Low carb diet - wins...

Comparison of Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets in Overweight Premenopausal Women...

A new study(1) reports the results of a year-long study of the effects on weight loss among four diets: the Atkins (77 subjects), Zone (79 subjects), Ornish (76 subjects), and LEARN (79 subjects). As you are undoubtedly aware, the Atkins diet is very low in carbohydrates. The Zone diet is low in carbohydrates, the LEARN diet is low in fats and high in carbohydrates, and the Ornish diet is very high in carbohydrates and very low in fats.

The summary of the results reported that “. . . premenopausal overweight and obese women assigned to follow the Atkins diet, which had the lowest carbohydrate intake, lost more weight and experienced more favorable metabolic effects at 12 months than women assigned to follow the Zone, Ornish, or LEARN diets.”
The mean 12-month weight losses were: Atkins, –4.7 kg (95% confidence interval, –6.3 to –3.1 kg); Zone, –1.6 kg (95% confidence interval, –2.8 to –0.4 kg); LEARN, –2.6 kg (–3.8 to –1.3 kg); and Ornish, –2.2 kg (–3.6 to –0.8 kg). The mean weight losses were significantly different between the Atkins and Zone diets, whereas weight losses were not statistically different among the Zone, LEARN, and Ornish groups. Dietary intakes were determined by telephone-administered, 3-day, unannounced, 24-hour dietary recalls. Energy expenditure was estimated by using the “well-established” Stanford 7-day physical activity recall. Hence, results were limited by potential biases in recall of dietary intakes and of physical activity.
It is interesting to note that the diets were all low in fiber. Calculated fiber contents of the diets at 12 months were: Atkins, 15.2 (±2.7); Zone, 16.7 (±9.4); LEARN, 18.3 (±7.8); and Ornish, 19.3 (±9.4). The fiber content of those on the Ornish diet was significantly different from that of those on the Atkins diet.
The Atkins diet was significantly higher in fat (44.3 ± 12.5, up from 36.2 ± 7.8 at baseline) at 12 months than the other diets, while protein content of the Ornish diet (18.3 ± 4.0) was significantly lower than that of the Atkins diet (20.6 ± 5.3). The Atkins diet was also significantly higher in saturated fat content (27.2 ± 13.3, up from 26.5 ± 11.1 at baseline) than the other three diets. Interestingly, the Ornish group was only able to get their saturated fat percentage down from 24.8 ± 10.3 at baseline to 16.9 ± 11.4, although the goal was to reach 10% or less saturated fat. This underscores the difficulties for individuals trying to reduce saturated fat to such a low level.
Insulin and glucose measurements showed that neither the overall trajectory across all time points nor the 12-month differences were significantly different among the groups, either for fasting insulin or fasting glucose. HDL-cholesterol was significantly greater (compared to baseline) at 12 months in the Atkins, Zone, and LEARN diets as compared to the Ornish diet. Diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower (compared to baseline) in the Atkins, Zone, and LEARN diets as compared to the Ornish diet. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower (compared to baseline) in the Atkins diet as compared to the other three diets.
This study provides clear supporting evidence for the benefits of reducing carbohydrate calories for weight loss (Atkins diet) and also demonstrates favorable changes for those on the Atkins diet in lipid levels and blood pressure.
Reference
Gardner et al. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women. JAMA 297(9):969-77 (2007).

Life Extension News


Comment: While I like the Atkins diet, I have refined these and other successful concepts to a much better overall approach to long term weight loss and improved health & wellness.

Forever Changes Weight-Loss & Longevity Lifestyle Program



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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CANCER STUDIES IN THE NEWS...

The top five cancer-causing foods...
Ever wonder which foods should be strongly avoided by those at high risk for cancer? We can begin identifying cancer-causing foods once we know which ingredients in our food cause cancer. Some of those ingredients are food additives and chemicals used to enhance taste, while others are used strictly for appearance or to increase product shelf life. The key to avoiding cancer-causing foods is knowing which ingredients are carcinogens -- or cancer promoters -- and then reading food labels to permanently avoid consuming those ingredients.
READ ARTICLE

Two studies link hormones and cancer in women ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two studies published on Wednesday further link hormone replacement therapy with cancer, suggesting -- but not yet proving -- that HRT causes breast and ovarian cancer.
READ ARTICLE


Antioxidants pills may benefit chemo patients...
25/04/2007 - Antioxidants supplements may help increase survival rates, tumour response, and the patient's ability to tolerate chemotherapy, concludes a new review.
READ ARTICLE


After a cancer diagnosis: Crucial questions to consider about chemotherapy vs. naturopathic cancer treatments...
It is widely known that an increasing number of consumers are turning to alternative medicine for treatment for diseases like cancer, depression, diabetes, heart disease and so on. What are generally not known are the circumstances under which many consumers make this switch from conventional to alternative medicine.
READ ARTICLE


Eating cabbage and brussels sprouts kills cancer cells, researchers find...
(NewsTarget) Eating brussels sprouts and cabbage could help kill cancer cells when combined with traditional chemotherapy, according to new research by British scientists.
READ ARTICLE


Cancer risk slashed fifty percent or more by sunlight, vitamin D, reveal two new studies...
(NewsTarget) Increasing vitamin D intake through sunlight, diet or supplements may decrease a person's risk of contracting breast cancer by 50 percent and of contracting colorectal cancer by more than 65 percent, according to two recent studies conducted at the University of San Diego.
READ ARTICLE



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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What's this? Drug companies getting into wellness products? I thought they didn't work and just created expensive urine?

Bayer HealthCare Introduces Bayer Nutritional Science, a New Line of Nutritional Supplements Especially Designed for Vital, Active Boomers...
2007-04-03 09:01:00
Bayer HealthCare, Morristown, NJ, has introduced Bayer Nutritional Science, a new line of nutritional supplements that unites science and nutrition to help active Baby Boomers maximize their vitality. The Bayer Nutritional Science line consists of five unique formulations to support heart, mind, joint and eye health as well as a daily multivitamin, which supports body and cell health-all areas of particular concern for Baby Boomers. "As a recognized leader in consumer wellness for more than 100 years, Bayer is focused on advancing the wellness of Boomers through science and innovation. Bayer Nutritional Science was created to meet the demands of the growing segment of Americans who are focused on keeping their bodies and minds vital and active-a group the media have recently identified as Generation V," said Girard Smith, vice president, Consumer Wellness and Division Market Research at Bayer Consumer Care. "We also know that selecting the right supplements to address specific health concerns can be confusing. We've designed the Bayer Nutritional Science line to make the benefits of each product clear, which simplifies the decision-making process for consumers because they can easily select the product or products that are right for them. "All of the Bayer Nutritional Science formulations contain scientifically proven levels of key ingredients and can be taken together on a daily basis.

Bayer Nutritional Science features the following formulations:
Daily Multivitamin: Vital Body & Cells Formula- Comprehensive multivitamin that provides 100% of key vitamins and minerals the body needs everyday- The only multivitamin with antioxidants that include pomegranate and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) to help promote cell health, including during the cell regeneration process.

Eye Health & Vitality- Lutein, zeaxanthin and powerful antioxidants support healthy cells and tissues in the eyeVital & Sharp Mind- Omega 3 (DHA) and ginkgo biloba help support healthy brain function and memory, concentration and mental sharpness.

Heart Vitality- Keep the heart strong and healthy with: phytosterols to significantly lower "bad cholesterol" (or LDL) as well as total cholesterol levels; folic acid to help maintain healthy blood pressure; and CoQ10, a heart health antioxidant.

Joint & Bone Vitality- Glucosamine and chondroitin together with calcium and vitamin D help keep joints flexible and bones strong.

http://www.bayernutritionalscience.com/


COMMENT: For as long as I can remember, the drug companies as well as the AMA, have been telling us via the media that supplements were a waste of your time and your money. Consumers knew better and have been purchasing them anyway. Why, because they work and have few if any side effects. Why are drug companies getting into this market, now? Either they believe that they now work, or they feel that if you are stupid enough to buy them anyway, why not sell them.
Since they now call them Nutritional Science, perhaps they really do work, after all. You be the judge.
If your looking for nutraceuticals that really do what they're designed to do, maybe you should look to a formulator who has been taking and recommending supplements for over 30 years. And yes, I have had expensive urine.

Orthomolecular Formulations


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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Nutrition in the news...

Phosphoric acid in sodas nearly as damaging to teeth as battery acid...
According to a report published in the March / April edition of General Dentistry, phosphoric acid in soda causes tooth enamel erosion, even with minimal exposure. While some consumers may believe that sugar is the only culprit of soda's adverse effects on dental health, enamel erosion occurs whether the soda is sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners.
READ ARTICLE


Are fruity cocktails a healthy drink?...
Strawberries with alcohol may lead to an increase in antioxidant capacity, says new research from Thailand and the US that suggests a daiquiris could be classed as a health drink.
READ ARTICLE


Obesity down in sugar-free schools: Swedish study ...
STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Stockholm schools that banned sweets, buns and soft drinks saw the number of overweight children drop by six percentage points in four years, a Karolinska Institute study published on Monday showed.
READ ARTICLE


No genetic link found for heart risk, study says...
Tests failed to find mutations that would predict cardiovascular disease.
“We therefore conclude that our findings, in this large sample ... cannot support that this panel of gene variants contains bona fide (heart disease) risk factors,” study author Dr. Thomas Morgan wrote. Morgan is now at Washington University in St. Louis.
READ ARTICLE


Severely obese fastest-growing U.S. overweight group ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who are 100 pounds (45 kg) or more overweight are the fastest-growing group of overweight people in the United States, researchers reported on Monday. They found the proportion of the severely obese was 50 percent higher in 2005 than it had been in 2000 -- a startling rate of growth.
READ ARTICLE


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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Nutrition in the news...

Vitamin K may reverse arterial calcification - study...
03/04/2007 - Arterial calcification, a process of hardening of the arteries, may be inhibited and even reversed with supplementation with high-dose vitamin K, suggests an animal study.
READ ARTICLE


Curcumin's anti-cancer mechanism proposed...
4/13/2007 - Scientists from the University of Alabama have reported a mechanism by which curcumin, the active ingredient in the turmeric spice, may protect against cancer.
READ ARTICLE


Low vitamin D levels again linked to cancer risk...
17/04/2007 - Vitamin D deficiency is linked to an increased risk of cancer, researchers have told attendees at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, with results from a clinical trial hoped to show benefits of high-dose vitamin D replacement in individuals with high risk of lung cancer.
READ ARTICLE


Fish oil may preserve thinking ability in elderly ...
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - High blood levels of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids, found in fish oil, may help preserve thinking ability in the elderly, according to the findings of two studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
READ ARTICLE


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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It's spring time, time for a liver cleanse...

The Liver - A Vital Organ
The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body weighing three to four pounds. It is glossy in appearance, and dark red in color from the rich supply of blood flowing through it. Sometimes called the great chemical factory, your liver neutralizes harmful toxins and wastes, stores glycogen (a blood-sugar regulator), amino acids, protein, and fat.
If your liver is not functioning well, a hazardous buildup of toxins may occur.

The liver is a complex, unique organ serving many functions crucial to sustaining life. From circulation to digestion, it is constantly processing blood for use by the rest of the body. In today’s world, our liver, all of our organs, are at great risk of contamination from environmental toxins and over-processed foods infused with many unnatural chemicals.
The liver performs many important functions to keep us healthy. It removes harmful material from the blood; it makes enzymes and bile that help digest food; and it converts food into substances needed for life and growth. From its sheltered position in the abdominal cavity, the liver filters blood and performs many functions vital to health.
Our bodies depend on the liver to regulate, synthesize, store, and secrete important proteins and nutrients.

The Liver Carries On Over 500 Functions Essential For Life, Including:
Filtering blood
Purifying and clearing waste products, toxins, and drugs
Regulating and secreting substances important in maintaining your body’s functions and health
Storing important nutrients such as glycogen (glucose), vitamins, and minerals
Metabolizing fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
Creating bile
Metabolizing hormones, endogenous wastes, and foreign chemicals
Forming urea
Assimilating and storing fat-soluble vitamins
Synthesizing blood proteins

The liver is the most resilient body organ. It is capable of regenerating itself, and is able to recreate lost tissue in order to help maintain its essential functions, even in the face of moderate damage.
When part of the liver is removed, a healthy organ may grow back to its original size. But its capacity to repair itself can be exceeded by repeated or extensive damage. Keeping your liver as healthy and cleansed as possible offers many health advantages.

Why Liver Cleanse?
In our industrialized developed world, we are immersed in a sea of toxic chemicals. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that half-a-million chemicals are in use today, and over 5,000 new chemicals are introduced yearly. Some researchers believe up to 25 percent of these may be carcinogenic. This is why it is crucial to cleanse your liver of the toxic waste of 21st century living.
“Imagine the situation if your garden hose had marbles in it. Much less water would flow, which in turn would decrease the ability of the hose to squirt out the marbles. With gallstones, much less cholesterol leaves the body, and cholesterol levels may rise.”
“Gallstones, being porous, can pick up all the bacteria, cysts, viruses and parasites that are passing through the liver. In this way ‘nests’ of infection are formed, forever supplying the body with fresh bacteria. No stomach infection such as ulcers or intestinal bloating can be cured permanently without removing these gallstones from the liver.”
If your liver becomes overworked, it can become congested. Toxic compounds and impurities may get trapped in deposits of hardened bile. Pollutants may not be flushed out of the body, and can back up in your blood stream.
A sluggish liver can lead to serious fatigue, weight gain, water retention, and a host of other health woes. Detoxification that targets the liver can help remove these unwanted poisons and enable it to function properly. A healthy liver will increase your energy, improve metabolism, and help you burn excess fat.

Do You Need To Cleanse?
Ailments that indicate you may need a liver cleanse include:
Allergies
PMS
Chemical sensitivities
Constipation
Bloating
Obesity
Low metabolism
Low energy

Start spring right with a good house cleaning.

LIVER DETOX



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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Introducing... Orthomolecular Formulations...

Introducing...

Orthomolecular Formulations...Over 30 nutraceutical products developed & personally formulated by Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.

Our products and formulations employ vitamins, minerals, herbs, fatty acids and amino acids to create optimum nutritional content for the body, as well as the right environment and biochemical equilibrium. Like most alternative health techniques, orthomolecular nutrition targets a wide range of health concerns.


The term Orthomolecular Medicine was developed by Linus Pauling, Ph.D., winner of two Nobel prizes, in 1968. It is designed to enable individuals to reach the apex of health and the peak of their performance by utilizing only naturally occurring substances (e.g. vitamins, minerals, enzymes, trace elements, co-enzymes, etc). The proper balance of these substances in the body is the key to reaching physical, mental, and emotional health and stability. Orthomolecular nutrition can be used therapeutically to support disease conditions and more importantly, preventatively to impede the progress of degenerative disease and aging.
Biochemical individuality is a main principle of orthomolecular nutrition. This principle was elucidated by Roger J. Williams, Ph.D. This principle is quite simple: every living organism is unique! Furthermore, each individual requires different relative amounts of nutrients for his or her satisfaction and optimal level of health. The government sets a minimum recommended daily allowance (RDA) which is supposed to be adequate for all individuals. However, many may need to exceed the RDA as well as the recommended 2,000 calorie diet in order to prevent a severe deficiency disease. Thus, RDA values are not perfect guidelines for everyone. Several studies have proven the existence of biochemical individuality.
When all is said and done, however, the main objective of orthomolecular nutrition is to help people reach an optimal level of health.

Visit us at:

Orthomolecular Formulations



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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HealthBlogger
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Are you taking your fish oil?

Fish oils found to enhance overall health

By Dr. Allen S. Josephs
04/20/2007

There have been so many excellent studies recently published, I don't know where to begin. Several of these studies pertain to fish oil, which is the primary focus of this week's newsletter. To give you an idea of the number of published studies, if you search "fish oil" at the National Library of Medicine, over 11,600 studies are available and rapidly climbing. In the March 2007 edition of the journal Atherosclerosis., 81 Japanese men with unhealthy blood sugar levels were randomly assigned to receive 1800 mg daily of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA - an omega-3 essential fatty acid from fish oil) with the other half being a control group. The thickness of the carotid arteries and certain measures of blood flow were measured before and after supplementation. This went on for approximately two years. A total of 60 patients (30 in the EPA group and 30 in the control group) completed the study. Those given the EPA had a statistically significant decrease in the thickness of the carotid arteries along with improvement in blood flow. The authors indicated that this was the first demonstration that administration of purified EPA improves the thickness of carotid arteries along with improving blood flow in patients with unhealthy blood sugar levels.Another study published in the American Journal of Health System Pharmacy March 20071, patients with high triglycerides and poor coronary artery health were given 4 grams a day of a combination of EPA and DHA along with some monounsaturated fatty acids. Those patients with very unhealthy triglyceride levels (above 500 mg/dl) reduced their triglycerides on average 45% and their VLDL cholesterol by more than 50%. VLDL is a bad type of cholesterol and elevated triglycerides can also be deleterious for cardiovascular health.There was another study published on the benefits of EPA in the prestigious journal Lancet March 20072. The study involved over 18,000 patients with unhealthy cholesterol levels. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1,800 mg a day of EPA with a statin drug or a statin drug alone. The trial went on for a total of five years. It was found at the end of the study those patients in the EPA group had superior cardiovascular function. Non-fatal coronary events were also significantly reduced in the EPA group. The authors concluded that EPA is a promising supplement for promoting cardiovascular health.There was another study regarding fish oil in a younger population published in the journal Nutrition, April 20073. Sixty four healthy Danish infants received either cow's milk or infant formula alone or with fish oil from nine to twelve months of age. It was found that those infants supplemented with fish oil had improvement in immune function maturation with no apparent reduction in immune activation.There was yet another study on omega-3 fatty acids just published in the April 2007 Journal of NeuroScience4. A group of mice were genetically modified to develop accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain similar to that seen in people with poor memory. The mice were divided into four groups with one group receiving a typical American diet (with high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids being 10 to 1). The other three groups were given food with a balanced 1 to 1 omega 6 to omega 3 ratio and two additional groups supplemented with DHA plus long chain omega-6 fatty acids. After three months of feeding, all the DHA supplemented groups were noted to have a lower accumulation of beta amyloid and tau protein. It is felt that these abnormal proteins may contribute to the development of memory loss in later years.Finally, there was another study published regarding omega-3 supplementation in children with learning and behavioral problems. This study was published in the April 2007 edition of the Journal of the Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics5 where 132 children, between the ages of seven to twelve years old, with poor learning, participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded interventional trial. A total of 104 children completed the trial. For the first fifteen weeks of this study, the children were given polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6, 3000 mg a day), polyunsaturated fatty acids plus multi-vitamins and minerals or placebo. After fifteen weeks, all groups crossed over to the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) plus vitamins and mineral supplement. Parents were asked to rate their children's condition after fifteen and thirty weeks. After thirty weeks, parental ratings of behavior improved significantly in nine out of fourteen scales. The lead author of the study, Dr. Sinn, indicated the present study is the largest PUFA trial to date with children falling in the poor learning and focus range. The results support those of other studies that have found improvement in poor developmental health with essential fatty acid supplementation. Unfortunately, the only way to get safe levels of essential omega-3 EPA & DHA fatty acids is through highly purified molecularly distilled pharmaceutical grade supplements. There was a recent study published in the journal Diabetes Care linking pollutants found in fish to insulin resistance and Type II diabetes mellitus6. The study found a link between persistence organic pesticides (POPs) and diabetes with obese patients with low blood levels of POPs having low incidence of diabetes. I was actually disheartened to see recent data on a sampling of wild fish from Alaska dated Jan 2007. It is typically felt that wild caught Alaskan fish have much lower blood levels of dangerous heavy metals, but, unfortunately, most of the fish (salmon, halibut, cod, snapper, Pollock and many others) sampled had high levels of arsenic, cadmium and mercury, just to name a few. These heavy metals are highly toxic, are not easily excreted and tend to build in tissues in the body including the brain, kidneys, etc. generating free radicals and destroying healthy cells. There is an expression called "mad as a hatter." This referred to people who became insane and cognitively impaired from being exposed to high levels of mercury that was used decades ago in the hat industry. It would seem that the safest and most effective way to get these critical essential fatty acids is to take them in supplemental form.

Omega 3 EPA/DHA


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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Omega 3's in the news...

Omega-3 Fatty Acid May Thwart Alzheimer's Disease ...
TUESDAY, April 17 (HealthDay News) -- A type of omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may help slow the growth of two kinds of brain lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests. The researchers at the University of California, Irvine, said their finding suggests that a diet rich in DHA -- found in fish, eggs, organ meats, micro-algae, fortified foods and food supplements -- may help prevent the development of Alzheimer's as people age.
READ ARTICLE


Omega-3 fatty acids boost bone density in men...
The presence of omega-3 fatty acids in young men is linked to "peak bone mass" or bone mineral density, according to a study published this month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study found that 22-year-old men with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids had the greatest bone density in the body and spine two years later.
READ ARTICLE


Omega-3 fatty acids found to restructure brain matter tied to positive mood and emotions...
Intake of omega-3 fatty acids is correlated with a better mood and more positive outlook, and may contribute to improving the structure of the areas of the brain associated with emotions, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society.
READ ARTICLE


LEARN FAT FACTS

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS DHA/EPA




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 websites:
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HealthBlogger
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Nutrition in the news

Study adds data that vegetables reduce cancer risk ...
A large study of 500,000 American retirees has found that just one extra serving of fruit or vegetables a day may reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancer.
READ ARTICLE


Blueberry compounds linked to colon cancer prevention...
26/03/2007 - Pterostilbene, a compound found in blueberries, may prevent the development of tumours in the colon, if results from an animal study can be translated to humans, researchers have said.
READ ARTICLE


Flavonol-rich diet may slash pancreatic cancer risk...
16/04/2007 - A diet rich in flavonols from foods such as onions, apples and berries may cut the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by about 25 per cent, scientists have told attendees at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
READ ARTICLE


Trans fats linked to greater risk of heart disease...
NEW YORK - A study published today supports recent efforts to rid the American diet of trans fats. In the study, women with the highest levels of trans fat in their blood had triple the risk of heart disease as those with the lowest levels.
READ ARTICLE



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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Conventional medicine vs preventative health - Protect your freedom...

Conventional medicine vs. naturopathy: How to fix a leaky roof...
Treat the problem, not the symptom. Imagine your body is a house, and the health of your body is the maintenance of that house. If you don't do regular maintenance on this house, the roof of your house begins to leak and you might notice water dripping into your home every time it rains. The water is a symptom of an underlying problem -- a roof with poor maintenance.
READ ARTICLE


Well-funded criminals attack NewsTarget, health freedom groups with covert disruption campaigns...
Top health freedom consumer advocacy groups in the United States are being clandestinely targeted by organized disruption campaigns and "black PR" efforts. The apparent purpose of these campaigns is to discredit, disrupt and censor their natural health and health freedom political and educational efforts. Both the Natural Solutions Foundation (www.HealthFreedomUSA.org) and natural health news site NewsTarget (www.NewsTarget.com) revealed details today of distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) website attacks, database hacking attempts, personal and professional reputation internet smear campaigns and impersonation attempts, among other tactics. "All of these well-financed activities are clearly criminal in nature and violate free speech rights, libel and slander legislation and criminal statutes." according to health freedom advocacy attorney, Ralph Fucetola.
READ ARTICLE


Health freedom action alert: FDA attempting to regulate supplements, herbs and juices as "drugs"...
When it comes to health freedom, this is the FDA's end game. A new FDA "guidance" document, published on the FDA's website, reveals plans to reclassify virtually all vitamins, supplements, herbs and even vegetable juices as FDA-regulated drugs. Massage oils and massage rocks will be classified as "medical devices" and require FDA approval. The document is called Docket No. 2006D-0480. Draft Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration.
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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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The right fats can help your heart and a low carb, high fat diet can starve cancer cells...

'Good fat' OK for heart attack patients ...
NEW ORLEANS - A Mediterranean-style diet high in olive oil and other "healthy" fats is just as good as the classic low-fat diet for the 8 million Americans who have suffered a heart attack and want to prevent a repeat, new research suggests. People on either diet had one-third the risk of suffering another heart attack, a stroke, death or other heart problem compared with heart patients eating in the usual way, the study found. The results of the study were presented Sunday at an American College of Cardiology conference.
READ ARTICLE


Review supports olive oil as natures super food for the heart...
29/03/2007 - The benefits of olive oil for heart health go way beyond just reducing levels of LDL ('bad') cholesterol, says a new review that looks set to further bolster the healthy image of the oil.
READ ARTICLE


Low-cal ketogenic diet slows brain cancer in mice ...
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A calorically restricted ketogenic diet decreases the growth of malignant brain tumors in laboratory mice, according to an online report in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that induces excess production of ketone bodies, which are incompletely burned fat molecules. This diet has been used to control epileptic seizures that do not respond to drug treatment.
READ ARTCILE


Trans fats linked to greater risk of heart disease...
NEW YORK - A study published today supports recent efforts to rid the American diet of trans fats. In the study, women with the highest levels of trans fat in their blood had triple the risk of heart disease as those with the lowest levels.
READ ARTICLE


THE TRUTH ABOUT FATS IN YOUR DIET...


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 in the news, are you paying attention?

Vitamin D, calcium, dairy linked to lower colon cancer risk...
27/03/2007 - High intake of vitamin D and calcium from the diet and supplements may cut the risk of colorectal cancer by over 30 per cent, suggests a new study.
READ ARTICLE


Vitamin D again linked to lower breast cancer risk...
20/03/2007 - Increased vitamin D levels during youth, from the sun and the diet, may reduce the risk of breast cancer later in life by over 30 per cent, suggests a new epidemiological study.
READ ARTICLE


Vitamin D level reassessment high priority, say experts...
09/03/2007 - International agencies should reassess as a matter of high priority dietary recommendations for vitamin D, experts have said, because current advice is outdated and puts the public at risk of deficiency.
READ ARTICLE


The Antibiotic Vitamin...
Deficiency in vitamin D may predispose people to infection...
In April 2005, a virulent strain of influenza hit a maximum-security forensic psychiatric hospital for men that's midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. John J. Cannell, a psychiatrist there, observed with increasing curiosity as one infected ward after another was quarantined to limit the outbreak. Although 10 percent of the facility's 1,200 patients ultimately developed the flu's fever and debilitating muscle aches, none did in the ward that he supervised. Cannell's ward was the only heavily exposed ward left unaffected. Was it by mere chance, Cannell wondered, that his patients dodged the sickness? Immediately, Cannell says, the proverbial lightbulb went on in his head: Maybe the high doses of vitamin D that he had been prescribing to virtually all the men on his ward had boosted their natural arsenal of the antimicrobial, called cathelicidin, and protected them from flu. Cannell had been administering the vitamin D because his patients, like many other people in the industrial world, had shown a deficiency.
READ ARTICLE


Formulators ignore calcium+D+K bone health recipe...
09/03/2007 - Supplements aimed at promoting bone health are not offering the best combination of ingredients, indicates data from Mintel, with the majority containing just calcium, without vitamins D and K.
READ ARTICLE



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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Resveratrol in the news...

Resveratrol May Promote Numerous Anti-Inflammatory Benefits...
By Dr. Allen S. Josephs

For those of you who follow the nutrition news on a regular basis, there have been several studies discussed in the last few months touting the incredible benefits of resveratrol. There was a study published late last year from Harvard Medical School indicating that resveratrol, when given to mice in very large dosages equivalent to several hundred glasses of red wine per day, produced a significant extension of life span along with protecting the cells and organs from the damage elevated blood sugar causes. Further, resveratrol showed significant improvement in endurance and physical performance in the same study. There were a couple of interesting animal studies published earlier this month on resveratrol unrelated to life span or physical endurance. In one study published in the journal Life Science, a group of rats were treated with a chemical to induce elevated blood sugar along with damage to the nerve endings. Six weeks after this damage was induced, these mice were then supplemented with two weeks of resveratrol. The resveratrol produced a marked increase in catalase (a powerful antioxidant enzyme). There was also improvement in nerve function which was actually demonstrated on pathologic review of the nerves performed after supplementation with resveratrol. The researchers concluded that the study suggested the potential of resveratrol for the benefit of impaired nerve function produced by elevated blood sugar and that its protective effect may be mediated through a reduction in oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation (damage). In another study published March 2007 in Circulation Journal, researchers tested the effects of resveratrol on inflammation of the heart muscle cells of rats. It was found that resveratrol diminished the inflammation within three weeks. It measured a particular enzyme in the heart muscle called SIRT which was increased after resveratrol was given. Finally, in another study out of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Institute published in the March 2007 journal Blood, it was found that resveratrol seemed to inhibit the proliferation of abnormal cellular growth within the bone marrow. Resveratrol is truly one of the most amazing nutrients I have ever studied. It activates genes at the DNA level to produce repair and protective enzymes naturally by the cells. The fountain of youth may actually be a fountain of red wine high in resveratrol. Red wine does provide other benefits beyond resveratrol in the form called polyphenols. These are also powerful antioxidants. A 12 year study published in the British Medical Journal in May 1995 following over 13,000 men and women aged 30 - 70 indicated those who drank hard liquor had a 34% increase in mortality versus those who drank 3 - 5 glasses of wine having a 49% reduction in all cause mortality compared to those who never drank wine.
There are no drugs or surgeries capable of this dramatic reduction.

GET THE MOST POTENT AND BEST PRICE ON RESVERATROL HERE



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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Nutrition in the news...

Low-carb diet speeds initial weight loss: study ...
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a study of overweight and obese people, those who went on a low carbohydrate diet lost more weight -- and more fat -- than their peers who went on a low-fat, portion-controlled diet.
READ ARTICLE


Acids in Popular Sodas Erode Tooth Enamel ...
Prolonged exposure to soft drinks can lead to significant enamel loss, even though many people consider soft drinks to be harmless or just worry about their sugar content and the potential for putting on pounds, the study says.
READ ARTICLE


Obese Men With Prostate Cancer Face Higher Death Risk ...
MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- Men who are obese when they're diagnosed with prostate cancer are 2.6 times more likely to die of the disease than normal-weight men, new findings suggest.
READ ARTICLE


Omega-3 fatty acids slash colorectal cancer risk in men by 66 percent...
NewsTarget) Omega-3 fatty acids, found in flaxseed, fish and other foods, may reduce the risk of getting colorectal cancer by two-thirds in men, a new study suggests. There is one caveat, though: the effect is seen in men who do not take aspirin.
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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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Are you eating enough fruits & vegies and keeping your insulin levels low?

CDC: Too few eating fruits, vegetables...
By DANIEL YEE, Associated Press Writer Thu Mar 15, 6:22 PM ET

Fewer than a third of American adults eat the amount of fruits and vegetables the government recommends, a trend that's remained steady for more than a decade, health officials said Thursday. That's "well below" the government's goal of getting 75 percent of Americans to eat two servings of fruits and having half of the population consume three servings of vegetables each day by 2010, said Dr. Larry Cohen of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The diet survey, part of a huge federal health survey of every state, is based on responses from 305,000 adults in 2005. It indicates the country is only about halfway toward meeting its healthy eating goal three years from now.
"We're really concerned with the lack of success in meeting these national goals," said Cohen, who works in CDC's nutrition and physical activity division.
Although the rate of fruit and vegetable consumption has remained unchanged since 1994, health officials said the goal is still within reach.
"We have more work to do over the next few years," said spokeswoman Rachel Ciccarone.
Specifically the survey showed that 27 percent of adults ate vegetables three times a day, and about 33 percent ate fruit twice a day. A serving size is a half-cup for most fruits and vegetables, one cup for leafy greens.
Senior citizens were more likely than others to follow Mom's advice to eat more veggies, with slightly more than a third of that group eating three or more servings each day. Younger adults, age 18 to 24, ate the fewest vegetables. Nearly four-fifths of that age category scraped the veggies to the side of their plates — if they had vegetables on the plate at all.
Likewise, seniors also ate the most fruit, with nearly 46 percent eating two or more servings of fruit daily. People age 35 to 44 ate fruit the least, with fewer than 28 percent eating the recommended amount of fruit each day.
The federal agency said it doesn't know why people aren't eating more veggies or fruits. Cohen said future surveys will ask people what other foods they are eating.
Susan Krause, a clinical dietitian at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, said people are eating more refined sugars or choosing protein instead of fruits and vegetables.
"There's so much information out there and people get very confused. When they're looking at protein, they feel that's the solution when they're not looking at long-term health benefits," she said. "There's so many fabricated foods now and people are looking at convenience."
Not only are fruits and vegetables lower-calorie, they also have minerals and fiber that help guard against chronic diseases and cancer, the CDC says.
The survey relied on people to report what they were eating. Telephone questioners asked how often they consumed fruit juice, fruit and vegetables. Although Hispanics ate the most fruits (37 percent) compared with blacks and whites, they ate the fewest vegetables, (about 20 percent). Whites, in contrast, ate the fewest fruits (31 percent) but the most veggies (28 percent).
Cohen said the CDC has been working on family and community programs to get more people to eat their veggies. The agency is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to get more fresh produce into schools.
Krause said health officials should offer people simple options for getting fruits and vegetables in their diets, such as easy recipes in cooking classes and fruit smoothies or shakes in schools.
"If that's a way of getting it in, at least it's in the right direction," she said. "Certainly (whole) fruit is a better choice, but that could be the next alternative."

Comment: The countries that consume the largest amount of fruits and vegetables, have the lowest cancer rates.

Make sure you get 10 servings of fruits and vegies every day...


High Insulin & Glucose Levels - The Cause of Many Diseases...

High levels of insulin and glucose, the result of eating a high refined carbohydrate diet, can result in heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cancer. Insulin is produced by the body in response to rising levels of glucose in the blood after a carbohydrate rich meal. The insulin takes the glucose out of the blood and deposits it into glycogen or adipose tissue - usually the latter.Sounds harmless, right? Wrong. The problem is that there are no concentrated sources of glucose in nature. Fruits and vegetables, especially wild ones tend to be low in carbohydrates. All of the concentrated sources of glucose, the so called "complex carbohydrates," are found in foods that have to be cooked and/or processed to become edible. Thus, they are not really natural foods, and our bodies weren't designed to cope with large amounts of glucose contained in them. We only have one hormone, insulin, to lower blood sugar levels but four different hormones that raise it.Hence, today we are paying with the above mentioned diseases. How? Well, since insulin is an anabolic hormone, in large amounts it may encourage tumor cell growth. High levels of insulin directly result in increased blood pressure through various mechanisms such as proliferation of arterial smooth muscle cells, which makes the arteries more rigid. It also activates cholesterol synthesis through its stimulating effect on HMG-CoA reductase, the key enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway. The body produces about 5 times or so more cholesterol than ingested by diet. Thus, if you want your cholesterol levels lowered, avoiding that egg won’t do anything, instead avoid refined carbohydrates. (It’s interesting to note that the most effective cholesterol medications in use today, the statins, work by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase.) Furthermore, insulin directly shuts off the fat burning pathways in the body, and turns on those pathways responsible for the production of fat and triglycerides. High levels of insulin and glucose also damage arteries, which can initiate plaque formation, and glucose directly binds to LDL molecules, rendering them unrecognizable to the liver and causing them to be attacked by macrophage cells of the immune system, which also initiates a process leading to plaque formation. Finally, chronic high levels of insulin can lead to the desensitization of the insulin receptor - leading to type II diabetes. (As an aside, the reason that diabetics have such a high incidence of secondary coronary and vascular disease is because of the chronic high levels of glucose in their blood and the relatively high levels of insulin some of them receive through injections to control their blood sugar level.)



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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Nutrition in the news...

Epidemic Deficiency of Vitamin E...
If people had to rely on the news media for accurate health information, they might be influenced into making some very poor decisions. For instance, new studies about vitamin E are published every week. The findings from virtually all of these studies, however, remain buried in scientific journals—that is, unless there is an unfavorable outcome. Since vitamin E is a popular supplement, the media turns negative results into headline news stories, thus leading Americans to believe that they do not need supplemental vitamin E.
READ ARTICLE


The quackery of modern medicine (opinion)...
NewsTarget) The closer you look at conventional medicine, the more you realize just how much it's based on quackery. From the exaggerated claims of drug advertisements (which imply that swallowing patented chemicals will solve your life problems) to the absurd pro-drug, anti-nutrition regulatory proclamations by the FDA, the modern U.S. "sick care system" has become the laughing stock of the world.
READ ARTICLE


Cocoa may reverse blood vessel damage, study...
3/7/2007 - Smokers should be encouraged to indulge their sweet tooth, judging from the results of a new study into how daily consumption of a specially-prepared cocoa beverage benefits blood vessel function.
READ ARTICLE


Omega-3 may build grey matter, study...
09/03/2007 - A study presented this week proposes a mechanism by which omega-3 intake could have a bearing on a person's mood and outlook.
READ ARTICLE


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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GOOD ADVISE FOR HELPING THE HEART

Proven steps to protect your heart ...

Forget latest quick fixes and go for tried and true measures, experts say Forbes...
Updated: 4:16 p.m. PT March 7, 2007

Sure, many of us can't resist glazed doughnuts and french fries and don't remember what the inside of a gym looks like. And yes, we're constantly stressed out about work and could stand to lose 10 pounds.
But a heart attack? They happen to other people — not you.
Even if the worst should occur, doctors can use drugs to decrease the damage to your heart, or perform angioplasty or bypass surgery to fix the problem. Right?
Not always. Up to 25 percent of people who die of sudden cardiac death had no prior symptoms or warnings such as chest pain.
"You can't just rely on the thought that, 'Oh, well, if I have a heart attack the doctors will be there to save me and put me on medications,'" says Dr. Erin Michos, a cardiology fellow at Johns Hopkins Medicine. "Some people don't make it to the hospital. They die at home. Prevention needs to begin early in life."
Heart attacks strike when one or more of the heart's arteries are blocked, severely reducing or stopping blood from reaching part of the heart muscle. They're usually preceded by the buildup inside the artery walls of fatty deposits or plaque, which can rupture, causing a blood clot to form and block the artery. When the blood supply is cut off for more than a few minutes it can be deadly.
Coronary heart disease remains the nation's single leading cause of death, and it's estimated that 1.2 million Americans will have a first or recurrent coronary attack this year, killing 452,000 of them, according to the American Heart Association.
Preventative measuresIf those statistics sound frightening, take heart.
Cardiologists, doctors, nutritionists and other experts say you have the power to cut your risk of having a heart attack.
Instead of looking for the latest quick fix, however, focus your preventive efforts on what's already been proven.
For starters, that means changing your diet. But, as registered dietitian and American Heart Association spokeswoman Ronni Litz Julien points out, today there are lots more do's than don'ts.
She tells clients to get a tablespoon of olive oil a day, either with sautéed vegetables or a salad, and to frequently eat low-mercury fish, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids and can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A few eggs a week are no longer forbidden. Neither is meat, if you're eating lean, 4-ounce to 6-ounce cuts. The same goes for nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, cashews and peanuts, as long as you're not demolishing a Costco-size container in two days.
A little portion control will go a long way toward helping you keep your weight in check too. Litz Julien recommends that couples eating out order separate salads or shrimp cocktails and split an entrée. When cooking, don't just dump half a bag of rice into the pot — measure it. Aim to always leave something on the plate.
"If you can leave a few bites, you've created a barrier between you and the food," she says. "You're still satiated but you're not so completely full that you have to unbutton your pants."
Consistently getting a good night's rest is another simple thing you can do for your heart.
Recent studies have shown a connection between not getting enough sleep or irregular sleep patterns and heart disease, says cardiologist Dr. Thomas Lee, editor of the Harvard Health Letter, a journal which covers and analyzes health care issues. By cheating yourself of sleep, you're throwing off your biological clock, causing adrenaline to surge and raising blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attacks.
"We need to recognize that sleep is important, not a sign of weakness," Lee says. He suggests structuring your day so that you get enough sleep, which also can minimize stress in your life, another risk factor.
Down with your digitsAn additional key to heart attack prevention is knowing your numbers, including blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index.
Risk factors such as age (coronary heart disease increases as we grow older), gender (before 50 heart disease is more common in men than women, but women's risk increases after menopause) and heredity (you're at an increased risk if your father or a brother had a heart attack before 55 or your mom or a sister had a heart attack before 65) can't be changed, according to research from Johns Hopkins Medicine.
But once you know your numbers, you can do something about them.
High-tech helpThe Texas-based U.S. Preventive Medicine is one new company trying to encourage preventive screenings across America.
It's working with hospitals and physician groups to create centers where people can go for tests, health risk assessments, counseling and intervention, says medical director Dr. Boyd Lyles. On a daily basis Web sites, such as Everydayhealth.com, also can help you track your results and goals, and show you how to reach them.
Following through will take time and commitment, but it can be done.
Over the years, Litz Julien, for instance, has made exercise as an important part of the day as her shower.
"It's truly a matter of if you want it," she says. "You've got to want it."
© 2007 Forbes.com
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17506564/page/2/

IDEAL DIET

HOW TO MEND A BROKEN HEART


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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Nutrition in the news...

Atkins beats other diet plans in study ...
CHICAGO - The low-carb, high-fat Atkins diet gets high marks in one of the biggest, longest head-to-head studies of popular weight-loss plans, beating the Zone, the Ornish diet and even U.S. guidelines. Even so, critics say the results show how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off.
READ ARTICLE


Current vitamin D levels not enough in pregnancy, study...
2/28/2007 - Pregnant American women do not get enough vitamin D and prenatal multivitamins are not filling the gap, according to a University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences study.
READ ARTICLE


Selenium intake prevents loss of brain function as we age...
(NewsTarget) A person's selenium intake throughout life may influence how well they retain cognitive function as they age, according to a new study published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology."
READ ARTICLE


Study: Garlic won't lower cholesterol ...
CHICAGO - Garlic doesn't do much for the breath and it stinks for lowering cholesterol. That's the conclusion of the most rigorous, head-to-head study of raw garlic and popular garlic supplements, despite promoters' claims to the contrary.
READ ARTICLE


Childhood obesity triggers early puberty: study ...
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Childhood obesity in the United States appears to be causing girls to reach puberty at an earlier age, for reasons that are not clear, a study said on Monday.
READ ARTICLE


Prenatal vitamins shown to reduce children's risk of cancer...
(NewsTarget) Taking folic acid and multivitamins while pregnant can nearly halve the chance of a child getting a common cancer before the age of 18, new evidence from a Toronto children's hospital shows. The study, from Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, was pursued when officials at the hospital noticed a drop in neuroblastomas five years ago, after the Canadian government started requiring flour manufacturers to add folic acid to their product in 1998.
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Panel: Aspirin adds to colon cancer risk...
PHILADELPHIA - People at average risk for colon cancer shouldn't take aspirin or painkillers like ibuprofen to try to prevent the disease, a federal task force advises, because of the risk of bleeding and other potential health problems. The recommendation for the first time by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force includes those with a family history of colorectal cancer.
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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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You make up your own mind as to whether vitamins and antioxidants are safe and effective.

Antioxidants don't help you live longer...
CHICAGO - Antioxidant vitamins taken by tens of millions of people around the world won't lead to a longer life, according to an analysis of dozens of studies that adds to evidence questioning the value of the popular supplements. The large review of separate studies on thousands of people found no long-life benefit from vitamins A, E and C and beta carotene and selenium.
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The big vitamin scare: American Medical Association claims vitamins may kill you (opinion)...
The latest round in conventional medicine's ongoing attempts to discredit (and ultimately outlaw) nutritional supplements is found in a highly questionable study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which claims that vitamins actually increase the risk of death.
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Antioxidant Vitamins and Selenium in the news. Let the truth be told...
By Allen S. Josephs, M.D., Vitacost, President

03/02/2007 You are probably aware of a study that came out earlier this week in JAMA from Denmark indicating that in a meta-analysis of 68 randomized trials involving over 200,000 people, vitamins A, E and beta-carotene may increase mortality risk by up to 16%. The study indicated vitamin C did not have any clear effect on mortality and that the anti-oxidant mineral selenium was actually associated with a 9% decrease in all cause mortality. I read the full text of this study just published and must say that it is quite a mish-mosh. The authors of the study combined a large series of different studies using all different levels of nutrients, quality of nutrients (synthetic versus natural), and so on. The methodology in this meta-analysis I feel was terribly flawed. Dr. Stampfer, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health told the Associated Press that the studies reviewed were too different to be able to pool them together. I couldn't more strongly agree with Dr. Stampfer's impression 1.The authors of this paper further seemed to stack the deck against vitamins. They had reviewed a total of 815 different trials but included only 68 of them in their final analysis. There were over 400 trials that they reviewed in which the mortality rate was zero in both the vitamin group and the control group. They decided to exclude these over 400 trials because there was zero mortality. If indeed they were trying to determine is there was truly some increased risk of mortality associated with vitamins, why not include the over 400 trials that showed no mortality whatsoever. Furthermore within the 68 trials they decided whether they were low bias or high bias trials based on the way each study was conducted. When they looked at all 68 trials together they reported no significant effect on mortality. However when they selected out the 47 trials that they considered low bias (involving over 180,000 participants) that is when they saw some increased risk of mortality with some of the vitamins. As I read through this meta-analysis I could not help but feel that there was tremendous bias in putting together this paper. It is important to point out Denmark is in the European Union and their doctors and government tend to be very anti-vitamins and biased against supplements based on their absurd regulations. And of course the main stream press picked up on this study making the sweeping comment that vitamins will kill you. The press is not interested in reporting the fair and balanced facts but rather sensational headlines. I do not believe that anyone in the vitamin/nutrition business is advocating that you take only vitamin A, vitamin E and beta carotene as your nutritional supplements. Some of the best nutrients available were not analyzed in this paper such as alpha lipoic acid, coq10, omega-3 essential fatty acids, ginkgo, green tea, grape seed just to name a few. At the present time there are many cancer centers throughout the United States including the National Cancer Institute that are studying nutrients like soy, green tea and curcumin for their health benefits. A great example of media bias is a recent 2007 study they ignored entirely that was conducted in San Francisco, CA regarding vitamin D. This study is available on the National Library of Medicine which is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. I have provided the full abstract below...
2: "Solar ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiance and/or vitamin D have been found inversely correlated with incidence, mortality, and/or survival rates for breast, colorectal, ovarian, and prostate cancer and Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Evidence is emerging that more than 17 different types of cancer are likely to be vitamin D-sensitive. A recent meta-analysis concluded that 1,000 IU of oral vitamin D per day is associated with a 50% reduction in colorectal cancer incidence. Using this value, as well as the findings in a multifactorial ecologic study of cancer mortality rates in the US, estimates for reductions in risk of vitamin D-sensitive cancer mortality rates were made for 1,000 IU/day. These estimates, along with annual average serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, were used to estimate the reduction in cancer mortality rates in several Western European and North American countries that would result from intake of 1,000 IU/day of vitamin D. It was estimated that reductions could be 7% for males and 9% for females in the US and 14% for males and 20% for females in Western European countries below 59 degrees. It is proposed that increased fortification of food and increased availability of supplements could help increase vitamin D intake and could augment small increases in production of vitamin D from solar UVB irradiance. Providing 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day for all adult Americans would cost about $1 billion; the expected benefits for cancer would be in the range of $16-25 billion in addition to other health benefits of vitamin D. "There are those of you who may say that I too cannot be objective since I am deeply involved with this vitamin company. My interest with vitacost/NSI developed over time as I came to understand and appreciate the incredible benefits of proper nutritional supplementation. Obviously this negative vitamin study is likely being hailed in the halls of the pharmaceutical companies who spent over $800 million the last seven years lobbying congress and the FDA not to mention tens of billions on marketing. They see the vitamin industry as a clear and present danger to their over $200 billion per year monopoly that is bankrupting Americans and our government. The fact that it is well known that over 100,000 people die every year in this country from the proper use and administration of drugs does seem to get much press. Oh well, I've known about that double standard for a long time.


Comment: For more information and studies on this issue, read my webpage titled Antioxidants: The Case for Supplements.



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/

Do a key word search on cwiechert.com or Christopher Wiechert's HealthBlogger...http://www.cwiechert.com/contactus.html

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