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

USDA Awards $9 Million to Promote Fresh Fruit & Vegetables in Schools

Up from $6 million in 2002, 225 schools in eight states will participate in a program to promote fresh fruit and vegetable consumption.

Steve - This is wonderful! Oh, but when you consider that Dairy receives $254 million and Milk $100 million for promotion, you realize it's just a spit in the bucket. It seems like they should be ponying up for more considering fruits and vegetables are supposed to be the "darlings" of 2005 MyPyramid.

Chronic pain is poorly managed

A fifth of adults in Europe have moderate to severe chronic pain, and in many cases their symptoms are inadequately managed, says a recent study.

Only one in 50 cases are managed by a pain specialist, and a third of patients are not currently being treated, says the study in the European Journal of Pain, published online on 10 August.

"We have documented that chronic pain is a major health care problem in Europe," wrote the authors, from the University of Oslo, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, and Mundipharma International, Cambridge. "This needs to be taken more seriously by health care providers and those responsible for health care policies and allocations of resources."

British Medical Journal 2005;331:476 (3 September)

Steve - Timely? The numbers are higher in the United States. It just so happens that we just published The Pain Relief Diet at nutritionalconcepts.com.

Bonnie's Back to School Tips

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

Good luck! Bonnie

Pomegranate extract could slow cartilage loss in arthritis

Pomegranate fruit extracts have been shown to block enzymes that contribute to cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis, a condition that currently has little perspective for treatment.

A team from the Case Western Reserve University found that a water extract of pomegranate fruit inhibited stimulation of certain enzymes in human cartilage cells affected by osteoarthritis.

Production of these enzymes, matrix metalloproteases, is speeded up by the pro-inflammatory protein interleukin-1b (IL-1b) during osteoarthritis, leading to cartilage degradation and damage to joints.

Writing in this month’s issue of the Journal of Nutrition, Tariq M. Haqqi and colleagues said the findings suggest that consumption of pomegranate fruit extract “may help in protecting cartilage from the effects of IL-1b by suppressing cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis”.

Further research will be needed to determine the absorption rate of pomegranate fruit extracts in the joints and to confirm in animals whether the fruit extract promotes cartilage repair.

Extra-virgin olive oil anti-inflammatory-scientists

Scientists have just found out what gourmets have always known -- that there is something special about fresh extra-virgin olive oil.

A tasting experience at a molecular gastronomy meeting in Sicily led University of Pennsylvania biologist Gary Beauchamp to analyze freshly pressed extra-virgin olive oil, in which he found a chemical that acted like ibuprofen.

He and his team named their discovery oleocanthal and found that, although it has a different chemistry, its effect is similar to that of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compound in the commercial pain-killer, they wrote in the science journal Nature.

The discovery is significant because scientists believe to an increasing extent that inflammation plays an important part in a variety of chronic diseases like stroke, heart disease, and breast and lung cancer.

"Our findings raise the possibility that long-term consumption of oleocanthal may help to protect against some diseases," they wrote.

It may also go some way to explaining the health benefits long attributed to the olive-oil rich Mediterranean diet.

Reuters 8/31/05

Steve - Whoah! We're on a roll. It just so happens that we are launching "The Pain Relief Diet" Action Plan in a few days, in which olive oil plays a major role.

Many couples unfit for pregnancy

Many couples do not ensure they are in the best physical condition to conceive, a survey suggests.

A poll of 2,000 women in the UK by Pregnancy & Birth magazine found two-thirds drink alcohol and four in 10 smoke while trying for a baby.

Only 44% of women hoping to conceive said they tried to eat a healthy diet.

Experts said it was important couples were educated how health could affect their fertility and that most would subsequently follow medical advice.

Most of the women surveyed were readers of the magazine and were either pregnant or trying to conceive.

The average age of those who responded was 29.

While trying to conceive, 68% of all women said they continued to drink alcohol and two out of 10 admitted they drank "far too much".

Of the 49% who were smokers, only 26% gave up the habit. Of the 47% of male partners who smoked, only 23% gave up.

Unhealthy lifestyles

A third of the women and their male partners trying to conceive were overweight, according to the responses.

Three out of 10 couples trying to conceive reported taking recreational drugs.

Many said it had never occurred to them that they might have problems conceiving.

One in seven couples in the UK today already have fertility problems caused by a combination of factors - women delaying motherhood, an increase in sexually transmitted diseases, a huge increase in obesity which can interfere with ovulation and a possible decline in male fertility.

The editor added: "People need to realise the way they live has a direct effect on their fertility.

Steve - Serendipity? We just came out with our Natural Fertility Action Plan in the mid-August. Not serendipity, just a response to what he have been seeing in our practice and worldwide.

Anti-depressant pregnancy concern

Use of a type of anti-depressant medication during pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects such as cleft palate, research suggests.

Danish and US scientists found use of SSRIs in the first three months of pregnancy was linked to a 40% increased risk - but the results are preliminary.

Cardiac defects appeared to be 60% more likely when the women used SSRIs.

But the researchers stress the results, featured in Pulse magazine, do not mean women should stop taking the drugs.

The findings were presented an International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology conference.

Their use during pregnancy was linked to withdrawal symptoms in newborn babies in a study published in The Lancet earlier this year.

And doctors have been told not to prescribe them to children because of an increased risk of suicide.

In the latest study, focusing on 1,054 women who took SSRIs during pregnancy, scientists also found that use of the drugs late in pregnacy was associated with a 40% increased risk of premature birth.

And a second study of 377 cases of persistent pulmonary hypertension in babies found SSRI use late in pregnancy was linked a 5.5-fold increased risk.

"As with all medicines, antidepressants should only be taken in pregnancy if the expected benefit to the mother is thought to be greater than the risk to the foetus, and all drugs should be avoided in the first trimester if possible.

"People taking antidepressants should not stop them without seeking medical advice."

Study says coffee delivers more health benefits than fruit and veg

I wonder if "Big Coffee" funded this study! Coffee does pack a punch of certain antioxidants, and in moderation is okay (except for those with excess inflammation, salicylate sensitivity, allergies, excess acidity, digestive issues...you get the pitcure). We must look harder at studies that are grossly generalized as a press release.

Coffee for some is poison. On the other hand, fruits and vegetables are wonderful for most, and poison for virtually no one.

Steve

Protein-rich diet boosts benefit of exercise

People following advice to cut calories and increase physical activity to lose weight will see greater benefits if their diet is rich in protein, reveals a new study.

The trial on almost 50 overweight women confirms previous studies showing that a high-protein diet can lead to greater fat loss than a low-calorie, high carbohydrate diet.

But the researchers from the University of Illinois have also demonstrated that when both regimes are combined with an exercise programme, the protein-rich diet is still more effective at reducing body fat.

"There's an additive, interactive effect when a protein-rich diet is combined with exercise. The two work together to correct body composition; dieters lose more weight, and they lose fat, not muscle," said author Donald Layman, professor of food science and human nutrition.

Layman’s team recruited 48 women aged around 46 years old with a body mass index of 33 kg/m(2) during weight loss.

Half the women ate a protein-rich diet containing specific levels of leucine, one of the essential amino acids, for four months. The others followed a diet based on the US food guide pyramid, which contained higher amounts of carbohydrates.

Both groups consumed the same number of calories, but the first group substituted protein foods, like meat, dairy products, eggs, and nuts, for foods high in carbohydrates, such as breads, rice, cereal, pasta, and potatoes.

High-protein diets have been controversial as they counter the accepted weight-loss diet and there is little information on their impact on health over the long-term. But recent studies suggest that they may indeed work better than low-calorie, high-carbohydrate diets by increasing satiety and reducing fat mass.

In the current study, published in the August issue of the Journal of Nutrition (vol 135, issue 8, pp1903-10), the subjects were also required to follow one of two different exercise programmes. The first involved walking two to three times a week, while the second group included five 30-minute walking sessions and two 30-minute weightlifting sessions per week.

In both groups of dieters, the exercise helped spare lean muscle tissue and target fat loss. But, the protein-rich, high-exercise group, lost even more weight, and almost 100 per cent of the weight loss was fat, report the researchers.

In the high-carbohydrate, high-exercise group, however, as much as 25 to 30 per cent of the weight lost was muscle.

The protein-rich diet seems to be even more effective for people at higher risk of heart disease.

"The protein-rich diet dramatically lowered triglycerides and had a statistically significant effect on trunk fat, both risk factors associated with heart disease," said Layman.

"Exercise helped dieters lose an even greater percentage of body fat from the abdominal area."

The protein-rich diet is thought to work well because it contains a high level of leucine. The amino acid works with insulin to stimulate protein synthesis in muscle.

"The diet works because the extra protein reduces muscle loss while the low-carbohydrate component gives you low insulin, allowing you to burn fat," explained Layman.

Health Agency Tightens Rules Governing Federal Scientists

After accusations that some government scientists used their official positions for private gain, the National Institutes of Health announced rules on Thursday that ban its scientists from consulting for drug companies.

The rules are being issued after disclosures that scientists at the institutes leveraged their positions to land lucrative consulting contracts that seemed to conflict with their official duties or at least overlap with them. Those contracts caused some critics to worry that research by the agency could be tainted.

An investigation by the agency concluded that 44 of its 1,200 senior scientists appeared to have violated rules governing consulting and that 9 might have violated criminal laws.

Under the final rules, the top 200 executives will be required to keep the value of their holdings in any single drug company below $15,000. Some 6,000 other employees will have to submit for review their holdings in such companies. If the holdings are determined to conflict with official responsibilities, the employees will be asked to sell these shares, officials said.

Agency scientists will also be allowed to hold fiduciary positions in medical societies as part of their lives outside the agency, a practice that the earlier proposed rules would have banned.

"These rules by no means end the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on N.I.H. employees," said Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of the health research group at Public Citizen, the consumer advocacy group.

Dr. Wolfe noted that the new rules let employees deliver medical education lectures paid for by drug companies. Although no strings are supposed to be attached to the financing, Dr. Wolfe noted that scientists who disagreed with the positions of the drug industry were rarely invited to give such lectures.

The rules go into effect on Tuesday. Officials will have to divest their stock portfolios by Jan. 30. Dr. Zerhouni said he intended to re-examine the new rules in a year to make sure they have not had negative effects on the agency's ability to recruit top scientists.

Courtesy of the NY Times

Steve - To be continued...?

Group Says Grill Once in a While

According to a new analysis by nutrition scientists with The Cancer Project, certain foods contain high levels of cancer-causing heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs are potent carcinogens produced during grilling from the creatine, amino acids, and sugars found naturally in chicken and other meats. In January 2005, the federal government added HCAs to its list of known carcinogens.

Grilled chicken contains the highest HCA concentration, with alarmingly high levels also found in flame-cooked steak, salmon, and hamburger. The Cancer Project report focuses on HCAs, but many grilled meats, including hotdogs, contain other carcinogens such as nitrates.

Chicken breast, skinless, boneless, grilled, well done
Steak, grilled, well done
Pork, barbecued
Salmon, grilled with skin
Hamburger, grilled, well done

Painkillers can cause fatal stomach bleeding

Reuters - Approximately one third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) painkillers like ibuprofen, a study in Spain suggests.

Moreover, up to one third of these painkiller-related incidents may be due to low-dose aspirin.

Dr. Angel Lanas, at University Hospital in Zaragoza, and his associates evaluated data from 26 Spanish hospitals on hospitalizations related to peptic-ulcer disease or complications such as bleeding or perforation, as well as drug use during the month prior to hospitalization.

A total of 8010 serious gastrointestinal bleeding events were reported, and among these, the mortality rate was 5.7 percent.

The authors report that the proportion of complications and deaths attributed to NSAID and aspirin use was 36.3 percent. They also note that nearly 90 percent of deaths occurred in patients older than 60 years of age.

To extrapolate the impact of aspirin and NSAID use on the general population of Spain, Lanas' group obtained data from 197 hospitals representative of all the hospitals in the Spanish National Health System.

Their results suggest that the death rate resulting from NSAID- or aspirin-related gastrointestinal complications was between 21 and 25 cases per million inhabitants. This translates to about 15 such deaths for every 100,000 users of aspirin or NSAIDs.

According to the authors, these results highlight "the importance of taking ever-greater steps to research new and better alternatives to treat pain and inflammation in the elderly, to heighten physician and public awareness of the associated problems of NSAID therapy, and to educate them on the use of appropriate prevention strategies."

Dr. Byron Cryer, from the Dallas VA Medical Center, agrees with this conclusion. He writes in a related editorial: "Although clinically significant gastrointestinal events with NSAIDs are uncommon, as a result of the vast numbers of patients who take these medications, when assessed by percentages these complications remain a significant public health concern."

SOURCE: American Journal of Gastroenterology, August 2005.

Report Shows Obesity Growing

Steve - I think the most amazing statistic of the Trust for America's Health report, based on figures from the US government's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, is the rise in states that consider more than 20% of their population to be obese. In 1985 it was none; 2005 it is 40.

Canada Reinstates Attention-Deficit Drug

An attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drug that was forced off the market last February by Canadian Health officials is being reinstated, the drug's maker, Shire Pharmaceuticals, announced Wednesday.

Adderall XR will be reinstated on the Canadian market effective this Friday, but it will take a bit longer before the drug is available again across the country, company spokesperson Matt Cabrey said in an interview.

The reversal of the federal regulator's decision comes after a panel of experts — called a new drug committee — reviewed the safety data on the drug. Shire triggered the review by in effect appealing Health Canada's decision to remove the drug from the market.

"The NDC (new drug committee) came to the conclusion that there was not enough evidence of an increased harm from Adderall compared to other therapies available," said Health Canada spokesperson Jirina Vlk.

"The benefits of treating ADHD has to be balanced with the known harms of this class of drugs."

Health Canada pulled Adderall XR, a once-a-day treatment for ADHD, off the market on Feb. 9 after learning from the company of 20 cases of sudden death and 12 of stroke in people using the drug. None of those cases occurred in Canada.

Fourteen of the sudden deaths and two of the strokes were in children. A number of the cases involved children with structural heart defects.

Steve - see our following March entry and we'll you decide what's going on here.

ADHD drug Adderral pulled in Canada -
The popular drug, which has been linked to 20 sudden deaths worldwide, mostly in children, was taken off the Canadian market Wednesday, sparking questions about whether kids in the USA should be using it.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory on its Web site saying that the rate of sudden death for children on Adderall XR is no higher than for those not on the drug. But children with heart defects could be at higher risk.

Parents are making decisions about stimulants such as Adderall XR with few facts, says Julie Magno Zito, an epidemiologist at the University of Maryland. There are no good long-term studies of such medicines, she says. Rare side effects of a drug won't surface in short studies unless they include a huge number of kids, such as in a national HMO, and that kind of study hasn't been done on Adderall XR, Zito says.

About 700,000 children in the USA take Adderall XR, a timed-release stimulant, and 300,000 use Adderall, a version that often needs to be taken more than once a day, according to Shire Pharmaceuticals Group PLC, maker of the drug.

Healthy eating, weight management benefit gums

Scientists are increasingly investigating the potential of certain foods and plant compounds shown to have a positive effect on oral health.

This week researchers from the Case Western Reserve University in the US who examined data from 12,110 individuals reported that those who exercised, had healthy eating habits and maintained a normal weight were 40 per cent less likely to develop periodontitis.

More than 30 per cent of the population is thought to suffer from periodontitis, an infection of the gums that can result in tooth loss, but also leads to heart disease, diabetes and pre-term labour.

The trial, published in the August issue of the Journal of Periodontology (vol 76, issue 8, pp1362-6), also showed that periodontis was reduced by 29 per cent for those individuals who only met two of the healthy behaviours and 16 percent in those that met at least one.

Courtesy of nutraingredients.com

Back to School Tip

As the weather cools and kids begin spending more time indoors, it is time to monitor your child's vitamin D intake. Whether by multivitamin or fortified food, adequate vitamin D ensures a healthy immune system and mental acuity. In addition, a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of high quality Cod Liver Oil daily is suggested.

Bonnie

Paxil suicide risk fears renewed

Further concerns have been raised about potential suicidal side effects of a commonly used antidepressant.

The drug Paxil or Seroxat (paroxetine) is already banned from use by adolescents because of an increased risk of suicidal thoughts.

In Biomed Central journal, University of Oslo scientists said analysis of existing studies suggested these warnings should be extended to adults.

GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the drug, said it had helped millions.

Paroxetine is one in a class of drugs known as Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).

Last year the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) Committee on Safety of Medicines concluded that a modest increase in the risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm for SSRIs could not be ruled out, but the benefits for adults outweighed the risks.

The studies included 916 patients on paroxetine and 550 patients on placebo.

There were no actual suicides in any of the studies. However, there were seven suicide attempts in the group on paroxetine, and only one in the placebo group.

Writing in Biomed Central, the team led by Dr Ivor Aursenes, said: "Patients and doctors should be warned that the increased suicidal activity observed in children and adolescents taking certain antidepressant drugs may well be present also in adults.

A spokesman for GlaxoSmithKline: "We take the safety of all our medicines extremely seriously and will, of course, review this study carefully when it becomes available."

Kraft No Longer Running Dairy-Weight Loss Advertising

Kraft Foods, Inc., has confirmed that it is no longer running advertisements suggesting that dairy products encourage weight loss. In response to Kraft's statement, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has dropped Kraft from a lawsuit that called the advertisements deceptive. In late June, PCRM filed suit against Kraft, General Mills, Dannon, McNeill Nutritionals, Lifeway Foods, the National Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and the International Dairy Foods Association charging that the heavily advertised claim that dairy products encourage weight loss is scientifically unsubstantiated. After the suit was filed, Kraft stated publicly and then confirmed in subsequent discussions with PCRM that it had no plans to restart them. Kraft, the only defendant who has entered into discussions with PCRM to date, is the first defendant dropped from the suit. The Illinois-based corporation-along with other major dairy associations and manufacturers-has been promoting increased dairy consumption as a weight-loss method since 2003.

One of Kraft's ads featured a giant block of cheese engraved with the words "Burn More Fat," and another featured an hourglass-shaped package of cheese. The company is updating language on its Web site related to dairy consumption and weight. The dairy industry's campaign has come under increased scrutiny from other health advocates and researchers.

PCRM's lawsuit maintains that scientific evidence contradicts the dairy industry's weight-loss claims. The only studies that support the claims were conducted by Michael Zemel, Ph.D., an industry-funded researcher at the University of Tennessee. Since 1998, Zemel has accepted nearly $1.7 million in research grants from the National Dairy Council. He has also patented his weight-loss program; consequently, advertisers pay Zemel to use his so-called "calcium key" weight-loss program.

Other researchers have not been able to confirm Zemel's findings. They have found that dairy products either have no effect on weight or cause weight gain.

Local PT launches website

Local Physical Therapist Judy Florendo just launched her website, florendopt.com. Florendo Phycial Therapy is located in downtown Chicago.

Humane Labels

For those of you concerned about treatment of farm animals? Then pretty soon you will see "certified humane" labels on menus and in supermarkets. It promises that the animals ate antibiotic- and hormone-free diets and were compassionately raised.

Proper Folate Supplementation

With all the positive research coming out lately about folate for dementia and alzheimer's prevention, I thought I'd remind you about how the folate cycle works. Folate must go through an enzymatic process before it can be absorbed: Folic Acid --> 5,10-methyltetrahydrofolate --> L-5-methyltertrahydrofolate. Most of us only get the folic acid, either through supplementation or food-fortification.

Current research indicates that as much as 38% of the population experiences difficulty metabolizing folate due to genetic variation (references available upon request). For these individuals, supplementing with folic acid is virtually worthless. The only way to tell if you have a genetic polymorphism is to through genetic testing (C677T MTHFR gene), which is expensive. Another way to insure you are absorbing folate properly is to purchase a complete folate product that includes folic acid, 5, 10 methyl and L-5 methyl. Metagenics makes one called Actifolate.

Steve

Natural Fertility Action Plan

Our Natural Fertility Action Plan is now available at our website for $4.95.

Acupuncture Fares Well in Headache Experiment

A new study, using what the researchers said was an unusually large number of volunteers, has found evidence that acupuncture may alleviate tension headaches. The findings appear in the online version of the journal BMJ.

To test how well it actually works, the researchers sought out volunteers who reported having had tensions headaches for at least eight days a month in the previous three months.

They were divided into three groups. One received a traditional form of acupuncture. A second was given light needling away from the classic acupuncture points, the intention being to simulate acupuncture. Members of the third group were told that they were on a waiting list and given no treatment. (At the end of the experiment, they received acupuncture.)

Afterward, a review of the results for 270 patients found that those who received traditional acupuncture reported about seven fewer days with headaches in the month after treatment than in the month before.

Aspartame induces lymphomas and leukemias in rats

According to a study that appeared in the European Journal of Oncology, rats who had aspartame adminstered with their feed showed a statistaically significant increase of 62% in lymphomas and leukemias compared to those in the non-aspartame fed group. The researchers postulate that the increase in risk could be related to methanol, a metabolite of aspartame, which is metabolized to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, in both rats and humans. The carcogenicity of formaldehyde cannot be ignored as evaluated recently by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) showing strong evidence with leukemias in humans.

Steve - as for those who read this blog daily, you know that we hardly ever mention non-human studies. Although, in the case of aspartame, there are no human studies to show safety. The aforementioned statistics are sobering. If this does not spur on the world to do human trials on aspartame, the least we can do is avoid it like the plague!

Feds aren't subsidizing recommended foods

While the Dept of Agriculture says half your diet should be from fruits and vegetables, it does not subsidize the farmers who grow them. Instead, half of all federal agriculture subsidies go to grain farmers.

Associated Press

Steve - it's nice to see the media is catching on. We stated this in our "MyPyramid: What the USDA Won't Tell You" piece several months ago. The prices of fruits and vegetables need to come down in order for the population to consume more of them. This will not happen unless subsidies are reallocated in their direction, as opposed to grains and dairy.

No link between sugar and obesity says Sugar Association

Steve - They are starting to get scared! With food manufacturers beginning to to trun their backs on sugar, the Sugar Association is pulling out all of the public relations stops. Just as the Dairy Council is promoting milk for weight loss, the Sugar Association is now trying to sell us on the fact that sugar does not promote obesity!

Vitamins, especially E, may slow cataract progression

Taking vitamin E supplements, as well as a higher intake of the B vitamins riboflavin and thiamine, could slow cataract progession, suggest US researchers.

Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University published a study in the April issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology (123, pp517-526) that found women who reported supplementing their diets with vitamin E for 10 years or more had significantly less progression of cataract development after five years of follow-up.

A similar relative decrease in cataract progression was seen in women who reported higher intakes of two of the B vitamins, riboflavin and thiamin, when compared to women with lower intakes.

"Our results suggest that vitamin supplementation, particularly long-term use of vitamin E, may slow down cataract development," said lead scientist Paul Jacques.

Nutraingredients.com

Vegetarians, older folk advised to get enough B12

Vitamin B12 deficiency is more common than doctors once thought, and experts advise that those most at risk -- vegetarians and older adults -- be sure to take supplemental forms of the vitamin.

Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining healthy nerve cells and red blood cells; a deficiency in the vitamin can cause symptoms ranging from the subtle, including fatigue and mild dizziness, to the more severe, including nerve damage, anemia and dementia.

It has become clear in recent years that B12 deficiency is a much more widespread problem, Komaroff noted in an interview with Reuters Health.

Unlike most vitamins, B12 occurs naturally only in animal products, including meat, poultry, fish and -- in lesser amounts -- eggs and dairy. Because of this, vegetarians and especially vegans -- who avoid all animal products, including dairy -- may have low stores of the vitamin.

The same is true of adults older than 50, as many have a thinning in the stomach lining that prevents the proper release of digestive acids. Stomach acids, Komaroff explained, are essential for "shaking loose" vitamin B12 from its food source, allowing it to be absorbed.

Research indicates that one-fifth of Americans older than 60 have low levels of B12 in their blood, according to the August issue of the Harvard Health Letter, which Komaroff edits.

It's important, Komaroff said, for vegetarians and older adults to get vitamin B12 through supplements, including multivitamins and fortified cereals. The crystalline form of B12 in pills and cereals is actually better absorbed than that found in animal products, and its absorption is not hindered by the lack of stomach acids in some older adults.

Vegetarian and vegan women who breastfeed should be especially careful to get enough vitamin B12, according to Komaroff. Deficiency in an infant can cause irreversible damage to the nervous system and serious developmental problems.

In general, women who breastfeed are advised to get 2.8 micrograms (g) of B12 per day, slightly more than the 2.4 g recommended for all adults.

Vitamins, particularly those formulated for vegetarians, often contain many times the recommended daily amount of B12. Though it's dangerous to take certain vitamins in such high doses, Komaroff noted, there is no evidence that excess B12 carries health risks.

Associated Press

Bonnie - For all of those physicians who wondered why I berated them for not giving my clients B-12 shots, now you know!

Nutrition has role in schizophrenia

Children born during China's 1959-61 famine were twice as likely to develop schizophrenia, confirming a link between nutritional deficiency and the mental illness, researchers have reported.

Schizophrenia afflicts roughly 1% of the global population and tends to run in families, but the incidence of the illness has been found to have doubled during famines in China and the Netherlands.

The Chinese findings mirrored those from an earlier study of schizophrenia rates among people born in the Netherlands during the "Dutch Hunger Winter" of 1944-45.

Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, writing in the Aug. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Assn., examined records from around the city of Wuhu in Anhui province, where the famine was acute and people starved to death in large numbers. The famine followed a season of bad weather and rural upheavals caused by the government's "Great Leap Forward."

Out of more than 600,000 births during the period studied, there were 4,600 schizophrenia cases. During the famine years, the birth rate declined 80% and the percentage of children who went on to develop schizophrenia rose from less than 1% to as high as 2.2%.

Study author Dr. David St. Clair wrote that "extreme stress" on prenatal development such as from a famine results in schizophrenia among those genetically predisposed to the illness. He cited a theory that the normally tightly regulated development of the brain can be disrupted by a nutritional deficiency.

LA Times

Probiotics for Ulcerative Colitis

Steve - While we have known this for years, the medical community is catching on. Researchers who published a study in the July issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology say the positive results with probiotics may provide an alternative treatment for people with ulcerative colitis. The fact that they say "may" is a huge step!

Folic acid linked to birth weight

Mothers-to-be with lower levels of the vitamin folate in their body during early pregnancy are more likely to have low weight babies, research suggests.

A team at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne studied nearly 1,000 women and their newborn babies.

Low birth weight is associated with an increased risk of serious health problems, including respiratory disorders and diabetes.

The research is published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Women are already advised to take folic acid supplements if trying to conceive, and through the early weeks of pregnancy as the vitamin is known to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

But this is the first time the vitamin has been linked to birth weight.

BBCNews.com

Omega-6 Fatty Acids Cause Prostate Tumor Cell Growth

According to US Researchers, the rapid increase of omega-6 fatty acids in the western diet could have caused the rise in incidnce of prostate cancer in recent years. Published in the September issue of Carcinogenesis, researchers found that arachidonic acid, an omega-6, introduced to human prostate cells, increased inflammation and abnormal cell growth.

Steve - arachidonic acid is found primarily in fatty red meats and organ meats. The human body needs some arachidonic acid, but too much can be damaging. The higher your insulin levels, the more your body is stimulated to make arachidonic acid.

Osteoporosis Screenings a Marketing Juggernaut

According to an article written by Susan Kelleher of the Seattle Times, by targeting women in their 50s, manufacturers of drugs for osteoporsis have helped transform it from an underrecognized disease in elderly women into what some say is a disease affecting tens of millions. This was accomplished by:

1) Expanding the disease to include a new condition, osteopenia (or pre-osteoporosis), with boundaries so broad they include more than half of all women over 50.

2) Promoting osteopenia and osteoporosis directly to young, healthy women, telling them they are at risk and should consider taking bone strengthening drugs.

3) Define the conditions with readings from bone-density machines that the drug industry promoted, subsidized, and helped put in doctor's offices.

Many experts now say that the chances of your average healthy 50 year-old woman getting a fracture are very, very low. Although, this is the age group the drug makers are targeting.

Vick's VapoRub for Toenail Fungus?

Bonnie - There was a Health Q&A in th 7/31/05 Sun-Times saying that Vick's VapoRub is commonly used "off-label" as a treatment for toenail fungus. Considering the product contains camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol, it makes sense. A physician who recommends the remedy suggests cutting the toenail as short as possible, then covering it with a thin film of Vick's VapoRub twice daily for 4-8 weeks. Unless allergic to one of the ingredienets, it cannot hurt to try it.

Vitamin D levels low in almost all hip fracture patients

Nearly all hip fracture patients are deficient, sometimes severely, in vitamin D, researchers in Scotland reported this week.

Reviewing the cases of 548 patients over the age of 60 who were admitted at South Glasgow University Hospital during a four-year period, the researchers found that 97.8 per cent had vitamin D levels below normal.

In around a quarter of the group studied, levels were so low that they were "effectively unrecordable", said the authors in the online issue of Current Medical Research and Opinion.

In a second prospective study phase, the researchers looked at vitamin D levels among the first 50 patients admitted to the hospital with an osteoporosis fracture after November 2004.

More than 80 per cent had vitamin D levels below 70 nmol/L and 72 per cent had vitamin D levels below 50 nmol/L.

Great Sun-Times Article on Sunday

Steve - Read the Controversy Section of Sunday's Chicago Sun-Times. There was a great piece called "We Are All Sick: Authors of New Book Say Big Drug Companies Are Inveting Disease and peddaling Fear to Convince Us to Pop Pills Like Candy." It really echoes much of what we are trying to tell people.

The book the article alludes to is From Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients by Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels.

The authors refer to an astonishing article published by Medical Marketing and Media from 2003 entield, "The Art of Branding a Condition." which you may be able to access with this URL: http://offlinehbpl.hbpl.co.uk/Misc/MMM/Features/CONDITION.pdf

Fish Oil Beats Statin Drugs

Swiss researchers who reviewed 97 double-blind studies of the effectiveness of statins, two other pharmaceutcials, niacin, diet, and fish oil in preventing cardiac deaths found fish oil and statins to be the most effective. Fish oil reduced heart attacks 32% compared with 22% for statins. Fish oil cut overall deaths by 23% compared to 13% for statins.

Steve - Why such a disparity? As we've said before, fish oil reduces inflammation, which is the cause for more than 50% of all cardiac deaths. Statins reduce cholesterol, which make up a much smaller percentage of cardiac deaths. Fish oil also reduces triglycerides, normalizes vascular function, and thwarts clots.

Low-Cal Soft Drinks Pour on the Pounds

While diet soda consumption has increased consistently since the mid 90's, weight loss has decreased, right? Not really, according to a study presented at the American Diabetes Association last month. According to University of Texas at San Antonio researchers, of 600 persons ages 25 to 54 studied over an eight year span, those who drank diet sodas gained more weight than their counterparts who consumed regular soft drinks. Of the diet soft-drink consumers, approximately 54% consuming 1-2 cans per day became overweight or obese (33% in the regular soft-drink group) and 57% consuming two or more diet cans became overweight or obese (47% in the regular soft-drink group).

USA Weekend

Yoga May Help Minimize Weight Gain in Middle Age

Practicing yoga may be one way to prevent middle-aged spread, according to the findings of a new study.

Although the connection appears to be indirect, yoga practitioners are apparently able to avoid - or at least minimize - the one-pound-a-year of gained weight that most people endure between the ages of 45 and 55.

The researchers used data from more than 15,000 men and women ages 53 to 57, who reported their weight at age 45 and their current weight.

The subjects were also asked to report whether they engaged regularly in three specific recreational activities - walking, weight lifting, and yoga - and whether they participated in two broader categories of activity, moderate and strenuous exercise. The researchers assessed the diet of the study participants using a detailed food questionnaire.

Practicing yoga for 4 or more years, for at least 30 minutes once a week, was associated with a 3.1-pound lower weight gain among people who were normal weight at age 45. The yoga practitioners who were overweight at 45 lost an average of 5 pounds, as opposed to an average gain of 13 pounds in overweight nonpractitioners. Being overweight was defined as having a body mass index of 25 or greater.

The authors conceded that their study, published in the July/August issue of Alternative Therapies, has many limitations. Although there were more than 1,000 people in the study who did some yoga, almost half did less than 30 minutes at a session, while normal yoga sessions usually last 60 to 90 minutes. Only 132 of these people maintained the practice longer than four years.

Lifestyle Incentive Programs Encourage Healthy Behavior

In a May 2005 survey conducted by the Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN), employers and health plans discussed lifestyle incentive program development within their organizations. Of the 141 healthcare industry professionals who responded, 43 percent currently utilize lifestyle incentive programs and 47.5 percent plan future implementation. An intended initiation rate of higher than 90 percent has significant implications for the future of healthcare. Employers are using a variety of means to communicate these programs to employees.

Employers may not be able to prevent employees from getting the flu, but they can certainly encourage them to avoid illnesses induced by their behavior. In this developing trend of “quid pro quo,” employers are instituting lifestyle incentive programs to push employees to take charge of their health.

“Monitoring healthy lifestyles is difficult. Encouraging healthy behavior at work is easier,” said survey participant Nan Andrews Amish, business strategist, Big Picture Healthcare.

In considering specific incentives, reward conditions and initiative results, the survey analysis underscores an industry-wide effort to adapt to healthcare trends and simultaneously foster employee and financial fortitude. Lifestyle incentive programs provide employees the tools and self-motivation they need to be health conscious while cutting back the debilitating cost of chronic care. Though not foolproof, employers agree these initiatives appear to be a step in the direction of healthcare cost reduction, but note it may take some time to see results.

Acupuncture Can Ease Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

The most commonly stated fear of patients prior to elective surgery is not death or a surgical mishap. It's post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and 25 to 40 percent of surgical patients are at risk. Defined as any episode of nausea, retching or vomiting in the 24 hours immediately following an operation.

In several recent studies, acupuncture has been proven to lessen PONV symptoms. A trial in 2004 was done to look at the effectiveness of acupuncture in 220 women undergoing gynecological or breast surgeries. The patients who received acupuncture showed a significant decrease in the incidence of PONV. Another study conducted by Duke University Medical Center on breast surgery patients found positive results in the use of acupuncture to prevent occurrences of post-operative nausea and vomiting. It also stated that acupuncture increased general patient satisfaction post-op.

According to this study, 70 percent of women who undergo major breast surgery that requires general anesthesia experience PONV, making breast surgery the leading cause of nausea/vomiting post-op. However, 77 percent of the women who were treated with acupuncture suffered no PONV, nor did they require antiemetic drugs (anti-vomiting medication). The women who received acupoint stimulation also had less post-surgical pain.