Antidepressant, Antipscychotic use on meteoric rise

A study in the Archives of General Psychiatry shows a significant increase in polypharmacy involving antidepressant and antipsychotic medications. Visits in which 2 or more medications were prescribed increased from 42.6% in 1996-1997 to 59.8% in 2005-2006, and those in which at least 3 medications were prescribed increased from 16.9% to 33.2%. Although some of the prescribed combinations are supported by clinical trials, many are of unproven efficacy, potentially putting patients at heightened risk for drug-drug interactions with unclear clinical benefits.

Bonnie - after all of the side effects we are seeing with these medications, it is unconscionable that their use keeps increasing like this. Improve Your Mood Action Plan offers some natural methods to support healthy mood.

Can Foods Contribute to Infertility?

Dr. Sheila Crowe, a professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology in the department of medicine at the University of Virginia, recently joined the New York Times Consults blog to answer reader questions about celiac disease.

Here, Dr. Crowe responds to a reader concerned about the links between celiac disease and infertility. Celiac Disease, Infertility and Miscarriages

Q. Can you explain the link between celiac and infertility? Are you more likely to be infertile if you have celiac?

Dr. Crowe responds: Yes, infertility, or the inability get pregnant, seems to be more common in women with untreated celiac disease, based on a variety of studies in different countries. Other gynecological and obstetrical problems may also be more common, including miscarriages and preterm births. Men with untreated disease may also face fertility issues. Although these problems were not always recognized as being related to celiac disease by doctors and other health professionals, this situation is starting to change.

Women with celiac disease are reported to start having periods later and stop menstruating earlier than average. They also suffer more often from secondary amenorrhea, a condition in which menses start but then stop. Together, these menstrual disorders lead to fewer ovulations, which results in less of a chance to get pregnant. Hormonal factors and poor nutrition are thought to play a role in causing these problems.

For men, problems can include abnormal sperm – such as lower sperm numbers, altered shape, and reduced function. Men with untreated celiac disease may also have lower testosterone levels.

Once a woman with active celiac disease does conceive, other problems that can arise during the pregnancy include miscarriages and smaller babies because of preterm delivery or delayed growth in the uterus. These conditions are reported to be more common in women with untreated celiac disease, though miscarriages have many causes and occur in up to one-fourth of all pregnancies.

Nonetheless, I would recommend that if a woman has repeated miscarriages or is unable to conceive, consideration should be given to screening her for celiac disease. My own clinical experience suggests that infertility and smaller or preterm babies are more common in women with untreated celiac disease than those without. I am sure some of our readers can share their own experiences in this regard. And the good news is that with proper treatment with a gluten-free diet and correction of nutritional deficiencies, the prognosis for future pregnancies is much improved.

Bonnie - not exactly a revelation, but nice to see in a paper like the NYT. My Natural Fertility Action Plan is the perfect preparatory plan for fertility.

'Good' Bacteria Keep Immune System Primed to Fight Future Infections

Scientists have long pondered the seeming contradiction that taking broad-spectrum antibiotics over a long period of time can lead to severe secondary bacterial infections. Now researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine may have figured out why. The investigators show that "good" bacteria in the gut keep the immune system primed to more effectively fight infection from invading pathogenic bacteria. Altering the intricate dynamic between resident and foreign bacteria -- via antibiotics, for example -- compromises an animal's immune response, specifically, the function of white blood cells called neutrophils.

Senior author Jeffrey Weiser, MD, professor of Microbiology and Pediatrics, likens these findings to starting a car: It's much easier to start moving if a car is idling than if its engine is cold. Similarly, if the immune system is already warmed up, it can better cope with pathogenic invaders. The implication of these initial findings in animals, he says, is that prolonged antibiotic use in humans may effectively throttle down the immune system, such that it is no longer at peak efficiency.

"We suggest that if the immune system is on idle, and you treat someone with broad-spectrum antibiotics, then you turn the system off. The system is deprimed and will be less efficient at responding quickly to new infections."

The findings also provide a potential explanation for the benefits of probiotic therapies because keeping your immune system primed by eating foods enhanced with "good" bacteria may help counteract the negative effects of sickness and antibiotics.

Researchers have for many years understood that most bacteria in the body are not "bad." In fact, humans (and mice) have a symbiotic relationship with their resident microbes that significantly impacts, among other things, metabolism and weight homeostasis. The study was funded by the US Public Health Service.

Steve - I love how these researchers are taking credit for finding out why this happens. You and I have know it for years!

Holistic Nutrition: A Jewish Perspective

by Sabina Spiegel
Jewish Tribune

As interest in alternative health care has grown over the past few years, holistic nutrition has been getting a lot more attention. While some may be a little skeptical in embracing ‘new age’ practices, it may surprise you to learn that many of the key concepts found in holistic nutrition have been around for centuries. Even more interesting is that Judaism’s philosophy on health and nutrition is actually a holistic one. Many Torah commentaries have discussed the importance of nutrition and several of these concepts are held today by holistic practitioners.

To fully understand how the Jewish perspective on health is holistic we must first explain what holistic nutrition is.

Holistic nutrition is a practice that treats the whole person through diet and lifestyle modifications. Its aim is to enhance overall well being by unifying an individual's physical, emotional, and spiritual components. An individual functions at his/her optimal potential when all these components are in balance.

Jewish thought on health shares this ideology about the interconnectedness of the body and the mind.

One prominent scholar of Jewish philosophy to examine this was Maimonides. Maimonides was a 12th century rabbi and physician who, among other works, wrote numerous commentaries that discussed healthy living and the mind-body connection. He ascertained that “the welfare of the soul can only be achieved after obtaining the welfare of the body” and acquiring physical and mental health is essential in understanding the teachings of the Torah. He believed that a healthy soul required a healthy body, a very holistic perspective.

A key principle in holistic nutrition is the treatment of an individual’s illness by addressing the underlying causes. Often, allopathic medicine – commonly referred to as conventional medicine – treats the symptoms of a disease while neglecting to look at the source of the problem. In Maimonides’ work, Medical Aphorisms, he described the very need to treat a disease by removing the core cause and not just the symptoms.

According to holistic nutrition, it is not only what you eat but how your body assimilates the nutrients within food. For that reason, supporting and enhancing digestion is crucial. Maimonides also held this position.

For instance, he maintained that one should never drink during meals as fluids dilute digestive enzymes essential for proper digestion. While not drinking during a meal is a foreign concept to many, nutritionists today assert that if one’s digestion is weak, it is best to avoid drinking 30 minutes before a meal and to wait until one hour after.

Maintaining our health while preserving the environment is another objective. In fact, our health is directly dependent on the state of the environment. The water and soil that feed our food must be healthy to properly feed us. That is why consumption of natural and wholesome organic, local and sustainable foods is emphasized. This idea of making sure our environment is taken care of for the sake of our health is also an ancient and important Jewish maxim called shmirat ha-teva, the protection of nature.

By implementing the practice of holistic nutrition into your lifestyle, you are adopting the Jewish value of caring for the body, called shmirat ha-guf. Treating the body as a sacred space by making healthy food choices will nourish the body and, in turn, nourish the soul.

Sabina Spiegel is a nutritional consultant currently practicing in Toronto.

PCOS and infertility

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a serious metabolic disorder and one of the major causes of hormonally related infertility, yet the disorder remains largely undiagnosed and unknown. About 5 million women in the U.S. are affected by it. "Women are told they are too fat and aren't taken seriously for a long time," said Andrea Dunaif, M.D., the Charles F. Kettering Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "They go to an average of four doctors before they are diagnosed. They have been to physicians who say 'there is nothing wrong with you, don't worry'."

The complex genetic disease has long-term health risks throughout a woman's lifespan, including obesity and double the rate of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. Not only women are affected. Dunaif recently published a paper showing that brothers and fathers of women with PCOS also have a greater prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome. "It's essential that women and men are diagnosed and treated for this," Dunaif said.

Symptoms of PCOS in women often show up in adolescence and may include irregular periods and excess hair on the face, chest or back -- all caused by high levels of male hormones. Many patients are treated with medication for insulin resistance -- which cause rapid weight gain -- and then are able to become pregnant.

Bonnie - I have also dealt with this on many occasions and nutritional and lifestyle modification has everything to do with the condition.

Another red flag for public swimming areas

A dip in the public pool or local lake may boost people's odds of catching a case of "stomach flu." Australian researchers found that among more than 2,800 adults and children they followed for 15 months, participants were somewhat more likely to develop gastroenteritis in the week or two after a public swim.

Gastroenteritis refers to inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract caused by viral, bacterial or parasitic infection. The symptoms -- what people commonly identify as "stomach flu" -- include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and fever. Contaminated food and drinking water are common sources of infection, and recreational swimming has been linked to outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness. But the extent to which swimming, in different types of venues, raises the odds of gastroenteritis has been less clear.

In the current study, participants' gastroenteritis risk was about one-quarter higher in the one to two weeks after a visit to a public pool or spa, versus other weeks. The odds went up 77 percent, on average, in the week after a swim in a river or lake, while a similar increase was seen among adults who had taken an ocean dip in the past two weeks. The findings, the researchers write in the American Journal of Epidemiology, confirm that swimming in fresh, salt or treated waters can pose a risk of gastroenteritis.

Still, the investigators are not advising people to retire their swimming trunks. The increases in gastroenteritis risk were "relatively small," and swimming, as a form of aerobic exercise, can also have health benefits. There is, however, a need for better preventive measures, the researchers write. In Melbourne, they note, health authorities recommend that to prevent disease transmission, people with diarrheal illnesses not get into a public pool for at least one week after their symptoms have cleared. That window extends to two weeks for people with confirmed cases of giardiasis or cryptosporidiosis -- two parasitic waterborne infections. However, no one knows how well people follow that advice. In addition, Dale's team notes, there are no specific guidelines regarding swimming in lakes, rivers or oceans.

Steve - do you trust your fellow man to adhere to proper public swimming etiquette that would go a long way to preventing this issue?

New issue for conventional meat eaters

Why did the FDA approved a livestock drug banned in 160 nations and responsible for hyperactivity, muscle breakdown and 10 percent mortality in pigs, angry farmers are asking themselves.

The beta agonist ractopamine, a repartitioning agent that increases protein synthesis, was recruited for livestock use when researchers found the drug, used in asthma, made mice more muscular says Beef magazine. But unlike the growth promoting antibiotics and hormones used in livestock which are withdrawn as the animal nears slaughter, ractopamine is started as the animal nears slaughter. As much as twenty percent of Paylean, given to pigs for their last 28 days, Optaflexx, given to cattle their last 28 to 42 days and Tomax, given to turkeys their last 7 to 14 days, remains in consumer meat says author and well known veterinarian Michael W. Fox.

Though banned in Europe, Taiwan and China–more than 1,700 people were “poisoned” from eating Paylean-fed pigs since 1998 says the Sichuan Pork Trade Chamber of Commerce– ractopamine is used in 45 percent of US pigs says Elanco Animal Health which manufactures all three products.

How does a drug marked, “Not for use in humans. Individuals with cardiovascular disease should exercise special caution to avoid exposure. Use protective clothing, impervious gloves, protective eye wear, and a NIOSH-approved dust mask” become “safe” in human food? With no washout period? The same way Elanco’s other two blockbusters, Stilbosol (diethylstilbestrol or DES), now withdrawn, and Posilac or bovine growth hormone (rBST), bought from Monsanto in 2008, became part of the nation’s food supply: shameless corporate lobbying.

A third of meetings on the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s public calendar in January 2009 were with Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly–or about ractopamine. In fact, in 2002, three years after Paylean’s approval, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Surveillance and Compliance accused Elanco of withholding information about “safety and effectiveness” and “adverse animal drug experiences” upon which ractopamine was approved, in a 14-page warning letter. Where was mention of the farmer phone calls to Elanco reporting, “hyperactivity,” “dying animals,” “downer pigs” and “tying up” and “stress” syndromes, asks the FDA letter. Where was the log of phone calls that included farmers saying, “animals are down and shaking,” and “pig vomiting after eating feed with Paylean”? But, not to worry. Despite ractopamine’s dangers and the falsified approval documents, the FDA approved ractopamine the following year for cattle–and last year for turkeys.

According to Temple Grandin, Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, the “indiscriminant use of Paylean (ractopamine) has contributed to an increase in downer non-ambulatory pigs,” and pigs that “are extremely difficult to move and drive.” In Holsteins, ractopamine is known for causing hoof problems, says Grandin and feedlot managers report the “outer shell of the hoof fell off” on a related beta agonist drug, zilpateral. A article in the 2003 Journal of Animal Science confirms that “ractopamine does affect the behavior, heart rate and catecholamine profile of finishing pigs and making them more difficult to handle and potentially more susceptible to handling and transport stress.” Nor can we overlook the effects of “adding these drugs to waterways or well water supplies–via contaminated animal feed and manure runoff– when this class of drugs is so important in treating children with asthma,” says David Wallinga, MD of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

The FDA’s approval of a drug for food that requires impervious gloves and a mask just to handle is reminiscent of the bovine growth hormone debacle. Like rBST, ractopamine increases profits despite greater livestock death and disability because a treated animal does the work of two in a macabre version of economies of scale. Like rBST, food consumers are metabolic, neurological and carcinogen guinea pigs so that agribusiness can make a profit. And like rBST, “Mothers Of Growing Children” was not marked as a visiting group on the Food Safety and Inspection
http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Opinion/bovine_growth_hormone_love_beta_agonists_2501100529.html

Steve - if there ever was a reminder that "fighting the good fight" never ends, this is it.

New Insights Into Allergy-Related Disorders in Children

Allergies and asthma are a continuing health problem in most developed countries, but just how do these ailments develop over the course of a childhood? In a population-based study designed to help answer this question, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) found that 40 per cent -- or two of five -- of nearly 5,000 two-year-olds had at least one reported allergy-related disorder. The most common symptom was wheezing, which was reported in 26 per cent of all children in the study.

The findings are among the first to illustrate the scope of allergy-related problems in such a young group of children, and the challenges that these problems pose for both families and for public health systems overall. "If you think about something like moderate atopic eczema, which can involve quite a few doctor's visits, and a lot of work on the part of parents, it is quite a big deal," she says. "This can be quite a burden." The study appears in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.

Researchers found that boys were more likely than girls to have an allergy-related disorder. The study is a part of a larger effort called PACT (Prevention of Allergy among Children in Trondheim), which began in 2000 to try to better understand how allergy-related symptoms develop in children and to investigate the effectiveness of risk-factor intervention, including increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake, reducing parental smoking and indoor dampness. A control group of 14 000 children, from which the current study is drawn, was established to track fluctuations in risk factor levels and to provide comparison data. A second group of roughly 3000 children was recruited for a proactive intervention effort. The program started during pregnancy and continued until the children reached the age of 2. The 390 children who were randomly selected for skin prick allergy testing will be followed up when they are 6 years old.

What You Eat After Exercise Matters

The nature of the health benefits of aerobic exercise can be greatly affected by the food we eat afterwards, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Specifically, the study found that exercise enhanced insulin sensitivity, particularly when meals eaten after the exercise session contained relatively low carbohydrate content.

Enhanced insulin sensitivity means that it is easier for the body to take up sugar from the blood stream into tissues like muscles, where it can be stored or used as fuel. Impaired insulin sensitivity (i.e., "insulin resistance") is a hallmark of Type II diabetes, as well as being a major risk factor for other chronic diseases, such as heart disease.

Interestingly, when the research subjects in this study ate relatively low-calorie meals after exercise, this did not improve insulin sensitivity any more than when they ate enough calories to match what they expended during exercise. The study suggests that you don't have to starve yourself after exercise to still reap some of the important health benefits.

Subjects were tested during four hospital visits that differed primarily by the meals eaten after exercise. The following describes the four different visits:

1. They did not exercise and ate meals to match their daily calorie expenditure. This was the control trial.
2. They exercised for approximately 90 min at moderate intensity, and then ate meals that matched their caloric expenditure. The carbohydrate, fat, and protein content of these meals were also appropriately balanced to match their expenditure.
3. They exercised for approximately 90 min at moderate intensity and then ate meals with relatively low carbohydrate content, but they ate enough total calories to match their calorie expenditure. This reduced-carbohydrate meal contained about 200 grams of carbohydrate, less than half the carbohydrate content of the balanced meal.
4. They exercised for approximately 90 min at moderate intensity and then ate relatively low-calorie meals, that is, meals that provided less energy than was expended (about one-third fewer calories than the meals in the other two exercise trials). These meals contained a relatively high carbohydrate content to replace the carbohydrate "burned" during exercise.
   

The exercise was performed on a stationary bicycle and a treadmill. The order in which the participants did the trials was randomized. In the three exercise trials, there was a trend for an increase in insulin sensitivity. However, when participants ate less carbohydrate after exercise, this enhanced insulin sensitivity significantly more. Although weight loss is important for improving metabolic health in overweight and obese people, these results suggests that people can still reap some important health benefits from exercise without undereating or losing weight.

Bonnie - music to my ears. 15-20 minutes after exercise, nothing is better than some lean protein and little carb.

Nanotech risk assessment bill introduced

A bill under scrutiny in the United States Senate would create a new nanotechnology risk assessment program within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Under the Nanotechnology Safety Act 2010, “the health and safety implications of nanotechnology in everyday products and develop[s] best practices for companies who employ nanotechnology” would be put in place. The measure, introduced by Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). It would authorize the appropriation of $25m annually between 2011 and 2015 to fund the FDA scheme. At present, the agency receives no funding for nanotechnology-specific research, analysis, or other purposes.

Specifically, the bill calls for “a program for the scientific investigation of nanoscale materials included or intended for inclusion in FDA-regulated products, to address the potential toxicology of such materials, the effects of such materials on biological systems, and interaction of such materials with biological systems.” Under the proposals, a program manger would be charged to develop a strategic plan on how to asses the potential risks associated with the technology. The FDA would be required to report to Congress on the work of the program no later than March 1, 2012 and March 1, 2014.

“Nanotechnology touches so many facets of our lives today and will play a greater role in the future, but the benefits to industry and consumers come with unknown risks that must be identified and managed appropriately,” said Cardin. The technology, which harnesses the use of particles between one and 100 nanometers in length, could be used to provide anti-microbial coatings for food contact surfaces or packaging. In 2004, the National Science Foundation estimated new nanotechnology-based products would contribute 2 million jobs and $1 trillion dollars in revenue to the world’s economy by 2015.

Steve - a law like this is sorely needed. The implications of nanotechnology to do produce tremendous benefit as well as titanic destruction is a reality and needs to be addressed.

Household chemicals linked to infertillity

Flame-retardant chemicals that are present in many household consumer products may reduce fertility in women. The study links each 10-fold increase in the blood concentration of four PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) chemicals to a 30% decrease in the odds of becoming pregnant each month.

These chemicals are used in foam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets, plastics and other items. They became common decades ago in the United States when fire safety standards were adopted. They are being phased out nationwide but some are still found in products made before 2004. The research joins other animal and human studies that show health effects from PBDE exposure and that 97% of U.S. residents have detectable levels of the chemicals in their blood.

Even though the chemicals are being phased out, researchers remains concerned. "We know even less about the newer flame retardant chemicals that are coming out," they say in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. "We just don't have the human studies yet to show that they are safe."

Steve - as usual, new chemicals being put into the marketplace without sufficient safety testing. When are we ever going to learn?

Research Highlights - February

Nutrition Reviews

• Insufficient folate status disrupts DNA methylation and integrity and increases blood homocysteine levels. Elevated levels of follicular fluid homocysteine correlate with oocyte immaturity and poor early embryo quality, while methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene variants are associated with lower ovarian reserves, diminished response to follicular stimulation, and reduced chance of live birth after in vitro fertilization. Embryos carrying multiple MTHFR variants appear to have a selective disadvantage; however, the heterozygous MTHFR 677CT genotype in the mother and fetus provides the greatest chance for a viable pregnancy and live birth, possibly due to a favorable balance in folate cofactor distribution between methyl donor and nucleotide synthesis. The results of previous studies clearly emphasize that imbalances in folate metabolism and related gene variants may impair female fecundity as well as compromise implantation and the chance of a live birth.

American Journal Clinical Nutrition

• Both DNA methylation and gene expression are responsive to caloric restriction and provide new insights about the molecular pathways involved in body weight loss as well as methylation regulation during adulthood.

• Greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of incident gastric adenocarcinoma (stomach cancer).

• Findings support an association between higher food and total folate intakes and decreased risk of pancreatic cancer in women but not in men.

• Low vitamin B6 concentrations were associated with inflammation, higher oxidative stress and metabolic conditions in older Puerto Rican adults. Researchers measured plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP), C-reactive protein (CRP), and an oxidative DNA damage marker, urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). There was a strong dose-response relation of plasma PLP concentration with plasma CRP. Increasing quartiles of PLP were significantly associated with lower CRP concentrations and with lower urinary 8-OHdG concentrations after multivariate adjustment. These negative associations persisted after plasma homocysteine was controlled for. Plasma PLP concentrations were significantly correlated with plasma fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin and homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function. Metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes were also significantly associated with low plasma PLP concentrations.

American Journal Preventive Medicine

• A 50% lower risk of colorectal cancer was associated with a serum 25(OH)D level ≥33 ng/mL, compared to ≤12 ng/mL. Conclusion: the evidence to date suggests that daily intake of 1000-2000 IU/day of vitamin D3 could reduce the incidence of colorectal with minimal risk.

Archives of Neurology

• High C-Reactive Protein may be a marker of memory and visuospatial impairment in the elderly.

Food and Chemical Toxicology

• A safety evaluation of ingested Acrylamide by humans was conducted using a newly developed, state-of-the-art physiologically-based toxicokinetic (PBPK or PBTK) model to compare internal doses and its metabolite glycidamide (GA) in humans and rats. Based on modes of action (MoA), a nonlinear dose–response approach was applied for neurotoxicity (non-genotoxicity) and carcinogenicity. Tolerable daily intake (TDI) for neurotoxicity was estimated to be 40 μg/kg-day; TDIs for cancer were estimated to be 2.6 and 16 μg/kg-day based on AA or GA, respectively.

Mental Benefit of Fish Oil

Courtesy of WSJ

Fish oil pills may be able to spare some young people with signs of mental illness from a progression into fully developed schizophrenia, according to a preliminary study of 81 patients in Austria. The study adds to evidence suggesting that severe mental illness may be prevented with intervention. The researchers are starting a larger study in eight cities, hoping to replicate the findings, which appear in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

"Schizophrenia is among the most mysterious and costliest diseases in terms of human suffering, so anything that gives some hope to avoid this is great,'' said lead author Dr. G. Paul Amminger.

Studies have tried antipsychotics in select young people, but side effects pose ethical questions, and results have been mixed. Researchers in the new study identified 81 people, ages 13 to 25, with warning signs of psychosis, including sleeping much more or less than usual, growing suspicious of others, believing someone is putting thoughts in their head or believing they have magical powers. Forty-one were randomly assigned to take four fish oil pills a day for three months. The other patients took dummy pills. After a year of monitoring, 2 of the 41 patients in the fish oil group, or about 5%, had become psychotic, or completely out of touch with reality. In the placebo group, 11 of 40 became psychotic, about 28%.

No one knows what causes schizophrenia but one hypothesis is that people with the disease don't process fatty acids correctly, leading to damaged brain cells. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil could help brain cells repair and stabilize, the researchers speculate. Dr. Janet Wozniak of Harvard Medical School said the findings might reasonably cause psychiatrists to recommend fish oil to some patients because there are known benefits and little risk.

Vitamin, minerals may reduce eczema risk in children

Increased intakes of beta-carotene, vitamin E, folic acid, and iron may reduce the risk of atopic dermatitis, a form of eczema. Children with the highest average intakes of the four nutrients were found to have significantly lower risks of atopic dermatitis, than children with the lowest average intakes, according to findings published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Results showed that the risk of AD was 56 per cent lower in children with the highest average intakes of beta-carotene, compared to the lowest. Moreover, dietary vitamin E, folic acid, and iron were associated with 67, 63, and 61 per cent reductions in AD risk, added the researchers. The dietary intake data was also matched by data from the blood samples, with the highest average levels of alpha-tocopherol associated with a 36 per cent lower risk of AD, while retinol was associated with a 26 per cent lower risk. “These findings suggest that higher antioxidant nutritional status reduces the risk of AD and that such risk-reduction effects depend on nutrient type,” wrote the researchers.

Commenting on the possible mechanism, the researchers note that reactive oxygen species (ROS) from environmental pollution and the sun may promote oxidative damage to proteins in the outermost layer of the skin (stratum corneum), which would exacerbate AD. “Antioxidant nutrients have been proposed to counteract oxidative stress and inhibit the inflammatory response and are known to be possibly associated with the ability of the individual to restrain the inflammatory response and allergic diseases,” they added.

The role of nutrition in slowing Alzheimer's disease

by Dr. Patrick Massey MD
Daily Herald

You might be surprised to learn that nutrition may become one of the cornerstones in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Over the past few years, medical research has strongly suggested that the progression of Alzheimer's may be slowed by good nutrition. A nutrient-dense diet, in some cases, might even slightly reverse the progression of Alzheimer's.

Several years ago, I had an office in Milwaukee, Wis. I saw a number of patients with mild to moderate dementia. What I discovered was that intravenous vitamins could significantly improve their performance on standardized memory and cognition tests. Later that year, at an international Alzheimer's Association meeting, I met Dr. Nancy Emerson Lombardo, from Boston University. She also was exploring the effect of nutritionally dense food on memory and cognition. I was excited to learn that her results were similar to mine. Unfortunately, she is conducting her clinical research in Boston. However, last week, I met with Dr. Concetta Forchetti, director of the Memory Disorders Center & Clinical Research at the Alexian Brothers Neurosciences Institute. Dr. Forchetti is an international expert in Alzheimer's and memory-related conditions. A lot of Alzheimer's research is underway at the Neurosciences Institute and Dr. Forchetti described a number of ongoing clinical trials.

One trial really caught my attention. It involves a nutrient-dense food product made by Dannon. Although the exact formulation of this food is a proprietary secret, Dr. Forchetti was able to tell me that it contains high doses of omega-3 oils, vitamin B complex, antioxidants, wheat germ, cereal proteins and other vitamins. Medical research has shown that omega-3 oils and vitamins can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's. However, most foods are not nutritionally dense enough and dietary supplements are necessary. Not everyone likes to take dietary supplements but the development of an effective, nutritionally dense food might be the answer. Participants in the clinical trial will consume either the Dannon product or a placebo, once per day, for 24 weeks. Participants' memory and cognition will be tested before and after the 24-week period. The clinical trial began this week and is open to new participants with mild to moderate dementia. An earlier trial, done at Rush Medical Center in Chicago, was positive. This Neurosciences Institute trial is bigger and will generate even more information.

There is increasing medical evidence that nutrition is important for not only preventing diseases but perhaps reversing them. Based on my personal experience as well as reading the medical literature, I believe that Alzheimer's may be closely linked to chronic nutritional insufficiencies. If you are interested in more information about this and other clinical trials for Alzheimer's, contact Dr. Forchetti and her research associates at (847) 593-8553.

Patrick B. Massey, M.D., Ph.D is medical director for complementary and alternative medicine for the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network.

Bonnie - I am continually impressed with Dr. Massey's commentary and the data he presents.

The Iodine Weight Issue

Are you having trouble losing weight, even though you are following optimal diet, lifestyle, and exercise protocols? New data shows that a deficiency in the mineral iodine may be a culprit.

You may already be aware that iodine is vital for your thyroid. When your thyroid is not functioning properly, it is very difficult to lose weight. It is becoming more difficult to get the amount of iodine you need. Why?

1. Soil is now very iodine-poor. Unless you are eating iron-rich foods such as kelp, seaweed, shellfish, and eggs (lots of them), or drinking a lot of Perrier Sparkling Water, you are not getting much iodine from your diet.
2. Many salt companies have stopped adding iodine to table salt and most sea salt is very low in iodine.
3. Food manufacturers now use bromine instead of iodine for baked goods. The problem with this is that they are both halogens so they complete with each other in the cell. The more bromine you consume, the more iodine-deficient you become.
4. Our water supply contains chlorine and fluoride, both of which are halogens, which further deplete our iodine stores. Even if you drink filtered water, you still shower, bathe and swim in chlorine and fluoride.
5. Iodine deficiency is something that is never tested for because most physicians believe that testing for thyroid function is a sufficient indicator. However, TSH levels cannot tell the difference between active thyroid with iodine and de-activated thyroid hormone with bromine or chlorine or fluoride.

Besides breaking through the dreaded "weight plateau," iodine can also help with energy, hormone balance, and digestion. A recent study found that mildly iodine-deficient children may have trouble reaching their full intellectual potential.

How do you know if you are iodine deficient?

1. If you consume less than one teaspoon of iodized table salt.
2. If you consume non-iodized table or sea salt (refer to the nutritional facts on the package).
3. Go beyond testing thyroid TSH marker by testing for:
   
   • Urine Halides and Urine Iodine (pre and post loading ideal)
   • Plasma iodine (second choice if urine not an option)
4. Speak with Bonnie and have her review your file.
   

How do you get more iodine in your diet?
For adults and teens, we recommend a daily intake of 150 micrograms (mcg.). For children, daily intake is 70 micrograms. Most of us can get this in a teaspoon of iodized salt. However, many of us do not consume iodized salt (most iodized salt also contains the corn sugar, dextrose, which is why many of our clients do not consume it).

1. Take with a high quality, pure, iodine supplement or check your multivitamin/mineral supplement to see if it contains iodine.
2. If you have a deficiency, you may need a short-term loading dose that would need to be overseen by Bonnie or a licensed health professional.
   

Recipe du Jour - Sunchoke Pilaf

Sunchokes, chickpeas, green peas, onion, and quinoa make a healthy vegetarian grain dish. This is a delightful change from rice as a side dish. You may substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth for a richer flavor if you are not vegetarian. Ingredients:

-1/2 cup quinoa
-2 Tablespoons extra virgin, organic canola oil
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1-1/4 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth
-3/4 cup chickpeas, cooked or canned, (drained and rinsed)
-1 cup peeled, chopped sunchokes
-1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
-1/4 teaspoon pepper (optional)

Preparation: Place the quinoa in a large bowl; fill with cold water. Pour into a strainer, then return the quinoa to the bowl and rinse 4 times more. Drain well.

Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rinsed quinoa and cook, stirring, until it cracks and pops, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft.

Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the chickpeas, sunchokes, peas, and pepper (optional), and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Preventing Diabetes With Lifestyle Interventions and Medication

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a randomized clinical trial published in The Lancet, demonstrated that intensive lifestyle intervention or metformin prevented or delayed development of type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults compared with placebo. The current article is the first report of the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS), a ten year follow-up designed to determine whether the delay in diabetes seen during the DPP can be sustained.

After being informed of the main DPP results, patients in the metformin and placebo groups entered a 1- to 2-week drug washout phase. All participants were offered a group-administered version of the 16-session lifestyle curriculum as a bridge protocol. Once the DPPOS follow-up began, all participants were offered a lifestyle session every 3 months. The DPP lifestyle group participants were also offered 4 group sessions per year. Those in the metformin group continued to receive metformin (850 mg twice daily). As in the DPP, the primary outcome was development of diabetes. Median follow-up from original DPP randomization was 10 years.

In the original DPP, diabetes incidence was reduced by 58% with intensive lifestyle and by 31% with metformin compared with placebo. During the follow-up, the incidence was decreased by 34% in the lifestyle group and by 18% in the metformin group compared with placebo.

The main finding of this study -- that the prevention or delay of diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin can persist for at least 10 years -- is indeed good news. In fact, the incidence rate in the lifestyle group was remarkably stable.

It is also important to note that the metformin group experienced a lower incidence rate during the DPPOS than the DPP. This finding suggests that adding modest lifestyle change (even if poorly attended) to metformin may enhance the drug’s effect.

What remains to be seen is whether lifestyle or metformin intervention reduces the debilitating (and costly) microvascular and macrovascular complications associated with diabetes. Until that is known, there remains little doubt that patients who can make positive lifestyle changes should do so.

L-Carnitine Improves Liver Function in Fatty Liver Disease

L-carnitine supplements can improve liver function, liver histology and other manifestations of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). "L-carnitine supplementation induces regression of NASH even if both plasma and hepatic carnitine levels have been shown to be normal," the investigators report in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Overall, 35 of the 36 patients (97%) in the intervention group had a histological response, and the NASH activity score - a 12-point scale assessing steatosis, parenchymal inflammation, and hepatocellular injury - fell by at least 2 points in every patient, according to the double-blind study.

All patients were put on a 1600-calorie/day diet that met requirements of the National Cholesterol Education Program, as well as a whole-body stretching routine performed 3 times a week. At the end of the study, the NASH activity score improved significantly more in the L- carnitine group. Similarly, L-carnitine was associated with greater reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Only the L-carnitine group had a significant reduction in mean plasma glucose, and the change in insulin resistance also favored L-carnitine treatment. Finally, levels of C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor-alpha declined significantly more in the carnitine group.

Vitamin D deficiency contributes to Crohn's disease

A new study has found that Vitamin D, readily available in supplements or cod liver oil, can counter the effects of Crohn's disease. John White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, present his findings about the inflammatory bowel disease in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. "Our data suggests, for the first time, that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to Crohn's disease," says Dr. White, noting that people from northern countries, which receive less sunlight that is necessary for the fabrication of Vitamin D by the human body, are particularly vulnerable to Crohn's disease.

Because his results kept pointing to Vitamin D's effects on the immune system, specifically the innate immune system that acts as the body's first defense against microbial invaders, he investigated Crohn's disease. What's most promising about this discovery, says Dr. White, is how it can be quickly put to the test. "Siblings of patients with Crohn's disease that haven't yet developed the disease might be well advised to make sure they're vitamin D sufficient. It's something that's easy to do, because they can simply buy Vitamin D supplements. The vast majority of people would be candidates for Vitamin D treatment." "This discovery is exciting, since it shows how an over-the-counter supplement such as Vitamin D could help people defend themselves against Crohn's disease," says Marc J. Servant, a professor at the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Pharmacy and study collaborator. "We have identified a new treatment avenue for people with Crohn's disease or other inflammatory bowel diseases."