Epigenetics may hold clue to suicide risk

People who are prone to suicide may have genetic alterations in their brains that could one day be identified by a diagnostic test, a Canadian study says. It also found that childhood abuse may cause neurological changes that could impact how critical genes express themselves in an area of the brain responsible for mood and stress, says the McGill University paper.

The groundbreaking study was published yesterday in the online journal Public Library of Science. Moshe Szyf, a professor of pharmacology at McGill, says his team examined the brains of 13 Quebec men who committed suicide to look for differences in their neurological DNA. They found that the chemical coating on the DNA that tells its chromosome genes how and when to work – the so-called epigenetic component – was altered in the 13 men, all of whom had a history of childhood abuse. "The genetics we inherit, these are the letters of the book of life," says Szyf, the study's principal author. "The epigenetics are actually the punctuation marks of this book."

In the case of the suicide victims, Szyf believes the troubled childhoods of the suicide victims started a "cascade" of significant biochemical reactions in their brains. Further research will be needed, but Szyf said the findings suggest it may be possible to test a living person's blood to see if the telltale epigenetic changes are present. Towards that goal, Szyf says scientists can now study people who have shown suicidal tendencies to see if there are differences in their blood-borne immune systems that would suggest the brain alterations.Szyf says if people could be identified as high risk, they might be treated psychologically or chemically to mitigate their suicidal tendencies.

Szyf says the study's main contribution is to show that environmental factors can change the epigenetic programming in humans, as well as animals.

Steve - amen.

Brown rice wins FDA health claim

Brown rice has been added to the FDA-approved list of whole grains that may make health claims including reducing the risk of heart disease and some cancers.

Brown rice, along with many other grains was previously excluded because its dietary fiber content was considered too low, but this requirement has been relaxed.

The health claim means brown rice products will be able to bear a whole grains logo and information pointing out the benefits of consuming whole grains.

Steve - I suspect that this announcement was more about the FDA trying to get Americans to eat more whole grain than it was about brown rice itself. It is a joke that brown rice was not on the approved list until now. Recent surveys show that Americans are getting the message about making smarter decisions with diet. Unfortunately, they have not turned the messages into action as of yet.

Omega-3 EPA linked to less depression

Increased blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may reduce the severity of symptoms of depression. A study of 1390 subjects from Bordeaux in France reports that EPA levels in people with depressive symptoms were on average 0.16 per cent lower than in normal people, according to data published in this month's issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Symptoms of depressions were evaluated using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, while blood samples were taken in order to measure fatty acid levels in the blood.

The Bordeaux study adds to a small but growing body of studies reporting benefits of the polyunsaturated fatty acids on mental health. Last year, researchers from Norway reported that regular and long-term intake of omega-3 fatty acid-rich cod liver oil may protect people from symptoms of depression.

The study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, followed 21,835 subjects aged between 40 and 49 and 70 and 74 years, and found that the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 29 per cent lower in regular cod liver oil users than the rest of the population.

Moreover, a joint Anglo-Iranian study reported that depression ratings were cut by 50 per cent following daily one gram supplements of EPA, an effect similar to that obtained by the antidepressant drug fluoxetine, according to findings published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.

Steve - with the multitude of benefits that EPA/DHA provides, if it is not a staple in your dietary and nutrient regimen, it should be.

Vitamin D and cancer

Ensuring levels of vitamin D never get low could be a way of protecting against cancer, suggests a new study. Death from fatal cancer was reduced by 55 per cent amongst people with higher vitamin D levels, according to data collected from 3,299 patients taking part in the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health study and reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

"These data support other studies suggesting that vitamin D supplementation might be promising for the treatment and/or prevention of cancer and are in line with the national recommendation of the Canadian Cancer Society for the supplementation of 1,000 IU/d vitamin D for all adults during winter and for persons at high risk for vitamin D deficiency all year-round," wrote lead author Stefan Pilz from University of Heidelberg.

Blood levels of 25(OH)D and 1,25-(OH)2D were measured in the study participants, and over the course of 7.75 years, 95 patients deaths due to cancer were documented. The most common cancers were lung, colon, and pancreas.

After adjusting for various potential confounding factors, the researchers report that people with the highest level of 25(OH)D (76.3 nanomoles per litre) were 55 per cent less likely to die form fatal cancer than those with the lowest levels (18.1 nmol/L).

Moreover, every increase of 25 nmol/L in 25(OH)D levels was associated with a 34 per cent risk reduction, added the researchers.

However, no association was observed between levels of 1,25(OH)2D and cancer risk.

"Our finding that 1,25(OH)2D was not associated with increased risk of fatal cancer does not argue against a crucial role of 1,25(OH)D in the prevention of cancer because intracellular 1,25(OH)2D levels can best be estimated by serum 25(OH)D concentrations, which are rate limiting for the conversion of 25(OH)D to 1,25(OH)2D," stated the researchers.

Bonnie - it is important to note that as we summer approaches, most of us should continue taking supplemental vitamin D because I would be hard-pressed to find a large part of the population that spends 15 minutes in the sun without sunscreen at least five days a week. That is the minimum needed if you want to get all of your vitamin D from the sun.

Study hails 'caveman diet' benefits

Eating like a caveman may trim the waist and protect against heart disease, a study suggests. Volunteers were put on a stone-age diet of berries, nuts, lean meat, fish and vegetables while cutting out cereals, dairy products and refined sugar. After just three weeks they had lost five pounds in weight, their waistlines were slimmer, and their blood pressure was lower.T hey also had dramatically reduced levels of a clotting agent in the blood linked to heart attacks and strokes. The Palaeolithic diet was what the hunter gatherer ancestors of modern humans lived on 30,000 years ago before the development of farming. Since the wheels of evolution turn slowly the human body may still be most suited to this kind of food, some experts believe.The five men and nine women taking part in the Swedish study had to stick to a food list which included lean meat, unsalted fish, fresh or frozen fruit, berries, vegetables - but not beans - most kinds of nuts, canned tomatoes, lemon or lime juice, spices, and coffee or tea without milk or sugar. Dairy products, beans, peanuts, salt, pasta, rice, sausages, sugar, fruit juices and alcohol were all banned. As a concession the volunteers were allowed up to two potatoes a day, as well as some dried fruit, cured meats and a weekly portion of fatty meat. After three weeks their systolic blood pressure readings, which measure the pressure during heart beats, had fallen by an average of three millimetres of mercury. The study was carried out by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Huddinge, Sweden.

Bonnie - sound familiar? While this was a minute study, if controlled like this on a larger scale, I venture to think that the there would be the same result.

Nutrition message still not reaching Americans

The findings of FDA's latest survey on health and nutrition underscore that while US consumers have good health intentions, this does not carry through to their dietary habits.

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) worked with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to track American attitudes, knowledge and behavior regarding nutrition and physical activity in the Health and Diet Survey: Dietary Guidelines Supplement.

The results reveal there is still room for food manufacturers to leverage consumers' good intentions and desire to be healthy, with easy-to-understand healthy food offerings.

According to the finding, most respondents either strongly agreed or agreed with the statements, "Healthy eating habits are very important to me" (95 percent) and "I am actively trying to eat a healthy diet" (90 percent).

FDA found in the survey that women were more likely than men to agree that nutrition is important and were also more likely than men to take on healthier habits. Of the respondents, 70 percent of women agreed that nutrition is important to take into consideration while food shopping, while only 54 percent of men thought so.

Despite increased health marketing during their generation, the youngest group of the survey's respondents were the least likely to consider nutrition very seriously while grocery shopping.

In the 18-34 age bracket, 52 percent considered nutrition to be very important, followed by 64 percent of those in the 35-54 bracket, 69 percent for 55-64 year olds, and 71 percent of those 65 or older.

Diet linked to risk of Barrett's Esophagus

According to a recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of Barrett's, compared to a Western-style diet. Patients who adhered to a health-conscious diet had 65% lower risk. Barrett's esophagus is a condition in which the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food and saliva from the mouth to the stomach, changes so that some of its lining is replaced by a type of tissue similar to that normally found in the intestine. This process is called intestinal metaplasia.

Risks of Sleeping Pills

by Melinda Beck, Wall Street Journal

One woman woke up with a paintbrush in her hand, having painted her front door in her sleep. People have set fire to their kitchens while trying to cook, cursed their bosses on the phone and crashed their cars into trees -- all in a sleeping-pill-induced haze and with no memory afterward. A flurry of such cases prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year to require that Ambien, Lunesta and other "sedative-hypnotic" drugs carry strong warnings. But that scarcely dampened enthusiasm. U.S. sleep-aid prescriptions grew 10% last year, according to IMS Health, thanks in part to generic Ambien.

Now, an analysis of adverse-event reports filed with the World Health Organization suggests that some side effects of this generation of sleep medication, which debuted in the 1990s, may be nearly as problematic as the older generation, including Halcion, which was banned in some countries. The WHO Collaborating Center for International Drug Monitoring received 867 reports from 24 countries of people encountering amnesia, often coupled with confusion, agitation and other behavior disturbances, while taking the newer sleeping aids, called nonbenzodiazepines (NBZs) through March, 2007. That compares with 1,032 adverse reports with the older class of benzodiazepines (BZs), even though they have been on the market for decades longer.

"We've moved from one problem drug to another," says Ralph Edwards, director of the Uppsala Monitoring Centre in Sweden, which monitors adverse-event signals for the WHO. "The older pills are much more likely to cause daytime sedation, addiction and withdrawal symptoms," says P. Murali Doraiswamy, chief of biological psychiatry at Duke University Medical School and the lead author of the study, presented Monday at the American Psychiatric Association conference in Washington. But, he says, the reports of amnesia and erratic behavior appear to be similar with both kinds of drugs. "We still don't have a good handle on how common these events are -- some people may be particularly vulnerable," he says.

A spokeswoman for Sanofi-Aventis, which makes Ambien, the leading brand-name NBZ, says the company couldn't comment since it hadn't seen the report. She says somnambulism occurred in fewer than 1 in 1,000 patients in clinical trials, and wasn't necessarily caused by the medication.

Experts aren't sure what prompts some people to eat, walk, make phone calls or get behind the wheel in their sleep. But some speculate that sleep medication may act on brain circuits unevenly, leaving the parts that govern "automatic" behaviors like eating and driving active while shutting down the centers of judgment and control. "It's like the parents are away and now the little kids can do whatever they want," says Dr. Doraiswamy. And, as with most dreams, the events aren't being stored in the brain's memory circuits, hence the amensia. "It's like a self-erasing tape," says Mark Mahowald, medical director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Mahowald notes that some people do engage in such odd sleep behaviors even when they aren't taking medications. "One common form is for a man to get up to go to the bathroom in his sleep and only make it to the closet. But people seldom report that," says Dr. Mahowald, though he adds that it's far more likely to occur on sleeping medication that off.

Psychiatrist Carlos Schenck, also at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, has studied some 40 cases of Sleep-Related Eating Disorder (SRED), and found that it's more common in women than men and often accompanies a mood disorder. Some patients he studied have cut themselves with knives, consumed inedibles like buttered cigarettes and woken up gasping for air with their mouths full of peanut butter, a particular sleep-eating favorite.

Experts all recommend trying non-drug means to combat insomnia -- such as exercise, stress reduction and avoiding caffeine. But if you need to resort to medication, there are ways to minimize the risks: One is to get into bed immediately. Sleeping pills can work in 10 or 15 minutes. Never take more than the maximum dose. Never mix sleeping pills with alcohol. And never attempt to drive while taking them. "We've had some cases where people are leaving a party, and they're afraid they are going to have insomnia, so they take one before they get in the car," says Dr. Mahowald. He also cautions against taking a sleeping pill if you are the sole caregiver for a small child or are expecting an important phone call. In fact, a ringing phone may trigger a sleepwalking event, so unplug it if possible. Stash your car keys in an unusual spot, suggests William C. Head, an Atlanta attorney who has defended sleeping-pill users who went on unplanned drives. Dr. Schenck also suggests putting an alarm on your bedroom door. "That $14 could save your life," he says.

Bonnie - I have heard many accounts like these from clients on sleeping pills, in addition to side effects, some severe. The other problem is that it is very difficult to wean oneself off of the pills when trying to discover a natural sleep cycle.

Vitamin D to boost mood in older adults

Increasing your vitamin D intake may lead to mood improvements and protect against depression. Low levels of vitamin D and higher blood levels of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) were associated with higher rates of depression among 1,282 community residents aged between 65 and 95, according to results published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

"This large population-based study shows, for the first time, an association of depression status and depression severity with decreased serum 25(OH)D levels and increased serum PTH levels in older subjects," wrote lead author Witte Hoogendijk from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

If the study can be repeated in further study, it may see brain health added to the long list of health benefits reported for the vitamin, ranging from bone and cardiovascular health, to protection against certain cancers, and improved muscle strength.

Recently, a review by Bruce Ames and Joyce McCann from the Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland highlighted the role of the vitamin in maintaining brain health, noting the wide distribution of vitamin D receptors throughout the brain.

According to the review (FASEB Journal, Vol.22, pp. 982-1001), the vitamin has been reported to affect proteins in the brain known to be directly involved in learning and memory, motor control, and possibly even maternal and social behavior.

Bonnie - vitamin D and EPA/DHA fish oil are the perfect combo for depression. How can you get them in the same nutrient? Take Cod Liver Oil!

Low thyroid output tied to heart attacks in women

Women with a slightly underactive thyroid gland appear to be at increased risk for death from heart attacks and other types of heart disease, according to findings from a Norwegian study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Emerging evidence suggests that as thyroid function drops, blood pressure and cholesterol levels rise as does the risk of heart problems, according to a study of 17,311 female and 8002 male participants in the Nord-Trondelag Health Study who were free of heart disease, thyroid disease, and diabetes when the study began.

Subjects were over 40 years old between 1995 and 1997, when levels of thyrotropin, a hormone that gauges thyroid function, were measured. During follow-up through 2004, 192 women and 164 men died of heart disease who appeared to have normal thyroid function. That is, none of the patients had any signs or symptoms of an underactive or overactive thyroid gland. Among subjects with seemingly normal thyroid function, women with the least active glands were 69 percent more likely to die from heart disease than women with more active glands. No similar association was seen in men. "To our knowledge, no clinical trial has tested whether (treatment with thyroid hormone) could protect against heart disease," the authors note.

Bonnie - interesting study and makes a lot of sense. Excess stress taxes the endocrine system, including the adrenals and thyroid. When the endocrine system, via thyroid and adrenals, fail to send out calming stressor signals to the rest of the body, it makes sense that health risks would increase. The heart would be one of the first organs to be most at risk. I have always screened for thyroid and endocrine function in my clients.

FDA approved irritable bowel drug with constipation

Amitiza, developed by Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, was approved for women over 18 years old, but not for men, because effectiveness in them was not conclusive. Safety studies ranged from 9-13 months. Side effects reported were nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Bonnie - huh? I thought abdominal pain was a symptom of IBS. So now you go from constipation to diarrhea and you cannot even leave your house!

Common drugs hasten decline in elderly

Courtesy of Reuters

Elderly people who took commonly prescribed drugs for incontinence, allergy or high blood pressure walked more slowly and were less able to take care of themselves than others not taking the drugs. U.S. researchers said people who took drugs that block acetylcholine -- a chemical messenger in the nervous system critical for memory -- functioned less well than their peers. "These results were true even in older adults who have normal memory and thinking abilities," said Dr. Kaycee Sink of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, who led the study of 3,000 people of whom 40 percent were taking more than one anticholinergic drug. "The effect is essentially that of a three- to four-year increase in age. So someone who is 75 in our study and taking at least one moderately anticholinergic medication is at a similar functional level to a 78 to 79-year-old," Sink said in an e-mail.

Sink's findings, presented at American Geriatrics Society Meeting in Washington, add to a growing body of research that suggests these so-called anticholinergic medications can hasten functional and cognitive declines in elderly people. Some of the most common such drugs in the study included the blood pressure drug nifedipine (sold as Adalat or Procardia), the stomach antacid ranitidine or Zantac, both with mild or moderate anticholinergic properties, and Pfizer Inc's incontinence drug tolterodine or Detrol, which is highly anticholinergic. "The tricky part ... is that many useful drugs from many different classes of medications have anticholinergic properties," Sink said.

Dr. Jack Tsao, a neurologist with the U.S. Navy, reported last month at a American Academy of Neurology meeting that elderly people who took anticholinergic drugs had a 50 percent greater rate of memory decline than people in a long-term study who did not take the drugs.

In a separate study this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Sink found that older nursing home residents who took drugs for dementia and incontinence at the same time had a 50 percent faster decline in function than those treated only for dementia. "I would encourage patients to bring in a list of everything they take (even over-the-counter medications) to their doctor and have them review it at least yearly," Sink said. "Physicians should try to decrease anticholinergic burden whenever possible."

Bonnie - finally, we are beginning to see some research on this issue. The elderly are usually on more medications than any other part of the population. In many cases, it becomes a vicious circle where one medication is prescribed to counter the side effects from another medication. As I always say, it does not matter what age you are, discuss with your physician how to take the minimum number of meds (if any at all) that are medically necessary.

CoQ10 may cut muscle injuries for athletes

Levels of markers associated with increased wear and tear in the muscle, like creatine kinase and lipid peroxide, were significantly lower in elite Japanese kendo athletes after consuming co-enzyme Q10 for 20 days, compared to placebo. Researchers from University of Tsukuba, University of Tokyo, and Kobe Gakuin University report their findings in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Michihiro Kon and co-workers recruited 18 elite Japanese kendo student athletes and randomly assigned them to receive daily supplements of CoQ10 (300 mg) or placebo for 20 days. The study was double-blind, meaning neither volunteers nor researchers knew who was receiving the active or placebo dose.

The volunteers had daily training sessions of five and a half hours per day for six days during the intervention period. At day three and five of the six day training period, the researchers report that both groups experienced increased in serum creatine kinase activity and the concentration of myoglobin, but these increases were significantly lower in the group receiving the CoQ10 supplements. Elevated levels of the creatine kinase enzyme are indicative of muscle damage and injury. Moreover, levels of lipid peroxide, a marker of oxidative stress, were also lower in the CoQ10 group after three and five days of training, said the researchers.

Steve - while a very small study, it adds to the ever-growing body of research showing CoQ10's importance in muscle function (including the heart, the body's most important muscle).

Seniors Benefit from Tai Ji

Since it is both entertaining to practice and effective, the no-impact Chinese exercise Tai Ji is an excellent way to tone muscle, increase endurance, and gain balance. In a recent study in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, researchers concluded that the movements associated with Tai Ji helped seniors improve their physical functioning. Study participants who took Tai Ji twice a week for a six-month period noticed a significant improvement in their ability to accomplish daily tasks such as carrying groceries, walking up stairs, or moving medium-sized objects. It was concluded that the 6-month Tai Ji exercise program was effective for improving functional status in healthy, physically inactive older adults. Most notably, those who took Tai Ji were less likely to fall--one of the largest causes of serious injury for seniors.

Because it is a no-impact exercise, Tai Ji has three major components: movement, meditation, and deep breathing. All major muscle groups are utilized to articulate the gentle, slow movements of Tai Ji. Further, its movements improve strength, flexibility, coordination, and muscle tone. The exercise may help reduce slow bone loss, and prevent osteoporosis. The meditative aspect of Tai Ji soothes the mind, reduces anxiety, enhances concentration, and lowers blood pressure. The deep breathing releases tension, enhances blood circulation to the brain, and supplies the body with fresh oxygen. For older adults seeking an effective, no-impact exercise with a multitude of benefits, Tai Chi is an excellent choice to free the mind and energize the body.

Bonnie - I have been an ardent supporter of this exercise for years. This is a truly wonderful mind and body exercise choice for seniors.

CDC: Breast-feeding rates hit new high of 77 percent in US

The U.S. breast-feeding rate has hit it's highest mark in at least 20 years with more than three-quarters of new moms nursing their infants, according to a government report released Wednesday. About 77 percent of new mothers breast-feed, at least briefly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. "It looks like it is an all-time high" based on CDC surveys since the mid-1980s, said Jeff Lancashire, a CDC spokesman. Experts attributed the rise to education campaigns that emphasize that breast milk is better than formula at protecting babies against disease and childhood obesity. A changing culture that accommodates nursing mothers may also be a factor.

Bonnie - this is wonderful news! It is an indication that sweeping public health education campaigns can work!

Researchers create health, happiness index

Courtesy of AP

Staying healthy and happy is a struggle for about half of Americans, according to a massive survey that attempts to measure the nation's general welfare, much like the Dow Jones Industrial Average portrays the health of the stock market. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, based on interviews of more than 100,000 people so far, shows that 47 percent of Americans are struggling and 4 percent are suffering.

Forty-nine percent of respondents are reported to be thriving based on a personal assessment of how they feel about their lives at the time of the survey, and where they think they'll be in five years. Pollsters asked people to imagine where they would put themselves on a ladder with 10 steps. Those said they were on step seven or above are listed as thriving. Those at four or below are suffering. In between are the strugglers. Those who are thriving tend to have higher incomes, more education and less illness. Those who are suffering have trouble meeting their basic needs, including food, shelter and medical care, said James Harter, Gallup's chief scientist for workplace management and well-being.

Just as the U.S is not No. 1 when it comes to health measures, it also is not No. 1 in well-being, he said. For example, 83 percent of the residents of Denmark are classified as thriving versus 1 percent who are suffering. Researchers hope the findings, which can be broken down by occupation, commute time and exercise habits, will help employers better understand what they can do to create happier and healthier workers. Eventually, they said, the data could even be used to compare health and happiness by ZIP code, creating quite a measuring stick for future generations of politicians.

"There's never been anything quite like it," said Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize winner in economic sciences. "You're getting details about what it's like to live in this country," said Kahneman, a Princeton University professor brought in by Gallup to discuss the potential uses for the data. "What is the experience of the weekend? What is the experience of the weekday for someone who is sick and has to go to work in the morning? We are going to learn a great deal about what are the determinants of actual happiness."

Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noted that the United States invests more on health care than any country, but that its health care system ranks 37th. "That doesn't sound like we're getting the best value from the investment we're making," Gerberding said. "That fundamentally is something we as a nation are waking up to."

Steve - now this is exciting! We spend so much time berating studies and surveys that are counterproductive and meaningless. Here is a survey that can really set the tone for change. What are the two major factors that most of us strive for? Health and happiness of course. If we can track this Health and Happiness Index annually, the US population may have more impetus to take the necessary steps to improve.

Food Can Help Fight Pain

Relief from indigestion, diabetes, headaches and even arthritis may be in your kitchen instead of your medicine cabinet. Dietitians and doctors are making the connection between food and pain, and say that changing your diet can change the way you feel.

Pain and inflammation are the body's reaction to injury, but foods can reduce them. Shelly Asplin, a registered dietitian at Omaha grocery story Hy-Vee, said Omega-3 fatty acids go a long way toward fighting pain and inflammation. Asplin said she recommends foods that are high in Omega 3s to arthritis and fibromyalgia sufferers. Fish and seafood are often high in Omega 3, as are flax seeds and walnuts."A handful (of walnuts) a day gives you a recommended serving of Omega 3. Fresh, wild seafood from very cold water contains the highest sources of Omega 3 fats," Asplin said. "Flax has to be ground -- the complete seed only delivers fiber, but ground varieties have fiber and Omega 3s."Asplin said she sprinkles ground flax seed on her morning oatmeal.Omega 3s and more are also widely touted to lessen arthritis pain and inflammation. Asplin said there are foods to avoid when fighting pain. She said refined and highly processed foods can cause inflammation.

"Whole grains are anti-inflammatory. Make sure the first ingredient is whole grain," Asplin said. "Whole fruit is anti inflammatory, but leave the skin on."John Mixan, a dietary life coach in Omaha, said his wife has successfully fought knee pain with diet. He advises clients to boost their intake of ginger, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, curry and basil when they're fighting pain. Mixan said choosing diet instead of medication can create a virtuous circle."So much of it has to do with them being empowered. It's the whole mind-body thing. They're taking control, so not only are they putting better foods in themselves, they're taking control rather than delegating their health to someone else," Mixan said. "It's not that there's no place for a doctor, but control can lead to health." Mixan also said olive oil is a better choice than hydrogenated oils, which can cause inflammation.

Salicylic acid is an analgesic -- it is what your body makes out of aspirin. A study in the Journal of Clinical Pathology found that vegetarians had higher natural levels of salicylic acid in their blood than non-vegetarians. Building on that study, Susan Miller, a PhD and registered dietitian, suggests boosting fruits and vegetables that are high in salicylic acid, which includes apricots, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, sweet potatoes and green peppers.

The Cleveland Clinic has found that food may be among common migraine triggers. Some chemicals and preservatives in foods set off some migraines, while other sufferers may notice that "foods and beverages, such as aged cheese, alcoholic beverages, and food additives such as nitrates (in pepperoni, hot dogs, luncheon meats) and monosodium glutamate -- commonly found in Chinese food -- may be responsible for triggering up to 30 percent of migraines," the clinic reported on its Web site.

On the other hand, caffeine is sometimes used to treat acute migraines. Also, water – traditionally used to wash down a couple of pain pills -- may itself may fight regular headaches. In a study that debunked a slew of myths about drinking water, University of Pennsylvania doctors Dan Negoianu and Stanley Goldfarb found that one small trial did find that participants who drank more water experienced fewer headaches than those who did not. However, the doctors said the results were not statistically significant.I

The pain from both gas and some bowel diseases, like irritable bowel syndrome, can often be fixed with food, some say. The Mayo Clinic said gas pain is produced by air in the digestive tract. High-fiber foods and raw vegetables can be the culprit, so introduce them to your diet slowly. Mayo also said certain artificial sweeteners cause gas in some individuals, so try checking your gum or candy labels if you're suffering from gas pain.For IBS sufferers, pain is often triggered by food.

WebMD.com reported about a common nerve pain diabetics suffer called diabetic neuropathy."What can start as a little tingling or numbness in your feet can turn into major problems with walking, working and leading an active lifestyle," the Web site reported. "Diabetic neuropathy can also wreak havoc with your digestion, your sexual response, and make it hard to feel normal body sensations."Doctors' tips included guidelines for a healthy, well-balanced diet, which includes six to 10 servings of complex carbohydrates, about five ounces of meat a day, two servings of dairy, four servings of fruits and four of vegetables and up to five servings of fats and oils.

Steve - this story was done by an Ohio local television news reporter. While their hearts were in the right place, some of the information they provided is very counterproductive. Here is some clarification to the misinformation:

• Ms. Asplin says a handful of walnuts provides a daily dose of omega-3. This is untrue. While walnuts are anti-inflammatory, they do not even begin to provide a daily dose of omega-3. In fact, there are many of us that are poor converters and are unable to convert walnuts' oils, which are not omega-3 when they enter the body (same for flax). Thus, the only omega-3 source that is immediately absorbed as omega-3 when it enters the body, is fish oil.
  
  
• She also mentions that whole grains are anti-inflammatory. This is also untrue in many cases. Does she think that whole wheat is anti-inflammatory for a celiac? Many whole grains are inflammatory in persons who have intolerants or allergies to grains.
  
  
• The dietary life coach quoted in the piece is also mistaken that garlic, ginger, cinnamon, etc. are anti-inflammatories. For some people, they are, but for others, they are poison.
  
  
• The most egregious comment is about salicylic acid. If many of our clients followed Ms. Miller's advice, they would be in a hospital bed. It is true that for some people, salicylates can act as a pain reliever (it is the main ingredient in aspirin). However, there are many others that have terrible reactions to salicylates and creates the opposite effect.
  

What is the overall message here? The concept of food reducing pain is sound, but a health professional needs to individualize, not generalize. Otherwise, you will have a lot of unhappy people when they do not see results.