BACK IN 2003, BEFORE FACEBOOK, OUR SITES USED TO GET ACTUAL FEEDBACK!

It’s hard to believe that way back in 2003 we were getting bollocks from clueless government puppets about APRICOT KERNALS…

Thanks to WAYBACK MACHINE for the memories

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Apricots – email 19/03/03:

Dear Sifter,

Thank you for the chance to dispute your facts.

In the micowave item you give the result of Swiss research into eating/drinking microwaved foods.

Apparently there was a reduction in lymphocytes (only partially correctly identified as white cells, they are one type of white cell, the generic name for which are leukocytes) in the subjects after ingestion of microwaved food.

In the next paragraph the researcher is quoted on the relevance of the leukocytosis (an increase in white cell numbers).

Someone’s confused , so you can now change your homepage.

By the way, I went to your website looking for local apricot kernel information, because a lady in NZ was recently admitted to hospital with cyanide poisoning after consuming apricot kernels, following the advice in a testimonial in a pro-laetrile magazine article. The article in an NZ magazine was written by a person from your linked http://www.credence.freeserve.co.uk. Did you know they sold apricot kernels, so much for objectivity.

Maybe you’d like to re-assess that item, too.

MR B
NZ Food Safety Authority
Wellington, New Zealand

Sifter Reply – email 19/03/03:

Hi MR B,

Congratulations. You are the first person to dispute my facts. I have altered my homepage. But you haven’t actually disproved them.

The article on microwaving can be found in different versions all over the web. My copy appears to have become less clear on that point after editing. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell, so I don’t think you can really dispute that statement. It is true that the apparent discrepancy between decreasing lymphocytes and increasing leukocytes is not adequately explained. But a short term decrease in lymphocytes and a long term increase in leukocytes overall seems quite possible.

It doesn’t actually alter the basic premise that microwaving food is a dangerous process that causes a wide range of health problems. If only half of the points in the article are true that’s horrifying enough, if the only point you can find fault with is that one, that pretty much means you fully agree with the article! In which case I’m surprised the NZFSA isn’t making public it’s concerns about the safety of microwaving….

Before reassessing the item on apricot kernels, I would want much more information. Firstly I would want to sight a copy of her hospital records (with her name whited out would be fine), to know that it really happened. Then I would want to know this specific information:

– How much did she weigh? and how old was she?
– What was wrong with her beforehand?
– How many kernels did she eat per day?
– For how many days did she take this dose?
– Did she spread the dose throughout the day?
– What method did she use to eat them (eg. chew them, grind them)?
– What symptoms did she present with?
– How did the doctors determine that cyanide poisoning was the cause of her symptoms?
– How did the doctors determine that the poisoning was from the kernels and not another source?
– What other possible causes were investigated?
– Was her supply of kernels tested for contamination?
– What was the outcome of her poisoning/illness?

Doctors have a major vested interest in suppressing the therapeutic use of apricot kernals, and are far from objective about them or any other natural health practise. Every time I have seen any so called evidence that apricot kernals are toxic, there has been other factors involved or misuse of the supplement. Imagine if every time someone had a bad reaction to a prescription drug it was investigated by the NZFSA – you would be pretty busy!

There are thousands of people in NZ taking apricot kernals as a supplement, with no adverse side effects, including myself. Any example of a person showing any side effect which can be linked to them (even if upon investigation it checks out to be bogus) will be seized upon with zealous vigour by the medical establishment in order to discredit the use of laetrile, as has been happening for over 30 years.

Meanwhile tens of thouands of people in NZ are suffering illness exacerbated by common foodstuffs such as refined sugar, MSG, margarine, trans-fats, artificial sweeteners, and fluoride and aluminium in the water supply

And adverse drug reactions to prescription drugs are killing over 2500 people in NZ per year. (and over 100,000 per year in the US) But if one person gets sick from St John’s Wort or Apricot Kernels or a non prescription drug like Ecstacy, this gets more publicity than all 2500 deaths!

If you can supply me with real evidence of even this one case and it checks out, I will be happy to post it in full. It will be the only one to my knowledge posted anywhere in the world…. If on the other hand she weighs 40kg, and ground up 80 kernals and drank the lot – no go!

The generally recommended dose is 1 kernel per 10lbs bodyweight, per day, in split doses, eaten whole. It would be helpful if this recommendation was on all kernels sold, and currently it’s not.

Thanks for your feedback, The Sifter.

Response – email 27/03/03:

Dear Sifter,

I don’t intend to prolong this correspondence with an anonymous
sifter, especially as you have clearly nailed your colours to the mast
and objectivity is not amongst them.

To suggest that someone agrees with everything they read on your
website because they don’t dispute each item would be typical.

To quote 2500 deaths in New Zealand from medicines adverse reactions
hardly equates with your principles of not believing anything adverse
about something you recommend people consume (ie apricot kernels)
without seeing a copy of the hospital records, etc.

I am not aware of any sources you could have searched to come up with
that figure. The Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring at Otago
University which is contracted by government to run the reporting scheme
for adverse medicine reactions reports that it evaluated 30 fatalities
reported to it in calender year 2002, and while that is the result of
voluntary reporting by medical practitioners and pharmacists and so will
be under-representative, it is nothing like 2500.
Of the 30 fatalities, when evaluated by the experts, the conclusions
were;

2 were not related to the medicine
6 the cause was unknown
4 were due to adverse medicine reaction
18 the medicine may have been contributory.

I think that your figure of 2500 may have come about this way: a
previous spokesperson for the dietary supplements industry read a paper
which postulated that there were “x” deaths in the USA from medical
error/ mishap associated with drug therapy. He then extrapolated the
figure to New Zealand’s population and related it to adverse reactions
to the pharmaceuticals. However, the medical errors/mishaps associated
with drug therapy includes choosing the wrong medicine, giving
ineffective doses, writing illegible prescriptions or not using medicine
when it may have been lifesaving, as well as the development of adverse
reactions.

There is room for major improvement in the use of medicines, and I
would like to see more done, but it will not come about by stocking the
hospital pharmacies with the left overs from the stonefruit canneries

MR B
NZ Food Safety Authority
Wellington, New Zealand

Sifter Reply 2 – email 2/04/03:

Dear Bob

Objectivity is a very subjective thing.

If you have any further info on the woman who became sick after eating apricot kernals I would be interested to see it.

Thanks, the Sifter.

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Sept 11 – email 14/11/02:

To whom it may Concern,

On your website you have information that was gleened from the website http://www.fromthewilderness.com operated by Mr Mike Ruppert, on that site Mr Ruppert incorrectly identified me as a colleague of Adnan Kashoggi and as a ” notorious ” Inside Trader ” as of today that information was removed , since it was not true and libelous. Mr Ruppert has apologized and removed that information from his website.

I now ask you that you also remove any and all comments that suggest I, Anthony, ” Amr ” Elgindy am a colleague or even an associate of Mr Kashoggi or the Genesis Intermedia Investigation as that information is entirely false. Secondly I have never been convicted or found to have engaged in any inside trading. Anything to the contrary is libelous and will be pursued.

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/02_11_02_lucy.html

As you can clearly see as of today Mr Ruppert has removed this erroneous and false information. It was listed as item Number 51. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or my Attorney Ms. Amy Cutson.

Sincerely, Anthony Elgindy cc: Amy Cutson , Esquire tikigod18@aol.com

SIFTER RESPONSE:

It is a fact that prior to Sept 11 2001 there was massive and unusual trading in shares such as airline companies, and it is clear that a large number of traders had prior knowledge of an impending drop in the value of these shares. This is one of the most compelling reasons to believe that the attacks on Sept 11 were not a surprise to many people in positions of power in the US.

As far as Mr Elgindy goes, I’m happy to change the information. It’s had a pretty good airing by now anyway! It’s interesting to note that even he doesn’t actually say he has never engaged in insider trading. Only that he has never been convicted of it… But I was pleased to see that his search engine discovered the reference! – just goes to show, the internet does work…

https://web.archive.org/web/20030401183425/http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/wheels/sift/sift.htm

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