The demand for fish has become so intense that HALF of all commercial seafood is now raised on fish farms. And unfortunately, some of the "aquaculture" techniques used on those farms are as deplorable as anything you'd find in a factory farm on dry land. So before you buy your next fish, there are three things you must know...

Many patients give in to pressure from their doctors to take prescription medicine, when they know alternative remedies are available... and before they know it, they're on a prescription drug roller coaster! I don't know about you, but this is certainly not a situation I want to find myself in... Sadly, millions of patients do and very soon they're riding the ups and downs of unexpected drug interactions and hideous side effects. Whilst most doctors will resort to treating these side effects and interactions with more prescription drugs (let's face it, in the world of Big Pharma, drugs are rarely to blame for anything!), many patients don't realise that their kidneys may suffer the most from the over-use of prescription drugs.

Antibiotics are now becoming a thorn in their own flesh, so to speak, as the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era. This is the result of the over-prescription of antibiotics, which has seen the rise of antibiotic resistant bugs like MRSA — one of the most feared words in hospitals. Consequently, the mainstream argues that many common infections will no longer have a 'cure' and, once again, they will kill unabated. So, it's no surprise that Big Pharma's solution is to develop vaccines against superbugs, which patients can take before going into hospital for surgery. In 2008, the then chief medical officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, said vaccines for MRSA and C. difficile should be ready within a decade.

In a recent study, Dr Curt Furberg, professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest University, in the US, and a team of researchers, analysed the number of serious side- effects of anti-smoking treatments reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), between 1998 and 2010. Champix, topped the table, with 90 per cent of reports citing depression or suicidal behaviour, including suicide, related to the drug. This compared with 7 per cent for another smoking cessation drug, Zyban, and 3 per cent for patches, chewing gum and other nicotine replacement products.

As you might suspect, Champix users pay the piper with the risk of side effects... all in an effort to quit smoking. Common side effects od this popular drug are listed on the drugs web site (under the US name Chantix) as nausea, constipation, gas, vomiting and changes in dreaming. (No specifics about what those 'changes' might be.) Since the launch of Champix, the side effect that's emerged as the most troubling is 'emotional disorder.' Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to healthcare professionals...

Countless studies have shown that adding fluoride to drinking water has absolutely no health benefits at all and the research has shown that this archaic practice does far more harm than good! For example, the results of the largest study ever conducted on fluoridation and oral health involving 39,000 school children in 84 areas around the US, showed no statistical difference in tooth decay rates between fluoridated and non-fluoridated cities. Worst still, over-exposure to fluoride can also cause Alzheimer's disease, cancer and osteoporosis... to mention but a few of the dangers of water fluoridation.

Some doctors actually recommend that you don’t drink orange juice at all, whether it is store-bought or freshly squeezed. Even more so if you're overweight, or have diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, gout, heart disease or cancer. While oranges and freshly squeezed orange juice can be a good source of vitamins and other nutrients, they're also very high in fructose. However, fructose is only good for you for as long as it is part of the whole fruit!

Speaking about the parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. Gondii), which can only breed inside the guts of cats, lead research Frederic Thomas, from the CNRS research institute in Montpellier, France, said that so far they can’t definitely prove that our feline friends are to blame. However, he added that further research is needed, since T. Gondii has already been linked to brain tumours in animals as well as personality changes in animals and humans... In fact, research also suggests that the parasite may sway human behaviour, turning men into aggressive, jealous ‘alley cats’, and transforming women into ‘sex kittens’. Other research has pointed to a strong link between T. gondii and schizophrenia.

Recently, an international team of researchers called for Champix (generic name varenicline) to be banned, after research linked the drug to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The researchers analyzed data from 14 clinical trials, involving 8,216 patients. They concluded that the drug was associated with a 72 per cent increased risk of hospitalization due to serious cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, arrhythmia or stroke. The findings were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Lead researcher Professor Curt D. Furberg, said, "We have known for many years that Chantix is one of the most harmful prescription drugs on the US market, based on the number of serious adverse effects reported to the FDA. It causes loss of consciousness, visual disturbances, suicides, violence, depression and worsening of diabetes. To this list we now can add serious cardiovascular events."

Oedema is a condition that causes too much fluid (mainly water) to accumulate in your body. Any tissue or organ can be affected, particularly the hands, feet and around the eyes and sufferers experience debilitating swelling. The following natural remedies can bring effective relief from oedema symptoms...