Suppliers must do a better job with chickens

Courtesy of consumereports.com

You would think that after years of alarms about food safety—outbreaks of illness followed by renewed efforts at cleanup—a staple like chicken would be a lot safer to eat. But in our latest analysis of fresh, whole broilers bought at stores nationwide, two-thirds harbored salmonella and/or campylobacter, the leading bacterial causes of foodborne disease.

That's a modest improvement since January 2007, when we found that eight of 10 broilers harbored those pathogens. But the numbers are still far too high, especially for campylobacter. Though the government has been talking about regulating it for years, it has yet to do so. The message is clear: Consumers still can't let down their guard. They must cook chicken to at least 165º F and prevent raw chicken or its juices from touching any other food. Each year, salmonella and campylobacter from chicken and other food sources infect 3.4 million Americans, send 25,500 to hospitals, and kill about 500, according to estimates by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the problem might be even more widespread: Many people who get sick don't seek medical care, and many of those who do aren't screened for foodborne infections.

What's more, the CDC reports that in about 20 percent of salmonella cases and 55 percent of campylobacter cases, the bugs have proved resistant to at least one antibiotic. For that reason, victims who are sick enough to need antibiotics might have to try two or more before finding one that helps.

Consumer Reports has been measuring contamination in store-bought chickens since 1998. For our latest analysis, we had an outside lab test 382 chickens bought last spring from more than 100 supermarkets, gourmet- and natural-food stores, and mass merchandisers in 22 states. We tested three top brands—Foster Farms, Perdue, and Tyson—as well as 30 nonorganic store brands, nine organic store brands, and nine organic name brands. Five of the organic brands were labeled "air-chilled" (a slaughterhouse process in which carcasses are refrigerated and may be misted, rather than dunked in cold chlorinated water). Among our findings:

• Campylobacter was in 62 percent of the chickens, salmonella was in 14 percent, and both bacteria were in 9 percent.
  
• Only 34 percent of the birds were clear of both pathogens. That's double the percentage of clean birds we found in our 2007 report but far less than the 51 percent in our 2003 report.
  
• Among the cleanest overall were air-chilled broilers. About 40 percent harbored one or both pathogens. Eight Bell & Evans organic broilers, which are air chilled, were free of both, but our sample was too small to determine that all Bell & Evans broilers would be.
  
• Store-brand organic chickens had no salmonella at all, showing that it's possible for chicken to arrive in stores without that bacterium riding along. But as our tests showed, banishing one bug doesn't mean banishing both: 57 percent of those birds harbored campylobacter.
  
• The cleanest name-brand chickens were Perdue's: 56 percent were free of both pathogens. This is the first time since we began testing chicken that one major brand has fared significantly better than others across the board.
  
• Most contaminated were Tyson and Foster Farms chickens. More than 80 percent tested positive for one or both pathogens.
• Among all brands and types of broilers tested, 68 percent of the salmonella and 60 percent of the campylobacter organisms we analyzed showed resistance to one or more antibiotics.

Bonnie - most of us did not stop eating chicken when the last report came out and most will not stop from this report. However, it is another reminder to be smart and proactive about eating any foodstuff, whether it is raw vegetables or animal flesh. At the end of the day, we are the last line of defense. If we do not cook our meat properly, wash our veggies thoroughly, or check to see that our restaurant food is cooked properly, we certainly cannot count on the USDA, food manufacturers, food distributors, grocery stores, and restaurants to make sure our food is safe.

Behavioral therapy successful in autistic children

The first rigorous study of behavior treatment in autistic children as young as 18 months found two years of therapy can vastly improve symptoms, often resulting in a milder diagnosis. The study was small — just 48 children evaluated at the University of Washington — but the results were so encouraging it has been expanded to several other sites.

The National Institute of Mental Health funded the study was published in Pediatrics. Children aged 18 months to 30 months were randomly assigned to receive behavior treatment focusing on social interaction and communication — which are both difficult for many autistic children. Children in the specialized group had four hours of therapist-led treatment five days a week, plus at least five hours weekly from parents.

After two years, IQ increased an average of almost 18 points in the specialized group, versus seven points in the others. Language skills also improved more in the specialized group. Almost 30 percent in the specialized group were re-diagnosed with a less severe form of autism after two years, versus 5 percent of the others. No children were considered "cured."

The treatment is expensive; participants didn't pay, but it can cost $50,000 a year. Some states require insurers to cover such costs, and Autism Speaks is working to expand those laws.

Bonnie - behavioral therapy is very important for treating autism. ADD/ADHD drug makers would kill for these kind of results.

Adverse Events Common With Low- to Medium-Dose Glucocorticoids

In patients receiving glucocorticoids for inflammatory diseases, adverse events are very common, even at low to medium doses, according to a report in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The overall adverse event rate averaged 150 per 100 patient-years. In studies that focused only on patients with inflammatory bowel disease, the adverse event rate was 555 per 100 patient-years.

Adverse events in RA patients consisted primarily of psychological and behavioral disturbances, followed by dermatological and cardiovascular effects. PMR was primarily associated with gastrointestinal, endocrine and metabolic, cardiovascular and infectious events. IBD patients most often reported gastrointestinal and neurological events. "The risk-benefit ratio of glucocorticoids is an important issue for future studies and could help to create new targets for drug development" such as selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists, the authors conclude.

Vitamin D level has major role in CVD prevention

Inadequate levels of vitamin D are associated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease and death, as reported at the American Heart Association 2009 Scientific Sessions. Results from 27 000 people 50 years or older with no history of cardiovascular disease for just over a year, found that those with very low levels of vitamin D (<15>30 ng/mL). Those deficient in vitamin D were also twice as likely to develop heart failure as those with normal levels.

"We concluded that even a moderate deficiency of vitamin D was associated with developing coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and death," said coauthor Dr Heidi May (Intermountain Medical Center).

Deficiency in vitamin D is generally agreed to be a blood level of <20>150 ng/mL indicating excessive vitamin D. Data suggest that many people are likely getting inadequate vitamin D, he said, with studies showing that black Americans have blood levels ranging from 6-18 ng/mL and that white Americans have levels ranging from 16-25 ng/mL. In general, a supplement of 100 IU of vitamin D per day will increase blood levels of vitamin D by 1 ng/mL, Rimm said. Those taking 1000 IU per day should have blood levels in the range of 25-32 ng/mL and those taking 4000 IU should have levels of 40-50 ng/mL.

During the right times of year, five to 10 minutes a day of sunlight is sufficient is to make enough vitamin D. I do hear the concerns about skin cancer and I think people should wear suntan lotion, but it's probably better to put it on 10 minutes after you've been in the sun." Researchers cautioned that "in northern climes, even if you go out in the sun in January, you're not going to make much vitamin D, so there you would need supplementation to get adequate levels." One of the best dietary sources of vitamin D is fish. People should remember that diet is an important source of vitamin D, too, he noted. "One of the best dietary sources of vitamin D is fish. We already suggest people eat a couple of servings a week, but having three or four servings a week of fish can get you a fair bit of vitamin D, and would represent an additional 300 to 500 IU of vitamin D. This still might not be sufficient so you might need a little bit of sunlight or to take a vitamin D supplement. It's really a combination of things, that's probably the best approach."

Both Rimm and Dobnig said it is nearly impossible for anyone to suffer adverse effects from too much vitamin D. Those who spend whole days in the sun, such as lifeguards, have vitamin D levels ranging from 45 to 65 ng/mL, said Rimm. "Vitamin D is safe. Hypercalcemia is not a problem, with the rare exception of granulomatous disease," said Dobnig. He added that because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it can be given weekly, or even monthly.

Recipe du Jour December

Everyone's getting on the immune-boosting bandwagon. Shockingly, Kellogg's labeled their Cocoa Krispies as a great way to build immunity, despite the second ingredient being sugar and containing partially hyrdrogenated oil (trans fat). Under FDA pressure, Kellogg's has since removed this erroneous claim.

Like we did with our Immune-Boosting Broth in November, Salmon Stimpanata is another immune-boosting recipe sure to excite. It has been a staple of a local restaurant in Highwood, IL called Washington Gardens. Here's why it is a great immune-boosting dish:

• Salmon - loaded with vitamin D, omega-3 fats, protein, an zinc
• Orange Juice/Lemon - vitamin C
• Red Onion - quercetin and other flavanoids

Not only does the presentation look beautiful, but it is incredibly delicious. Even fish haters will love it because there is no fishy taste. For those of you wanting to make it at home:

Salmon Stimpanata

-2 lb. salmon filets, cut into 4 pieces
-1 c. fresh orange juice
-juice of one lemon
-1 medium to large red onion, thinly sliced

Marinate salmon filets in the next three ingredients for ½ hour or more. In a pan (so that the salmon is completely covered with liquid- add a little water if needed), bring the liquid to a boil. The, cover immediately and turn off the heat (leaving the pan on top of the burner). When the salmon is no longer translucent, it is ready to serve! Serve with lemon wedges and orange and kiwi slices. SERVES: 4

SIDE DISHES: serve with steamed broccoli and wild rice pilaf.

Psychotropic drugs boost fall risk in the elderly

Studies including nearly 80,000 people aged 60 and older confirms that certain types of widely prescribed drugs. Falls often have serious consequences for older people, such as injuries leading to disability and admission to a nursing home, or even death.

The Archives of Internal Medicine study analyzed the risk of falling associated with nine classes of drugs. Three classes turned out to significantly boost fall risk: sedatives and hypnotics, typically prescribed as sleeping aids; antidepressants; and benzodiazepines, which include tranquilizers like Xanax and Valium. The researchers also saw an increased risk in patients taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs -- like aspirin-- and drugs for treating psychosis, but they note that people may be taking these drugs to treat conditions that would in and of themselves increase their risk of falling. Prescription drug use among the elderly is on the rise. One recent Canadian study found 1 in 7 people over 80 had filled a prescription for an antidepressant. Older people who are taking any of the drugs associated with falls should talk about the medication with their physician and their pharmacist.

Preeclampsia linked to hypothyroidism

Women in whom preeclampsia develops during pregnancy are more likely than other women to have hypothyroidism in late pregnancy or subsequently, according to British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Bonnie - what can help prevent this: adequate lean protein consumption, magnesium, and iodine

Exploring a low-acid diet for bone health

Bonnie - Jane Brody, long-time health columnist for the New York Times, goes out on a limb with this piece (can you hear the tongue-in-cheek?).

While it is nice to see Jane get with the times by suggesting that dairy/milk is not all that it is cracked up to be for bone health, she still talks up whole wheat, which is one of the most acidic foods on earth.

Protein should be the only acid food consumed regularly and has shown to be bone healthy when consumed properly.

Wheat's effect in diabetics

It is common knowledge that type 1 diabetics are at increased risk for celiac disease. New research from the journal Diabetes also suggests that they also have an abnormal, exaggerated immune response to wheat proteins, separate from any genetic, gluten-related abnormality.

Bonnie - gluten intolerance combined with a wheat protein intolerance is the ultimate double whammy disaster!

Beta Carotene deficiency looms

"We mustn't protect ourselves against consuming too much beta-carotene, but rather against consuming too little." This was the conclusion drawn by leading experts in the fields of medical and nutritional science at the 2nd Hohenheim Nutrition Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. Georg Lietz, Ph.D., of Newcastle University reported the general population in the United Kingdom and other European countries is not obtaining sufficient beta-carotene through diet alone, and thus cannot benefit from the essential health promoting functions offered by the vitamin A precursor. Vitamin supplements and foodstuffs enriched with beta-carotene can be a good and safe way to insure adequate vitamin A intake. Concerning the repeated discussion of the safety of beta-carotene, professor Hans K. Biesalski of the University of Hohenheim, Germany, explained the only potential for danger existed in the case of extremely high doses of supplements consumed by heavy smokers, although even for this segment of the population a daily consumption of up to 10 mg would still be harmless.

Phthalates linked to ADHD

Phthalates are important components of many consumer products, including toys, cleaning materials, plastics, and personal care items. A new report by Korean scientists in Biological Psychiatry, adds to the potentially alarming findings about phthalates. They measured urine phthalate concentrations and evaluated symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using teacher-reported symptoms and computerized tests that measured attention and impulsivity. They found a significant positive association between phthalate exposure and ADHD, meaning that the higher the concentration of phthalate metabolites in the urine, the worse the ADHD symptoms and/or test scores.

Steve - feminizing boys and now exacerbating ADHD symptoms? Our government regulators better take a long, hard look. I bet they will not like what they find.

FDA, Merck took too long to pull Vioxx

The risks of taking anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx could have been detected nearly four years before the drug was pulled from the market, according to analysis of nearly 30 clinical trials.The findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday, analyzed 30 Vioxx trials involving around 20,000 individuals and fund evidence of the drug's risks from as early as 2000.The Merck-made drug was pulled in 2004 after it was linked with serious cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks.Much of trial data used in the meta-study has only become available because of litigation against the firm.The study's authors, including Joseph Ross of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said the results showed the need for the open publication of clinical trials."Physicians and the public deserve to be in a position to make informed choices about risk and benefits (of pharmaceutical products)," the authors said.Merck voluntarily withdrew Vioxx from sale in September 2004 after a company internal study in 2001 showed the drug doubled the risks of heart attack in patients who took it for 18 months or longer.The company has since faced a slew of lawsuits and was forced to pay billions of dollars in damages.

Dietary items found for healthy colon

Eating fruits and vegetables, and drinking tea and red wine may offer overweight men and normal weight women some protection from colon and rectal cancers. Plant-based foods contain flavonoids, compounds thought to interfere with cancer-causing processes, the study team notes in the International Journal of Cancer.

120,852 men and women, 55 to 69 years old, filled out dietary surveys as part of a large designed to assess ties between diet and cancer. Over about 13 years, 1,444 men and 1,041 women developed colon or rectal cancer. Compared with the least intake, the greatest intake of catechins -- common in berries, grapes, black chocolate, tea, red wine, and some beans -- seemed to be associated with lower colorectal cancer risk among both overweight men and normal weight women. The researchers observed a similar trend for flavonols -- found in onions, kale, apples, pears, tea, wine, and fruit juices -- in normal weight women.

FDA investigating Meridia

U.S. regulators are reviewing preliminary data suggesting patients taking Abbott Laboratories Inc.'s weight loss drug Meridia may have a higher risk of cardiovascular problems, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The FDA said early findings from a recent study suggested patients taking Meridia, also known as sibutramine, may have a higher number of cardiovascular-related problems, including heart attacks, strokes, cardiac arrests and deaths, when compared to patients who took a placebo. Meridia is an appetite suppressant approved to treat obese adults. It can cause side effects ranging from headaches and constipation to higher blood pressure and a faster heart rate.

Funeral Industry Workers Exposed to Formaldehyde Face Higher Risk of Leukemia

Long durations of exposure to formaldehyde used for embalming in the funeral industry were associated with an increased risk of death from myeloid leukemia, according to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Previous studies have shown excess mortality from lymphohematopoietic malignancies and brain cancer in anatomists, pathologists, and funeral industry workers, all of whom may have worked with formaldehyde.

In a case-control study among funeral industry workers who had died between 1960 and 1986, researchers compared those who died from lymphohematopoietic malignancies and brain tumors with those who died from other causes. Lifetime work practices and exposures to formaldehyde were obtained by interviews with next of kin and coworkers. This study was the first epidemiological investigation, to the authors' knowledge, to relate cancer risk to duration of employment, work practices, and estimated formaldehyde exposure levels in the funeral industry. The number of years of embalming practice and related formaldehyde exposures were associated with statistically significantly increased mortality from myeloid leukaemia, with the greatest risk among those who practiced embalming for more than 20 years.

"Further studies of leukemia risk in relation to specific embalming practices and exposures, as well as similar specific exposure studies in other professional groups that are exposed to formaldehyde and that have an increased risk of leukaemia, should help to clarify our understanding of cancer risks related to formaldehyde."

Bonnie - now that they have shown negative effects in funeral workers and Katrina victims, can anyone tell us how constant exposure to formaldehyde through injected vaccinations can affect our health? Unfortunately not. There is no data.

Low marks for US on premature births

Courtesy of NY Times

More than half a million babies — one out of eight — are born prematurely each year in the United States, prompting the March of Dimes to give the nation a D on its premature births report card. The report card did not give an A to a single state. Vermont, which has a preterm birth rate of 9 percent, got a B, while 17 states got F’s, including Mississippi, with a preterm birth rate of 18.3 percent. The prematurity rate in Puerto Rico, at 19.4 percent, was the highest in the country.

Several states did receive stars for taking steps to reduce smoking among women of childbearing age or providing health insurance coverage for pregnant women, which may help reduce preterm birth rates, the report card noted. Multiple births and elective Caesarean sections also push up preterm birth rates. The March of Dimes has been encouraging pregnant women to refuse to be induced for delivery before 39 weeks unless there is a medical reason.

B-6 for morning sickness

Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine or the activated form of B-6, Pyridoxyl-5-Phosphate) is considered a first-line treatment for nausea and vomiting (morning sickness) in pregnancy by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Vitamin B6, 12.5 - 25 mg three or four times daily is safe and often effective for mild nausea.

Folic acid raises cancer risk?

Bonnie and Steve - A new study published in the November 18, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) raised concerns that high folic acid supplementation may increase the risk of developing cancer.

The latest JAMA study was based on two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials during which almost 7,000 patients with ischemic heart disease were given vitamin B12, vitamin B6, or placebo between 1998 and 2005. The trials took place in Norway, a country that does not fortify its products with folic acid. Basing the trials in Norway was significant because it allowed researchers to better gauge the impacts of folic acid supplementation. In the study, folic acid and B12 supplementation was associated with a 21% increased risk for cancer, a 38% increased risk for dying from the disease, and an 18% increase in deaths from all causes.

The majority of the participants were former smokers, and many of the cancer deaths in the study were related to lung cancer. The real headline of this study should be that smoking increases the risk of lung cancer—the study found that a total of 94 percent of the subjects who developed lung cancer were either current or former smokers.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated no associations between intakes of folate or folic acid and lung cancer risk. It is also important to note that the general rate for cancer has gone down in the United States, where folic acid fortification has been mandatory since 1998. If high doses of folic acid have a paradoxical effect on lung cancer, then we likely would not have seen these drastic reductions in lung cancer incidence over the past two decades.

Reference our October post Understanding the Essential Folate for anyone who doubts the effectiveness of folic acid. As we have said so many times over the years, you cannot judge a nutrient by testing it on smokers and patients with heart disease.

USDA backs rewarding schools serving healthy food

Schools that serve more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to pupils should see higher federal support rates than those serving less-healthier meals loaded with high fats and sugar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Tuesday.

Child nutrition programs, which include school lunch and breakfast, are due for an overhaul but Congress is not expected to act before 2010. The government has targeted improving the nutritional quality and access to school meals amid rising child obesity rates. Vilscak did not suggest how large the bonus should be.

Schools get $2.88 in cash and Agriculture Department-provided food for each lunch meal served for free to poor children this school year. School meal programs provide an estimated 40 million meals daily and more than half the student's food intake during the school day. Students can receive free or subsidized meals if their family's income is low enough. Some $16.9 billion was allotted for child nutrition in the fiscal year that opened on October 1, up $1.9 million from fiscal 2008.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln told Vilsack she was willing to pay more to serve healthier foods. "I'm certainly sympathetic to the concept of higher reimbursement rates. Common sense does tell us that as we improve that quality it also increases the cost," she said.

Steve - as sad is it is to say, this may be the one incentive that will work. However, nothing positive will happen unless the USDA greatly improves the quality of its own food that it provides as part of the school lunch program. However, if enough requests come from schools to spur demand, the USDA must react, and thus, will allocate more money to provide more fruits and vegetables as staple foodstuffs.

Two Important Weight Control Studies

According to one study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, most weight-control strategies emphasize energy-restricted diets and increased physical activity. Most are not effective over the long-term. Researchers found that a shift from a "weight-centered" approach to a more "health-centered" approach, or Health at Every Size (HAES), does not focus on weight-loss exclusively. Instead, it focuses on a healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on size acceptance and balanced eating. The subjects who followed the HAES model had lower feelings and perceptions of hunger with food intake when compared to the control (dieting) group.

Another study from Nutrition and Metabolism stated that exercise alone appeared to have minimal impact on measured outcomes in obese women. However, when combined with a diet rich in lean protein, greater improvements in waist circumference and body composition were seen. The protocol also stimulated improvements in markers of cardiovascular disease risk, energy expenditure, and psychosocial parameters.

Bonnie - let me get this straight. Instead of focusing on weight-loss fad diets, one should look to healthful, balanced lifestyle and dietary choices while embracing your body size, thus allowing the weight, however much you lose, to come off naturally? On top of that, combine exercise and a diet rich in lean protein encourages greater improvements in body composition as opposed to exercise alone?

Gosh, where have I heard this before?

Meditation lowers heart risk by 50 percent in study

Patients with coronary heart disease who practiced the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation® technique had nearly 50 percent lower rates of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to nonmeditating controls, according to the results of a first-ever study presented during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association.

The nine-year, randomized control trial followed 201 African American men and women, average age 59 years, with narrowing of arteries in their hearts who were randomly assigned to either practice the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique or to participate in a control group which received health education classes in traditional risk factors, including dietary modification and exercise.

All participants continued standard medications and other usual medical care.

The study found:

• A 47 percent reduction in the combination of death, heart attacks, and strokes in the participants
• Clinically significant (5 mm Hg average) reduction in blood pressure associated with decrease in clinical events
• Significant reductions in psychological stress in the high-stress subgroup

The trial was sponsored by a $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and was conducted at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.

According to Robert Schneider, M.D., FACC, lead author and director of the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention, "Previous research on Transcendental Meditation has shown reductions in blood pressure, psychological stress, and other risk factors for heart disease, irrespective of ethnicity. But this is the first controlled clinical trial to show that long-term practice of this particular stress reduction program reduces the incidence of clinical cardiovascular events, that is heart attacks, strokes and mortality."

"This study is an example of the contribution of a lifestyle intervention -- stress management -- to the prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-risk patients," said Theodore Kotchen, M.D., co-author of the study, professor of medicine, and associate dean for clinical research at the Medical College.

Steve - as we have alluded to in the past, meditation can be a powerful stress reducer.

Probiotics intake beneficial against infections in kids

Lactobacillus Acidophilus can decrease the risk of upper respiratory tract infections including rhinitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis, and the common cold in children attending day care centers. The findings, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also found that the rate of absence from childcare centers due to infections was lower in children receiving the probiotic in comparison to those who were not.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 281 children attended day care centers in Zagreb, Croatia. The authors found that, compared to the placebo group, children in the probiotic group (probiotic powder put into milk) had a significantly reduced risk of upper respiratory tract, a reduced risk of respiratory tract infections lasting longer than three days, and a significantly lower number of days with respiratory symptoms. However, they noted that there was no risk reduction in regard to lower respiratory tract infections as a result of the consumption of the probiotic. And they found that children in the probiotic group had no significant reduction in the risk of gastrointestinal infections, vomiting episodes, and diarrheal episodes and no reduction in the number of days with gastrointestinal symptoms compared to the placebo cohort.

Bonnie - I would venture to say that these results were not as impressive as the Pediatrics study because the product was put in a milk. I would have liked to have seen them have some of the subjects take the probiotics alone.

Is Swine Flu more deadly than seasonal flu?

Question:

CDC estimates the number of deaths caused by the swine flu since April is 4,000. Six months into a regular flu season, there are already 18,000 deaths. If what the CDC says is true. Why such hysteria?

Answer:

Please comment below. We'd like to hear your answer.

P.S. Why has there not been a public outcry about deaths related bacteria transmitted by ticks so far this year? To date, two kinds of tick-related bacteria have killed 1,230 Americans.

Which age group is at greatest death risk from H1N1?

The answer may surprise you. According to a November 12th study from the Lancet, which focused on Mexico, where the outbreak originally began, the greatest mortality risk were in those:

Aged 70 and older: 10.3%
60 to 69 year-olds: 5.7%
50 to 59 year-olds: 4.5%
40 to 49 year-olds: 2.7%
30 to 39 year-olds: 2%
20 to 29 year-olds: 0.9%
10 to 19 year-olds: 0.2%
1 to 9 year-olds: 0.3%
1 year or younger: 1.6%

While the group most likely to be infected with H1N1 are those aged 10 to 39, this data certainly shows that young persons are not dying at a higher rate than older persons like some media reports lead you to believe.

Monsanto asks for approval of trans-fat free soy

Monsanto has submitted evidence to the FDA and USDA backing the safety of its Vistive III soybean traits, intended to provide heat stable, trans-fat free cooking oils. Food manufacturers have been under increasing pressure to eliminate trans fats from foods, after evidence mounted to show they raise levels of LDL (so-called ‘bad’) cholesterol, while lowering levels of HDL (‘good’) cholesterol, thereby clogging arteries and causing heart disease.

The latest soybean traits from Monsanto have also been billed by the company as a way to “significantly lower” levels of saturated fats. Monsanto already has low-linolenic soybean oils on the market under its Vistive brand – KFC and Kellogg’s have both used Vistive to slash trans fats from their products – but the company claims that its new generation traits confer “significantly extended fry life” and are more stable at high temperatures than either existing Vistive oils or conventional soybean oils.

Bonnie - pardon me if I am a bit skeptical of this new concoction. We hope to see the patent to see how it is chemically altered.

Plastic ingredient "feminizes" boys

Males exposed to high doses of phthalates in the womb went on to be less likely to play with boys' toys like cars or to join in rough and tumble games. This latest work adds to concerns about the safety of phthalates, found in vinyl flooring and PVC shower curtains. The findings are reported in the International Journal of Andrology.

Phthalates have the ability to disrupt hormones, and have been banned in toys in the EU (not in the US) for some years. However, they are still widely used in many different household items, including plastic furniture and packaging. There are many different types and some mimic the female hormone estrogen. This feminizing capacity of phthalates makes them true 'gender benders'

The same researchers have already shown that this can mean boys are born with genital abnormalities. Now they say certain phthalates also impact on the developing brain, by knocking out the action of the male hormone testosterone.

Bonnie - we have been reporting on this category of chemicals for a long time now. The fact that researchers earmarked the changes in the womb show once again the epigenetic effect from environment and lifestyle choices.

Drug makers raising prices at fastest rate ever

Courtesy of NY Times

Even as drug makers promise to support Washington’s health care overhaul by shaving $8 billion a year off the nation’s drug costs after the legislation takes effect, the industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years. In the last year, the industry has raised the wholesale prices of brand-name prescription drugs by about 9 percent, according to industry analysts. That will add more than $10 billion to the nation’s drug bill, which is on track to exceed $300 billion this year. By at least one analysis, it is the highest annual rate of inflation for drug prices since 1992.

The drug trend is distinctly at odds with the direction of the Consumer Price Index, which has fallen by 1.3 percent in the last year. Drug makers say they have valid business reasons for the price increases. Critics say the industry is trying to establish a higher price base before Congress passes legislation that tries to curb drug spending in coming years.

This year’s price increases would effectively cancel out the savings from at least the first year of the Senate Finance agreement. And some critics say the surge in drug prices could change the dynamics of the entire 10-year deal. “It makes it much easier for the drug companies to pony up the $80 billion because they’ll be making more money,” said Steven D. Findlay, senior health care analyst with the advocacy group Consumers Union.

Steve - this is what happens when you have "financialized medicine." Drug companies are tied to Wall Street and their stocks take a beating if they cannot continually increase prices. This is their only recourse because Big Pharma is inordinately bloated, yet refuses to find ways to be more efficient (aside from mergers and layoffs). So the only industries in the United States who are raising their prices in a recession are the drug makers and health insurance providers. How can we not consider this criminal when you are dealing with products that many people's lives depend on?

Niaspan licks Zetia, Vytoirn

As we reported back in August, a NEJM study confirmed that Niaspan (high-dose prescription B-Vitamin, Niacin) significantly outperformed Zetia and Vytorin in shrinking buildup in artery walls and raisin HDL, the good cholesterol. According to Preventive Chief of Cardiology Chief at Johns Hopkins University, "Zetia has been on the market for seven years and we still have not proven that it improves clinical outcomes. These new results will be very influential in getting more doctors to turn to Niaspan."

Bonnie - so typical. Approve the drug first and then see if it works. If it doesn't, it either goes away slowly or is pulled from the market when it causes adverse outcomes. Niaspsan has been effective for decades, but it is not a moneymaker for the drug companies.

Multivitamins reduce food allergy risk: study

Daily supplements of multivitamins do not have any effect on allergic disease in eight year old children, says a new study from Sweden. Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists from the world famous Karolinska Institute report that multivitamin supplements had no effect on the incidence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, or atopic sensitization in 2,423 eight-year olds. However, when the scientists limited their analysis to children who started supplementation before the age of four, a 39 per cent decrease in the risk of sensitization to food allergens. “Our results show no association between current use of multivitamins and risk of allergic disease but suggest that supplementation with multivitamins during the first years of life may reduce the risk of allergic disease at school age,” they concluded.

Options when antibiotics are ineffective

Faced with a growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, hospitals in the United Kingdom are adopting traditional medicinal techniques to fight infection, such as maggots and honey.

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other drug-resistant infections kill or hasten the death of 8,000 British patients per year, while MRSA now kills more people in the United States annually than AIDS.

At the Royal United Hospital in Bath, England, many wounds are now being disinfected with Manuka honey rather than pharmaceutical antibiotics.

"Honey has been used in healing for centuries, but now new products have overcome the problems associated with using conventional honey and bring it into a modern healthcare setting," said the hospital's Kate Purser.

Honey is one of the oldest forms of medicine known, and was employed both as food and antibiotic by the ancient Egyptians and, more recently, by German doctors during World War I. Its high sugar content means that the water in honey is almost chemically inert, making it unavailable for the growth of bacteria, fungi or viruses. A naturally occurring enzyme known as glucose oxidase also makes honey acidic enough to create a hostile environment for most bacteria.

The honey used by Royal United Hospital is not the same as the honey found on supermarket shelves, however. The honey is a variety known as Manuka honey, which is produced from the manuka plant, native to New Zealand. This honey is then irradiated to kill any trace bacterial spores.

According to Manuka honey products company Honeymark, the honey has proven effective at killing MRSA in scientific trials. While honey already contains a variety of chemicals that can be beneficial to the body -- such as the antioxidant pinocembrin, which only occurs in honey -- Honeymark claims that Manuka honey contains even more of these beneficial compounds, which are derived from the manuka flower.

"These medicinal compounds, in most cases, outperform many pharmaceuticals and traditional forms of medicine," the company said in a press release.

Honeymark claims that Manuka honey can be use both topically and internally to treat conditions caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, including infected wounds, acne, eczema, stomach ulcers or other gastrointestinal conditions, ringworm and upper respiratory infections. No side effects have been reported, and in contrast to pharmaceutical antibiotics, bacteria appear unable to develop resistance to Manuka honey.

Manuka has a further benefit over pharmaceuticals, according to Honeymark.

"Antibiotics are indiscriminate killers. When taken orally, antibiotics kill all bacteria, both good and bad," the company said. "For reasons that are currently unknown, Manuka Honey does not effect good bacteria in the body and only destroys harmful, infectious bacteria. This is something that pharmaceuticals have not been able to accomplish."

Dorothy Yeo of Bath said that honey dressings led to drastic improvement in her ulcer. "I felt I wasn't getting anywhere and the pain made it hard to sleep," she said. "But now I'm able to sleep without tablets, and new skin is forming over my ulcer. I'm very pleased and I'd recommend it to anyone."

While honey can kill the bacteria that cause infection, sometimes other measures are required to remove the dead tissue left by infection or injury. At Royal United Hospital, one such technique is the application of sterilized greenbottle fly larvae, more commonly known as maggots.

Statin's long-term effects continue after stopping the drug

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may cause serious and long-term muscle damage that persists even after the drugs are halted, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Researchers have known for some time that minor muscle aches and weakness, known as myalgia, occur in between 10 and 15 percent of patients taking statins, while more severe, persistent pain known as myopathy occurs in roughly 2 percent. In the current study, researchers performed muscle biopsies on 83 patients, 44 of whom were taking statins and also suffering from myopathy severe enough to interfere with exercise and daily activities. Twenty-nine of these patients were currently taking statins, while the other 15 had ceased using the drugs at least three weeks before.

Another 19 participants were taking statins but not suffering from myopathy, while the final 20 had never experienced myopathy and never taken statins.

Researchers found signs of muscle damage in 25 of the myopathy patients, including the majority of those who had already stopped taking statins.

"Although in clinical practice, the majority of patients with muscle symptoms improve rapidly after cessation of therapy, our findings support that a subgroup of patients appears to be more susceptible to statin-associated myotoxicity, suffering persistent structural injury," said senior author Annette Draeger.

The researchers also found that only one of the patients with muscle damage had elevated levels of the enzyme creatine phosphokinase (CPK), widely believed to be a marker of muscle distress.

"This paper is challenging the dogma that if the CPK level is low, it rules out the possibility of muscle damage," co-author Richard Karas said. "You can have microscopic muscle damage and the level of CPK can still be normal."

Reflux meds under fire

Consequences are emerging in patients who are prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for reflux diseases. Physicians are warned to monitor these effects and prescribe these medications carefully, according to a new commentary published in the November 2009 issue of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.

There is a growing body of literature demonstrating that acid is not the only causal agent of tissue damage in reflux disease, and that PPIs are not effective at treating all cases of GERD and LPR.

In addition to the evidence that acid isn't the only contributing agent in reflux disease, the authors' search of recent research on PPIs pointed out that there are many unexpected consequences and side effects from this class of drugs. They can include: increased rates of hip fractures, possibly related to altered calcium absorption; altered vitamin B12 and iron absorption, related to alteration of the gastric pH; increased odds of acquiring nosocomial Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea; and increased odds of contracting community-acquired pneumonia; and may predispose otherwise healthy individuals to clinically significant small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

The authors further advise physicians treating reflux disease patients to weigh the risks of treatment versus the risks of not treating the disease, and to consider a goal of a more holistic approach that includes diet and lifestyle modification. These additional steps could prove beneficial in lowering healthcare costs associated with reflux diseases, and encourage patients to continue practicing behaviors that would improve their overall health.

Bonnie - music to my ears!

Silk products no longer from organic soybeans

Until early 2009, Silk brand soy milk was made using organic soybeans. But earlier this year, Dean Foods (owner of the Silk brand) quietly switched to conventional soybeans, which are often grown with pesticides. But they kept the same UPC barcodes on their products, and they kept the product label virtually the same, only replacing the word "organic" with "natural" in a way that was barely noticeable. They also kept the price the same, charging consumers "organic" prices for a product that was now suddenly made with conventionally-grown soybeans.

Many consumers continue to think that the term "natural" is basically the same as "organic," when in fact they are almost opposites. The term "natural" is entirely unregulated, and almost anything can be claimed to be "natural" even when it's sprayed with pesticides or treated with other chemicals.

Bonnie - unfortunately, these type of deceptive practices are more apt to occur when run by huge food conglomerates like Dean Foods. What audacity to think that nobody would notice. I stopped recommending Silk a long time ago because is has too much sugar.

Analyzing genes no predictor for disease

Genetic analysis is essentially useless in predicting a person's risk of cancer, heart attack or other common diseases, according to a set of commentaries published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The decoding of the human genome in 2003 led to a flood of research into the contributions that genetic variation might make to the risk of various chronic diseases that tend to develop late in life, such as diabetes, heart disease or cancer. Since then, a number of for-profit companies have begun offering genetic screenings and disease risk assessments.

"With only a few exceptions, what the genomics companies are doing right now is recreational genomics," said David B. Goldstein of Duke University, author of one of the commentaries. "The information has little or in many cases no clinical relevance."

While genomewide analysis has successfully identified some differences between the genetic codes of healthy and diseased patients, these differences provide little information about disease risk. Researchers expected to find a small number of common genetic variations that were responsible for each disease. Instead, common gene variants appear to contribute to disease risk only very marginally.

Based on the failure of more than 100 genomewide studies -- carried out on thousands of patients in a number of different countries -- to deliver useful results, Goldstein suggests that the approach should be abandoned as a waste of resources. Genomewide analysis is only effective at uncovering common variations with large effects, Goldstein says. Discovering rare variants with smaller effects is "beyond the grasp of the genomewide association studies."

Steve - I love how they dismiss genetic analysis as ineffective but not offer an alternative. What they should have added in their opinion is the fact that Epigenetics, how lifestyle choices affect our genes, is where the all the research is at. As we predicted, this is where the future of gene control lies.

Top Ten Healthy Holiday Tips Updated.

For Healthy Holiday Parties and Family Celebrations

1. Eat before you go to a party, especially foods high in protein and healthy fats. Your blood sugar will be more stable so you won’t eat as much.
   
   
2. Alcohol is loaded with calories. Try substituting with sparkling water or club soda (an added benefit is feeling more full with water so you won’t eat as much). The best advice is choosing non-alcoholic, low calorie beverages such as a virgin bloody Mary, fruit flavored tea, or flavored water (without sugar or sugar substitutes added). If you do consume alcohol, remember that alcohol may inhibit your ability to make smart food choices. Sip your drinks slowly. For each alcoholic beverage, have 8 oz. sparkling water or club soda in between. Add a small amount of lemon, lime, or other fruit juice to your water for added flavor.
   
   
3. Don’t make a meal out of appetizers. Sample one or two, then wait for the main course. If fresh vegetables are served as appetizers, fill up on low carbohydrate, low calorie tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, celery, and zucchini. At a buffet, graze to take a taste of enticing items, but spend most of your time with the raw vegetables and heart healthy guacamole and humus dips. Socialize away from the food table so you won’t be tempted to continue eating while talking.
   
   
4. If you know you’ll want to have a rich dessert (instead of fruit), keep the fat and carbohydrate calories low the rest of the day to compensate. Also, forego second helpings of the dinner to save “calorie” room for dessert. Encourage family and friends to take a brisk walk between dinner and dessert. You’ll be surprised by how much less you’ll crave!
   
   
5. Watch out for raw foods (raw fish, steak tartar and eggnog made with raw eggs) or foods left out too long at room temperature. They could harbor harmful pathogens such as salmonella, shigella, listeria, or e coli.
   
   
6. Eat your meal slowly so that you’ll feel full with less food. It typically takes your stomach about 20 minutes to let your brain know that you are full. Try to avoid or limit foods high in saturated fat like heavy gravies. These are typically very high in calories. For example: 8 oz. eggnog = 340 calories, 1 slice pie with whipping cream = 520 calories; 1 cup standard poultry stuffing = 500 calories.
   
   
7. Exercise more to burn more calories during the holidays. Cycling, fast-walking, and cross-country skiing are great ideas. Even shoveling the snow off of your driveway and sidewalk counts.
   
   
8. Offer to bring your favorite healthy recipe to the party and spend most of your time eating it. Let your host keep the leftovers from your dish. If you’re hosting the meal or party, send leftovers home with your guests. It’s a friendly gesture and saves your from temptation!
   
   
9. If you have food sensitivities or allergies, call your host before the party to determine what foods would be safe. There is nothing worse than having an allergic reaction or digestive distress when you are trying to have fun.
   
   
10. Don’t begin a diet during the holidays or become obsessive about avoiding tempting holiday fare. If you restrict yourself too much, you’ll either be depressed or “pig out” later. Remember that the average adult gains 6 lbs. from Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day. If you can even maintain your weight during the holidays, you’ll be one step ahead when it is time to make your New Year’s resolutions.
    
    

© Copyright 2009, Nutritional Concepts

Eating Well on a Budget

Eat In More and Out Less

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service found that spending on food away from home accounted for nearly half of every American food dollar in 2008. While they require more planning, home-cooked meals are an excellent way to minimize your grocery bill and they are typically healthier than the options you may find when dining out. Consumers seem to be getting the message. A 2009 survey says 46% of consumers claim that their families eat out less often.

To save money while cooking at home, try some of these tips:

• Make at least one meal meatless.
  Choose recipes that utilize eggs or dried beans – like pinto or northern beans – as the main protein.
• Double your recipes and freeze leftovers or extra amounts of meat, bread, and cooked vegetables.
• Bring leftovers for lunch to work or use the excess ingredients as inspiration for future meals.
• Eat dinner as a family, or consider having a weekly potluck with neighbors to reduce the cost per person of your meals.
• Clip coupons
• Subscribe to a healthy cooking magazine, or peruse recipe books for healthy ideas. We love Eating Well, our Best of the Mediterranean Diet and Recipes to Live By.
• Plan Meals for the Week in Advance:
  A meal planning chart or simple shopping list for the week are great tools for the budget-minded, health-conscious consumer.
  
• Knowing what you already have in the pantry and what you intend to make ahead of time reduces impulse spending, saves time, and improves the nutritional value of your meal.
  
• Post meal plans on the refrigerator door where the entire family can see it and refer back to it throughout the week.
• Only shop once a week:
  This makes it easier to avoid unnecessary purchases and encourages you to stick to your weekly menu. Have a snack before you visit the grocery store. Shopping on an empty stomach can lead to impulse buying.
• Grocery Store Shopping Tips:
  
  • “Shop the perimeter,” remembering that the least healthy and most overpriced packaged foods are concentrated in the middle aisles.
  • If fresh fruits and vegetables are cost-prohibitive, try the frozen versions. Frozen produce is often flash frozen at the source, locking in nutrients.
    
  • Choose prepared foods with short ingredient lists and minimal additives or artificial ingredients.
    
  • Buying “economy” or “family size” containers is sometimes, but not always, a better buy. Larger packages that have a lower cost per unit than their smaller counterparts are only going to save you money if you will truly eat all of the food in the package. If it spoils and has to be thrown away, it could just be a waste of your money.
  • Be cautious of stores’ shrinking food packages and their content while prices stay the same. Common changes include packaging redesign that holds fewer ounces by way of indented container bottoms, cartons that hold 1/4 less of a quart, and boxes that remain the same size but actually have smaller bags of product inside.
    

Artificial Sweeteners and salt tied to kidney issues

A diet high in salt or artificially sweetened drinks increases the risk of kidney function decline, two studies show. "There are currently limited data on the role of diet in kidney disease," said researcher Dr. Julie Lin, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "While more study is needed, our research suggests that higher sodium and artificially sweetened soda intake are associated with greater rate of decline in kidney function."

The first study looked at diet and kidney function decline in more than 3,000 women enrolled in the national Nurses' Health Study. The researchers found that "in women with well-preserved kidney function, higher dietary sodium intake was associated with greater kidney function decline, which is consistent with experimental animal data that high sodium intake promotes progressive kidney disease."

The second study looked at the association between sugar- and artificially-sweetened beverages and kidney function decline in the same group of women. The researchers found an association between two or more servings per day of artificially sweetened soda and a two-fold increased risk of faster kidney function decline. There was no connection between sugar-sweetened beverages and kidney function decline. The association between artificially sweetened beverages and kidney function decline persisted after Lin and colleague Dr. Gary Curhan accounted for other factors, such as age, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, physical activity, caloric intake and cardiovascular disease.

The studies were to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology, in San Diego.

Aspirin should only be for heart patients

The use of aspirin to ward off heart attacks and strokes in those who do not have obvious cardiovascular disease should be abandoned, researchers say.The United Kingdom's Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) study says aspirin can cause serious internal bleeding and does not prevent cardiovascular disease deaths. It says doctors should review all patients currently taking the drug for prevention of heart disease. The Royal College of GPs says it supports the DTB's recommendations. Low-dose aspirin is widely used to prevent further episodes of cardiovascular disease in people who have already had problems such as a heart attack or stroke. Given the evidence, the DTB's statement on aspirin prescription is a sensible one.

The DTB said a recent analysis of six controlled trials involving a total of 95,000 patients published in the journal the Lancet does not back up the routine use of aspirin in these patients because of the risk of serious gastrointestinal bleeds and the negligible impact it has on curbing death rates. Dr Ike Ikeanacho, editor of the DTB, said: "Current evidence for primary prevention suggests the benefits and harms of aspirin in this setting may be more finely balanced than previously thought, even in individuals estimated to be at high risk of experiencing cardiovascular events, including those with diabetes or elevated blood pressure."

June Davison, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation said: "It is well established that aspirin can help prevent heart attacks and strokes among people with heart and circulatory disease - so this group of people should continue to take aspirin as prescribed by their doctor. "However, for those who do not have heart and circulatory disease the risk of serious bleeding outweighs the potential preventative benefits of taking aspirin. "We advise people not to take aspirin daily. The best way to reduce your risk of developing this disease is to avoid smoking, eat a diet low in saturated fat and rich in fruit and vegetables and take regular physical activity."

Bonnie - whoah! These are the boldest statements I have seen on this issue in decades. Finally, doctors are getting it!

Affects from harmful artery plaque lessened with omega-3

Unstable carotid artery plaques – those in danger of rupturing and leading to a stroke – contain more inflammation and significantly less omega-3 fatty acids than asymptomatic plaques. This suggests that increasing the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in carotid artery plaques could either prevent strokes or improve the safety of treatment. This may be accomplished by increasing dietary intake of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

The study in the journal, Vascular Pharmacology, says that our bodies produce only a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids, so most of what we need has to come from eating omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods like fish (salmon, tuna, trout, herring, etc.) or from supplements.

Steve - this is a very important study because it explains the different forms of artery plaques and their affect on the body.

Processed food linked to depression?

Eating a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression. What is more, people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually had a lower risk of depression. Data on diet among 3,500 middle-aged civil servants was compared with depression five years later, the British Journal of Psychiatry reported. The team said the study was the first to look at the UK diet and depression.

They split the participants into two types of diet - those who ate a diet largely based on whole foods, which includes lots of fruit, vegetables and fish, and those who ate a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products. After accounting for factors such as gender, age, education, physical activity, smoking habits and chronic diseases, they found a significant difference in future depression risk with the different diets. Those who ate the most whole foods had a 26% lower risk of future depression than those who at the least whole foods. By contrast people with a diet high in processed food had a 58% higher risk of depression than those who ate very few processed foods.

Steve - the results of this study should not come as a surprise to anyone. When your blood sugar is balanced, that alone is enough to repel many symptoms of depression.