Allergy vs Sensitivity

It's estimated that 12 million Americans are suffering from diagnosed food allergies? 90 percent of them are caused by these eight foods:

• milk


• eggs


• peanuts


• tree nuts


• wheat


• soy


• fish


• shellfish

If you're one of these people, you probably know it, says Steven Lamm, M.D., a New York internist.

"When you say 'allergy' to a Western doctor, that denotes a very specific thing - an immediate and violent response by the body mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies,"he explains. 'IgE triggers a cascade of events that are hard to confuse: hives, wheezing, swelling, vomiting, even anaphylactic shock. The symptoms are very serious and potentially deadly."

When you have these kinds of pronounced food allergies, there is only one cure: Avoid the trigger food at all costs.

Much more common, but harder to diagnose, are food sensitivities. This is mediated by another kind of antibody, immunoglobulin G (IgG), the body's response to a food sensitivity is slower and milder - although no less harmful to long-term health, says Steve Nenninger, N.M.D., N.D., C.D.N., a naturopathic medical doctor with practices in Phoenix, New York City and San Francisco.

"With IgG, you might experience the detrimental effects four or six days later," he says. "That means something you ate last Thursday might be causing headaches or reflux on Monday. It can be very difficult to make the connections between specific foods and your symptoms."

But it's worth making an effort to find out, especially if you're suffering from, any chronic disease with no definitive answers from Western medicine, such as fibromyalgia, fatigue, arthritis, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome, migraines,,sinus congestion, depression, unexplained rashes or signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

All of these conditions and many others have been associated with food sensitivity, says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of 'From Fatigued to Fantastic' and medical director of the Dallas-based Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers Inc.

"If you've been to four doctors, and nobody seems to be able to help you, you need to consider looking into food sensitivities," he says.

Why gut health matters:
An IgG reaction, though it may be barely noticeable, is still a reaction meaning your body treats the offending food as a hostile invader, and unleashes an immune response to deal with it. "In order for food to be properly digested, it has to be completely broken down and absorbed in the intestine," explains Susan Engel, M.O.E., R.D., L.D., founder of Nutrition Matters in Exeter, N.H. "But if there's an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut or a state of long-term inflammation due to a food sensitivity, you can develop leaky gut syndrome."

Think of your intestinal walls as a kind of armor, a defense mechanism composed of densely packed cells that keep food contained. When an allergen is detected, though, the body overrides that basic function to allow immune cells into the intestines. The result is leaky gut syndrome, a condition in which the intestinal walls fail to do their job as barriers and let undigested food molecules get into the bloodstream. "When the body perceives something it sees as a threat in the digestive tract, it opens up the tight junctions in the intestines to allow immune cells in," says Nenninger.

"The irony is that it also allows food molecules out into the bloodstream which will exacerbate the food sensitivity. Since the digestive tract is so closely linked to the neurological system, and because it has so many blood vessels running through it, you can literally get symptoms anywhere else in the body." Hence, the mysterious headache or baseless anxiety attack.

Youth tends to mask the symptoms, which can go on for years without causing trouble, Nenninger says. But the effects of long-term inflammation caused by a food sensitivity will invariably start to show in middle age and are likely to only get worse if you're taking medications such as acid reducers or pain pills to mask the symptoms without grappling with the underlying cause.

Finding solutions:
Keeping a food journal is one way to connect the dots. If you're feeling bad on one day, you can flip back and see what you've been eating that might be causing your problems. You can look for patterns over time. A food elimination diet can also be an effective tool

Avoidance is the most effective approach, and the one Nenninger recommends most, especially if your sensitivity is to eggs, dairy or gluten.

Nenninger says he thinks these three foods are the cause of most problematic sensitivities, and that ongoing exposure to them may kick off other sensitivities by causing leaky gut.

Still, cutting out dairy, eggs and gluten can be a painful process especially since they are so pervasive in our culture. Doing so unnecessarily can also remove needed nutrients from your diet, says Ruth Frechman, M.A., R.D., spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

"Yes, there are intractable food allergies, but you should be able to resolve sensitivities," she says. "We were designed to be omnivores so our bodies should be able to handle all foods. And the truth is we need these foods to get the nutrition we need."

If you discover a food sensitivity, yet want to keep everything on the menu try these strategies:

1.Eat a variety of whole foods "When we eat too many packaged foods, we get overexposed to wheat, soy, dairy and corn," says Reardon. Choose foods without labels and increase the variety of whole foods, including fruits, grains, vegetables and protein sources, and you'll naturally decrease your reactivity?nd over time, your sensitivity.

2.Pump up the probiotics  If you have a longstanding sensitivity, a good first step is to re-establish the proper balance of healthful bacteria in your intestines. Try a broad-spectrum probiotic for best effect.

3.Explore enzymes Another byproduct of our fast food nation is that the pool of natural enzymes in our food has'decreased, says Teitelbaum. "When we don't have proper enzymes to digest our food, we end up with partially digested food fragments in our bloodstream that look like invaders to the body?nd trigger food sensitivity," he says. Restore your natural enzyme reserves with a plant-based digestive enzyme supplement taken with each meal.

4.Detox Sometimes, sensitivities are a result of toxicity in the gut, says John Douillard, D.C., an Ayurvedic practitioner based in Boulder, Colo. "We blame milk, or eggs or gluten?ut real the problem is that our digestive strength is compromised," he says. The solution? A detox.

5.Knock it out with NAET Teitelbaum is a believer in this desensitization technique (shorthand for Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique), which involves a combination of chiropractic manipulation, acupressure, muscle testing and energy medicine. To find a practitioner near you, visit naet.com.

6.Supplement yourself Food sensitivities can cause inflammation, which then causes the body to hold on to water which can cause weight gain and high blood pressure, says Bison M. Haas, M.D., author of The False Fat Diet.

He recommends vitamin C  and quercetin to reduce reactivity to foods. "Vitamin C will help reduce allergic-type reactions and eliminate excess fluid," he says. "Quercetin will reduce allergy reactions and inflammation, and help heal the gut lining." Take 500 milligrams of vitamin C and 300 milligrams of quercetin three times a day.

Source:
Naturalhelathmag.com
19 July 2011

Anti-Antibiotics

Everybody knows, or atleast we should know,that taking Antibiotics for a case of the flu is an act of futility as these drugs target bacteria, not the viruses that actually cause influenza.

But in a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests taking antibiotics for the flu might actually cause harm - or at least make you feel worse.

In studies with mice, researchers found that antibiotics kill beneficial bacterial residing in the intestines. These commensal microbes help fend off viral infections and play a key role in boosting the effectiveness of the Body's Immune response.

The researchers treated mice with four common antibiotics, then injected the rodents with a flu bug. The antibiotics impaired their ability to produce an important flu-fighting molecule called Interleukin-1 beta, which is produced in the intestines. Intestinal bacteria play a key role by constantly priming the gut to produce IL-1 beta.'

The scientists also discovered that what happens in the gut doesn't always stay there. Antibiotic-cleansing of colon bacteria also affected the immune response in organs as far away as the lungs.

Source:
The San Diego Union Tribune
22 March 2011

Benefits of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep the body's nerve and blood cells healthy. It helps prevent a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia that makes people tired and weak. Vitamin B12 helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.

The body absorbs Vitamin B12 from food in 2 steps:
First, hydrochloric acid in the stomach separates vitamin B12 from the protein to which vitamin B12 is attached in food. After this, vitamin B12 combines with a protein made by the stomach called intrinsic factor and is absorbed by the body. Some people have pernicious anemia, a condition where they cannot make intrinsic factor. As a result, they have trouble absorbing vitamin B12 from all foods and dietary supplements.

Vitamin B12 is found naturally in a wide variety of animal foods and is added to some fortified foods.
Plant foods have no vitamin B12 unless they are fortified.
You can get recommended amounts of Vitamin B12 by eating a variety of foods including the following:

Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and other dairy products, which also contain vitamin B12.

Beef liver and clams, which are the best sources of vitamin B12.

Certain breakfast cereals, nutritional yeasts and other food products that are fortified with vitamin B12. To find out if vitamin B12 has been added to a food product, check the product labels.

Most people get enough vitamin B12 from the foods they eat. But some people have trouble absorbing vitamin B12 from food. As a result, vitamin B12 deficiency affects between 1.5% and 15% of the public.

Certain groups may not get enough Vitamin B12 or have trouble absorbing it:

Some people who eat little or no animal foods such as vegetarians and vegans. Only animal foods have vitamin B12 naturally. When pregnant women and women who breastfeed their babies are strict vegetarians or vegans, their babies might also not get enough vitamin B12.

Many older adults, who do not have enough hydrochloric acid in their stomach to absorb the vitamin B12 naturally present in food. People over 50 should get most of their vitamin B12 from fortified foods or dietary supplements because, in most cases, their bodies can absorb vitamin B12 from these sources.People with pernicious anemia whose bodies do not make the intrinsic factor needed to absorb vitamin B12. Doctors usually treat pernicious anemia with vitamin B12 shots, although very high oral doses of vitamin B12 might also be effective.

People who have had gastrointestinal surgery, such as weight loss surgery, or who have digestive disorders, such as celiac disease or Crohn's disease. These conditions can decrease the amount of vitamin B12 that the body can absorb.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency causes constipation, weakness, tiredness ,weight loss, loss of appetite, and megaloblastic anemia. Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet due to  nerve problem, can also occur. Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include problems with balance,confusion, depression, dementia, poor memory, and soreness of the mouth or tongue. Vitamin B12 deficiency can damage the nervous system even in people who don't have anemia, so it is important to treat a deficiency as soon as possible.

In infants, signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency include failure to thrive, problems with movement, delays in reaching the typical developmental milestones, and megaloblastic anemia.

Large amounts of folic acid can hide a vitamin B12 deficiency by correcting megaloblastic anemia, a hallmark of vitamin B12 deficiency.
But folic acid does not correct the progressive damage to the nervous system that vitamin B12 deficiency also causes. For this reason, healthy adults should not get more than 1,000 mcg of folic acid a day.

Vitamin B12 can interact or interfere with medicines that you take, and in some cases, medicines can lower vitamin B12 levels in the body.
Vitamin B12 has not been shown to cause any harm.

Source:
www.foodconsumer.org
25 April 2011

Cell Phones Tied to Brain Action Changes

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have found less than an hour of cell phone use can speed up brain activity in the area closest to the phone antenna, raising new questions about the health effects of low levels of radiation emitted from cell phones.

The researchers, led by Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, urged caution in interpreting the findings because it isn't known whether the changes, seen in brain scans, have a meaningful effect on a person's health.

But the study, published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association, is among the first and largest to document that the weak radio-frequency signals from cell phones alter brain,activity. "The study is important because it documents that the human brain is sensitive to the Electromagnetic Radiation that is emitted by cell phones," Volkow said.

"It also highlights the importance of doing studies to address the question of whether there are, or are not, long-lasting consequences of repeated stimulation, of getting exposed over five, 10 or 15 years"

Although preliminary, the findings are certain to reignite a debate about the safety of cell phones. A few observational studies have suggested a link between heavy cell phone use and rare brain tumors, but the bulk of the available scientific evidence shows no added risk.

Major medical groups have said that cell phones are safe, but some top doctors have urged the use of headsets as a precaution.

Source:
The San Diego Union Tribune
February 23, 2011

Chia Seeds may Offer Omega-3 Heart & Liver Benefits

According to new research in rats, consumption of chia seeds as a source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) may bring about redistribution associated with heart and liver protection. The study, which was published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, reports that rats fed chia seed supplements were protected from heart and liver problems associated with a high-fat diet, including improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, reduced visceral adiposity, decreased liver fat, and lower cardiac and hepatic inflammation and fibrosis.

The research, from the University of Queensland, Australia, discovered that the chia seeds brought about lipid redistribution in the rats, with lipids trafficked away from the visceral fat and the liver.

The research team, led by Lindsay Brown, an associate professor at the University of Queensland, said, “We report an intricate pattern of fatty acid distribution in various tissues from rats fed a chia seed-supplemented diet that would probably lead to an improved lipid homeostatic condition. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of lipid redistribution with a rich dietary source of any omega-3 fatty acid associated with cardio-protection and hepato-protection.”

ALA Benefits:
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that the body cannot make, and therefore must be consumed in the diet. Good sources of ALA include: chia seeds, flaxseed, soybeans, walnuts, and olive oil.

The U.S Institute of Medicine recommends an ALA intake of 1.6 grams per day for men and 1.1 grams per day for women.

The researchers say that in human diets, ALA, the essential omega-3 fatty acid, is usually derived from plant sources such as flax seed, while EPA and DHA are ingested from fish, fish oil supplements and other sea foods.

The health benefits associated with ALA consumption include cardiovascular effects, neuro-protection, a counter to the inflammation response, and benefits against autoimmune disease. However, the longer-chain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have received more study from scientists and more attention from the consumers.

Brown and her colleagues noted that chia seeds are the “richest botanical source of ALA,” containing about 60% of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Study Details:
The new research investigated the metabolic, cardiac, and liver changes following 5 percent chia seed supplementation in high carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats with low omega-3 fatty acid status.

Rats fed the high-fat diet were found to develop hypertension, impaired glucose and insulin tolerance, dyslipidemia, fatty livers, cardiac fibrosis and functional deterioration, inflammation and abdominal obesity.

“With the exception of elevated blood pressure and some plasma markers of liver function, dietary chia seed supplementation attenuated structural and functional changes caused by high-fat feeding,” said the authors.

“Chia seed supplementation caused lipid redistribution away from the abdominal cavity … and increased omega-3:omega-6 ratio in various tissues,” they added.

The supplemented rats improved insulin and glucose tolerance, reduced visceral adiposity, decreased hepatic steatosis (fatty liver), reduced cardiac and hepatic fibrosis and inflammation without changes in plasma lipids or blood pressure.

“Thus, chia seeds as a source of ALA induce lipid redistribution associated with cardio-protection and hepato-protection,” said Brown and her colleagues.

They added that the results of the research warrant further research on the use of chia seed as a complimentary therapy for treating some signs of metabolic syndrome.

Source:
The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
28 July 2011

Depression May Be Linked to Low Levels of Vitamin D

Feeling blue? Have you checked your vitamin D levels?
New research suggests that low levels of vitamin D & depression may go hand in hand.

The new study included about 12,600 people aged 20 to 90. Researchers measured the vitamin D in their blood and reviewed symptoms of depression.

People with the lowest levels of vitamin D were more likely to report symptoms of depression, compared to people with higher blood levels of vitamin D. This association was strongest among people with a history of depression.

In the last couple of years, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a host of conditions, including heart disease,diabetes, osteoporosis,certain cancers, & autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that people aged 1 to 70 take 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day, and people older than 71 should aim for 800 IUs. (vitamin D recommendations were recently raised.)

Depression Linked to Low Vitamin D
Exactly how depression & vitamin D may be linked is unclear. Vitamin D deficiency may result in depression, or depression may increase risk for low vitamin D levels.

For example, depressed people may spend more time indoors, are less likely to eat a healthy diet & take care of themselves, all of which could affect vitamin D levels. On the other hand, there are vitamin D receptors everywhere in the body, including the brain. These receptors need vitamin D to do their job.

The new findings (which appear in Mayo Clinic Proceedings) “add depression to the spectrum of medical illnesses associated with low vitamin D, and people with depression probably should consider a blood test to see if their vitamin D is low and whether supplements may be needed,” says researcher E. Sherwood Brown, MD, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Other studies on the link between low vitamin D & depression have yielded mixed results, but most have pointed toward a connection. The new study is among the largest to date, and shows that the two may indeed be linked.

Some foods like fish and fortified dairy products are rich in vitamin D. These D-rich foods are few and far between, which is why many people recommend supplements of vitamin D.

Robert Graham, MD, routinely discusses vitamin D with his patients. He is an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He says, “It makes sense to me that vitamin D deficiency is correlated with depression or anxiety. I would check patients who are showing signs of depression and if they are deficient in vitamin D, it makes sense to supplement.”

Whether low vitamin D is causing depression or if loading up on vitamin D can help a person feel better is not known.

Source:
Web MD Health News
11 January, 2012

Diet Soda Debacles

A growing number of studies link the consumption of diet soda to weight gain, higher BMI & a host of other potential health problems. Here is a roundup of some of the recent findings:

Calcium Loss -A study by Noelle Larson, MD, at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, showed that diet soda leaches calcium from our bodies. Over the course of two days, Larson had 20 healthy young women drink 24 ounces of diet soda. (The control group drank only water.) Three hours after the diet soda drinking group had their last soda, Larson analyzed the women's urine. The results: The diet soda group lost on average 6.85 milligrams more calcium and 41 milligrams more phosphorous than the water-drinking control group.

Neurological Damage -The short-term effects of the synthetic sweetener aspartame, which is used in many diet sodas, can include headaches, mood swings, dizziness & memory loss. But the real danger, says Sharon Fowler, a researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, might be the long-term, cumulative effects of drinking the artificial sugar substitute. Studies have linked high intake of aspartame to developing lymphoma, leukemia, cancerous tumors of the liver and peripheral nerves, and nerve-cell death within the brain.

Metabolic syndrome -Drinking diet soda increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 34%, research indicates. Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms that includes extra weight around the midsection, elevated insulin levels and increased blood pressure. When these symptoms occur together, they put a person at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease & other illnesses.

Diet soda and Weight gain

Source:
Experiencelife.com
13 October 2011

Drug Muggers - a reference book you shouldn't be without!

Suzy Cohen, R.Ph., has been a licensed pharmacist for nearly 20 years. While understanding the importance of medications, she prefers to think outside the pillbox for treatment solutions.

Suzy tells us which medications are robbing our bodies if essential nutrients-and natural ways to restore them.

Suzy is recognized as “America’s Most Trusted Pharmacist.” Dr. Cohen has been reaching readers with her weekly syndicated health column for the past 10 years. She is the author of Drug Muggers: How to Keep Your Medicine from Stealing the Life Out of You (Dear Pharmacist Inc., 2008) and The 24-Hour Pharmacist (Collins, 2007)
Dr. Cohen has also appeared on FOX, ABC, CBS and CNN.

Dr. Cohen is a graduate of the University of Florida and a member of the American Holistic Health Association, The Institute of Functional Medicine, Florida Pharmacy Association, National Association of Newspaper Columnists and the Association of Natural Medicine Pharmacists.

Suzie Cohen says,
"As a pharmacist for 22 years and a newspaper columnist with 20 million readers each week, I have devoted my life to helping you feel better. I've written several books which are powerful resources to help you regain vibrant health.

Prescription drugs have an intended effect on the body but they may be reducing vital nutrients in your cells causing all sorts of annoying and dangerous side effects.

For example, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs mug you of Coenzyme Q10, which powers your heart beat and keeps you from becoming weak, or developing leg cramps. Estrogen-containing drugs mug you of certain nutrients, leaving you hypothyroid, depressed and tired. Diabetic medications mug a certain B vitamin that protects you from stroke & heart attack.

There are hundreds of medications included as well as drug-food interactions (like grapefruit, oatmeal and cheese interactions that could harm you)… AND as a BONUS, this book includes a special chapter to teach you how to buy the highest quality supplements you can afford.

Protect yourself from side effects and potentially catastrophic health consequences with this amazing one-of-a-kind resource. Learn about absurdly inexpensive vitamins and minerals that can help you feel better and solve your problems once and for all. "

Suzie Cohen also writes about Biotin (Vitamin B7) and how it ' makes you more beautiful. If you have britlle nails or slow-growing, dull hair, there's a good chance you're deficient'. She goes on to say that some biotin can be made in the intestinal tract that is healthy and flourishing. Antibiotics are 'drug muggers' for both probiotics and biotin. What's in her closet to counteract this concern? at the top of her list she recommends Dr Ohhira's Probiotics 12 PLUS.

The book has 320 pages and is written in the English language.

Buy Ms Cohen's book at Amazon.com: ... Drug Muggers

15 June 2011

Fish Oil Aids Bi-Polar Behavior & Hinders Alcohol Cravings In Mice

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids & can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other seafood including algae and krill, some plants, and nut oils.

Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 fatty acids play a very important role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. They have also become popular as they may reduce the risk of heart disease.

The American Heart Association suggests eating fish (particularly fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon) at least 2 times a week.

Alexander B. Niculescu, M.D., Ph.D.,is an associate professor of psychiatry and the lead author of the study, the fatty acid DHA, which is one of the main active ingredients in fish oil, "normalized their behavior".
Niculescu explains:
"The mice that were given DHA normalized their behavior, they are not depressed and when subjected to stress, they do not become manic. When we looked into their brains, using comprehensive gene expression studies, we were surprised to see that genes that are known targets of psychiatric medications were modulated and normalized by DHA."

These same mice seemed to be kinds of alcoholics also and the DHA affected this behavior too.
Niculescu adds:
"These bipolar mice, like some bipolar patients, love alcohol. The mice on DHA drank much less; it curtailed their alcohol abusive behavior. We believe a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help the treatment and prevention of bipolar disorder, and may help with alcoholism as well."

DHA is the most abundant omega-3 fatty acid in the retina & brain. DHA comprises 40% of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the brain and 60% of the PUFAs in the retina. 50% of the weight of a neuron's plasma membrane is composed of DHA.

DHA deficiency affects normal transmission of signals across membranes in the brain. Its deficiency may speed up aging and cause various health problems, such as behavioral disorders, depression, hyperactivity, postpartum depression, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, cancer, and diabetes.

Niculescu concludes:
"There is now substantial evidence at the molecular level that omega-3 fatty acids work on the brain in ways similar to psychiatric drugs. With these biomarker findings, we can now move forward as a field and do more targeted clinical studies in humans."

Countries with the highest intake of fish in their diets are associated with the lowest rates of depression among people.

Source:
www.medicalnewstoday.com
29 June 2011

Home Remedies to Treat Painful Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are clusters of veins in the lowest part of the rectum & anus that become swollen and distended.

You can have hemorrhoids without any symptoms. But hemorrhoids can also have very unpleasant symptoms such as rectal pain, soiling, bleeding & itching.

There are many treatment options for hemorrhoids & they are rarely dangerous. Hemorrhoid symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, including anal warts & fissures, Crohn’s disease & (rarely) anal cancer. So if you have persistent symptoms that you think are caused by hemorrhoids,and they bother you, it is wise to see your doctor.

There are several helpful home treatments.
1.The first thing you should do is boost the fiber in your diet. Eat high-fiber foods (such as prunes, pears, bran cereals, oatmeal & beans), or take a fiber supplement.  Fiber softens stools & makes them easier to pass. This reduces pressure on hemorrhoids, which in turn reduces the risk of bleeding, swelling & inflammation. Make sure to take fiber with plenty of fluids.

2.Exercise is another important home remedy for hemorrhoids. Take a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week. Not only does this have a powerfully positive effect on your health, it also is a great way to stimulate your bowels. When you feel the urge, go to the bathroom immediately; do not wait for a more convenient time. Waiting can cause your bowels to back up, leading to increased pressure & straining.

3.Sitz baths (warm water bath for the buttocks) can relieve itching, irritation & muscle spasm. Sit in a regular bathtub with a few inches of warm water, or buy a small plastic tub that fits over a toilet seat. Try a 20-minute sitz bath after each bowel movement and an additional two or three times a day. Afterward, gently pat the area dry.

4.Over-the-counter pain-relief creams can temporarily soothe pain, irritation & itching. Witch hazel wipes (Tucks) are soothing & have no harmful effects. A small ice pack placed against the anal area for a few minutes may also help.

5.Finally, sitting on cushions rather than hard surfaces can help reduce swelling. If the treatments mentioned above do not help, talk to your doctor. You may benefit from a simple outpatient procedure to treat hemorrhoids. One procedure involves rubber rings tightened around the hemorrhoid. Other procedures, using lasers or infrared light, heat the hemorrhoids, causing them to shrink. Injecting a chemical into the hemorrhoids (called sclerotherapy) also can shrink them. If your symptoms continue despite these measures, you may need minor surgery to remove your hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids are among the most common “minor maladies of man.” The good news is that, most of the time, simple home remedies can give you great relief.

Source:
m.gastongazette.com
6 January 2012

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Links Between Nutrition and Fetal Development

An ongoing study led by Catherine Field from the University of Albertas Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science is attempting to determine the effects of nutrition on both expectant mothers and their babies.

The study, which first started accepting volunteers in May 2009 and now has more than 1,400 participants, is hoping to amass information on women from different backgrounds, with different eating and exercise habits, in order to understand what nutritional factors contribute to healthy mothers and healthy babies in both the pre and post-natal stages.

Due to the considerable variables involved in such a complex research project, researchers are hoping to assemble 5,000 volunteers in order to compile an extensive, diversified sample group.

The study examines factors in expectant mothers such as weight gain, activity levels and depression, as well as examining possible links to autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The information will then be developed into a genetic bio-bank of pregnant women, children and biological fathers, which will help to determine how particular conditions develop due to certain nutritional factors.

In the first stage of the study, researchers are focusing on a specific group of nutrients: Iron, Folate and Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Iron is essential for development of red blood cells and helps maintain energy levels. Folate is a naturally occurring B vitamin and it helps produce and maintain new cells, while Omega 3 Fatty Acids are seen to help alleviate a myriad of potential health problems, including heart disease and high cholesterol.

“We are looking at a number of other nutrients later,” said Field, “but these are the first three because they are all linked to mom’s mental health and the baby’s development and brain function.”

While the establishment of better dietary practices during pregnancy is a benefit to any expectant mother, Field says that the research will have benefits beyond pointing out links established between diseases and nutrition.

“One of the major contributions from the study may be new weight gain guidelines for women who enter pregnancy with different body mass indexes(BMI),” she said and that, while guidelines have been set on historically collected data, but there haven’t been any large North American studies to update them and relate them to healthy outcomes for mom and baby.

“We will be able to look at whether women are following these guidelines and look at hard outcomes such as baby’s birth weight, and mom’s obstetrical complications. “We will be able to contribute to what is a healthy weight gain.”

Researchers are also paying particular attention to the mother’s emotional state, both before and after delivery of the baby, in order to determine how mood can affect other factors in the baby’s development. Previous studies have demonstrated that women who experience even moderate depression during their pregnancy tend to have lower levels of activity and less discipline with their diet. This can affect hormone levels in the mother, which, in turn, can alter the development of the fetus.

“We will look at scales of anxiety and happiness,” she said; “even scales of when people are really happy, as we would like to know what is associated with that. Women who don’t suffer from depression will give us as much information as those women who do.”

Source:
physorg.com
28 February 2011

New Natural Probiotic may Help in the Global Fight against Diarrhea Causing Infectious Diseases

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1billion people do not have access to clean water and an estimated 1.5 million children die every year from diarrheal diseases. This figure could be significantly reduced if trials on a new probiotic product developed at the University of Guelph continue to be positive.

Scientists at the University have discovered a new group of bioactive compounds produced by probiotic bacteria that, according to their advanced studies, may prevent infection, by food or water borne pathogens such as those that caused the deadly Enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) outbreak in Europe last month.

When many enteric pathogens such as E. coli O157 or C.difficile are ingested, they must attach to the host's intestinal wall in order to successfully colonize the gut and produce their toxins. To do this, the bacteria rely on chemical signals to switch on genes required for their attachment. The University researchers have found that molecules produced by certain probiotic bacteria can interfere with this signaling mechanism thereby preventing the pathogen from attaching to the host's intestine and stopping the infection cycle before it begins.

Initial studies have shown that mice fed the probiotic molecules and then infected by E. coli O157, had declining levels of E. coli present in their intestines over a 7-day period. As a result, these mice showed significantly reduced levels of infection compared to those untreated with the probiotic product. In addition, using an artificial system that mimics the human intestine, the researchers have shown that similar effects may be possible in humans and that these effects may not be limited to just these two pathogens. Existing probiotics on the market today typically claim to only protect against one pathogen at a time. The University of Guelph's research has shown further results that these new, probiotic molecules may not only effect the virulence of E. coli and C. difficile, but also Salmonella, and Campylobacter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, these bacteria combined account for 22% of North American cases and 36% of deaths due to food borne illness annually.

"We are excited not only about the commercial applications of this technology as a broad spectrum treatment for several enteric diseases, but also about the research implications of this discovery," said Dr. Mansel Griffiths, Lead Researcher and Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety at the University of Guelph. "As the number of antibiotic resistant bacteria increases, here we have a natural product with a unique mode of action that will allow us to target infection in new ways."

MicroSintesis Inc. a research company focused on the development of microbial technologies, has licensed the patent from the University of Guelph. The Company is looking at opportunities in the human health market, where it expects to develop a number of products for infants and toddlers. In addition, it plans to develop a product for the animal health market that could help to prevent food borne infection at the animal source.

President of MicroSintesis, Hannah McIver, explains, "Up to 10% of patients suffering from the EHEC will develop the life threatening disease, hemolytic uremic syndrome. Most of these will be young children or the elderly. For the majority of us, food borne infections are a relatively minor inconvenience. For many, especially the young and the old, they can be deadly. This unique product has the potential to change the way we feel about eating certain foods, about how and where we travel to, and in many cases save lives."

Source:
www.newswire.ca
30 September 2011

New Probiotic May Treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Scientists at the University of Bristol say they have identified a new probiotic strain that could be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The strain, which the researchers have patented, can reduce pro-inflammatory responses to the microorganisms associated with inflammatory bowel disease.

Use of probiotics—beneficial or "friendly#34; bacteria—for prevention & treatment of gastrointestinal disorders has demonstrated fair to very good success, depending on the condition. For inflammatory bowel disease, which mainly includes Crohn's disease & ulcerative colitis, much of the success has come from helping patients maintain remission rather than in treating active disease. But why?

Because iron levels rise during active IBD, and high iron inhibits the growth of probiotic bacteria, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which are the most common probiotics on the market. Pathogens, however, thrive in the presence of high levels of iron and can increase their growth rate by up to 8,000 times.

To remedy this situation, Dr. Tristan Cogan, research fellow in the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol, explained that he and his research team "considered the properties that a probiotic would need to treat IBD. Most importantly, it would need to be able to survive and grow in the presence of high levels of iron and to reduce inflammation."

The team's search led them to finally identify a strain that meets their requirements, and "our next step will be to test the probiotic in clinical trials," according to Cogan. Their research is important because it suggests high iron levels is the reason probiotics have not been successful in treating active inflammatory bowel disease, and that this new probiotic may be an answer and possibly lead to more options in the future.

An estimated 1 to 2 million people in the United States have some form of inflammatory bowel disease. The disease is about four times more common among whites than other races, and it is 4 to 5 times more prevalent among American Jews than the general population.

Currently, an array of drugs are used to treat IBD, including azathioprine (Imuran), corticosteroids (prednisone), cyclosporine, infliximab (Remicade), mesalamine (Asacol), methotrexate, and sulfasalazine (Azulfadine). All of these medications cause side effects, and some of them can be serious. Availability of a new probiotic, which has minimal to no side effects, to treat inflammatory bowel disease would be welcomed by many who suffer with the disease.

SOURCE:
University of Bristol
25 October 2011

Nordic Naturals Launches What's Essential Contest

What's Essential to You? Nordic Naturals® Wants to Know. Share Your Essential Story and You'll be Entered to Win!

What's Essential to you? That's what Nordic Naturals®, America's favorite fish oil company, wants to know! Is it spending quality time with family, hitting the hiking trails, or packing off to yoga class every day?

Join the conversation and tell your essential story. Joar Opheim, CEO of Nordic Naturals, explains, "We believe that omega oils are essential to an extraordinary life. That's why we're committed to delivering the world's safest, most effective omega oils, so you can do more of what you love with those you love.

What's essential to Nordic Naturals is proven purity, leading freshness, and great taste. It's sustainability from boat to bottle, so you can feel as good about your fish oil as you do about your health." No matter what your life's path, Nordic Naturals wants to hear about what's essential to you. That's because your imprint on this planet is important and your story holds a special truth. Nordic Naturals' What's Essential contest is designed to get you motivated and musing! Tell your essential story and enter to win your ticket to California, and other fun prizes!

How to Participate: Nordic Naturals is inviting everyone to participate in the exciting What's Essential contest. Submit your What's Essential story and accompanying image. Winners will be announced in June. Official rules. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. Open to Canada and the USA.

How to Enter: There are two easy ways to participate
1.Whats Essential  
2. Nordic Naturals' Facebook page 
Here's your chance to get creative, share what matters most, and inspire others to do the same.

What You Win: The What's Essential contest will award prizes to the best 19 entries.

Grand Prize Winner: One winner will receive a trip for two to Santa Cruz, California with all the trimmings, including airfare, car rental, hotel, spending money, Nordic Naturals award-winning omegas, and more!*

Second Prize Winners: Each of the six Second Prize winners will receive one Canon® Vixia HF M400 camcorder and a one-year supply of Nordic Naturals award-winning omegas.*

Third Prize Winners: Each of the twelve Third Prize winners will receive a one-year supply of Nordic Naturals award-winning omegas.*

During 2012, Nordic Naturals will be sharing the "Essential" message by offering giveaways and gifts through Facebook and Twitter. Consumers can also find information, samples and freebies in US and Canadian natural health retail stores that carry Nordic Naturals products.

Based in Watsonville, CA, Nordic Naturals is committed to delivering the world's safest, most effective omega oils to help provide the essentials of a healthy life. Distributing to more than 30 countries, Nordic Naturals offers more than 150 omega-3 products in a variety of flavors and formulations all with leading safety, efficacy and sustainability standards. By providing omega-3 supplements for adults, kids, athletes, and pets, Nordic Naturals helps everyone do more of what they love.

To learn more visit www.nordicnaturals.com.
Become a fan! www.facebook.com/nordicnaturals.
Follow us on Twitter at @NordicNaturals.

 

Omega-3 May Help Protect Against Blindness

Omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent retinopathy, which is an eye disease that can lead to blindness in people with diabetes and premature babies. Retinopathy causes abnormal blood vessels to grow in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye.

This growth can cause the retina to detach from the back of the eye leading to vision loss.
Dr Lois Smith, a professor of ophthalmology at the Harvard Medical School, says "For people who have had diabetes for 25 years, more than half of them will have retinopathy. It is a extremely common disease that's getting even more common because it increases with obesity."

Previous studies had shown that eye diseases, such as retinopathy, are slowed down in people who eat a lot of fish. In their study, which appears in the journal Science Translational Medicine, Dr Smith and her colleagues looked for the specific metabolic process that produced this protective mechanism.

Mice were fed a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids & found it prevented abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina. They found an enzyme called 5-lipoxygenase, or 5-LOX, converted omega-3 into an acid called 4-HDHA, which slowed abnormal blood vessel growth.

"We found that it was produced by a specific pathway where we eat this essential fatty acid, and then it's made into a sub-product (4-HDHA) that specifically prevents disease formation," Dr Smith said. Researchers also found the benefits of omega-3 are not affected by drugs such as aspirin or other painkillers. "This is important for people with diabetes, who often take aspirin to prevent heart disease," Smith said.

These findings provide new information on how omega-3s work, making them an even more promising option to other drugs currently used to treat retinopathy. "We found that it had as big an effect as the current drugs that are used in these diseases, so this is huge in terms of increasing medical costs that are occurring in all countries," Dr Smith said. "Even more important is with the simple intervention just decreasing the disease burden and the horror of blindness in many patients is very exciting.

Dr Lois Smith is currently working alongside the US National Eye Institute, which is conducting a trial of omega-3 supplements in patients with advanced macular degeneration. Smith says, "For many patients that have milder disease there is the possibility that this could prevent the progression and they would never go onto the severe disease-causing blindness."

Source:
www.abc.net
13 July 2011

SHINE Helps Fibromyalgia

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD says, SHINE helps fibromyalgia.
SHINE stands for Sleep, Hormones, Infections, Nutritional supplements and Exercise.

This approach has led to improvements in 91 percent of fibromyalgia patients. Patients should get 8-9 hours of sleep a night. They should be tested for hormone deficiency and treated if necessary, get treated for any symptoms of infections and have nutritional supplementation, such as B-12 and magnesium and exercise as much as possible.

Also effective: Taking 5,000 milligrams of ribose (Corvalen), a nonprescription medical food, twice a day increased energy by an average of 61 percent.

Source:
www.bottomlinesecrets.com
13 June 2011

Stress 'Linked To Alzheimer's'

A study has indicated that stress could cause brain changes which are also seen in Alzheimer's.
Research has shown that people who are stressed could be increasing their chances of developing Alzheimer's disease.

According to a study from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, stress was seen to promote neuropathological changes which are also present in Alzheimer's disease. The alteration of the tau protein through the addition of phosphate groups causes the protein in the cells to cluster, resulting in nerve cell death in the hippocampus - a brain region which plays a major part in learning and memory.

Osborne Almeida, from the institute, explained: "Our findings show that stress hormones and stress can cause changes in the tau protein like those that arise in Alzheimer's disease."

Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said that eating healthily could cut the chance of dementia. Ridley explained that although no research has shown one particular food to unquestionably stave off dementia, heightened cardiovascular risk factors are believed to increase the chance of developing the condition.

Source:
www.barchester.com
10 June 2011

Symposium Highlights, Immune Function: Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Enzymes.

On October 1 and 2, 2010, Health Education and WorldLink Medical, in partnership with Klaire Labs, a division of ProThera Inc., sponsored the Fourth Annual Probiotic Symposium on Immune Function: Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Enzymes, held in New Orleans.

An acclaimed international faculty reviewed the vital role of the gastrointestinal microflora in the normal development and continued modulation of the immune system. The multifaceted role of gastrointestinal dysbiosis in the development of allergic and autoimmune diseases was reviewed and the most recent research on the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and enzymes to prevent or treat immune mediated disorders was presented.

The symposium was moderated by Dr. Stephen Bajo, medical director of Renown Health, a nationally recognized and respected integrated health system.

Dr. Gerard Mullin, associate professor of medicine and director of integrative nutrition services at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Hospital, delivered a highly enlightening overview of the dramatic increase in autoimmune diseases ranging from systemic lupus erythematosus to type 1 diabetes mellitus over the past 60 years. He noted that while many individual autoimmune diseases are uncommon, all totaled they affect over 23 million Americans. Mullin observed that autoimmunity develops as a result of a break in tolerance due to cross-reactivity of foreign antigens with host antigens.

Gastrointestinal dysbiosis and "leaky gut" are key contributors to the development of autoimmune disorders. He set forth the essential role played by probiotics in preventing the occurrence of autoimmune diseases. Among the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota modulate the immune system is an ongoing low-grade stimulus of Toll-like receptors that induces a healthful regulatory T cell response and blockade of NFKB translocation to the cell nucleus, which halts the transcription of proinflammatory cytokines. Mullin concluded by presenting new research showing that the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial stress regulation are emerging targets of probiotic activities.

Dr.Michael Cabana, professor of pediatrics, epidemiology, and biostatistics and chief of the Division of General Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, provided a lucid overview of the hygiene hypothesis and the current epidemic of allergic diseases. Cabana communicated the epidemiologic relation between the reduced prevalence of infectious diseases in childhood, improved sanitation and housing, increased usage of antibiotics, and smaller family sizes and the burgeoning incidence of allergic diseases and asthma.

He presented clinical research showing that probiotics administered to pregnant women for 1 month prenatally and then to infants for 6 months postpartum significantly reduced the development of atopic eczema. Cabana proceeded to deliver a status report on his ongoing NIH-sponsored trial of probiotics to prevent the development of early markers of asthma in infants at high risk for developing asthma. To date, 160 families have been recruited into this multicenter trial. He concluded by stating that probiotics are clearly effective for treating diarrhea and colic in infancy, are safe, and hold great promise for the prevention and treatment of allergic disorders and asthma.

Dr. Helena Tlaskalova-Hogenova, professor of immunology at the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, spoke on the complex interactions between probiotic commensal gut microbiota and the mucosal immune system. She summarized the roles of mucosal epithelial cells and mucin in maintaining mucosal barrier, reviewed the anatomy and physiology of the mucosal immune system, and highlighted the mechanisms whereby the gut microbiota modulate the innate and acquired immune systems.

Tlaskalova-Hogenova outlined her decades of research using gnotobiotic animals, which has documented that germ-free animals are at greater susceptibility to diseases ranging from type 1 diabetes mellitus to atherosclerosis, while gut dysbiosis contributes to inflammatory bowel disease and ankylosing spondylitis. She noted that among the numerous benefits of probiotics are the inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms, preservation of gut barrier function, increased gastrointestinal transit time, antioxidant effects, and immunomodulation.

Dr. Marko Kalliomaki, consultant in pediatric gastroenterology and adjunct professor of pediatrics at the University of Turku in Finland, concluded the first day of the symposium with a presentation of his research on the use of probiotics to prevent and treat atopic diseases in childhood. Kalliomaki noted that an altered gut microflora is all too frequently a consequence of the modern Western hygienic lifestyle.

He presented data showing that the increased prevalence of cesarean sections and perinatal antibiotic administration are significantly disrupting the neonatal gut microbiota, now unequivocally linked to an increased risk of atopic diseases in infancy and later childhood. Kalliomaki presented the most recent results of the long-running clinical trial of probiotics to reduce the risk of atopic diseases in high-risk infants. He has found that Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG administered for 6 months significantly reduces the incidence of atopic eczema by 50% at age 2 and by 44% at age 4. Kalliomaki proposed that probiotic induction of antagonists to NFxB may be an important mechanism for the reduction of risk for allergic disorders.

Dr. Martin H. Floch, master of the American College of Gastroenterology and clinical professor of medicine at Yale University, began the second day of the symposium with an overview of probiotics and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Floch noted that the gut.microbiota is abnormal in IBD, with reduced populations of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and increased numbers of Escherichia coli. He reviewed the levels of evidence for the use of probiotics in IBD. The strongest support exists for the use a high dose multispecies probiotic for pouchitis. A moderate amount of evidence supports the use of high-dose multispecies probiotics and of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 for ulcerative colitis. Floch said that probiotics have been disappointing in the treatment of Crohn's disease, although two studies support the use of Saccharomyces boulardii to maintain remission during medical therapy.

Dr. William H. Marks, former Robert B. McMillen Chair for transplantation at Swedish Hospital Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, and currently executive medical director for Alexion Pharmaceuticals, presented the results of a recent clinical trial of Klaire Labs probiotics versus placebo for the prevention of immunosuppression associated diarrhea (IAD) in patients following kidney transplantation. IAD is a major problem for patients following organ transplantation, which may be associated with rejection, loss of transplant, and hospitalization. Marks hypothesized that increasing colonic short-chain fatty acid concentrations using probiotics may reduce the risk of IAD. Marks found that the administration of 200 billion CFU per day of a mix of 3 Lactobacillus and 3 Bifidobacterium species significantly reduced the percentage of days with diarrhea, the number of days with diarrhea, and the number of diarrheal episodes per patient. Overall, probiotics reduced the risk of diarrhea by 71.6%. Probiotics were found to be safe in this immunosuppressed population.

Dr. Erkki Savilahti, professor of pediatrics and chief of the Department of Gastroenterology, Nutrition, and Clinical Immunology at the Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, presented his research on the use of pre- and probiotics in the management of food allergies and asthma. He noted that food allergies are common in children with atopic eczema. Savilahti reviewed 7 out of 10 studies of probiotics in eczema that have found a beneficial effect. The benefit of probiotics for eczema is not related to the presence of food allergies. Probiotics have not been found helpful in the management of food allergies, but may accelerate healing following withdrawal of allergen(s) from the diet. Savilahti reviewed data showing the benefits of prebiotic gaactooligosaccharides and fructooligosaccharides for the prevention of allergic disorders in infants. So far, prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics have not been shown to be beneficial in preventing asthma.

Dr. Stephen Olmstead, chief science officer of Klaire Labs, ended the symposium with a review of immunological abnormalities in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and with chronic candidiasis sensitivity (yeast syndrome). He noted that Candida species are highly immunogenic and associated with systemic allergies. Olmstead put forth his hypothesis that chronic candidiasis sensitivity and many cases of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other somatoform disorders are due to an immune response to gastrointestinal and/or vaginal Candida biofilm communities. He defined biofilm as a heterogeneous community of attached microorganisms encased in a self-produced matrix and reviewed what is currently known about Candida biofilms. Olmstead reviewed his invention of a formulation of enzymes shown in laboratory studies to disrupt Candida and other pathogenic biofilms. He outlined a clinical approach to disrupting Candida biofilm using the enzyme formulation that facilitates yeast eradication using appropriate antifungals. He emphasized the importance of using probiotics and prebiotics to restore and support healthy gastrointestinal microbiota and mucosal immunity.

Source:
www.townsendletter.com
January 2011

Treating Prediabetes can Pay Dividends

Most people know that diabetes  has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. But there's less awareness about prediabetes, a condition that frequently precedes diabetes. With prediabetes, a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet elevated enough to qualify as diabetes.

Prediabetes may affect 79 million people in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. In most cases, people experience no symptoms and don't even know they have the condition.

While prediabetes often goes undetected, it carries real threats. Studies have shown that many people with the condition will develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. And many with prediabetes are likely to suffer the harmful health consequences of diabetes, such as a higher risk of heart problems and cardiovascular disease.

Since prediabetes has no symptoms, who should be tested? Generally, people age 45 & older who are overweight should be checked at their annual medical exam. Those 45 & older who are not overweight should ask their physicians whether testing is appropriate.

Testing may also be recommended for adults of any age who have other risk factors for diabetes or prediabetes, including a family history of diabetes,low HDL cholesterol,high triglycerides, high blood pressure, or a history of gestational diabetes.

Depending on every patient's health profile & other risk factors for diabetes,physicians may recommend additional treatments to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as treating high blood pressure and/ or high cholesterol.

Prediabetes is diagnosed through blood tests that measure the level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. Two require fasting for at least eight hours before testing to ensure glucose levels aren't affected by food or drink.

The fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) measures glucose first thing in the morning. A normal fasting blood glucose level is below 100 milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dl). The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) measures blood glucose once after fasting and again a few hours later after the patient drinks a special high-glucose beverage. Two hours after the drink, normal blood glucose levels are below 140 mg/dl.

The non-fasting HbAlc test measures average blood glucose contro over the past two to three months. It is determined by measuring the percentage of glycated hemoglobin, or HbAlc, in the blood; a value less than 5.7 percent is normal.

Fortunately, a prediabetes diagnosis does not mean that developing diabetes is inevitable. Prediabetes is a treatable condition & even small lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

The recent Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health found that a body weight loss of 5% to 7% helped people with prediabetes delay or prevent the onset of diabetes. This modest weight loss, along with 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity, like walking, reduced the development of diabetes by 58%.

Moreover, the DPP found that weight loss was more effective than some medications in warding off diabetes. Some patients have even seen their blood glucose levels return to normal levels as a result of this treatment.

Source:
E Health, San Diego Union Tribune
13 September 2011

Vitamin C Improves Mood in Hospitalized Patients

In a clinical study, 55 mentally competent patients were admitted to a non-ICU medical or surgical ward of a university teaching hospital in Canada and were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 500 mg of vitamin C twice a day or 1000 IU of vitamin D twice a day for up to 10 days.

Patients who were already receiving supplemental vitamin D on admission were assigned to the vitamin C group. Prior to treatment, 56% of the patients had a moderately low plasma vitamin C concentration and 9% had a very low level. Thirty-two patients completed the study (i.e., they received treatment for at least 5 days).

Among those 32 patients, there was a mean improvement of 34% (p = 0.013) in the score on the Profile of Mood States (a questionnaire that measures mood). No improvement of mood was seen in the vitamin D group.

Acutely and chronically ill patients often have suboptimal or deficient levels of vitamin C. Poor vitamin C status can result in decreased resistance against infection, impaired wound healing, and other abnormalities that would delay recovery in the hospital. The present study demonstrates that vitamin C supplementation improves mood in hospitalized patients, which may enhance recover, or at least make hospitalization more tolerable. A case can be made that most patients should receive supplemental vitamin C upon admission to the hospital.

Source:
www.townsendletter.com
Zhang M
Jauuary 2011

Vitamin D and Inflammation

In 33 patients undergoing knee arthroplasty, plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were measured preoperatively, 6 to 12 hours after surgery, then daily for 5 days, and then after 3 months. By day 2 postoperatively, there was a large increase in the median C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and a 42.5% decrease in the median 25(OH)D concentration (p < 0.001). At day 5 and at 3 months, median 25(OH)D levels were still 27.5% and 19%, below the preoperative values, respectively (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively).

Comment: Low serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with a number of different diseases, many of which have an inflammatory component. However, it is not clear whether these low levels are an effect or a cause of inflammation. The concentrations of various nutrients (including other lipid-soluble vitamins) decrease in response to inflammation, and in the context of an inflammatory response, the circulating levels of these nutrients are generally unreliable as indicators of nutritional status. The results of the present study suggest that the same may be true with respect to vitamin D. For people with chronic diseases that have an inflammatory component, one might reasonably question whether serum 25(OH)D is a reliable indicator of vitamin D nutritional status. As a corollary, observational studies that link inflammatory diseases to low 25(OH)D levels do not necessarily imply that vitamin D supplementation would prevent or ameliorate those diseases. More controlled trials Df vitamin D supplementation are needed.

(As far as I know, Garden Of Life is the only company that make a RAW Vitamin D)

Source:
Townsend Letter
11 November 2011

What You Need to Know About Garden of Life Products

If you are eager about natural supplementation, you will most certainly have heard of Garden of Life products. This product line has been rather controversial, with health claims that are sure to convince you to go ahead and buy them. Here is some information about GOL (Garden Of Life) Products, and what they can do for you & your health.

About Garden of Life
Garden of Life products offers you an exclusive yet very effective formulation of health supplements that feature many of nature's healthiest & most potent whole foods. The ingredients of these supplements have been carefully blended together in a form that is bio ready and easy for the body to absorb. Garden of Life products have undergone stringent processing, validation & confirmatory scientific & clinical tests to assure consumers that the supplement they take will bring them back to optimum health.

Garden of Life Products "The Beginnings"

Jordan Rubin founded Garden of Life in 2000, after overcoming an incurable disease. Both conventional & alternative medicine didn t work in treating his condition, so he took things into his own hands. With an enduring faith on one hand and a revolutionary health program called The Maker's Diet on another, Rubin today delivers whole food based nutritional products through a company he calls the Garden of Life.

Ingredients in Garden of Life Whole Foods

Garden of Life products are made from natural ingredients that are free from common allergens commonly found in wheat & dairy products. Their range of health foods is rich in dietary fiber & contains natural extracts, herbs, antioxidants & probiotics to grace the diet with health goodness everyday. The ingredients they include in their products are consistent with their mission to empower people by giving them good health and helping them achieve their health goals to improve overall quality of life.

Source:
www.didarticles.com
23 November 2011

When One of Our Own Gets Cancer: An Interview With Suzanne Friedman DMQ (China) LAc

Dr. Suzanne Friedman is an acupuncturist, herbalist, and doctor of medical qigong therapy. She received her doctorate degree (D.M.Q.) in Medical Qigong Oncology from the Beijing Western District Medical Qigong Science and TCM Research Institute in Beijing, China.

Dr. Friedman is the first non-Chinese to be inducted into her teacher's Daoist family lineage as a qigong master. She is the Chair of the Medical Qigong Department at AIMC Berkeley, and the founder and director of the Yangsheng Center for Qigong at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco.

Suzanne was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer February 25, 2010.

Toby: Let's start at the beginning.

How did you first know that something wasn't right?

Suzanne: I knew something wasn't right when I had a cough that wouldn't go away no matter what herbs I took. Normally, herbs work on me within one to two days. This time, when I took herbs they didn't help at all. I had a cough that started in early December which I thought was just the remnants of a cold. Weeks later, and a few formulas later, the cough remained.

This went on until January, when I saw my Western doctor who gave me antibiotics, which did nothing. He then gave me Advair (fluticasone and salmeterol) for two weeks, during which I became much worse. Advair is a steroidal inhaler, so the steroids must have depressed my immune system for that two-week period—not good. I coughed so much and for so long that I broke one rib, and then about a week later, I broke another.

I finally got an x-ray and then a CT scan, both of which looked horrible. They thought I might have had a massive fungal infection or some type of co-infection. A bronchoscopy confirmed Stage IV lung cancer.

Apparently my right lung had collapsed from the cancer (which made it difficult to walk and breathe and 1 could no longer go up steps comfortably without coughing).

They found cancer in the adjacent lymph nodes and left lung.

Toby: That's intense.

Can we back up just a little bit?

When you were still in the just chronic cough stage, did you have any Chinese medical signs that this was serious?

I know that you've trained in the Shen-Hammer pulse reading system; did you have any pulse qualities indicating what might be coming?

Did you have any strong premonitions or did it appear just to be a stubborn cough?

Suzanne: Actually, my pulses did show what appeared to be a massive infection and even co-infections; likely fungal, which is usually very hard to treat. They did show it was serious, but they also were consistent with a bad fungal infection, as were the initial results of my CT scan and x-ray.

Both Eastern and Western possible diagnoses were fungal in nature. It was a tumultuous year filled with change, and so I figured that I was just run down. I had no idea how serious it was until slowly and steadily my ability to walk declined, and I became shorter and shorter of breath.

Toby: Let's go back to the collapsed right lung and cancer in the adjacent nodes and left lung.

What did you do next? How were you emotionally?

Suzanne: After the CT scan showed occlusion of the right lung, my bronchoscopy was the next day. The following day, Friday February 25 at 12:04pm the pulmonologist called and told me I had Stage IV lung cancer. He also told me that he and my primary care doc agreed that I should see a particular oncologist they both respected. He was also kind enough to set up the appointment for me for 2 p.m. that same day.

I went with my partner to the oncologist at 2 p.m. He told us that I had 7-8 months to live if I didn't do chemo, and up to two years if I did.

In other words, my cancer was terminal. He wanted me to come in that Monday for my first chemo. I needed time to think about it, as I did not want to do chemo, especially if it meant such a short survival time in the end.
1 essentially decided that it was likely I was going to die (and given the success rates of conventional treatment for lung cancer, the statistics pointed in that direction).

I left theoncologist's office and called my friend Ed, a Buddhist chaplain, and told him that I was going to die and that I would be needing him. I then called my parents, who were already scheduled to fly out the next day, and told them that I was preparing for my death, and that they too should begin the process.

I wasn't afraid, and I believe I was able to feel quite peaceful in the face of death because of my long-term qigong and meditation practice. However, I was terribly sad at the prospect of leaving my partner, whom I had been with for only about a year.

I decided not to do the chemo, and called two experts in cutting-edge cancer treatment; one local, one not. I had phone consults with both and each agreed that I should get my cancer tested for drug sensitivity by finding a surgeon who was willing to remove a lymph node and break hospital protocol by giving it back to me to mail to a doctor in Long Beach, California.

My pulmonologist told me that I could take up to a week before I started some type of treatment, and not to delay because he was afraid I could get sick and then be unable to get any type of treatment due to the fragility of my lungs. So, I had less than a week to find a surgeon, but I did find one, and we Fed Ex'ed my lymph node to get tested to see which drugs my particular live cancer responded to.

Toby: Not being afraid and feeling peaceful in that situation is a powerful testament to your long-term qigong and meditation practices.

Can you briefly describe your practices?

How did you find the two experts in cutting-edge cancer treatments?

Suzanne: My teacher once told me that the purpose of all meditation is to "learn how to die." What he meant was that we get to a place where we are calm and centered in the face of any adversity or challenge, especially and including our own death. My qigong practice includes standing movement exercises (daoyin) and standing and seated meditations (neidan).

My focus is on both the breath and the visualizations appropriate to each exercise or meditation. The practice can run from 20 to 50 minutes, depending on the morning (and it is almost always morning). I noticed that after my diagnosis, I found myself doing qigong between 3-5pm every day without planning to do so, which made sense.

After the diagnosis I tailored my practice towards healing my lungs, and began to practice two times a day.
I knew of the experts because I've been treating cancer patients for almost ten years. Years earlier I completed a week-long integrative cancer training program with the Center for Mind Body Medicine, and I learned a great deal from that training.

Toby: What did the Fed Ex'ed lymph node tell the oncologist?

Suzanne: It told the oncologist that my live cancer responded best to a combination of Tarceva and Avastin, two non-chemo drugs. Turns out that my cancer was resistant to (in other words, did not respond to) the chemo that the first oncologist wanted to give me. This means that my decision to drop the first oncologist and not do his protocol
very likely saved my life.

I found a doctor here in San Francisco who was willing to give me these two drugs, even though Tarceva isn't approved in this country as a first-line treatment medicine. A couple of days before I got the results, I was informed that I was EGFR positive, which means that I have a genetic mutation that makes Tarceva work 100 times better, so I was hoping to do the Tarceva even before the lymph node results, and the results confirmed my decision.

Meanwhile, I got a pulse reading from Brian LaForgia and herbs based on that reading from KW Botanicals, and they were starting to help me get my energy back.

Toby: That is amazingly fortunate.

What did your pulse reading show at this stage?

What herbs were in your formula?

Suzanne: My pulse showed massive heat in my lungs, especially the right lung (which had collapsed). The formula contained and still contains true Tibetan cordyceps, various other mushrooms, and luo bu ma as the chief ingredients.

Toby: How did you deal with the collapsing lung?

How did you respond to your herbal formula and the Tarceva and Avastin combination?

Suzanne: I didn't know my lung had collapsed, although I was acutely aware of the fact that I could walk less and less comfortably without coughing or losing my breath. My ability to go up and down steps was also impeded. Still, looking back, because I couldn't have imagined that it was more than a serious infection, I wasn't even worried about it, as I figured I'd start to feel better "any day now."

The herbs had already started to give me some energy back before I went on the pharmaceuticals. My oncologist told me that if I responded as well as my cells did to the meds, I should feel 50% better in two weeks, which would have been phenomenal.
I actually felt 50% better in days, and about 85% better in two weeks. It was amazing.

Avastin 's side-effects are high blood pressure and nosebleeds, both of which I have avoided due to my herbal formula. Tarceva's side-effects are a rash and diarrhea. I had strong Spleen qi before this, so I've been able to maintain my digestive strength. However, I got the most intense rash imaginable on my face, back and chest. I essentially turned purple with thousands of whiteheads all over Not pretty.

The good news is that a study from a few years back showed that the worse the Tarceva rash, the better the prognosis. I kept focusing on that and staying away from mirrors during that time. The rash stayed bad for months, but now I am left with what looks like a sunburn.

Toby: Aside from the rash, how are you doing now?

Suzanne: Well, my energy has been amazing, likely due to the mushrooms in my formula and my very low carb diet, along with daily exercise and qigong two times a day.
My herbs have also effectively prevented the other side effects from the meds, such as high blood pressure, nosebleeds and diarrhea. That means my vitals are good and my digestion remains strong.

However, I believe the most important thing is my outlook or attitude, which can help or hinder healing, and I have been in a state of gratitude, humility and appreciation for a long while now.

Toby: I know you had a scan 2 months ago.

What were the doctors expecting?

What were the results?

Suzanne: My doctor knew that my chemosensitivity results showed that my cancer would respond exceptionally well to the medicines, so he said that if all went that well, then the absolute best I could hope for was between 40-50% of the cancer gone.
However, that didn't take into account the Chinese medicine (qigong, herbs, acupuncture, diet, lifestyle) that I was also doing.

The scan results actually showed 70% of the cancer gone. My doctor told me that there is no Western cancer medicine that could have gotten such great results.

Toby: What are you doing at this stage to support your healing?

Suzanne: I spend all day every day with a focus on healing. I closed my clinic so that healing could become my full-time job. Every day consists of qigong twice a day, meditation, exercise, eating well, taking herbs and supplements, playing the shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute-great for the lungs), and being surrounded by loving, supportive people.

Essentially, I do something if it helps with healing, and I abstain from anything that I feel takes me further from healing.
In addition, I have received weekly acupuncture and medical qigong therapy treatments since my diagnosis, both of which have been amazing and invaluable.

Toby: Thanks for taking the time to tell your story.

Anything else you want to add?

Suzanne: Just that everyone's cancer journey is unique. What works for one person won't work for everyone. I've found that the key is to trust and follow your intuition and never compromise your integrity.

Western medicine has much to offer, just as Chinese medicine does. When used together properly, they are able to enhance each other. How lucky we are to have access to both!

On September 28, 2010, Suzanne wrote the following in an email to friends and supporters: "I just got the results of my PET scan, and they show that all of the stuff that appeared on the CT scan is actually dead tissue.
My doc said it was a PERFECT scan, and that I am in remission!
WEEEEHOOOOOO!"

Suzanne was interviewed by Toby Daly, a fellow ACTCM alumni who is now pursuing a PhD in classical Chinese medicine at the American University of Complementary Medicine.
He maintains a private practice in Cloverdale, California.

Source:
California Journal Of Oriental Medicine, Volume 21, No.2
By Toby Daly LAc
August 2010.

An Asthma Epidemic

In a new report from the CDC, they say that more Americans now have asthma than ever before,and experts don't understand why.
A key asthma trigger, such as cigarette smoke has become less present over the past decade. Cases of the disorder have shot up in every demographic category.

One in 12 adults & one in 10 children have asthma, and its overall prevalence is up 12% since 2001.
Black children are the hardest hit, with 17% suffering asthma symptoms.

Scientists are struggling to figure out what's behind the outbreak by examining potential environmental causes such as car exhaust, pesticides, chemicals in plastics, as well as lifestyle risks such as obesity.

Rachel Miller, director of the asthma project at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, tells The New York Times, "There's no easy singular explanation. The more we study this, the more it raises a lot of questions. It's not a straight forward puzzle at all."

Health officials say, there should be new emphasis on teaching asthma sufferers how to manage their symptoms, as asthma attacks kill thousands of people a year.

Source:
Health & Science
6 June 2011

Aspirin Therapy: Safe for Sensitive Stomachs?

Doctors have suggested low-dose aspirin for some people to lower their risk of stroke and heart attack. Aspirin has “powerful anti-inflammatory benefits, and it interferes with blood clotting action. Dr Tracy Stevens, a cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo. explains that 'a clot at the site of plaque rupture is what triggers a heart attack or stroke.'

Several studies have found that taking aspirin daily for 5 years or longer reduces the risk of colorectal cancer. In a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, suggests this may be because people at risk for colorectal cancer have elevated levels of a particular inflammatory factor in the blood, findings that may be useful in deciding who should take aspirin to reduce their cancer risk, notes study leader, a gastroenterologist at Mass General Hospital, Dr. Andrew Chan.

In the meantime, another new study from the University of Oxford in the U.K. found that people who took aspirin regularly had a 21% lower risk of dying of any form of cancer, and the longer they took aspirin, the greater the benefit.

Aspirin Can Irritate Your Stomach:
Taking aspirin is not without its side effects. Aspirin therapy use can be hard on sensitive stomachs; regular use causes stomach irritation in some people.
If this is the case for you and the irritation is mild, try the following:
Take aspirin with food. Try chewable aspirin, buffered aspirin or enteric-coated aspirin .Ask your doctor about taking a medication or supplement to help buffer stomach acid. Chan says that taking an antacid, H2 blocker or proton pump inhibitor while on aspirin therapy can often make a considerable difference in the comfort department.

Aspirin Therapy Isn’t for Everyone:
In some cases, aspirin therapy can result in serious complications, including life-threatening internal bleeding.
This is of particular concern if you have certain digestive disorders, including:
Chronic Heartburn:
If you have complications from chronic heartburn, such as active esophagitis (ulcers or erosion of the lining of the esophagus) or stricture (narrowing of the esophagus), you should not take aspirin or use topical aspirin creams, as aspirin can cause further erosion and compromise the integrity of the lining of the esophagus, says Dr. Charlene Prather, a gastroenterologist and professor of internal medicine at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
Ulcers:
“Those with complicated ulcers involving perforation or serious bleeding should not take aspirin unless they’re on a proton pump inhibitor and there’s a very good reason for taking the aspirin,” says Prather. In fact, many people with ulcers should not take aspirin at all, she says.
Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease:
People with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can experience flare-ups of their inflammatory bowel disease with aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, so they should avoid aspirin therapy.

The Bottom Line:
Aspirin therapy holds much promise in reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer which are the top three leading causes of death in America. But aspirin does not come without risk, especially if you suffer from a digestive disorder, such as heartburn, ulcers, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Source:
productivityapps.itbusinessnet.com
17 May 2011

B Vitamins, Homocysteine, and Brain Atrophy

272 elderly individuals with a mean age of 77 years who had mild cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, placebo or B vitamins (0.8 mg of folic acid, 0.5 mg of vitamin B12, and 20 mg of vitamin B6) daily for 2 years.

168 of them completed the trial. The mean rate of brain atrophy per year (as determined by MRI scans) was 29.6% lower in the active-treatment group than in the placebo group (0.76% vs, 1.08%; p = 0.001).

The treatment response was related to baseline homocysteine levels: the rate of atrophy in participants with a homocysteine level > 13 pmol/L (the highest quartile) was 53% lower in the active-treatment group than in the placebo group (p = 0.001).

In contrast, active treatment had no effect on those with a baseline homocysteine level <_ 9.5 pmol/L (the lowest quartile). A greater rate of atrophy was associated with lower final scores on tests of cognitive improvement.

Source:
Townsend Letter
11 May 2011

Invisible Toxins

Pause for a moment to consider how many ways our families use tap water. We mix it with oatmeal & brush budding teeth with it. We run the dishwasher and the washing machine, rinse lettuce for salads, & bathe our kids in it. And every day, Americans drink 1 billion glasses of water from the tap—and we're fortunate here, where we enjoy some of the highest-quality drinking water in the world.

Even in the U.S., that clear liquid contains a hidden threat: toxic contaminants from sources such as agriculture, industry, and ironically, water-treatment itself. Many of these pollutants have been linked to cancer, and some are associated with negative cognitive, developmental, and reproductive effects. Kids are generally at a higher risk from these toxins than adults because they're still growing and developing.

Caroline Cox, research director at the Center for Environmental Health says, "Babies and toddlers also may not be as good at detoxifying as adults," this Oakland California based organization, is working to eliminate the threat from toxic chemicals.

All public water that comes through your tap has been treated to remove toxins & bacteria. Above that, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires water treatment plants to test periodically for toxins, including asbestos, lead, & mercury, as well as less-familiar toxins, like disinfectant byproducts. The plants are also required to test the levels of regulated contaminants according to a schedule set by the EPA (the timing varies on the location and size of your public water system).'That means your water is treated every day, but not actually tested as often.

Nneka Leiba, research analyst at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization devoted to public health & the environment, located in Washington, D.C. says, that the bigger concern is unregulated toxins. In 2009, the EWG published a landmark report identifying more than 200 unregulated contaminants in drinking water based on 20 million tap water quality tests from around the country. One of the pollutants they found is perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuels, fireworks, and airbags.

The American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Council on Environmental Health says that the chemical interferes with the function of thyroid hormones and has the potential to cause brain damage. Although as many as 16.6 million Americans may be exposed to the chemical through their drinking water, it isn't regulated—yet.

In February, the EPA announced that it had initiated the process of creating a standard to regulate perchlorate levels in drinking water. 'That's not the only good news. The EWG report also found the vast majority of regulated contaminants-92 percent—to be within legal limits. "It's important to take the steps to improve the quality of our water over time, but it's not necessary to panic over what we're drinking today," Cox says.

This past March, the EPA proposed monitoring 30 unregulated contaminants, including perfluorochemicals, or PFCs. These toxins originate in products such as nonstick pots and Pans and have even been found in infant cord blood. Earlier this year, the EPA took steps to help water utilities monitor cancer-causing chromium-6, the so-called Erin Brockovich chemical. The agency is also looking at lowering the amount of fluoride in our drinking water to prevent fluorosis, a condition that causes white spots on kids'teeth.

Source:
kiwimagonline.com
18 August 2011

Patient With Rare Disease Finds Surgical Cure in City

Doctors of Fortis Hospital operated upon a 38-year-old patient of Crohn's Disease, a condition that connected his intestine to the urinary bladder. As a result, he was passing urine from the rectum and fecal matter through the urinary passage.

Crohn's Disease is very rare in India. People in North America and northern Europe are believed to be more prone to the disease.

Tapan Biswas of Jharkhali had been suffering from severe abdominal pain and blood in stool for long. He was diagnosed to be suffering from Crohn's Disease in September 2008 by doctors in Vellore. But due to financial constraints and the distance, he could not continue the treatment. He later developed complications known as Colovesical Fistula, where a connection develops between the intestine and urinary bladder.

When admitted to Fortis Hospital in September 2010,"Biswas weighed barely 27kg and was very weak. Stabilising his condition was important before initiating treatment and he was put on medication and nutritional support," said Fortis Hospital's medical gastroenterologist Debasis Dutta.

Once stabilised,laparoscopic surgeon Dr Ramesh Agarwalla conducted a minimal invasive surgery. "Such cases are normally dealt with open surgery. But he was extremely weak to endure that. We have plans of discharging him in a couple of days," said Agarwalla.

Source:
www.m.timesofindia.com
6 February 2011

Prescription Drugs: Reports of Bad Reactions Increasing

Prescription Drugs are progressively causing bad reactions, according to a new study.
Researchers found that more than half of “adverse” effects caused by a drug or device occurred in the last 10 years.

Researchers studied the Food and Drug Administration starting in 1969. In the study they found that between 2000 and 2010, reports of negative reactions to drugs grew by more than 11 percent each year. By 2010, those negative reports made up 55 percent of the entire database.

Many of the negative reactions occurred from drugs known as recombinant DNA products. These are used to treat autoimmune disease such as Crohn’s Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

"Drugs are chemicals. And you're putting something in your body. You need to know what it is,” study author Dr. Sheila Weiss-Smith of the University of Maryland in Baltimore told Reuters. She recommended that everyone tell their doctors what they are taking, and try to go to one pharmacy, "so someone can keep track of all the different things," preventing negative interactions.

Weiss-Smith said the number of reports does not equal the true number of negative reactions. She added that people need to take steps to protect themselves when taking a drug. "If something doesn't feel right, talk to your doctor, talk to your pharmacist."

Source:
www.thirdage.com
12 April 2011

Selenium Supplementation for Early Prostate Cancer

In a clinical study, one hundred forty men with localized nonmetastatic prostate cancer, who had elected to forgo active treatment, and instead to be followed by active surveillance, were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, selenium (200 or 800 mcg per day as high-selenium yeast) or placebo for up to 5 years. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) velocity was used as a marker of cancer progression. The median PSA doubling time was 6.24 years in the placebo group, 6.98 years in the group receiving 200 mcg.per day of selenium, and 8.45 years in the group receiving 800 mcg per day of selenium (differences not statistically significant).

In secondary subgroup analysis, among men in the highest quartile of baseline plasma selenium, mean PSA velocity was significantly higher in those receiving 800 mcg per day of selenium than in those receiving placebo (p = 0.018). The authors concluded that selenium supplementation did not slow the rise in PSA levels in men with localized prostate cancer, and that high-dose selenium was associated with increased PSA velocity in men with high baseline plasma selenium concentrations.

Selenium has demonstrated anticancer activity in animals, and there is some evidence (though conflicting) that it can help prevent some types of cancer in humans.

In addition, selenium supplementation has been reported to decrease the adverse effects of certain chemotherapy regimens. In the present study, there was a nonsignificant trend toward slower progression of early prostate cancer in men given selenium supplements. However, high-dose selenium treatment may have had an adverse effect in men with high baseline plasma selenium levels. This latter effect must be interpreted with caution, since it was derived from a secondary subgroup analysis.

Source:
www.townsendletter.com
Stratton MS
January 2011

Sperm Zappers

American men's sperm counts are plummeting, thanks to prenatal chemical exposure, obesity and many other factors. Men can benefit from lifestyle changes in as few as three months, as they continually generate new sperm.

Encourage your man to adopt these modifications:
Stop smoking: This habit damages sperm DNA.
Check out his meds: Certain blood pressure drugs lower sperm count.
Other common culprits: Diuretics and ulcer, epilepsy and antifungal meds.
Reduce stress: A 2010 study published in Fertility and Sterility found an inverse relationship between stress and sperm quality.
Keep 'em cool: Don't use the laptop on the lap or keep a cellphone in pants pockets.
Be fruitful and multiply: Antioxidant-rich, produce-heavy diets (as well as antioxidant supplements) have been shown to improve sperm quality.

Source:
naturalhealthmag.com
14 July 2011

Gut Infection Alters Memory

According to researchers from the Research Institute at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto,an infection in the intestines may lead to memory loss in conditions of psychological stress.

Researchers injected mice with a non-invasive pathogen, Citrobacter Rodentium, and subjected some mice to stress. They monitored mice behavior, and secondarily looked at treatment with probiotics to address any behavioral changes on a daily basis.

There were no behavioral abnormalities seen at either the height of infection (10 days) or following bacterial clearance (30 days). Yet, infected mice exposed to acute stress showed memory dysfunction (10 days and 30 days after infection). Memory dysfunction was prevented by daily treatment of infected mice with probiotics.

The researchers noted memory was impaired in germ-free mice, with or without exposure to stress, in contrast to conventionally reared, control Swiss-Webster mice with an intact intestinal microbiota.

They concluded intestinal microbiota influences the ability to form memory, and memory dysfunction is tied to stress in infected mice, while germ-free mice showed altered memory at baseline.

Source:
www.naturalproductsinsider.com
22 March 2011

Top Dietary Supplements Picked in "Better Nutrition's" Fourth Annual Best of Supplements Awards

Consumers walking into any health food store are often faced with an overwhelming array of dietary supplements to choose from. To help them make the best selection to meet their individual health needs, Better Nutrition magazine announces the winners of its fourth annual Best of Supplements Awards. The awards highlight 60 uniquely effective supplements from an array of companies known for producing extremely high-quality products.

"This year's winners include a number of exceptional supplements from a variety of companies including American Health, Bluebonnet, Essential Formulas, Garden of Life, Natural Factors, Natural Vitality, New Chapter, North American Herb & Spice, Solgar, and Wakunaga," notes Joanna Shaw, Group Publisher of Better Nutrition.

Choosing the best of the best from the myriad of supplements in the marketplace is not an easy task. In the past, products were divided among a range of categories such as heart health, immunity, and cognitive function. This year, the editors at Better Nutrition--along with noted health writers and experts--have picked their favorite supplements based on ingredients, uniqueness, popularity, reader feedback, and product reviews. The winners have been organized into an easy-to-use directory, creating an ultimate guide to supplements. Readers can look forward to seeing this year's Awards in the November 2011 print issue of Better Nutrition.

"November is my favorite issue of the year because I love letting readers know about high-quality products in our Best of Supplements Awards," says Nicole Brechka, Editor in Chief. "This year's award presentation was particularly rewarding because many of the winners are products we all use and love."

As a bonus, this year's Awards program will also include a listing of 40 honorable mentions that can be found online at www.betternutrition.com
Plus, readers can go online and enter to win a gift basket featuring the winning supplements.

The program is also extremely beneficial for both independent natural product retailers and supplement manufacturers. "Better Nutrition's Best of Supplements Awards can help increase sales by raising brand awareness and by acting as a catalyst to encourage readers to try new products," adds Shaw. "We're making it easier for our readers to do this by including a handy perforated shopping list that they can simply tear out and take with them on their next shopping trip."

According to a 2009 survey conducted by Ipsos-Public Affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, Washington, D.C., 65 percent of all adults in America use supplements, translating to an estimated $25 billion in sales. With continued growth expected to be in the double digits, it's more important than ever to help manufacturers and retailers in their promotional efforts while educating shoppers about the benefits of supplementation.

"Here at Better Nutrition, we are passionate about explaining to our readers how supplements work and why they are essential to healthy living in today's world," says Brechka. "These are products that can change your life!"

Source:
Better Nutrition
22 September 2011

Here's the Scoop about Brewer’s Yeast

Supplement Forms/Alternate Names

Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces boulardii; Dried Yeast Fermentate; Faex; Faex Medicinalis; Levure De Biere; Medicinal Yeast

Principal Proposed Uses:
Protein Supplement; Treatment for Various Forms of Diarrhea, including Traveler’s Diarrhea, Antibiotic-associated Diarrhea, and Acute Diarrhea

Other Proposed Uses:
Cold and Flu (Prevention);  Energy and Immune Support; High Cholesterol; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Weight Loss

Brewer’s yeast, also known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is commonly used in baking and the fermentation of beer; hence, the common name. Brewer’s yeast is rich in nutrients like chromium, B vitamins, protein, selenium, potassium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. It is the byproduct of beer brewing and can be grown on hops. Hops are the dried flowers that give beer its bitter taste. The yeast is separated from the beer after fermentation and processed. Aside from hops, the yeast can also be cultivated on other plants, like sugar beets.

Brewer’s yeast, along with its close cousin Saccharomyces boulardii, is considered a probiotic. Probiotics are foods or dietary supplements that contain organisms, like bacteria or yeast, which provide health benefits for humans. Along with brewer’s yeast, another example of a probiotic is yogurt with live and active bacteria cultures.

Bacteria and yeasts naturally live in our bodies, mainly in the digestive tract. Probiotics contain “good” bacteria or yeasts that keep our digestive tract functioning properly, as well as keeping the population of harmful or “bad” organisms low.

The probiotic activity of S. boulardii in particular has been studied in the treatment of a number of conditions including:
-Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
-Traveler’s diarrhea
-Acute diarrhea from any cause
-Irritable bowel syndrome
-Clostridium difficile colitis
-Lactose intolerance
In addition to its probiotic benefits, Brewer’s yeast has been used as a protein supplement and is promoted as an energy and immunity enhancer.

This article covers both S. cerevisiae and S boulardii.

Therapeutic Dosages
For adults, brewer’s yeast can be taken at a dose of 1-2 tablespoons per day. The powder form can be added to food or mixed with water or juice. 

Probiotics, in general, should have several billion microorganisms per dose. This makes it more likely that the bacteria or yeasts will grow in the gut. A standard dose of S. boulardii1  is 500 mg (milligrams) twice a day. This provides around 3 x 10 10-colony-forming units per gram. If taken to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea, for example, the yeast should be taken before and a few days after using antibiotics. The same is true for traveler’s diarrhea.

Therapeutic Uses
The strongest evidence supporting the benefits of brewer’s yeast is for diarrhea. Some studies have shown brewer’s yeast to be effective in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea, as well as relapsing colitis caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile. S. boulardii may fight this form of diarrhea by making enzymes that counteract the effect of toxins produced by C. difficile.

Since brewer’s yeast is a rich source of the mineral chromium, it has been studied for its ability to improve blood sugar control in patients with diabetes.
There has also been interest in studying the effectiveness of brewer’s yeast for losing weight, lowering cholesterol, and preventing colds and flu. However, it is still uncertain whether it is effective in these situations. 

What Is the Scientific Evidence for Brewer’s Yeast?
Determining the effectiveness of brewer’s yeast, as well as other probiotics, is hampered by the fact that many studies use combinations of differing bacterial and yeast strains. This makes it difficult to know whether only one or all of the components are needed for a beneficial effect. Nevertheless, a number of studies focusing only on S. boulardii or S. cerevisiae have shown beneficial effects.

Diarrhea
Numerous studies have investigated the benefits of S. boulardii5,  12,  13  in antibiotic-associated diarrhea and traveler's diarrhea in adults.

A mathematical analysis of ten randomized, controlled studies found S. boulardii5  to be effective for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

In a controlled, double-blind study involving 3,000 Austrian tourists traveling through hot climates, researchers found that S. boulardii13  started five days before departure and continued through the duration of travel significantly reduced the incidence of traveler’s diarrhea compared to placebo. The effectiveness was dependent on the dose given and its preparation.

A systematic review of studies focusing on the effectiveness of S. boulardii in preventing C. difficile infection (the bacteria that causes antibiotic-associated diarrhea), found that the yeast may be effective in protecting against reoccurring infections, but not necessarily first-time infections.

Other studies have also shown that S. boulardii   may reduce the duration of diarrhea in children.

Helicobacter Pylori
Helicobacter pylori, a common bacterium present in the stomach and upper intestines of some people, is associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcers. Treatment for H. pylori usually involves more than one antibiotic to suppress the bacteria. While there is little evidence that S. boulardii can help treat H. pylori, it may effectively reduce the side effects associated with standard treatment for this condition.

One clinical trial, for example, compared two groups of children aged 3-18 years infected with the H. pylori bacteria. One group was given medicines to treat the infection plus S. boulardii. The other group was given medicines plus a placebo. The group who took S. boulardii with their medicines had fewer side effects compared to the placebo group. Side effects included bloating, taste problems, and nausea.

Cold and Flu
A large, randomized trial found a positive effect for brewer’s yeast in preventing colds and seasonal influenza (flu). In the study, 116 adults who had received a flu shot were given either 500 mg of a brewer’s yeast product called EpiCor or placebo for 12 weeks. Researchers found that those who received Epicor had fewer colds and flu. And those on Epicor who did get a cold or flu were sick for a shorter length of time compared to participants taking placebo. Far more research is required before brewer’s yeast can be routinely recommended for the prevention of colds and flu.

Safety Issues
Brewer’s yeast, along with other probiotics, is generally considered safe. Some people may experience bloating or gas when taking probiotics. Those who should practice caution when using probiotics include people who are severely sick, have immune system issues, or those who have central venous catheters.

People allergic to yeast or who are more likely to have yeast infections should not take brewer’s yeast. Also, people with diabetes should talk to their doctor before taking brewer’s yeast, since it can interact with their medicines and cause lower than expected blood sugar.

Source:
Healthy Library Epnet
See references on healthy support website.

New Video: Cell Warfare that Causes Diabetes

Gary Robins writes,"the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology has created the first videos of the cell destruction that occurs in type 1 diabetes, an advance that could lead to better treatments for a disease that afflicts 3 million Americans."

The videos show immune system T-cells attacking insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas of research mice. In humans, this kind of attack can lead to type 1 diabetes, a potentially fatal disorder that requires insulin therapy.

"We now have a much better window into how type 1 diabetes occurs," says Ken Coppieters, who helped with the study as a researcher at the La Jolla Institute. He now works at Ghent University, Belgium.

"In the past, scientists would remove a pancreas and make sections of it. That gave you a snap shot of cellular destruction. But the videos let you see it happening. We're seeing the dynamics of a living organism."

The videos were created with the use of a still camera attached to a two-photon microscope. Researchers then edited together the images, creating a video that shows the sequence of events.

Coppieters said the videos already made it clear that, "The T-cells move randomly throughout the pancreas until they encounter the beta cells, where they slow down and release toxic substances that eventually kill the beta cells. What was most surprising is that this 'kiss of death' takes quite a while. Elaborate calculations indicated a timeline in the order of hours (to kill a few beta cells."

See Video

Sources:
La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Ghent University, American Diabetes Association
20 December 2011

Omega-3 Benefits Include Cutting Cancer and Dementia Risk

New research reveals that an essential fatty acid found in oily fish, omega-3, can slow down the growth of prostate cancer & prevent dementia developing later on in life.

Scientists in the US tested prostate tissue samples taken from men that had prostate cancer. Some of the men were put on a Western diet, with high levels of omega-6 fatty acids & low levels of omega-3 fatty acids. The other men were put on a low fat diet supplemented by five grams of fish oil per day.

The scientists tested blood samples before & after the diet commenced. Published in Journal Cancer Prevention Research, the results showed that four to six weeks on a low fat diet with fish oil supplements could slow the growth of prostate cancer. The men on the Western diet without fish oil supplements did not experience the same effect.

Study leader Professor William Aronson, from the University of California at Los Angeles, said:'The lower the rate of proliferation, the lesser the chances that the cancer will spread outside the prostate, where it is much harder to treat.'

The diet appeared to alter the fatty acid composition of prostate cell membranes, and similar results were previously obtained from laboratory cell cultures and animals. Professor Aronson is now planning a larger study of 100 men with prostate cancers.

This study comes after news that eating a diet rich in omega-3 may prevent dementia later in life. Researchers at Northumbria University discovered that eating oily fish increased blood flow to the brain, and improved reaction times in 18-35 year olds as well as reducing levels of mental fatigue.

Increased blood flow to the brain is important for older people, since it may prevent cognitive decline & dementia. Researchers now plan to conduct a study on omega-3 use in people aged 50-70.

Source:
www.activequote.com
3 November 2011

Patient claims Acne medication caused Crohn's Disease

NEW ORLEANS - After being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, an Assumption Parish resident has filed a lawsuit against a local doctor for prescribing an acne medication that he claims caused the disease.

Herbert claims defendant Ricardo Mora, M.D. prescribed Accutane, a brand name for isotretinoin, to treat his acne in 2009.

Herbert states he began suffering from dry, swollen lips, dry eyes and headaches and his acne became worse. After a month of treatment, the prescription was discontinued. More than a year later, Herbert was put in the hospital and diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, an inflammatory bowel disease.

Herbert argues that the disease was caused by the acne drug.

Defendant Barr Laboratories is accused of violating the Louisiana Products Liability Act by constructing, composing, manufacturing, marketing and distributed a defective and unreasonably dangerous drug.
Defendant Mora is accused of violating the standard of care applicable to dermatology by prescribing 40 mg of isotretinoin.

The plaintiff is seeking damages for medical expenses, loss of earnings and earning capacity, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, scarring and disfigurement, court costs and interest.

Herbert is represented by Donald W. Price of Due, Price, Guidry, Piedrahita & Andrews in Baton Rouge and Plaquemine attorney Allen J. Myles.

U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:12-cv-00082

Source:Louisiana Record
1/23/2012
By Michelle Keahey

Probiotic Yogurt may Help in Weight Loss

In a breakthrough research, the food scientists at the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (IAFDA) and Cork University, Ireland, have created friendly bacteria which when added to yogurt might help shed excess body fat.

According to the research team, these bacteria can alter other bacteria, naturally found in gut and probiotic yogurt, to produce a molecule that has been shown to reduce the amount of fat tissue present in body. The study findings will be helpful in producing designer probiotic yogurt and drinks that might help cut obesity risk.

Lead researcher Catherine Stanton, from the IAFDA, said, "Fat is not an inert layer around our bodies, it is active and pro-inflammatory. It is a risk factor for many diseases, including cancers. "This work shows that there is potential to influence fat tissue through diet-microbe-host interactions in the gut. It opens up new possibilities for the use of probiotics for improving human health."

Study details:
For the study purpose, Stanton along with his colleagues created a new strain of Lactobacillus bacteria, which is found in human gut and facilitates digestion of food by inserting a transgene from Propionibacterium acnes. Propionibacterium acnes is another type of bacteria which naturally produces polysaturated fatty acids t10, c12 Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA).

Study findings:
When the genetically engineered Lactobacillus were administered to laboratory mice, it was found that the levels of t10, c12-CLA in the body fat increased by four times as compared to mice who were fed the control strain. Also, the concentration of the molecule was found 2.5 times higher in rodents' liver as compared to mice in control group.

Recent researches have shown that the molecules t10, c12-CLA are capable of shrinking fat cells, leading to overall reduction in body fat. Previous animal studies have shown that these molecules also inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells. "CLA has already been shown to alleviate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that often accompanies obesity. Therefore, increasing levels of CLA in the liver by ingestion of a probiotic strain is of therapeutic relevance. "It is possible that a CLA- producing probiotic may also be able to keep colon cancer cells in check,” Dr Stanton added.

Source:
www.themedguru.com
January 18, 2011

Revoluntionary Pain Relief Device

What Makes MVT Relief “Revolutionary?”

MicroVibration Therapy is a pain relief Technology that is unique as well as patented. It combines four separate pain management therapy technologies into one powerful massage tool that is called the Personal Relief Assistant - or The MVT Relief Device

Its called MicroVibration Therapy (MVT™) and it synergistically combines the tested sciences of massage therapy, light therapy, sound therapy and magnetic therapy combined together to create a very powerful union of treatment for relief of pain.

The Personal Relief Assistant devices help to alleviate discomfort and pain very much like a massage device, and they do so by using a 4-in-1 natural pain relief method.

Harness Your Body's Healing Power For Natural Pain Relief

They have found that the MVT Relief Device stimulates the body's cells and tissues, which causes them to rapidly and dramatically improve circulation and other vital cellular activities that promotes natural pain relief. This encourages the body's own healing processes to take place as a result of physical stimulation at the precise site of chronic pain. MicroVibration Therapy also helps in pain management like back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, etc. by relieving muscle tension and discomfort.

Painless Movement, Natural Healing

MicroVibration Therapy is revolutionary, breakthrough technology. It improves muscle relaxation, helps relieve discomfort, improves energy and also increases a sense of well being. Most pain is worsened by a lack of movement, usually in hopes of preventing further pain. However, it is essential for people to engage in physical activity so as to stimulate natural physiological movement of the body's chemicals and hormones. MicroVibration Therapy soothes while helping your body target painful and cramped areas. It directs a healthy flow of circulation to those areas for quick pain relief.

What Types of Pain Can MVT Treat?

Patients report that they have experienced relief from many conditions as a result of using the MVT Relief. Below is an abbreviated list:

• Chronic arthritis or fibromyalgia pain


• Migraine Headaches


• Neck and back pain


• Relief from sports injuries


• Shortened healing times for sprains and muscle strains


• Increased relaxation of muscle tension


• Allergic symptoms


• Muscle & tendon injury in animals


• Relief of gastrointestinal discomforts


• Diabetic neuropathy


• Dental pain


• Relief for animals

 

Robert D. Milne, M.D. - Inventor

Dr. Milne graduated from the University of Southern California and the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. Board Certified in Family Medicine. Dr. Milne is considered a pioneer in complementary medicine, practicing Integrative Medicine for over twenty five years. He is a contributing author of Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (1993) and co-author of the Definitive Guide to Headaches (1997). He is an inventor, frequent lecturer and practices integrative medicine in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sigma Tau offers relief to UC and patients with Pouchitis

Maker of VSL#3 probiotic offers assistance program for ulcerative colitis and ileal pouch patients
Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals Sponsors program for prescription-only medical food - VSL#3® DS -- for dietary management of UC and ileal pouch

People who have Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Ileal Pouch know that finding the right regimen for extending their time between flares is crucial to successfully living with the condition. The solution is often a personalized combination of drugs, dietary changes and, for many, the addition of VSL#3®, a probiotic medical food designated for the dietary management of these conditions. Now, Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc., maker of VSL#3 medical food is sponsoring a Patient Assistance Program (PAP) to help in-need patients obtain its prescription-only double strength formulation VSL#3 DS.

The VSL#3 DS Patient Assistance Program is one of the first to provide assistance for a probiotic preparation. Sigma-Tau created this program in reaction to patient response to the product.

"We hear from many patients that VSL#3 DS is integral in the routine they adhere to in order to manage their diets," said Mary Berry, senior product manager at Sigma-Tau. "While this product is covered as a Tier 3 co-pay in many prescription plans, there are still many patients who do not have coverage and cannot afford to keep using it. We want to change that and make sure people who depend on VSL#3 DS can obtain it."

VSL#3 stands apart from other probiotics since it is not a supplement – it is a refrigerated medical food. It is one of the few probiotic preparations supported by Level 1 (double-blind, placebo-controlled) scientific data, and has been the subject of a collection of more than 80 studies that have demonstrated its application in the dietary management of IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, and Ileal Pouch.

VSL#3 DS delivers 900 billion bacteria per packet (up to 22.5 times more potent than the average probiotic) and consists of 8 strains of live, freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria. It is the only probiotic recognized as an effective tool in the dietary management of ileal pouch by the American College of Gastroenterology 1 and by the Cochrane Review 2.

The VSL#3 DS PAP varies with each patient depending on individual evaluation. The eligibility criteria for this program is that the patient must have an applicable diagnosis or physician referral, be a legal U.S. resident, and must meet a financial need criteria.

Decisions for coverage are usually announced within two business days after applying. The product is shipped directly to the patient, and one can reapply for assistance every November to ensure continued supply of the probiotic.

To apply for assistance or contact a representative with questions about the program, patients call             1-877-279-2479

1 - Kornbluth, A, Sachar DB. Ulcerative colitis practice guidelines in adults: American College of Gastroenterology, Practice Parameters Committee.; Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology. AM J. Gastroenterol. 2010 Mar; 105(3):501-23. 2Holubar SD et al., (Review) The Cochrane Library 2010, Issue 6.

Source: Sigma Tau
January 31 2012

The Skin Gun

Have you heard about the Skin Gun?

Please watch this YouTube clip