

There's more good news about one of my favorite minerals: magnesium. According to a new study, a diet rich in magnesium can reduce the risk of developing gallstones. And, in case you haven't heard, gallstones are an amazingly painful malady.

As you know, I'm a big fan of magnesium for overall health - it's a great boon to bones and bodily tissues of all types, plus it helps release stored energy from your muscles. I've also recommended it for a myriad of more specific medical issues, like osteoporosis. So I'm glad to see that this helpful supplement has yet another benefit for your health.

Researchers studied data of more than 42,000 men from ages 40 to 75 and found that those with the highest magnesium intake decreased their risk of gallstones by as much as 33 percent. Magnesium helps to keep down triglyceride levels and raise HDL (the "good cholesterol) levels in the blood. Since cholesterol is a major component in the formation of gallstones (actually, some gallstones are made up entirely of cholesterol), a higher magnesium level helps to stop the gallstones from forming.

But in spite of its benefits, magnesium consumption has declined over the years. The reason? Today's foods have become so over processed that the magnesium (along with countless other healthy vitamins and minerals, no doubt) has been processed right out. It's just one more reason why you should be eating more organic and whole foods and steering clear of foods that have had too many things done to them, like pre-made packaged meals you'll find in the grocery store.