Health News Tidbits –
May 2006
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Drugs/Meds
Dietary Supplements
Food/Diet
Lifestyle
Public Health
Dietary Supplements -
Omega 3/Lutein Could Save Billions -
According to the Lewin Group, a national health care and human services consulting firm, omega-3 fatty acids and lutein/zeaxanthin, could save the
U.S. Healthcare System $5.6 billion over five years, The savings reflect the potential for avoiding hospitalizations and achieving greater
independence for more than 500,000 people. The report outlined a lower risk of coronary heart disease with omega-3's and reduced risk of age-related
macular degeneration with lutein/zeaxanthin.
Vitamin D and cancer reduction -
Raising the RDA of vitamin D from 400 IU to 1500 IU could cut the number of deaths from cancer by 30 per cent, say the US scientists investigating the
link between vitamin D levels and cancer risk.
The link between vitamin D intake and protection from cancer dates from the 1940s when Frank Apperly demonstrated a link between latitude and deaths
from cancer, and suggested that sunlight gave “a relative cancer immunity.” The Health Professionals Follow-Up study, a prospective study of over
50,000 US male health professionals, is the first study to examine total cancer incidence and factors that determine 25(OH)D levels. The research, led
by Edward Giovannucci from Harvard School of Public Health, used data from 1095 participants who had plasma 25(OH)D levels measured, and then
computer-predicted levels for the whole cohort. The scientists then linked the 25(OH)D levels to determinants of vitamin D exposure, like dietary and
supplemental vitamin D, geographical residence, skin pigmentation and leisure-time activity. Vitamin D levels were strongly linked to physical
activity and skin color – darker skinned people produce less vitamin D on exposure to the sun, relative to fair-skinned people. “In this cohort
analysis, a 25(OH)D increment of 25 nanomoles per litre (nm/L) was associated with a 17 per cent reduction in total cancer incidence, a 29 per cent
reduction in total cancer mortality, and a 45 per cent reduction in mortality of digestive-system cancer,” wrote Giovannucci in the April issue
of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (vol. 98, pp. 451-459). The best source of vitamin D is from sun exposure, with a fair-skinned
person estimated to produce up to 20,000 IU after 20-30 minutes in the sun. However, sun exposure is discouraged due to the risk of skin cancer. In an
accompanying editorial, Gary Schwartz from Wake Forest University and Willian Blot from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center said clinical trials
of high dose vitamin D supplementation and the risk of cancer should be “undertaken speedily”. Schwartz and Blot said that the cohort results were
likely to boost enthusiasm for the vitamin for cancer prevention, but cautioned that observational epidemiological studies had limitations that should
not be overlooked. The vitamin's protection is proposed to be multifaceted, by reducing the formation of blood vessels in tumors (angiogenesis),
stimulating the mutual adherence of cells, and enhancing intercellular communication through gap junctions. All this adds up to stop proliferation of
cancerous cells by contact inhibition. Sara Hiom, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, said that the study was one of the most robust
that suggested an association between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of cancer incidence and mortality in men. "The authors suggest
that it may be wise to review daily recommended doses of vitamin D as these may currently be too low. As the sun is also an important source of the
vitamin, Cancer Research UK's SunSmart campaign will continue to advise safe enjoyment of the sun without burning," she said.
Bonnie - this adds to the promising body of research linking vitamin D to reducing the risk of cancer. Although, before we raise the RDA levels to
1500 IU, there must be more research and it should be made explicitly clear that vitamin D should not be taken over the RDA unless supervised by a
licensed health professional.
Drugs/Meds -
Anti-depressant stillbirth link -
Use of a type of anti-depressant medication during pregnancy may increase the risk of a stillborn baby, research suggests. A Canadian study of
almost 5,000 mothers found those who used SSRIs were also more likely to have premature and low birth weight babies. However experts said women should
not stop taking medication without expert advice. The study is published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The researchers, from the University of Ottawa, compared the health of babies born to 972 women taking SSRI anti-depressants with that of babies born
to mothers who did not use anti-depressants. SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors work by increasing levels of the mood chemical
serotonin in the brain. They include Prozac. The researchers found women using the drugs were twice as likely to have a stillbirth. They were also
almost twice as likely to have a low birth weight baby. Almost 20% of women who used SSRIs gave birth prematurely, compared to 12% of those who did
not use the drugs. Babies born to women using SSRIs were also more likely to have seizures. The researchers said women should be fully briefed about
the potential risk of SSRIs before taking a decision about whether or not to use them. Courtesy of BBC NEWS
Drug firms inventing diseases -
Pharmaceutical firms are inventing diseases to sell more drugs, researchers have warned. Disease-mongering promotes non-existent diseases and
exaggerates mild problems to boost profits, the Public Library of Science Medicine reported. Researchers at Newcastle University in Australia said
firms were putting healthy people at risk by medicalizing conditions such as menopause. But the pharmaceutical industry denied it invented diseases.
Report authors David Henry and Ray Moynihan criticized attempts to convince the public in the US that 43% of women live with sexual dysfunction. They
also said that risk factors like high cholesterol and osteoporosis were being presented as diseases - and rare conditions such as restless leg
condition and mild problems of irritable bowel syndrome were exaggerated. The report said: "Disease-mongering is the selling of sickness that
widens the boundaries of illness and grows the markets for those who sell and deliver treatments. Campaigns "It is exemplified mostly explicitly
by many pharmaceutical industry-funded disease awareness campaigns - more often designed to sell drugs than to illuminate or to inform or educate
about the prevention of illness or the maintenance of health." The researchers called on doctors, patients and support groups to be aware of the
marketing tactics of the pharmaceutical industry and for more research into the way in which conditions are presented. They added: "The motives
of health professionals and health advocacy groups may well be the welfare of patients, rather than any direct self-interested financial benefit, but
we believe that too often marketers are able to crudely manipulate those motivations. "Disentangling the different motivations of the different
actors in disease-mongering will be a key step towards a better understanding of this phenomenon." But Richard Ley, of the Association of the
British Pharmaceutical Industry, said the research was centered on the US where the drugs industry had much more freedom to promote their products to
the public. "The way you can advertise is much more restricted in the UK so it is wrong to extrapolate it. "Also, it is not right to say the
industry invents diseases, we don't. It is up to doctors to decide what treatment to give people, we can't tell them."
Courtesy of BBC News
Steve - we have watched this hypothesis with keen interest over the years. If you follow Big Pharma and where it has pooled its resources, you
recognize that many of their new drugs are aimed at conditions that can be treated "for life." You need "for life" diseases to
warrant the drugs. Cholesterol, depression, and osteoporosis are diseases that are only recent phenomenon. Obesity is next in the pipeline.
Food/Diet -
Group calls on FDA to revoke approval of Sucralose -
Citizens for Health, the national grassroots advocacy organization committed to protecting and expanding natural health choices, today submitted a
Citizen Petition to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) calling on the agency to revoke its approval of sucralose, better known as the
artificial additive, Splenda. Sucralose is a highly processed chemical sweetener manufactured with chlorine in a factory in McIntosh, Alabama, in a
process that releases such toxins into the environment as cyclohexane. “There were potential public health concerns regarding sucralose that were
dismissed by the FDA when they first approved this synthetic additive,” said Jim Turner, Esq. chairman of the board of Citizens for Health.
“People should also know, however, that there has not been a single human clinical study on the finished product, Splenda.”
Lawmakers want junk foods out of schools -
Trying to shrink the growing waistlines of children, lawmakers want to expel soda, candy bars, chips and other junk food
from the nation's schools. Dangerous weight is on the rise in kids. This week, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the rate of
obese and overweight kids has climbed to 18 percent of boys and 16 percent of girls. Four years ago, the number was 14 percent. "Junk food sales
in schools are out of control," Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record), D-Iowa, senior Democrat on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and
Forestry Committee, said Thursday. "It undercuts our investment in school meal programs and steers kids toward a future of obesity and
diet-related disease." Harkin and a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill to have the Agriculture Department set new nutritional
standards for all food sold in schools. The goal is to restrict junk food sales in schools. The Agriculture Department has tried to restrict junk food
before, but a 1983 federal court ruling, in a lawsuit by the National Soft Drink Association, said the limits could only apply to cafeterias during
meals, not for the entire day throughout campus. Today, candy, soda and other snacks are sold in nine out of 10 schools, according to the Government
Accountability Office. Already plentiful in high schools, junk food has become more available in middle schools over the past five years, GAO found.
Courtesy of AP
Steve - let's see if the USDA can stand up to the monstrous food lobbies! Unfortunately, history says they will not.
Eat right and kids are likely to follow -
By Sally Squires
LA Times
Want to get your children to eat more fruits and vegetables without resorting to threats, bribes or begging? Eat these healthful foods with your kids.
That's just one of the conclusions from new research on improving the eating habits of children and teens.
Such foods provide key vitamins, minerals, healthful phyto-nutrients and fiber. Plus, they're low in calories and high in flavor. But more than kids'
health is at stake.
A study of 36,000 Minnesota teens points to a correlation with academic performance. Teens who earned the highest grades generally were the ones who
ate more fruit and vegetables.
Just stocking plenty of fruit and vegetables doesn't help kids boost their intake. The foods must also be "appetizing and accessible," says
Christie Befort, a preventive medicine researcher at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
"Canned fruit buried in the pantry is not something they are going to eat," said Befort, author of a new study of fruit and vegetable
consumption, published in March in the Journal of the American Dietetic Assn. "They're not likely to eat frozen fruit in the freezer either, but
having fruit and vegetables sitting there to just grab and eat or cut up and ready to go in the refrigerator, makes them easily accessible."
Studies of children including those as young as 2 and teenagers consistently show that what parents eat can shape what their offspring consume.
"That's the strongest of all factors in influencing children's eating behavior," says Mary Story, a professor in the School of Public Health
at the University of Minnesota. "If father is saying, 'No way I'll eat that broccoli,' then it's very likely that kids won't eat it either."
To help improve your children's diet:
• Provide plenty of hidden vegetables. Teens participating in focus groups told University of Minnesota researchers that they welcomed foods with
hidden vegetables. Favorites that don't seem like the real thing include salsa, guacamole, hummus and baba ghanouj. Spaghetti sauce, vegetable
stir-fries, bean burritos and soups such as minestrone, tomato and green pea are other options. Pumpkin pie — make it without a crust in small,
individual containers — also counts as a veggie. Baked sweet-potato "fries" are another healthful choice.
• Exploit hungry moments. Most kids are ravenous after school, "so there's a really high chance that they will eat fruit and vegetables,"
says Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota. Dinner preparation is another high-appetite opportunity, so
have fresh baby carrots, sugar snap peas and other veggies ready with dip. Also, place fruit and vegetables in strategic places where hungry kids
scrounging for food are most likely to find them: on the kitchen counter and washed and cut up in bags on eye-level shelves in the front of the
refrigerator.
• Reach for the whole, not the juice. Fruit provides more fiber and fewer calories than juice. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises delaying
introduction of 100% juice until at least 6 months of age. Then serve it only from a cup (to prevent dental problems). The group also recommends
limiting juice to 4 to 6 ounces a day for children ages 1 to 6 and 8 to 12 ounces daily for those ages 7 to 18. Smart juice option: orange juice. Four
ounces provides about a day's worth of vitamin C. Also vegetable juice, which isn't sweetened and is low in calories.
• Try 10. That's the average number of times that a child needs to try a new food before liking it. "You can't expect kids to like new foods
right away," Story says. So keep offering fruit and vegetables even if your child seems uninterested. "Familiarity should increase their
intake," adds Neumark-Sztainer.
• Offer options. When Story's three sons were young, she discovered that if she served two or three different vegetables at dinner, at least some of
them would be eaten. "That way if they don't eat the broccoli, who cares?" she says.
• Resist the temptation to bargain. "Eat your vegetables and you can have dessert" just puts you in a power struggle over food. The
pediatricians' group advises parents to choose when to eat and what food to provide. "Children then can choose what to consume."
Healthy fats halve the risk of MND -
Eating a high amount of polyunsaturated fats and vitamin E may reduce the risk of developing motor neuron disease, according to a study that appears
in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Polyunsaturated fats include omega 3, and certain omega 6 oils. Dutch researchers found
people who had the highest daily intake of the fats had a 60% lower risk of developing MND compared to those who ate the least. MND, a progressive
fatal condition that causes wasting of the muscles, is thought to be caused by genetic and environmental factors, and diet has been previously
implicated in its development.
Courtesy of BBC News
Mediterranean Diet cuts Alzheimer's risk -
People who eat a Mediterranean diet may be at a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, the results of a new study indicate. A team of
researchers followed the progress of over 2,200 people who did not show any signs of dementia at the beginning of the study. The participants
underwent a number of medical assessments, including a neurological exam. Their dietary habits were also recorded. They were then reassessed every 18
months for an average of four years. During the course of the study, 262 people developed Alzheimer's. The participants were given a 'Mediterranean
diet score' of between zero and nine, depending on how much they adhered to this diet. The study found that the higher a person scored, the lower the
risk of Alzheimer's. In fact, for each additional point on the Mediterranean diet score, the risk of Alzheimer's fell by almost 10%. Compared with
those who scored the lowest, those who scored in the middle were 15-21% less likely to develop Alzheimer's, while those who scored the highest were up
to 40% less likely to develop the disease. The researchers concluded that 'higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduction
in risk for Alzheimer's disease'. Details of this study are published in the journal, Annals of Neurology.
Lifestyle -
Lifestyle changes cut blood pressure risk -
People really can commit to diet and lifestyle changes for the long haul, and the benefit shows up in their blood pressure, researchers reported
Monday. In a study of 810 adults with elevated blood pressure, investigators found that those who were given a lifestyle overhaul were generally able
to stick with the plan for the 18 months they were followed. Moreover, their risk of having full-blown high blood pressure was about one-fifth lower
than that of study participants who received only advice on lifestyle changes. The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, show that
people can change their behavior for the long term, according to study co-author Dr. William Vollmer, of Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland,
Oregon. "That's the bottom line," he told Reuters Health. "People were able to maintain multiple lifestyle modifications." Those
modifications were slightly different depending on which group study volunteers were in. One group was given goals of exercising for at least 3 hours
per week, cutting sodium and alcohol intake, and, if overweight, shedding 15 pounds. A second group had all of those goals, plus instructions to
follow the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's DASH diet, which calls for boosting fruit, vegetable and low-fat dairy intake, while cutting
down on saturated fat. Both groups attended regular counseling sessions to help them work these lifestyle changes into their daily routine. A third
group received only advice on diet, exercise and weight loss. After 18 months, men and women in both counseling groups were eating less fat and
sodium, and had shed some pounds; one-quarter had met the goal of losing 15 pounds. Those in the more intensive DASH diet group had also increased
their fruit, vegetable and low-fat dairy intake. These changes, the researchers found, were reflected in their blood pressure. At the outset, all of
the study volunteers were either on the verge of high blood pressure or in the earliest stage of the condition, and nearly all were overweight. After
18 months, rates of full-blown high blood pressure were lower in all three groups, but lowest in the DASH group -- where it fell from 38 percent to 22
percent. In the other counseling group, the hypertension rate slid from 36 percent to 24 percent. "This is very encouraging news," said
Vollmer, noting that there had been some concern that having people make multiple diet and exercise changes at the same time might
"overwhelm" them. In real life, he acknowledged, few people would have the support of group and individual counseling, as his study
volunteers did. In fact, Vollmer said, the advice-only group, where participants had two 30-minute discussions with a health educator, got more
support than would the average American battling excess pounds and elevated blood pressure. But, Vollmer added, any kind of support can help a person
stick to lifestyle changes, even if it's simply a friend who will take a regular walk with you. "People love to have social support," he
said.
Marathon season begins -
The beginning of the major marathon season begins today in Boston (the others in London, New York, Berlin and Chicago). This is as good a time as any
to mention to the marathoner, whether casual or competitive, take your magnesium!
There have been too many instances where I have seen magnesium deficiency create debilitating symptoms or even death in those training and
participating in marathons. Please take this seriously. Consult a licensed health professional on how much magnesium you may need, because one size
does not fit all.
Bonnie
Small changes add years -
A Cambridge University study looked at over 25,000 people. It found that stopping smoking, exercising more and eating better could give you the life
expectancy of a person 11 to 12 years younger. The participants have regularly filled in questionnaires about their diet, lifestyle and health and had
periodic check-ups from nurses. These latest results from the study showed eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day can give you the life
expectancy of someone three years younger. Not smoking turned the clock back by four to five years. Even increasing exercise by a moderate amount can
take up to three years off. But the amount of exercise someone would need to do to achieve that depends on their job.
BBC NEWS
Public Health -
Body Mass Index (BMI) far from perfect -
Dr. Arya M. Sharma, an obesity researcher at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
says BMI (Body Mass Index) doesn't take into account the amount of muscle a person has, and is less accurate in older people, who lose muscle and bone
and gain fat with age. It is also less accurate in certain ethnic groups, such as Asians, because their body fat percentage at various BMIs differs
from that of Caucasians.
The BMI doesn't take into account the amount of muscle a person has, and is less accurate in older people, who lose muscle and bone and gain fat with
age. It is also less accurate in certain ethnic groups, such as Asians, because their body fat percentage at various BMIs differs from that of
Caucasians.
Bonnie - it's nice that the medical community is finally starting to realize this. I have never been an ardent supporter of BMI. While Dr. Sharma
is on the right track, there are even more variables involved in assessing weight.
Baby growth charts to be revised -
The World Health Organization is to issue new guidelines on measuring the growth rates of babies. Current charts
are based on calculations using the growth patterns of babies fed largely on formula milk from 20 years ago. But bottle-fed babies put on weight more
quickly than those that are breast-fed, meaning breast-fed children could be shown as underweight. The new recommended charts are based on data from
breast-fed babies.
The research involved more than 8,000 children from six different countries, who were raised in environments where breast feeding, good diets, and
prevention and control of infection were prevalent. The study has shown that the current system pitches target weights too high. Current charts
suggest a healthy one-year-old weighs between 22.5lb (10.2kg) and 28.5lb (12.93kg), when in fact the true healthy weight is 21lb (9.53kg) to 26lb
(11.79kg).
Bonnie - Oh, my gosh! My head is spinning with all these revelations. First, BMI is challenged and now baby growth guidelines? Somebody stop me!
Like the BMI guidelines, this was another set of guidelines that I reviled because it was outdated and far from accurate. I'll reserve comment until I
see the new guidelines, but the fact that they take breast-fed babies into account is a start.
New CDC for preconception health -
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with more than 35 federal, public and private
partners, today released national recommendations designed to encourage women to take steps toward good health before becoming pregnant. The
recommendations for preconception care were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Recommendations and Reports. The
recommendations on preconception health and health care identify more than a dozen risk factors and conditions that require interventions before
pregnancy to be effective. Among developed nations, the United States is ranked 26th in infant mortality. If implemented, the recommendations can help
improve the health of babies and moms. Some topics: Folic acid supplements to prevent neural tube defects Detecting and treating existing health
conditions Reviewing medications that can affect the fetus or the mother Reviewing a woman's pregnancy history Stopping smoking to reduce the risk of
low birth weight Eliminating alcohol consumption to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome Family planning counseling to avoid unplanned pregnancies
Counseling to promote healthy behaviors such as appropriate weight, nutrition, exercise and oral health. The recommendations are the result of
two-years of collaborative efforts with a number of partner groups including American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, National March of
Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, CityMatCH (Urban Maternal and Child Health Leadership), Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, American
College of Nurse Midwives, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials, and American Academy of Family Physicians. The full recommendations on preconception care are available at www.cdc.gov/mmwr and for more information on preconception care go to www.cdc.gov/ncbddd.
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