Research Round-Up
Living near a golf course? You might want to filter your water
A new case-control study from the Rochester Epidemiology Project found that people living within 1 mile of a golf course had more than double the odds of developing Parkinson's disease compared to those living farther than 6 miles away.
The risk rose to nearly triple for those living 1 to 2 miles away. Researchers suggest that pesticides used to maintain golf courses—which can be applied at much higher rates in the U.S. than in Europe—may play a key role.
Those relying on groundwater in vulnerable regions faced even greater odds, reinforcing the possibility of both airborne and waterborne exposures. This doesn’t mean you have to quit golf or move house, but it’s a powerful reminder of the importance of filtering your water and reducing your overall toxic burden.
The Polypill Push: Why We’re Concerned
In March, the BMJ published a proposal calling for an international consensus to prescribe a daily polypill comprising a fixed-dose combination of statins, blood pressure medication, and aspirin to everyone over 50, regardless of whether they have existing cardiovascular risk factors. See the article here.
The authors argued that this could reduce heart attacks and strokes on a large scale.
However, their proposal was based largely on one trial from rural Iran involving people aged 50 and above who were followed for five years. No global, diverse population studies. No assessment of long-term side effects. And no consideration for lifestyle interventions.
Perhaps most concerning is that the lead author, Professor Sir Nicholas Wald, is the inventor of the polypill concept, raising serious concerns about bias and conflict of interest.
Nutrition researcher Dr Zoë Harcombe PhD, offered a well-reasoned critique, questioning the ethics of medicating healthy people en masse based on limited evidence. She noted that the BMJ article lacked critical data, such as how many participants stopped taking the pill due to side effects, and that the absolute risk reduction was far lower than the headlines suggested.
She also pointed out that none of the authors declared this major conflict of interest regarding the invention of the polypill itself, despite BMJ’s strict policies on transparency.
At NTA AU/NZ, we share Harcombe’s concerns. This proposal is not about prevention through education and empowerment. It’s a worrying move toward normalising pharmaceutical dependence in healthy people based purely on age.
Prevention means addressing diet, exercise, stress, metabolic health, and micronutrient intake, not prescribing lifelong medication with potential side effects to millions of people who may never need it.
Explore more details of Dr Zoë Harcombe’s article here.
Big Pharma’s dirty secret: Nearly 100 kids land in ER daily from “safe” medications
A shocking new report from Australia has exposed what may be the most devastating healthcare crisis of our time – and it’s happening right under our noses. Every single day, nearly 100 children are rushed to emergency rooms because the very medications designed to help them are instead causing serious harm.
The staggering scale of pharmaceutical harm
The latest Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Medicine Safety report reveals a healthcare system in crisis. 93 children present to emergency departments daily with suspected medicine poisoning, with 40 of these requiring hospital admission. Even more alarming? Half of these cases are completely preventable.
But here’s what should terrify every parent: this represents only the tip of the iceberg. The report found that 120,000 children under 14 experienced adverse drug reactions in just six months, nearly a third of them under age 5. These aren’t rare, freak accidents. This is systematic pharmaceutical harm happening to our most vulnerable population.
Dr. Imaina Widagdo, the report’s lead researcher, delivered a chilling assessment: “Given that nearly 100 children present at hospitals each day for adverse reactions, it’s clear that more needs to be done to protect their health.”
The Australian report identified acetaminophen (sold as Tylenol in the US) as one of the primary culprits behind childhood medication poisoning. But this revelation barely scratches the surface of a much darker truth that pharmaceutical companies desperately want to keep hidden.
We’re not just talking about accidental overdoses – we’re talking about systematic harm from “therapeutic” doses that doctors routinely prescribe to developing children whose bodies process medications completely differently than adults.
The off-label experimentation on children
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this crisis is how the pharmaceutical industry has essentially turned children into unwitting test subjects. As Dr. Widagdo noted, “Because medicines are rarely trialed with children, the doses, safety, and efficacy of certain medicines may not be fully known or always accurate.”
This means doctors are routinely prescribing medications to children based on adult studies, adjusting doses by weight, and hoping for the best. Off-label prescribing – using drugs for conditions or populations for which they weren’t approved – has become standard practice in pediatric medicine, with devastating consequences.
The FDA estimates that 75% of medications used in children have never been adequately studied in pediatric populations. We’re conducting a massive, uncontrolled experiment on children, and the results are catastrophic.
Antidepressants poison young minds.
The Australian report also identified antidepressants as a major cause of medication poisoning in children. Antidepressant use among children and teens has exploded over the past two decades, despite mounting evidence of serious risks, including increased suicide risk, violent behavior, sexual dysfunction, and withdrawal syndromes that can last months or years.
Yet doctors continue prescribing these powerful psychoactive drugs to developing brains, often based on subjective assessments rather than objective medical tests.
The $2 billion cost of medical negligence
The Australian report calculated that medication-related harm costs their healthcare system at least $130 million annually. Scaling this to the US population and healthcare costs, American families are likely facing over $2 billion in direct costs from preventable pharmaceutical injuries to children.
But the real cost cannot be measured in dollars. We’re talking about permanent brain damage, lifelong disabilities, and destroyed futures – all from medications that were supposed to help.
Natural immune system solutions for parents
Instead of relying on pharmaceuticals that often cause more harm than good, parents can build their children’s natural immunity through proven, safe strategies:
Immune-building nutrients:
Vitamin D3: Most children are severely deficient in this crucial immune regulator. Optimal levels (50-80 ng/ml) dramatically reduce infection rates and severity. Best source - sunlight!
Zinc: Critical for immune cell function and wound healing. Natural sources include pumpkin seeds and grass-fed beef.
Vitamin C: Supports white blood cell production and antioxidant protection. Use whole food sources like acerola cherry and camu camu, or a high-quality supplement.
Probiotics: 70% of immune function originates in the gut. Fermented foods and high-quality probiotic supplements restore beneficial bacteria.
Immune-strengthening foods:
Raw honey: Contains powerful antimicrobial compounds and enzymes
Elderberry: Proven antiviral properties that reduce illness duration
Garlic and onions: Natural antibiotics that support immune function
Bone broth: Provides minerals and amino acids essential for immune cell production
Lifestyle immune boosters:
Adequate sleep: Growth hormone and immune cells regenerate during deep sleep
Regular outdoor play: Fresh air, sunlight, and moderate exercise strengthen immunity
Stress reduction: Chronic stress suppresses immune function in children
Limiting processed foods: Sugar and artificial additives weaken the immune response
Breaking free from pharmaceutical dependency
Children’s immune systems are designed to be incredibly robust when given proper support through nutrition and natural therapeutics. Real health comes from supporting the body’s natural healing systems, not suppressing symptoms with drugs that create more problems than they solve.
Every parent needs to understand that “FDA or TGA approved” does not mean “safe for children,” especially when most pediatric prescribing is off-label experimentation.
The pharmaceutical industry has turned our children into profit centers, subjecting their developing bodies to dangerous chemical experiments disguised as “medicine.” The time for awakening is now.
Jonathan Landsman’s Immune Defense Summit brings together 34 world-renowned scientists, researchers, doctors, and nutritionists who reveal how to build genuine immunity naturally and protect your children from the pharmaceutical assault on their health.
The latest health research news from around the world, compiled by Lead Instructor and Program Director Leanne Scott, FNTP.
