Medical opinion by John F. Ruhland, ND

Do you have health-related questions for Dr. John, the Naturopathic Doctor? Send them to the Free Press at 1463 E Republican #178, Seattle WA 98112, or email to [email protected]. Please keep questions short. The opinions expressed below are on general issues of health. They should not be construed as personal medical advice. Readers should seek a variety of information about any health concern before deciding on a treatment from a personal physician.

Dear Nature Doc: What natural treatments are there for cervical dysplasia?

Folic acid, in very high doses, will reverse cervical dysplasia. In fact, for any abnormal pap smear, my first recommendation is high doses of folate for at least 2-4 weeks, with a follow-up pap. I have yet to find a case that is not cured with this regimen. It can also cure cervical cancer in some cases.

When the US declares an embargo or blockade on a country, and food becomes rationed, there is an increase in cervical disease if people eat less green leafy vegetables and other sources of folic acid. When I was in Cuba, several women asked me what could be done for cervical disease. Cuba is an interesting example, because the government really emphasizes universal healthcare. They have tried to make vitamin supplements available for a reasonable cost during the past decade or so when reactionary US policy has caused a tightening of the blockade-like embargo. Nevertheless, because of the blockade, women's health has suffered, and from what I learned speaking to women there, most women in Cuba develop cervical disease at some time.

Dear Nature Doc: There have been some articles in the Seattle papers regarding the common practice of disposing of toxins in fertilizers, which are then sold through stores to home gardeners and also directly to farmers for application to their fields. What fertilizers do you recommend?

Be sure to research the brands of fertilizer you plan to use before you apply them to your garden. You can check the websites of the US Department of Agriculture and Department of Ecology for the content of some of the most common heavy metals in any fertilizer that is sold commercially. You can also contact Safe Food and Fertilizer, which is currently developing a website to make this information more accessible.

The fertilizer with by far the highest levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, is Ironite. Ironite is made from mine tailings. The company sells these as fertilizer rather than pay the relatively high costs of disposing it in hazardous waste landfills. To give you an idea of the toxin content of Ironite, waste with "safe" levels of heavy metals have less than five parts per million (ppm) of lead and less than 20 ppm of arsenic. Ironite has 2910 ppm of lead, and 4380 ppm of arsenic, as reported by Ironite Products Company. Organic Gardening magazine warns against using Ironite in their current issue. The Minnesota Department of Health also warns against using Ironite. I have yet to find a fertilizer that I would recommend. For now, I eat very little food that is not certified organically grown. The part of my garden that I have been using for vegetable gardening is very high in arsenic, a known carcinogen. The risk of eating food grown in that soil is just too high. My recommendation is to have your soil tested, and if it is relatively clean, create your own compost from food waste, tree leaves, grass clippings from untreated lawns, and similar clean organic matter. For more on caring for soil, read Organic Gardening magazine from Rodale Press.

Dear Nature Doc: What is the health risk from cellular phone antennas?

While this is a topic worthy of a series of articles, let me just touch on an answer. Cell antenna emit microwave radiation 24 hours per day.

People and any other living thing are often negatively effected by the energy.

The studies on rats which were used as a justification for allowing cell antennas to be placed near residences and work locations exposed rats for two hours. Much better studies are being done in Europe. Some studies show negative health effects up to two or more kilometers from an antenna.

My suggestion is to avoid being closer than one quarter to one half mile from a cell antenna. For more information, see www.emrnetwork.org