Nutrients in the news this week...

Study links heartburn drugs, broken hip...
CHICAGO - Taking such popular heartburn drugs as Nexium, Prevacid or Prilosec for a year or more can raise the risk of a broken hip markedly in people over 50, a large study in Britain found.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061226/ap_on_he_me/heartburn_drugs_3


Big bellies tied to greater heart disease risk ...
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The more your belly sticks out, the greater your risk of developing heart disease, a new study shows.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061227/hl_nm/heart_disease_obesity_dc


DNA Is Not Destiny...
The new science of epigenetics rewrites the rules of disease, heredity, and identity.
http://www.discover.com/issues/nov-06/cover/


Comment: Drugs that prevent heart burn do that by stopping Hydrochloric Acid levels, which brake down proteins and minerals. Instead of doing this, solve the problem by taking digestive enzymes that contain added HCL and don't eat fats with refined carbs. Belly fat is a sign of Hyperinsulinemia, which is the underlying cause of many diseases as well as obesity. Lastly, the DNA article tells us that what we do today, nutritionally effects offspring yet to be born.



Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Five Keys to Longevity ...

An anti-aging program is true preventive medicine... Here are some key elements to consider.

General good health. This can usually be achieved with some combination of disciplined effort, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and good luck (including a favorable genetic makeup).

Start by understanding what the Ideal Diet for humans is.

Slow down Free Radical activity in the body. Suppressing free radicals can be achieved through good nutrition, including nutritional supplements. I recommend a high potency Multi-Vitamin-Mineral supplement to help control free radicals and keep insulin sensitivity up.

Caloric restriction. This can be achieved by eating less high glycemic carbs that raise insulin and cause an abnormally big appetite. Forever Changes Weight-Loss & Longevity Lifestyle Program.

Taking specific supplements that have been shown in studies to slow down the aging process.

These are:
Resveratrol. This ties everything together by conferring numerous health benefits. Red wine is well known for its cardioprotective and other health-promoting benefits. Researchers believe resveratrol, which is highly concentrated in the skin of grapes and abundant in red wine, is the compound responsible for these benefits. Resveratrol is produced by plants in response to injury or fungal infection. It also protects plants from UV radiation and other harmful substances. Resveratrol is believed to provide similar protective benefits for humans. Its antioxidant activity, or ability to neutralize free radicals (unstable molecules that attack healthy cells and damage membranes and DNA), may account for its cardioprotective effects. Resveratrol appears to promote healthy blood composition and circulation, and may also have anti-inflammatory properties. A recent landmark study from Harvard Medical School, published in the medical journal Nature, found that ultra-high doses of red wine extract with resveratrol allowed obese mice to eat a high fat diet and still live a long and healthy life. Researchers discovered that the liver and other systems in obese mice remained healthy and fat-related deaths dropped 31 percent for those taking a resveratrol supplement.
For more information on this study.

and alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA), known as the "universal" antioxidant, is present in almost all tissues of the body. It plays an important role in generating energy from food and oxygen in mitochondria (the "power plants" of cells). ALA may provide protective benefits against oxidative processes believed to contribute to degenerative diseases and aging. ALA is both water- and fat-soluble, meaning it can easily cross cell membranes, and may provide both interior and exterior cellular free radical protection. Alpha lipoic acid is believed to regenerate itself and other essential antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and coenzyme Q10. ALA may also increase levels of the antioxidant glutathione, found in the brain. Insufficient levels of glutathione have been linked to the increased risk for certain neurological conditions. ALA may also promote liver health. Acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) is similar in form to the amino acid L-carnitine, and also has some similar functions, such as being involved in the metabolism of food into energy. Studies indicate ALC promotes a healthy nervous system and memory. One of the major causes of aging is the deterioration of the energy-producing components of the cell which results in reduced cellular metabolic activity, accumulation of cellular debris, and eventual death of the cell. One of the most effective nutrients to maintain youthful cellular energy metabolism is Acetyl L - Carnitine, which functions via several mechanisms to protect cells. ALC assists in the transport of fat through the cell membrane and into the mitochondria within the cell, where these fats are oxidized to produce the cellular energy ATP.Acetyl L-Carnitine is absorbed into the bloodstream more efficiently than L-carnitine. It passes more easily through cell membranes, and is utilized more efficiently in the mitochondria of the cell. Read anti-aging webpage.


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a health care professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Nutrients in the news this week...

Dark chocolate beats fatigue, study...
12/20/2006 - Further evidence of the health benefits of chocolate has come to light in a new study – giving manufacturers yet another route into the functional food niche.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=72894&m=1NIUD20&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Vitamin D may fight multiple sclerosis ...
CHICAGO - An abundance of vitamin D seems to help prevent multiple sclerosis, according to a study in more than 7 million people that offers some of the strongest evidence yet of the power of the "sunshine vitamin" against MS.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061219/ap_on_he_me/vitamin_d_ms_1


Weight may be linked to type of bacteria ...
WASHINGTON - The size of your gut may be partly shaped by which microbes call it home, according to new research linking obesity to types of digestive bacteria.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061220/ap_on_he_me/diet_obesity_microbes_1


Comment: I do believe there is a connection with Vitamin D and MS. As for the bacteria in your gut effecting weight, this is the first study I have seen on it, but most people could use help with intestinal health because of the over use of anitbiotics. It's worth a shot.

NSI Probiotic 15-35 with NutraFlora FOS (15 strains - 35 billion CFUs per serving - #1 probiotic) -- 120 Vegetarian Capsules


NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU - 200 Capsules



Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com/

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Nutrients in the news this week...

Bad diets leading to earlier prevalence of metabolic syndrome...
12/6/2006 - Health conditions that were once almost exclusively associated with the elderly are now being increasingly diagnosed in children, according to a new report, which calls for immediate dietary intervention.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=72591&m=1NIUD06&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Vitamin K may reverse artery hardening, suggests study...
11/12/2006 - A high-dose vitamin K supplement reduced calcium precipitates associated with hardening of the arteries by 37 per cent in rats, scientists from The Netherlands have reported.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=72666&m=1NIED11&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Resveratrol could counter metabolic diseases, animal study...
12/15/2006 - Resveratrol, the phenolic derivative found in red wine and certain plants, may play a role in protecting against diabetes and obesity, suggest the results of an animal study.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=72818&m=1NIUD15&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Resveratrol

Vitamin K2


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Vitamin D news - BIG...

In addition to this study below, Dr. Consuelo Wilkins of the Washington University School of Medicine found that elderly patients with the lowest vitamin D levels were 11 (eleven!!!) times more likely to have symptoms of depression than were patients with the highest vitamin D levels. John Jacob Cannell, MD, The Vitamin D Council...


Vitamin D in the Spotlight
This critical nutrient builds bones, helps fight infection and may protect against some cancers. Do we get enough?
By Meir J. Stampfer, M.D., DR. P.H.
Newsweek

For many years, vitamin D was boring—even to doctors. Because it was considered good for bones and not much else, multitaskers like vitamin A, B vitamins and vitamin E hogged all the press. But recent studies have thrust this long-neglected nutrient into the spotlight. Scientists now think vitamin D may affect everything from diabetes to cancer. They're also finding that many people don't have enough of it.
When vitamin D was discovered a century ago, it solved a major public-health problem: rickets, a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency in which bone development is delayed and deformed. When a synthetic version of vitamin D was added to milk, rickets virtually disappeared, as did any concern about vitamin D deficiency. For most of the 20th century, scientists defined a person's daily requirement of vitamin D—called the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA—as the level needed to prevent rickets. Nearly everyone in the developed world was thought to be taking in a healthy amount.
But new research suggests that the RDA may not be sufficient to protect people against several diseases other than rickets. Studies link low blood levels of vitamin D to type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, colon cancer and even the flu. High levels of the vitamin may help fight HIV infection. And the vitamin's role in bones extends way beyond preventing rickets. Levels higher than the RDA offer older adults protection against fractures, through strengthening muscles as well as bones.
Many people living in this country and northern Europe have levels of vitamin D that are low, based on the latest evidence. Why is that? Unlike most other vitamins, vitamin D is found in only a few foods. Instead, we get most of it from the action of sunlight on our skin. In retrospect, we recognize that rickets became a problem in the early 20th century when increasing urbanization and air pollution in cities caused less sunlight to strike the skin.
A century later, almost every aspect of modern life seems designed to lower our ability to produce vitamin D. Compared with our ancestors, we spend a lot more time indoors, wear more clothes and use sunscreen. If applied adequately to protect against sun-induced skin damage and to reduce the risk of skin cancer, sunscreen lowers the skin's ability to form vitamin D by more than 95 percent. More of us are older and fatter; age and obesity also reduce the amount of vitamin D we produce. An average 70-year-old can produce only about a quarter of the vitamin D of a 20-year-old. Obese people generally have substantially lower blood levels of vitamin D.
No matter what your age or size, the time of sun exposure, the season and geography all affect how much vitamin D you produce. The closer it is to noon, the more vitamin D your skin makes. The angle of the sun is critical, and since that changes with the seasons, vitamin D levels fluctuate drastically. For example, in Boston between November and March, the ultraviolet radiation from the sun is insufficient to produce vitamin D, even with abundant skin exposure on a sunny day. The farther you go away from the equator, the greater the effect. One study found that among white girls in Maine, 48 percent had low vitamin D blood levels at the end of the winter, while only 17 percent were deficient at the end of the summer. Clothing can play a big role as well. Vitamin D deficiency is rampant among women in Saudi Arabia, despite the sunshine, because the traditional clothing nearly completely covers their skin.
Skin pigmentation also affects the way we process vitamin D. Melanin, the pigment that provides a darker tint, acts as a sunscreen, so darker-skinned individuals require at least five times as much sun exposure to form a given amount of vitamin D, compared with a very light-skinned person. Indeed, the majority of African-Americans have low levels of vitamin D.
Finding ways to counteract these barriers to getting enough vitamin D is the next challenge. We have only three ways of boosting our blood levels of the nutrient: increasing sun exposure, increasing our intake of vitamin D-rich foods or taking vitamin D supplements. Because of the risk of skin cancer, getting a lot more sun exposure is not a healthy way to raise blood levels of vitamin D. The only foods with high levels of vitamin D are fatty fish and certain kinds of mushrooms. The other main dietary source is fortified foods: dairy foods (milk has 100 IU per cup), some brands of orange juice and fortified breakfast cereals.
That's why there's growing agreement among experts that a daily vitamin D supplement makes good sense. Among nutritionists working on vitamin D, there is general agreement that the current recommended intake of 400 IU per day (600 for those over the age of 70) is too low, and should be re-evaluated. Most believe that 1,000 IU per day would be a reasonable dose for a typical adult in the United States, and I agree. Certain people might benefit from taking even more, such as those who avoid the sun or live in northern regions. The elderly and African-Americans are especially vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency, and I think supplementation (preferably with the natural form, vitamin D3, cholecalciferol) should be routine for these groups. And even though we need vitamin D, too much can be toxic. The current official upper limit is 2,000 IU, although many experts think this is too low and should be raised, perhaps to 4,000 IU. For comparison, a light-skinned person in a bathing suit can produce more than 10,000 IU with a half hour in the sun. So stay tuned: there is much more to be learned about how this once "boring" vitamin can protect our health.
Stampfer is professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and professor and chair of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
For more on vitamin D from Harvard, go to health.harvard.edu/NEWSWEEK.



Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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FYI for parents with young children

Received this today from Dr. Garry Gordon MD, by e-mail...

Thiomersal again is being injected into children under 3 years of age in California for largely worthless flu shots so we will have more autism just when it looked as though we had turned a corner. And by now you understand that many children have gene defects that do not permit them to handle any extra mercury particularly when it is injected and there is always a big risk of some thiomersal in the flu vaccines. When will they ever learn?? Read this and don't let them give flu vaccinations to the children of your patients; even the CDC admits the benefits for the children are not there!! Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H) President, Gordon Research Institute www.gordonresearch.com

#1: California officials announce plan to inject infants with mercury-laced vaccinesFriday, November 03, 2006 by: Jessica Fraser (NewsTarget) California health officials announced today that children younger than 3 will be temporarily allowed to receive flu shots containing a mercury-laced preservative called thimerosal, after physicians statewide said mercury-free vaccines were running short. Earlier this year, California passed a state law banning vaccines containing thimerosal from being injected in pregnant women and children under 3 years old, but reports of flu shot shortages have temporarily overruled the law. The exemption applies only to children under 3, and will last six weeks to give the pediatric vaccine maker -- Pennsylvania-based Sanofi Pasteur -- enough time to ship an additional half million doses. "We feel it is important to offer this short-term alternative to parents and health care providers in order to ensure young children are protected from the potentially severe effects of the flu," said Kim Belshe, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, in a statement.
Dr. Randy Bergen, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Kaiser Permanente, said young children and the elderly are most vulnerable to seriously complications from influenza, and children under 3 who are getting their first flu shots will actually need two doses to receive full benefits. The mercury preservative thimerosal -- which is roughly 50 percent mercury by weight -- has been used in U.S. vaccines since the 1930s to help prevent fungal and bacterial contamination. However, in the 1990s parents and physicians brought awareness to thimerosal's possible link to rising child autism rates. Last year, anti-thimerosal lobbying groups successfully banned vaccines containing the preservative from being given to young children and pregnant women. However, the law can be waived if mercury-free vaccines are in short supply. Four California medical groups -- the California branch of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the California Medical Association, the California Academy of Family Physicians and Kaiser Permanente -- recently asked the state to temporarily waive the law after some clinics reported running short of the mercury-free kids' vaccine.

#2 National Autism AssociationA Poisonous Move for Kids by CDC, by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/a-poisonous-move-for-kids_b_16899.html
On February 22, CDC announced that it is dramatically expanding America's flu vaccination program to include all children between six months and 5 years and their siblings and caretakers. But, guess what CDC forgot to mention? There is not nearly enough thimerosal-free flu vaccine to go around. Vaccine makers produced fewer than 8 million thimerosal-free flu doses this season, which doesn't bode well for the more than 17 million children designated to receive flu shots under CDC's new protocol. Thimerosal is the mercury-based preservative that has been linked to the epidemic of neurological disorders including speech delays, language delays, hyperactivity, attention-deficit disorder, and autism in American children born after 1989. CDC recommended the removal of thimerosal from children's vaccines by 2001, but most flu vaccinations still contain 25 micrograms of thimerosal in every 0.5ml dose. Under CDC's new recommendations, every American child under five will be injected once each year, with a double dose for first-timers. By his fifth birthday, a child whose parents cannot obtain the child-safe vaccine will have received up to 100 micrograms of thimerosal, which is half ethyl mercury. A recent scientific study indicates that many children will retain the tissue-destroying toxin in their brain and organs for years. CDC has moved aggressively to cut funding and derail follow-up studies that examine the impacts of retained mercury in children's brains.In its announcement, CDC admitted that the health risks from flu to children do not justify the dramatic expansion of the vaccination program. For the first time in history, CDC rationalized the new protocols by arguing that the inoculations will spare parents and the health care industry significant lost work time now spent taking care of sick children. Although framed as a recommendation, CDC's new protocols function as mandates, since they establish the standards of care for the medical profession. Doctors who fall short of that standard are liable if a patient were to die from flu.Since CDC is not requiring production of thimerosal-free children's flu vaccines, its expanded recommendations are bound to provoke a scramble among parents, pediatricians and HMOs to get their hands on the limited stashes of thimerosal-free flu vaccines.CDC's new protocols contemplate inoculating 185 million Americans with influenza vaccines. The industry shipped only 81 million doses this year, so even before CDC announced its new requirements, the battle to secure flu vaccines was ferocious. When vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur opened its phone lines to accept pre-orders on January 31, it was flooded with calls from physicians, hospitals and HMOs desperate to reserve vaccines. During the first 30 minutes Sanofi got 40,000 phone calls and over 200,000 calls within eight hours, collapsing its communications system. By week's end it had received 400,000 calls -- more than the company customarily receives in a year.Mercury-free flu shots are in particularly short supply. Sanofi, the only commercial supplier of thimerosal-free pediatric influenza vaccines, produced only eight million children's doses this year. CDC's announcement increases the pool of targeted children by over 11 million kids, ages 2 to 5 years old. Only about one-third of America's children under age five will be lucky enough to get the child-safe vaccines. While CDC's Director of Immunizations Dr. Lance Rodewald assured me he expects no shortage of thimerosal-free vaccine, doctors and medical groups are telling a different story. Those who customarily give their patients only thimerosal-free flu shots are already finding that the industry cannot fill their orders for the 2006-2007 season. Pediatrician Lawrence Rosen, Director of Pediatrics at Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood, New Jersey, told us that his eight-doctor family medical practice had been informed by Sanofi that the company was unable to fill his order for next season. "It was like trying to get tickets to a Rolling Stones concert," he said. Sanofi will give him only 300 of the 900 thimerosal-free doses he needs. "The only other shots I can get contain thimerosal, and I'm not going to do that." According to Rosen, the problem is widespread across the country, with very few practices able to fill their orders for flu shots. "The gist is there's not enough safe vaccine. The government wants us to give more shots, but there's no supply. They are leaving millions of kids between the ages of 3 and 5 with no option -- millions of kids. "Sanofi has said that the company was prepared to double production of thimerosal-free children's flu vaccine, but that there were no requests from CDC or the State Health Departments that it do so. Indeed CDC has ordered 3.5 million doses from Sanofi for its Vaccines for Children Program, which provides vaccines to economically disadvantaged children mainly in minority communities. Only a fraction of these will be thimerosal-free, according to Rodewald. He refused to disclose the precise number.Why will CDC inject millions of minority kids in America's poorest neighborhoods with poison proven to kill brain tissue and cause learning disorders when child-safe vaccines are available? CDC's spokesperson Glen Nowak explained to me the agency "doesn't have a preference for thimerosal-free vaccines" despite its repeated statements to the contrary since 1999. CDC also admitted it has no efforts underway to further educate the public about thimerosal, or to encourage manufacturers to move more quickly toward 100 percent mercury-free vaccines. CDC's recommendation to vaccinate millions of additional children without assuring any additional capacity of thimerosal-free vaccines is a bad one. It will almost certainly encounter stiff resistance as skeptical parents and pediatricians balk at injecting young children with a known brain poison by order of bureaucrats that they increasingly don't trust.


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Certain Fatty Acid May Cut Dementia Risk

Sunday, December 3, 2006


DHA seems to offer protective effect in the brain, researchers report...
By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter(HealthDay News)

Adding further weight to the theory that fish may be brain food, new research found that people with diets rich in fish have a significantly lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The key appears to be docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid that appears to affect dementia risk and to be important for the proper functioning of the central nervous system. "If you have a high level of DHA, a fatty acid found in fish, it reduced your risk of dementia by about half," said study lead researcher Dr. Ernst J. Schaefer, senior scientist and director of the Lipid Metabolism Laboratory at the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. It's known that omega-3 fatty acids protect the heart and the circulatory system. "Just as fish is good for your heart, it's probably good for your brain as well," Schaefer said. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in DHA. The study findings are published in the November issue of the Archives of Neurology. In the study, Schaefer and his colleagues collected data on DHA levels and dementia in 899 men and women who were part of the Framingham Heart Study. Over nine years of follow-up, 99 people developed dementia, including 71 with Alzheimer's disease. The researchers found that people with the highest blood levels of DHA had a 47 percent lower risk of developing dementia and a 39 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's, compared with those with lower DHA levels. Levels of DHA in the blood vary by how much the liver converts alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid, to DHA and also by the amount of DHA in the diet, the researchers noted. People with the highest blood levels of DHA said they ate an average of two to three servings of fish a week. People with lower DHA levels ate substantially less fish, the researchers reported. Schaefer thinks the same benefit can be realized by taking fish-oil supplements. "Everything that we know suggests that supplements would be as effective as eating fish," he said. "Since low fish intake appears to be a risk factor for developing dementia, either eat more fish or use one or two fish oil capsules a day." However, Schaefer added that a randomized clinical trial is still needed to see if DHA really protects the brain from dementia. Martha Clare Morris is an epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and author of an accompanying editorial in the journal. "This is the first study to link blood levels of DHA to protection against Alzheimer's disease," she said, adding that recent animal studies have shown that DHA reduces amyloid plaques -- a hallmark of Alzheimer's -- in the brain and also improves memory. "There is a lot of animal and biochemical evidence to support what this new study shows," Morris said. But, she said, she's not sure there is enough data to suggest the value of fish oil supplements. "It looks like the protective benefits from omega-3 fatty acids are at a very low level. There is very little evidence that you get better protection from higher intake," she said. "Whether fish oil supplements are protective is yet to be seen." Another expert thinks clinical trials are needed to see if DHA really protects against Alzheimer's. "This shows in a prospective study that DHA is the only plasma lipid to cut the risk for developing dementia a decade or more later," said Greg M. Cole, a neuroscientist at the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System and associate director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. This apparent protection is associated with eating fish, Cole said. "Other studies have pointed to fish intake as protective but have been far less clear that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish were the factor associated with risk reduction," he said. "This matters because if it is the fat, you could take fish oil supplements and avoid mercury contamination issues."

BRAIN HEALTH


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Nutrients in the news this week...

Vitamin D deficiency common in IBD kids...
11/29/2006 - Children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency and could benefit from supplements to avoid the health problems associated with not getting enough of the vitamin.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=72394&m=1NIUN29&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Low selenium, B6 + B12 linked to daily difficulties...
11/29/2006 - Researchers from Cornell University have linked low serum concentrations of selenium and vitamins B6 and B12 to age-related difficulties in conducting in daily activities, leading them to conclude that nutritional status is a key factor in helping people live an active life for longer.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=72404&m=1NIUN29&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Berry extracts stop cancer cell growth in the lab...
28/11/2006 - Antioxidant-rich extracts from a wide range of berries, including blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, could inhibit cell growth and spread for a wide range of cancers, researchers from UCLA have reported.


Nutritional Treatments for Cardiomyopathy, CongestiveHeart Failure, and Ventricular Arrhythmias ...
This report will review evidence published primarily in peer-reviewed medical journals outlining the use of nutritional supplements and other dietary modifications to treat cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure (CHF), and ventricular arrhythmias. Some nutritional supplements presented in this report (e.g. Coenzyme Q10, magnesium) have proven so effective they should be considered a mandatory part of any treatment protocol for cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, and/or arrhythmias.
http://www.wellnessreview.com/reports/cardiomyopathy




Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com/

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Another cancer linked with reduced vitamin D levels

Life Extension Update Exclusive...

Another cancer linked with reduced vitamin D levels...

Readers of Life Extension Update will recall the September 23, 2006 issue which discussed the finding of researchers from the Moore’s Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego of an association between reduced sunlight exposure and a greater incidence of kidney cancer. Now, in an article that will be published online in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the UCSD team reports that women exposed to a greater amount of sunlight, particularly ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, have a lower incidence of ovarian cancer. UVB exposure stimulates the synthesis of vitamin D in the body, however, the vitamin is also obtainable via the diet and/or supplementation.
UCSD School of Medicine professor of Family and Preventive Medicine Cedric F. Garland, Dr PH, and colleagues utilized a database of cancer incidence, mortality, and prevalence in 175 countries, recently made available from the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. By graphing ovarian cancer incidence rates according to latitude, the team was able to demonstrate an association between higher latitudes, which receive reduced sunlight, and ovarian cancer. Additionally, greater fertility rates among women between the ages of 15 and 19, which may be protective against ovarian cancer, were more prevalent in lower latitudes.
“In general, ovarian cancer incidence was highest at the highest latitudes in both hemispheres,” Dr Garland stated. “They were about five times higher in high latitudes, like Iceland and Norway, than in equatorial regions like Asia, South America and Africa. Even after controlling for fertility, the association remained strong.”
“Unlike breast cancer, we have no widely accepted means of early detection or prevention for ovarian cancer,” Dr Garland observed. “This new global study shows a link between deficiency of vitamin D and increased incidence of ovarian cancer, suggesting that vitamin D supplementation may reduce the incidence of this aggressive cancer.”
Approximately 15,300 deaths from ovarian cancer occur in the United States each year.

Learn the latest on vitamin D


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Don't miss this... diet & nutritional supplements shown to impact health for generations...

From (NewsTarget)

* Unlike mainstream health news sources, NewsTarget accepts no money from pharmaceutical companies, junk food companies, soda manufacturers or nutritional supplement companies. They are therefore independent in there reporting.

(NewsTarget) Wednesday, November 15, 2006 by: Jessica Fraser...
A mother's diet during pregnancy not only affects her child, but also the child's future offspring, according to a new study from researchers at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute. The study's lead author, Dr. David Martin, and colleagues split a group of genetically identical pregnant mice into two groups. The first group was fed a standard laboratory diet, while the second group was fed an identical diet supplemented with folate, choline, zinc and vitamin B12. When the mice in both groups gave birth, the offspring were examined for coat color, and the female babies from both groups were then mated and fed a diet without added supplements. When the offspring gave birth, the researchers found that the original mice's supplemental diet affected the genetic coat color of not only the children, but also the grandchildren. "The idea that some sort of toxin or nutrition could affect not just individuals but future generations is very powerful," Martin said.According to Kenneth Beckman, an assistant scientist at Children's Oakland, the design of the study allowed the researchers to eliminate most uncontrolled behavior in the mice, which led to a more conclusive result. The research -- funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia -- is part of a growing field of research called epigenetics, which examines the long-term genetic effects of the environment. Previous studies in epigenetics have shown that a pregnant woman's environment -- including diet and nutritional supplementation - can influence future generations' risks of breast cancer, obesity and heart disease. According to holistic health author Mike Adams, Martin's research indicates that women who take nutritional supplements and eat superfoods positively influence the health of a number of future generations. "This message is urgent," Adams said. "If we do not make significant efforts to boost the nutrition and dietary habits of young couples who are about to conceive a child, we are creating a multi-generational health burden that will impact individuals, families and entire nations for a hundred years or more."


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Financial gain influences critics on vitamin D science...

The following information is from an e-mail I got from the Vitamin D Council written by Dr. John Jacob Cannell, MD. He is an advocate and expert on why we need higher amounts of vitamin D in our diets, and that is recommended by most health experts these days. I am sending this out to show you how and why, critics sometimes argue against vitamin therapy in place of drugs. Vitamin D is one of my favorite choices as a preventative against dying from The Avian Flu, if and when it comes.

Dear Readers:

Michael Stroh, the science writer for the Baltimore Sun, wrote a very good article this morning about the Vitamin D and Epidemic Influenza paper. Dr. Scott Dowell, an infectious disease expert at the CDC, is quoted by Mr. Stroh as saying, if the theory is true, "the potential impact (of vitamin D) would be far greater than the current influenza vaccine."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.flu26nov26,0,3590649.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

On a sour note, a Professor James Cherry of UCLA said we "manipulated the literature" and used "bad" literature to prove our points. I don't know Professor Cherry, but he has insulted me, the co-authors, and the editor of Epidemiology and Infection.

A quick internet search shows that there is a Professor James Cherry at UCLA who has had substantial financial ties to the vaccine industry for the last 20 years. If Professor Cherry read the conclusion of the recent Science News article, he may be aware that his financial well-being is at risk here. In the conclusion of the Science News article, Professor Michael Zasloff was quoted as saying the payoff of vitamin D, might "be amazing. Imagine being able to block the spread of epidemic flu with appropriate doses of this vitamin." Perhaps Professor Cherry is imagining exactly that, and what it might mean to his net worth?
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20061111/bob9.asp

If Professor Zasloff and Dr. Dowell are right, vitamin D may have a role in preventing more infections than just influenza. As some of you know, a paper will soon be published in Epidemiology and Infection looking at the association of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (the most common cause of pneumonia in infants and young children) with vitamin D producing UVB surface radiation. Invasive pneumococcal, meningococcal, and streptococcal disease (all of which cause horrendous disease) might be next as all three bacteria are susceptible to antimicrobial peptides and all three diseases are highly seasonal.

If this is shown to be true, Professor Cherry's income from the vaccine industry is certainly at risk. I fear Professor Cherry or others with ties to the vaccine or antibiotic industry will rapidly orchestrate a paper showing two things: one, vitamin D does not help prevent infections, and two, vitamin D is toxic and very dangerous. Perhaps science is not as corruptible as I fear, I hope so.

I do hope Professor Cherry has the nerve to send a letter-to-the-editor of Epidemiology and Infection, showing how we "manipulated bad literature" to prove out points. That would give us the opportunity of producing some of the data we left out for space reasons.

John Jacob Cannell, MD
The Vitamin D Council
9100 San Gregorio Road
Atascadero, CA 93422


Read the many Blogs I have posted on the benefits of vitamin D...
http://www.google.com/custom?q=vitamin+D&sa=Google+Search&cof=S%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fcwiechert.com%3BAH%3Acenter%3BAWFID%3A86defe2653efbb81%3B&domains=cwiechert.com%3Bcwiechert.blogspot.com&sitesearch=cwiechert.blogspot.com


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.



Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Looking for answers on your health questions?

Before searching the world wide web, try searching my health websites first. You can now key word search both cwiechert.com and Christopher Wiechert's HealthBlogger for health information 24/7, and it's free. Try it out.
Search is on the top of my Contact Us page.
http://www.cwiechert.com/contactus.html


How about e-mailing me your health questions? Here's how it works...

Christopher Wiechert's Q&A-MAIL ...

Q&A-MAIL is a way for you to have all your questions answered via an e-mail question and answer format. I will take e-mails with up to 3 questions on any personal health issue, and will charge about the same price as a Chiropractic visit, only we call it an Individual Nutritional Adjustment. The cost is $35.00 and is billed online via an e-mail with a PayPal Invoice, that can then be paid via a CCD or Visa/MasterCard Debit. You do not need to have a PayPal Account to participate, you will just receive an e-mail invoice, after I answer the questions, and you will pay via that e-mail. It's that simple... What questions might one ask..." I am thinking about starting a supplement program and wanted to know a good basic program to get started with. My Doctor is working with me on 2 issues... Type II Diabetes and Arthritis. What would you recommend I start taking and what foods should I eat or avoid if any? " Or ... " I currently take these 5 products (list them and let me know how much you take per meal), as my supplemental program, but I just found out I have Bursitis, and was wondering what else I could take, that might support that issue? " Or ... " Here is a list of what I have eaten over the last 5 days, I am trying to lose more weight, (or correct a food allergy etc), what would you do different, if anything, to improve my results? " " I am taking 3 medications. Can you tell me what side effects these might create, and what nutrients these might kick out, so I can work with my doctor to perhaps make some changes, if necessary. ) You get the idea.
I am excited to be able, through technology, to be here for any and all questions anywhere e-mail goes, just remember - no more than 3 questions per e-mail, and make sure you understand that you should be working with a Medical Doctor as well, with any health issue and not just me. I look forward to work with anyone who feels this might be a valuable service.
Get started now...
Christopher Wiechert's Q&A-MAIL


Personalized Nutrional Evaluations...
We also do personal consultations with clients by phone consultation, along with e-mail, fax & web support, anywhere phones, faxes & e-mails go. Call 800-803-3323 and we will let you know if we can be of help for free, or e-mail us. A complete consultation includes a Comprehensive Computerized Nutritional Evaluation and Analysis by me and costs $125.00 including comprehensive online test.


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Health news you should know...

A Bombshell Drops on Cholesterol Medication's Glass House...
It had to happen sooner or later. On October 3, 2006, after extensive review of all studies relating to cholesterol-lowering benefits by statin drugs, scientists reporting in the Annals of Internal Medicine pulled the rug out from under the current government-sanctioned cholesterol levels for reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Their conclusion, "current clinical evidence does not demonstrate that titrating lipid therapy to achieve proposed low LDL cholesterol levels is beneficial or safe." This is not a trivial issue. Many billions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on the cholesterol drug scam. The health and well being of millions of Americans may have been compromised by reckless lowering of cholesterol, a substance that is vital to health and energy production.
http://www.newstarget.com/021147.html


Consumption of sugar and sugar-sweetened foods and the risk of pancreatic cancer in a prospective study...
Emerging evidence indicates that hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia may be implicated in the development of pancreatic cancer. Frequent consumption of sugar and high-sugar foods may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by inducing frequent postprandial hyperglycemia, increasing insulin demand, and decreasing insulin sensitivity. The objective of the study was to examine prospectively the association of the consumption of added sugar (ie, sugar added to coffee, tea, cereals, etc) and of high-sugar foods with the risk of pancreatic cancer in a population-based cohort study of Swedish women and men.
Conclusion: High consumption of sugar and high-sugar foods may be associated with a greater risk of pancreatic cancer.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/5/1171


Natural Approach to Male Impotence & Sexual Dysfunction...
Learn natural approaches to dealing with this current epidemic.
http://www.cwiechert.com/Impotence.html


Cholesterol and Heart Disease--A Phony Issue...
Blood cholesterol levels between 200 and 240 mg/dl are normal. These levels have always been normal. In older women, serum cholesterol levels greatly above these numbers are also quite normal, and in fact they have been shown to be associated with longevity. Since 1984, however, in the United States and other parts of the western world, these normal numbers have been treated as if they were an indication of a disease in progress or a potential for disease in the future.
http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/fats_phony.html


The Myths of Vegetarianism...
Along with the unjustified and unscientific saturated fat and cholesterol scares of the past several decades has come the notion that vegetarianism is a healthier dietary option for people. It seems as if every health expert and government health agency is urging people to eat fewer animal products and consume more vegetables, grains, fruits and legumes. Along with these exhortations have come assertions and studies supposedly proving that vegetarianism is healthier for people and that meat consumption is associated with sickness and death. Several authorities, however, have questioned these data, but their objections have been largely ignored.
http://www.westonaprice.org/mythstruths/mtvegetarianism.html


What's the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.?
Not what you think I bet... Doctors & Hospitals
http://cwiechert.blogspot.com/2005/03/whats-3rd-leading-cause-of-death-in-us.html




Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com/

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Protect yourself against Dementia & Alzheimer's and increase your resistance to the flu...

Report from Life Extension Foundation...
A report published in the November issue of the American Medical Association journal Archives of Neurology revealed the finding of Ernst J. Schaefer, MD, of Tufts University in Boston and his colleagues that having a higher blood level of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may have a protective effect against the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The current study included 899 participants in the Framingham Heart Study. The subjects, who were an average of 76 years of age and free of dementia at the beginning of the study, underwent neuropsychological tests and provided blood samples that were analyzed for DHA levels. Four hundred eighty-eight of these participants also completed a dietary questionnaire. The group was followed for approximately nine years during which they received mental examinations every two years to screen for dementia.

During the follow-up period, 99 participants developed dementia. Of these, 71 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. After controlling for other factors including homocysteine levels, Dr Schaefer’s team found that subjects whose DHA levels were in the highest one-fourth of participants had a 47 percent lower risk of developing dementia and a 39 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease than the rest of the subjects. Individuals in the top 25 percent reported eating more fish than the other three groups, with an mean intake of three times per week, providing an average of 180 milligrams DHA per day.

Protect yourself from the flu and help your body prepare to fight the Bird Flu...
Vitamin D boosts production in white blood cells of one of the antimicrobial compounds that defends the body against germs.
Deficiency in vitamin D may predispose people to infection.


Nutrilite® Ocean Essentials® Brain Health


NSI Vitamin D-3 -- 2,000 IU - 300 Capsules



Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com/

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Help the body fight cancer on it's own, lower prostate cancer risk 43%, and low carb diet safe for the heart...

Omega-3-rich fish linked to lower prostate cancer risk...
By Stephen Daniells
03/11/2006 - Men who eat one portion of salmon per week are 43 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who eat no salmon, says a study from Sweden that links the apparent benefits to the omega-3 content of the fish.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=71788&m=1NIEN03&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk

Scientists hope bodies can fight cancer...
By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer
LONDON - Scientists are investigating new strategies to harness the human body's own immune system to fight skin cancer. In a departure from the standard chemotherapy treatments, which flood patients with toxic chemicals to kill cancer cells, doctors are trying to provoke the body's natural defenses to do the same thing. Two such techniques to combat melanoma were reported in papers presented this week in Prague at a European cancer research meeting.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061109/ap_on_he_me/fighting_skin_cancer_1

Vegetable-rich low-carb cuts heart disease risk, says study...
By Stephen Daniells
09/11/2006 - Low-carb diets, like the once fashionable Atkins diet, do not increase the risk of heart disease, says new research from Harvard – and if vegetables rather than meat are the source of fat and protein then the risk of heart disease may be cut by 30 per cent.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=71938&m=1NIEN09&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Omega 3 - EPA/DHA

Lower high glycemic carbs to lose weight




Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com/

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Please pass these on to anyone you want.E-mail us at cww@cwiechert.com

Eating curry & drinking red wine has major health benefits..

Curry spice extract may have anti-arthritis potential...
10/30/2006 - Extracts from turmeric, the yellow spice used extensively in curries, reduced the destruction of joints associated with arthritis to similar levels to pharmaceuticals, says a new animal study from the US.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=71667&m=1NIUO30&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Wine extract keeps fat mice healthy...
WASHINGTON - Obese mice on a high-fat diet got the benefits of being thin — living healthier, longer lives — without the pain of dieting when they consumed huge doses of red wine extract, according to a landmark new study. It's far too early to know if this would work in people, scientists said. But several were excited by the findings, calling it promising and even "spectacular."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061102/ap_on_he_me/fat_fighting_wine_12


To really benefit from these substances at an orthomolecular level, supplement them.

Nutrilite® Antioxidant Complex - Broad-spectrum plant antioxidants - Organic

NSI Resveratrol + Grape Seed & Red Wine Extracts -- 120 Capsules

NSI Turmeric (standardized for 95% curcuminoids) with Bioperine -- 900 mg - 60 Capsules

Re-Lev-It - Best natural pain reliver on the market...


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Milk Thistle - Silymarin helps with blood sugar and Diabetes...

Life Extension Update Exclusive - From Life Extention Foundation

Silymarin improves diabetic blood values...
An article published online in the journal Phytotherapy Research revealed that silymarin, an extract of the seeds of the milk thistle plant, helped lower blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobin, and other abnormally elevated blood values in diabetics.
In a randomized, double-blind trial, Fallah Huseini of the Institute of Medical Plants and his colleagues at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran administered 200 milligrams of silymarin three times per day for four months to 25 type II diabetic patients, while 26 diabetics received a placebo. All participants continued their oral hypoglycemic drugs throughout the trial. Blood levels of fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (sugar bound to hemoglobin, which reflects long term glucose control), insulin, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and liver enzymes SGOT and SGPT were measured before the trial and at its conclusion.
Dr Huseini and colleagues found that the subjects who received silymarin experienced a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, SGOT and SGPT levels compared to the placebo group’s values, as well as in comparison with pretrial levels. While average fasting blood glucose dropped from 156 milligrams per deciliter to 133 milligrams per deciliter among those who received silymarin, participants who received the placebo experienced an average increase of 11 milligrams per deciliter by the end of the treatment period. Glycosylated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides also decreased among those receiving silymarin while increasing among the placebo group. No side effects were reported in association with silymarin.
Although it is not clear how silymarin works to benefit diabetics, its antioxidant properties may help lower some of the oxidative stress caused by elevated glucose and free fatty acid levels. Previous studies with silymarin have found that the compound reduced insulin resistance and the need for insulin therapy in diabetics. Additionally, silymarin’s ability to protect the liver and correct liver function may benefit lipid and glucose metabolism.
"We don't know the exact mechanism of action for this effect, but this work shows that silymarin could play an important role in treating type II diabetes," Dr Huseini commented. "The results are very encouraging, and we now need to do further large multi-centre studies."

Diabetes
Glycation and oxidative stress are central to the damage caused by diabetes. Unfortunately, neither of them figures into conventional treatment for diabetes, which is generally concerned only with blood sugar control.
Glycation occurs when glucose reacts with protein, resulting in sugar-damaged proteins called advanced glycation end products (AGEs) (Kohn RR et al 1984; Monnier VM et al 1984). One well-known AGE among diabetics is glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). HbA1c is created when glucose molecules bind to hemoglobin in the blood. Measuring HbA1c in the blood can help determine the overall exposure of hemoglobin to glucose, which yields a picture of long-term blood glucose levels.
In animal studies, silymarin was shown to improve insulin levels among induced cases of diabetes (Soto C et al 2004). A small, controlled clinical study evaluated type 2 diabetics with alcohol-induced liver failure (Velussi M et al 1997). Those receiving 600 mg silymarin daily experienced a significant reduction in fasting blood and urine glucose levels. Fasting glucose levels rose slightly during the first month of supplementation but declined thereafter from an average of 190 mg/dL to 174 mg/dL. As daily glucose levels dropped (from an average of 202 mg/dL to 172 mg/dL), HbA1c also substantially decreased. Throughout the course of treatment, fasting insulin levels declined by almost one-half, and daily insulin requirements decreased by about 24 percent. Liver function improved. A lack of hypoglycemic episodes suggests silymarin not only lowered blood glucose levels but also stabilized them.
http://www.lef.org/protocols/metabolic_health/diabetes_01.htm


Nutrilite - Milk Thistle & Dandelion


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com/

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Nutrients in the news this week...

Life Extension magazine
October, 2006 - High-dose vitamin C: A new therapeutic approach, by Laurie Barclay, MD

Vitamin C intake has been found to speed resolution of upper respiratory tract infections in young people. Students who supplemented with hourly doses of 1000 mg of vitamin C for six hours and then three times daily thereafter exhibited an extraordinary 85% decrease in cold and flu symptoms compared to those who took pain relievers and decongestants for their infectious symptoms.
These benefits of improved healing are not limited to children and young adults. Elderly patients that were hospitalized with pneumonia or bronchitis showed substantial improvement following supplementation with vitamin C. In a study of women with nonspecific vaginal infection, locally administered vitamin C significantly improved symptoms and led to a reduction in bacterial count.
Vitamin C’s strength in countering bacterial infection was further demonstrated in a study of the dangerous breed of bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori. Chronic infection of the stomach with H. pylori contributes to gastritis, stomach ulcers, and even deadly gastric cancer. In an epidemiological study, however, high intake of the powerful antioxidant vitamins C and E was associated with an astounding 90% reduction in the risk of developing stomach cancer. Lending additional support to these findings is another study showing that infection with H. pylori was a major risk factor for gastric cancer in patients with low vitamin C intake, but not in those with high vitamin C intake. By protecting against infection with H. pylori, vitamin C may thus help to prevent potentially fatal stomach cancer as well as other painful gastrointestinal complications.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/oct2006_report_vitaminc_01.htm


Curcumin linked to better performance for elderly brains...
By Stephen Daniells
27/10/2006 - Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow colour, could slow mental decline in elderly people by 49 per cent, suggests a study of non-demented Asian people.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=71651&m=1NIEO27&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Low glycemic index diet may help women stay slim ...
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Staying away from simple carbohydrates and eating plenty of fiber may help women avoid packing on pounds as they get older, a study by Danish researchers suggests.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061027/hl_nm/glycemic_dc


NSI Vitamin C -- 1,000 mg - 250 Caps

NSI Turmeric Extract (standardized for 95% curcuminoids) with BioPerine -- 900 mg - 120 Capsules


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com/

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Eat almonds instead of bread and get off of drugs if you can...

Bread consumption linked to cancer, study
By Catherine Boal
24/10/2006 - Bread has become the latest food group hit by a health scare following the publication of a scientific study linking the consumption of bread to kidney cancer.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=71516&m=1NIEO24&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk

Almonds could suppress appetite, tackle obesity
By Stephen Daniells
24/10/2006 - A handful of almonds, a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants, vitamin E and magnesium, may enhance the feeling of fullness in people and aid weight management, suggests a new study.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=71527&m=1NIEO24&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk

Medication reactions send 700,000 Americans a year to emergency rooms...
(NewsTarget) According to a federal study in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, adverse reactions to prescription drugs are responsible for 700,000 Americans' visits to emergency rooms every year.
http://www.newstarget.com/020811.html



Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com/

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Vitamin D against breast cancer, cinnamon & metabolic syndrome and why drugs are dangerous...

Low vitamin D levels linked to breast cancer progression...
17/10/2006 - Increasing vitamin D levels may help curb the development and progression of breast cancer, suggests a small study from Imperial College London.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=71340&m=1NIEO17&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk

Cinnamon extract could ease metabolic syndrome...
18/10/2006 - A daily supplement of cinnamon extract may boost antioxidant defences and reduce the oxidative stress linked to the metabolic syndrome, suggest results from a small placebo-controlled, double-blind study from the US.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=71368&m=1NIEO18&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk

Medication reactions send 700,000 Americans a year to emergency rooms...
(NewsTarget) According to a federal study in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, adverse reactions to prescription drugs are responsible for 700,000 Americans' visits to emergency rooms every year.
http://www.newstarget.com/020811.html


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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EPA/DHA Omega 3 Fatty Acids is good for preventing memory loss...

In the October 2006 Archives of Neurology regarding cognitive impairment ...

In this study, 204 patients with varying degrees of memory loss were randomized into two groups. One group received omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) with 1,700 mg of DHA and 600 mg of EPA daily for six months. The other group received placebo. At the end of the six-month trial, all patients were put on EFA for an additional six months. A total of 174 patients completed the entire study. It was found that for those with more advanced memory loss, omega-3 EFAs did not have any benefit. However, for a subgroup of patients with very mild memory loss, there was a significant reduction in memory decline for those supplementing with EFAs. How EFAs were able to confer benefit was not clear to the authors, but they felt it may be in some way related to the anti-inflammatory effects of the fish oil. They further postulated that those whose memory loss was too advanced could not be substantially assisted by the anti-inflammatory benefits of fish oil. The take home message is pretty clear. I've said this for many years. The best way to stay healthy is to eat healthy, exercise and take high quality supplements, including fish oil. Once you've allowed your health to decline, it becomes increasingly difficult to reverse the decline. The fact is, by the time you have advanced or severe memory loss, most of your brain cells have died and cannot be recovered. However, taking precautionary measures, such as supplementing with omega-3 EFAs, may very well mean the difference between suffering memory loss or not. Fish oil is also proven to promote a healthy mood, benefit cardiovascular health and help keep joints healthy. Before you go running off to load up on fish oil, I must point out that many fish oil products on the market do n't deliver the concentration of DHA and EPA utilized in this study. In fact, most fish oil products only contain a total of 300 mg of EPA and DHA per softgel. It's also important to read the label and look at how many softgels must be consumed to equal the supplement facts; some require you to take three or four to get the amount noted on the label. Taking standard fish oil would require consuming about eight softgels per day. I'd recommend you choose a molecularly distilled and concentrated fish oil supplement containing at least 600 mg per day of EPA & DHA per softgel; two to four per day provides the optimal amount, versus four to eight of the less potent.


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Vitamin D, Black Tea and Walnuts in the news...

Vitamin D Significant for Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment:
Where does vitamin D come from? When the ultraviolet light in sunlight strikes the skin, it creates vitamin D. Throughout most of human history this light was the primary source of vitamin D. People are surprised to learn that very few foods contain any significant amount of vitamin D. The only significant natural source is fish. A number of foods are artificially fortified with vitamin D including milk and some cereals. Our ancestors didn't have fortified milk and in many areas ate little fish. Our ancestors were farmers or hunter/gatherers and spent a lot of time in the sun. Studies show that people who spend a lot of time in the sun can get ten times the amount of vitamin D we get today. The amount of active vitamin D they had in their blood was about double what the average person has today.
Vitamin D Significant for Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment: Article


Walnuts found to protect arteries better than olive oil after meals high in saturated fats:
NewsTarget) A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that eating walnuts after a meal high in unhealthy fats can reduce the damaging effects of such fats on blood vessels.
http://www.newstarget.com/020708.html


Black tea may speed up recovery from stress:
10/5/2006 - Drinking black tea could reduce stress hormone levels and help ease the burden of heart disease, says the first randomized clinical trial into the effects of the beverage on stress.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=71056&m=1NIUO05&c=wcrclzgqdhtlgsk


Vitamin D 1000 IU


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com/

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High-protein diets can be effective in combating obesity...

Study reignites low-carb high-protein debate
By Clarisse Douaud
9/28/2006- A recent study props up the principle of low-carb high-protein dieting – giving the low carb fad diets that pushed meat consumption, such as the once fashionable Atkins diet, one last laugh. Low carb diets lost much of their popularity as critics said their approach puts followers at higher risk of clogged arteries and heart attacks in the long-term. Atkins Nutritionals, for one, filed for bankruptcy last year only to re-emerge in January with a new mission to promote 'tasty, portable nutrition'.
The recent findings by scientists at University College London (UCL) could vindicate, at least partially, these recent dieting fads as they have illustrated more clearly how high-protein diets can be effective in combating obesity.
The study, published in the September issue of Cell Metabolism, set out to investigate how increased dietary protein increases satiety, hypothezing that gut hormones could mediate the differential satiation produced by protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
The Medical Research Council team of researchers, led by Dr. Rachel Batterham, linked high protein diets to higher levels of the gut hormone known as PYY. Their work suggests PYY is an important appetite suppressor that sends signals to the brain leading to a feeling of fullness.
"In summary, our current studies have established the physiological role of PYY as a regulator of energy homeostasis and demonstrated that it mediates the satiating and weight-reducing effects of dietary protein," wrote the study authors.
Ten healthy normal-weight and ten obese male volunteers were given an isocaloric meal, high in one macronutrient - protein, fat or carbohydrate - and researchers then analyized their blood samples.
The high-protein diet resulted in the greatest reduction in hunger in both normal and obese participants. The high-protein meal resulted in the largest increase in both total plasma PYY and integrated PYY levels in both groups, although post-meal levels were lower in obese subjects.
"These findings suggested that PYY could mediate the satiating effects of protein in humans," explained the authors. "We therefore developed a rodent experimental model in which to investigate this possibility."
As such, genetically modified mice that lacked the PYY hormone were then created. The PYY deficient mice ate more than regular mice and, as a result, became obese.
The mice were fed high-fat normal-protein, high-fat high-protein, low-fat normal-protein or low-fat high-protein diets.
The researchers found the PYY null mice were hyperphagic and developed marked obesity but were hypersensitive to exogenous PYY.
They then administered PYY to these mice. The mice's food intake subsequently decreased to normal levels as did their weight. When they no longer received PYY, the amount they ate went up again at the same time as their weight.
"Chronic treatment with PYY reverses their obesity phenotype," the authors commented on the obese mice. "These findings provide compelling evidence that PYY is a physiologically relevant regulator of food intake and body weight."
The findings could help explain the current obesity epidemic plaguing North America and Europe. Statistics show diets have shifted from being protein-rich to carbohydrate-rich, according to the study, and carbohydrates do not curb appetite in the same way protein does, resulting in people eating more to compensate.
Currently, the average Western diet derives 49 per cent of energy from carbohydrates, 35 per cent from fat, and 16 per cent from protein, cites the study.
"This research suggests that an increase in the protein content of the diet may help tackle obesity," said Dr.Batterham. "However, large scale clinical trials are needed before high- protein low-fat diets can be recommended."

Comment: In all of human history, the high consumption of carbohydrates has been in just the last 40 to 50 years at most. High refined carbohydrate consumption is what has been the real fad in our diets. This experiment has caused Diabetes to nearly double, and the highest levels of Heart Disease and Cancer in our history. The Hunter-Gatherer has done all the studying we need, their superior health is undisputed. The nutritional truth... proteins and fats are essential for health. Except for the fiber content and phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables, which are low glycemic, most carbs are NON-ESSENTIAL.

Hyperinsulinemia


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

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Nutrients in the news this week...

VITAMIN D PREVENTS CANCER

San Diego researchers urged people to take more vitamin D to lower their risk of colon, breast and ovarian cancers, saying a host of studies showed a clear link. "Our suggestion is for people to increase their intake through food or vitamin supplements," said Dr. Cedric Garland, a professor at the University of California, San Diego and the Moores Cancer Center.

Garland’s team reviewed 63 studies, including several long-term ones involving large numbers of patients. The studies looked at the relationship between vitamin D and certain types of cancer worldwide from 1996 through 2004. The scientists published their analysis in the online version of the American Journal of Public Health.

The benefit of vitamin D was as clear as the harmful link between smoking and lung cancer, Garland said. "There’s nothing that has this proven ability to prevent cancer," he said. Dr. Garland advocated a minimum of 1,000 IU’s per day with more being better. This is well within the new guidelines of safety and considerably more than most supplement products contain.

The authors said taking more vitamin D could be especially important for people living in northern areas of the United States or anywhere where sunshine is a premium during many months of the year. Blacks, who don’t produce as much of the vitamin because of their skin pigment, also could benefit significantly from a higher intake, the researchers said.

Comment: There is enough evidence today to suggest that 2,000 to 4,000 IU's is a healthy overall dosage range with 1,000 IU's a minimum.


2 Studies that show promise for slowing down Alzheimer's Disease...

Red wine again linked to slowing Alzheimer's
9/28/2006 - A Mount Sinai School of Medicine study found giving mice with amyloid plaques red wine slows their memory loss and brain cell death - adding to a body of science linking compounds in the beverage to slowing the Alzheimer's disease-related symptom.

Curcumin could cut plaque build-up linked to Alzheimer’s
10/4/2006 - Curcumin, found extensively in curries, could boost the body’s ability to clear the build up of plaques in the brain that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, suggest results from a small laboratory study from the US.


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Please visit our website at: http://www.cwiechert.com/

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