Study concludes omega-3, lutein/zeaxanthin supplement use could help seniors maintain independence, save billions... From Life Extension Foundation
Readers of Life Extension Update may recall the September 27 2004 issue which reported the conclusion of the Lewin Group that consumption of certain dietary supplements by Americans could save the U.S. billions of dollars. In a new Lewin Group report dated November 2, 2005, it was revealed that the regular intake of omega-3 fatty acids and the combination of lutein with zeaxanthin could help older individuals maintain their independence and save an estimated 5.6 billion dollars over a five year period.
The Lewin Group was commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) to review research publications for validity, impact and applicability of the findings for omega-3 fatty acids and lutein and zeaxanthin as associated with producing health care savings and maintaining independence for men and women over the age of 65. Several hundred studies dating back nearly thirty years concerning omega-3 fatty acid use among older adults were reviewed, along with studies dating back fifteen years for lutein and zeaxanthin.
The impact of taking 1800 milligrams omega-3 fatty acids per day on coronary heart disease (CHD) prevention was estimated by the Lewin Group to have the potential of avoiding 384,303 hospitalizations and saving 3.1 billion dollars in hospital and physician service fees over five years. For lutein with zeaxanthin, taking 6 to 10 milligrams per day could prevent the loss of independence resulting from visual impairment due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) of 98,219 individuals, while saving 2.5 billion dollars.
The authors observed, “As the population lives longer, reducing the level of disability caused by age-related diseases is becoming ever more important . . . Potential savings could be achieved through a reduction in hospitalizations and physician services for CHD, and a reduction in the transition to greater dependency from loss of central vision due to advanced AMD.”
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Another study supporting the benefits of higher intakes of Vit D
Vitamin D appears more important than high calcium for bones...
09/11/2005-
Consuming more than 800 mg of calcium per day may be unnecessary for bone health if the body has enough vitamin D, say Icelandic researchers. Using food consumption records from more than 900 adults, the researchers determined that sufficient vitamin D levels can ensure an ideal level of parathyroid hormone (PTH) - a measure of calcium metabolism - even when calcium intake is less than 800 mg per day.
But consuming more than 1200 mg of calcium daily is not enough to maintain ideal PTH if the vitamin D status is insufficient.
The study is part of a growing body of work that points to the important role of vitamin D, and not just calcium alone, in bone health.
Bone health is a growing concern as the numbers affected by osteoporosis continue to rise, and an increasing elderly population suggests that these will grow further in the future. In Europe, osteoporosis causes around 1.1 million fractures each year.
In light of recent research, and predicting future health problems, some researchers have called for recommended intake of vitamin D to be raised but the adequate amounts needed in the diet are still not known.
The new study, published in today’s issue of JAMA (vol 294, no 18, pp2336-2341), underlines the need to do further work on the RDA for this vitamin.
Nevertheless, the authors, Dr Laufey Steingrimsdottir and colleagues from Landspitali-University Hospital in Reykjavik, write that "there is already sufficient evidence from numerous studies for physicians and general practitioners to emphasise to a much greater extent the importance of vitamin D status and recommend vitamin D supplements for the general public, when sun exposure and dietary sources are insufficient".
The team's findings were derived from nutrient intake data obtained from 944 healthy Icelandic adults recruited between 2001-2003.
The participants were divided into groups according to calcium intake (less than 800 mg/d, 800-1200 mg/d, and greater than1200 mg/d) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level (less than 10 ng/mL, 10-18 ng/mL, and greater than 18 ng/mL). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is a generally accepted indicator of vitamin D status.
After adjusting for relevant factors, the researchers found that serum intact PTH was lowest in the group with a vitamin D level of more than 18 ng/mL but highest in the group with a vitamin D level of less than 10 ng/mL.
An inverse relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and serum PTH is well established. PTH is a major hormone maintaining normal serum concentrations of calcium and phosphate and is itself regulated through levels of calcitriol and serum calcium. An insufficiency of vitamin D or calcium is generally associated with an increase in PTH.
But the researchers also observed that in people with a calcium intake of more than 1200 mg per day, there was still a significant difference in PTH between the lowest and highest vitamin D groups.
The researchers added: "The significance of our study was demonstrated by the strong negative association between sufficient serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and PTH, with calcium intake varying from less than 800 mg/d to more than 1200 mg/d."
“Our results suggest that vitamin D sufficiency can ensure ideal serum PTH values even when the calcium intake level is less than 800 mg/d, while high calcium intake (greater than 1200 mg/d) is not sufficient to maintain ideal serum PTH, as long as vitamin D status is insufficient," they write.
The authors said that although this cross-sectional study is not sufficient to demonstrate causality, “the association between vitamin D status, calcium intake, and the interaction between these two with serum PTH levels is a strong indication of the relative importance of these nutrients”.
Vitamin D may have a calcium sparing effect, explained the researchers, and as long as vitamin D status is ensured, calcium intake levels of more than 800 mg daily may be unnecessary for maintaining calcium metabolism.
Some countries, such as the UK and Denmark, have recently begun recommending that specific groups of the population take vitamin D supplements to ensure adequate vitamin D status during periods when there is little exposure to sunshine.
But data on the market for bone health supplements shows that the vitamin is still considered to have minor importance for this application. With a mere 4 per cent share of the overall vitamins market, vitamin D comes a long way behind calcium in bone supplement sales, according to a recent Frost & Sullivan report.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
09/11/2005-
Consuming more than 800 mg of calcium per day may be unnecessary for bone health if the body has enough vitamin D, say Icelandic researchers. Using food consumption records from more than 900 adults, the researchers determined that sufficient vitamin D levels can ensure an ideal level of parathyroid hormone (PTH) - a measure of calcium metabolism - even when calcium intake is less than 800 mg per day.
But consuming more than 1200 mg of calcium daily is not enough to maintain ideal PTH if the vitamin D status is insufficient.
The study is part of a growing body of work that points to the important role of vitamin D, and not just calcium alone, in bone health.
Bone health is a growing concern as the numbers affected by osteoporosis continue to rise, and an increasing elderly population suggests that these will grow further in the future. In Europe, osteoporosis causes around 1.1 million fractures each year.
In light of recent research, and predicting future health problems, some researchers have called for recommended intake of vitamin D to be raised but the adequate amounts needed in the diet are still not known.
The new study, published in today’s issue of JAMA (vol 294, no 18, pp2336-2341), underlines the need to do further work on the RDA for this vitamin.
Nevertheless, the authors, Dr Laufey Steingrimsdottir and colleagues from Landspitali-University Hospital in Reykjavik, write that "there is already sufficient evidence from numerous studies for physicians and general practitioners to emphasise to a much greater extent the importance of vitamin D status and recommend vitamin D supplements for the general public, when sun exposure and dietary sources are insufficient".
The team's findings were derived from nutrient intake data obtained from 944 healthy Icelandic adults recruited between 2001-2003.
The participants were divided into groups according to calcium intake (less than 800 mg/d, 800-1200 mg/d, and greater than1200 mg/d) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level (less than 10 ng/mL, 10-18 ng/mL, and greater than 18 ng/mL). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is a generally accepted indicator of vitamin D status.
After adjusting for relevant factors, the researchers found that serum intact PTH was lowest in the group with a vitamin D level of more than 18 ng/mL but highest in the group with a vitamin D level of less than 10 ng/mL.
An inverse relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and serum PTH is well established. PTH is a major hormone maintaining normal serum concentrations of calcium and phosphate and is itself regulated through levels of calcitriol and serum calcium. An insufficiency of vitamin D or calcium is generally associated with an increase in PTH.
But the researchers also observed that in people with a calcium intake of more than 1200 mg per day, there was still a significant difference in PTH between the lowest and highest vitamin D groups.
The researchers added: "The significance of our study was demonstrated by the strong negative association between sufficient serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and PTH, with calcium intake varying from less than 800 mg/d to more than 1200 mg/d."
“Our results suggest that vitamin D sufficiency can ensure ideal serum PTH values even when the calcium intake level is less than 800 mg/d, while high calcium intake (greater than 1200 mg/d) is not sufficient to maintain ideal serum PTH, as long as vitamin D status is insufficient," they write.
The authors said that although this cross-sectional study is not sufficient to demonstrate causality, “the association between vitamin D status, calcium intake, and the interaction between these two with serum PTH levels is a strong indication of the relative importance of these nutrients”.
Vitamin D may have a calcium sparing effect, explained the researchers, and as long as vitamin D status is ensured, calcium intake levels of more than 800 mg daily may be unnecessary for maintaining calcium metabolism.
Some countries, such as the UK and Denmark, have recently begun recommending that specific groups of the population take vitamin D supplements to ensure adequate vitamin D status during periods when there is little exposure to sunshine.
But data on the market for bone health supplements shows that the vitamin is still considered to have minor importance for this application. With a mere 4 per cent share of the overall vitamins market, vitamin D comes a long way behind calcium in bone supplement sales, according to a recent Frost & Sullivan report.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Vit D may help you and your family survive the Bird Flu Pandemic, when it comes...
I receive a newsletter from an organization called The Vitamin D Council. This is a periodic publication, from a non-profit group trying to end the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency.
I have reprinted the whole article for you here, but it is very long and scientific in nature, so I will put the most important points in bold so you can read all or part as you have time, but I have been researching vit D for many years and I know that most Americans are low in this inportant nutrient, so please take this information to heart.
cw
HERE IS THE ARTICLE:
As we wait for this year’s influenza epidemic, keep in mind we are also waiting for the big one, the pandemic (pan: all, demic: people). A severe pandemic will kill many more Americans than died in the World Trade Centers, the Iraq war, the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina combined. Perhaps a million or two in the USA alone. Such a disaster would tear the fabric of our society. Our entire country would resemble New Orleans after Katrina.
Also, it’s only a question of when it will come, not if it will come. Pandemics come every 25 years or so, severe ones every hundred years or so. The last pandemic, the Hong Kong flu, occurred in 1968, killing 34,000 Americans. In 1918, the Spanish flu killed more than 500,000 Americans. So many millions died in other countries, they couldn’t bury the bodies.
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918
Young healthy adults, in the prime of their lives in the morning, drowning in their own inflammation by noon, grossly discolored by sunset, were dead at midnight. An overwhelming immune response to the influenza virus - macrophages releasing large amounts of inflammatory agents called cytokines and chemokines into the lung of the afflicted - resulted in millions of deaths in 1918.
Nature. 2004 Oct 7;431(7009):703-7.
Keep in mind, that the Germans recently discovered that vitamin D is intimately involved in reining in the macrophages, holding their cytokine production back, so they don’t overshoot, and kill their owner along with the invader.
Blood. 2005 Aug 23; [Epub ahead of print]
Your annual flu shot won’t help when the big one hits, the antigenic shift one. Once the pandemic starts, a new vaccine, specific to the new virus must be manufactured and that takes time. You can and should get some antiviral drugs from your doctor in advance. Once the pandemic starts –this year, or ten years from now - the supply of antivirals may be limited and the lines will be long.
It may surprise you that influenza remains an enigma. Current theory holds that influenza infects like measles, one person gets it, gives it to others, in a chain of infectious events. That theory has some problems. For example, Dr. Carolyn Buxton Bridges, of the CDC, recently published a review paper on the transmission of influenza. She noted, "Our review found no human experimental studies published in the English-language literature delineating person-to-person transmission of influenza."
Clin Infect Dis. 2003 Oct 15;37(8):1094-101
Most experts also think pandemic strains originate in birds or other animals. Dr. Ann Reid and Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger, of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology recently wrote, "it is important to recognize that the mechanisms by which pandemic strains originate have not been explained yet." Furthermore, there is a persistent theory that influenza lies dormant in humans, not birds or swine, where it mutates into a killer strain.
J Gen Virol. 2003 Sep;84(Pt 9):2285-92.
Vaccine. 2002 Aug 19;20(25-26):3068-87.
So, get your flu shot for this year’s flu, stock up on some antivirals, and let’s go looking for some ignored facts that might improve your family’s chances when the pandemic comes. Last month we saw that aggressive treatment of vitamin D deficiency prevented children from getting infections. Dr. Rehman didn’t differentiate between viral and bacterial infections but most of the illnesses vitamin D prevented were probably viral.
J Trop Pediatr. 1994 Feb;40(1):58.
When looking for ignored facts, one should always start with epidemiology, the detective branch of medicine. Epidemiologists look for clues, clues that lead to theories, theories that can be tested, and, if true, save your family’s lives. One of the world’s pioneering epidemiologists died recently, R. Edward Hope-Simpson. He used meticulous, and solitary, detective work to discover that the chickenpox virus was reactivated in adults, causing shingles. Dr. Hope-Simpson became famous.
Proc R Soc Med. 1965 Jan;58:9-20.
In 1979, he turned his attention to influenza A. He studied two remote populations, one in Wales and the other in England. He found that most affected households had only one case of influenza. Furthermore, no serial time intervals could be identified in cumulative household outbreaks, that is, different families didn’t get sick one after another, but around the same time. He discovered other facts that just didn’t fit with the theory that influenza A is primarily spread by person-to-person transmission of this year’s virus.
J Hyg (Lond). 1979 Aug;83(1):11-26.
Then he spent the rest of his life trying to alert us to one of the basic facts of influenza. It is distinctly seasonal. All theories about its transmission must take into account its seasonality. Hope-Simpson reminded us what Davenport said, "Epidemiological hypotheses must provide satisfactory explanations for all the known findings – not just for a convenient subset of them."
Going back to 1945, he discovered that influenza epidemics above 30 degrees latitude in both hemispheres occurred during the six months of least solar radiation. Outbreaks in the tropics almost always occur during the rainy season. Hope-Simpson concluded, "Latitude alone broadly determines the timing of the epidemics in the annual cycle, a relationship that suggests a rather direct effect of some component of solar radiation acting positively or negatively upon the virus, the humans host or their interaction." That is, something may be regularly reducing our immunity every fall and winter.
J Hyg (Lond). 1981 Feb;86(1):35-47.
In 2003, researchers confirmed that influenza epidemics in the tropics occur, with few exceptions, during the rainy season - when vitamin D levels should be falling.
Paediatr Respir Rev. 2003 Jun;4(2):105-11.
Furthermore, in his 1981 paper, Hope-Simpson wondered how the same virus could cause influenza outbreaks at exactly the same time (middle of winter) over a six-year period (1969 - 1974) in two widely separated areas (Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Cirencester, England). Surely, during the middle of the Cold War, infected people did not arrive at two locations hundreds of miles apart, in the middle of winter, for five years in a row to infect the well people. On thing Prague and Cirencester do have in common, they are both at 50 degrees latitude.
In 1990, researchers confirmed a relative lack of country-to-country transmission, by looking at two countries with heavy tourist traffic between them.
J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol. 1990;34(3):283-8
Hope-Simpson rejected the theory that this year’s virus is only transmitted from actively infected persons to well persons, concluding instead the facts were more consistent with transmission by symptomless carriers who become contagious when the sun is either in the other hemisphere or obscured by the rainy season. He theorized that annual movement of the sun caused a "seasonal stimulus that reactivates latent virus in the innumerable carriers who are everywhere present, so creating the opportunity for epidemics to occur in the wake of its passage." And thus the celebrated scientist committed heresy.
Everyone knows influenza transmission is direct; the ill people infect the well people. The accepted theory of pandemics is that the virus first spreads in birds, perhaps jumps to a mammal (pigs in 1918), then jumps to humans already infected with a common influenza strain. There it combines and mutates (reassortment) to a hybrid virus in the index case and that single person spreads it to others who spread it to others, etc. No, said Hope-Simpson, the epidemiology just does not fit that theory. Heresy, said the experts.
Hope-Simpson practiced medicine in a small village in southwest England, Cirencester. He went back and looked at 16 years of his medical records and found evidence of 20 influenza outbreaks, spaced over those 16 years. In every outbreak, he found young children were the most frequently affected but in none of the 20 outbreaks did the children appear to be major disseminators of the influenza virus. Furthermore, all ages seemed to get sick around the same time. He concluded, "Such age-patterns are not those caused by a highly infectious immunizing virus surviving by means of direct transmissions from the sick, whose prompt development of the disease continues endless chains of transmissions."
J Hyg (Lond). 1984 Jun;92(3):303-36.
No one listened. Everyone knew, and still knows: influenza only occurs when sick people infect well people, who in turn infect other well people. I don’t think so, said Hope-Simpson. In search of more evidence, he went to all the parishes in Gloucestershire, separated by many miles. He looked at burial records for the last 500 years and found evidence of repeated influenza epidemics. He concluded, "In each century, influenzal excess mortalities in Gloucestershire parishes coincided with the date of the relevant influenza epidemic as recorded from widely different parts of Britain." That is, long before modern rapid transit, everyone in Britain got the flu around the same time! How could one person come down with the flu, infect others, etc, when everyone in Britain got sick at the same time, long before modern rapid transit?
J Hyg (Lond). 1983 Oct;91(2):293-308.
In fact, after studying influenza epidemics in schools, Hoyle and Wickramasinghe also decided that direct spread by infected children could not explain what was happening. They theorized that influenza viral precursors were reaching earth from outer space!
Nature. 1987 Jun 25-Jul 1;327(6124):664.
Content to stay on earth, Hope-Simpson published a detailed theory of influenza’s infectivity in 1987, based on the facts he observed. Right or wrong, Hope-Simpson’s paper is wonderful reading for anyone interested in influenza. Here is a great mind at work. He noted any theory of influenza must explain a number of facts:
"Vast explosions of disease which may attack 15% or more of a large community within six weeks and then cease,"
"Successive outbreaks of type A influenza in small relatively remote communities often coincide closely season after season with those of the country as a whole and, although the virus changes, the identical strains of virus appear contemporaneously in the two situations,"
"Cessation of epidemics despite abundant available non-immune subjects,"
household outbreaks occur all at once, not one after another,
"Low secondary attack rates within households,"
"epidemic patterns of influenza have not changed in four centuries . . . and does not seem to have altered with the increasing speed and complexity of human communications."
Epidemiol Infect. 1987 Aug;99(1):5-54.
Hope Simpson proposed that symptomless carriers became infective in response to a seasonal stimulus and then infect others causing simultaneous explosions of disease in widely different areas. Furthermore, he concluded that those who got sick were not particularly contagious. He proposed that the stimulus for infection "is dependent on variations in solar radiation, an extraterrestrial influence unaffected by the rapidity of human travel. The rapidity of influenza spread was as rapid in previous centuries as it is at present because it does not depend on case-to-case transfer."
He added, "The primary agency mediating seasonal control remains unidentified." That is, something is weakening our immune system, every year, as regularly as changing of the leaves and declining vitamin D levels, but he didn’t know what it was. Hope-Simpson’s 1987 paper was his last. In 1992, he compiled all his work on influenza into a book. He died in 2003, at the age of 95.
The Transmission of Epidemic Influenza (The Language of Science)
I wish Hope-Simpson could have lived a while longer, to read Dr. Colleen Hayes and her colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is one of the brightest vitamin D researchers out there. In 2003, she reviewed the profound effect vitamin D has on the immune system, including the role vitamin D plays in fighting infections.
Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2003 Mar;49(2):277-300.
Yes, as regularly as the flu season, vitamin D levels plummet in the fall and winter. Yes, vitamin D has profound effects on the immune system. Yes vitamin D may be involved in the epidemiology of influenza. But is there any direct evidence?
Two animal studies showed vitamin D prevents the flu and one showed it does not. Nothing after 1956. If you obtain and read the first citation below, you’ll see the very first animal paper indicting vitamin D protected rats from influenza was published in Japan during World War II, apparently part of Japan’s biological weapons research. The CIA confiscated the paper after the war.
Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1949 Dec;72(3):695-7.
Virology. 1956 Jun;2(3):415-29.
One last thing, when you give flu shots to hemodialysis patients, those taking activated vitamin D develop significantly better immunity.
Nephron. 2000 Sep;86(1):56-61.
Will normal vitamin D levels protect your family against the flu? No one knows. It would be nice if we had a report from a big hospital, were some patients were on vitamin D and some who weren’t and see what happened when the flu struck the hospital. Were the patients on vitamin D less likely to get the flu?
In the meantime, it seems to me the smart thing to do is to take enough real vitamin D (cholecalciferol) or get enough UVB light to get and keep your 25-hydroxy-vitamin D level at about 50 ng/ml. Of course, it is a good idea to keep your level around 50 ng/ml year around even if you don’t fear the coming influenza pandemic. 50 ng/ml is the normal human level and protects the owner from a myriad of chronic diseases.
J Nutr. 2005 Feb;135(2):317-22.
Eur J Clin Invest. 2005 May;35(5):290-304.
Also, don’t depend on high levels in the summer being stored and used in the winter. Vieth believes that the intracellular kinetics of vitamin D metabolism means that declining vitamin D blood levels may cause rapidly declining intracellular levels. That is, declining levels in the autumn may be as dangerous as low levels in the winter.
Int J Cancer. 2004 Sep 1;111(3):468
Professor Robert Heaney believes healthy blood levels may require up to 4,000 units a day for those with no sun exposure. Most people need to take more in the winter than the summer. Big people need more than little people. African Americans need more than whites. Sunphobes need more than those who enjoy God’s invention.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Jul 15
Children over 50 pounds need up to 2,000 units a day. Under 50 pounds, about 1,000 units a day. There is no way to know for sure how much you need without a blood test, called a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D. That test should be conducted in the late winter, when your levels are the lowest, and at the beginning of fall, when your levels are the highest. Then you can figure out how much you need to take to keep stable levels. Or adults can simply take 4,000 units a day, every day, except for those late spring, summer, and early fall days when you go into the sun.
It might be a good idea to keep pharmacological doses (50,000 units) of vitamin D next to your antivirals and take a 50,000 unit capsule at the first sign of the flu, although there is not one study to support such a practice. It might help tame those unchained macrophages and save your life or it might not help at all. You can buy 50,000 unit capsules from Bio-Tech-Pharm . Single administrations of ten times that amount have repeatedly been found to be safe and are routinely used in Europe as stoss therapy.
So, maybe vitamin D will help your family survive the coming influenza pandemic, maybe not. Let’s gamble. Ever heard of the vitamin D variation of Pascal’s wager ?
"If you erroneously believe vitamin D helps influenza, you lose nothing, whereas if you correctly believe vitamin D helps influenza, your family may live. But if you correctly disbelieve in vitamin D, you gain nothing, whereas if you erroneously disbelieve in vitamin D, your family may die."
John Cannell, MD
The Vitamin D Council
9100 San Gregorio Road
Atascadero, CA 93422
Vitamin D3
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
I have reprinted the whole article for you here, but it is very long and scientific in nature, so I will put the most important points in bold so you can read all or part as you have time, but I have been researching vit D for many years and I know that most Americans are low in this inportant nutrient, so please take this information to heart.
cw
HERE IS THE ARTICLE:
As we wait for this year’s influenza epidemic, keep in mind we are also waiting for the big one, the pandemic (pan: all, demic: people). A severe pandemic will kill many more Americans than died in the World Trade Centers, the Iraq war, the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina combined. Perhaps a million or two in the USA alone. Such a disaster would tear the fabric of our society. Our entire country would resemble New Orleans after Katrina.
Also, it’s only a question of when it will come, not if it will come. Pandemics come every 25 years or so, severe ones every hundred years or so. The last pandemic, the Hong Kong flu, occurred in 1968, killing 34,000 Americans. In 1918, the Spanish flu killed more than 500,000 Americans. So many millions died in other countries, they couldn’t bury the bodies.
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918
Young healthy adults, in the prime of their lives in the morning, drowning in their own inflammation by noon, grossly discolored by sunset, were dead at midnight. An overwhelming immune response to the influenza virus - macrophages releasing large amounts of inflammatory agents called cytokines and chemokines into the lung of the afflicted - resulted in millions of deaths in 1918.
Nature. 2004 Oct 7;431(7009):703-7.
Keep in mind, that the Germans recently discovered that vitamin D is intimately involved in reining in the macrophages, holding their cytokine production back, so they don’t overshoot, and kill their owner along with the invader.
Blood. 2005 Aug 23; [Epub ahead of print]
Your annual flu shot won’t help when the big one hits, the antigenic shift one. Once the pandemic starts, a new vaccine, specific to the new virus must be manufactured and that takes time. You can and should get some antiviral drugs from your doctor in advance. Once the pandemic starts –this year, or ten years from now - the supply of antivirals may be limited and the lines will be long.
It may surprise you that influenza remains an enigma. Current theory holds that influenza infects like measles, one person gets it, gives it to others, in a chain of infectious events. That theory has some problems. For example, Dr. Carolyn Buxton Bridges, of the CDC, recently published a review paper on the transmission of influenza. She noted, "Our review found no human experimental studies published in the English-language literature delineating person-to-person transmission of influenza."
Clin Infect Dis. 2003 Oct 15;37(8):1094-101
Most experts also think pandemic strains originate in birds or other animals. Dr. Ann Reid and Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger, of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology recently wrote, "it is important to recognize that the mechanisms by which pandemic strains originate have not been explained yet." Furthermore, there is a persistent theory that influenza lies dormant in humans, not birds or swine, where it mutates into a killer strain.
J Gen Virol. 2003 Sep;84(Pt 9):2285-92.
Vaccine. 2002 Aug 19;20(25-26):3068-87.
So, get your flu shot for this year’s flu, stock up on some antivirals, and let’s go looking for some ignored facts that might improve your family’s chances when the pandemic comes. Last month we saw that aggressive treatment of vitamin D deficiency prevented children from getting infections. Dr. Rehman didn’t differentiate between viral and bacterial infections but most of the illnesses vitamin D prevented were probably viral.
J Trop Pediatr. 1994 Feb;40(1):58.
When looking for ignored facts, one should always start with epidemiology, the detective branch of medicine. Epidemiologists look for clues, clues that lead to theories, theories that can be tested, and, if true, save your family’s lives. One of the world’s pioneering epidemiologists died recently, R. Edward Hope-Simpson. He used meticulous, and solitary, detective work to discover that the chickenpox virus was reactivated in adults, causing shingles. Dr. Hope-Simpson became famous.
Proc R Soc Med. 1965 Jan;58:9-20.
In 1979, he turned his attention to influenza A. He studied two remote populations, one in Wales and the other in England. He found that most affected households had only one case of influenza. Furthermore, no serial time intervals could be identified in cumulative household outbreaks, that is, different families didn’t get sick one after another, but around the same time. He discovered other facts that just didn’t fit with the theory that influenza A is primarily spread by person-to-person transmission of this year’s virus.
J Hyg (Lond). 1979 Aug;83(1):11-26.
Then he spent the rest of his life trying to alert us to one of the basic facts of influenza. It is distinctly seasonal. All theories about its transmission must take into account its seasonality. Hope-Simpson reminded us what Davenport said, "Epidemiological hypotheses must provide satisfactory explanations for all the known findings – not just for a convenient subset of them."
Going back to 1945, he discovered that influenza epidemics above 30 degrees latitude in both hemispheres occurred during the six months of least solar radiation. Outbreaks in the tropics almost always occur during the rainy season. Hope-Simpson concluded, "Latitude alone broadly determines the timing of the epidemics in the annual cycle, a relationship that suggests a rather direct effect of some component of solar radiation acting positively or negatively upon the virus, the humans host or their interaction." That is, something may be regularly reducing our immunity every fall and winter.
J Hyg (Lond). 1981 Feb;86(1):35-47.
In 2003, researchers confirmed that influenza epidemics in the tropics occur, with few exceptions, during the rainy season - when vitamin D levels should be falling.
Paediatr Respir Rev. 2003 Jun;4(2):105-11.
Furthermore, in his 1981 paper, Hope-Simpson wondered how the same virus could cause influenza outbreaks at exactly the same time (middle of winter) over a six-year period (1969 - 1974) in two widely separated areas (Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Cirencester, England). Surely, during the middle of the Cold War, infected people did not arrive at two locations hundreds of miles apart, in the middle of winter, for five years in a row to infect the well people. On thing Prague and Cirencester do have in common, they are both at 50 degrees latitude.
In 1990, researchers confirmed a relative lack of country-to-country transmission, by looking at two countries with heavy tourist traffic between them.
J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol. 1990;34(3):283-8
Hope-Simpson rejected the theory that this year’s virus is only transmitted from actively infected persons to well persons, concluding instead the facts were more consistent with transmission by symptomless carriers who become contagious when the sun is either in the other hemisphere or obscured by the rainy season. He theorized that annual movement of the sun caused a "seasonal stimulus that reactivates latent virus in the innumerable carriers who are everywhere present, so creating the opportunity for epidemics to occur in the wake of its passage." And thus the celebrated scientist committed heresy.
Everyone knows influenza transmission is direct; the ill people infect the well people. The accepted theory of pandemics is that the virus first spreads in birds, perhaps jumps to a mammal (pigs in 1918), then jumps to humans already infected with a common influenza strain. There it combines and mutates (reassortment) to a hybrid virus in the index case and that single person spreads it to others who spread it to others, etc. No, said Hope-Simpson, the epidemiology just does not fit that theory. Heresy, said the experts.
Hope-Simpson practiced medicine in a small village in southwest England, Cirencester. He went back and looked at 16 years of his medical records and found evidence of 20 influenza outbreaks, spaced over those 16 years. In every outbreak, he found young children were the most frequently affected but in none of the 20 outbreaks did the children appear to be major disseminators of the influenza virus. Furthermore, all ages seemed to get sick around the same time. He concluded, "Such age-patterns are not those caused by a highly infectious immunizing virus surviving by means of direct transmissions from the sick, whose prompt development of the disease continues endless chains of transmissions."
J Hyg (Lond). 1984 Jun;92(3):303-36.
No one listened. Everyone knew, and still knows: influenza only occurs when sick people infect well people, who in turn infect other well people. I don’t think so, said Hope-Simpson. In search of more evidence, he went to all the parishes in Gloucestershire, separated by many miles. He looked at burial records for the last 500 years and found evidence of repeated influenza epidemics. He concluded, "In each century, influenzal excess mortalities in Gloucestershire parishes coincided with the date of the relevant influenza epidemic as recorded from widely different parts of Britain." That is, long before modern rapid transit, everyone in Britain got the flu around the same time! How could one person come down with the flu, infect others, etc, when everyone in Britain got sick at the same time, long before modern rapid transit?
J Hyg (Lond). 1983 Oct;91(2):293-308.
In fact, after studying influenza epidemics in schools, Hoyle and Wickramasinghe also decided that direct spread by infected children could not explain what was happening. They theorized that influenza viral precursors were reaching earth from outer space!
Nature. 1987 Jun 25-Jul 1;327(6124):664.
Content to stay on earth, Hope-Simpson published a detailed theory of influenza’s infectivity in 1987, based on the facts he observed. Right or wrong, Hope-Simpson’s paper is wonderful reading for anyone interested in influenza. Here is a great mind at work. He noted any theory of influenza must explain a number of facts:
"Vast explosions of disease which may attack 15% or more of a large community within six weeks and then cease,"
"Successive outbreaks of type A influenza in small relatively remote communities often coincide closely season after season with those of the country as a whole and, although the virus changes, the identical strains of virus appear contemporaneously in the two situations,"
"Cessation of epidemics despite abundant available non-immune subjects,"
household outbreaks occur all at once, not one after another,
"Low secondary attack rates within households,"
"epidemic patterns of influenza have not changed in four centuries . . . and does not seem to have altered with the increasing speed and complexity of human communications."
Epidemiol Infect. 1987 Aug;99(1):5-54.
Hope Simpson proposed that symptomless carriers became infective in response to a seasonal stimulus and then infect others causing simultaneous explosions of disease in widely different areas. Furthermore, he concluded that those who got sick were not particularly contagious. He proposed that the stimulus for infection "is dependent on variations in solar radiation, an extraterrestrial influence unaffected by the rapidity of human travel. The rapidity of influenza spread was as rapid in previous centuries as it is at present because it does not depend on case-to-case transfer."
He added, "The primary agency mediating seasonal control remains unidentified." That is, something is weakening our immune system, every year, as regularly as changing of the leaves and declining vitamin D levels, but he didn’t know what it was. Hope-Simpson’s 1987 paper was his last. In 1992, he compiled all his work on influenza into a book. He died in 2003, at the age of 95.
The Transmission of Epidemic Influenza (The Language of Science)
I wish Hope-Simpson could have lived a while longer, to read Dr. Colleen Hayes and her colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is one of the brightest vitamin D researchers out there. In 2003, she reviewed the profound effect vitamin D has on the immune system, including the role vitamin D plays in fighting infections.
Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2003 Mar;49(2):277-300.
Yes, as regularly as the flu season, vitamin D levels plummet in the fall and winter. Yes, vitamin D has profound effects on the immune system. Yes vitamin D may be involved in the epidemiology of influenza. But is there any direct evidence?
Two animal studies showed vitamin D prevents the flu and one showed it does not. Nothing after 1956. If you obtain and read the first citation below, you’ll see the very first animal paper indicting vitamin D protected rats from influenza was published in Japan during World War II, apparently part of Japan’s biological weapons research. The CIA confiscated the paper after the war.
Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1949 Dec;72(3):695-7.
Virology. 1956 Jun;2(3):415-29.
One last thing, when you give flu shots to hemodialysis patients, those taking activated vitamin D develop significantly better immunity.
Nephron. 2000 Sep;86(1):56-61.
Will normal vitamin D levels protect your family against the flu? No one knows. It would be nice if we had a report from a big hospital, were some patients were on vitamin D and some who weren’t and see what happened when the flu struck the hospital. Were the patients on vitamin D less likely to get the flu?
In the meantime, it seems to me the smart thing to do is to take enough real vitamin D (cholecalciferol) or get enough UVB light to get and keep your 25-hydroxy-vitamin D level at about 50 ng/ml. Of course, it is a good idea to keep your level around 50 ng/ml year around even if you don’t fear the coming influenza pandemic. 50 ng/ml is the normal human level and protects the owner from a myriad of chronic diseases.
J Nutr. 2005 Feb;135(2):317-22.
Eur J Clin Invest. 2005 May;35(5):290-304.
Also, don’t depend on high levels in the summer being stored and used in the winter. Vieth believes that the intracellular kinetics of vitamin D metabolism means that declining vitamin D blood levels may cause rapidly declining intracellular levels. That is, declining levels in the autumn may be as dangerous as low levels in the winter.
Int J Cancer. 2004 Sep 1;111(3):468
Professor Robert Heaney believes healthy blood levels may require up to 4,000 units a day for those with no sun exposure. Most people need to take more in the winter than the summer. Big people need more than little people. African Americans need more than whites. Sunphobes need more than those who enjoy God’s invention.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Jul 15
Children over 50 pounds need up to 2,000 units a day. Under 50 pounds, about 1,000 units a day. There is no way to know for sure how much you need without a blood test, called a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D. That test should be conducted in the late winter, when your levels are the lowest, and at the beginning of fall, when your levels are the highest. Then you can figure out how much you need to take to keep stable levels. Or adults can simply take 4,000 units a day, every day, except for those late spring, summer, and early fall days when you go into the sun.
It might be a good idea to keep pharmacological doses (50,000 units) of vitamin D next to your antivirals and take a 50,000 unit capsule at the first sign of the flu, although there is not one study to support such a practice. It might help tame those unchained macrophages and save your life or it might not help at all. You can buy 50,000 unit capsules from Bio-Tech-Pharm . Single administrations of ten times that amount have repeatedly been found to be safe and are routinely used in Europe as stoss therapy.
So, maybe vitamin D will help your family survive the coming influenza pandemic, maybe not. Let’s gamble. Ever heard of the vitamin D variation of Pascal’s wager ?
"If you erroneously believe vitamin D helps influenza, you lose nothing, whereas if you correctly believe vitamin D helps influenza, your family may live. But if you correctly disbelieve in vitamin D, you gain nothing, whereas if you erroneously disbelieve in vitamin D, your family may die."
John Cannell, MD
The Vitamin D Council
9100 San Gregorio Road
Atascadero, CA 93422
Vitamin D3
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Get up, get out, and for goodness sake, walk...
Study: Walking As Good As Jogging
By NATALIE GOTT, Associated Press Writer
There's no need to run. Just going for a brisk walk — in the park, around the block or on a treadmill — may be enough to help keep your heart healthy, a small study suggests.
The study, which indicates roughly two to three hours of mild exercise a week at a moderate intensity can significantly cut the risk of cardiovascular disease, supports earlier research.
The findings may encourage people who are reluctant to exercise, said Brian Duscha, the lead author of the research published in the October issue of the journal Chest.
"The classic question always is: What's the minimum amount I need to do to enjoy the benefits of it," Duscha said. "If you just walk 12 miles a week at a brisk pace, it's scientifically proven now that you will get some benefits."
The conclusions are based on a study at Duke University Medical Center of 133 middle-aged overweight sedentary men and women who were at risk for heart disease.
Broken into four groups, the volunteers either did not exercise, walked briskly for 12 miles a week at a moderate intensity, walked briskly or jogged slowly 12 miles a week at a vigorous intensity, or jogged 20 miles a week at a vigorous intensity.
The researchers studied two measurements of fitness — time to exhaustion and oxygen consumption. The better shape a person is in, the more oxygen can be consumed and used, Duscha said.
All the exercise groups saw fitness improvements. And when the two groups that walked 12 miles at differing intensity levels were compared, there wasn't a significant difference in peak oxygen consumption. There was an improvement for those who jogged vigorously 20 miles a week, an indication that the amount of exercise can be important.
As to the exercising volunteers' minimal weight loss — an average of 3 pounds over the eight-month study period — Duscha said that didn't matter. People who don't exercise and maintain the same diet will gain up to 4 pounds a year, according to an earlier analysis of the same study participants.
Even if you think you aren't gaining any benefits because you aren't losing weight, "don't stop exercising," Duscha said.
Dr. Robert Eckel, president of the American Heart Association, said the study supports what already is known: Moderate activity is certainly better than no activity. But, he noted that "even being more fit may have a better outcome long-term."
A large study based on medical records and questionnaires of more than 40,000 men middle-aged men a few years ago also suggested moderate exercise helps the heart.
Dave Brady, manager of Hyde Park Gym in Austin, Texas, said the findings from the Duke study weren't new but "absolutely right on." Walking 12 miles a week is a good start for people who are overweight and haven't done any exercise, he said.
"If people would just start walking they will get some type of benefit," said Brady.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
By NATALIE GOTT, Associated Press Writer
There's no need to run. Just going for a brisk walk — in the park, around the block or on a treadmill — may be enough to help keep your heart healthy, a small study suggests.
The study, which indicates roughly two to three hours of mild exercise a week at a moderate intensity can significantly cut the risk of cardiovascular disease, supports earlier research.
The findings may encourage people who are reluctant to exercise, said Brian Duscha, the lead author of the research published in the October issue of the journal Chest.
"The classic question always is: What's the minimum amount I need to do to enjoy the benefits of it," Duscha said. "If you just walk 12 miles a week at a brisk pace, it's scientifically proven now that you will get some benefits."
The conclusions are based on a study at Duke University Medical Center of 133 middle-aged overweight sedentary men and women who were at risk for heart disease.
Broken into four groups, the volunteers either did not exercise, walked briskly for 12 miles a week at a moderate intensity, walked briskly or jogged slowly 12 miles a week at a vigorous intensity, or jogged 20 miles a week at a vigorous intensity.
The researchers studied two measurements of fitness — time to exhaustion and oxygen consumption. The better shape a person is in, the more oxygen can be consumed and used, Duscha said.
All the exercise groups saw fitness improvements. And when the two groups that walked 12 miles at differing intensity levels were compared, there wasn't a significant difference in peak oxygen consumption. There was an improvement for those who jogged vigorously 20 miles a week, an indication that the amount of exercise can be important.
As to the exercising volunteers' minimal weight loss — an average of 3 pounds over the eight-month study period — Duscha said that didn't matter. People who don't exercise and maintain the same diet will gain up to 4 pounds a year, according to an earlier analysis of the same study participants.
Even if you think you aren't gaining any benefits because you aren't losing weight, "don't stop exercising," Duscha said.
Dr. Robert Eckel, president of the American Heart Association, said the study supports what already is known: Moderate activity is certainly better than no activity. But, he noted that "even being more fit may have a better outcome long-term."
A large study based on medical records and questionnaires of more than 40,000 men middle-aged men a few years ago also suggested moderate exercise helps the heart.
Dave Brady, manager of Hyde Park Gym in Austin, Texas, said the findings from the Duke study weren't new but "absolutely right on." Walking 12 miles a week is a good start for people who are overweight and haven't done any exercise, he said.
"If people would just start walking they will get some type of benefit," said Brady.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Saturday, October 22, 2005
What is the Number 1 Cause of Death in America...
Commentary by CW 10-22-05:
This is a very important question. Why, because if we could know in advance what the number 1 killer of people in America was, maybe, just maybe we could stop ourselves from becoming a statistic that would end in our premature demise.
I have long been a follower of medical statistics. They tell me a lot. For example, in 1962, 1 out 16 people were getting Cancer, today it is more like 1 in 2 or 3. It helps me to know this, so when I hear the statement "we are winning the war on Cancer", I can look at the reality and say to myself... Really? Actually I say... Liar, liar, pants on fire, or something like that.
The annual cancer death rate for 2001 was, 553,251.
So is Cancer the number 1 cause of death in America? Nope. It is gaining on us though.
What about Heart Disease? It use to be that Heart disease was the number 1 killer in America. Right now, 1 out of 2 of us will become a statistic of Heart Disease and the 2001 heart disease annual death rate was 699,697.
So, is Heart Disease number 1? Nope. But its getting a lot of us.
What about type 2 Diabetes? Well it's fast becoming number 3 with a 32% increase of this disease in just the last 20 years. But it's not number 1, yet.
So what is the leading cause of death in America, with the total number of deaths for 2001 being 783,936.
Are you ready?
I think you will be surprised.
Doctors, hospitals, drug interactions or what is called Iatrogenic [induced inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures] killed the most people in 2001.
Here is just a little of the stats:
According to Gary Null PhD, Carolyn Dean MD ND, Martin Feldman MD, Debora Rasio MD, and Dorothy Smith PhD "a definitive review and close reading of medical peer-review journals, and government health statistics in 2001 shows that American medicine frequently causes more harm than good".
"The number of people having in-hospital, adverse drug reactions (ADR) to prescribed medicine is 2.2 million. Dr. Richard Besser, of the CDC, in 1995, said the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections was 20 million. Dr. Besser, in 2003, now refers to tens of millions of unnecessary antibiotics".
"The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million".
"The total number of iatrogenic deaths is 783,936. It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States".
"The enumerating of unnecessary medical events is very important in our analysis. Any medical procedure that is invasive and not necessary must be considered as part of the larger iatrogenic picture. Unfortunately, cause and effect go unmonitored. The figures on unnecessary events represent people ("patients") who are thrust into a dangerous health care system. They are helpless victims. Each one of these 16.4 million lives is being affected in a way that could have a fatal consequence. Simply entering a hospital could result in the following (out of 16. 4 million people):
2.1 percent chance of a serious adverse drug reaction (186,000)
5 percent to 6 percent chance of acquiring a nosocomial [hospital] infection (489,500)
4 percent to 36 percent chance of having an iatrogenic injury in hospital (medical error and adverse drug reactions) (1.78 million)
17 percent chance of a procedure error (1.3 million)
All the statistics above represent a one-year time span. Imagine the numbers over a 10-year period.
Working with the most conservative figures from our statistics we project the following 10-year death rates would be 7,841,360 (7.8 million) "
I could give you a lot more examples, but here is just one that I noticed the other day. This is modern medicine trying to help us with our type 2 Diabetes epidemic.
Study finds higher cardiac risks from new diabetes drug:
By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY, Fri Oct 21, 7:16 AM ET
A powerful new diabetes drug on the brink of being approved appears to double the risk of death, heart attacks or strokes, researchers reported Thursday.
The drug, muraglitazar, is a prototype of a new class of drugs that can reduce blood fats and blood sugar, a valuable combination for the 18 million diabetics who have a high risk of heart disease.
The study was carried out by the same Cleveland Clinic researchers who first reported the heart risks posed by the arthritis drug Vioxx, which has been taken off the market. They used data the diabetes drug's maker, Bristol-Myers Squibb, gave the Food and Drug Administration.
Their analysis involved data from 2,374 patients who took muraglitazar, to be sold as Pargluva, and 1,351 who took either a rival drug called pioglitazone, sold as Actos, or a placebo. Death, heart attacks and strokes occurred in 35 of the muraglitazar patients and nine of the control patients.
"Ten of 1,000 patients would die, have a heart attack or a stroke," says lead author Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic.
When the researchers factored in heart failure and mini-strokes, Nissen says, they found that patients' risk of catastrophic events increased nearly threefold.
Nissen and his co-authors published their results two days after the FDA pronounced muraglitazar "approvable." But the FDA asked Bristol-Myers to address the drug's heart-disease risk profile.
The Journal of the American Medical Association rushed the study onto its website Thursday, citing a compelling need to make the information public.
"It's a very important and interesting finding," says Richard Kahn of the American Diabetes Association. "I'm confident that the FDA will pursue this to the end to make sure the drug is safe."
Tony Plohoros, a spokesman for Bristol-Myers, says: "At this point, we're anxious to begin discussions with FDA to address this issue." Merck, which is marketing the drug with Bristol-Myers, echoed that response in a joint statement.
Laura Alvey, an FDA spokeswoman, issued a statement that said the agency was aware of the latest findings on muraglitazar but that it couldn't comment further on the drug because its application for approval is still pending.
James Brophy of McGill University in Montreal wrote in a JAMA editorial that the analysis "should focus serious attention" on the drug's cardiovascular risks.
On Sept. 9, an FDA advisory committee voted 8-1 to recommend the drug's approval as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. During that meeting, the FDA's analysts reported evidence of cardiac risk. But they didn't flag the risk as significant, except when the drug was used with other treatments. Bristol experts concluded there was no significant rise in heart risk.
Brophy, in his editorial, cited the gulf between the two interpretations of the data. He asked: "The question now is, which safety message will the FDA buy?"
Is it no wonder that I have dedicated myself to learning alternative approaches to dealing with disease. What happened to Medicine. Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicines said, "I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel..." He was also quoted as saying "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food".
Need I say any more...
Also I would like to say that America is number 1 in the world for Emergency Medical and Surgical care. If I were in a car accident, broke my leg or needed surgery, I would have the best care in the world here, but when it comes to the treatment of Chronic Degenerative Diseases, I personally find Alternative Medicine a smarter choice, when chosen properly.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
This is a very important question. Why, because if we could know in advance what the number 1 killer of people in America was, maybe, just maybe we could stop ourselves from becoming a statistic that would end in our premature demise.
I have long been a follower of medical statistics. They tell me a lot. For example, in 1962, 1 out 16 people were getting Cancer, today it is more like 1 in 2 or 3. It helps me to know this, so when I hear the statement "we are winning the war on Cancer", I can look at the reality and say to myself... Really? Actually I say... Liar, liar, pants on fire, or something like that.
The annual cancer death rate for 2001 was, 553,251.
So is Cancer the number 1 cause of death in America? Nope. It is gaining on us though.
What about Heart Disease? It use to be that Heart disease was the number 1 killer in America. Right now, 1 out of 2 of us will become a statistic of Heart Disease and the 2001 heart disease annual death rate was 699,697.
So, is Heart Disease number 1? Nope. But its getting a lot of us.
What about type 2 Diabetes? Well it's fast becoming number 3 with a 32% increase of this disease in just the last 20 years. But it's not number 1, yet.
So what is the leading cause of death in America, with the total number of deaths for 2001 being 783,936.
Are you ready?
I think you will be surprised.
Doctors, hospitals, drug interactions or what is called Iatrogenic [induced inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures] killed the most people in 2001.
Here is just a little of the stats:
According to Gary Null PhD, Carolyn Dean MD ND, Martin Feldman MD, Debora Rasio MD, and Dorothy Smith PhD "a definitive review and close reading of medical peer-review journals, and government health statistics in 2001 shows that American medicine frequently causes more harm than good".
"The number of people having in-hospital, adverse drug reactions (ADR) to prescribed medicine is 2.2 million. Dr. Richard Besser, of the CDC, in 1995, said the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections was 20 million. Dr. Besser, in 2003, now refers to tens of millions of unnecessary antibiotics".
"The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million".
"The total number of iatrogenic deaths is 783,936. It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States".
"The enumerating of unnecessary medical events is very important in our analysis. Any medical procedure that is invasive and not necessary must be considered as part of the larger iatrogenic picture. Unfortunately, cause and effect go unmonitored. The figures on unnecessary events represent people ("patients") who are thrust into a dangerous health care system. They are helpless victims. Each one of these 16.4 million lives is being affected in a way that could have a fatal consequence. Simply entering a hospital could result in the following (out of 16. 4 million people):
2.1 percent chance of a serious adverse drug reaction (186,000)
5 percent to 6 percent chance of acquiring a nosocomial [hospital] infection (489,500)
4 percent to 36 percent chance of having an iatrogenic injury in hospital (medical error and adverse drug reactions) (1.78 million)
17 percent chance of a procedure error (1.3 million)
All the statistics above represent a one-year time span. Imagine the numbers over a 10-year period.
Working with the most conservative figures from our statistics we project the following 10-year death rates would be 7,841,360 (7.8 million) "
I could give you a lot more examples, but here is just one that I noticed the other day. This is modern medicine trying to help us with our type 2 Diabetes epidemic.
Study finds higher cardiac risks from new diabetes drug:
By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY, Fri Oct 21, 7:16 AM ET
A powerful new diabetes drug on the brink of being approved appears to double the risk of death, heart attacks or strokes, researchers reported Thursday.
The drug, muraglitazar, is a prototype of a new class of drugs that can reduce blood fats and blood sugar, a valuable combination for the 18 million diabetics who have a high risk of heart disease.
The study was carried out by the same Cleveland Clinic researchers who first reported the heart risks posed by the arthritis drug Vioxx, which has been taken off the market. They used data the diabetes drug's maker, Bristol-Myers Squibb, gave the Food and Drug Administration.
Their analysis involved data from 2,374 patients who took muraglitazar, to be sold as Pargluva, and 1,351 who took either a rival drug called pioglitazone, sold as Actos, or a placebo. Death, heart attacks and strokes occurred in 35 of the muraglitazar patients and nine of the control patients.
"Ten of 1,000 patients would die, have a heart attack or a stroke," says lead author Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic.
When the researchers factored in heart failure and mini-strokes, Nissen says, they found that patients' risk of catastrophic events increased nearly threefold.
Nissen and his co-authors published their results two days after the FDA pronounced muraglitazar "approvable." But the FDA asked Bristol-Myers to address the drug's heart-disease risk profile.
The Journal of the American Medical Association rushed the study onto its website Thursday, citing a compelling need to make the information public.
"It's a very important and interesting finding," says Richard Kahn of the American Diabetes Association. "I'm confident that the FDA will pursue this to the end to make sure the drug is safe."
Tony Plohoros, a spokesman for Bristol-Myers, says: "At this point, we're anxious to begin discussions with FDA to address this issue." Merck, which is marketing the drug with Bristol-Myers, echoed that response in a joint statement.
Laura Alvey, an FDA spokeswoman, issued a statement that said the agency was aware of the latest findings on muraglitazar but that it couldn't comment further on the drug because its application for approval is still pending.
James Brophy of McGill University in Montreal wrote in a JAMA editorial that the analysis "should focus serious attention" on the drug's cardiovascular risks.
On Sept. 9, an FDA advisory committee voted 8-1 to recommend the drug's approval as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. During that meeting, the FDA's analysts reported evidence of cardiac risk. But they didn't flag the risk as significant, except when the drug was used with other treatments. Bristol experts concluded there was no significant rise in heart risk.
Brophy, in his editorial, cited the gulf between the two interpretations of the data. He asked: "The question now is, which safety message will the FDA buy?"
Is it no wonder that I have dedicated myself to learning alternative approaches to dealing with disease. What happened to Medicine. Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicines said, "I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel..." He was also quoted as saying "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food".
Need I say any more...
Also I would like to say that America is number 1 in the world for Emergency Medical and Surgical care. If I were in a car accident, broke my leg or needed surgery, I would have the best care in the world here, but when it comes to the treatment of Chronic Degenerative Diseases, I personally find Alternative Medicine a smarter choice, when chosen properly.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Monday, October 17, 2005
High fat diet eases Alzheimer’s?
17/10/2005-
Exploring how dietary components can interact to influence the metabolic state of the body, scientists show that a high fat, low carbohydrate diet eases Alzheimer's disease in mice.
The authors of the study believe that insulin and the related hormone, insulin related growth factor-1 (IGF-1), are the key players in reducing the brain protein amyloid-beta, an indicator of Alzheimer's disease.
"You might say that fat is the bomb, and insulin (from carbohydrate) is the fuse, says Richard Feinman, editor of Nutrition and Metabolism, that published the study this week.
The research, by Samuel Henderson at US pharma firm Accera, runs counter to previous studies suggesting a negative effect of fat on Alzheimer's disease.
Feinman explains why this latest research has thrown up a new angle.
" Most studies of the deleterious effects of fat have been done in the presence of high carbohydrate. If carbs are high, dietary fat is not oxidised (Burned as fuel)and is instead stored as body fat."
When carbohydrates are very low and fat is high, compounds called ketone bodies are generated (ketosis, and these compounds may play a role in the observed reduction in amyloid-beta.
In association with a group from the University of Washington led by Dr. Suzanne Craft, Henderson has previously shown cognitive improvement in patients with mild AD who were given a diet that raised ketone bodies.
"Although it is too early to tell how the results will fit into the treatment of AD, the implication for diet in general is also important," underlines Feinman.
The primacy of insulin as a control element is the basis of popular weight-loss diets based on carbohydrate restriction, he adds.
Such diets, he adds, allow dieters to regulate fat and calorie intake by appetite alone as long as carbohydrate intake remains minimal.
"Henderson's effort is one of several recent studies that point the way to understanding metabolism beyond the issues surrounding simple fat reduction, " says Feinman.
There are nearly 18 million people with dementia in the world and the most common cause of this dementia is Alzheimer's disease. By 2025 this figure is expected to rise to 34 million, with 71 per cent of these likely to live in developing countries.
Today research continues to investigate how the diet may slow down, or prevent, the development of dementia.
Several studies have found an association between intake of omega-3s, the fatty acid found in high quantities in oily fish and reduced risk of dementia, although a recent trial failed to link the presence of these fats in the diet with slower cognitive decline.
This trial, on elderly men and women living in Chicago, did find however that those who reported eating fish at least once a week had a slower decline in mental function than peers who did not eat fish as often, about 10 per cent less per year.
Comment: This study is consistent with what my research has been telling me for many years. The only time fats are not burned as energy, is when your Insulin levels are too high and your body is being told to store fat for a rainy day. Ketosis is when the body burns fats that are consumed or stored as body fat, and apparently may help remove Amyloid Plague associated with Dementia. Everyone should read and study these portions of my website if you want to remain free from chronic disease and weight gain...
Hyperinsulinemia... and Weightloss that works - long term...
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Exploring how dietary components can interact to influence the metabolic state of the body, scientists show that a high fat, low carbohydrate diet eases Alzheimer's disease in mice.
The authors of the study believe that insulin and the related hormone, insulin related growth factor-1 (IGF-1), are the key players in reducing the brain protein amyloid-beta, an indicator of Alzheimer's disease.
"You might say that fat is the bomb, and insulin (from carbohydrate) is the fuse, says Richard Feinman, editor of Nutrition and Metabolism, that published the study this week.
The research, by Samuel Henderson at US pharma firm Accera, runs counter to previous studies suggesting a negative effect of fat on Alzheimer's disease.
Feinman explains why this latest research has thrown up a new angle.
" Most studies of the deleterious effects of fat have been done in the presence of high carbohydrate. If carbs are high, dietary fat is not oxidised (Burned as fuel)and is instead stored as body fat."
When carbohydrates are very low and fat is high, compounds called ketone bodies are generated (ketosis, and these compounds may play a role in the observed reduction in amyloid-beta.
In association with a group from the University of Washington led by Dr. Suzanne Craft, Henderson has previously shown cognitive improvement in patients with mild AD who were given a diet that raised ketone bodies.
"Although it is too early to tell how the results will fit into the treatment of AD, the implication for diet in general is also important," underlines Feinman.
The primacy of insulin as a control element is the basis of popular weight-loss diets based on carbohydrate restriction, he adds.
Such diets, he adds, allow dieters to regulate fat and calorie intake by appetite alone as long as carbohydrate intake remains minimal.
"Henderson's effort is one of several recent studies that point the way to understanding metabolism beyond the issues surrounding simple fat reduction, " says Feinman.
There are nearly 18 million people with dementia in the world and the most common cause of this dementia is Alzheimer's disease. By 2025 this figure is expected to rise to 34 million, with 71 per cent of these likely to live in developing countries.
Today research continues to investigate how the diet may slow down, or prevent, the development of dementia.
Several studies have found an association between intake of omega-3s, the fatty acid found in high quantities in oily fish and reduced risk of dementia, although a recent trial failed to link the presence of these fats in the diet with slower cognitive decline.
This trial, on elderly men and women living in Chicago, did find however that those who reported eating fish at least once a week had a slower decline in mental function than peers who did not eat fish as often, about 10 per cent less per year.
Comment: This study is consistent with what my research has been telling me for many years. The only time fats are not burned as energy, is when your Insulin levels are too high and your body is being told to store fat for a rainy day. Ketosis is when the body burns fats that are consumed or stored as body fat, and apparently may help remove Amyloid Plague associated with Dementia. Everyone should read and study these portions of my website if you want to remain free from chronic disease and weight gain...
Hyperinsulinemia... and Weightloss that works - long term...
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Saturated fats are better for you than you have been led to believe...
11/10/2005-
Cheeseburgers are good for the gut, say scientists this week, in sharp contrast to widespread belief that high fat foods can clog up the arteries.
A new study, published in the 17 October issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, claims that high fat foods can actually soothe inflammation.
This action may stop immune cells from attacking food as a foreign invader, report the researchers from Maastricht University in Holland.
Eating - particularly eating fat-rich foods - causes cells in the small intestine to produce a helpful hormone called cholecystokinin , or CCK, according to research by Drs Misha Luyer and Wim Buurman.
CCK stimulates digestion and gut peristalsis (the motion that propels food along the digestive tract), and also triggers satiation - the full feeling that prompts consumers to stop eating.
The researchers found that fat-induced CCK can dampen inflammation in the gut.
Rats fed a high-fat diet were protected against lethal bacteria-induced shock whereas those fed a low-fat diet were not.
CCK sent signals to the brain through the vagus nerve, the nerve that provides the electrical regulation for internal organs, including the gut and the heart.
In response to CCK, vagus nerve endings in the gut released a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine then bound to proteins on immune cells and turned the cells off.
The study authors believe this pathway might explain why the immune system does not react to food proteins and normal gut bacteria as if they were foreign invaders.
They also say that a body with a "food-deprived intestine" may be more vulnerable to a lethal inflammatory response, called septic shock, after a serious injury or infection, in other words, reducing inflammatory complications after surgery.
Comment: You owe it to your self to understand the real truth about fats. Fat Facts...
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Cheeseburgers are good for the gut, say scientists this week, in sharp contrast to widespread belief that high fat foods can clog up the arteries.
A new study, published in the 17 October issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, claims that high fat foods can actually soothe inflammation.
This action may stop immune cells from attacking food as a foreign invader, report the researchers from Maastricht University in Holland.
Eating - particularly eating fat-rich foods - causes cells in the small intestine to produce a helpful hormone called cholecystokinin , or CCK, according to research by Drs Misha Luyer and Wim Buurman.
CCK stimulates digestion and gut peristalsis (the motion that propels food along the digestive tract), and also triggers satiation - the full feeling that prompts consumers to stop eating.
The researchers found that fat-induced CCK can dampen inflammation in the gut.
Rats fed a high-fat diet were protected against lethal bacteria-induced shock whereas those fed a low-fat diet were not.
CCK sent signals to the brain through the vagus nerve, the nerve that provides the electrical regulation for internal organs, including the gut and the heart.
In response to CCK, vagus nerve endings in the gut released a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine then bound to proteins on immune cells and turned the cells off.
The study authors believe this pathway might explain why the immune system does not react to food proteins and normal gut bacteria as if they were foreign invaders.
They also say that a body with a "food-deprived intestine" may be more vulnerable to a lethal inflammatory response, called septic shock, after a serious injury or infection, in other words, reducing inflammatory complications after surgery.
Comment: You owe it to your self to understand the real truth about fats. Fat Facts...
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Are you getting your immune system ready for this - YOU BETTER
WHO: Impossible to Predict Bird Flu Deaths ...
The U.N. health agency on Friday said it was impossible to estimate how many people would die from a new influenza pandemic, adding that it has warned countries to prepare for a death toll of up to 7.4 million. "We think that this is the most reasoned position," said World Health Organization spokesman Dick Thompson, warning that "you could pick almost any number. "On Thursday, Dr. David Nabarro, the new U.N. coordinator for avian and human influenza, warned that the "range of deaths could be anything between 5 and 150 million" from a new pandemic."One of those numbers will turn out to be right," Thompson told reporters. "We're not going to know how lethal the next pandemic is going to be until the pandemic begins. "The H5N1 strain of bird flu has swept through poultry populations in large swathes of Asia since 2003, jumping to humans and killing at least 65 people, more than 40 of them in Vietnam, and resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of birds. Most human cases have been linked to contact with sick birds. But WHO has warned that the virus could mutate into a form that spreads easily among humans, possibly triggering a global pandemic that could kill millions.
Comment: I have been warning you about this for a year and a half. It is not a matter of if but when this comes, and it could kill millions in this country. I personally will not be taking any vaccinations for this, but rather I will be continually making sure my immune system is working at 100%. Be sure to talk to your doctor as to how you should proceed.
The immune system is a fascinating and complex group of cells and biochemical processes. It's many components work to protect you from environmental threats - but your immune system requires nutritional support to function optimally. Scientific research is proving that some of the most powerful immune-supportive nutrients are found in mushrooms as well as in vitamins and minerals that function as antioxidants. People who realize the critical importance of optimizing immune function should seriously consider adding an advanced mushroom complex to their daily regimen. In addition I always take a multi-vitamin with additional amounts of A, B-Complex, D3, C, E, Zinc, Selenium, Omega 3's and when the flu comes, I will be taking the herb Echinacea as a booster. If you are concerned about whether your diet and supplemental program is enough to help protect you, consider a Optimal Health Evaluation and or a Q&AMAIL inquiry.
Stay Healthy...
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
The U.N. health agency on Friday said it was impossible to estimate how many people would die from a new influenza pandemic, adding that it has warned countries to prepare for a death toll of up to 7.4 million. "We think that this is the most reasoned position," said World Health Organization spokesman Dick Thompson, warning that "you could pick almost any number. "On Thursday, Dr. David Nabarro, the new U.N. coordinator for avian and human influenza, warned that the "range of deaths could be anything between 5 and 150 million" from a new pandemic."One of those numbers will turn out to be right," Thompson told reporters. "We're not going to know how lethal the next pandemic is going to be until the pandemic begins. "The H5N1 strain of bird flu has swept through poultry populations in large swathes of Asia since 2003, jumping to humans and killing at least 65 people, more than 40 of them in Vietnam, and resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of birds. Most human cases have been linked to contact with sick birds. But WHO has warned that the virus could mutate into a form that spreads easily among humans, possibly triggering a global pandemic that could kill millions.
Comment: I have been warning you about this for a year and a half. It is not a matter of if but when this comes, and it could kill millions in this country. I personally will not be taking any vaccinations for this, but rather I will be continually making sure my immune system is working at 100%. Be sure to talk to your doctor as to how you should proceed.
The immune system is a fascinating and complex group of cells and biochemical processes. It's many components work to protect you from environmental threats - but your immune system requires nutritional support to function optimally. Scientific research is proving that some of the most powerful immune-supportive nutrients are found in mushrooms as well as in vitamins and minerals that function as antioxidants. People who realize the critical importance of optimizing immune function should seriously consider adding an advanced mushroom complex to their daily regimen. In addition I always take a multi-vitamin with additional amounts of A, B-Complex, D3, C, E, Zinc, Selenium, Omega 3's and when the flu comes, I will be taking the herb Echinacea as a booster. If you are concerned about whether your diet and supplemental program is enough to help protect you, consider a Optimal Health Evaluation and or a Q&AMAIL inquiry.
Stay Healthy...
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Lacking B vitamins makes for cognitive decline
06/10/2005- Low B vitamin levels and high homocysteine concentrations predict cognitive decline, say US researchers, producing new data to support the role of B vitamins in the mental health of the elderly.
A number of studies have shown that raised homocysteine concentrations may contribute to cognitive impairment. It is also know that elevations in homocysteine, an amino acid, result from inadequate folate, vitamin B12, or vitamin B6 intake.
But it is not clear whether these associations between homocysteine and cognitive measures are causal or whether they are due to homocysteine, to independent actions of the B vitamins, or to both.
The new study, published in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (vol 82, no 3, pp627-635), found that folate was independently protective against a decline in spatial copying score after adjustment for other vitamins and for plasma homocysteine. It also protected against a decline in verbal fluency.
But a high homocysteine concentration was associated with a decline in recall memory.
The team from the Tufts University and the Boston University School of Public Health concluded that both low B vitamin and high homocysteine concentrations predict cognitive decline.
In another study out this month, the link with homocysteine concentration and decline in cognition was also demonstrated.
Writing in the 1 October issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology (vol 162, no 7, pp644-653), Dr Merrill Elias of Boston University and colleagues found that in people over age 60, increasing levels of total homocysteine in the blood were associated with decreasing levels of cognitive performance in several areas.
But they also found that high vitamin B12 levels correlated with better cognitive performance.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
A number of studies have shown that raised homocysteine concentrations may contribute to cognitive impairment. It is also know that elevations in homocysteine, an amino acid, result from inadequate folate, vitamin B12, or vitamin B6 intake.
But it is not clear whether these associations between homocysteine and cognitive measures are causal or whether they are due to homocysteine, to independent actions of the B vitamins, or to both.
The new study, published in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (vol 82, no 3, pp627-635), found that folate was independently protective against a decline in spatial copying score after adjustment for other vitamins and for plasma homocysteine. It also protected against a decline in verbal fluency.
But a high homocysteine concentration was associated with a decline in recall memory.
The team from the Tufts University and the Boston University School of Public Health concluded that both low B vitamin and high homocysteine concentrations predict cognitive decline.
In another study out this month, the link with homocysteine concentration and decline in cognition was also demonstrated.
Writing in the 1 October issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology (vol 162, no 7, pp644-653), Dr Merrill Elias of Boston University and colleagues found that in people over age 60, increasing levels of total homocysteine in the blood were associated with decreasing levels of cognitive performance in several areas.
But they also found that high vitamin B12 levels correlated with better cognitive performance.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Think you get all the vitamins and minerals you need from your diet - think again...
From Life Extension Foundation:
A report entitled “What We Eat in America, NHANES 2001-2002,” released this month by the Agricultural Research Service's Food Surveys Research Group in Beltsville, Maryland, reveals that Americans are deficient in a number of required nutrients, particularly vitamin E. The report is the latest compilation of data obtained from the dietary interview component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 2001-2002. Dietary (not including supplemental) intake of 24 nutrients was calculated for 8,940 participants age one and older via 24 hour dietary recall surveys in 2001 and 2002. The average values were compared with the Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intakes for children, men and women in established age categories.
When the estimated usual intakes of the subjects were compared to the Institute of Medicine’s Estimated Average Requirements, which are the average daily nutrient intakes estimated to meet the needs of half of the healthy individuals in a given population group, the participants were found to be deficient in a number of nutrients. A deficiency of vitamin E was the most striking finding, with 93 percent of Americans estimated to consume inadequate amounts of the vitamin (if the dietary habits of the participants in this study can be agreed upon as accurately reflecting those of the general population). Not surprisingly, magnesium came in second, with 56 percent of the population estimated to be deficient. Deficiencies of vitamin A were estimated to affect 44 percent of Americans, of vitamin C, 31 percent; of vitamin B6, 14 percent; and zinc deficiencies were estimated to exist in 12 percent. Folate, copper, phosphorus, thiamin (vitamin B1) iron and protein were found to be lacking in females aged 9 and older.
The findings of the survey are disturbing given that many consider the Dietary Reference Intakes as already too low to ensure good health. Interesting amid the current media-bashing of vitamin E was the finding that intake of the vitamin is insufficient among most Americans. The report’s findings stand in sharp contrast with the too-often-heard statement that one can obtain all of one’s vitamin needs from one’s diet.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
A report entitled “What We Eat in America, NHANES 2001-2002,” released this month by the Agricultural Research Service's Food Surveys Research Group in Beltsville, Maryland, reveals that Americans are deficient in a number of required nutrients, particularly vitamin E. The report is the latest compilation of data obtained from the dietary interview component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 2001-2002. Dietary (not including supplemental) intake of 24 nutrients was calculated for 8,940 participants age one and older via 24 hour dietary recall surveys in 2001 and 2002. The average values were compared with the Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intakes for children, men and women in established age categories.
When the estimated usual intakes of the subjects were compared to the Institute of Medicine’s Estimated Average Requirements, which are the average daily nutrient intakes estimated to meet the needs of half of the healthy individuals in a given population group, the participants were found to be deficient in a number of nutrients. A deficiency of vitamin E was the most striking finding, with 93 percent of Americans estimated to consume inadequate amounts of the vitamin (if the dietary habits of the participants in this study can be agreed upon as accurately reflecting those of the general population). Not surprisingly, magnesium came in second, with 56 percent of the population estimated to be deficient. Deficiencies of vitamin A were estimated to affect 44 percent of Americans, of vitamin C, 31 percent; of vitamin B6, 14 percent; and zinc deficiencies were estimated to exist in 12 percent. Folate, copper, phosphorus, thiamin (vitamin B1) iron and protein were found to be lacking in females aged 9 and older.
The findings of the survey are disturbing given that many consider the Dietary Reference Intakes as already too low to ensure good health. Interesting amid the current media-bashing of vitamin E was the finding that intake of the vitamin is insufficient among most Americans. The report’s findings stand in sharp contrast with the too-often-heard statement that one can obtain all of one’s vitamin needs from one’s diet.
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Sunday, September 25, 2005
How to mend a broken heart
Taken from The Vitamin C Foundation Website...
Dr Linus pauling's Unified Theory of Cardiovascular Disease ...
Over ten years ago, the two-time Nobel prize Laureate, Dr Linus Pauling and his associate Dr Matthias Rath, advocated and published a definitive thesis on the root cause, treatment, and actual cure for all forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including congestive heart failure, heart disease, and stroke. Today, cardiovascular related health problems together comprise fully one half of all causes of death in the US. Pauling and Rath's brilliant analysis of CVD is absolutely compelling and amply supported by numerous epidemiological and clinical studies. His unified theory of CVD constitutes one of the greatest breakthroughs in modern science, and yet has been almost completely ignored by the mainstream medical establishment, and received almost no press.
Paulings Unparalleled Credentials
Most doctors and other medical practitioners have not even heard the truth about CVD that Dr Pauling so convincingly revealed. This might be understandable if Pauling was just some anonymous unheard-of crackpot, lacking any serious credentials or reputation. But to the contrary, Pauling was one of the all-time greats of science. He was listed by the British Journal of Science in their list of the top 20 greatest scientists of all time. Pauling was the father of modern chemistry, unifying the fields of quantum mechanics and chemistry to reveal our modern understanding of chemical bonding and the synthesis of molecular compounds. His early work contributed greatly to the field genetics and our understanding of the double helix structure of DNA. Pauling was thirty years ahead of his time when he ushered in the modern era of alternative medicine with his concept of orthomolecular medicine and mega vitamin therapy. Orthomolecular medicine describes the practice of preventing and treating disease by providing the body with optimal amounts of substances, which are natural to the body. Linus Pauling first introduced the term, "orthomolecular" in a paper he wrote in the journal Science in 1968. This paper first described the theoretical foundations for what was later to become a specialty within complementary medicine In the sixties, Pauling waged almost single handedly a successful crusade against atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons; warning of the future fallout in the form of genetic diseases, cancers and numerous other serious health problems. His relentless work in this area yielded nuclear test banning treaties among the Soviets, US and other major powers, resulting in a cleaner, safer environment for us all.
Pauling was a scientist with uncommon vision and foresight matched by few in history. He had an unrivaled determination to cut through established beliefs and fallacies to get to the truth of any matter of his focus. When he reviewed peer scientific studies he always drew his own conclusions and tested the evidence, not to be swayed or fooled by preconceived conclusions. Only now, thirty years after he introduced the concepts of orthomolecular medicine, has the mainstream medical community even begun to stir a little and recognize the huge value of essential vitamins and nutrients in high doses for the prevention of numerous medical conditions. Pauling bucked mainstream opinion and wisdom in many areas of science, chemistry, medicine, and politics. And more often than not he proved to be well ahead of his time. When Pauling first advocated mega-doses of Vitamin C back in the seventies as a cure for the common cold, he was poo-pooed and mocked by the mainstream medical community, and yet today millions of people worldwide have discovered the benefits of Paulings advice. Still a healthy and vigorous man in his late 80s and early 90s, during his last years, Dr Linus Pauling with his fellow collaborator, Dr Rath, published "A Unified Theory of Human Cardiovascular Disease Leading the Way to the Abolition of This Disease as a Cause for Human Mortality". This monumental work has largely gone unnoticed because of the entrenched opinions and dogma of the mainstream medical community and their overseers, the multi-billion dollar international pharmaceutical industry. The fact that you have probably not heard about this discovery in the mainstream media is disturbing and speaks volumes on the power of big money and the effectiveness of the pharmaceutical industry's disinformation campaigns.
The Only Patent for the Cure of Cardiovascular Disease
Pauline and Raths theory of CVD is so scientifically compelling and demonstrable that in 1994 they were granted the only US patent for the cure of cardiovascular disease. This was no small feat since the US Office of Patents will only grant a patent for an invention that has been demonstrated to work. The non-prescription therapy advocated by Pauling and Rath has become know as the Pauline Therapy. The efficacy of the Pauline Therapy has been amply proven in thousands of cardiovascular patients who have been so fortunate to discover the remarkable treatment. The Pauline and Rath heart protocols in lower dosage levels will prevent cardiovascular disease and in higher dosages will actually reverse arterial plaque build up and reverse heart disease! Heart patients moving to the Pauling Therapy commonly avoid open-heart surgery and angioplasty. This is accomplished by dealing directly with the root causes of CVD and arterial plaque buildup. Almost without exception patients experience rapid recovery.
This study added a credible piece to the puzzle
Richard T. Lee, M.D., senior author of a study published by the American Heart Association says: "We have been taught for decades that when your heart cells are dead, they are dead and there is nothing we can do about it. We are excited about anything suggesting that we can grow more heart cells."
Lee and his colleagues tested 88O bioactive substances – including drugs and vitamins – approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to see if they stimulated the mouse stem cells to become heart muscle cells. The cells were genetically altered to give off a fluorescent bright green color when viewed under a microscrope if they had become heart muscle cells.
"We only got 1 out of the 88O to light up, and that was from ascorbic acid, the chemical commonly known as vitamin C," says Lee, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and a lecturer in biological engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
Comment: About 3 years ago I began to have Heart problems that involved irregular heart beats and left side numbness as well and shortness of breath. I was very shocked, because I have been on a Life Extention Program for over 20 years. My doctor asked me an interesting question. He wanted to know if I have been to a dentist recently, and I said yes, to have deep cleaning, a root canal and a crown, why I asked. He proceeded in telling me that I probably had a slight heart murmur since a child and the stirring up of bacteria most likely caused an inflammation of my heart valve, a potentially fatal problem. He told me I should always take antibiotics a day before major dental work to prevent that from occurring in the future. It was news to me and I was angry and concerned, not to mention depressed, because I had tried so hard to keep my health at a optimal level, and here I was with such a major issue. Without going into a lot of detail here, I did my research, and used the program that these 2 scientists recommended and in about a year and a half, I have a totally new lease on life. The program works and I recommend it with all my heart. The full program I used is available through Q&A MAIL, listed below.
NSI Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids, Quercetin, Green Tea, L-Lysine and L-Proline
NSI CoQ10 200 Mgs - 60 Softgels
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Dr Linus pauling's Unified Theory of Cardiovascular Disease ...
Over ten years ago, the two-time Nobel prize Laureate, Dr Linus Pauling and his associate Dr Matthias Rath, advocated and published a definitive thesis on the root cause, treatment, and actual cure for all forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including congestive heart failure, heart disease, and stroke. Today, cardiovascular related health problems together comprise fully one half of all causes of death in the US. Pauling and Rath's brilliant analysis of CVD is absolutely compelling and amply supported by numerous epidemiological and clinical studies. His unified theory of CVD constitutes one of the greatest breakthroughs in modern science, and yet has been almost completely ignored by the mainstream medical establishment, and received almost no press.
Paulings Unparalleled Credentials
Most doctors and other medical practitioners have not even heard the truth about CVD that Dr Pauling so convincingly revealed. This might be understandable if Pauling was just some anonymous unheard-of crackpot, lacking any serious credentials or reputation. But to the contrary, Pauling was one of the all-time greats of science. He was listed by the British Journal of Science in their list of the top 20 greatest scientists of all time. Pauling was the father of modern chemistry, unifying the fields of quantum mechanics and chemistry to reveal our modern understanding of chemical bonding and the synthesis of molecular compounds. His early work contributed greatly to the field genetics and our understanding of the double helix structure of DNA. Pauling was thirty years ahead of his time when he ushered in the modern era of alternative medicine with his concept of orthomolecular medicine and mega vitamin therapy. Orthomolecular medicine describes the practice of preventing and treating disease by providing the body with optimal amounts of substances, which are natural to the body. Linus Pauling first introduced the term, "orthomolecular" in a paper he wrote in the journal Science in 1968. This paper first described the theoretical foundations for what was later to become a specialty within complementary medicine In the sixties, Pauling waged almost single handedly a successful crusade against atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons; warning of the future fallout in the form of genetic diseases, cancers and numerous other serious health problems. His relentless work in this area yielded nuclear test banning treaties among the Soviets, US and other major powers, resulting in a cleaner, safer environment for us all.
Pauling was a scientist with uncommon vision and foresight matched by few in history. He had an unrivaled determination to cut through established beliefs and fallacies to get to the truth of any matter of his focus. When he reviewed peer scientific studies he always drew his own conclusions and tested the evidence, not to be swayed or fooled by preconceived conclusions. Only now, thirty years after he introduced the concepts of orthomolecular medicine, has the mainstream medical community even begun to stir a little and recognize the huge value of essential vitamins and nutrients in high doses for the prevention of numerous medical conditions. Pauling bucked mainstream opinion and wisdom in many areas of science, chemistry, medicine, and politics. And more often than not he proved to be well ahead of his time. When Pauling first advocated mega-doses of Vitamin C back in the seventies as a cure for the common cold, he was poo-pooed and mocked by the mainstream medical community, and yet today millions of people worldwide have discovered the benefits of Paulings advice. Still a healthy and vigorous man in his late 80s and early 90s, during his last years, Dr Linus Pauling with his fellow collaborator, Dr Rath, published "A Unified Theory of Human Cardiovascular Disease Leading the Way to the Abolition of This Disease as a Cause for Human Mortality". This monumental work has largely gone unnoticed because of the entrenched opinions and dogma of the mainstream medical community and their overseers, the multi-billion dollar international pharmaceutical industry. The fact that you have probably not heard about this discovery in the mainstream media is disturbing and speaks volumes on the power of big money and the effectiveness of the pharmaceutical industry's disinformation campaigns.
The Only Patent for the Cure of Cardiovascular Disease
Pauline and Raths theory of CVD is so scientifically compelling and demonstrable that in 1994 they were granted the only US patent for the cure of cardiovascular disease. This was no small feat since the US Office of Patents will only grant a patent for an invention that has been demonstrated to work. The non-prescription therapy advocated by Pauling and Rath has become know as the Pauline Therapy. The efficacy of the Pauline Therapy has been amply proven in thousands of cardiovascular patients who have been so fortunate to discover the remarkable treatment. The Pauline and Rath heart protocols in lower dosage levels will prevent cardiovascular disease and in higher dosages will actually reverse arterial plaque build up and reverse heart disease! Heart patients moving to the Pauling Therapy commonly avoid open-heart surgery and angioplasty. This is accomplished by dealing directly with the root causes of CVD and arterial plaque buildup. Almost without exception patients experience rapid recovery.
This study added a credible piece to the puzzle
Richard T. Lee, M.D., senior author of a study published by the American Heart Association says: "We have been taught for decades that when your heart cells are dead, they are dead and there is nothing we can do about it. We are excited about anything suggesting that we can grow more heart cells."
Lee and his colleagues tested 88O bioactive substances – including drugs and vitamins – approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to see if they stimulated the mouse stem cells to become heart muscle cells. The cells were genetically altered to give off a fluorescent bright green color when viewed under a microscrope if they had become heart muscle cells.
"We only got 1 out of the 88O to light up, and that was from ascorbic acid, the chemical commonly known as vitamin C," says Lee, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and a lecturer in biological engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
Comment: About 3 years ago I began to have Heart problems that involved irregular heart beats and left side numbness as well and shortness of breath. I was very shocked, because I have been on a Life Extention Program for over 20 years. My doctor asked me an interesting question. He wanted to know if I have been to a dentist recently, and I said yes, to have deep cleaning, a root canal and a crown, why I asked. He proceeded in telling me that I probably had a slight heart murmur since a child and the stirring up of bacteria most likely caused an inflammation of my heart valve, a potentially fatal problem. He told me I should always take antibiotics a day before major dental work to prevent that from occurring in the future. It was news to me and I was angry and concerned, not to mention depressed, because I had tried so hard to keep my health at a optimal level, and here I was with such a major issue. Without going into a lot of detail here, I did my research, and used the program that these 2 scientists recommended and in about a year and a half, I have a totally new lease on life. The program works and I recommend it with all my heart. The full program I used is available through Q&A MAIL, listed below.
NSI Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids, Quercetin, Green Tea, L-Lysine and L-Proline
NSI CoQ10 200 Mgs - 60 Softgels
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Friday, September 23, 2005
Just in case you think medical science is state of the art - think again...
From the Bolen Report... 09-23-05
Ripley, Believe...
The Following Links Are News Articles that The Bolen Report Has Covered During the PAST TWO MONTHS Describing the High Risk of Heart Surgery and Heart Medications ...
Washington Post:More Heart Devices Malfunction...
ABCNews: Study Challenges Heart Attack Treatments...
Johns Hopkins launches study to determine if heart angioplasty is safe ...(Aug 2005. Angioplasty has been used for decades, and doctors don't know whether it is safe?)
Women are nearly twice as likely as men to die from complications of heart bypass surgery...
The nitroglycerin that is given continuously to hospitalized heart attack patients injures the lining of blood vessels... (Sep 2005)
Believe it or not, after 130 years, medicine has decided to final study the use of Nitro for heart patients. "We've simply taken for granted that nitroglycerin is good," said lead author Dr. Jonathan S. Stamler, a cardiologist at Duke University. " Given the findings, reported in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the researchers said it was time to subject the compound to clinical trials of its safety and usefulness.
Popular Plavix® Fails the Test...
The clinical trial for Prevention of Vascular Events program have been discontinued due to a significant difference in efficacy, in favour of the standard oral anticoagulation (OAC) over antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel (Plavix) plus aspirin).
Pfizer Accupril Has No Benefit After Bypass Surgery-Study...
Heart bypass surgery increases risk of Alzheimer's disease ...
Pfizer Lipitor (Cholesterol-lowering Statin) No Better Than Rivals - Some Cases Side Effects Are Worse-Study
6.2% risk of heart attack and cardiovascular death before and after angioplasty...
Aspirin will not protect against cardiovascular events ...
Genentech Drug Is Not Safe With Angioplasty...
Drug firm says cancer drug can raise heart risk...
Anti-thrombotic therapies used in the last two decades have been associated with a significant increase in bleeding risks and high mortality...New therapies said to be safer for patients...
AMA Warns for Long Time: Cholesterol Drugs Linked to Cancer...
The hazards of heart bypass ...
500,000 develop IV-based infections, 30,000 die...
Pa.: Nearly 12,000 Patients Got Infections in Hospitals...
New Northwestern Memorial Hospital Study Demonstrates Significant Burden Staph Infections Place on Hospitals...
Popular painkillers linked to high blood pressure in women...
Fifty thousand implanted defibrillators recalled due to short circuits ...
Statistics prove prescription drugs are 16,400% more deadly than terrorists...
NSAIDS Routlinely Given to Eash Pain Slow Healing ...
Researchers call for end to pharmaceutical industry's ‘cynical use' of drug studies...
Two-thirds of meta-analyses in the [medical] literature are of poor quality...
STATIN-INDUCED CARDIOMYOPATHY ...
High Cholesterol Wards Off Dementia in Elderly...
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Ripley, Believe...
The Following Links Are News Articles that The Bolen Report Has Covered During the PAST TWO MONTHS Describing the High Risk of Heart Surgery and Heart Medications ...
Washington Post:More Heart Devices Malfunction...
ABCNews: Study Challenges Heart Attack Treatments...
Johns Hopkins launches study to determine if heart angioplasty is safe ...(Aug 2005. Angioplasty has been used for decades, and doctors don't know whether it is safe?)
Women are nearly twice as likely as men to die from complications of heart bypass surgery...
The nitroglycerin that is given continuously to hospitalized heart attack patients injures the lining of blood vessels... (Sep 2005)
Believe it or not, after 130 years, medicine has decided to final study the use of Nitro for heart patients. "We've simply taken for granted that nitroglycerin is good," said lead author Dr. Jonathan S. Stamler, a cardiologist at Duke University. " Given the findings, reported in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the researchers said it was time to subject the compound to clinical trials of its safety and usefulness.
Popular Plavix® Fails the Test...
The clinical trial for Prevention of Vascular Events program have been discontinued due to a significant difference in efficacy, in favour of the standard oral anticoagulation (OAC) over antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel (Plavix) plus aspirin).
Pfizer Accupril Has No Benefit After Bypass Surgery-Study...
Heart bypass surgery increases risk of Alzheimer's disease ...
Pfizer Lipitor (Cholesterol-lowering Statin) No Better Than Rivals - Some Cases Side Effects Are Worse-Study
6.2% risk of heart attack and cardiovascular death before and after angioplasty...
Aspirin will not protect against cardiovascular events ...
Genentech Drug Is Not Safe With Angioplasty...
Drug firm says cancer drug can raise heart risk...
Anti-thrombotic therapies used in the last two decades have been associated with a significant increase in bleeding risks and high mortality...New therapies said to be safer for patients...
AMA Warns for Long Time: Cholesterol Drugs Linked to Cancer...
The hazards of heart bypass ...
500,000 develop IV-based infections, 30,000 die...
Pa.: Nearly 12,000 Patients Got Infections in Hospitals...
New Northwestern Memorial Hospital Study Demonstrates Significant Burden Staph Infections Place on Hospitals...
Popular painkillers linked to high blood pressure in women...
Fifty thousand implanted defibrillators recalled due to short circuits ...
Statistics prove prescription drugs are 16,400% more deadly than terrorists...
NSAIDS Routlinely Given to Eash Pain Slow Healing ...
Researchers call for end to pharmaceutical industry's ‘cynical use' of drug studies...
Two-thirds of meta-analyses in the [medical] literature are of poor quality...
STATIN-INDUCED CARDIOMYOPATHY ...
High Cholesterol Wards Off Dementia in Elderly...
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Is it a disease, or is it really the result of poor dietary habits?
Commentary 09-18-05
Over the next few weeks I am going to look at various diseases and try to determine whether they are best treated with Dietary Change, or a Prescription Drug.
Today, lets look at Acid Reflux Disease. ARD, which will be the acronym soon I am sure, is the result of untreated Heart Burn, that begins to damage your esophagus. This is a relatively new disease that is currently treated with the now famous Purple Pill, as well as others. Untreated, it can cause a lot of damage.
My wife and I have both had the condition at one point in our lives, and I can say it definitely disrupts sleep and can be very uncomfortable when it's occurring. We both were prescribed a drug to treat the symptoms, that stopped stomach acid from being produced, and indeed the disease appeared to go away. As long as we took the pills, that is.
I got to thinking one day, why I allowed myself to take a drug, when I teach people that drugs should always be the last resort we try, only after trying all natural approaches, first. Why, because, drugs have side effects and dietary changes often have side benefits.
So, I realized that we had both changed our diets a year or so before to a mostly carbohydrate diet which included, beans, rice, tortillas, bread, cereals, vegetables and fruit. It was an experiment we tried, recommended by a Doctor, to help with certain health issues one of us had at the time. It did not help those issues, but it did cause us to both gain weight and develop terrible Heart Burn and eventually ARD.
I began to do research and found that stomach acid is normal, but having it come up to your esophagus is not of coarse. What causes stomach acid to go against gravity and climb up toward your throat,... gas. What causes the gas? The consumption of fast starches and sugars along with fats from the foods you eat. Examples of this would be a french fries, baked potato with butter and or sour cream, potato chips, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cakes, cookies, toast and jam, cereal and milk, beans and rice especially with a flour tortillas etc. While there are many other examples, I think you get the idea. What happens is this: Fats take as long as 2 to 3 hours to leave the stomach, before being emptied into the small intestines for further digestion. Corn syrup, sugar, refined flour, rice, potatoes, and foods similar to this are broken down into simple sugars as soon as you have chewed them and added saliva to the mix. In other words, as soon as you swallow fast carbohydrates, they are ready to be absorbed into the blood stream, and therefore can and would be emptied immediately into the small intestine. The body gets confused messages, and if it decides to hold on to the food, in order to fully prepare the fat for further digestion in the small intestine, the sugars start to ferment and gas is produced. Since it is normal to have acid released in the stomach to help with the digestion of proteins and minerals in your food, that acid is then pushed up into the esophagus, which is not designed to handle stomach acid, and damage begins to occur with the associated pain.
If you remove these common foods from your diet and stick with a meat, egg, nut, vegetable, and fruit diet, and eliminate refined grains, breads and cereals, potatoes, white rice, processed sugar, corn syrup, soft drinks, juices etc, the ARD goes away, usually within a few days to a week.
You can make your own decision on this subject and try your own experiments, but all my experience tells me that ARD, is not a disease that requires a pill to fix but instead is the result of long term dietary habits, that our bodies were never designed to consume.
Lets all take charge of our own health, and stay healthy.
If you would like to have a weeks diet analyzed to see where you can make changes, see our website at Q&AMAIL.
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Clinical Nutritionist in the field of Ortho-Molecular Medicine
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.
Over the next few weeks I am going to look at various diseases and try to determine whether they are best treated with Dietary Change, or a Prescription Drug.
Today, lets look at Acid Reflux Disease. ARD, which will be the acronym soon I am sure, is the result of untreated Heart Burn, that begins to damage your esophagus. This is a relatively new disease that is currently treated with the now famous Purple Pill, as well as others. Untreated, it can cause a lot of damage.
My wife and I have both had the condition at one point in our lives, and I can say it definitely disrupts sleep and can be very uncomfortable when it's occurring. We both were prescribed a drug to treat the symptoms, that stopped stomach acid from being produced, and indeed the disease appeared to go away. As long as we took the pills, that is.
I got to thinking one day, why I allowed myself to take a drug, when I teach people that drugs should always be the last resort we try, only after trying all natural approaches, first. Why, because, drugs have side effects and dietary changes often have side benefits.
So, I realized that we had both changed our diets a year or so before to a mostly carbohydrate diet which included, beans, rice, tortillas, bread, cereals, vegetables and fruit. It was an experiment we tried, recommended by a Doctor, to help with certain health issues one of us had at the time. It did not help those issues, but it did cause us to both gain weight and develop terrible Heart Burn and eventually ARD.
I began to do research and found that stomach acid is normal, but having it come up to your esophagus is not of coarse. What causes stomach acid to go against gravity and climb up toward your throat,... gas. What causes the gas? The consumption of fast starches and sugars along with fats from the foods you eat. Examples of this would be a french fries, baked potato with butter and or sour cream, potato chips, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cakes, cookies, toast and jam, cereal and milk, beans and rice especially with a flour tortillas etc. While there are many other examples, I think you get the idea. What happens is this: Fats take as long as 2 to 3 hours to leave the stomach, before being emptied into the small intestines for further digestion. Corn syrup, sugar, refined flour, rice, potatoes, and foods similar to this are broken down into simple sugars as soon as you have chewed them and added saliva to the mix. In other words, as soon as you swallow fast carbohydrates, they are ready to be absorbed into the blood stream, and therefore can and would be emptied immediately into the small intestine. The body gets confused messages, and if it decides to hold on to the food, in order to fully prepare the fat for further digestion in the small intestine, the sugars start to ferment and gas is produced. Since it is normal to have acid released in the stomach to help with the digestion of proteins and minerals in your food, that acid is then pushed up into the esophagus, which is not designed to handle stomach acid, and damage begins to occur with the associated pain.
If you remove these common foods from your diet and stick with a meat, egg, nut, vegetable, and fruit diet, and eliminate refined grains, breads and cereals, potatoes, white rice, processed sugar, corn syrup, soft drinks, juices etc, the ARD goes away, usually within a few days to a week.
You can make your own decision on this subject and try your own experiments, but all my experience tells me that ARD, is not a disease that requires a pill to fix but instead is the result of long term dietary habits, that our bodies were never designed to consume.
Lets all take charge of our own health, and stay healthy.
If you would like to have a weeks diet analyzed to see where you can make changes, see our website at Q&AMAIL.
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Clinical Nutritionist in the field of Ortho-Molecular Medicine
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Winning the war on cancer in our life time???
Commentary 09-10-05
As a child growing up, I would often help with money drives supporting the American Cancer Society. It felt good to help raise money because they were telling us that we could end Cancer in our life time. Who couldn't get excited about that. Their ads were very compelling and to be honest, the thought of getting Cancer as a child growing up, was terrifying to me. At the time I was born, 1951, cancer was killing 1 out of 16 people in the U.S. Up until 1999, Heart Disease was the number one killer in America, but now for the first time, that has changed. Now Cancer is killing more Americans under the age of 85, than any other disease. Statistically, 1 out 2 or 3 will now get Cancer, instead of 1 out of 16 when I was born.
After looking at these numbers, I am officially declaring the War on Cancer - Dead.
In the 54 years that I have been on this earth, millions and millions of dollars have been spent to find a cure for Cancer, and yet the scientists that have been in charge of this task, have failed miserably. It is estimated that 70% of all Cancers are preventable by avoiding smoking, poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise. Unfortunately, few Americans have taken this to heart and have instead put their trust in others to somehow find a magic bullet in the form of a drug, to save us from this horrible disease. This is why I have taken the position in life that we need to take charge of our own health, if we want to have a long life, as free as possible from chronic degenerative diseases.
As many of you know, I lost my niece this year to Liver Cancer. She was 42 years old, full of life, and a joy to know, and after a quick trip to the doctor to see why she was feeling some pain on her right side, was told she had maybe 6 months to a year to live. Liver Cancer is one of the most untreatable of all Cancers and was probably present in her body for as many as 10 years before. She just didn't know it was present till major symptoms appeared in the form of pain. She died just 5 Months later and left behind a wonderful family with 4 beautiful daughters and a grandaughter she never got to see.
We cannot wait for others in the world to cure our diseases. I believe it is up to us to make sure we are doing all we can do to keep ourselves healthy. On my website I have listed for all to see the ideal diet for us to eat and how to lose weight permanently. These are great first steps. I have also listed information on Hyperinsulinism, which I believe is responsible for a multitude of diseases, of which Cancer is just one. Please take some time and view this information, it could save your life.
In conclusion, I believe that organizations like the American Cancer Society, are looking in the wrong direction for the cure for Cancer. Instead of looking at the drug world for a cure, I prefer to view the information below, as a more logical reason for Cancer taking hold in the human body, and to focus you on making changes yourself, rather than just waiting for the day you get a slight pain in the side, and find out too late, to alter your eventual outcome.
DNA damage from micronutrient deficiencies is likely to be a major cause of cancer.
By Bruce N. Ames, professor of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley.
A deficiency of any of the micronutrients: folic acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, iron, or zinc, mimics radiation in damaging DNA by causing single- and double-strand breaks, oxidative lesions, or both. For example, the percentage of the US population that has a low intake (<50%>20% ). A level of folate deficiency causing chromosome breaks was present in approximately 10% of the US population, and in a much higher percentage of the poor. Folate deficiency causes extensive incorporation of uracil into human DNA (4 million/cell), leading to chromosomal breaks. This mechanism is the likely cause of the increased colon cancer risk associated with low folate intake. Some evidence, and mechanistic considerations, suggest that Vitamin B12 (14% US elderly) and B6 (10% of US) deficiencies also cause high uracil and chromosome breaks. Micronutrient deficiency may explain, in good part, why the quarter of the population that eats the fewest fruits and vegetables (five portions a day is advised) has about double the cancer rate for most types of cancer when compared to the quarter with the highest intake. For example, 80% of American children and adolescents and 68% of adults do not eat five portions a day. Common micronutrient deficiencies are likely to damage DNA by the same mechanism as radiation and many chemicals, appear to be orders of magnitude more important, and should be compared for perspective. Remedying micronutrient deficiencies should lead to a major improvement in health and an increase in longevity at low cost.
Lets all stay healthy...
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Clinical Nutritionist in the field of Ortho-Molecular Medicine
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.
As a child growing up, I would often help with money drives supporting the American Cancer Society. It felt good to help raise money because they were telling us that we could end Cancer in our life time. Who couldn't get excited about that. Their ads were very compelling and to be honest, the thought of getting Cancer as a child growing up, was terrifying to me. At the time I was born, 1951, cancer was killing 1 out of 16 people in the U.S. Up until 1999, Heart Disease was the number one killer in America, but now for the first time, that has changed. Now Cancer is killing more Americans under the age of 85, than any other disease. Statistically, 1 out 2 or 3 will now get Cancer, instead of 1 out of 16 when I was born.
After looking at these numbers, I am officially declaring the War on Cancer - Dead.
In the 54 years that I have been on this earth, millions and millions of dollars have been spent to find a cure for Cancer, and yet the scientists that have been in charge of this task, have failed miserably. It is estimated that 70% of all Cancers are preventable by avoiding smoking, poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise. Unfortunately, few Americans have taken this to heart and have instead put their trust in others to somehow find a magic bullet in the form of a drug, to save us from this horrible disease. This is why I have taken the position in life that we need to take charge of our own health, if we want to have a long life, as free as possible from chronic degenerative diseases.
As many of you know, I lost my niece this year to Liver Cancer. She was 42 years old, full of life, and a joy to know, and after a quick trip to the doctor to see why she was feeling some pain on her right side, was told she had maybe 6 months to a year to live. Liver Cancer is one of the most untreatable of all Cancers and was probably present in her body for as many as 10 years before. She just didn't know it was present till major symptoms appeared in the form of pain. She died just 5 Months later and left behind a wonderful family with 4 beautiful daughters and a grandaughter she never got to see.
We cannot wait for others in the world to cure our diseases. I believe it is up to us to make sure we are doing all we can do to keep ourselves healthy. On my website I have listed for all to see the ideal diet for us to eat and how to lose weight permanently. These are great first steps. I have also listed information on Hyperinsulinism, which I believe is responsible for a multitude of diseases, of which Cancer is just one. Please take some time and view this information, it could save your life.
In conclusion, I believe that organizations like the American Cancer Society, are looking in the wrong direction for the cure for Cancer. Instead of looking at the drug world for a cure, I prefer to view the information below, as a more logical reason for Cancer taking hold in the human body, and to focus you on making changes yourself, rather than just waiting for the day you get a slight pain in the side, and find out too late, to alter your eventual outcome.
DNA damage from micronutrient deficiencies is likely to be a major cause of cancer.
By Bruce N. Ames, professor of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley.
A deficiency of any of the micronutrients: folic acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, iron, or zinc, mimics radiation in damaging DNA by causing single- and double-strand breaks, oxidative lesions, or both. For example, the percentage of the US population that has a low intake (<50%>20% ). A level of folate deficiency causing chromosome breaks was present in approximately 10% of the US population, and in a much higher percentage of the poor. Folate deficiency causes extensive incorporation of uracil into human DNA (4 million/cell), leading to chromosomal breaks. This mechanism is the likely cause of the increased colon cancer risk associated with low folate intake. Some evidence, and mechanistic considerations, suggest that Vitamin B12 (14% US elderly) and B6 (10% of US) deficiencies also cause high uracil and chromosome breaks. Micronutrient deficiency may explain, in good part, why the quarter of the population that eats the fewest fruits and vegetables (five portions a day is advised) has about double the cancer rate for most types of cancer when compared to the quarter with the highest intake. For example, 80% of American children and adolescents and 68% of adults do not eat five portions a day. Common micronutrient deficiencies are likely to damage DNA by the same mechanism as radiation and many chemicals, appear to be orders of magnitude more important, and should be compared for perspective. Remedying micronutrient deficiencies should lead to a major improvement in health and an increase in longevity at low cost.
Lets all stay healthy...
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Clinical Nutritionist in the field of Ortho-Molecular Medicine
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Zinc-deficiency linked to Cardiovascular Disease
Zinc-deficiency linked to CV disease, animal study:
09/09/2005-
A deficiency of the mineral zinc may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease through inflammation and a decreased levels of compounds that protect against atherosclerosis, indicates a new study in mice.Atherosclerosis is the process whereby fatty substances such as cholesterol and calcium form plaque on the inner lining of an artery, causing them to harden. If enough builds up the plaque can reduce blood flow through the artery, and of it ruptures blood clots can form, which can block the flow of blood to the heart and cause a heart attack.
Atherosclerosis occurs naturally in humans as part of the aging process, but certain factors including high blood cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes increase the risk. Inflammation in the circulating blood, causing the formation of blood clots, is also believed to increase the risk of heart attack.
The researchers from the University of Kentucky set out to investigate whether zinc deficiency can increase and zinc supplementation increase factors leading to atherosclerosis.
Over a four-week period, the researchers fed the mice one of three different moderate-fat diets: the zinc-deficiency diet contained no zinc; the control diet contained 0.45 micro mol of zinc per gram; and the zinc-supplemented diet 1.529 micro-mol of zinc per gram.
They found that the mice fed the zinc deficient diet had significantly higher concentrations of both VLDL (‘bad’ low density lipoprotein) and HDL (‘good’ high density lipoprotein) cholesterol and triacylglycerides compared to the control mice.
In the zinc supplemented mice, these lipid variables were decreased.
The researchers also noted that the zinc-deficient mice experienced an increase in inflammatory markers compared to the control and supplemented groups. The concentrations of glutathione reductase mRNA in their thoracic aortae were also higher, and the DNA binding activity of peroxisome proliferator activate receptors (PPARs) in liver extracts was reduced.
“These data provide in vivo evidence of zinc deficiency inducing proinflammatory events in an atherogenic mouse model,” wrote the researchers in the September issue of the Journal of Nutrition (135:2114-2118).
“These data also suggest that adequate zinc may be a critical component in protective PPAR signaling during atherosclerosis,” they concluded., animal study
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
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09/09/2005-
A deficiency of the mineral zinc may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease through inflammation and a decreased levels of compounds that protect against atherosclerosis, indicates a new study in mice.Atherosclerosis is the process whereby fatty substances such as cholesterol and calcium form plaque on the inner lining of an artery, causing them to harden. If enough builds up the plaque can reduce blood flow through the artery, and of it ruptures blood clots can form, which can block the flow of blood to the heart and cause a heart attack.
Atherosclerosis occurs naturally in humans as part of the aging process, but certain factors including high blood cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes increase the risk. Inflammation in the circulating blood, causing the formation of blood clots, is also believed to increase the risk of heart attack.
The researchers from the University of Kentucky set out to investigate whether zinc deficiency can increase and zinc supplementation increase factors leading to atherosclerosis.
Over a four-week period, the researchers fed the mice one of three different moderate-fat diets: the zinc-deficiency diet contained no zinc; the control diet contained 0.45 micro mol of zinc per gram; and the zinc-supplemented diet 1.529 micro-mol of zinc per gram.
They found that the mice fed the zinc deficient diet had significantly higher concentrations of both VLDL (‘bad’ low density lipoprotein) and HDL (‘good’ high density lipoprotein) cholesterol and triacylglycerides compared to the control mice.
In the zinc supplemented mice, these lipid variables were decreased.
The researchers also noted that the zinc-deficient mice experienced an increase in inflammatory markers compared to the control and supplemented groups. The concentrations of glutathione reductase mRNA in their thoracic aortae were also higher, and the DNA binding activity of peroxisome proliferator activate receptors (PPARs) in liver extracts was reduced.
“These data provide in vivo evidence of zinc deficiency inducing proinflammatory events in an atherogenic mouse model,” wrote the researchers in the September issue of the Journal of Nutrition (135:2114-2118).
“These data also suggest that adequate zinc may be a critical component in protective PPAR signaling during atherosclerosis,” they concluded., animal study
CW
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.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Announcing.... Q&A-MAIL
Announcing....
Christopher Wiechert's
Q&A-MAIL ... Individual Nutritional Adjustments
Over the years, with the advent of e-mail, I have received hundreds of e-mails asking me questions about health issues, program adjustments, dietary questions, program reactions etc, that I have tried to take time to answer. I also feel that there are many of you that would like to ask me questions, but don't want to bother me, because you know that my time is valuable and have respected that over the years. While I would love to answer them all, it takes a lot more time than most people think, trying to analyze each question, and all that typically goes with a well thought out and researched answer.
Starting immediately, in addition to full health evaluations, I will now 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 will call it an Individual Nutritional Adjustment. The cost will be $35.00 and will be 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, (correct a food allergy etc), what would you do different, if anything, to improve my results? " 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 - Keep it to 1 Q&A-MAIL with no more than 3 questions, 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.
CW
CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS NOW: CWW@CWIECHERT.COM
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Website: www.cwiechert.com
Health Blogger: www.cwiechert.blogspot.com
Q&A-MAIL: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL
@xiom Int'l, Inc.
E-Mail: cww@cwiechert.com
Phone: 925-394-1050 Toll Free Number: 800-803-3323
Christopher Wiechert's
Q&A-MAIL ... Individual Nutritional Adjustments
Over the years, with the advent of e-mail, I have received hundreds of e-mails asking me questions about health issues, program adjustments, dietary questions, program reactions etc, that I have tried to take time to answer. I also feel that there are many of you that would like to ask me questions, but don't want to bother me, because you know that my time is valuable and have respected that over the years. While I would love to answer them all, it takes a lot more time than most people think, trying to analyze each question, and all that typically goes with a well thought out and researched answer.
Starting immediately, in addition to full health evaluations, I will now 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 will call it an Individual Nutritional Adjustment. The cost will be $35.00 and will be 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, (correct a food allergy etc), what would you do different, if anything, to improve my results? " 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 - Keep it to 1 Q&A-MAIL with no more than 3 questions, 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.
CW
CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS NOW: CWW@CWIECHERT.COM
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Website: www.cwiechert.com
Health Blogger: www.cwiechert.blogspot.com
Q&A-MAIL: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL
@xiom Int'l, Inc.
E-Mail: cww@cwiechert.com
Phone: 925-394-1050 Toll Free Number: 800-803-3323
Strategies for healthy weight loss...
From vitamin C to the glycemic response.
Department of Nutrition,
Arizona State University East, 7001 E. Williams Field Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212, USA.
The ramifications of this epidemic are immense since obesity is associated with chronic metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and heart disease. Reduced physical activity and/or increased energy intakes are important factors in this epidemic. Additionally, a genetic susceptibility to obesity is associated with gene polymorphisms affecting biochemical pathways that regulate fat oxidation, energy expenditure, or energy intake. However, these pathways are also impacted by specific foods and nutrients. Vitamin C status is inversely related to body mass. Individuals with adequate vitamin C status oxidize 30% more fat during a moderate exercise bout than individuals with low vitamin C status; thus, vitamin C depleted individuals may be more resistant to fat mass loss. Food choices can impact post-meal satiety and hunger. High-protein foods promote postprandial thermogenesis and greater satiety as compared to high-carbohydrate, low-fat foods; thus, diet regimens high in protein foods may improve diet compliance and diet effectiveness. Vinegar and peanut ingestion can reduce the glycemic effect of a meal, a phenomenon that has been related to satiety and reduced food consumption. Thus, the effectiveness of regular exercise and a prudent diet for weight loss may be enhanced by attention to specific diet details.
CW
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. To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Department of Nutrition,
Arizona State University East, 7001 E. Williams Field Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212, USA.
The ramifications of this epidemic are immense since obesity is associated with chronic metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and heart disease. Reduced physical activity and/or increased energy intakes are important factors in this epidemic. Additionally, a genetic susceptibility to obesity is associated with gene polymorphisms affecting biochemical pathways that regulate fat oxidation, energy expenditure, or energy intake. However, these pathways are also impacted by specific foods and nutrients. Vitamin C status is inversely related to body mass. Individuals with adequate vitamin C status oxidize 30% more fat during a moderate exercise bout than individuals with low vitamin C status; thus, vitamin C depleted individuals may be more resistant to fat mass loss. Food choices can impact post-meal satiety and hunger. High-protein foods promote postprandial thermogenesis and greater satiety as compared to high-carbohydrate, low-fat foods; thus, diet regimens high in protein foods may improve diet compliance and diet effectiveness. Vinegar and peanut ingestion can reduce the glycemic effect of a meal, a phenomenon that has been related to satiety and reduced food consumption. Thus, the effectiveness of regular exercise and a prudent diet for weight loss may be enhanced by attention to specific diet details.
CW
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. To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Saturday, September 03, 2005
When it comes to antioxidants, more is usually better...
Life Extension Update Exclusive...
High dose vitamin E supplementation extends median and maximum lifespan in mouse study:
A report published online in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (http://ajpregu.physiology.org/) revealed the findings of researchers from the University of Cadiz in Spain and the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina that feeding mice high doses of vitamin E increased lifespan and improved neurological performance.
Professor Alberto Boveris of the University of Buenos Aires and colleagues used a senescence accelerated strain of mice whose median lifespan is 60 to 70 weeks and whose maximum lifespan is 100 to 120 weeks. (Maximum lifespan is the greatest amount of weeks, months or years a species has been observed to survive, while median lifespan is a middle value determined from the range of survival times.) Starting at 28 weeks of age, the researchers supplemented the diets of male and female mice with doses of alpha-tocopherol comparable to the 1200 to 2000 milligram doses taken without adverse effects in studies involving Alzheimer’s disease patients. A control group received diets that contained the standard amount of vitamin E.
Male mice received the greatest benefit from high dose vitamin E supplementation, with a 40 percent increase in median lifespan and a 17 percent increase in maximum lifespan. Supplemented male mice also showed greater neuromuscular performance and cognitive exploratory activity than unsupplemented mice over the course of the study, and this difference increased with age.
Female mice, whose median lifespan was improved by only 14 percent, were not tested for neurological performance. Although the female mice did not experience an increase in maximum lifespan associated with vitamin E, maximum lifespan for both supplemented and unsupplemented females was greater than that of males, which has been explained by lower mitochondrial oxidant production and the effect of estrogen on down-regulating oxidant production.
The team also found that the increased mitochondrial content of lipid and protein oxidation products in the brains and livers of older mice was partly prevented by vitamin E. Vitamin E also helped reduce the age-associated decline in mitochondrial enzymatic activity in the brain and liver.
Professor Boveris explained that the results "are in line with the free radical theory of aging put forward by Gerschman and Harman in the 1950s. Our results show a significant negative correlation between the mitochondrial content of the oxidation products of free-radical mediated reactions and mitochondrial enzymatic activities. Moreover, brain mitochondrial enzymatic activities were linearly related to mice success in the tests of neuromuscular function and of exploratory and cognitive activity and to the maximal mice life span.”
The authors conclude that further studies are needed “to suggest a threshold for the vitamin E doses that provide beneficial effects in the neurological function in aging mammals, an effect that is likely mediated by the antioxidant properties of alpha-tocopherol.”
Comment: For more on how antioxidants effect our health, click here... www.cwiechert.com/antioxidants
CW
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. To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
High dose vitamin E supplementation extends median and maximum lifespan in mouse study:
A report published online in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (http://ajpregu.physiology.org/) revealed the findings of researchers from the University of Cadiz in Spain and the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina that feeding mice high doses of vitamin E increased lifespan and improved neurological performance.
Professor Alberto Boveris of the University of Buenos Aires and colleagues used a senescence accelerated strain of mice whose median lifespan is 60 to 70 weeks and whose maximum lifespan is 100 to 120 weeks. (Maximum lifespan is the greatest amount of weeks, months or years a species has been observed to survive, while median lifespan is a middle value determined from the range of survival times.) Starting at 28 weeks of age, the researchers supplemented the diets of male and female mice with doses of alpha-tocopherol comparable to the 1200 to 2000 milligram doses taken without adverse effects in studies involving Alzheimer’s disease patients. A control group received diets that contained the standard amount of vitamin E.
Male mice received the greatest benefit from high dose vitamin E supplementation, with a 40 percent increase in median lifespan and a 17 percent increase in maximum lifespan. Supplemented male mice also showed greater neuromuscular performance and cognitive exploratory activity than unsupplemented mice over the course of the study, and this difference increased with age.
Female mice, whose median lifespan was improved by only 14 percent, were not tested for neurological performance. Although the female mice did not experience an increase in maximum lifespan associated with vitamin E, maximum lifespan for both supplemented and unsupplemented females was greater than that of males, which has been explained by lower mitochondrial oxidant production and the effect of estrogen on down-regulating oxidant production.
The team also found that the increased mitochondrial content of lipid and protein oxidation products in the brains and livers of older mice was partly prevented by vitamin E. Vitamin E also helped reduce the age-associated decline in mitochondrial enzymatic activity in the brain and liver.
Professor Boveris explained that the results "are in line with the free radical theory of aging put forward by Gerschman and Harman in the 1950s. Our results show a significant negative correlation between the mitochondrial content of the oxidation products of free-radical mediated reactions and mitochondrial enzymatic activities. Moreover, brain mitochondrial enzymatic activities were linearly related to mice success in the tests of neuromuscular function and of exploratory and cognitive activity and to the maximal mice life span.”
The authors conclude that further studies are needed “to suggest a threshold for the vitamin E doses that provide beneficial effects in the neurological function in aging mammals, an effect that is likely mediated by the antioxidant properties of alpha-tocopherol.”
Comment: For more on how antioxidants effect our health, click here... www.cwiechert.com/antioxidants
CW
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. To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Another great reason to use EVO
Extra Virgin Olive oil contains natural anti-inflammatory agent
01 Sep 2005
Throaty sting provides new clues to health benefits of Mediterranean diet - A naturally occurring chemical found in extra-virgin olive oils is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, report scientists from the Monell Chemical Senses Center and collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania, The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and Firmenich, Inc. Named oleocanthal by the researchers, the compound inhibits activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, a pharmacological action shared by ibuprofen. The finding is significant because inflammation increasingly is believed to play a key role in a variety of chronic diseases. "Some of the health-related effects of the Mediterranean diet may be due to the natural anti-COX activity of oleocanthal from premium olive oils," observes Monell biologist Gary Beauchamp, PhD. The findings are described in the September 1 issue of the journal Nature. The scientists were led to the discovery by the serendipitous observation that fresh extra-virgin olive oil irritates the back of the throat in a unique and unusual manner. "I had considerable experience swallowing and being stung in the throat by ibuprofen from previous studies on its sensory properties," explains Beauchamp. "So when I tasted newly-pressed olive oil while attending a meeting on molecular gastronomy in Sicily, I was startled to notice that the throat sensations were virtually identical." Taking their lead from the cues provided by olive oil's throaty bite, the scientists systematically evaluated the sensory properties of an unnamed chemical compound thought to be responsible for the throat irritating property of premium olive oils. When results confirmed that the irritating intensity of a given extra-virgin olive oil was directly related to how much of the chemical it contained, the researchers named the compound oleocanthal (oleo=olive; canth=sting; al=aldehyde). To rule out the possibility that any other compound was involved, chemists at Monell and Penn created a synthetic form of oleocanthal identical in all respects to that found naturally in olive oil, and showed that it produced exactly the same throat irritation. Co-author Amos Smith, PhD, explains, "Only by de novo synthesis could we be absolutely certain that the active ingredient was oleocanthal." The sensory similarities between oleocanthal and ibuprofen led scientists at Monell and the University of the Sciences to investigate potential common pharmacological properties. Studies revealed that, like ibuprofen, oleocanthal inhibits activity of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. Because inhibition of COX activity underlies the anti-inflammatory actions of ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the new findings suggest oleocanthal is a natural anti-inflammatory agent. Monell sensory scientist Paul Breslin, PhD, who directed the research together with Beauchamp remarks, "The Mediterranean diet, of which olive oil is a central component, has long been associated with numerous health benefits, including decreased risk of stroke, heart disease, breast cancer, lung cancer, and some dementias. Similar benefits are associated with certain NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Now that we know of oleocanthal's anti-inflammatory properties, it seems plausible that oleocanthal plays a causal role in the health benefits associated with diets where olive oil is the principal source of fat." Beauchamp said future research will aim to identify how oleocanthal inhibits COX enzymes and how this is related to throat sting. According to Breslin, "This study is the first to make the case for pharmacological activity based on irritation and furthers the idea originally proposed decades ago by Fischer that a compound's orosensory qualities might reflect its pharmacological potency." The Monell Chemical Senses Center is a nonprofit basic research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For 35 years, Monell has been the nation's leading research center focused on understanding the senses of smell, taste and chemical irritation: how they function and affect lives from before birth through old age. Using a multidisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the areas of: sensation and perception, neuroscience and molecular biology, environmental and occupational health, nutrition and appetite, health and well being, and chemical ecology and communication.
cw
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. To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
01 Sep 2005
Throaty sting provides new clues to health benefits of Mediterranean diet - A naturally occurring chemical found in extra-virgin olive oils is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, report scientists from the Monell Chemical Senses Center and collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania, The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and Firmenich, Inc. Named oleocanthal by the researchers, the compound inhibits activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, a pharmacological action shared by ibuprofen. The finding is significant because inflammation increasingly is believed to play a key role in a variety of chronic diseases. "Some of the health-related effects of the Mediterranean diet may be due to the natural anti-COX activity of oleocanthal from premium olive oils," observes Monell biologist Gary Beauchamp, PhD. The findings are described in the September 1 issue of the journal Nature. The scientists were led to the discovery by the serendipitous observation that fresh extra-virgin olive oil irritates the back of the throat in a unique and unusual manner. "I had considerable experience swallowing and being stung in the throat by ibuprofen from previous studies on its sensory properties," explains Beauchamp. "So when I tasted newly-pressed olive oil while attending a meeting on molecular gastronomy in Sicily, I was startled to notice that the throat sensations were virtually identical." Taking their lead from the cues provided by olive oil's throaty bite, the scientists systematically evaluated the sensory properties of an unnamed chemical compound thought to be responsible for the throat irritating property of premium olive oils. When results confirmed that the irritating intensity of a given extra-virgin olive oil was directly related to how much of the chemical it contained, the researchers named the compound oleocanthal (oleo=olive; canth=sting; al=aldehyde). To rule out the possibility that any other compound was involved, chemists at Monell and Penn created a synthetic form of oleocanthal identical in all respects to that found naturally in olive oil, and showed that it produced exactly the same throat irritation. Co-author Amos Smith, PhD, explains, "Only by de novo synthesis could we be absolutely certain that the active ingredient was oleocanthal." The sensory similarities between oleocanthal and ibuprofen led scientists at Monell and the University of the Sciences to investigate potential common pharmacological properties. Studies revealed that, like ibuprofen, oleocanthal inhibits activity of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. Because inhibition of COX activity underlies the anti-inflammatory actions of ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the new findings suggest oleocanthal is a natural anti-inflammatory agent. Monell sensory scientist Paul Breslin, PhD, who directed the research together with Beauchamp remarks, "The Mediterranean diet, of which olive oil is a central component, has long been associated with numerous health benefits, including decreased risk of stroke, heart disease, breast cancer, lung cancer, and some dementias. Similar benefits are associated with certain NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Now that we know of oleocanthal's anti-inflammatory properties, it seems plausible that oleocanthal plays a causal role in the health benefits associated with diets where olive oil is the principal source of fat." Beauchamp said future research will aim to identify how oleocanthal inhibits COX enzymes and how this is related to throat sting. According to Breslin, "This study is the first to make the case for pharmacological activity based on irritation and furthers the idea originally proposed decades ago by Fischer that a compound's orosensory qualities might reflect its pharmacological potency." The Monell Chemical Senses Center is a nonprofit basic research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For 35 years, Monell has been the nation's leading research center focused on understanding the senses of smell, taste and chemical irritation: how they function and affect lives from before birth through old age. Using a multidisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the areas of: sensation and perception, neuroscience and molecular biology, environmental and occupational health, nutrition and appetite, health and well being, and chemical ecology and communication.
cw
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. To be removed from this e-mail program, reply back and say unsubscribe.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
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