Long-term vitamin use lowers death risk

The new study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington, looked at 77,719 Washington State residents from 50-76 years old.

The results showed that the use of multivitamins daily over ten years was associated with a 16% decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Intakes of vitamin E over 215 milligrams per day over the course of ten years were also associated with a 28% reduction in the risk of death from CVD.

While those who took vitamin C (over 322 mg. daily) had a lower risk of death from cancer over a five-year period.

The research appeared in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Even the medical profession has gotten behind their benefits.

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated, “Insufficient vitamin intake is the cause of chronic disease…Evidence shows that suboptimal levels, even those well above levels for sufficiency syndromes, are risk factors for chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis….A large portion of the general population is at increased risk for this reason.”

It goes onto say, “We recommend that all adults take a multivitamin daily. This practice is justified mainly by the known and suspected benefits of supplemental folate, vitamins B6 and B12 and vitamin D in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis, and because multi-vitamins at that dose are safe and inexpensive.”

September Research Highlights

Journal of the American College of Nutrition

• A high glycemic index diet unfavorably affects CVD risk factors and therefore, submission of high with low glycemic index carbohydrates may reduce the risk of CVD.
  
  
• Chronic American ginseng supplementation at the given dose can cause an oxidative stress in postmenopausal women, as reflected by the elevated oxidative damage markers and increased erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity.
  

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

• A high vitamin B-6 intake may improve prostate cancer survival among men with a diagnosis of localized-stage disease.

• Dietary fiber can play a role in preventing breast cancer through nonestrogen pathways among postmenopausal women.

• Green tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of death from pneumonia in Japanese women.

Journal Nutrition

• Undernourished children had comprehensive differences in temperament traits compared to nourished children, which may increase their risk of developing behavioral and mental health problems in later childhood.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association

• Greater attention needs to be directed to understanding and improving the diets of school employees given their high rates of overweight and obesity, poor diets, and important role in student health.

• Perinatal (maternal) depression refers to major and minor episodes during pregnancy (termed antenatal) and/or within the first 12 months after delivery (termed postpartum or postnatal). One biological factor given increasing consideration for perinatal depression is inadequate nutrition. Credible links between nutrient deficiency and mood have been reported for folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc, and n-3 fatty acids. For maternal depression, the nutrient that has received the most attention from nutrition researchers has been the n-3 essential fatty acids. Numerous studies, such as randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and ecological studies, have found a positive association between low n-3 levels and a higher incidence of maternal depression. In addition, nutrient inadequacies in pregnant women who consume a typical western diet might be much more common than researchers and clinicians realize. A number of studies have reported inadequate intakes of n-3, folate, B vitamins, iron, and calcium in pregnant women. Depletion of nutrient reserves throughout pregnancy can increase a woman's risk for maternal depression.

Study says home births safe

Panned home births attended by registered midwives have similar rates of fetal death and adverse outcomes as compared with hospital births. The study followed 2,889 women in British Columbia who had planned home births between 2000 and 2004. They were compared with 4,752 women who gave birth in a hospital. The fetal death rate was less than one per 1,000 births in both groups. The only difference between the groups is that babies born at home are more likely to be hospitalized, usually because of infant jaundice. Jaundice in hospital-born infants is usually detected and treated before the infant is discharged.

The study is published in the Canadian Medical Assn. Journal. The study "should add confidence to the safety of home birth in a context such as ours in which registered midwives have a baccalaureate degree or equivalent and are an integral part of the healthcare system," the authors, from the University of British Columbia, wrote.

September eNewsletter

Highlights:

• Issues Affecting Our Children
• Understanding Detoxification
• The Miracle Methylator
• Aspirin
• Celiac, and more...

http://tinyurl.com/mc7l3q

Ragweed Foods: Remove and Replace

Ragweed season is here again for an estimated 36 million Americans. Ragweed is the number one cause of fall allergies, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Ragweed is common in most regions of the United States from mid-August through the first frost. Each plant produces 1 billion pollen grains in an average season, and the grains can travel up to 400 miles with the help of the wind.

Many individuals with ragweed allergy also experience symptoms while eating certain cross-reacting foods.

- Keep your windows closed at night. If possible, use air conditioning, which cleans, cools and dries the air.

- Try to stay indoors when the pollen or mold counts are reported to be high. Wear a pollen mask if long periods of exposure are unavoidable.

- Check your area's pollen and mold levels from the National Allergy Bureau.

- Avoid mowing the lawn or raking leaves because it stirs up pollen and molds. Also avoid hanging sheets or clothes outside to dry.

- Take a shower before bed to wash pollen from your hair and face, which prevents it from ending up on your pillow.

-Use a saline nasal rinse or neti pot to keep sinuses clear of pollen.

- Avoid cross-reacting foods.

Bonnie - we have come up with a perfect one-sheet called Ragweed Foods: Remove and Replace.

Sixty percent of adults can't digest milk

By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY

Got milk? If you do, take a moment to ponder the true oddness of being able to drink milk after you're a baby. No other species but humans can. And most humans can't either. The long lists of food allergies some people claim to have can make it seem as if they're just finicky eaters trying to rationalize likes and dislikes. Not so. Eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish soy and gluten all can wreak havoc on the immune system of allergic individuals, even causing a deadly reaction called anaphylaxis. But those allergic reactions are relatively rare, affecting an estimated 4% of adults.

Milk's different. First off, it's not actually an allergy in that there's not an immune response. People who are lactose intolerant can't digest the main sugar —lactose— found in milk. In normal humans, the enzyme that does so —lactase— stops being produced when the person is between two and five years old. The undigested sugars end up in the colon, where they begin to ferment, producing gas that can cause cramping, bloating, nausea, flatulence and diarrhea.

If you're American or European it's hard to realize this, but being able to digest milk as an adult is one weird genetic adaptation. It's not normal. Somewhat less than 40% of people in the world retain the ability to digest lactose after childhood. The numbers are often given as close to 0% of Native Americans, 5% of Asians, 25% of African and Caribbean peoples, 50% of Mediterranean peoples and 90% of northern Europeans. Sweden has one of the world's highest percentages of lactase tolerant people.

Being able to digest milk is so strange that scientists say we shouldn't really call lactose intolerance a disease, because that presumes it's abnormal. Instead, they call it lactase persistence, indicating what's really weird is the ability to continue to drink milk. There's been a lot of research over the past decade looking at the genetic mutation that allows this subset of humanity to stay milk drinkers into adulthood. A long-held theory was that the mutation showed up first in Northern Europe, where people got less vitamin D from the sun and therefore did better if they could also get the crucial hormone (it's not really a vitamin at all) from milk. But now a group at University College London has shown that the mutation actually appeared about 7,500 years ago in dairy farmers who lived in a region between the central Balkans and central Europe, in what was known as the Funnel Beaker culture. The paper was published this week in PLoS Computational Biology.

The researchers used a computer to model the spread of lactase persistence, dairy farming, other food gathering practices and genes in Europe. Today, the highest proportion of people with lactase persistence live in Northwest Europe, especially the Netherlands, Ireland and Scandinavia. But the computer model suggests that dairy farmers carrying this gene variant probably originated in central Europe and then spread more widely and rapidly than non-dairying groups.

Author Mark Thomas of University College London's dept of Genetics, Evolution and Environment says: "In Europe, a single genetic change...is strongly associated with lactase persistence and appears to have given people with it a big survival advantage." The European mutation is different from several lactase persistence genes associated with small populations of African peoples who historically have been cattle herders. Researchers at the University of Maryland identified one such mutation among Nilo-Saharan-speaking peoples in Kenya and Tanzania. That mutation seems to have arisen between 2,700 to 6,800 years ago. Two other mutations have been found among the Beja people of northeastern Sudan and tribes of the same language family in northern Kenya.

Use of Low-Dose Aspirin in Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events Not Recommended

The use of low-dose aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in healthy individuals with asymptomatic atherosclerosis is currently not warranted, according to the lead researcher of a large "real-world" study presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2009 Congress.

In the randomized trial of 3350 subjects deemed at high risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events because of a low ankle-brachial index (ABI) (<0.95), aspirin had absolutely no effect on reducing events compared with placebo, Dr Gerry Fowkes (University of Edinburgh, Scotland) reported on behalf of the Aspirin for Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis (AAA) trialists. However, aspirin did increase the risk of major hemorrhage. The bleeding effect "is a real obstacle," Fowkes told heartwire . "I don't think the evidence is convincing enough as yet that aspirin should be used routinely in the general population."

At the same conference, German researchers stated that routine use of low-dose aspirin in primary prevention of cardiovascular events with type 2 diabetes should be revised and may be harmful. Their comments came from results from two trials (Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis with Aspirin for Diabetes and Prevention of Progression of Arterial Disease and Diabetes). Both failed to find any efficacy from aspirin use.

Steve - the evidence continues to mount against the use aspirin for CVD prevention in healthy and diabetic individuals.

Antibiotic prescriptions going down

Antibiotic prescriptions are being written less frequently for patients with respiratory tract infections, which include ear infections, sinus infections and bronchitis, as well as colds and flu.

Antibiotics must be used judiciously or they'll start to lose their effectiveness. Bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae are a growing problem as they've become resistant to entire classes of antibiotic drugs. This means many bacterial illnesses are harder to treat. Further, antibiotics that are developed to combat resistant bacteria are generally more expensive and often more toxic.

The most egregious misuse of antibiotics is when they're used to treat a viral illness such as the common cold. Antibiotics are effective against bacteria, not viruses. However, ear infections, sinus infections and bronchitis may be viral, bacterial or both, so sometimes antibiotics are prescribed just in case there's a bacterial component.

The Journal of the American Medical Association study showed inn children younger than 5, rates of antibiotic prescription decreased by 27% overall, and by 36% in patients with respiratory tract infections. In children 5 and older and adults, overall rates of antibiotic prescription didn't change over the study period, but an 18% decrease was found for people with respiratory tract infections.

For ear infections -- the most frequent reason for prescribing antibiotics to young children -- researchers found antibiotic use didn't change during the study period. Antibiotics were prescribed about 80% of the time an ear infection was diagnosed in kids less than 5 years old.

Bonnie - while encouraging, there still needs to a major reduction in children with ear infections. More often than not, watchful waiting will be effective and will lower the amount of recurrences.

September Locavore Tidbit

What's in season in the Midwest and other colder climates: Apples, Beans, Beets, Bell Peppers, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Fennel, Garlic, Grapes, Horseradish, Lettuce, Melons, Mushrooms, Nectarines, Okra, Onions, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radishes, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Shallots, Spinach, Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watermelons, Winter Squash.

Locally grown produce provides a fresh, less toxic product, supports your local economy, and reduces your carbon load.

Wheat consumption may contribute to diabetes

An abnormal immune response to wheat proteins may contribute to type 1 diabetes, according to a study appears in the August issue of Diabetes..

Nearly half of the subjects with type 1 diabetes had immune system T-cells that overreacted to wheat. The researchers also identified genes associated with this abnormal immune response.

"The immune system has to find the perfect balance to defend the body against foreign invaders without hurting itself or overreacting to the environment, and this can be particularly challenging in the gut, where there is an abundance of food and bacteria," study author Dr. Fraser Scott, a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa, said in a hospital news release.

"Our research suggests that people with certain genes may be more likely to develop an overreaction to wheat and possibly other foods in the gut, and this may tip the balance with the immune system and make the body more likely to develop other immune problems, such as type 1 diabetes," he explained.

Bonnie - can you say gluten? Wheat has more gluten than any other grain. American wheat, in particular, has the highest gluten content of any wheat in the world, which is why we have the most gluten intolerance in the world.

Recipe du Jour - Gluten-Free Banana Bread

Banana Bread (Gluten-free)

1 package Namaste muffin mix (made with rice flour)
2 eggs
1/4 cup organic canola oil
1 tsp. baking powder (corn-free Featherweight brand)
2 mashed bananas
1/4 cup organic agave syrup
1/4 c. dark chocolate chips, optional
1/4 c. walnut or pecan pieces, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl. Add muffin mix and baking powder into wet ingredients. Mix well. Add dark chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Pour mixture into large loaf pan or 3 small loaf pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

More of our recipes can be found in Recipes to Live By or eNewsletter Archives.

Acupunture brings relief from PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome, a common condition among women, can be relieved by the use of acupuncture and exercise.

Nearly 10% of women of reproductive age have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The syndrome expresses itself as a large number of small immature cysts on the ovaries that cause a disturbance in the production of hormones and an increase in the secretion of the male sex hormone. This means that many women with the condition do not ovulate normally, and the syndrome may lead to infertility. The women run an increased risk of becoming obese, developing type 2 diabetes, or developing cardio-vascular disease.

During the Swedish study, one group of women with polycystic ovary syndrome received acupuncture regularly for four months. They received a type of acupuncture known as 'electro‑acupuncture', in which the needles are stimulated with a weak low‑frequency electric current, similar to that developed during muscular work. A second group of women were provided with heart rate monitors and instructed to exercise at least three times a week. A control group was informed about the importance of exercise and a healthy diet, but was given no other specific instructions.

The American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology study showed that activity in the sympathetic nervous system was lower in the women who received acupuncture and in those who took regular exercise than it was in the control group. The acupuncture treatment brought further benefits.

“Those who received acupuncture found that their menstruation became more normal. We could also see that their levels of testosterone became significantly lower, and this is an important observation, since elevated testosterone levels are closely connected with the increased activity in the sympathetic nervous system of women,” says Elisabet Stener‑Victorin.

Bonnie - this has been effective for some of my clients with PCOS. It is nice to see the research data to back it up.

Understanding metabolic detoxification

A few tips from a detoxification conference we attended confirms why our Smart Detox Action Plan is such a valuable tool to incorporate into your lifestyle twice a year. It is extremely safe, gentle on the organs, and offers three different protocols based upon individual need.

• What impairs detoxification?? Diet, Lifestyle, Exposure to Toxins, Nutrient Deficiencies, Genetic Polymorphisms, Medications.
  
  
• Fasts devoid of protein and liquid only detox protocols are not optimal. You need energy from macro and micro nutrients to see a positive outcome and reduce stress on your organs.
  
  
• Many of us have detectable levels of chemicals similar to that of Vietnam Vets with Agent Orange issues. For example, a study in the August issue of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring found that childhood leukemia patients had highly elevated levels of household pesticides in their urine compared to children without leukemia.
  
  
• The toxins nestle into fat cells as the bodies way of protecting them from the rest of the body.
  
  
• Phase 1, 2, and 3 of detoxification requires taking a fat soluble toxin and turning it into a water soluble toxin so it can be excreted through kidney/urine/g.i. tract. Balancing the three phases is crucial or you can end up recirculating an even more potent toxin back into your body if it is unable to be excreted.
  
  
• Many of the nutrient suggestions we make in Smart Detox mirror the experts views: magnesium glycinate is great for phase 1 & 2 support; glycine in particular for phase 2; Tea, Advaclear, Ultraclear, and Phytoganix provide phenomenal macro and micronutrients to support all three detox phases.

The Claim: Some Foods Can Ease Arthritis Pain

Courtesy of The New York Times

Really?
The Claim: Some Foods Can Ease Arthritis Pain

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

THE FACTS
Patients with arthritis are often encouraged to steer clear of all sorts of foods. But few of these diets are supported by any evidence. In one of the largest analyses of diet and various types of arthritis, researchers looked at data on more than 800 patients from 15 studies. They examined several diets popular among arthritis patients and found that the one that had the greatest effect was a Mediterranean-type diet emphasizing foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, fish and olive oil, while limiting red meat. In 12 weeks, people on the diet reported about 15 percent less pain, but no improvement in physical function or morning stiffness. A vegetarian diet that allowed eggs and dairy products had a similar effect. In other studies, patients who were given daily capsules of fish oil to take along with their antirheumatic medications saw greater benefits for swollen and tender joints than patients given a placebo, apparently because of the oil’s anti-inflammatory properties.

Meanwhile, vegetables in the nightshade family, like potatoes and tomatoes, have long been said to contribute to arthritis pain. Some researchers have speculated that a group of compounds in the vegetables called alkaloids might worsen inflammation in sensitive people. But so far no solid studies have demonstrated this. Experts say a diet in which suspect foods are gradually removed should help patients identify any problematic foods.

THE BOTTOM LINE There is some evidence that certain diets may help with arthritis symptoms.

Bonnie - does this not sound like something we created several years ago...The Pain Relief Diet? It is a two-week diet geared to encourage anti-inflammatory foods, remove inflammatory foods, and then gradually add back potential reactors. While it does not work for everyone, it is certainly worth trying.

AHA on sugar: where have you been?

I bet you must be shocked with The American Heart Association's revelation...cut back on the added sugars!

In a statement issued Monday, the organization says most women should limit their sugar intake to 100 calories, or about six teaspoons, a day; for men, the recommendation is 150 calories, or nine teaspoons.

Whoah, go out on limb there guys.

This is the first time the heart association has suggested specific limits. The recommendations apply only to what are known as added sugars—those that are added to foods during manufacturing, or by consumers.

Added sugars "offer no nutritional value other than calories to the diet," the AHA said. "The majority of Americans could reduce their risk of heart disease by achieving healthy weight and the evidence is fairly clear that reducing the amount of sugars can help with that."

While it is going out on a limb for this ultra-conservative organization to make we what we consider very ordinary suggestions, they are way too late to the party. They could have made a real impression twenty or thirty years ago.

Steve

FDA's Ongoing Safety Review of Weight Loss Drug Orlistat (Xenical and Alli)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it is reviewing adverse event reports of liver injury in patients taking the weight loss drug orlistat, marketed as the prescription drug Xenical and the over-the-counter medication Alli.

Between 1999 and 2008, the FDA received 32 reports of serious liver injury in patients taking orlistat. Of those cases, 27 reported hospitalization and six resulted in liver failure. Thirty of the adverse events occurred outside the United States. The most commonly reported adverse events included yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice), weakness, and stomach pain.

The FDA is reviewing additional data submitted by orlistat manufacturers on suspected cases of liver injury, and the issue has been discussed at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Drug Safety Oversight Board.

“The issues here are complex, but FDA has benefited from the input of the Board, including comments from representatives from three FDA Centers and several other Agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services,” said Steven Osborne, M.D., executive director of the Board.

The FDA’s analysis of these data is ongoing, and no definite association between liver injury and orlistat has been established at this time. Consumers taking Xenical should continue to take it as prescribed, and those using over-the-counter Alli should continue to use the product as directed.

Full text of the Early Communication about an Ongoing Safety Review can be found here. The Early Communication is a risk communication tool used by the FDA to inform the public about its ongoing safety reviews of drugs. The FDA will release its findings on orlistat as soon as the review is completed.

Consumers who have used orlistat should consult a health care professional if they experience symptoms possibly associated with development of liver injury, particularly weakness or fatigue, fever, jaundice, or brown urine. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, itching, or loss of appetite.

The FDA urges both health care professionals and consumers to report suspected side effects from the use of orlistat to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, or by regular mail, fax, or phone.
-- Online
--Regular Mail: use postage-paid FDA form 3500 and mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
--Fax: 800-FDA-0178
--Phone: 800-FDA-1088

Oxycholesterol: New Cardiac Risk?

Scientists are reporting that another form of cholesterol called oxycholesterol — virtually unknown to the public — may be the most serious cardiovascular health threat of all.

Scientists from China presented one of the first studies on the cholesterol-boosting effects of oxycholesterol at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. The researchers hope their findings raise public awareness about oxycholesterol, including foods with the highest levels of the substance and other foods that can combat oxycholesterol's effects.

Fried and processed food, particularly fast-food, contains high amounts of oxycholesterol. Avoiding these foods and eating a diet that is rich in antioxidants, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, may help reduce its levels in the body, the researchers note.

Scientists have known for years that a reaction between fats and oxygen, a process termed oxidation, produces oxycholesterol in the body. Oxidation occurs, for instance, when fat-containing foods are heated, as in frying chicken or grilling burgers or steaks. Food manufacturers produce oxycholesterol intentionally in the form of oxidized oils such as trans-fatty acids and partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils. When added to processed foods, those substances improve texture, taste and stability. Until now, however, much of the research focused on oxycholesterol's effects in damaging cells, DNA, and its biochemical effects in contributing to atherosclerosis. Chen believes this is one of the first studies on oxycholesterol's effects in raising blood cholesterol levels compared to non-oxidized cholesterol.

In the new study, Chen's group measured the effects of a diet high in oxycholesterol on hamsters, often used as surrogates for humans in such research. Blood cholesterol in hamsters fed oxycholesterol rose up to 22 percent more than hamsters eating non-oxidized cholesterol. The oxycholesterol group showed greater deposition of cholesterol in the lining of their arteries and a tendency to develop larger deposits of cholesterol. These fatty deposits, called atherosclerotic plaques, increase the risk for heart attack and stroke.

Most importantly, according to Chen, oxycholesterol had undesirable effects on "artery function." Oxycholesterol reduced the elasticity of arteries, impairing their ability to expand and carry more blood. That expansion can allow more blood to flow through arteries that are partially blocked by plaques, potentially reducing the risk that a clot will form and cause a heart attack or stroke.

But a healthy diet rich in antioxidants can counter these effects, Chen said, noting that these substances may block the oxidation process that forms oxycholesterol. Good sources of antioxidants include fruits, veggies, beans, and certain herbs and spices. Healthy alternatives to fast-food, which also boosts oxycholesterol, include whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, and nuts.

Scientists do not know whether the popular anti-cholesterol drugs called statins lower oxycholesterol, Chen said.

Steve - while the study was done on hamsters, we decided to publish it because it is an intriguing finding which will surely translate to human studies.

Antioxidants reduce Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma risk

Increased intakes of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, says a new study from the Mayo Clinic. Intakes of vitamin C, alpha-carotene, and proanthocyanidins were associated with reductions in the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma of 22, 29, and 30 percent, respectively, according to findings published in the International Journal of Cancer.

From a food perspective the researchers, led by Dr James Cerhan, report that yellow/orange and cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, were found to confer the greatest risk reductions.

Mayo Clinic researchers examined data from 35,159 Iowa women aged between 55 and 69 participating in the Iowa women's health study. Diets were analyzed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Over 20 years of follow-up, a total of 415 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma were documented. Intakes of 204 or more servings per month (about 7 servings per day) of all fruit and vegetables were associated with a 31 percent reduction in NHL risk, compared to intakes of less than 104 servings per month. High intakes of yellow/orange vegetables (14 or more servings of per month) were associated with a risk reduction of 28 percent, as were four or more broccoli servings per month, compared to people who are no broccoli. Considering the nutrients, in addition to the risk reductions associated with increased intakes of vitamin C, alpha-carotene, and proanthocyanidins, increased intakes of manganese from dietary sources was also associated with a risk reduction of about 40 per cent.

Ghostwriting for Big Pharma

Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline used a sophisticated ghostwriting program to promote its antidepressant Paxil, allowing doctors to take credit for medical journal articles mainly written by company consultants, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press.

An internal company memo instructs salespeople to approach physicians and offer to help them write and publish articles about their positive experiences prescribing the drug.

Known as the CASPPER program, the paper explains how the company can help physicians with everything from "developing a topic," to "submitting the manuscript for publication."

The document was uncovered by the Baum Hedlund PC law firm of Los Angeles, which is representing hundreds of former Paxil users in personal injury and wrongful death suits against GlaxoSmithKline. The firm alleges the company downplayed several risks connected with its drug, including increased suicidal behavior and birth defects.

Articles from the company's program appeared in five journals between 2000 and 2002, including the American Journal of Psychiatry and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Steve - should anybody be surprised by this?

Therapy Beats Drugs for Moms

Courtesy of WSJ

Pregnant women suffering from depression should consider psychotherapy before taking antidepressant medications, according to the first comprehensive treatment recommendations issued on the subject from the American Psychiatric Association and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Women with moderate to severe depressive symptoms, including suicidal thoughts, or who have experienced repeated episodes of depression should remain on their medications during pregnancy, the recommendations say. Any pregnant woman already taking an antidepressant should talk with her doctor before deciding to continue or to taper off.

"The black box in this -- what we don't know -- are people with milder depression," said Kimberly Yonkers, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University, and the first author on the report, which is being published Friday in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry. "The story is not established in the literature whether that group of people should be kept on antidepressants in pregnancy."

The biggest concern for unborn babies with a popular class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors is increased risk of pulmonary hypertension, or increased pressure in the lungs that can lead to heart failure. Newborns who were exposed to SSRIs after 20 weeks in the womb have a sixfold increase in the relative risk of developing this condition, though the absolute risk is small at 1 to 2 per 1,000, according to the report.

Popular SSRIs include Eli Lilly & Co.'s Prozac and Pfizer Inc.'s Zoloft, both marketed in generic versions. Another SSRI, paroxetine, sold by GlaxoSmithKline PLC as Paxil, has been associated in rare cases with cardiac abnormalities if used by the mother during the first trimester.