What makes fatty foods so enticing?

New research shows that the allure of greasy treats may come from a special sensor in your taste buds that's tuned to fat.

Both animals and humans show a natural preference for fatty foods. But given that our taste buds are known to detect only five tastes — salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami, which is linked to the taste of meat and cheese — scientists have wondered how we detect fatty foods.

Now Philippe Besnard and colleagues in Dijon, France, have shown that a protein found in the taste buds of rodents may be the elusive fat sensor. The scientists have discovered that when the protein comes in contact with fat on the tongue, it triggers release of stomach juices. Mice missing this protein don't show the typical preference for fatty foods.

Humans also have this protein. Scientists say the finding, published in the Nov. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, might shed light on some forms of obesity.

Steve - They are just discovering this now? The fast food corporations are no dummies. They've know this for years!

Broccoli fights cancer-causing bacteria in humans

H. pylori, is known to cause gastritis and is believed to be a major factor in peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. In humans the cells lining the stomach can act as reservoirs of helicobacter, making it more difficult to get rid of the infection. Nonetheless, in all but 15 to 20 percent of cases it can be tackled with antibiotics.

The findings of the new study, led by Akinori Yanaka of the University of Tsukuba, were presented yesterday at the American Association for Cancer Research's Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting in Baltimore.

The study involved 40 people who were infected with H. pylori. Over a two-month period, 20 of them received 100g of two- to three- day old broccoli sprouts with their food each day. At this young age, broccoli sprouts contain the highest concentrations of sulforaphane.

The other 20 received 100g of fresh alfalfa sprouts.

The rationale for testing broccoli sprouts against alfalfa was that the chemical constituents are very similar. However while broccoli sprouts contain 250mg of sulforaphane glucosinolate per 100g, alfalfa sprouts contain neither sulforaphane nor sulforaphane glucosinolate.

After two months, the broccoli group showed significantly less H. pylori, although the bacterium was not completely eradicated. Participants’ pepsinogen were also reduced. In the alfalfa group however, both H. pylori and pepsinogen remained at pre-intervention levels.

Further tests conducted two months after the end of the intervention showed that both H. pylori and pepsinogen returned to their previous levels when participants stopped consuming the broccoli sprouts.

Commenting on the findings, Yamaka said: "Even though we were unable to eradicate H. pylori, to be able suppress it and relieve the accompanying gastritis by means as simple as eating more broccoli sprouts is good news for the many people who are infected."

Courtesy of nutraingredients.com

Supplements reduce health care costs

A major study into the economics of older Americans taking omega-3 and lutein with zeaxanthin supplements has shown that they may shave a combined $5.6 billion off health care costs over the next five years, and help seniors live independently for longer.

The Lewin Group was commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) to study the scientific evidence on the two supplements' ability to reduce the risk of disease and developed Congressional Budget Office-type estimates of potential health care savings.

It found that a daily intake of 1800mg of omega-3 by the over-65s could result in conservative savings of around $3.1 billion in five years, from physicians fees and approximately 385,303 fewer hospitalizations.

American J Clinical Nutrition Highlights

It has been a while. Below are September and October highlights.

• Finding from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study indicate an association between dietary glycemic index (how fast carbohydrates turn into sugar) in foods and selected predictors of type 2 diabetes on older adults, particularly in men. The more high glycemic index foods consumed, the higher the diabteic risk.

• Vitamin D may reduce susceptibility to gingival inflammation through its antiinflammatory effect.

• A dietary pattern higth in sugar-sweetened soft drinks, refined grains, diet soft drinks, and processed meat but low in wine, coffee, cruciferous vegetables, and yellow veegtables, was associated with an increased risk of diabetes in women participating in the prestigious Nurse's Health Study.

• Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with elevated antioxidant capacty and low LDL cholesterol concentrations which help explan its benefit with the cardiovascular system.

• In addition to adequate deitary calcium intake, appropriate intakes of vegetables and fruit have a beneficial effect of total bone mineral content in boys aged 8-20.

• Dietary habits were significant predictors of poor hospitalized outcome in very old hospitalized patients. A questionnaire on dietary habits can serve as a useful tool in assessing nutritional status and prognosis.

Govt. Summary on Omega 3 Fatty Acids

According to the National Institute's of Health Office of Dietary Supplements,

Most American diets provide more than 10 times as much omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acid. There is general agreement that individuals should consume more omega-3 and less omega-6 fatty acids to promote good health. Good sources of ALA are leafy green vegetables, nuts, and vegetable oils such as canola, soy, and especially flaxseed. Good sources of EPA and DHA are fish. Impact on cardiovascular disease: According to both primary and secondary prevention studies, consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, fish, and fish oil reduces all-cause mortality and various CVD outcomes such as sudden death, cardiac death, and myocardial infarction. The evidence is strongest for fish and fish oil supplements. Impact on CVD risk factors: Fish oils can lower blood triglyceride levels in a dose-dependent manner. Fish oils have a very small beneficial effect on blood pressure and possible beneficial effects on coronary artery restenosis after angioplasty and exercise capacity in patients with coronary atherosclerosis. Impact on other conditions: Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce joint tenderness and need for corticosteroid drugs in rheumatoid arthritis. Data are insufficient to support conclusions about the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on inflammatory bowel disease, renal disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, bone density, and diabetes. Safety: Adverse events related to consumption of fish-oil or ALA supplements are generally minor and typically gastrointestinal in nature (such as diarrhea). They can usually be eliminated by reducing the dose or discontinuing the supplement.

Health Benefits of Soy Limited

According to the NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements October Newsletter, soy products do not have significant effects on blood pressure, bone health, cancer, kidney disease, endocrine function, reproductive health, neurocognitive function, or glucose metabolism. However, daily consumption may lower LDL cholesterol (by about 3%) and triglycerides (6%), and soy isoflavones (at doses of 17.5 to 100mg daily) may reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal women.

The evidence was reviewed by the federal government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Reasons to go organic

1. organic food delivers more nutrition
2. reduces pesticide exposure
3. decrease intake of food additives
4. no hormones or antibiotics
5. mostly GMO (genetically-modified)-free
6. stays fresher longer

from Food as Medicine Fall 2005

Veggies may prevent cancer

Chemicals in certain vegetables and herbs -- including broccoli sprouts, cabbage and gingko biloba -- appear to help prevent cancer, new studies found.

Highlights of the findings, which were presented Monday in Baltimore at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research:

*Japanese scientists found that eating fresh broccoli sprouts cut infections from a type of bacteria linked to stomach cancer. Sulforaphane -- a chemical in broccoli sprouts -- helps fight molecules that damage DNA and can lead to cancer. Broccoli sprouts are two- to three-day-old broccoli plants.

*Researchers at the University of New Mexico, Michigan State University and the National Food and Nutrition Institute of Warsaw found that women who ate three servings a week of lightly cooked cabbage or sauerkraut might have a lower risk of developing breast cancer.

*Scientists in Boston found a reduced risk of ovarian cancer in women who consumed ginkgo biloba, an herbal supplement derived from leaves of the gingko tree. Women who took the supplement for six months or longer had a 60 percent lower risk.

*In the final study, a component of garlic was found to curb the effects of a suspected cancer-causing agent released by cooking meats and eggs. Researchers at Florida A&M University tested the substance on human tissue and found it blocked the cancer-causing enzyme.

Courtesy of Bloomberg News

A little exercise goes long way for your heart

By Natalie Gott

RALEIGH, N.C. -- There's no need to run. Just going for a brisk walk -- in the park, around the block or on a treadmill -- may be enough to help keep your heart healthy, a small study suggests.

The study, which indicates roughly two to three hours of mild exercise a week at a moderate intensity can significantly cut the risk of cardiovascular disease, supports earlier research.

The findings may encourage people who are reluctant to exercise, said Brian Duscha, the lead author of the research published in the October issue of the journal Chest.

''The classic question always is: What's the minimum amount I need to do to enjoy the benefits of it,'' Duscha said. ''If you just walk 12 miles a week at a brisk pace, it's scientifically proven now that you will get some benefits.''

The conclusions are based on a study at Duke University Medical Center of 133 middle-aged overweight sedentary adults who were at risk for heart disease.

Associated Press

Public Health: Before Avoiding Fish, a Word to the Wise

Printed in today's New York Times...

Federal health officials should think carefully before issuing advisories recommending that women of childbearing age limit their intake of fish, new research suggests.

The warnings are intended to protect fetuses from mercury, which concentrates in some fish and, at high enough levels, can damage the brains of the babies.

But in a series of articles in the current American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers say the effect of the advisories may be detrimental to public health, since the fatty acids in fish help prevent serious problems like stroke and heart disease.

There is also evidence that they help prenatal brains develop.

"These and other potential health effects yield a classic risk-risk trade-off," wrote the lead researcher, Joshua T. Cohen of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Harvard researchers asked experts from a variety of universities to review the literature and decide whether the benefits of reducing mercury in pregnant women's diets was worth the loss of the fatty acids.

"I think we've got two messages," Dr. Cohen said. "If you're not pregnant and you're not going to become pregnant, eat fish. If you are pregnant or you are going to become pregnant, you should still eat fish, but you should eat fish low in mercury."

The problem with the government advisories, the researchers said, is that officials do not try to assess what effect they will have on the public.

They are directed at women of childbearing age, but some experts believe they keep other people away from fish, too. And instead of avoiding just those fish high in mercury, like swordfish and king mackerel, some women avoid all fish.

Bonnie - finally, somebody is making sense. I cannot tell you how many clients have unnecessarily stopped eating fish because of federal health advisories. We need to read the fine print of the advisories or speak to a local health professional, like myself, who has a public health background.

Comments on Ensure's Healthy Mom

As you probably could have anticipated, we do not advocate Ensure's new Healthy Mom Shakes. The ingredients are deplorable:

• sucrose (high glycemic sugar)
  
• maltodextrin (corn binder)
  
• artificial flavor
• calcium caseinate (monosodium glutamate derivative)

Enough said.

Bonnie and Steve

Estrogenic effect of yam ingestion in healthy postmenopausal women

The researchers objective in this 24 person study was to understand why yam has been used to treat menopausal symptoms folklorically.

What they found was that replacing two-thirds of staple food (rice) with yam for 30 days improved the status of the women's sex hormones, lipids, and antioxidant levels. The same results were not seen in a group that was given sweet potato.

J Amer Coll Nutr October, 2005

Bonnie - this is one of the first studies I have seen structured this way and I am impressed, albeit not suprised with the results. I would like them to some more larger studies so wild yam will be taken more seriously.

Treating diarrhea in children younger than one

According to researchers, the feeding of cereal containing probiotics (including lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus) and zinc, reduced the severity and duration of acute gastroenteritis in 65 young children aged 6-12 months.

J Amer Coll Nutr, October 2005

State of type 2 diabetes commentary

Highlights from a review study in the October issue Journal of The American College of Nutrition:

• monosaturated or polyunstaurated fats appear to have a beneficial effect on insulin action
• breastfeeding for at least two months may lower the risk of diabetes in children
  
• few studies have examined the role of type and amount of carbohydrates in relation to the development of type 2 diabetes; what appears to be...
  
• persons with a diet at the highest level of the glycemic index were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those at the lowest levels
• very little data exists showing the relationship between intake of whole-grain foods and risk of type 2 diabetes
• their conclusion: the public health importance of diabetes prevention is indisputable; to reduce the burden of this devastating disease, prevention programs must target not only the affected individuals, but also families, workplaces, schools, and communities
  

Pesticide Levels in Produce

This is a short list of the most contaminated and least contaminated fruits and vegetables with pesticide residue. Keep in mind, testing does not occur on the outside of the fruit or vegetable, it is tested in the interior.

Most contaminated with pesticides:

• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Grapes (imported)
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Least contaminated with pesticides:

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn (sweet)
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Peas (sweet)

Steve - even more impetus to go organic when possible!

Epidurals increase birth aid need

Women who have an epidural to ease the pain of childbirth are more likely to need medical help to have their baby, scientists say. A review of 21 studies comparing epidurals to other forms of pain relief showed women who chose them were 40% more likely to need intervention.

The Cochrane Review, an independent health database, reviewed studies involving 6,664 women. The review found women opting for an epidural were more likely to experience a longer second stage of labor - when the baby is pushed out of the birth canal - and to have drugs to stimulate contractions. They also faced a greater risk of being unable to move for a short time after birth and to experience low blood pressure. But there were no significant differences in the risk of having a Caesarean, long-term backache or immediate adverse effects on the baby between the women having epidurals and those who did not.

BBCNews.com

Medical expenses becoming beyond burdonesome

In a study of 1,771 people who filed for bankruptcy, reported this year by four researchers at Harvard and Ohio University, 28 percent said the cause was illness or injury. Most were middle class, educated and had health insurance at the start of the treatment. Many lost phone service, went without meals or skipped medications to save money. Although the study relied largely on people's own accounts of their finances, the figure suggests that as many as 400,000 American families file for bankruptcy each year because of medical expenses.

Steve - This is what our health care system has come to. This figure came from a crushing story the appeared today in the New York Times today entitled, "When health insurance is not a safeguard." The state of health in America requires drastic measures. It is paramount that we do everything we can to keep ourselves as healthy as possible. Eating properly is priority number one.

Cosmetics: the journey into the unkown

Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did something amazing. It issued an unprecedented warning to the cosmetics industry that it was time to inform consumers that most personal care products have not been safety tested.

It is possible that in the not too distant future 99 per cent of personal care products could be required to carry a caution on the label: "Warning: The safety of this product has not been determined."

What concerns scientists at the FDA and at environmental health organizations throughout the world is the "cocktail effect" - the daily mixing of many different types of toxins in and on the body - and how this might damage health over the longer term.

On average, we each use nine personal care products a day containing 126 different ingredients. Such "safety" testing as exists looks for reactions, such as skin redness, rashes or stinging, but does not investigate potential long-term problems for either humans or the environment. Yet the chemicals that go into products such as shampoos and hand creams are not trace contaminants. They are the basic ingredients.

Absorbed into the body, they can be stored in fatty tissue or organs such as the liver, kidney, reproductive organs and brain. Cosmetics companies complain of unfounded hysteria, but scientists are finding industrial plasticisers such as phthalates in urine, preservatives known as parabens in breast-tumour tissue, and antibacterials such as Triclosan and fragrance chemicals like the hormone-disrupting musk xylene in human breast milk. Medical research is proving that fragrances can trigger asthma; that the detergents in shampoos can damage eye tissue; and that hair-dye chemicals can cause bladder cancer and lymphoma. An even greater number of substances in personal care products are suspected to present potential risks to human health from this known effect on animals.

If these problems had been linked to pharmaceutical drugs, the products would have been taken off the market. At the very least, money would have been spent on safety studies. But because the cosmetics industry is largely self-governing, and because we all want to believe in the often hollow promises of better skin and whiter teeth, products containing potentially harmful substances remain in use and on sale.

Courtesy of The Independent

Dairy industry flexing organic muscle

A Federal Advisory Board seven months ago sought to close loopholes to ensure that organic dairy cows are raised in pastures, rather than in confined pens. The USDA has yet to embrace their recommendations. Does this smell like a gallon of sour milk? Some believe the USDA is under extreme pressure from large dairy companies to ignore the board's advice.

The organic milk business is booming and conventional, large-scale dairies want a piece. Only, completely altering sardine-can infrastructure for open pasture is not an option. So the dairy industry is pressuring the USDA to allow "organic" to include sardine-can dairies as long as organic feed is used.

Why such a fuss? The reason is a bit complex. If organic cows are not required to be raised in pastures, it will do little good for our health. Maybe the pesticide count will be lower and growth hormone will not be allowed (which many conventional dairies are doing anyway). More importantly, the feed that cows consume in pens, even if organic, is usually soy and corn, which are genetically incompatible.

Beyond lactose intolerance and casein allergy, milk incompatible for humans because it is inflammatory. Omega-6 fatty acids, which exist in force in corn and soy, promote inflammation. Cows were meant to eat grasses. The grasses give the cow's meat and milk copious quantities of bioavailable Omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory.

A USDA ruling forcing organic cows to feed only in pasture will allow us the opportunity to consume other sources of Omega-3's other than fish (which, because of such high demand, will put a huge strain on fish numbers worldwide).

Steve

Excerpts taken from Andrew Martin's Chicago Tribune article

Sleeping Pill Use by Youths Soars, Study Says

The use of sleeping pills among children and very young adults rose 85 percent from 2000 to 2004, in yet another sign that parents and doctors are increasingly turning to prescription medications to solve childhood health and behavioral problems.

And about 15 percent of people under age 20 who received sleeping pills were also being given drugs to treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, according to the study by Medco Health Solutions, a managed-care company that makes estimates about medication use in the whole population based on extrapolations from its own data. Drugs used to treat attention disorders can cause insomnia.

Few of the prescriptions given to children and young adults have the approval of the Food and Drug Administration because no sleep medication has been approved for use in children under 18. Still, doctors commonly use medications for patients and disorders for which the drugs have never received formal approval, particularly when those patients are children.

Courtesy of The NY Times

Steve - Reflux Meds, Attention Deficit Drugs, Sleep Medications, and others? This is yet another indictment of parents and their physicians who throw band-aid apporaches to problems that can often be remedied by getting to the cause, diet. Now we are prescribing meds to mask the symptoms created by other meds in children! It is unfathomable to us that the FDA allows these medications to continually be prescribed to children when they have not been researched. Have we not learned anything from depression medications that led to suicides in children and teens? For more info, go to nutritionalconcepts.com to read our piece on the misuse of reflux meds in babies.

High work demands increase heart disease in young men

According to a study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, Finnish researchers measured thickness of the carotid artery in 478 men and 542 women ages 24 to 39 years. They also assessed job strain by asking participants about the pace and mental demands of their work.

Results showed that men who reported high job strain were 29% more likely to have increased thickness of the artery, similar to that of a smoker or poor eater. Women did not show the same effect, possibly because their job stress peaks later in life.

Courtesy of LA Times

Eating more protein helps people feel full longer

What a shocker! Have they not been listening to what we've been saying for twenty years? Have they not looked at our Circle of Health? Of course not.

In "they," we are referring to the organization of 1900 health professionals called the NAASO or The North American Association for the Study of Obesity. They reported at their annual meeting an abundance of "new" evidence supporting diets that foster 30% protein, 20% fat, and 50% carbohydrate increase satiety and accelerate weight loss if overweight.

Steve

Big, fast-growing babies face later obesity risk

Big babies and infants who gain weight very quickly early in life have a higher risk of suffering from obesity.

A review of 24 studies published online by the British Medical Journal on Friday showed that size early in life has a life-long impact.

"In the majority of studies the infants who were heaviest or those with the highest body mass index (BMI), and those who gained weight more rapidly in the first two years of life were more at risk of obesity," Dr Janis Baird, of the University of Southampton, in southern England, told Reuters.

"This was true for obesity in childhood, adolescence and adulthood."

Baird said the results of the review were consistent across the studies which were done in the United States, Britain, other European countries and a couple of less developed nations.

The research covered people born between 1927 and 1994.

Courtesy of Reuters

More vitamin D may mean healthier gums

People with higher blood levels of vitamin D may be less likely to develop gum disease, a new study suggests.

Using data from a national U.S. health survey, researchers found that teenagers and adults with the highest blood levels of vitamin D were 20 percent less likely than those with the lowest levels to show signs of gingivitis -- a milder form of gum disease in which the gums become swollen and bleed easily.

The current study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is based on data from 6,700 Americans who took part in a federal health study between 1988 and 1994.

It's this anti-inflammatory benefit that may explain the vitamin's link to healthier gums. Gingivitis arises when bacteria build up between the teeth and gums, leading to inflammation and bleeding.

Courtesy of Reuters

Comments on today's Associated Press article, "Baby Can Eat The Darnedest Things."

If you did not see this article appear in today's Chicago Tribune, take a gander.

In short, the crux of the article states that we discard everything we know about feeding babies, because the advice on how to wean infants onto solid foods is more myth than science. A Stanford professor and spokeswoman from the American Dietetic Association both profess that 6 month-olds can eat many of the things their parents do.

Just when you think you've heard everything, now this. At least they had the decency to mention that if you have a family of history of allergy, introduce one food at a time to watch for reactions. If everyone followed the suggestions of this article, the rate of gastrointestinal issues in babies would be much higher than it is even now. They suggest that one does not have to wait until one year to introduce peanut butter. This is dangerous. I do not recommend it until at least two years.

In my experience, we always start with bland foods first. I have found the most positive results from squash, sweet potato, avocado, peas, and green beans first. Then, iron-enriched rice cereal because extra iron is usually needed after six months of age.

From there, parents can gradually add and test their family's foods one at a time to test for reactions. Never test high protein foods before six months of age because they are more difficult to digest and cause more allergic reactions than do carbohydrates.

Bonnie and Steve

Magnesium-Infused Milk?

A client sent us a copy of a French adveritsement for milk with added magnesium. The copy stated, "Lactel Magnesium, the milk that helps you look at life on the bright side." I always find it interesting that when it comes to food products, the Europeans always seem to "get it."

Bonnie

Probiotics help dermatitis in children

Children given a probiotic supplement for four months showed a significant improvement in symptoms of atopic dermatitis, said Australian researchers this month.

The new study adds to previous research by the University of Helsinki into the merits of probiotics on dermatitis in children, but uses an independent analysis index to confirm the results.

Twenty-seven children aged between 6-18 months were given 1 billion cfu of L fermentum freeze-dried powder twice daily for 16 weeks. The remaining children received maltodextran without probiotics twice daily for the same duration.

Results indicated that the reduction in the SCORAD severity scale over time was significant in the probiotic group – 92 per cent scored better at 16 weeks than at baseline – but not the placebo group.

Further tests proved that the probiotic group enjoyed a reduction in severe AD symptoms, with 54 per cent recording a drop from acute to mild AD, compared with the placebo group who saw a 30 per cent decline in severe conditions.

The SCORAD index, originally developed by the European Task Force on AD as a referent clinical severity scale, scores the extent and subjective symptoms according to clinically approved consensus agreed by more than 20 dermatologists.

Courtesy of nutraingredients.com

Corn sensitive - be on the lookout for hi-maize

Hi-maize and Z-TRIM, brands of corn-based fiber and resitant starch, may be appearing in your grocery items and on restaurant menus. While the intent of these products is admirable, to increase insoluble and soluble fiber intake, many Americans have trouble tolerating corn-based products. All the more reason to look at your grocery labels and be cognizant about what you order in a restaurant.

Bonnie

Food allergic rejoice!

Starting January 1, 2006, the Food Allergen Labelling Consumer Protection Act goes into effect. In short, any consumable product that contains or is derived from the top 8 allergens must be labeled as such. The big 8 allergens are: milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans. No more hidden allergens!

The hidden dangers of heartburn

Steve - a client emailed us an incredible article entitled, "The Hidden Dangers of Heartburn: How a Common Health Problem is Quietly Becoming an Unsuspected Killer," from the October 10th issue of theWall Street Journal. We cannot reprint it for but the highlights are as follows:

• Esophageal adenocarcinoma, the cancer most often linked with heartburn, has jumped fivefold in the past 30 years.
• Experts believe the way doctors and patients treat heartburn symptoms may be making things worse by prescribing acid-suppressing drugs. Long-term use of acid-reducing drugs alter then environment in the digestive tract in a way that allows cancer to take hold in certain patients.
• Studies show that acid-suppressing drugs may not be enough to stop continuing damage to the esophagus.

How timely that this article just came out as we recently exposed how babies and young children are being prescribed reflux meds like candy. What the Journal article did not emphasize enough is the importance of diet in eliminating heartburn. For those of you looking to eliminate or greatly reduce heartburn symptoms without meds, you can follow our Reversing Relux in Your Child Action Plan (it works for adults as well) or our Pain Relief Diet.

Changing eating habits in america

Highlights of this fascinating Chicago Sun-Times article are as follows:

• Percent of in-home main meals including fresh produce dropped from 55.5% in 1985 to 45.9% in 2004.
• Annual restaurant meals eaten in the car per person has risen from 19 in 1985 to 32 in 2005.
• Sandwiches are the number one most often eaten food in America.
• The annual number of main meals skipped per person went from 102 in 1985 to 114 this year.

What's most obvious from the "Eating Patterns in America" report is that since 1985, not much has changed in what Americas want to eat. Sandiwches, potatoes, cereal, bread, and chips are all in the top 10 most consumed foods.

Lose sleep from heartburn? Read on...

According to U of Arizona's Dr. Ronnie Fass, if you lose sleep from heartburn you may want to cut back on your carbohydrate consumption, specifically carbonated soft drinks. High acidity cann trigger nightime heartburn. Researchers studied 15,000 people, and those who drank more than one carbonated soft drink daily were about 25% more apt to have heartburn while asleep than those who did not consume a soft drink. Being overweight also increased nighttime heartburn risk by 30%.

Eating fish regularly delays dementia: study

Eating fish at least once a week slows the toll aging takes on the brain, while obesity at midlife doubles the risk of dementia, a pair of studies concluded on Monday.

Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish have been shown to boost brain functioning as well as cutting the risk of stroke, and eating fish regularly appears to protect the brain as people age, the six-year study of Chicago residents said.

"The rate of (mental) decline was reduced by 10 percent to 13 percent per year among persons who consumed one or more fish meals per week compared with those with less than weekly consumption," wrote Martha Clare Morris of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

"The rate reduction is the equivalent of being three to four years younger in age," she added in the report published online by the Archives of Neurology.

The protective effect from eating fish was evident even after researchers adjusted for consumption of fruits and vegetables.

In another study published in the same journal, Swedish researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm concluded that obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels at midlife each doubled the risk of dementia later in life.

Subjects who suffered from all three of the health problems at midlife multiplied their risk of developing dementia six times compared to people free of the risk factors, she said.

Nearly 1,500 subjects who have been part of a study that began in 1972 were reexamined. The 16 percent who were obese at midlife were at double the risk of dementia compared to the one-quarter of those with normal weight at midlife and the half who had been slightly overweight.

"Midlife obesity, high systolic blood pressure, and high total cholesterol were all significant risk factors for dementia, each of them increasing the risk around two times," study author Miia Kivipelto wrote.

Courtesy of Reuters

Steve - Enough said? Will this convince consume fish and/or fish oil?

Phytochemicals May Protect Cartilage, Prevent Pain in Joints

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that plant-derived compounds known for their ability to protect tissue also appear to block the activity of an enzyme that triggers inflammation in joints.

Their findings could lead to new arthritis treatments and better methods of making artificial cartilage.

The discovery was detailed in a paper published in the Sept. 27 edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The beneficial phase 2 enzymes somehow seemed to prevent the activation of the inflammatory COX-2 enzyme," said Zachary R. Healy, a doctoral student and lead author of the journal paper. "The phase 2 enzymes inhibited the inflammation and the apoptosis -- the cellular suicide we'd observed."

Some prescription drugs like Vioxx keep COX-2 enzyme at bay by temporarily blocking its ability to send the biochemical signals that set off pain and inflammation. When the medication is stopped, however, the stockpiled COX-2 enzyme can resume its damaging ways. Unlike these traditional pain killers, Healy said, the phase 2 enzyme inducers seemed to stop the increasing activity of COX-2 enzyme.

"That means these compounds could be useful as a preventive measure, perhaps before strenuous exercise," Healy said. "This has the potential for stopping pain and inflammation before they start."

Phase 2 enzymes can detoxify certain cancer-causing agents and damaging free radicals in tissue, including cells that line blood vessels. These phytochemicals can be found in cruciferous plants, including broccoli.

By showing a way to ward off inflammation and by providing insights into the effects of shear stress, the new chondrocyte research may also aid tissue engineers who are trying to grow artificial cartilage or seeking to revitalize human cartilage in the lab. This is important because human bodies cannot make new cartilage to replace tissue that's lost to injury or disease.

Funding for the research was provided by a DuPont Young Professor Award, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and an Achievement Reward for College Students Fellowship. Healy's co-authors on the PNAS paper were Talalay, Konstantopoulos, Norman H. Lee of the Institute for Genomic Research, Xiangqun Gao of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Mary B. Goldring of the Harvard Institutes of Medicine, and Thomas W. Kensler of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Lack of B-Vitamins May Contribute to Cognitive Decline

High homocysteine concentrations in people over age 60 were associated with decreasing levels of cognitive performance. High vitamin B12 levels correlated with better cognitive performance.

Am J Epidemiology, October 1, 2005

About face with regard to eggs

According to the President of the American Heart Association, "eggs certainly can be a part of a healthy diet." This is a far cry from their position of only two tears ago. Eggs recently were awarded a Heart Tick from the National Heart Foundation, Asutralia's equivalent of the AHA. They go on to say that "we do not restrict consumption of eggs for the general population."

Bonnie - my position has never wavered on eggs, even when they were the "pariah" of the AHA. Eggs are a superfood, especially if they are organic and infused with omega-3 DHA.

Doctors warn about toddler diets

According to the American heart Association, there is an increasing number of overweight 2-year olds. This coincides with toddlers introduction to "grown-up" food, which often is too much junk and too few vegetables.

Exercise to cut dementia risk

According to a study in Lancet Neurology, people in their late 40s and early 50s who exercise for half an hour at least twice a week during midlife can significantly cut a person's risk of dementia later by as much as 60%.

Make This Year a Healthier Halloween

Do you cringe around Halloween time? Weeks of parties, school events, and trick-or-treating increase your child's (and sometimes your) candy/sweet consumption ten-fold over any other time of the year. Do you find your child's attention span off, emotional and physical highs and lows more pronounced? More immune-depressed than usual? All the excess sugar and chemicals help to create these symptoms.

Here are some ideas to make Halloween a bit healthier:

• Trick-or-treating: what to do with all the candy! If you are an enterprising parent or child, turn that candy into cash! We have used the following method for two generations of Minsky children. Tell your child that for every piece of candy, they will receive a nickel or dime (your choice). When you explain to them what it can add up to, and they can use the $ to spend as they wish, they usually jump at the chance. Don't forget to let them know that they can still eat a piece or two of their spoils (if interested).
  

• School Parties or Events: we always recommend kids eating healthy snacks instead of candy. Although, if your child is going to eat candy, try to accompany them with their own candy (free of artificial ingredients and hydrogenated fats) and always, ALWAYS accompany it with a healthy fat (like nuts/seeds) or lean protein (jerky, deli turkey, etc.). This will protect against blood sugar highs and lows.
  

• Handing Out Candy: do your visiting trick-or-treaters a favor. If you are going to pass out candy, try to offer the best of the worst (free of artificial sweetners, artificial flavors, artificial colors, hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated fats).

Happy Halloween!! Bonnie and Steve

Glucosamine better than common painkiller for knee arthritis

Two long-awaited clinical trials on glucosamine have found the shellfish-derived substance to significantly reduce the pain of arthritic joints, and it may be better than a commonly used painkiller in Europe.

Yet the findings will also lend scientific weight to earlier sometimes conflicting evidence on the efficacy of this natural supplement, both alone and in combination with chondroitin sulphate.

The first set of results come from the multi-centered Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) conducted by the US government-funded National Institutes of Health.

Almost 1,500 osteoarthritis patients were given a daily dose of either 1,500 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride, 1,200 mg of chondroitin sulphate, a combination of both supplements, 200 mg of the common prescription painkiller celecoxib (Celebrex) or a placebo for 24 weeks.

The patients were evaluated at baseline and every four weeks thereafter.

Both celecoxib and the glucosamine-chondroitin combination significantly reduced knee pain compared to placebo.

“Combination glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate is effective in treating moderate to severe knee pain due to osteoarthritis,” says the authors’ abstract.

It adds that a lack of response in patients with mild pain may be due to a floor effect, limiting ability to detect response.

Daniel Clegg from the University of Utah will present the full study findings at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) meeting in San Diego on 14 November.

The following day Dr Herrero-Beaumont from the Fundacion Jimenez Diaz in Madrid will disclose the results of a multi-centre European study, which has found glucosamine sulphate to be more effective than the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen on joint pain.

The Glucosamine Unum in Die Efficacy (GUIDE) trial compared a daily dose of 1500mg of glucosamine sulphate and 3000 mg of the OTC drug to a placebo in 318 patients.

Steve - as effective as we know it is, glucosamine is not for everyone. For those with shellfish, salicylate or sulfa sensitivity, it is poison. Also, keep in mind that it is partially a "band-aid' approach. As usual, nothing replaces diet as the gold standard for pain relief. Although, it is a much better choice than NSAID's and COX-1 or 2 inhibitors.

Curry's situation brings magnesium to light

I applaud Dr. David Cannom, the Los Angeles Cardiologist who realized there's nothing wrong with Chicago Bulls star Eddy Curry's heart. His findings found the benign arrhythmia that caused Curry to miss the last ten games of the 2005 season and playoffs was due to magnesium deficiency and high levels of caffeine intake.

I have been pleading with physicians for years that when they find arrhytmias in athletes, the first thing they should test for is magnesium deficiency. Seventy percent of all people living in the U.S. are magnesium deficient. Magnesium is an electrolyte depleted rapidly in athletes who follow an intense training regimen. Many healthy athletes have died from dangerously depleted magnesium. An arrthymia is the first warning sign.

How difficult would it be for trainers to supplement all elite athlete's diet with at least 300-400 mg. of magnesium as a preventive measure?

Bonnie

Lilly adds suicide risk to Strattera

Eli Lilly and Co. on Thursday said it will add strong warnings to its label for Strattera, used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, including the risk of suicidal thoughts among children and adolescents.

Strattera will now carry a "black box" warning, the strongest required by U.S. regulators.

The warning came after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requested Lilly to submit an analysis of adverse event data from its Strattera clinical trials data base, which identified a small but statistically significant increased risk of suicidal thoughts among Strattera-treated children and adolescents.

Make This Year a Healthier Halloween

Do you cringe around Halloween time? Weeks of parties, school events, and trick-or-treating increase your child's (and sometimes your) candy/sweet consumption ten-fold over any other time of the year. Do you find your child's attention span off, emotional and physical highs and lows more pronounced? More immune-depressed than usual? All the excess sugar and chemicals help to create these symptoms.

Here are some ideas to make Halloween a bit healthier:

• Trick-or-treating: what to do with all the candy! If you are an enterprising parent or child, turn that candy into cash! We have used the following method for two generations of Minsky children. Tell your child that for every piece of candy, they will receive a nickel or dime (your choice). When you explain to them what it can add up to, and they can use the $ to spend as they wish, they usually jump at the chance. Don't forget to let them know that they can still eat a piece or two of their spoils (if interested).
  

• School Parties or Events: we always recommend kids eating healthy snacks instead of candy. Although, if your child is going to eat candy, try to accompany them with their own candy (free of artificial ingredients and hydrogenated fats) and always, ALWAYS accompany it with a healthy fat (like nuts/seeds) or lean protein (jerky, deli turkey, etc.). This will protect against blood sugar highs and lows.
  

• Handing Out Candy: do your visiting trick-or-treaters a favor. If you are going to pass out candy, try to offer the best of the worst (free of artificial sweetners, artificial flavors, artificial colors, hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated fats).

Happy Halloween!! Bonnie and Steve

Paxil Tied to Birth Defects

The Food and Drug Administration is warning that a study has suggested that the antidepressant Paxil may be associated with birth defects.

Paxil's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, said it will include the results of the study in the drug's list of precautions.

A retrospective study found increased numbers of babies born with birth defects to women who were taking Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy, as compared with women on other antidepressants, according to the FDA and the company.

This included an increase in heart defects, according to a letter from GlaxoSmithKline to health care professionals. The FDA released the letter Tuesday.

The drug, which goes by the generic name paroxetine, is already classified as a "Category C" drug for pregnant women — meaning comprehensive studies of its effects on a pregnancy have not been performed.

Courtesy of AP

Poor Have Difficulty Eating Healthy Foods

Many Americans survive on food stamps, trips to the food bank, and a state program for pregnant women and their children that provides essentials such as dairy products, fruit juice and cereal.

Many know they should both be eating more fruits and vegetables. But the foods on the government's new food pyramid are too expensive. Boxed macaroni and cheese costs less than a dollar to feed the whole family; a fresh chicken breast and steamed vegetables cost about $2.60.

But pasta, canned vegetables and hamburger are much more likely to be on the poor's dinner table. Scientists, doctors and government officials are working on ways to get poor families to eat healthier food.

The poor have more barriers to dealing with obesity, eating healthy and leading an active life, said Dr. Lydia Tinajero-Deck said.

Fast food restaurants are more common in their neighborhoods than fresh produce markets. Many parents, sometimes working two jobs, don't have the time to cook healthy meals. And fresh food is more costly.

Dr. David L. Katz of Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center advocates vegetable subsidies. He favors the idea of a junk food tax that would use the money to lower the price of vegetables, as well as pay for anti-obesity programs.

Diana Crane, a spokeswoman for PCC Natural Markets in Seattle, argues that educated consumers can still find fresh food bargains. "Many types of produce remain very affordable, such as potatoes and many greens, many under $1 per pound," she said.

Crane said PCC would be happy to see more funding for government programs that get produce to low-income families.

Courtesy of AP

Steve - if the USDA evened the playing field by earmarking some of the billions of dollars in subsidies that go to dairy, corn, soy, wheat, and beef and put it into fresh fruits and vegetables, that would be a start!

UK announces plans to ban school junk food

Junk food high in fat, salt or sugar is to be banned in schools across England within a year, Education Secretary Ruth Kelly announced on Wednesday.

"Teachers know that eating well at school encourages good behavior and children getting better results," she told Sky News.

Kelly said school governors would have a responsibility for the food they served and said Ofsted inspectors would check it.

Common fruit and veg may protect memory in elderly

Broccoli, potatoes, oranges, apples and radishes all contain substances that act in the same way as drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s, UK researchers will report today.

The findings provide scientific backing for previous studies suggesting that higher intake of fruit and vegetables may lower the risk of developing the disease.

Due to present the research at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester, the scientists from King’s College London have found that compounds in each of these fruit and vegetables inhibit acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

This is also the target of common Alzheimer's drugs and although it has been previously suggested that some vegetables might have this activity too, no detailed investigation has ever been carried out, claim the UK team.

Of each of the fruit and vegetables studied, broccoli was found to have the most potent activity and in further tests, the researchers showed that glucosinolates, a group of compounds found throughout the cabbage family, were likely to be responsible for this action.

Intensive Lifestyle & Dietary Changes May Affect Progression of Prostate Cancer

Men with prostate cancer are often advised to make changes in diet and lifestyle, although the impact of these changes has not been well documented. Therefore, researchers evaluated the effects of comprehensive lifestyle changes on prostate specific antigen (PSA) and serum stimulated LNCaP cell growth in men with early, biopsy proven prostate cancer after 1 year.

A total of 93 volunteers with serum PSA 4 to 10 ng/ml and cancer Gleason scores less than 7 were randomly assigned to an experimental group that was asked to make comprehensive lifestyle changes or to a usual care control group.

None of the experimental group patients but 6 control patients underwent conventional treatment due to an increase in PSA and/or progression of disease on magnetic resonance imaging.

PSA decreased 4% in the experimental group but increased 6% in the control group. The growth of LNCaP prostate cancer cells was inhibited almost 8 times more by serum from the experimental than from the control group. Changes in serum PSA and also in LNCaP cell growth were significantly associated with the degree of change in diet and lifestyle.

Conculsion: intensive lifestyle changes may affect the progression of early, low grade prostate cancer in men.

Journal Urology, September 2005

Acne Antibiotics Linked to Respiratory Infections

Researchers found that acne patients on antibitoics for at least six weeks were twice as likely to develop an upper respiratory tract infection than those who were not on treatment, according to the September issue of Archive of Dermatology. 118,496 patients were tracked.

Bonnie - I have been saying for years how dangerous it is to be on long-term antibiotics. Diet and acne are almost always interrelated, but dietary change is not a band-aid approach.

California Enacts Toughest Diet Rules in Nation

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed landmark legislation that will raise nutritional standards for food sold at California schools and ban the sale of sodas on all campuses by 2009. The restrictions will apply only to food sold at schools and does not affect what students bring to campuses.

-SB12 says that by 2007, all K-12 schools should have no more the following in an individually sold snack:

• 35% of its calories from fat (excluding legumes, nuts, nut butters, seeds, eggs, non-fried vegetables and cheese packaged for indidivual sale).

• 10% of its calories from saturated fat (excluding eggs and cheese).

• 35% sugar by weight (excluding fruits and vegetables).

• 175 calories (elelmentary) or 250 calories (middle and high school)

An individually sold entree may have no more than 4 grams of fat per 100 calories and not exceed 400 calories.

-SB965 allows only milk, water, juice, and electrolyte drinks to be sold.

-SB281 will provide $18.2 million to provide fruits and vegetables for school breakfast programs.

Steve - This is a great start. As usual, California takes the lead. The federal government should follow their lead. After these restrictions have had some time to take hold, we should take the guidelines a few steps further.

Higher DHA Levels in Breast Milk Benefit Newborn Behavior

A new study published in this month's Journal of Pediatric Psychiatry revealed a positive correlation between DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) levels in breast milk and newborn neurobehavioral function.

These findings support numerous clinical studies showing that DHA, a long chain omega-3 fatty acid, plays an important role in infant mental and visual development. DHA is now added to over 75% of U.S. infant formulas.

The study, conducted at Texas Tech University, analyzed the DHA content of breast milk collected from 20 breastfeeding mothers nine days after delivery. At the same time, their infants were tested for their neurobehavioral functioning using the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), a commonly used behavioral test. Analysis revealed a positive correlation between DHA levels in the mother's breast milk and their child's NBAS score.

"This study is significant because it correlates higher DHA in breast milk to higher cognitive function at a very young age," said study investigator Connye Kuratko, PhD, a registered dietitian formerly with Texas Tech University and now with Martek Biosciences. "Americans have among the lowest level of breast milk DHA in the world because of our diets, but pregnant and breastfeeding moms can safely ensure their baby is getting enough DHA simply by taking a DHA supplement. This study also underscores the importance of adding high levels of DHA to infant formula to ensure formulas provide enough of this important brain building nutrient."

One recent study published in the July issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that infants of mothers who supplemented with DHA during the first four months of breastfeeding had better psychomotor skills at 2 1/2 years of age.

Protein Diet, Exercise Aids Weight Loss

A high-protein diet can make regular exercise more effective for women trying to lose weight — helping to build muscle while trimming body fat, a small study suggests.

In a four-month period, the protein-rich diet along with exercise significantly reduced abdominal fat and triglycerides, risk factors for heart disease, according to findings published in the August issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

"People thinking about doing exercise want a return on that investment," said Donald K. Layman, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois' Urbana-Champaign campus, who led the study. "Our way of looking at it is the protein-rich diet basically boosts the benefit of doing exercise."

The research was funded by the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Kraft Foods and the Beef Board.

Forty-eight women took part in the study, eating about 1,700 calories per day. Half ate a diet rich in meat and dairy while half ate a diet that contained more complex carbohydrates, such as rice or pasta.

Each group was then split between women who were asked to walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and women who were required to walk at least that much and participate in two 30-minute weightlifting sessions per week.

The low-exercise group was voluntary and averaged less than 100 minutes per week. The other group was supervised and averaged more than 200 minutes of exercise per week, Layman said.

All the women who exercised at least 200 minutes per week lost about the same amount of weight whether they ate a high-protein or a high-carb diet. But almost all the weight lost by those who ate the protein diet was fat, while almost one-third of the weight lost by those on the high-carb diet was muscle.

Steve - While many other studies have shown the same, we need to apporach this one with caution because of who funded it.

Study: 'Superbug' Germ Kills 3 in Chicago

Three Chicago-area children have died of a toxic shock syndrome-like illness caused by a superbug they caught in the community and not in the hospital, where the germ is usually found.

The cases show that this already worrisome staph germ has become even more dangerous by acquiring the ability to cause this shock-like condition.

"There's a new kid on the block," said Dr. John Bartlett of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, referring to the added strength of the superbug known as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

"The fact that there are three community-acquired staph aureus cases is really scary," continued Bartlett, an infectious disease specialist.

The Chicago deaths were described in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

Health officials do not yet know how the drug-resistant staph causes this new syndrome, but it appears to be rare, said Dr. Clifford McDonald, an epidemiologist with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, doctors should be on the lookout for shock-like cases caused by MRSA, said Dr. Robert Daum, a pediatrician at the University of Chicago who co-authored the study.

In the cases reported in Thursday's medical journal, the baby and two toddlers who died were otherwise healthy before they were separately admitted to a Chicago hospital with pneumonia-like symptoms between 2000 and 2004. Doctors believe the children probably inhaled the germ.

The children died within a week of being hospitalized and autopsies showed they suffered from shock and bleeding in the adrenal gland. The infections were caused by MRSA, which is usually not associated with the syndrome.

The first Chicago death occurred in 2000 when a 15-month-old girl was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. She died eight hours later. In 2003, a 9-month-old girl was hospitalized with fever and breathing problems. Her condition deteriorated and she died six days later. A year later, a 17-month-old boy was admitted with respiratory problems and died the next day.

In all three cases, the victims' conditions progressed from pneumonia to shock.

Bonnie - yes, scary; even more reason to make sure your kids are getting adequate probiotics, limited sugar intake, meds only if necessary, and as many natural immune boosters as possible.

Reducing pancreatic cancer risk

Eating more raw vegetables every day, especially yellow and dark green ones, may help cut the risk of pancreatic cancer in half.

Researchers at UC San Francisco have found that eating five or more servings of yams, corn, carrots, onions or other similar vegetables is linked with lower risk of the disease — one of the most deadly and hard-to-treat cancers. Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, and cruciferous ones such as broccoli also worked well, they said.

Light green veggies and tomatoes were slightly less beneficial, according to the study, which was funded by the National Cancer Institute. The results will be published in the September issue of the medical journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

In interviews with 2,233 men and women, including 532 pancreatic cancer patients, researchers cataloged how much produce they ate for a year. They also asked about other factors such as overall diet and smoking.

They then compared the habits of the cancer patients with the 1,701 others. Those who ate at least five servings had half the cancer risk compared with those who ate two or fewer servings.

Courtesy of the LA Times

Salicylate-Free Cosmetics

We have found a great line of cosmetics for those of you who are salicylate-intolerant entitled Andrea Rose. Go to their website andrearose.com for details.

Bonnie

Pomegranate’s heart benefits shown

Pomegranate juice is remarkably rich in antioxidants, such as soluble polyphenols, tannins, and anthocyanins, which scavenge free radicals and help prevent DNA damage that can lead to a number of serious health conditions.

It is also believed to have antiatherosclerotic properties, as studies in Israel have shown that the fruit juice, taken daily, prevented the thickening of arteries and slowed down cholesterol oxidation by almost half (Clin Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):423-33).

Researchers from the University of California’s non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and California Pacific Medical Center claim their new study, published in the September 16 issue of the Journal of Cardiology, is the first to assess its effect on patients with ischemic coronary heart disease (CHD).

They randomly divided 45 participants, all of whom had CHD and myocardial ischemia, into two groups. One group received 250ml (8.5 oz) pomegranate juice each day for three months, and the other received the same amount of a placebo drink with a similar calorific content, flavor and color.

Their findings showed that blood flow to the heart improved by about 17 percent in the pomegranate group and declined by 18 percent in the placebo group. The researchers noted that this benefit was realized without and negative effects on lipids, blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, body weight or blood pressure.

Senior author Dean Ornish said: "Although the sample in this study was relatively small, the strength of the design and the significant improvements in blood flow to the heart observed after only three months suggest that pomegranate juice may have important clinical benefits in those with coronary heart disease."

Kraft Introduces Snack Foods Made of Whole Grains

Don't believe the hype. Kraft is launching its "Wholesome Foods" line. Two of their biggest snack brands, Chips Ahoy and Fig Newtons, are offering whole grain options. This is Kraft's contribution to a healthier lifestyle.

Actually, to our benefit, the cookies are free of trans fats. But let's look at it realistically: these are still not "healthy snacks" as Kraft will want you to believe. There are only ten fewer calories than the original brands. In addition, the main reason to swtich to whole grains, fiber, only boasts one more gram per serving.

These are still products to avoid or if consumed in moderation, always accompany them with a healthy fat or lean protein.

Steve

Tests Find High Mercury Levels in Swordfish

Store-bought swordfish contained mercury levels above the legal limit in a study released Thursday by environmental groups.

A University of North Carolina Lab found elevated mercury concentrations in 24 swordfish samples from supermarket chains including Safeway, Shaws, Albertsons and Whole Foods.

Groups that paid for the analysis want supermarkets to post signs warning shoppers of health risks from mercury.

Average levels were 1.1 parts per million, just over the goverment's limit of 1.0 ppm. The Food and Drug Administration can take legal action to remove a product from the market if mercury levels exceed that limit. Two samples, from Maine and Rhode Island, contained double the federal limit for mercury.

Steve - this is old news. We know that larger fish that live longer build up more heavy metals in their tissue. We never recommend fish like shark, swordfish, or marlin for this reason.

Use of Attention-Deficit Drugs Soar Among Adults

The use of drugs to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in younger adults more than doubled from 2000 to 2004, and spending on the drugs in the same age bracket, 20 to 44, more than quadrupled, a major prescription management company is reporting today.

The pills are also becoming increasingly popular among women. Indeed, adult women are now just as likely as men to take them, said the company, Medco Health Solutions. Among children, use by boys is nearly three times as likely as by girls.

One percent of adults ages 20 to 64 now take the drugs, according to Medco, which administers pharmaceutical benefits for managed care companies.

"I think this shows a clear recognition and new thinking that treatment for A.D.H.D. does not go away for many children after adolescence," said Dr. Robert S. Epstein, the company's chief medical officer.

Dr. James McGough, a professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, said more adults should probably be taking the pills. A recent study by Harvard researchers found that as many as 4 percent of adults had symptoms of the disorder, Dr. McGough noted. Of the Medco report, he said, "I think it's a good sign that this is increasingly recognized and people are getting help."

But Dr. Alexander Lerman, a New York specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry, said psychiatrists were using increasingly vague definitions of the disorder to conclude that adults with mild symptoms needed medication. For those who truly need the medicines, Dr. Lerman said, they can be highly useful. For others, the drugs, which are generally stimulants, can cause even more problems, he said.

"I think this is a very mixed bag," Dr. Lerman said. "Stimulants are mood destabilizers. They make people more emotionally unstable, depressed, irritable, less social and obsessive."

Dr. Lawrence Diller, a behavioral developmental pediatrician in Walnut Creek, Calif., pointed out that stimulants often promoted weight loss, which could be one explanation for their increasing use.

The use of medications for attention-deficit disorder grew faster from 2000 to 2004 than the use of any other class of medication except treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, the Medco study found.

Courtesy NY Times

Bonnie - this is a disturbing trend. Like statin meds, this may be Big Pharma's next push to get most of America to take ADD drugs.

New Green Tea Flavor

Republic of Tea just came out with a scrumptious, antioxidant-laden "Pomegranate Green Tea." They combined their high quality green tea with POM's pomegranate concentrate. It tastes great!
Urge your grocers to carry it in your local store.

Steve

Probiotic multivitamin reduces cold symptoms, duration

Taking probiotic supplements or foods could shorten the duration of colds and reduce the severity of symptoms, shows new research from Germany.

In a randomized, double-blind study on almost 500 adults, people that took daily vitamins and minerals with probiotic bacteria for at least three months reported that colds lasted almost two days less than the average nine days suffered by a group taking only vitamins and minerals.

The volunteers, who recorded their symptoms when they had a cold on a daily basis, also reported that headaches, coughing and sneezing, and fever were less severe if they were taking a probiotic supplement.

The research, presented this week at the European Influenza Conference in Malta, shows that symptoms were down by nearly a quarter and the time spent with a fever was cut from 24 hours to six.

The study's findings are reported in the August issue of Clinical Nutrition (vol 24, issue 4, pp481-91).

Courtesy of nutraingredients.com

2.5m men have fertility problems

More than 2.5 million men in Britain could have low fertility, a report says.

The research by Norwich Union Healthcare estimates that 9% of the UK's 28.5 million men might have difficulty conceiving.

Of GPs questioned, a third were worried declining male fertility would add to ageing population issues. Many blamed smoking and alcohol for the trend.

Sperm quality and number have declined in the last 30 years.

Male infertility accounts for about a third of couples' problems conceiving.

Steve - translate those numbers to the United States...wow.

Vitamin C 'helps to fight cancer'

High doses of vitamin C injected into the bloodstream may help fight cancer, a US study says.

Scientists found that intravenous vitamin C in the form of ascorbate killed cancer cells in lab tests.

The findings contradict earlier studies, but the Maryland-based Institutes of Health said they had looked at lower-dose oral vitamin C.

In the latest study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers conducted laboratory experiments which simulated clinical infusions of vitamin C on a range of nine cancer and four normal cells.

In five of the cancer lines, there was a 50% decrease in cell survival, while normal cells were unaffected.

A more detailed look at lymphoma cells - which were especially sensitive to ascorbate - showed they were killed completely.

The effective dose was around four millimoles, a concentration much higher than an oral dose but easily achievable by intravenous infusion.

Henry Scowcroft, senior information officer at Cancer Research UK, said despite the findings, the "overwhelming" evidence still pointed to vitamin C not being an effective treatment.

"This work is at a very early stage. There are many substances that have been shown to kill cancer cells in the lab, but failed to fulfil that promise when tested in people.

"But we do know that eating a healthy, balanced diet, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, is an effective way to reduce the risk of getting cancer in the first place."

BBC News

An unsavory addition to kids' lunchboxes: lead

A study by an Oakland-based environmental group found harmful levels of lead in some lunchboxes made of soft vinyl. The Center for Environmental Health filed lawsuits late last month against several lunchbox manufacturers and various retailers who sell the products.

The environmental group found that 27 lunchboxes — one-quarter of the products tested — had high levels of lead when tested with an at-home detection kit. The group then sent those 27 products to an independent laboratory for more rigorous testing; that study found that 17 of the lunchboxes contained lead in excess of federal safety standards.

One lunchbox, made by Targus Group International Inc. and featuring the children's character Angela Anaconda, was found to contain more than 90 times the legal limit for lead in paint in children's products. The Center for Environmental Health has advised parents to avoid vinyl lunchboxes or to purchase a home test kit to check for lead. Such kits sell for about $3 and can be found on the Internet and in hardware stores.

LATimes.com

Exercise and Diet Slow Memory Loss

An active lifestyle and a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help tackle memory loss, according to two leading neuroscientists speaking at the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

Specifically, those who remained physically fit, avoided high stress levels and enjoyed a rich and vaired social life are better equipped to stay alert as they age. Mental stimulation, learning new things and simply thinking young also helps, according to Professor's Ian Robertson and Maria Lynch of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

BBC News

Bonnie's Back to School Tips Revised

Here are a few reminders to keep your children healthy and focused:

• reduce sugar intake - sugar is the number one contributor to reduced immunity to viruses and bacteria

• supplement with cod liver oil - vitamins A & D are essential to immunity and exist in ideally bioavailable form in cod liver; no sunshine in fall and winter means little vitamin D; 1/2 - 1 tsp. daily is suggested

• adequate sleep - this is crucial for your child's immunity and focus; between 9-12 hours for young children through teen

• probiotic supplementation - balanced gut ecology is essential for fighting bacteria and viruses, and healthy neurological function; healthy flora is usually deficient in most of us; supplementing with a high quality acidophilus/bifidus probiotic is suggested

• be selective with carbohydrates - instead of loading up on grain carbs, make your child's carbs fruit and veggie-heavy; fruit juice does not count (not much better than soda pop) because it is absorbed like pure sugar

• magnesium - if extra support is needed for focus or hyperactivity, there is nothing better than "nature's valium"; a glycinate form is suggested to reduce potential intestinal disturbance, which is the only side effect of magnesium
  

• practice clean hygiene - make sure your children wash their hands after going to the restroom and before meals; try to disuade them from putting their fingers in their mouth, nose, or rubbing their eyes

• immunizations - two days before and after injections, give your child 500mg. extra vitamin C and 10-15 mg. of zinc

• athletics - if your child is playing a sport several times weekly, make sure you are supplementing them with extra calories and proper nutrients, especially electolytes like magnesium and potassium

• eat breakfast - breakfast affects learning for the rest of the day and is your most important meal; a recent study appeared in the August edition of Journal Physiology showing enhanced memory and test performance simply by eating breakfast, but those students who ate the healthiest breakfast showed the best performance
  

Good luck! Bonnie