Woman Health
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Possible Connection between Endometriosis, Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis
According to a new long-term study, Women with endometriosis may be up to 80% more likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis compared to women without the uterine disorder.
Endometriosis occurs when the uterine lining (the endometrium) grows outside of the uterus. Symptoms include abdominal pain, heavy menstrual periods & infertility. Exactly why the conditions may be linked is not fully understood. They may share common causes or perhaps the birth control pills used to treat endometriosis may increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease.
The study included nearly 38,000 Danish women who were hospitalized for endometriosis from 1997 to 2007. After 13 years of follow-up, 320 of these women developed inflammatory bowel disease, including 228 cases of ulcerative colitis & 92 cases of Crohn's disease.
The research, led by Dr. Tine Jess, an epidemiologist at Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, says that overall, women with endometriosis had a 50% higher odds of developing IBD compared to women in the general population. The increased risk lasted for up to 20 years after being diagnosed with endometriosis. The team noted that the risk was even more pronounced among women whose endometriosis was verified surgically. Among these women, the risk for IBD jumped to 80% compared to women without endometriosis in the general population.
Inflammatory bowel disease is the umbrella term for ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease & related conditions. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammation of the inner lining of the colon. By contrast, Crohn's disease involves all layers of the intestine and can occur in both the small intestine & the colon. Symptoms of both include persistent diarrhea, cramps or abdominal pain, blood passing through the rectum, fever & weight loss.
Dr Tine Jess said,"this is the first study undertaken to investigate the association between endometriosis & inflammatory bowel disease. Persisting abdominal symptoms in patients with endometriosis may be a sign of concomitant inflammatory bowel disease."
One expert said the finding should be taken seriously.
"If you have endometriosis first, this may lead to having an increased risk of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's," said Dr. Maurice Cerulli, the program director of gastroenterology at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New Hyde Park, N.Y. While more research is needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn, Cerulli said that doctors should consider both endometriosis & inflammatory bowel disease when a woman has pain & abdominal symptoms. "Both conditions are treated differently," he said.
While the study found an association between endometriosis & inflammatory bowel disease, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
Source:
health.usnews.com
21 December 2011
Fatty acids can help ease PMS symptoms
According to the results of study by researchers at a Brazilian university, taking dietary supplements containing essential fatty acids can help reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
The study, published in the Journal Reproductive Health, found that taking capsules containing about 1 gram of a blend of three essential fatty acids produced a significant reduction in PMS symptoms.
Essential Fatty Acids are substances that are not produced by the human body and are only available from diet. Eggs, nuts, vegetable oils and fish are examples of foods that provide such acids, which are also available in supplement form.
The study, authored by researchers from the Federal University of Pernambuco, is not the first to address the possible link between PMS and essential fatty acids, substances that play a complicated role in a woman's reproductive system. The study cites research dating back to 1983 examining such a possible link.
According to the study, the 120 women who participated reported few side effects, and most of those were mild and may have been due to sensitivity to mineral oil, the placebo taken by some of the participants.
The supplements taken by women in the study contained 210 mg of gamma linolenic acid, 175 mg of oleic acid, 345 mg of linoleic acid, 250 mg of other polyunsaturated acids and 20 mg of vitamin E, according to researchers.
According to the study, women who took the supplements for six months saw a bigger benefit than those who took them for three months.
The researchers do not make any recommendation in their study about whether women who suffer from PMS should increase their intake of essential fatty acids or, instead, consult with their doctor. Other treatments studied for PMS include Vitamin B6, ascorbic acid and Niacin.
Source:
www.cnn.com
January 17, 2011
Keeping Your Skin Young
Nourishing your body from within, will make a difference in the way your skin looks & ages.
The biggest mistake made while dieting is cutting out essential fatty acids (EFAs). Essential fatty acids not only support the cardiovascular, immune, reproductive & nervous systems, they enable the body to create new cells, repair the damaged cells & get rid of toxins. A recent research says that EFAs are not only effective against dry skin but are also pivotal in weight loss.
New skin cells are constantly formed to replace old or damaged ones, but if we deprive the body of the right nutrients while dieting, the skin starts to lose its ability to renew these cells. It also loses moisture & elasticity. Just when you start fitting into those 'small' size outfits, your skin starts looking dull & dry.
Cosmetologist, Dr Mohan Thomas says, "The best way to keep your skin soft & supple is to give it the right nutrients, then protect it with a shielding lotion that significantly reduces the loss of natural oils & moisture." The body naturally makes a protective layer on the skin to prevent outside irritants from harming the skin and to keep natural oils & moisture locked in to avoid aging and dry skin.
Environmental toxins, soaps & chemicals take their toll on our skin every day. In addition to feeding your skin from the inside, you also have to protect it from the outside. A shielding lotion replenishes the protective layer of the skin and allows your skin to use all the good nutrition to produce glowing skin - the perfect complement to your toned and healthy body.
Diet plays a major role:
Diet plays an important role in maintaining the health of your skin. Your nutritional diet will consist of liberal quantities of seeds, grains & nuts, vegetables, fruits, skimmed milk, vegetable oils, yogurt, honey & yeast.
The vitamin power:
If your skin is unusually dry & rough, you are probably lacking vitamin A. B group vitamins help to keep skin beautiful. Vitamin B1 aids skin health while B2 or riboflavin deficiency can lead to brown pigmentation and oily skin. Severe deficiency of riboflavin causes the skin under the nose and at the corners of the eyes and mouth to crack and become sore. The antioxidants in vitamin C help form collagen and protein that bind cells and tissues together.
The trick:
Brewer's yeast is very important. Even someone with great skin will see improvement after taking. Take a tbsp of yeast stirred into citrus juice or water after each meal, between meals, and before retiring. Citrus foods play an important role in keeping your skin looking young.
Manage stress:
Stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger problems like acne breakouts. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results may be more dramatic than you expect
Be gentle:
Limit bath time: Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm, rather than hot water.
Use mild soaps: Avoid strong soaps that can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers with minimal fragrance. Pat dry: After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin. Moisturise dry skin: Find a moisturizer that fits your skin type and makes your skin look and feel soft. Apply your moisturizing cream immediately after bathing and towelling dry. This will seal in the moisture. For your day cream, choose one that contains zinc oxide and provides SPF30 or more protection. Baby oil can also be used to moisturize the skin.
Cleanse well: Very often, your skin looks superficially clean; but it's really not. Dirt & dust particles hide in the pores of the skin and clog sweat. Proper cleansing not only removes all the make-up which accumulates during the day, but also stops the oil-secreting sebaceous glands from getting clogged. Go for a neutral ph face wash.
Source:
The Times Of India
26 October 2011
Essential Fatty Acids and Vitamin E Reduce PMS Symptoms
For women who suffer with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including mood swings, fatigue, food cravings, and tender breasts, a pill containing essential oils and vitamin E may bring relief. That is the finding of new research presented in the journal of Reproductive Health.
PMS symptoms are relieved with essential fatty acids
Approximately 75 percent of menstruating women experience some degree of PMS symptoms. For some women, the physical and emotional symptoms are so severe their daily lives are disrupted. In addition to the symptoms already mentioned, problems with concentration, crying spells, joint or muscle pain, headache, sleep disturbances, weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, and anxiety can be added to the list.
Scientists from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, have discovered that a supplement containing various essential fatty acids, as well as vitamin E, can significantly reduce PMS symptoms as soon as three months after starting treatment.
Edilberto Rocha Filho and his research team reported that “administration of 1 or 2 grams of essential fatty acids to patients with PMS results in a significant decrease in symptoms scores.” These improvements were achieved without a corresponding increase in total cholesterol.
A total of 120 women (average age, 32 years) participated in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which lasted six months. The supplements contained 210 mg of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), 175 mg of oleic acid, 345 mg of linoleic acid, 250 mg of other polyunsaturated acids, and 20 mg of vitamin E.
Women who took the supplement for six months experienced a bigger improvement than those who took the supplement for three months. Only one woman in the treatment groups experienced mild abdominal discomfort, which disappeared during the second month of taking the supplement.
Gamma linolenic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid found mostly in vegetable oils, including evening primrose, borage, and black currant seed. Most of these oils also contain linoleic acid. Once in the body, linoleic acid is converted to GLA. Research suggests GLA helps reduce inflammation. Much of the GLA taken as a supplement is transformed into DGLA, which is an anti-inflammatory.
Oleic acid is a monounsaturated, omega-9 fatty acid. It is found in vegetables oils, including olive oil, and has been shown to lower cholesterol levels.
This is not the first study to show that essential fatty acids may help relieve PMS symptoms. Other effective remedies may include calcium, chasteberry, ginkgo, vitamin B6, and magnesium.
Source:
Mayo Clinic
Rocha Filho EA et al. Reproductive Health University of Maryland Medical Center
2011 Jan 17
Essential Fatty Acids & Vitamin E Reduce PMS Symptoms
New research presented in the Journal Reproductive Health reveals that women who suffer with symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), including mood swings, fatigue, food cravings, and tender breasts, can take a pill containing essential oils and vitamin E which may bring relief.
Approximately 75% of menstruating women experience some degree of PMS symptoms. For some women, the physical and emotional symptoms are so severe their daily lives are disrupted. Problems with concentration, crying spells, joint or muscle pain, headache, sleep disturbances, weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, and anxiety can be added to the list of symptoms already mentioned.
Scientists from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, have discovered that a supplement containing a variety of Essential Fatty Acids,including vitamin E, can significantly reduce PMS symptoms as soon as 3 months after starting treatment. Edilberto Rocha Filho and his research team reported that “administration of 1 or 2 grams of essential fatty acids to patients with Premenstrual syndrome results in a significant decrease in symptoms scores.” These improvements were achieved without a corresponding increase in total cholesterol.
A total of 120 women (average age, 32 years) participated in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which lasted 6 months. The supplements contained 210 mg of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), 175 mg of oleic acid, 345 mg of linoleic acid, 250 mg of other polyunsaturated acids, and 20 mg of vitamin E.
Women who took the supplement for six months experienced a bigger improvement than those who took the supplement for 3 months. Only one woman in the treatment groups experienced mild abdominal discomfort, which disappeared during the second month of taking the supplement.
Gamma linolenic acid is an Omega-6 fatty acid found mostly in vegetable oils, including evening primrose, borage, and black currant seed. Most of these oils also contain linoleic acid. Once in the body, linoleic acid is converted to GLA.
Research suggests Gamma linolenic acid helps reduce inflammation. Much of the GLA taken as a supplement is transformed into DGLA, which is an anti-inflammatory.
Oleic acid is a monounsaturated, omega-9 fatty acid. It is found in vegetables oils, including olive oil, and has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. There has been other studies, besides this one to show that essential fatty acids may help relieve PMS symptoms. Other effective remedies may include calcium, chasteberry, vitamin B6, magnesium and ginkgo.
Source:
www.emaxhealth.com
16 March 2011
Omega 3 study in $7.5 million grant to aid breast cancer
Researchers at the Penn State Cancer Research Institute have received $7.5 million from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Research Program to look at ways to reduce high breast density, a risk factor for breast cancer.
Specifically, the study is examining the effect omega 3 essential fatty acids and of a low dose of antiestrogen medications on high breast density.
The grant, given through Komen's Promise Grants, is one of the largest awarded by Komen for the Cure.
The four-year study includes both clinical trials and animal research, according to Dr. Andrea Manni, one of two researchers heading up the project at the Cancer Institute.
The human part of the study includes five experimental arms involving different dosages of Raloxifene (Evista), an antiestrogen; Lovaza, a prescription dietary supplement of omega-3 fatty acids approved by the Food and Drug Administration; and a combination of the two.
Source:
The Patriot-News
Tuesday July 14, 2009
Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy Recommended for Menopause
Dr Steven Brody MD, gynecologist and assistant clinical professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine, presented information on bio-identical hormone therapy in menopause at The Scripps Conference on Natural Supplements in La Jolla, California.
In Brody’s opinion, conjugated hormones - namely Premarin, which consists of about six different conjugated estrogens derived from the urine of pregnant mares, is “one of the worst offenders for woman’s health in the last 50-100 years. It’s natural for horses, not for women,” he said.
Dr. Steven Brody was trained at Yale and Stanford Universities, where he said he was taught the “party line” about hormones. Like other gynecologists of this time, he too prescribed synthetic hormones as a cure-all for hot flashes, heart diseases, osteoporosis and memory loss. “It was said to be free of serious side effects,” he explained.
Brody recommends bio-identical hormone therapy for his patients who need relief from menopausal symptoms. If used properly, there are a myriad of benefits,” he says.
■Eliminates hot flashes
■Improves mood and concentration
■Improves vitality
■Decreases wrinkles
■Maintains skin collagen
■Improves fine motor skills
■Increases sexual interest
■Decreases memory lapses
■Reduces heart risks
■Reduces painful intercourse
■Reduces night sweats
Add bone health to this list as well. “Estrogen is for the prevention - not treatment- of osteoporosis in early post-menopausal women,” he explained.
Dr. Brody’s presentation also covered bio-identical progesterone, “which should always be used if the uterus is intact. Natural progesterone improves sleep, breathing, blood pressure, mood and fat metabolism,” he explained. He recommended using natural, micronized progesterone or transdermally with a topical gel or cream.
Dr. Brody spoke too about bio-identical testosterone. He told the audience that it “may improve well being, increase sexual interest, and should be used topically, either added to the estrogen gel or used separately.”
Dr Brody also said that many women will experience benefits from taking bio-identical DHEA, an adrenal androgen, which declines with age and is a precursor to estrogen and testosterone. “It can enhance immune function, improve sleep and well being, and increase lean body mass.”
Several years ago, Steven A. Brody developed a male infertility treatment, Proceptin, to help increase healthy sperm counts in men wanting to have children. The treatment was developed based on research from over 60 fertility studies.
Falling in Love take about a fifth of a Second
According to a new study lead by Stephanie Ortigue, love science expert at Syracuse University, falling in love only takes about a fifth of a second. What’s more, to your brain it has the same effect as cocaine.
These findings were published in a new study titled “The Neuroimaging of Love.” Scientists working on the project used imaging tools to study the areas of the brain activated when thinking about a loved one.
Enough to make romantic poets and writers turn over in their graves; the study gives yet another scientific explanation of attraction. The findings of Stephanie Ortigue, love science expert, support a long-suspected theory on the source of amorous feelings. Apparently, the moment one person falls for another, 12 areas of the brain work in tandem to release dopamine, oxytocin, adrenaline, and vasopression into the bloodstream. These highly addictive substances, released in the presence of a loved one, basically train the person to become addicted to their mate.
This is what makes breaking up so hard. Still, the Syracuse professor by no means claims to understand all facets of emotional bonding. Check out her convoluted answer when asked the age-old question: “Does the heart fall in love, or the brain?”
“That’s a tricky question always. I would say the brain, but the heart is also related because the complex concept of love is formed by both bottom-up and top-down processes from the brain to the heart and vice versa. For instance, activation in some parts of the brain can generate stimulations to the heart, butterflies in the stomach. Some symptoms we sometimes feel as a manifestation of the heart may sometimes be coming from the brain.”
What’s interesting is the fact that feelings of love stem from the same area of the brain targeted by pain-killing drugs. This may explain why those addicted to strong pain-killers have such strong emotional side effects.
Source:
Journal of Sexual Medicine
Oct 2010
High Cholesterol Affect a Woman's Sex Life.
A new study indicates that high cholesterol is not only bad for heart, but it can also affect a woman's sex life. It could also make it harder for women to become sexually aroused.
Raised levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood, is associated with erectile dysfunction in men, because the build-up of fats in blood vessel walls can reduce blood flow to erectile tissue. Since some aspects of female sexual arousal also rely on increased blood flow to the genitals, Katherine Esposito and her colleagues at the Second University of Naples in Italy compared sexual function in premenopausal women with and without high cholesterol - hyperlipidemia.
Women with hyperlipidemia reported significantly lower arousal, orgasm, lubrication and sexual satisfaction scores than women with normal blood lipid profiles.
32% of the women with abnormal profiles scored low enough on a scale of female sexual function to be diagnosed with FSD, compared with 9 per cent of women with normal levels .
Women's sexual desire was not affected by hyperlipidemia.
In a separate paper, Annamaria Veronelli at the University of Milan, Italy, and her colleagues found that female sexual dysfunction was also associated with diabetes, obesity and an underactive thyroid gland
Geoffrey Hackett, a urologist at the Holly Cottage Clinic in Fisherwick, UK says, "These two papers suggest that there are strong connections between women's sexual arousal and organic diseases in the same way that men's sexual problems arise. This is currently not even considered in women."
There are strong connections between loss of women's sexual arousal and disease
Hackett therefore suggests that a loss of sexual arousal in women might be an indicator of other underlying conditions.
Source:
Journal of Sexual Medicine DOI: 0.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01242.x.
and
Journal of Sexual Medicine, DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01284.x
Sept 2009
Hormone replacement increases kidney stone risk
According to new Research from Reuters Health, Women who take hormone replacement after menopause are at increased risk of developing kidney stones.
"It doesn't mean that women should stop taking hormone therapy based on this fact, but it does need to be taken into account when deciding to take the hormones or not," Dr. Naim M. Maalouf of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, one of the study's authors, told Reuters Health.
He says that from 5 to 7 percent of postmenopausal women in the U.S. suffer from kidney stones . Kidney stones aren't just extremely painful when they are passed out of the bladder; "people who have kidney stones over time tend to have more kidney damage," Maalouf said.
Studies to date of the relationship between hormone therapy and kidney stones have had mixed results. To investigate, Maalouf and his colleagues reviewed data from the Women's Health Initiative, the largest-ever randomized controlled trial of hormone therapy for postmenopausal women.
Their analysis included 10,700 postmenopausal women who had undergone hysterectomy and were randomly assigned to take estrogen or placebo, and another 16,600 who hadn't had hysterectomies and were put on either estrogen and progestin or placebo. Women in the first group were followed for nearly six years, while the women in the second group were followed for seven years.
Women on estrogen or the estrogen-progestin combination were 21 percent more likely to develop kidney stones during the follow-up period, the researchers found. When the researchers limited their analysis to women who didn't quit taking their medication during the study period, kidney stone risk was 39 percent greater with the hormones.
Given a woman's baseline risk for developing kidney stones of 7 percent, the study's results mean that a postmenopausal woman's risk rises when taking hormone therapy to between 8.5 percent and 10 percent.
The process by which kidney stones form is "complex," the researchers note, and has both environmental and genetic roots; there are also several points in this process that could be affected by estrogen, they add.
White women are at greater risk of developing kidney stones than women from other ethnicities, Maalouf noted, while obesity has also been associated with an increased tendency to form kidney stones. Drinking plenty of fluids can help prevent kidney stones, while eating too much salt or too much protein can make them more likely to develop, he added.
SOURCE:
reuters.com
October 11, 2010
Hot flashes Helped by Hop Cones
A recent European survey shows that hot flashes are the symptoms most often reported by women during menopause.
American and Asian studies also suggest a high prevalence of hot flashes among women recognized worldwide as the main symptom of complaint during menopause.
In order to reduce such discomforts, more and more women are looking today for natural, effective and safe solutions.
Among the various plants traditionally used today, female hop cones show very promising results in the
innovation field.
Studies published in the past decade have revealed the link between the estrogenic activity of hops and its content in 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) molecule reported to be the most active phytoestrogen known to date.
Source:
LifefactorResearch.com
Iron Deficiency or Hypoferremia
Iron deficiency (sideropenia or hypoferremia) is one of the most commonly known forms of nutritional deficiencies.
In the human body, iron is present in all cells and has several vital functions—as a carrier of oxygen to the tissues from the lungs in the form of hemoglobin, as a transport medium for electrons within the cells in the form of cytochromes, and as an integral part of enzyme reactions in various tissues. Too little iron can interfere with these vital functions and lead to morbidity and mortality.
The direct consequence of iron deficiency is iron deficiency anemia. Groups that are most prone to developing this disease are children and pre-menopausal women.
Total body iron averages approximately 3.8 g in men and 2.3 g in women. In blood plasma, iron is carried tightly bound to the protein transferrin.
Bacteria, like human cells, require iron for growth, and restricting its bioavailability in this way prevents their infectious growth. Indeed, during fever, one way of controlling bacteria growth is through temporary hypoferremia.
There are several mechanisms that control human iron metabolism and safeguard against iron deficiency. The main regulatory mechanism is situated in the gastrointestinal tract. When loss of iron is not sufficiently compensated by adequate intake after some time that is determined by the state of body iron storage, iron deficiency develops.
Iron-Deficiency Anemia
It is a common, easily treated condition that occurs when you don't have enough iron in your body.
Low iron levels usually are due to blood loss, poor diet, or an inability to absorb enough iron from foods.
Iron-deficiency anemia is a common type. The term "anemia" refers to a condition where your blood has a lower than normal amount of red blood cells. Red blood cells are the ones that carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body.
Anemia may occur if your red blood cells don’t contain enough hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that aids in carrying oxygen to your body.
Iron-deficiency anemia usually occurs over time if your body doesn’t have enough iron to build healthy red blood cells. Without enough iron, your body starts to use the iron it has stored. Then the stored iron gets used up. When this happens, your body makes fewer red blood cells and the red blood cells made will have less hemoglobin than normal.
Iron-deficiency anemia may cause
fatigue (tiredness),
shortness of breath,
chest pain,
and other symptoms.
Severe iron-deficiency anemia may cause heart problems, infections, problems with growth and development in children, and other complications.
Those at highest risk for iron-deficiency anemia include infants and young children, women, and adults who have internal bleeding.
Iron overload is known as Hemochromatosis
Source:
US Department of Health Services
Sept 2009
Iron Overload - The Truth About Hemochromatosis
As women, we are often reminded about our special need for iron and we often consume iron supplements because we believe “it’s good for us.” But for over one million Americans, supplementing iron intake could have devastating consequences. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “In the United States more than one million people have the gene mutation that can cause hemochromatosis.” People of European descent are most likely to have the gene mutation that causes iron overload which can lead to hemochromatosis.
What is Iron Overload?
Iron overload occurs when, after many years, the body absorbs an abundance of iron which builds up in organ tissues such as the heart and/or liver. Iron overload is a serious chronic condition that must be properly diagnosed and treated. Undiagnosed iron overload can lead to hemochromatosis -- a potentially life-threatening disease.
Hemochromatosis occurs as a result of significant iron overload. In the U.S., more than 1 million people have hemochromatosis. While the majority of cases are genetic in origin, other non-genetic causes may occur such as complications from other blood disorders, chronic transfusion therapy, chronic hepatitis, and excessive iron intake.
What are the Symptoms of Iron Overload or Hemochromatosis?
While there is no distinct set of symptoms that indicate iron overload, early symptoms of iron overload or hemochromatosis include:
•Fatigue
•Weakness
•Weight loss
•Joint pain
•Abdominal pain
As iron overload progresses, patients often experience:
•Arthritis
•Symptoms of Gonadal failure
•Dyspnea or shortness of breath
Certain conditions are associated with the advanced stages of hemochromatosis. These conditions include:
•Arthritis
•Abnormal liver function
•Glucose intolerance
•Diabetes
•Severe fatigue
•Hypopituitarism
•Hypogonadism
•Cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia
•Liver cirrhosis
•Liver cancer
•Heart failure
•Gray or bronze skin pigmentation
Other factors may influence the progression of hemochromatosis. These factors include:
•Excess iron in the diet
•Alcohol consumption
•Vitamin C intake
•Infections
•Iron lost through menstruation or blood donations
•Environmental factors
How is Iron Overload Diagnosed?
Diagnosing iron overload or hemochromatosis early is essential for preventing many of the disease’s potentially life-threatening consequences. Although routine medical checkups do not include testing for iron overload, diagnosis is as simple as running two simple, inexpensive, blood tests. Fasting is required for both the transferrin saturation and serum ferritinblood tests. If you have a close blood relative who has been diagnosed with hemochromatosis, ask your healthcare provider to run these simple and life-saving tests today.
What is the Treatment for Iron Overload or Hemochromatosis?
The preferred treatment for reducing iron levels in hemochromatosis patients is called therapeutic phlebotomy. Phlebotomy is simply the removing of blood from the body. Begun early, phlebotomy prevents much of the damage that is caused by iron overload. Patients who have no evidence of tissue or organ damage when diagnosed can often expect a full and normal life. Patients who already have organ or tissue damage can stop the progression of hemochromatosis and expect no further damage, a reduction in symptoms, and improved life expectancy once phlebotomy begins.
The usual course of treatment is phlebotomy in which one unit of whole blood is removed once or twice weekly. Phlebotomy continues until all excess iron is removed. Iron levels in the blood are monitored continuously throughout treatment. The length and frequency of treatment is determined by patient age, gender, reason for diagnosis, and severity of symptoms.
Once normal iron levels are achieved, the frequency of phlebotomy may be reduced to three or four times a year according to individual patient symptoms and levels of hemoglobin and serum ferritin.
Iron Deficiency is known as Hypoferremia.
Source:
Centers for Disease Control - CDC. Hemochromotosis and Iron Overload. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemochromatosis/. Accessed 07/22/09.
Lemon Balm effective in Reducing Stress & Promoting Sleep
In response to the increasingly growing demand, many studies conducted in the phytotherapy arena have tried to identify the plants presenting the best soothing and anti-stress qualities.
Several cooperative trials have shown the significant relaxing properties of lemon balm and demonstrated its superior effectiveness at lower doses when compared to valerian and passion flower – two of the most utilized plants in sedative pharmaceutical applications.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a member of the mint family, is considered a "calming" herb. It was used in the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort associated with digestion (including flatulence and bloating as well as colic). Even before the Middle Ages, lemon balm was steeped in wine to lift the spirits, help heal wounds, and treat venomous insect bites and stings.
In a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 18 healthy volunteers received two separate single doses of a standardized lemon balm extract (300 mg and 600 mg) or placebo for 7 days. The 600 mg dose of lemon balm increased mood and significantly increased calmness and alertness.
Research:
Kennedy DO, Little W, Haskell CF, Scholey AB. Anxiolytic effects of a combination of Melissa officinalis and Valeriana officinalis during laboratory induced stress. Phytother Res. 2006;20(2):96-102.
Kennedy DO, Scholey AB, Tildesley NT, Perry EK, Wesnes KA. Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm). Psychosom Med. 2004 Jul-Aug;66(4):607-13.
Ballard CG, O'Brien JT, Reichelt K, Perry EK. Aromatherapy as a safe and effective treatment for the management of agitation in severe dementia: the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with Melissa. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002;63(7):553-8.
Patora J, Klimek B. Flavonoids from lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L., Lamiaceae). Acta Pol Pharm. 2002;59(2):139-43.
Muller SF, Klement S. A combination of valerian and lemon balm is effective in the treatment of restlessness and dyssomnia in children. Phytomedicine. 2006;13(6):383-7.
Kennedy DO, Wake G, Savelev S, et al., Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of single doses of Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) with human CNS nicotinic and muscarinic receptor-binding properties. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003;28(10):1871-81.
Lose Weight with Help of Gut Flora
Losing weight without eating less or exercising more may sound too good to be true. But not if you get bacteria to do the work for you. We know that gut bacteria play a vital role in digestion. But now it seems that increasing levels of one type of human gut microbe can help people lose excess weight.
Image Courtesy:the-scientist.com
Yukio Kadooka and colleagues in Japan gave 87 overweight volunteers 100 grams of fermented milk - which is used to make yoghurt - twice a day, while they continued with their normal diets. The milk drunk by half of the group was enriched with Lactobacillus gasseri. After 12 weeks, these volunteers had lost an average of 1 kilogram, while their counterparts showed no change in weight.
Scans revealed that they had lost 4.6 per cent of their "bad", visceral fat, which surrounds internal organs and is implicated in metabolic syndrome, and 3.3 per cent of their subcutaneous fat. Hip and waist circumference also went down by an average of 1.7 and 1.5 centimetres respectively. Kadooka thinks that the bacteria may cause weight loss by inhibiting fat absorption in the intestine,
Matthew Digby, who researches dietary milk proteins at the University of Melbourne in Australia and was not involved in the study says "For doing absolutely nothing, that's a lot."
Obesity in children is also becoming a nationa wide concern.
25 March 2010
NewScientist.Com
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.19
Seaweed Helps Problem of Obesity
New research has shown that seaweed could hold the key to tackling obesity - it was found to reduce fat uptake by more than 75% What more - the team at Newcastle University are adding seaweed to bread to see if they can develop foods that help you lose weight while you eat them!
A team of scientists led by Dr Iain Brownlee and Prof Jeff Pearson at the Newcastle University found that Alginate -- a natural fiber found in sea kelp -- stops the body from absorbing fat better than most anti-obesity treatments currently available over the counter.
Using an artificial gut, they tested the effectiveness of more than 60 different natural fibers by measuring the amount of fat that was digested and absorbed with each treatment.
They presented their findings at the American Chemical Society Spring meeting in San Francisco, Dr Brownlee said the next step was to recruit volunteers and study whether the effects they have modelled in the lab can be reproduced in real people, and whether such foods are truly acceptable in a normal diet.
"The aim of this study was to put these products to the test and our initial findings are that alginates significantly reduce fat digestion," explains Dr Brownlee. "This suggests that if we can add the natural fiber to products commonly eaten daily -- such as bread, biscuits and yoghurts -- up to three quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body.
"We have already added the alginate to bread and initial taste tests have been extremely encouraging. Now the next step to to carry out clinical trials to find out how effective they are when eaten as part of a normal diet."
The research is part of a 3 year project being funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. It addresses the new regulations set out by the European Food Safety Authority that any health claims made on a food label should be substantiated by scientific evidence.
"There are countless claims about miracle cures for weight loss but only a few cases offer any sound scientific evidence to back up these claims," explains Dr Brownlee. Alginates are already commonly used at a very low level in many foods as thickeners and stabilisers and when added to bread as part of a blind taste test, Dr Brownlee said the alginate bread actually scored higher for texture and richness than a standard white loaf.
"Obesity is an ever-growing problem and many people find it difficult to stick to diet and exercise plans in order to lose weight," explained Dr Brownlee. "Alginates not only have great potential for weight management -- adding them to food also has the added advantage of boosting overall fiber content."
Dietary fiber is classified as a group of carbohydrates of plant origin that escape digestion by the human gut. "Actually, there's still quite a lot of confusion about fiber," says Dr Brownlee. "I think most people would describe it as roughage -- the bit of your food that keeps you regular and is vital for a healthy gut.
Both of these facts are true but the notion that all fiber is the same and that it simply goes through your system without having an effect is wrong."
Fiber is made up of a wide range of different molecules called polysaccharides and although it is not digested by the human gut, it both directly and indirectly affects a number of bodily processes.
Dr Brownlee says that these initial findings suggest alginates could offer a very real solution in the battle against obesity.
Source:
ScienceDaily
Mar. 22, 2010
The Hidden Epidemic: Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?
Millions of Americans have thyroid disease and don’t know it. Are you one of them?
Thyroid Conditions
According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), 27 million Americans have thyroid disease, but Vicky Uhland, from Natural Solutions Magazine, tells us that more than half remain undiagnosed. Why? That's because physicians often confuse thyroid symptoms with other conditions that have similar symptoms, and testing procedures can be antiquated and inaccurate. She says that doctors also tend to overlook thyroid disease because, unlike heart disease or diabetes, thyroid problems rarely kill you, and symptoms are non-specific. Even thyroid cancer is one of the most survivable cancers because it grows so slowly.
But thyroid disease, which includes hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, goiters, and nodules, can cause serious health risks. The tiny, butterfly-shaped thyroid gland at the base of the throat produces hormones that control every function in the body. “Thyroid hormone improves mood, skin, hair, nails, sex drive, heart function, cholesterol, infertility, and hormonal symptoms such as PMS and menopause. It influences muscle aches, joint pain, body temperature, and metabolism,” says Mark Hyman, MD, founder and director of The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, and author of The Ultra Thyroid Solution.
She tells us about a 2004 study reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism indicated that hypothyroidism, or under-functioning thyroid, not only contributes to 60% of heart attacks in women, but the condition is more of a risk factor for cardiovascular events than smoking, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Thyroid problems have also been linked to birth defects, and studies show that 6% of miscarriages are caused by hypothyroidism.
What’s more, research has found that children born to hypothyroid mothers have an average IQ 7 points lower than kids born to mothers with normally functioning thyroids and are more than twice as likely to repeat a grade due to learning disabilities. Also, according to Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, hypothyroidism has been associated with fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, and depression. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) is just as problematic and can lead to congestive heart failure, osteoporosis, and prediabetes.
Types of Thyroid Disease
8 out of 10 thyroid patients are women, according to the AACE. Although no one is sure exactly why women are so disproportionately targeted, Marcelle Pick, RNC, a nurse practitioner and cofounder of the Women to Women Health Care Center in Yarmouth, Maine, theorizes that estrogen and progesterone imbalance can play havoc with thyroid hormones and trigger the disease. She says that there is a strong relationship between women in perimenopause in their late 30s or 40s and hypothyroidism. According to the National Institutes of Health, five times as many people have hypothyroidism as hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is a lack of thyroid hormones due to an underactive or missing thyroid. The most frequent cause is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid, damaging its ability to produce hormones. Symptoms include weight gain, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, muscle weakness, joint pain, depression, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, hair loss (especially the outer third of the eyebrows), dry skin, water retention in the hands and feet, low sex drive, hoarse voice, high cholesterol, and excessive menstrual bleeding.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid is overactive, producing too much hormone. Its most common cause is the autoimmune disorder Graves’ Disease. Symptoms include weight loss, increased appetite, rapid or irregular heartbeat, bulging eyes or eye irritation, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, trembling in your hands and fingers, increased sweating, muscle weakness, diarrhea, and light menstrual flow.
Nodules are a swelling in one part of the thyroid and are extremely common. By the time a woman is 50, she has a 50 percent chance of developing a nodule larger than half an inch, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Nodules are a mystery—no one knows what causes them, and most people don’t have symptoms. In rare cases, they can cause hyperthyroidism or become so big that they interfere with swallowing or breathing.
Cancer occurs in less than 10 percent of nodules. It mainly affects women over 40 with a family history of thyroid cancer and generally doesn’t cause any symptoms. In most cases, it grows slowly and rarely spreads, so removing the thyroid usually destroys the cancer.
Goiters are relatively rare enlargements of the thyroid gland usually caused by a lack of iodine, which helps the thyroid produce hormones. Goiters can also be a side effect of Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
Drug Therapy
Hypothyroidism drug therapy includes Levoxyl, Synthroid, Levothroid, and Unithroid. Levoxyl is an artificial thyroid hormone designed to kick-start an underperforming thyroid or help shrink nodules. There are no known side effects
There is a natural drug made from dried, powdered pig thyroids. It is marketed under the names Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid, and Westhroid, and is the closest option to human thyroid hormone available.
Alternative practitioners believe natural thyroid drugs are more effective for some people because they supply two key thyroid hormones—T3 and T4—while synthetic drugs provide only T4. Since the body uses T4 to make T3, the active thyroid hormone, synthetic drugs work on the theory that just a dose of T4 will jump-start the thyroid into making its own T3.
Integrative-medicine practitioners say that’s a lot to ask from a thyroid that isn’t working properly in the first place. Conventional physicians counter that hormone levels in natural thyroid medication can fluctuate due to manufacturing processes, making standardized synthetic drugs more reliable and potent. Teitelbaum does not agree. He says that natural thyroid drugs must adhere to potency standards set by the US Pharmacopeia, which ensures consistency in all pharmaceuticals.
Hyperthyroid drugs work the opposite of their hypothyroid cousins, blocking the thyroid’s ability to make hormones. The most common medications are Propylthiouracil and Methimazole (Tapazole). Although these drugs can have serious side effects, including liver and immune-system damage, there aren’t any natural alternatives.
Adjunctive Alternative Therapies
Other suggestions for maintaining thyroid health are:
- vitamin and mineral supplements,
- avoidance of white flour,
- exercises regularly,
- makes sure you get 8 hours of sleep nightly, and
- practice stress-reduction techniques like guided imagery, meditation, and yogic breathing.
“One of the reasons people don’t get completely well when treated with conventional approaches is that those approaches don’t address the underlying causes and factors that interfere with thyroid function,” Hyman says.
Mike Bauerschmidt, MD, director of the Full Potential Health Care center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, says "The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system, which stretches from the pituitary gland in the brain to the adrenal glands on the kidneys. The glands work together to produce the hormones that keep us alive. You can’t push on one gland and not have the other say, ‘ouch'. If you have thyroid disease, you have to ask if it’s purely a thyroid problem or is your thyroid suffering because the adrenals are shot.”
Jennifer Greenfield, DC, managing partner of the Center for Chiropractic & Wellness in Raleigh, North Carolina, says when the adrenal system gets imbalanced—either because of too much mental or physical stress—it alters the production of the hormone cortisol, which encourages the thyroid to slow down its own hormone production. The result? Hypothyroidism. “You can flog that thyroid all you want and make it go faster, but until you deal with the adrenals, you’re not going to get very far,” she says.
Hyperthyroidism, on the other hand, is more likely caused solely by thyroid malfunction, so it responds less to holistic treatments. Even alternative practitioners say it’s best to take conventional drugs to treat hyperthyroidism because of the possibility of a “thyroid storm”—a rare but life-threatening condition that seriously elevates heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. “If you have strong hyperthyroidism, you really need to be looking more to traditional medicine before you burn your body out,” says Bauerschmidt.
Uhland says that natural remedies can help manage hyperthyroidism and other thyroid conditions by supporting, balancing, and detoxifying the body. Many natural therapies may also prevent or even cure hypothyroidism, providing the thyroid hasn’t been removed or damaged irreparably.
Here’s what alternative-medicine practitioners recommend:
- Iodine. Salt was iodized in the 1920s to prevent a goiter epidemic, but iodine deficiency can contribute to all types of thyroid malfunction. Teitelbaum recommends everyone—especially those who use non-iodized salt, such as sea salt, or have a low-sodium diet—supplement with 150 to 250 mcg of iodine daily for general thyroid support, and as much as 12,500 mcg daily to treat any form of thyroid disease. You can purchase iodine as salts, capsules, tablets, or in liquid form.
- Other minerals and vitamins. Everyone needs zinc (20 to 30 mg a day), magnesium (400 to 600 mg a day), and calcium citrate (800 to 1,200 mg a day) for optimal thyroid function, Hyman says. If you’re hypothyroid, he recommends selenium (200 to 300 mcg a day) to help with thyroid-hormone production. Vitamins A (2,500 to 5,000 IU a day) and Vitamin D3 (1,000 to 2,000 IU a day for maintenance; 5,000 to 10,000 IU a day for three to six months for treatment) help thyroid hormones bind to the receptors that control metabolism. Daily B-vitamin supplements (25 to 50 mg each of B1, B2, and B6; 50 to 100 mg each of B3 and B12; 100 to 500 mg of B5; 150 to 1,000 mcg of B7; and 800 mcg of B9) help manufacture thyroid hormones. If you’re hyperthyroid, copper (6 to 8 mg a day) helps limit thyroid hormones.
- Foods. Sea vegetables such as kelp are good sources of iodine. Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, including walnuts, flaxseeds, and fatty fish like sardines and salmon, help produce thyroid hormones. Fatty fish is also a good source of vitamin D and iodine. Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium. Gamma oryzanol, found in rice-bran oil (a cooking oil popular for frying), may help boost thyroid-hormone production. But be careful with your morning cup of coffee. Caffeine can limit absorption of thyroid medication. Wait at least an hour after taking any thyroid drug before drinking coffee or tea.
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage), peaches, strawberries, peanuts, radishes, spinach, and millet are considered goitrogenic, meaning they can hinder thyroid-hormone production by reducing the amount of iodine in the body. Cook them (heat destroys the goitrogens) or avoid eating large amounts if you’re hypothyroid. For most people, the occasional uncooked goitrogen, like raw broccoli in a salad, isn’t a problem, she reports. If you’re hyperthyroid, however, be sure to include more of these foods in your diet.
- Thom E. Lobe, MD, founder and director of Beneveda Medical Group in Beverly Hills, California, says soy may or may not be a culprit in thyroid disease: “I don’t like younger women to eat it because it has an estrogenic effect, but for men, the data is unclear.” Estrogenic nutrients may increase levels of the sex hormone estrogen, which can interfere with your body’s production of other hormones like thyroid. Younger women have more estrogen than older, menopausal women. Soy is also considered a goitrogenic food, but Mary Shomon says researchers are unsure if it contains enough iodine-zapping compounds to affect the thyroid adversely. Lobe says that if you’re concerned, limit your intake of soy to fermented foods such as tempeh, which is less goitrogenic than raw soy like edamame.
- Herbs and supplement formulas. To keep your thyroid functioning optimally, Holly Lucille, ND, of West Hollywood, California, recommends regulating the adrenals with ashwagandha (500 mg a day), licorice (400 mg a day), Siberian ginseng (450 mg a day), and rhodiola (200 mg a day). L-carnitine, lemon balm, and lithospermum, or stoneseed, can lower thyroid levels in people with hyperthyroidism—Shomon recommends consulting a doctor or herbalist for specific doses. The ayurvedic herbs guggul and manjistha help detoxify the thyroid by stimulating lymph drainage; doses vary depending on the individual, says John Douillard, PhD, an ayurvedic practitioner in Boulder, Colorado.
- Thyroid supplement formulas, such as Gaia Herbs’ Thyroid Support, include a combination of ashwagandha, schisandra, and kelp. Similarly, Now Thyroid Energy blends B vitamins, selenium, zinc, iodine, guggul, and ashwagandha; Solaray Thyroid contains iodine, magnesium, zinc, and copper to help support the thyroid. Consult a naturopath or herbalist to find out which formula might best help your condition.
- Heavy metal and chemical detox. Heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, and environmental toxins—chemicals, pesticides, and pollutants—can interfere with thyroid-hormone production. Lucille recommends a two-week liver detox at least twice a year to clean out your system and advises asking your naturopathic doctor for a heavy-metal urine or blood test to make sure your body isn’t overloaded with toxins from lifestyle and dietary choices.
- Hyman recommends sweating out heavy metals and other toxins in a sauna or steam bath a few times per week. Start with a 10-minute session, and increase by five-minute increments to a maximum of 30 to 40 minutes. You can also take a hot bath with up to 2 cups of Epsom salts and 8 ounces of baking soda to help draw impurities out of the body
- Water and air filters. According to Hyman, chlorine and fluoride in unfiltered water can interfere with iodine absorption in the thyroid. Airborne mold, allergens, and pollutants can play havoc with the immune system and may cause autoimmune thyroid diseases. To avoid these effects, add a water filter to your faucet and use HEPA air purifiers in your home, suggests Hyman.
- Exercise. Regular aerobic exercise and strength training can burn off excess adrenal hormones. But don’t overdo—more than an hour, five days a week, can overstress your adrenals. Some experts also think yoga helps thyroid conditions: Shoulderstand, Camel, and Bridge Poses are especially apt at stimulating the thyroid and increasing hormone circulation.
- Mental destressors. Lucille recommends meditation, biofeedback, or taking a 15-minute time-out every day to reduce adrenal stress. Make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep a night to keep stress hormones in check.
- Chiropractic. Greenfield says incorrectly aligned neck vertebrae can interfere with nerves that aid thyroid function, so consider scheduling a tune-up with your chiropractor.
- Acupuncture. Jeannette Painovich, LAc, an acupuncturist in Los Alamitos, California, says acupuncture can help resolve thyroid problems by correcting imbalances in the body. She treats hypothyroidism as a spleen qi deficiency and uses herbs to relieve phlegm, including kun bu, zhi bei mu and ban xia, and astragalus, bai zhu, and dong quai to boost spleen qi. According to traditional Chinese medicine, hyperthyroidism is due to liver qi depression and can be treated with the herbs chai hu and chen pi.
Simple Steps to Accurate Testing
What to ask for and when to seek your own results
If you suspect a thyroid problem, the first thing your doctor will probably do is order a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) blood test. The higher your score, the more likely you are to be hypothyroid. But this test is a big reason why so many people with thyroid problems remain undiagnosed. Most doctors consider normal TSH levels to be from 0.5 to 5 mIU/L, but the American Academy of Clinical Endocrinologists believes this range doesn’t account for mild thyroid disorders and recommends levels between 0.3 and 3. Some alternative-medicine practitioners think any score higher than 2 indicates hypothyroidism.
If your TSH levels come back “normal” and you still believe you have a thyroid problem, Mark Hyman, MD, recommends asking your doctor to perform the following tests.
- Free T4 and Free T3. This test measures the levels of each specific thyroid hormone; if one is out of whack, it may not show up on the TSH test. Hyman says the normal T4 level is between 0.9 and 1.8 nanograms per deciliter; T3 should be between 240 and 450 picograms per deciliter.
- Thyroid peroxidase antibodies or antithyroglobulin antibodies. Elevated thyroid antibodies in the blood may indicate thyroid disease.
- Thyroid-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test. Best for subtle cases, this test measures hypothyroidism caused by a poorly functioning pituitary gland.
- Test yourself. Buy a basal body thermometer at a drug store and take your temperature first thing in the morning. If it’s lower than 97.6 degrees three days in a row, you may be hypothyroid.
Reference:
Source: Natural Solutions: Vibrant Health, Balanced Living/Alternative Medicine/InnoVision Health Media
Author: Vicky Uhland
Article Name: The Hidden Epidemic: Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?
Millions of Americans have thyroid disease and don’t know it. Are you one of them?
Weight Gain from Late Night Snacking
A North Western University study has found that eating at irregular times -- the equivalent of the middle of the night for humans, when the body wants to sleep -- influences weight gain.
The regulation of energy by the body's circadian rhythms may play an important role. The study is the first causal evidence linking meal timing and increased weight gain.
Fred Turek, professor of neurobiology and physiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology says, "How or why a person gains weight is very complicated, but it clearly is not just calories in and calories out.
We think some factors are under circadian control. Better timing of meals, which would require a change in behavior, could be a critical element in slowing the ever-increasing incidence of obesity."
The researchers found that simply modifying the time of feeding alone can greatly affect body weight.
Mice that were fed a high fat diet during normal sleeping hours gained significantly more weight (a 48 percent weight increase over their baseline) than mice eating the same type and amount of food during naturally wakeful hours (a 20 percent increase over their baseline). There was no statistical difference between the two groups regarding caloric intake or the amount of activity.
Over a period of six weeks, both groups of mice were allowed to eat as much high-fat diet as they wanted during their daily 12-hour feeding phase. (Much like many humans, mice have a preference for high-fat food.)
Since mice are nocturnal, the 12-hour feeding phase was during the day for those fed during normal sleeping hours and during the night for those fed during naturally wakeful hours. Food was not provided during the other 12 hours of their day.
Our circadian clock, or biological timing system, governs our daily cycles of feeding, activity and sleep, with respect to external dark and light cycles. Recent studies have found the body's internal clock also regulates energy use, suggesting the timing of meals may matter in the balance between caloric intake and expenditure.
Source:
North Western University
Journal reference:
1.Deanna M. Arble, Joseph Bass, Aaron D. Laposky, Martha H. Vitaterna and Fred W. Turek. Circadian Timing of Food Intake Contributes to Weight Gain. Obesity, 2009; DOI: 10.1038/oby.2009.264
Women Multi-task Better than Men
Professor Keith Laws at the University of Hertfordshire's School of Psychology in the UK looked at multitasking in 50 male and 50 female undergraduates and found that although the sexes performed equally when they multitasked on simple maths and map reading tasks, women far excelled men when it came to planning how to search for a lost key, with 70 per cent of women performing better than their average male counterparts.
"The search for the lost key task, which involved giving the men and women a blank sheet of paper representing a field and asking them to draw how they would search for the key, revealed that women planned more strategically than men," said Professor Laws. "I was surprised by this result given the arguments that men have better spatial skills than women.
Professor Laws was also surprised that despite the universal notion that women are better than men at multitasking, their review of the literature unearthed no previous scientific evidence to support this claim.
The participants in Professor Laws study, who were undergraduates at the University, had eight minutes to do several tasks at the same time, such as simple maths problems, map reading, answering a telephone caller asking general knowledge questions and showing the strategy they would use to search for an imaginary lost key in a field.
Souce:
ScienceDaily
July 19, 2010
Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain - new book for Women's Health
Research gynecologist Richard King, MD joins Belinda and Larry Wurn in the new book, 'Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain.' This pioneering work, endorsed by 'New York Times' best-selling author Christiane Northrup, MD who wrote the Foreword and physicians from Harvard, Columbia, Northwestern, and more, promises to usher in a women's health revolution.
They provide women all over the world with safe, natural, and effective physical therapy to enhance fertility and pelvic health.
The book is a 20-year medical journey examining therapy treatment to help patients achieve goals of pregnancy, better sex, and a pain-free life. It was born from Belinda's debilitating adhesion pain after cancer surgery.
'Miracle Moms' is a combination of more than 80 patient narratives, and 20 years of theory, development, treatment, and published scientific research.
There are more than 100 original illustrations that provide a visual journey into the body and help explain how adhesions cause problems for so many patients and doctors, and why the unique manual therapy (Wurn Technique) was successful for so many women who were diagnosed "beyond help" by their physicians - until this therapy fulfilled their dreams.
The authors other published studies in 'Medscape General Medicine' (2004) and 'Fertility and Sterility' (2006) showed that the therapy improved female fertility and decreased or eliminated endometriosis pain and intercourse pain in most participants.
A major study in 'Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine' (2008) showed that the therapy opened totally blocked fallopian tubes in women who had been diagnosed infertile - a feat previously thought impossible. Most had natural pregnancies after their tube(s) opened.
The therapy also provides hope for people with post-surgical pain and life-threatening bowel obstructions which are common occurrences after surgery.
Source:
PRWeb.com
September 2, 2009