Health News Tidbits –
August 2006
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Drugs/Meds
Dietary Supplements
Food/Diet
Lifestyle
Public Health
Safety of Dietary Supplement Validated? -
According to the most recent data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers, adverse reactions to all vitamins represented only four
percent of the category that includes prescription and over the counter (OTC) drugs. An adverse reaction is an unintended result, such as an allergic
reaction, of taking a product according to directions.
More magnesium, less copper for health -
According to a recent study in the journal Epidemiology, of more than 4,000 men aged 30-60, those with the highest blood level of magnesium were
associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality, death from cancer, and cardiovascular disease by 40, 50, and 40 perecent, respectively.
Conversely, high levels of copper associated with older age, high cholesterol, and smoking, was linked to increased risk of these diseases.
Steve - another glowing review from our long-standing favorite nutrient, magnesium!!
Folate, B-6 good for heart in type 1 diabetics -
“Effective intervention with an apparently safe, inexpensive adjunct such as folate or vitamin B6 at an early stage in childhood, in addition to
optimization of metabolic control, could have a major impact on long-term diabetic vascular complications,” wrote lead author Karen MacKenzie in the
journal Pediatrics (Vol. 118, pp. 242-253). This is the first time, say the researchers, that such a such benefits associated with these B vitamins
have been reported. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study recruited 122 children (average age 14) with type-1 diabetes and normal
blood folate levels and assigned them to one of four experimental groups: Five milligrams of folate (Sigma Pharmaceuticals) and matched placebo; 100
milligrams vitamin B6 (Rhone-Poulenc-Rorer) and matched placebo; five mg folate plus 100 mg vitamin B6; two placebo tablets. “We have shown for
the first time that, among children with type-1 diabetes and normal folate status, both high-dose folate and high-dose vitamin B6 normalize
endothelial function within two hours, an effect that is maintained over eight weeks with combined [supplementation] with high-dose folate and/or
vitamin B6,” wrote the authors. The mechanism behind the benefits of high-dose B vitamin supplementation may not be due to decreasing levels of
the amino acid homocysteine, say the researchers. Homocysteine has been linked by epidemiological studies to an increased risk of cardiovascular
disease. MacKenzie and her co-workers propose that the B vitamins offer benefits independent of homocysteine levels, which may be due to antioxidant
effects, and possibly a direct interaction with nitric oxide synthase which boosts nitric oxide production. Since this study is the first to report
such benefits, more randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies are required to confirm or refute these effects.
Magnesium supplements can reduce inflammation -
A daily magnesium supplement could reduce the levels of inflammation that could lead to heart disease in people with low dietary intake of the
mineral, says a US study.
“The key finding in this study is that magnesium intake from supplements has an impact on the likelihood of having elevated C-reactive protein,
separate from and in addition to dietary magnesium intake,” wrote lead author Dana King in the latest issue of the journal Nutrition Research (Vol.
26, pp. 193-196). C-reactive protein (CRP) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine, meaning it is a signaling molecule associated with increased inflammation.
Chronic inflammation, brought about by an over-expression or lack of control of the normal protective mechanism, can lead to a range of inflammatory
related disease, particularly cardiovascular disease. The researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2000 (NHANES
99-00), and focused on 10,024 people with valid measurements of both CRP levels and dietary and supplemental intake of magnesium. Among the
participants it was found that 25.6 per cent were taking magnesium supplements of at least 50 mg per day, and generally tended to be older, female and
non-smokers. Of the people taking less that 50 mg/d of supplemental magnesium, only 21.9 per cent met or exceeded the US recommended daily allowance
for the mineral: 420 mg for men over 30, and 320 mg for women over 30. People with a total (dietary plus supplements) magnesium intake below the RDA
were found to be 40 per cent more probable to have elevated CRP levels. “The implications of these findings are that magnesium supplementation
intake may be a viable alternative for reducing inflammation in people who do not achieve the RDA for magnesium through dietary sources alone,” said
King. “The findings also have some implications on whether magnesium plays a direct and important role in regulating inflammation.”
Steve - our favorite nutrient does it again! Note that for most people, a glycinate form is more absorbable and easier on the gi tract than your
usual magnesium oxide or citrate, which can create loose stool and intestinal disturbance. That is why we have been recommending the glycinate for
over 15 years now!
Folic acid may reduce inflammation -
A daily supplement of folic acid could reduce inflammatory markers and therefore offer protection from heart disease for overweight and obese people,
suggests a short study from Italy.
“In healthy overweight subjects a short-term folic acid supplementation reduces the circulating level of some inflammatory mediators… thus
suggesting a potential therapeutic role for folic acid in the protection from atherogenesis and cardiovascular diseases,” wrote the researchers in
the International Journal of Obesity (Vol. 30, pp. 1197–1202).Since people who are overweight or obese are said to be in a state of increased
inflammation, compared to non-overweight and non-obese people, reducing inflammation could benefit the ever growing number of people with ‘weight
issues’. The researchers, from University of Pisa School of Medicine, recruited 60 healthy but overweight (BMI between 25 and 29 kg per sq.m) for
the 12-week unmasked randomized placebo-controlled trial. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either a folic acid supplement ()2.5 mg per day)
or placebo . In agreement with a number of other studies, volunteers receiving the folic acid supplements had decreased levels of homocysteine (12 per
cent), an amino acid that, by itself, has been linked by epidemiological studies to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. For the inflammatory
molecules, the researchers reported that, compared to baseline, the volunteers taking the folic acid supplement had significant drops in the
circulating concentration of all three molecules: MCP-1, 15 per cent; IL-8, 17 per cent; CRP, 6 per cent. Longer term studies are needed to confirm if
such effects are beneficial long-term, and also whether such benefits would be seen in obese people.
Courtesy of nutraingredients.com
Black Cohosh Liver warnings sweep through Europe -
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is introducing warnings labels for black cohosh products on potential liver
damage. Black cohosh (Cimicifugae racemosae rhizona) is a member of the buttercup family, and is a perennial plant native to North America. It has a
long history of use by women to reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes. The MHRA said it wants warning labels to appear on black cohosh
containing products. Its opinion was informed by the Commission on Human Medicines and the Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee, both of which have
concluded that “the data underlines an association between black cohosh and risk of liver disease”. Details of the data reviewed by the two
committees was not available. But the EMEA’s advice to doctors and patients, also published yesterday, was informed by a third evaluation, by the
Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), which looked at 42 case reports of hepatoxicity. The proposed wording to appear on UK product packaging
is: “Warning: In rare cases, black cohosh may cause liver problems. Consult your doctor if you already have liver disease or become unwell while
using this product.” Professor Edzard Ernst, director of complementary medicine at the Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter &
Plymouth, said that only four of the case studies drawn upon by the investigation are such that any meaningful inferences can be drawn from them.
“I understand that regulators have to err on the safe side, but I wonder whether this is not some overreaction as black cohosh has been used for a
long time,” he said. Moreover, Professor Ernst said he was not aware of any specific research establishing a mechanism of action for black
cohosh’s effect on the liver.
Bonnie - this is sabotage to scare people away from herbals. The National Institutes of Health research showed tremendous safety - more than for every
other heb except milk thistle. I have had hundreds of clients taking the Phyto Pharmica brand, and have never seen a hint of elevated liver enzymes or
toxicity.
Authors of JAMA Study on Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Did Not Disclose Relationships With Drug Companies
-
Most of the 13 physicians who co-authored a study regarding depression relapse risk for women who stop taking their
medication during pregnancy -- published in the Feb. 1 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association -- did not disclose more than 60
financial relationships to pharmaceutical companies, the Wall Street Journal reports (Armstrong, Wall Street Journal, 7/11).
The study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, questions the commonly held belief that hormones produced during pregnancy protect women
from depression. Lee Cohen, director of Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Women's Mental Health, and colleagues between 1999 and 2003
monitored 201 pregnant women with a history of depression. The women were taking medications such as Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor and Paxil. Researchers
found that 68% of the women who stopped taking antidepressants relapsed into depression during pregnancy. In addition, 26% of the women who continued
taking their medication during pregnancy also became depressed (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/2).
According to the Journal, the study did not disclose that Cohen is a consultant to three pharmaceutical companies and a paid speaker for seven
drugmakers or that some of his research is funded by four such companies. The second listed author of the study -- Lori Altshuler, director of the
Mood Disorders Research Program at the University of California-Los Angeles -- is a consultant or speaker for at least five drug companies,
affiliations that were not disclosed. Adele Viguera, associate director of MGH's perinatal psychiatry program and co-author of the study, did not
disclose that she is a member of GlaxoSmithKline's speakers bureau. The study did disclose the financial ties to drug companies of two of the authors,
Zachary Stowe and Jeffrey Newport of Emory University.
Previous Studies
The study is the first major research paper to establish a relapse risk for pregnant women who stop taking antidepressants, the Journal reports.
Previous studies have questioned the safety of antidepressant use during pregnancy. One study found an increased risk of an infant experiencing a
potentially fatal lung disorder if the woman takes a group of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy, and two
other studies found that use of GSK's Paxil during pregnancy could cause cardiac fetal heart defects. The results of those studies are being called
into question by industry-paid experts in the field, according to the Journal. JAMA, Authors'
Reactions
JAMA said that its policy requires study authors to disclose all ties to the medical industry, the Journal reports. JAMA editor-in-chief Catherine
DeAngelis said the journal was not aware of the relationships some of the study's authors had with drug companies, and "[a]s soon as JAMA found
out that they didn't disclose, we contacted ... Cohen and asked for his explanation." She added, "We have one and it will be published very
soon in an upcoming issue of JAMA." According to the Journal, the researchers "maintain that their financial links have no bearing on their
research work or what they say about antidepressant use during pregnancy in interviews or lectures." Cohen said that "it didn't seem
relevant" for him and other co-authors to disclose their financial ties in part because the study was funded by a federal health agency. He
declined to describe his consulting role to drug companies or how much he is paid for the role, but he did say that drug companies "tend to pick
people who are experts in this area" and "we are not talking about megabucks." Viguera said that because of the way the study was
designed, he does not "see how any kind of relationship [the researchers] have with a pharmaceutical company plays a role in that." He
added, "I don't believe there is a conflict of interest." Other Reaction
According to the Journal, "industry-paid opinion leaders have become dominant authorities" in the field of antidepressant use during
pregnancy, and they often assist in developing clinical guidelines, are members of journal editorial boards, provide counsel to government agencies
and teach courses to other physicians. "Whether or not to keep taking an antidepressant during pregnancy is a critical question for pregnant
women suffering from depression," Adam Urato, a Bradenton, Fla.-based obstetrician and perinatologist who has questioned Cohen and his colleagues
about their financial ties, said, adding, "What these pregnant women and the providers who care for them need is expert advice that is free from
pharmaceutical industry influence or the suggestion of bias that results when these experts are being paid by many antidepressant manufacturers."
A Pfizer spokesperson said, "It is important to remember that this is a partnership with the mutual goal of advancing science and enhancing
patient care." Nada Stotland, a professor of obstetrics and psychiatry at Rush Medical College in Chicago, said pharmaceutical companies have the
resources needed to fill a research void on the effects of antidepressants during pregnancy, but they often "only do what they are required to
do" by FDA. She added that there are few studies that examine the effects of antidepressant alternatives, such as psychotherapy, on treating
depression among pregnant women. Alan Gelenberg, head of the psychiatry department of the University of Arizona and editor of the Journal of Clinical
Psychiatry, said less than 5% of his income comes from consulting work with pharmaceutical companies, adding, "The problem is if you want an
expert on antidepressants in pregnancy, most of us have taken some industry money." Gelenberg said the answer to industry-funded experts is
increased funding from government and independent sources (Wall Street Journal, 7/11).
Courtesy of kaisernetwork.org
Bonnie - it is unconscionable that they did not reveal their association with Big Pharma, especially in light of all the revelations concerning this
same issue over the last few years. If the authors claim that the association had no bearing on the study's outcome, then why did they not state their
associations?
This has to stop and must be dealt with much faster than it is now.
Food/Diet -
Tea reduces risk of stone, cancer -
Drinking at least one cup of tea a day could cut the risk of cancer in the gallbladder and bile ducts by about 40 per cent, suggests a
population-based study from China.
The new study, published in the June issue of the International Journal of Cancer (Vol. 118, pp. 3089-3094), adds to the body of science by
considering the effects of tea drinking on cancer in the gallbladder and bile ducts, cancers that are described as “rare but highly fatal
malignancies.” The researchers, led by Ann Hsing from the US National Cancer Institute, assessed the demographic, medical and dietary histories
of 627 people with bile tract cancers (cases), 1037 people with bile stones, and 959 randomly selected healthy controls. The sample population was
based in Shanghai, China, where the incidence of these types of cancers is reported to have increased in recent years. Tea drinkers were defined as
anyone who drank at least one cup of tea per day for at least half a year. Specifically, women tea drinkers had associated reduced risks of
gallbladder cancer, bile duct cancer, and bile stones of 44, 35, and 27 per cent, respectively. For men, no significant association was observed for
tea drinkers and the relative risk of these conditions. These results may have been affected, wrote Hsing and her colleagues, by the high number of
smokers amongst the men, which may affect the incidence of these types of cancers.
Sunscreen in your food -
Eating certain antioxidants in foods help stabilize skin cells and can bolster resistance to damage from ultraviolet light that promotes sunburn,
wrinkles and skin cancer:
chocolate
tomatoes
pomegranate
fatty fish
green tea
Courtesy of Eat Smart in USA Weekend
Could artificial sweeteners be to blame for your fatigue? -
If you use artificially sweetened products and experience any of the following symptoms, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, etc. could be the
culprit.
unexplained tiredness, cramps, bloating or diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, brain fog, nausea, mood swings or depression, joint pain.
Courtesy of First
Bonnie - I have said over and over how devastating symptoms created by artificial sweeteners can be. Try eliminating the sweetener for at least two
weeks to see if these symptoms improve.
Lifestyle -
Adopting multiple healthy habits may reduce heart disease -
A prospective study of 42,847 middle-aged and older U.S. men participating in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study has found that a healthy
lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), even among men taking antihypertensive or lipid-lowering medications. The
research, which is the first to look at the role of a healthy lifestyle and CHD in men in this age group, is published in the July 3, 2006 online
edition of Circulation. The research team, led by Eric Rimm, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)
and Stephanie Chiuve, research fellow in nutrition at HSPH, did a 16-year follow-up of men aged 40-75 in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, a
men's health study that began in 1986. The researchers defined healthy lifestyle factors as not smoking, daily exercise, moderate alcohol consumption,
a healthy body weight and a healthy diet (based upon the Alternate Healthy Eating Index developed by HSPH, which targets food and nutrients associated
with lower risk of chronic disease). The study, which documented 2,183 coronary events, found that men with all five healthy lifestyle factors had a
lower risk of CHD compared to men with none of those factors. It also found that 62 percent of coronary events may have been prevented if all men in
the study population adhered to all 5 healthy lifestyle factors; for those men taking medications, 57 percent could have been prevented. Men who
adopted two or more low-risk factors during the study period (1986-2002) had a 27 percent lower risk of CHD. Overall, for each healthy lifestyle
factor, the authors found an inverse association with CHD risk. Chiuve says the study shows that middle-aged and older men who adopt a healthy
lifestyle, including men taking antihypertensive or lipid-lowering medications, have a lower risk of CHD. "It's never too late to make changes to
become healthier," she said. The study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and an Established Investigator Award from
the American Heart Association. Chiuve was supported in part by an institutional training grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute.
Courtesy of Harvard School of Public Health
Ear Candling
Ear candling has been around for centuries. It is a pain-free, relaxing, non-medical procedure that can help alleviate pressure in the head or upper
respiratory area. Any suffering from loss of hearing, sinus infections, sore throats, allergies, migraine and sinus headaches, ear aches, swimmer's
ear, ringing in the eras or dizziness could benefit.
Bonnie - The process takes about 1 hour for both ears and conveniently, our Chiropractor, Dr. Liselotte Schuster, performs this duty!
Public Health -
New WHO charts deem bigger babies -
A quarter of all British babies will be redefined as heavier than the norm, if new child growth charts produced by the
World Health Organization are approved. Babies' weights are currently plotted against 1980s data. The new WHO charts aim to show how breastfed babies
"should grow", rather than how most babies do grow. They are based on a select group of 8,000 babies from six cities around the world, who
were entirely breastfed for six months, with continued breastfeeding into their second year, and where none of the families smoked. The result of
using this "ideal" sample of babies is a markedly changed growth curve for weight than the ones currently used in Britain - which include
both formula and breastfed babies. Breastfed babies put on more weight in the first few weeks but then slow down. The 50th centile in the charts is
the line showing a rate of growth where half will be above and half below. The new 50th centile from the WHO shows growth after one year which is
about half a kilo, or one pound lighter. It would mean that a quarter of all babies would, in one statistical sweep, jump from below the 50th centile
to above it. The WHO argues that the new growth charts will help to promote breastfeeding as the optimal source of nutrition during infancy.
Bonnie - this is a very positive step in the right direction for producing healthier adults. I hope the US will adopt these new standards as well.
1 in 8 babies born premature in US -
Specialists called Thursday for more early ultrasound exams during pregnancy and tighter guidelines for infertility treatment as key first steps in
battling a growing problem: One in eight babies now is born prematurely (at least three weeks early). That's more than 500,000 babies a year, a
steadily rising number as the rate of premature birth has grown by more than 30 percent in two decades. Helping these fragile infants survive and
thrive costs the nation at least $26 billion a year, and there's little likelihood of improvement soon, says a sobering report from the Institute of
Medicine. That's because doctors don't know the cause of most preterm births or how to prevent them, and have few good ways even to predict which
women will go into preterm labor, concludes the report, which calls for urgent research to try to turn the tide. Who's at high risk? _A previous
preterm baby doubles the risk of a second. _Carrying twins increases prematurity risk by 40 percent, odds that worsen with triplets or more. _Some
17.8 percent of black women's babies are born prematurely, compared with 11.5 percent for white women and 11.9 percent for Hispanics. That troubling
difference can't be fully explained by income, education or access to prenatal care. _Women pregnant through certain infertility treatments have
increased risk, mostly because they're more likely to carry twins or more. But recent research suggests even single babies conceived by in-vitro
fertilization are more likely to be preterm. _Poor women are more at risk, as are those who are under age 16 or over 35. _Certain infections can
trigger preterm labor, and other risk factors include poor diet, maternal stress, lack of prenatal care and smoking. The Institute of Medicine,
independent advisers to the government, urged major new federal research into prematurity's causes and how to prevent it. Until then, it recommended
that: _More pregnant women receive a first-trimester ultrasound exam, the only way to be certain of the fetus' exact age. That's particularly
important if the woman later has labor induced or a Caesarean section before her due date, either elective or because of a possible health problem.
_Specialists should strengthen guidelines that reduce the number of multiple births as a result of infertility treatment. During in-vitro
fertilization, doctors often implant several embryos at once into a woman's womb. That number has been dropping thanks to guidelines from the American
Society of Reproductive Medicine, issued in 1999 and tightened in 2004 — and triplet-and-higher multiple births have dropped, too. Courtesy AP
Bonnie - the comment of "that's because doctor's don't know the cause for most preterm births" is shocking. I interned at the March of Dimes
Birth Defects Foundation about 18 years ago. We knew exactly what the causes were and sent literature to doctor's all over the country. Lifestyle
issues were shown to be about 95% of the preterm birth problem (i.e. poor diet, smoking, meds, alcohol, excess stress, overexercise, vitamin/mineral
deficiencies, etc.) We have not made any progress in addressing these issues. In fact, the number of babies born to soon in the US is worse than it
was in the 1980's. Worse than in some third world countries! The immense amount of IVF being done throws hormones into disarray and does not help
things.
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May, June,
July, Aug,
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May, June,
July, Sept,
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Dec
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Sept,
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