George Bernard Shaw was once quoted as saying...
"Everything I eat has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don't eat has been proved to be indespensable for life. But I go marching on".
Well, while some people have contitutions like an ox and can do most things wrong and get away with it, my brother being one on those fortunate people. The rest of us would benefit greatly from diet modifications and getting more exercise. This study published by Reuters is an example of just how powerful lifestyle changes can be. There is no substitute.
cw
Lifestyle trumps drugs for a healthy heart
Eating right, exercising can help cut risk of heart problems by 87 percent
By Amanda Beck
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Even men who take medication for high blood pressure or cholesterol can dramatically cut their risk of heart disease by adopting a healthy lifestyle, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
Middle-aged men on these medications can reduce their chances of heart problems by 57 percent by eating right, not smoking, drinking in moderation and maintaining a healthy weight while exercising regularly, the researchers said.
Those who do not take the drugs can cut their risk of heart ailments by 87 percent if they adopt these lifestyle choices.
"This shows there's no substitute for a healthy lifestyle," said Stephanie Chiuve, lead author of the study to be published in Circulation: Journal of The American Heart Association.
The study tracked 43,000 men between 40 and 75 who were free of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions when the study began in 1986. They completed biannual questionnaires and researchers used the data to tease out correlations between heart disease and lifestyle habits.
The benefits of the healthy habits were apparent even if they were adopted over time.
"In other words, it's never to late to change," said Chiuve. "You can still achieve benefits if you make changes in middle age or later in life."
Men with the lowest risk of heart disease were those who practiced all five healthy habits, but not smoking alone reduced the risk of heart problems by 50 percent, she said.
Comment: While there is controversy on what constitutes a healthy diet, I feel the more you adopt a diet that mimics the Hunter-Gatherer's that have and still do roam the earth, the better of you will be. Also there are alternative approaches to drugs to improve heart disease and type 2 diabetes in those who would prefer taking less drugs.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Vitamin K is in the news - This one will be big...
Vitamin K under trial
7/11/2006- published in the journal Nutrition (Vol. 22, pp. 845-852), Masao Kaneki from Harvard Medical School.
A growing body of science is linking vitamin K to bone health benefits, as well as potential roles in blood clotting and liver cancer. Many questions remain unanswered however and clinical trials are on-going to cast light on these dark areas of vitamin K understanding. The vitamin is less well known than vitamins A to E, but this increasing body of research, as well as increased marketing and advertising from supplement makers, is raising public awareness of vitamin K.
There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone, also known as phytonadione, (vitamin K1) which is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 per cent of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins K2), which make up about 10 per cent of Western vitamin K consumption and can be synthesised in the gut by microflora. A synthetic form of vitamin K, known as K3, does exist but is not recommended for human consumption.
For the most part, research has focussed on the role of vitamin K in boosting bone health. Indeed, a meta-analysis of human clinical trials using MK-4 supplements for bone health (Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166, pp. 1256-1261) reported that supplements (45-milligram daily doses) resulted in reductions in hip fractures of 77 per cent, vertebral fracture of 60 per cent, and all non-vertebral fractures of 81 per cent in elderly people.
Reports of the bone benefits for the other forms of vitamin K, most notably MK-7 from natto, can also be easily found in the literature.
A recent representative cohort study (Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136, pp. 1323-1328) reported that postmenopausal women with a dietary intake of more than four packets of natto per week (equivalent to about 1400 micrograms of MK-7) reduced bone mass loss at the top of the thighbone (femoral neck) and in the lower arm (radius) by over 80 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively.
The mechanism behind the benefits is proposed to be due to vitamin K’s influence on the secondary modification of osteocalcin, a protein needed to bind calcium to the bone matrix.
Other studies have reported differing results however, like the study from Denmark (Osteoporosis International, Vol. 17, pp. 1122-1132) that reports that vitamin K1 intake had no impact on the bone mineral density and fracture risk of peri-menopausal women.
Evidence is also increasing linking the vitamin to lower risks of atherosclerosis and cancer of the liver. The former is reported to be due to the presence of a vitamin K-dependent protein, MGP, in atherosclerotic plaque. Gene disruption of MGP is said to result in extensive calcification of the aorta.
Comment: Vitamin K1 works just fine, but must be taken in higher amounts than K2. Even newer research is being published lately, that 10 mgs a day of K1 or 1 mg of k2, has the potential to reverse calcium deposits that may exist in the soft tissues of the body like the arteries, or anywhere else it does not belong, and help put it back into the bones, where it does belong.
This may be the most exciting reason to consider taking more of this nutrient or eating large amounts of very green leafy vegetables everyday. I personally take 10 mgs a day, on top of my other supplements for this very purpose.
Vitamin K1
Vitamin K2
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
7/11/2006- published in the journal Nutrition (Vol. 22, pp. 845-852), Masao Kaneki from Harvard Medical School.
A growing body of science is linking vitamin K to bone health benefits, as well as potential roles in blood clotting and liver cancer. Many questions remain unanswered however and clinical trials are on-going to cast light on these dark areas of vitamin K understanding. The vitamin is less well known than vitamins A to E, but this increasing body of research, as well as increased marketing and advertising from supplement makers, is raising public awareness of vitamin K.
There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone, also known as phytonadione, (vitamin K1) which is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 per cent of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins K2), which make up about 10 per cent of Western vitamin K consumption and can be synthesised in the gut by microflora. A synthetic form of vitamin K, known as K3, does exist but is not recommended for human consumption.
For the most part, research has focussed on the role of vitamin K in boosting bone health. Indeed, a meta-analysis of human clinical trials using MK-4 supplements for bone health (Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166, pp. 1256-1261) reported that supplements (45-milligram daily doses) resulted in reductions in hip fractures of 77 per cent, vertebral fracture of 60 per cent, and all non-vertebral fractures of 81 per cent in elderly people.
Reports of the bone benefits for the other forms of vitamin K, most notably MK-7 from natto, can also be easily found in the literature.
A recent representative cohort study (Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136, pp. 1323-1328) reported that postmenopausal women with a dietary intake of more than four packets of natto per week (equivalent to about 1400 micrograms of MK-7) reduced bone mass loss at the top of the thighbone (femoral neck) and in the lower arm (radius) by over 80 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively.
The mechanism behind the benefits is proposed to be due to vitamin K’s influence on the secondary modification of osteocalcin, a protein needed to bind calcium to the bone matrix.
Other studies have reported differing results however, like the study from Denmark (Osteoporosis International, Vol. 17, pp. 1122-1132) that reports that vitamin K1 intake had no impact on the bone mineral density and fracture risk of peri-menopausal women.
Evidence is also increasing linking the vitamin to lower risks of atherosclerosis and cancer of the liver. The former is reported to be due to the presence of a vitamin K-dependent protein, MGP, in atherosclerotic plaque. Gene disruption of MGP is said to result in extensive calcification of the aorta.
Comment: Vitamin K1 works just fine, but must be taken in higher amounts than K2. Even newer research is being published lately, that 10 mgs a day of K1 or 1 mg of k2, has the potential to reverse calcium deposits that may exist in the soft tissues of the body like the arteries, or anywhere else it does not belong, and help put it back into the bones, where it does belong.
This may be the most exciting reason to consider taking more of this nutrient or eating large amounts of very green leafy vegetables everyday. I personally take 10 mgs a day, on top of my other supplements for this very purpose.
Vitamin K1
Vitamin K2
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Vindication!!! Experts are coming around to increasing minimal Vitamin D levels - Finally
Life Extension Update Exclusive
Review finds current vitamin D recommendations insufficient to achieve healthy blood levels
A review published in the July, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which sought to determine the optimal serum levels of the major circulating form of vitamin D [25(OH)D] for several health outcomes concluded that it would be necessary to consume at least 1000 international units of vitamin D per day to elevate blood serum levels in half the adult population to 75 nanomoles per liter, the minimum level that the researchers found to be advantageous for helping to preserve normal bone mineral density and lower extremity function, and aiding in the prevention of periodontal disease, falls, fractures, and colorectal cancer. Although there is evidence for vitamin D in preventing other diseases such as multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, insulin resistance, osteoarthritis, hypertension, and cancers other than colorectal cancer, the authors did not include these diseases in the current review.
H. A. Bischoff-Ferrari of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland, along with colleagues at Harvard and Tufts University evaluated clinical trials and meta-analyses involving vitamin D and each of the selected health outcomes. They concluded that the most desirable serum levels of vitamin D began at 75 nanomoles per liter (30 nanograms per milliliter), and optimal levels are between 90 and 100 nanomoles per liter. These levels cannot be reached by most individuals with the current recommended intakes of 200 international units per day for younger adults and 600 international units per day for older adults. To bring vitamin D concentrations in at least 50 percent of the population up to optimal levels, the authors recommend at least 1000 IU vitamin D per day, and they remark that 2000 IU per day may be a safe recommended daily allowance.
“On the basis of this review, we suggest that, for bone health in younger adults and all outcomes in older adults, including antifracture efficacy, lower-extremity strength, dental health, and colorectal cancer prevention, an increase in the current recommended intake of vitamin D may be warranted,” the authors conclude. “Given the low cost, the safety, and the demonstrated benefit of higher 25(OH)D concentrations, vitamin D supplementation should become a public health priority to combat these common and costly chronic diseases.”
Comment: As many of you know, I have been sharing research for many years, that Vitamin D levels are way too low for most people and that I had increased my intake to 4000 IU per day.
I believe all multi- vitamins should be raised from the normal 400 IU's to at least 1000 IU's to 1200 IU's, and for anyone dealing with chronic diseases, 2000 IU's to 4000 IU's would not be too high.
If you want to increase your levels of D, here is a good source.
NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU - 200 Caps
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Review finds current vitamin D recommendations insufficient to achieve healthy blood levels
A review published in the July, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which sought to determine the optimal serum levels of the major circulating form of vitamin D [25(OH)D] for several health outcomes concluded that it would be necessary to consume at least 1000 international units of vitamin D per day to elevate blood serum levels in half the adult population to 75 nanomoles per liter, the minimum level that the researchers found to be advantageous for helping to preserve normal bone mineral density and lower extremity function, and aiding in the prevention of periodontal disease, falls, fractures, and colorectal cancer. Although there is evidence for vitamin D in preventing other diseases such as multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, insulin resistance, osteoarthritis, hypertension, and cancers other than colorectal cancer, the authors did not include these diseases in the current review.
H. A. Bischoff-Ferrari of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland, along with colleagues at Harvard and Tufts University evaluated clinical trials and meta-analyses involving vitamin D and each of the selected health outcomes. They concluded that the most desirable serum levels of vitamin D began at 75 nanomoles per liter (30 nanograms per milliliter), and optimal levels are between 90 and 100 nanomoles per liter. These levels cannot be reached by most individuals with the current recommended intakes of 200 international units per day for younger adults and 600 international units per day for older adults. To bring vitamin D concentrations in at least 50 percent of the population up to optimal levels, the authors recommend at least 1000 IU vitamin D per day, and they remark that 2000 IU per day may be a safe recommended daily allowance.
“On the basis of this review, we suggest that, for bone health in younger adults and all outcomes in older adults, including antifracture efficacy, lower-extremity strength, dental health, and colorectal cancer prevention, an increase in the current recommended intake of vitamin D may be warranted,” the authors conclude. “Given the low cost, the safety, and the demonstrated benefit of higher 25(OH)D concentrations, vitamin D supplementation should become a public health priority to combat these common and costly chronic diseases.”
Comment: As many of you know, I have been sharing research for many years, that Vitamin D levels are way too low for most people and that I had increased my intake to 4000 IU per day.
I believe all multi- vitamins should be raised from the normal 400 IU's to at least 1000 IU's to 1200 IU's, and for anyone dealing with chronic diseases, 2000 IU's to 4000 IU's would not be too high.
If you want to increase your levels of D, here is a good source.
NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU - 200 Caps
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Mushrooms
Mushrooms scored big in antioxidant rankings
29/06/2006- Ingredient suppliers have been quick to tap fruits and vegetables shown to have a high antioxidant content, like tomatoes and broccoli. Now new research suggests that mushrooms deserve a place in the antioxidant hall of fame, with an ORAC value almost on a par with red pepper. After almonds, chocolate, ‘super fruits’ and grapes, mushrooms are the latest food to have the antioxidant spotlight turned on them, as researchers from Penn State University measure the activity of two of the most useful antioxidants in different varieties of edible fungus.
The term antioxidants have entered the consumer consciousness as factors that can help reduce the risk of certain diseases and slow the ageing process by mopping up harmful reactive oxygen species known as free radicals.
Although little attention has been paid to mushrooms to date, according to Dr N Joy Dubost of Penn State, eating a variety of mushrooms alongside other veg can help ensure consumption of a variety of different antioxidants.
For her PhD thesis, Dr Dubost measured the content of two antioxidants - polyphenols and erthiotheneine – in mushrooms using the ORAC assay, the most common antioxidant test, and HPLC instrumentation.
She found that portabella mushrooms had an ORAC value of 9.7 micromoles of trolox equivalents per gram, and crimini mushrooms 9.5.
These scores were just shy of that of red pepper, which has an ORAC value of 10, and streets ahead of carrots and green beans, with a value of 5. Broccoli has an ORAC value of 12.
The results of the study showed that the anti-oxidant effect of mushrooms is primarily down to the polyphenols – but Dubost had previously shown that the fungi also have a high ergothionene content.
“Evidence suggests that ergothionene is biologically very important and, even though the assay does not show it contributes to total antioxidant activity in the mushroom, it may significantly contribute to antioxidant activity in the body,” she said.
Dr Dubost stressed that the ORAC assay, which focuses on the prolific peroxl radical, does not show what actually happens in the human body. But further investigations are underway to see how it could predict physiological activity.
The research was presented at the IFT meeting in Orlando, Florida, this week.
Try - Triple Guard Mushrooms
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C. is President of Forever Changes, Inc. - a nevada corporation.
29/06/2006- Ingredient suppliers have been quick to tap fruits and vegetables shown to have a high antioxidant content, like tomatoes and broccoli. Now new research suggests that mushrooms deserve a place in the antioxidant hall of fame, with an ORAC value almost on a par with red pepper. After almonds, chocolate, ‘super fruits’ and grapes, mushrooms are the latest food to have the antioxidant spotlight turned on them, as researchers from Penn State University measure the activity of two of the most useful antioxidants in different varieties of edible fungus.
The term antioxidants have entered the consumer consciousness as factors that can help reduce the risk of certain diseases and slow the ageing process by mopping up harmful reactive oxygen species known as free radicals.
Although little attention has been paid to mushrooms to date, according to Dr N Joy Dubost of Penn State, eating a variety of mushrooms alongside other veg can help ensure consumption of a variety of different antioxidants.
For her PhD thesis, Dr Dubost measured the content of two antioxidants - polyphenols and erthiotheneine – in mushrooms using the ORAC assay, the most common antioxidant test, and HPLC instrumentation.
She found that portabella mushrooms had an ORAC value of 9.7 micromoles of trolox equivalents per gram, and crimini mushrooms 9.5.
These scores were just shy of that of red pepper, which has an ORAC value of 10, and streets ahead of carrots and green beans, with a value of 5. Broccoli has an ORAC value of 12.
The results of the study showed that the anti-oxidant effect of mushrooms is primarily down to the polyphenols – but Dubost had previously shown that the fungi also have a high ergothionene content.
“Evidence suggests that ergothionene is biologically very important and, even though the assay does not show it contributes to total antioxidant activity in the mushroom, it may significantly contribute to antioxidant activity in the body,” she said.
Dr Dubost stressed that the ORAC assay, which focuses on the prolific peroxl radical, does not show what actually happens in the human body. But further investigations are underway to see how it could predict physiological activity.
The research was presented at the IFT meeting in Orlando, Florida, this week.
Try - Triple Guard Mushrooms
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C. is President of Forever Changes, Inc. - a nevada corporation.
Eat your Broccoli, or a hand full of Raw Almonds, your choice...
Antioxidant-rich almonds on a par with fruits and vegetables.
07-01/2006
According to recent research, antioxidant-rich almonds could be the smart choice for people trying to be health-conscious, in a very busy world.
In a new study published last month, almonds, in common with fruit and vegetables, have been found to contain high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants deactivate free radicals – cell-destroying compounds in the body that can cause heart disease, cancer and strokes.
While almonds have long been recognized as an excellent source of magnesium and vitamin E, comprehensive work had yet to be done on the quantity and quality of their antioxidant content.
Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidant Research Laboratory at Tufts University, said:
“ These new findings, coupled with past results, lay the groundwork for future clinical trials that examine a link between whole almond consumption and the reduced risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.”
By testing the eight most common varieties of California almonds, researchers at Tufts University in California, discovered that the nuts contained 3 very important antioxidants, which are particularly important in fighting the cell damage that can lead to serious illnesses.
The study also claims that one serving of the nut contains the same amount of the antioxidant flavenoid as an equivalent portion of broccoli.
The next stage of the research will focus on determining how the human body extracts and absorbs the beneficial compounds.
In addition to their high antioxidant content, almonds as an effective means of lowering cholesterol.
Previous research has found that the antioxidants and vitamin E in almonds work in tandem – and are more effective when taken in conjunction with each other – to prevent the oxidization of LDL, ‘bad’ cholesterol.
According to the Almond Board of California, around a handful of the nut reduces LDL cholesterol by 4.4% from baseline.
A single ounce of almonds contains 160 calories, calcium, potassium and iron as well as being a good source of protein and fiber.
Today’s research was partly funded by the Almond Board of California and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
07-01/2006
According to recent research, antioxidant-rich almonds could be the smart choice for people trying to be health-conscious, in a very busy world.
In a new study published last month, almonds, in common with fruit and vegetables, have been found to contain high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants deactivate free radicals – cell-destroying compounds in the body that can cause heart disease, cancer and strokes.
While almonds have long been recognized as an excellent source of magnesium and vitamin E, comprehensive work had yet to be done on the quantity and quality of their antioxidant content.
Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidant Research Laboratory at Tufts University, said:
“ These new findings, coupled with past results, lay the groundwork for future clinical trials that examine a link between whole almond consumption and the reduced risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.”
By testing the eight most common varieties of California almonds, researchers at Tufts University in California, discovered that the nuts contained 3 very important antioxidants, which are particularly important in fighting the cell damage that can lead to serious illnesses.
The study also claims that one serving of the nut contains the same amount of the antioxidant flavenoid as an equivalent portion of broccoli.
The next stage of the research will focus on determining how the human body extracts and absorbs the beneficial compounds.
In addition to their high antioxidant content, almonds as an effective means of lowering cholesterol.
Previous research has found that the antioxidants and vitamin E in almonds work in tandem – and are more effective when taken in conjunction with each other – to prevent the oxidization of LDL, ‘bad’ cholesterol.
According to the Almond Board of California, around a handful of the nut reduces LDL cholesterol by 4.4% from baseline.
A single ounce of almonds contains 160 calories, calcium, potassium and iron as well as being a good source of protein and fiber.
Today’s research was partly funded by the Almond Board of California and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Can vitamin C control inflammation and cut heart disease risk?
From The International Health News...
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
Further study on the possible links between vitamin C and ischemic heart disease suggests that vitamin C has antiinflammatory effects and is associated with lower levels of markers for inflammation and hemostasis (blood clotting). Researchers from the Royal Free and University College Medical School gathered data on 3,258 British men aged 60 to 79 years, who were free of heart disease and diabetes. The men's fruit and vegetable and vitamin C intakes were measured using a questionnaire. Results showed that higher vitamin C levels in the blood plasma, higher fruit intake, and higher dietary vitamin C intake were all linked significantly with lower levels of markers of inflammation and hemostasis - specifically C-reactive protein, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, a marker of endothelial dysfunction (damaging changes to the cells lining the heart and blood vessels). Those in the top quarter for plasma vitamin C had a 44 per cent lower risk of elevated C-reactive protein, and a 21 per cent lower risk of elevated t-PA, compared with the lowest quarter, report the authors. Plasma vitamin C was also inversely linked to fibrinogen concentrations and blood viscosity. The reduction in risk in the highest quarter for fruit intake was 24 per cent for both elevated C-reactive protein and t-PA. Weaker links were found for vegetable intake. Dietary vitamin C was significantly associated with C-reactive protein and t-PA. These results confirm previous findings that plasma and dietary vitamin C levels have are inversely associated with some markers of greater risk of cardiovascular disease among white men. Large randomized trials of the effect of vitamin C supplementation on markers of inflammation and hemostasis would be useful, they conclude. In an accompanying editorial, researchers from the University of California, Davis Medical Center discuss whether vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory agent by considering possible mechanisms behind the effect. They explain that attempts to control inflammation may prove central to the fight against cardiovascular disease, and the antioxidant vitamin C may play a role, although its effects on inflammation remain unclear. They point out several limitations of the UK study, adding that supplementation studies have failed to find reductions in inflammatory markers, and conclude that the effect is far from certain. Wannamethee, S. G. et al. Associations of vitamin C status, fruit and vegetable intakes, and markers of inflammation and hemostasis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, March 2006, pp. 567-74 Jialal, I. and Singh, U. Is vitamin C an antiinflammatory agent? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, March 2006, pp. 525-26
See Linus Paulings views on what Vitamin C can do...
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
Further study on the possible links between vitamin C and ischemic heart disease suggests that vitamin C has antiinflammatory effects and is associated with lower levels of markers for inflammation and hemostasis (blood clotting). Researchers from the Royal Free and University College Medical School gathered data on 3,258 British men aged 60 to 79 years, who were free of heart disease and diabetes. The men's fruit and vegetable and vitamin C intakes were measured using a questionnaire. Results showed that higher vitamin C levels in the blood plasma, higher fruit intake, and higher dietary vitamin C intake were all linked significantly with lower levels of markers of inflammation and hemostasis - specifically C-reactive protein, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, a marker of endothelial dysfunction (damaging changes to the cells lining the heart and blood vessels). Those in the top quarter for plasma vitamin C had a 44 per cent lower risk of elevated C-reactive protein, and a 21 per cent lower risk of elevated t-PA, compared with the lowest quarter, report the authors. Plasma vitamin C was also inversely linked to fibrinogen concentrations and blood viscosity. The reduction in risk in the highest quarter for fruit intake was 24 per cent for both elevated C-reactive protein and t-PA. Weaker links were found for vegetable intake. Dietary vitamin C was significantly associated with C-reactive protein and t-PA. These results confirm previous findings that plasma and dietary vitamin C levels have are inversely associated with some markers of greater risk of cardiovascular disease among white men. Large randomized trials of the effect of vitamin C supplementation on markers of inflammation and hemostasis would be useful, they conclude. In an accompanying editorial, researchers from the University of California, Davis Medical Center discuss whether vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory agent by considering possible mechanisms behind the effect. They explain that attempts to control inflammation may prove central to the fight against cardiovascular disease, and the antioxidant vitamin C may play a role, although its effects on inflammation remain unclear. They point out several limitations of the UK study, adding that supplementation studies have failed to find reductions in inflammatory markers, and conclude that the effect is far from certain. Wannamethee, S. G. et al. Associations of vitamin C status, fruit and vegetable intakes, and markers of inflammation and hemostasis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, March 2006, pp. 567-74 Jialal, I. and Singh, U. Is vitamin C an antiinflammatory agent? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, March 2006, pp. 525-26
See Linus Paulings views on what Vitamin C can do...
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Osteoporosis Myth: More Calcium Means Better Protection
This is a reprint from an e-mail I got from a group of health professionals world wide who share information, that I am a participant with. CW
Conventional medicine has told you that you need to take 1,500 mg of calcium every day to fight osteoporosis. I've told my readers in the past that they don't really need more than 1,000 mg per day. But now there's evidence that you can take even less. In fact, you probably don't need to take any more than you'd find in a quality multivitamin. A recent study looked at 310 participants from the very far north country of Iceland. The subjects were divided into groups based on how much calcium they consumed daily. Then the researchers measured the participants' vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels.PTH, which is made by your tiny parathyroid glands, is critical for keeping just the right amount of calcium in your blood at all times. If you're not getting enough calcium absorbed from our food, your glands will secret PTH. PTH draws calcium from your bones to keep up proper blood levels. The result is osteoporosis. Your goal is to keep a low level of PTH as you age. The easiest way to keep your PTH level low is to keep your vitamin D level high. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium into your blood stream. This keeps PTH levels low and prevents calcium loss from your bones.How well does vitamin D protect your bones? The researchers concluded that Icelanders (who get very little winter sun, a major source of vitamin D) with the highest levels of vitamin D don't need more than 800 mg daily of calcium. (I suspect people who live in more southern areas don't even need that much.) Based on this conclusion, the authors suggested that low levels of vitamin D over a long period of time might be your biggest risk of osteoporosis. So you might not need supplemental calcium (other than what you get in a good multivitamin) as long as you have plenty of vitamin D. I think vitamin D is one of the most valuable nutrients available. Not only does it prevent osteoporosis, but it also prevents cancer and heart disease. It's one nutrient everyone needs. Before you start taking vitamin D, though, ask your doctor to measure your 25-hydroxy vitamin D level. I routinely use this test to measure vitamin D and have done so for years.It should be a staple lab test, just like cholesterol. I want my patients to be in the upper third (over 55.0 ng/ml) of the normal range (16.0 to 74.0 ng/ml). If you're not there, consider supplemental vitamin D - up to 5,000 units daily in capsules or from cod liver oil.Some doctors will tell you that level is toxic. It's not! Most of the information you'll hear about vitamin D toxicity is hogwash.If you were in the tropics, the sun would give you up to 10,000 units daily. As long as you don't burn, that's the best way to get your vitamin D - it won't cost you a thing!
Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD
Comment: This is just another educated oppinion that agrees that taking a product like Tums to make sure your protected from Osteoporosis, is worthless. Make sure your getting plenty of Magnesium and Vitamin D instead of just focusing on Calcium.
NSI - Calcium, Magnesium & Vitamin D
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Conventional medicine has told you that you need to take 1,500 mg of calcium every day to fight osteoporosis. I've told my readers in the past that they don't really need more than 1,000 mg per day. But now there's evidence that you can take even less. In fact, you probably don't need to take any more than you'd find in a quality multivitamin. A recent study looked at 310 participants from the very far north country of Iceland. The subjects were divided into groups based on how much calcium they consumed daily. Then the researchers measured the participants' vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels.PTH, which is made by your tiny parathyroid glands, is critical for keeping just the right amount of calcium in your blood at all times. If you're not getting enough calcium absorbed from our food, your glands will secret PTH. PTH draws calcium from your bones to keep up proper blood levels. The result is osteoporosis. Your goal is to keep a low level of PTH as you age. The easiest way to keep your PTH level low is to keep your vitamin D level high. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium into your blood stream. This keeps PTH levels low and prevents calcium loss from your bones.How well does vitamin D protect your bones? The researchers concluded that Icelanders (who get very little winter sun, a major source of vitamin D) with the highest levels of vitamin D don't need more than 800 mg daily of calcium. (I suspect people who live in more southern areas don't even need that much.) Based on this conclusion, the authors suggested that low levels of vitamin D over a long period of time might be your biggest risk of osteoporosis. So you might not need supplemental calcium (other than what you get in a good multivitamin) as long as you have plenty of vitamin D. I think vitamin D is one of the most valuable nutrients available. Not only does it prevent osteoporosis, but it also prevents cancer and heart disease. It's one nutrient everyone needs. Before you start taking vitamin D, though, ask your doctor to measure your 25-hydroxy vitamin D level. I routinely use this test to measure vitamin D and have done so for years.It should be a staple lab test, just like cholesterol. I want my patients to be in the upper third (over 55.0 ng/ml) of the normal range (16.0 to 74.0 ng/ml). If you're not there, consider supplemental vitamin D - up to 5,000 units daily in capsules or from cod liver oil.Some doctors will tell you that level is toxic. It's not! Most of the information you'll hear about vitamin D toxicity is hogwash.If you were in the tropics, the sun would give you up to 10,000 units daily. As long as you don't burn, that's the best way to get your vitamin D - it won't cost you a thing!
Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD
Comment: This is just another educated oppinion that agrees that taking a product like Tums to make sure your protected from Osteoporosis, is worthless. Make sure your getting plenty of Magnesium and Vitamin D instead of just focusing on Calcium.
NSI - Calcium, Magnesium & Vitamin D
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Monday, June 26, 2006
Low-carb diet benefits obese type 2 diabetics
Low-carb diet benefits obese type 2 diabetics
By Megan RauscherFri Jun 23, 6:00 PM ET
In motivated people who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes, a low-carbohydrate diet with some caloric restriction has lasting benefits on body weight and blood sugar control, Swedish researchers report.
Dr. Jorgen Vesti Nielsen and Dr. Eva A. Joensson from Blekingesjukhuset, Karlshamn, previously reported that 16 obese patients with type 2 diabetes who followed a low carbohydrate diet achieved significantly better diabetes control and body weight over 6 months than did 15 patients who followed their usual diet.
Follow-up data at 22 months for the low-carbohydrate group now show "stable improvement" of body weight and glucose control, the investigators report in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism. (The publication is open access, available subscription-free at www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/home).
At the start of the study, the average body weight of the participants was 100.6 kg in the low-carbohydrate group. At 6 months, they were down to 89.2 kg, and by 22 months they were at 92.0 kg.
Moreover, hemoglobin A1c, an indicator of ongoing blood glucose control, dropped from 8.0 percent in the low-carbohydrate group to 7.0 percent after a year, and at 22 months it was still down, at 6.9 percent.
The low-carbohydrate and high-carbohydrate diet contained about the same amount of calories (1800 kcal for men and 1600 kcal for women), but the proportions of carbohydrates, protein, and fat were different: 20 percent, 30 percent, and 50 percent, respectively, for the low-carb diet versus 55-60 percent, 15 percent, and 25-30 percent, respectively, for the higher-carb control diet.
In comments to Reuters Health, Nielsen said: "There is no such thing as one diet that all patients should adapt to. Some prefer to eat as they are used to and treat the blood glucose with medications. Others are willing to make quite substantial changes in their lives in order to get healthier (and in some cases to get cured of their diabetes)."
When it comes to diet and diabetes, Nielsen acknowledges that "we know very little and patients should be informed about our lack of knowledge so they can make their own choices. And then they should get our full support in whatever they choose."
SOURCE: Nutrition and Metabolism 2006.
Comment: Notice that the low carb diet had only 20% carbs and 50% fats, protein was about the same level. Also, I like the admission that the Doctor admits that when it comes to diet and diabetes, they don't have much knowledge. And, did he use the CURE word with dietary changes, I think he did.
Learn all you need to know here...
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
By Megan RauscherFri Jun 23, 6:00 PM ET
In motivated people who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes, a low-carbohydrate diet with some caloric restriction has lasting benefits on body weight and blood sugar control, Swedish researchers report.
Dr. Jorgen Vesti Nielsen and Dr. Eva A. Joensson from Blekingesjukhuset, Karlshamn, previously reported that 16 obese patients with type 2 diabetes who followed a low carbohydrate diet achieved significantly better diabetes control and body weight over 6 months than did 15 patients who followed their usual diet.
Follow-up data at 22 months for the low-carbohydrate group now show "stable improvement" of body weight and glucose control, the investigators report in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism. (The publication is open access, available subscription-free at www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/home).
At the start of the study, the average body weight of the participants was 100.6 kg in the low-carbohydrate group. At 6 months, they were down to 89.2 kg, and by 22 months they were at 92.0 kg.
Moreover, hemoglobin A1c, an indicator of ongoing blood glucose control, dropped from 8.0 percent in the low-carbohydrate group to 7.0 percent after a year, and at 22 months it was still down, at 6.9 percent.
The low-carbohydrate and high-carbohydrate diet contained about the same amount of calories (1800 kcal for men and 1600 kcal for women), but the proportions of carbohydrates, protein, and fat were different: 20 percent, 30 percent, and 50 percent, respectively, for the low-carb diet versus 55-60 percent, 15 percent, and 25-30 percent, respectively, for the higher-carb control diet.
In comments to Reuters Health, Nielsen said: "There is no such thing as one diet that all patients should adapt to. Some prefer to eat as they are used to and treat the blood glucose with medications. Others are willing to make quite substantial changes in their lives in order to get healthier (and in some cases to get cured of their diabetes)."
When it comes to diet and diabetes, Nielsen acknowledges that "we know very little and patients should be informed about our lack of knowledge so they can make their own choices. And then they should get our full support in whatever they choose."
SOURCE: Nutrition and Metabolism 2006.
Comment: Notice that the low carb diet had only 20% carbs and 50% fats, protein was about the same level. Also, I like the admission that the Doctor admits that when it comes to diet and diabetes, they don't have much knowledge. And, did he use the CURE word with dietary changes, I think he did.
Learn all you need to know here...
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies - That taste great and are low glycemic...
Sometimes people think I do not like sweets or treats, but this is not the case, I just believe we are being overwhelmed with sugar and high glycemic foods and that we are becoming very sick as a country, because of it. So, today I thought I would just send you a treat to bake with the kids and to enjoy. These are fine for Diabetics and people with Metabolic Syndrome.
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
INGREDIENTS: For 6 servings...
1 cup peanut butter plain or crunchy
1 cup Splenda
1 slightly beaten large egg
1/8 Teas of Vanilla Ext.
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix peanut butter and sugar until creamy.
Beat egg & add to peanut butter mixture. Mix well.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet, 2" apart.
Dip a fork in Splenda and make a criss-cross pattern on the cookies.
Bake until slightly browned, but still soft to the touch, about 10 minutes.
Don't over cook or they will be crumbly.
Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes.
Transfer to wire rack until cooled.
Enjoy...
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
INGREDIENTS: For 6 servings...
1 cup peanut butter plain or crunchy
1 cup Splenda
1 slightly beaten large egg
1/8 Teas of Vanilla Ext.
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix peanut butter and sugar until creamy.
Beat egg & add to peanut butter mixture. Mix well.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet, 2" apart.
Dip a fork in Splenda and make a criss-cross pattern on the cookies.
Bake until slightly browned, but still soft to the touch, about 10 minutes.
Don't over cook or they will be crumbly.
Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes.
Transfer to wire rack until cooled.
Enjoy...
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Heart Association urges trans fats limit, but still doesn't understand saturated fats...
Heart Association urges trans fats limit
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical WriterMon Jun 19, 7:43 PM ET
The American Heart Association has become the first big health group to urge a specific limit on trans fats in the diet — less than 1 percent of total calories — in new guidelines released Monday.
Also for the first time, the organization's dietary guidelines include lifestyle recommendations, including an emphasis on getting exercise and not smoking.
A panel of specialists in nutrition and heart disease reviewed more than 90 studies to update the dietary advice the association released in 2000. The guidelines are for healthy Americans ages 2 and older.
Rather than slavishly counting calories and grams of fat, people should try something simpler: getting in the habit of cooking with healthier oils, and balancing calories consumed with calories burned through exercise, said Alice Lichtenstein, a Tufts University nutrition expert who chaired the guidelines panel.
Trans fats, or trans fatty acids such as partially hydrogenated oils, are in many cookies, crackers, breads, cakes, French fries and other fried foods. They contribute to heart disease risk by raising LDL, or the bad cholesterol.
Avoiding them and keeping a healthy diet is challenging while eating out as much as Americans do, panel members noted.
Last week, a consumer group sued KFC to try to get the company to stop frying its chicken in trans fats, and other fast-food chains have been pressured to lower such fats as well.
"Total fat reduction alone is not the only answer. It is important what kind of fat you eat," said Linda Van Horn, a Northwestern University dietitian who helped draft the guidelines.
Among the panel's other recommendations:
_Limiting saturated fats to no more than 7 percent of daily calories, down from the 10 percent formerly recommended and the 11 percent most Americans consume. Saturated fats are in meat and dairy products, and in coconut and palm oil.
_Getting at least half an hour of exercise a day.
_Eating fruits and vegetables (not fruit juices) that are deep in color, such as spinach, carrots, peaches and berries.
_Choosing whole-grain, high-fiber foods.
_Eating fish, especially oily fish like salmon and trout, at least twice a week. (Children and pregnant women should follow federal guidelines for avoiding mercury in fish.)
_Choosing lean meats and trying vegetable alternatives.
_Consuming fat-free and 1 percent fat milk and other dairy products.
_Minimizing calories from beverages and avoiding ones with added sugars.
_Adding little or no salt to foods.
_Drinking alcohol in moderation.
Comment: These guidelines are very good overall. They are beginning to understand why fruit juices are not good, but they still fear saturated fats. Here is the global view of fats, which eventually, they will figure out, I hope. The Truth Aout Fats.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical WriterMon Jun 19, 7:43 PM ET
The American Heart Association has become the first big health group to urge a specific limit on trans fats in the diet — less than 1 percent of total calories — in new guidelines released Monday.
Also for the first time, the organization's dietary guidelines include lifestyle recommendations, including an emphasis on getting exercise and not smoking.
A panel of specialists in nutrition and heart disease reviewed more than 90 studies to update the dietary advice the association released in 2000. The guidelines are for healthy Americans ages 2 and older.
Rather than slavishly counting calories and grams of fat, people should try something simpler: getting in the habit of cooking with healthier oils, and balancing calories consumed with calories burned through exercise, said Alice Lichtenstein, a Tufts University nutrition expert who chaired the guidelines panel.
Trans fats, or trans fatty acids such as partially hydrogenated oils, are in many cookies, crackers, breads, cakes, French fries and other fried foods. They contribute to heart disease risk by raising LDL, or the bad cholesterol.
Avoiding them and keeping a healthy diet is challenging while eating out as much as Americans do, panel members noted.
Last week, a consumer group sued KFC to try to get the company to stop frying its chicken in trans fats, and other fast-food chains have been pressured to lower such fats as well.
"Total fat reduction alone is not the only answer. It is important what kind of fat you eat," said Linda Van Horn, a Northwestern University dietitian who helped draft the guidelines.
Among the panel's other recommendations:
_Limiting saturated fats to no more than 7 percent of daily calories, down from the 10 percent formerly recommended and the 11 percent most Americans consume. Saturated fats are in meat and dairy products, and in coconut and palm oil.
_Getting at least half an hour of exercise a day.
_Eating fruits and vegetables (not fruit juices) that are deep in color, such as spinach, carrots, peaches and berries.
_Choosing whole-grain, high-fiber foods.
_Eating fish, especially oily fish like salmon and trout, at least twice a week. (Children and pregnant women should follow federal guidelines for avoiding mercury in fish.)
_Choosing lean meats and trying vegetable alternatives.
_Consuming fat-free and 1 percent fat milk and other dairy products.
_Minimizing calories from beverages and avoiding ones with added sugars.
_Adding little or no salt to foods.
_Drinking alcohol in moderation.
Comment: These guidelines are very good overall. They are beginning to understand why fruit juices are not good, but they still fear saturated fats. Here is the global view of fats, which eventually, they will figure out, I hope. The Truth Aout Fats.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Restricting calories and carbohydrates may prevent Alzheimer's disease...
Life Extension Update Exclusive
Mechanism defined for calorie restriction's preventive benefit in Alzheimer's disease...
A report that will appear in the July, 2006 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry contributes evidence to the hypothesis that restricting calories and carbohydrates may prevent Alzheimer's disease by stimulating longevity-associated molecular mechanisms in the brain.
Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Director of the Mt Sinai School of Medicine's Neuroinflammation Research Center Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, and colleagues administered a low calorie, low carbohydrate diet to mice and observed a reduction in amyloid beta peptides, which lead to the formation of plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. Other mice given higher calorie, high fat diets experienced an increase in the peptides. The reduction in amyloid beta occurring in the calorie restricted mice coincided with an increase in brain levels of SIRT1, a member of a family of proteins called sirtuins that are associated with longevity. SIRT1 may initiate the activation of alpha-secretase, an enzyme that can inhibit the generation of amyloid beta. Dr Pasinetti told Life Extension, “When we expressed SIRT1 in brain cells [in vitro] that produce beta amyloid, we found that SIRT1 expression prevented beta amyloid generation.”
"Both clinical and epidemiological evidence suggests that modification of lifestyle factors such as nutrition may prove crucial to Alzheimer's disease management," Dr Pasinetti stated. "This research, however, is the first to show a connection between nutrition and Alzheimer's Disease neuropathy by defining mechanistic pathways in the brain and scrutinizing biochemical functions. We hope these findings further unlock the mystery of Alzheimer's and bring hope to the millions of Americans suffering from this disease."
http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2006/2006_06_17.htm
Comment: Is it possible that The HealthPointe Program could help reverse Alzheimer's Disease? Well, HealthPointe reduces both calories and carbohydrates in your daily diet, so I would say yes, according to this and many other studies.
HealthPointe
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Mechanism defined for calorie restriction's preventive benefit in Alzheimer's disease...
A report that will appear in the July, 2006 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry contributes evidence to the hypothesis that restricting calories and carbohydrates may prevent Alzheimer's disease by stimulating longevity-associated molecular mechanisms in the brain.
Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Director of the Mt Sinai School of Medicine's Neuroinflammation Research Center Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, and colleagues administered a low calorie, low carbohydrate diet to mice and observed a reduction in amyloid beta peptides, which lead to the formation of plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. Other mice given higher calorie, high fat diets experienced an increase in the peptides. The reduction in amyloid beta occurring in the calorie restricted mice coincided with an increase in brain levels of SIRT1, a member of a family of proteins called sirtuins that are associated with longevity. SIRT1 may initiate the activation of alpha-secretase, an enzyme that can inhibit the generation of amyloid beta. Dr Pasinetti told Life Extension, “When we expressed SIRT1 in brain cells [in vitro] that produce beta amyloid, we found that SIRT1 expression prevented beta amyloid generation.”
"Both clinical and epidemiological evidence suggests that modification of lifestyle factors such as nutrition may prove crucial to Alzheimer's disease management," Dr Pasinetti stated. "This research, however, is the first to show a connection between nutrition and Alzheimer's Disease neuropathy by defining mechanistic pathways in the brain and scrutinizing biochemical functions. We hope these findings further unlock the mystery of Alzheimer's and bring hope to the millions of Americans suffering from this disease."
http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2006/2006_06_17.htm
Comment: Is it possible that The HealthPointe Program could help reverse Alzheimer's Disease? Well, HealthPointe reduces both calories and carbohydrates in your daily diet, so I would say yes, according to this and many other studies.
HealthPointe
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Zinc deficiency not High Cholesterol, may cause Atherosclerosis...
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 if 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.
A report last year in the Journal of Nutrition (Vol. 135, pp. 2114-2118) reported that a zinc deficiency in mice was associated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) through inflammation and a decreased level of compounds that protect against atherosclerosis.
The new research reports that supplementation of a high cholesterol diet with zinc reduced the formation of lesions in the arteries of rabbits, but the effects were not linked to changes in cholesterol levels.
The National University of Singapore divided 18 white rabbits into three groups. The first was fed a normal diet (control), the second fed a high-cholesterol diet (HCD, one per cent cholesterol), and the third was fed the HCD diet but was supplemented with zinc in the carbonate form (0.1 per cent).
After eight weeks, the researchers measured blood levels of HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol, as well as triglyceride levels. The number of white and red blood cells were also measured.
The researchers found that zinc supplementation did not significantly change total cholesterol, LDL, or triglyceride levels, but a significant decrease in HDL levels was observed – 6.9 millimoles per litre in the HCD group and 2.6 millimoles per litre in the HCD plus zinc group.
This result appears to agree with last years report that zinc deficiency is associated with increased levels of HDL.
When the scientists investigated the formation of lesions in the rabbit aorta. They found that zinc supplementation significantly decreased the area of the lesions by 66 per cent, a result linked to a decrease in iron concentrations in the tissue, which has previously been reported to catalytically promote damaging free-radical reactions and the development of atherosclerosis.
Comment: This study shows that High Cholesterol is not what causes damage to the arteries, but high iron levels that create free radical damage, that zinc apparently removes or modifies so that damage is reduced.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
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.
A report last year in the Journal of Nutrition (Vol. 135, pp. 2114-2118) reported that a zinc deficiency in mice was associated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) through inflammation and a decreased level of compounds that protect against atherosclerosis.
The new research reports that supplementation of a high cholesterol diet with zinc reduced the formation of lesions in the arteries of rabbits, but the effects were not linked to changes in cholesterol levels.
The National University of Singapore divided 18 white rabbits into three groups. The first was fed a normal diet (control), the second fed a high-cholesterol diet (HCD, one per cent cholesterol), and the third was fed the HCD diet but was supplemented with zinc in the carbonate form (0.1 per cent).
After eight weeks, the researchers measured blood levels of HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol, as well as triglyceride levels. The number of white and red blood cells were also measured.
The researchers found that zinc supplementation did not significantly change total cholesterol, LDL, or triglyceride levels, but a significant decrease in HDL levels was observed – 6.9 millimoles per litre in the HCD group and 2.6 millimoles per litre in the HCD plus zinc group.
This result appears to agree with last years report that zinc deficiency is associated with increased levels of HDL.
When the scientists investigated the formation of lesions in the rabbit aorta. They found that zinc supplementation significantly decreased the area of the lesions by 66 per cent, a result linked to a decrease in iron concentrations in the tissue, which has previously been reported to catalytically promote damaging free-radical reactions and the development of atherosclerosis.
Comment: This study shows that High Cholesterol is not what causes damage to the arteries, but high iron levels that create free radical damage, that zinc apparently removes or modifies so that damage is reduced.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Saturday, June 03, 2006
The right supplements work better than drugs, without the side effects...
In Defense of Vitamins and Supplements!
By Allen S. Josephs, M.D.President, Vitacost.com 06/02/2006
There was recently a panel conference of the National Institutes of Health which concluded that Americans may be taking too many vitamin supplements without any clear benefit. Although I would agree that certainly not every vitamin study or vitamin out of hundreds of thousands has shown benefit, there have been countless numbers of studies in the last decade that provide convincing evidence for the overall merit of quality vitamin/multi-nutrient supplementation. This week's newsletter is going to be a primer concerning some of the more notable human studies that have been published in peer-review prominent and reputable medical journals in the last decade regarding the benefits of supplementation. I do agree many mass market vitamins are worthless but high quality supplements with the correct nutrients, form and levels are truly life-saving and enhancing based on the evidence. Get ready for an eye-opening newsletter. The first nutrient I would like to discuss is selenium, a micro-mineral that until the 1970s was not even known to be essential to life. In December 1996, the journal JAMA published the results of a multi-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled cancer-prevention trial. Seven clinics throughout the United States participated with 1312 patients. Patients were randomized to receive either 200 mcg a day of selenomethionine or placebo. Patients were treated on average for 4.5 years. It was found that in the selenium-treated group there was an overall reduction in the incidence of cancer of 37% with a reduction in overall cancer mortality of 50%. There was a decrease incidence in lung cancer of 38%, colorectal cancer of 46% and a 63% reduction in prostate cancer. If this had been a drug, I am confident that the FDA would have fast-tracked it and approved it as a preventative medicine for cancer. But being that it was just a simple mineral, medical academia looked at it as merely a curiosity to be further investigated. There was a subsequent study published in 1998 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute measuring selenium concentrations in the toenails of over 50,000 physicians who were followed for more than a decade. It was found that those men with the highest concentrations of selenium reduced their risk of advanced prostate cancer by about two-thirds. Sadly the typical multivitamin contains the wrong form and only 20 mcg per day. I strongly recommend people read the labels of the supplements they take and make sure 200 mcg of selenomethionine is included. The next essential nutrients that I would like to discuss are omega-3 fatty acids EPA & DHA, with the best source being molecularly distilled fish oil. For those of you who are regular readers of this newsletter, you know how strongly I feel about the amazing benefits of fish oil. For the NIH panel not to indicate the importance of this in their recent news release is quite sad. In the April 2005 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine, there was a review article published regarding the benefits of lipid-lowering drugs such as the statins and various diets. I had previously written about this study. Just to recap, almost 11,000 clinical trials that were done in the last 40 years were reviewed. Of these almost 11,000 studies, 97 were randomized and controlled with reliable mortality data. These 97 trials involved over 275,000 people. When they looked at these studies that utilized the statin drugs, such as Zocor, Lipitor and others, it was found that overall mortality was decreased by 13%. However, when they reviewed the studies using omega-3 fatty acids (placebo-controlled) they found that this nutrient decreased mortality by 23%, almost twice as powerful as the statin drugs and obviously without any side effects or the outrageously high cost of statin drugs. In fact, for those that would like to understand and solve our health care crisis that is bankrupting America and its citizens, I strongly recommend you read my new book called Natural Cures from a Real Medical Doctor. Clearly the NIH is not going to solve any health care issues with their current advice. Omega-3 fatty acids appear to work their magic by improving heart rhythm and decreasing clotting in the heart, leading to a significant decrease in the incidence in sudden death. The omega-3 fatty acids also have shown benefits in clinical trials as anti-inflammatory agents with great results in arthritis patients. It can also be of benefit in patients with depression. In fact I believe ADHD in children and adults can be helped with a low sugar diet combined with B-complex vitamins and fish oil.Let's go on to coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This has become an increasingly popular nutrient utilized by people to help improve cardiac function and periodontal disease. In fact, it is approved in Japan for the treatment of heart failure. As a neurologist, I was extremely pleased to see a study published in the October 2002 edition of Archives of Neurology regarding Parkinson's disease. Eighty patients with early Parkinson's disease participated in a double-blinded, randomized, multi-center study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive CoQ10 at doses of 300 mg, 600 mg, 1200 mg a day or placebo. It was found that the higher the dose of CoQ10, the slower the progression of Parkinson's disease. In fact at the highest dosage the progression was reduced by an amazing 50%. The study concluded that CoQ10 was safe and well tolerated and that it appeared to slow the progressive deterioration of function in Parkinson patients. I am aware that there are neurologists in New York using up to 3,000 mg a day of CoQ10 in clinical trials. I routinely recommend this nutrient to my patients with Parkinson's disease since there is no effective FDA approved drug that can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.Another disease that I deal with on a regular basis is stroke. It is said that stroke increases the risk of subsequent hip fracture anywhere from two to four times. There has been discussion in the medical literature that elevations in homocysteine are not only a risk factor for stroke, but also for osteoporotic fractures in the elderly. There was a study published in the March 2005 edition of JAMA involving 628 consecutive patients 65 years or older with residual stroke of at least one year's duration. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 5 mg of folic acid along with 1,500 mcg of B12 versus placebo. After two years, those patients treated with the high dose of folic acid and B12 had a reduction in plasma homocysteine level by 38% versus the placebo group that had an increase in homocysteine level of 31%. What was most fascinating was that the number of hip fractures was only 10 in the folic/B12 group and 43 in the placebo group. This result was highly statistically significant with the likelihood that this result could have occurred by chance of less than 1 in a 1,000. Where was the NIH group regarding the results of this study? There have been other studies in the medical literature pointing to the benefits of folic acid in reducing incidence of tumors in the colon, etc. I must reiterate that your typical multivitamin will not provide these results because the level of B vitamins is too low. Read your labels and choose carefully. The NIH should have pointed this out rather than disparaging all vitamins regardless of their formulations. The NIH panel did mention in passing the AREDS (age-related eye disease study). This was published about five years ago in the medical literature. It was a multi-center study that followed over 3,500 patients with varying degrees of age-related macular degeneration. Groups were assigned to receive placebo, zinc or zinc and anti-oxidants. The anti-oxidant/zinc formulation consisted of 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 units of vitamin E, 15 mg of beta carotene, 80 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper. It was found that those patients treated with the high dose antioxidants and zinc reduced the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration by about 25%. I must point out the NIH failed to mention the published study on Medline regarding 10 mg lutein, 10 mg lutein plus antioxidants (NSI's OcuPower) or placebo in 90 patients conduced by the U.S. Veteran's Administration. Vitacost/NSI helped fund this study and it is the first published study in humans to show improvement in vision with nutrients whereas the placebo failed. I am not aware of any drug, laser, surgery or medical treatment that can provide the same benefit. The NIH panel spoke primarily of the zinc, although it was clearly the zinc and the antioxidants that had the most benefit. Another one of my favorite nutrients is called acetyl-L carnitine (ALCAR). There was a study published many years ago using this nutrient along with alpha lipoic acid. It was found that these nutrients were actually able to regenerate brain cells in aging rats to the point that they were able to function at a much higher level. In the journal Diabetes Care (2005), researchers from Wayne State University evaluated two one-year placebo-controlled trials regarding diabetic peripheral neuropathy. These trials involved the use of acetyl-L carnitine, either 1,500 mg or 3,000 mg a day. Over 1,000 patients were involved in the studies. The two studies were evaluated separately and then combined. Patients underwent biopsy of sural nerves along with other testing to determine efficacy. It was found that those patients treated with ALCAR showed significant improvement in sural nerve fiber number and regenerating nerve fiber clusters. Pain which has the most bothersome symptom showed significant improvement in one study and in the combined cohort. It was concluded that these studies demonstrated that ALCAR treatment is efficacious in alleviating symptoms, particularly pain and improving nerve fiber regeneration in patients with established diabetic neuropathy. Do you know how many drugs are available to help regenerate peripheral nerves in patients with diabetic neuropathy? The answer is ZERO. Where was the NIH panel looking at this nutrient? There have been other recent studies with ALCAR showing benefit for men with impaired sperm motility. I have used ALCAR successfully in my multiple sclerosis patients who suffer with chronic fatigue. There have been double-blinded trials in the medical literature demonstrating efficacy for this problem. There have been studies in the medical literature looking at acetyl-L carnitine in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In one study published in Neurology (September 2000), it was found that patients treated for one year with 1,000 mg three times daily seemed to show stabilization whereas the placebo group showed further decline.Another great nutrient that is in the category of bioflavonoids is green tea. Green tea catechins have been shown in animal and lab studies to inhibit cancer growth. There was a study published in the journal Cancer Research (January 2006) looking at men with high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia. Recent studies have shown that 30% of men with this condition go on to develop prostate cancer within one year. In this study, 60 patients with prostate intraepithelial neoplasia were enrolled in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Half of the men were given 600 mg of standardized green tea extract daily whereas the other group was given placebo. After one year, only one tumor was diagnosed in the 30 men treated with green tea (incidence of about 3%) whereas 9 cancers were found among the 30 placebo-treated men (incidence of 30%). As a side observation, those men treated with green tea extract also had reduced lower urinary tract symptoms, suggesting that these compounds may also be of value with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Green tea has been used anecdotally for its potential cancer fighting properties. In an article just published in the June 2006 edition of Leukemia Research, researchers out of the Mayo Clinic reported on four patients with low-grade B cell malignancies, three of which had a partial response after taking green tea extract. The researchers cautioned against widespread use of green tea until further clinical trials can be conducted to define optimal dosing, schedule, toxicity and clinical efficacy. This is absurd considering the fact green tea is safe and has been consumed for thousands of years. We are not talking about a new drug that may kill you. Make sure you read the label and look for green tea that has a high percentage of EGCG, the most active component. Another nutrient in the bioflavonoid family is curcumin. This powerful nutrient is also being tested in centers throughout the country, including MD Anderson in Texas, for killing cancer cells. Lycopene is a nutrient in the carotenoid family. There are approximately 600 carotenoids in nature, the best well-known one being beta carotene. There have been some interesting studies on lycopene regarding cancer and heart disease. In one study, 54 patients with biopsy-proven, metastatic prostatic cancer were randomized to undergo orchidectomy (removal of testicles) alone or orchidectomy plus lycopene supplementation. After six months, both groups showed a significant decrease in the levels of PSA but the group treated with orchidectomy and lycopene showed further decrease. After two years, the changes were noted to be more consistent in the orchidectomy/lycopene group. Approximately 40% of the patients treated with surgery alone had a complete PSA response compared with 78% in the group treated with surgery and lycopene. The researchers concluded that adding lycopene to orchidectomy produced a more reliably consistent decrease in serum PSA level, treating not only the primary tumor, but also diminishing secondary tumors. In another study published in the journal Experimental of Biology Medicine (November 2002), 26 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer were randomly assigned to receive 30 mg a day of lycopene extract or no supplementation for three weeks before radical prostate surgery. It was found at the time of surgery those men treated with the lycopene had generally smaller tumors compared to those given no therapy. The researchers indicated that this pilot study suggested that lycopene may have beneficial effects in prostate cancer and suggested a larger clinical trial. I would like to point out the primary standardized supplement utilized in many studies is Lyc-O-Mato. This rather lengthy newsletter was just an introduction into some of the amazing studies on vitamins/nutrients that have been published in recent years. This newsletter, literally, just scratches the surface as I did not cover other important nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin D, calcium, glucosamine/chondroitin, garlic and so on. Recent studies on vitamin D indicate it can help maintain balance and reduce cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. Current RDA/DV levels of 400 IU per day are too low; scientists are suggesting 700 to 2,000 IU per day is optimal. Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate have numerous studies proving their benefits for repairing joints and reversing arthritis in humans. Calcium and magnesium may prevent and reverse osteoporosis and even heart disease.
Comment: Why the news media and medical journals don't make this kind of news front page statis is beyond me, but it might have something to do with profit.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
By Allen S. Josephs, M.D.President, Vitacost.com 06/02/2006
There was recently a panel conference of the National Institutes of Health which concluded that Americans may be taking too many vitamin supplements without any clear benefit. Although I would agree that certainly not every vitamin study or vitamin out of hundreds of thousands has shown benefit, there have been countless numbers of studies in the last decade that provide convincing evidence for the overall merit of quality vitamin/multi-nutrient supplementation. This week's newsletter is going to be a primer concerning some of the more notable human studies that have been published in peer-review prominent and reputable medical journals in the last decade regarding the benefits of supplementation. I do agree many mass market vitamins are worthless but high quality supplements with the correct nutrients, form and levels are truly life-saving and enhancing based on the evidence. Get ready for an eye-opening newsletter. The first nutrient I would like to discuss is selenium, a micro-mineral that until the 1970s was not even known to be essential to life. In December 1996, the journal JAMA published the results of a multi-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled cancer-prevention trial. Seven clinics throughout the United States participated with 1312 patients. Patients were randomized to receive either 200 mcg a day of selenomethionine or placebo. Patients were treated on average for 4.5 years. It was found that in the selenium-treated group there was an overall reduction in the incidence of cancer of 37% with a reduction in overall cancer mortality of 50%. There was a decrease incidence in lung cancer of 38%, colorectal cancer of 46% and a 63% reduction in prostate cancer. If this had been a drug, I am confident that the FDA would have fast-tracked it and approved it as a preventative medicine for cancer. But being that it was just a simple mineral, medical academia looked at it as merely a curiosity to be further investigated. There was a subsequent study published in 1998 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute measuring selenium concentrations in the toenails of over 50,000 physicians who were followed for more than a decade. It was found that those men with the highest concentrations of selenium reduced their risk of advanced prostate cancer by about two-thirds. Sadly the typical multivitamin contains the wrong form and only 20 mcg per day. I strongly recommend people read the labels of the supplements they take and make sure 200 mcg of selenomethionine is included. The next essential nutrients that I would like to discuss are omega-3 fatty acids EPA & DHA, with the best source being molecularly distilled fish oil. For those of you who are regular readers of this newsletter, you know how strongly I feel about the amazing benefits of fish oil. For the NIH panel not to indicate the importance of this in their recent news release is quite sad. In the April 2005 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine, there was a review article published regarding the benefits of lipid-lowering drugs such as the statins and various diets. I had previously written about this study. Just to recap, almost 11,000 clinical trials that were done in the last 40 years were reviewed. Of these almost 11,000 studies, 97 were randomized and controlled with reliable mortality data. These 97 trials involved over 275,000 people. When they looked at these studies that utilized the statin drugs, such as Zocor, Lipitor and others, it was found that overall mortality was decreased by 13%. However, when they reviewed the studies using omega-3 fatty acids (placebo-controlled) they found that this nutrient decreased mortality by 23%, almost twice as powerful as the statin drugs and obviously without any side effects or the outrageously high cost of statin drugs. In fact, for those that would like to understand and solve our health care crisis that is bankrupting America and its citizens, I strongly recommend you read my new book called Natural Cures from a Real Medical Doctor. Clearly the NIH is not going to solve any health care issues with their current advice. Omega-3 fatty acids appear to work their magic by improving heart rhythm and decreasing clotting in the heart, leading to a significant decrease in the incidence in sudden death. The omega-3 fatty acids also have shown benefits in clinical trials as anti-inflammatory agents with great results in arthritis patients. It can also be of benefit in patients with depression. In fact I believe ADHD in children and adults can be helped with a low sugar diet combined with B-complex vitamins and fish oil.Let's go on to coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This has become an increasingly popular nutrient utilized by people to help improve cardiac function and periodontal disease. In fact, it is approved in Japan for the treatment of heart failure. As a neurologist, I was extremely pleased to see a study published in the October 2002 edition of Archives of Neurology regarding Parkinson's disease. Eighty patients with early Parkinson's disease participated in a double-blinded, randomized, multi-center study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive CoQ10 at doses of 300 mg, 600 mg, 1200 mg a day or placebo. It was found that the higher the dose of CoQ10, the slower the progression of Parkinson's disease. In fact at the highest dosage the progression was reduced by an amazing 50%. The study concluded that CoQ10 was safe and well tolerated and that it appeared to slow the progressive deterioration of function in Parkinson patients. I am aware that there are neurologists in New York using up to 3,000 mg a day of CoQ10 in clinical trials. I routinely recommend this nutrient to my patients with Parkinson's disease since there is no effective FDA approved drug that can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.Another disease that I deal with on a regular basis is stroke. It is said that stroke increases the risk of subsequent hip fracture anywhere from two to four times. There has been discussion in the medical literature that elevations in homocysteine are not only a risk factor for stroke, but also for osteoporotic fractures in the elderly. There was a study published in the March 2005 edition of JAMA involving 628 consecutive patients 65 years or older with residual stroke of at least one year's duration. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 5 mg of folic acid along with 1,500 mcg of B12 versus placebo. After two years, those patients treated with the high dose of folic acid and B12 had a reduction in plasma homocysteine level by 38% versus the placebo group that had an increase in homocysteine level of 31%. What was most fascinating was that the number of hip fractures was only 10 in the folic/B12 group and 43 in the placebo group. This result was highly statistically significant with the likelihood that this result could have occurred by chance of less than 1 in a 1,000. Where was the NIH group regarding the results of this study? There have been other studies in the medical literature pointing to the benefits of folic acid in reducing incidence of tumors in the colon, etc. I must reiterate that your typical multivitamin will not provide these results because the level of B vitamins is too low. Read your labels and choose carefully. The NIH should have pointed this out rather than disparaging all vitamins regardless of their formulations. The NIH panel did mention in passing the AREDS (age-related eye disease study). This was published about five years ago in the medical literature. It was a multi-center study that followed over 3,500 patients with varying degrees of age-related macular degeneration. Groups were assigned to receive placebo, zinc or zinc and anti-oxidants. The anti-oxidant/zinc formulation consisted of 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 units of vitamin E, 15 mg of beta carotene, 80 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper. It was found that those patients treated with the high dose antioxidants and zinc reduced the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration by about 25%. I must point out the NIH failed to mention the published study on Medline regarding 10 mg lutein, 10 mg lutein plus antioxidants (NSI's OcuPower) or placebo in 90 patients conduced by the U.S. Veteran's Administration. Vitacost/NSI helped fund this study and it is the first published study in humans to show improvement in vision with nutrients whereas the placebo failed. I am not aware of any drug, laser, surgery or medical treatment that can provide the same benefit. The NIH panel spoke primarily of the zinc, although it was clearly the zinc and the antioxidants that had the most benefit. Another one of my favorite nutrients is called acetyl-L carnitine (ALCAR). There was a study published many years ago using this nutrient along with alpha lipoic acid. It was found that these nutrients were actually able to regenerate brain cells in aging rats to the point that they were able to function at a much higher level. In the journal Diabetes Care (2005), researchers from Wayne State University evaluated two one-year placebo-controlled trials regarding diabetic peripheral neuropathy. These trials involved the use of acetyl-L carnitine, either 1,500 mg or 3,000 mg a day. Over 1,000 patients were involved in the studies. The two studies were evaluated separately and then combined. Patients underwent biopsy of sural nerves along with other testing to determine efficacy. It was found that those patients treated with ALCAR showed significant improvement in sural nerve fiber number and regenerating nerve fiber clusters. Pain which has the most bothersome symptom showed significant improvement in one study and in the combined cohort. It was concluded that these studies demonstrated that ALCAR treatment is efficacious in alleviating symptoms, particularly pain and improving nerve fiber regeneration in patients with established diabetic neuropathy. Do you know how many drugs are available to help regenerate peripheral nerves in patients with diabetic neuropathy? The answer is ZERO. Where was the NIH panel looking at this nutrient? There have been other recent studies with ALCAR showing benefit for men with impaired sperm motility. I have used ALCAR successfully in my multiple sclerosis patients who suffer with chronic fatigue. There have been double-blinded trials in the medical literature demonstrating efficacy for this problem. There have been studies in the medical literature looking at acetyl-L carnitine in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In one study published in Neurology (September 2000), it was found that patients treated for one year with 1,000 mg three times daily seemed to show stabilization whereas the placebo group showed further decline.Another great nutrient that is in the category of bioflavonoids is green tea. Green tea catechins have been shown in animal and lab studies to inhibit cancer growth. There was a study published in the journal Cancer Research (January 2006) looking at men with high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia. Recent studies have shown that 30% of men with this condition go on to develop prostate cancer within one year. In this study, 60 patients with prostate intraepithelial neoplasia were enrolled in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Half of the men were given 600 mg of standardized green tea extract daily whereas the other group was given placebo. After one year, only one tumor was diagnosed in the 30 men treated with green tea (incidence of about 3%) whereas 9 cancers were found among the 30 placebo-treated men (incidence of 30%). As a side observation, those men treated with green tea extract also had reduced lower urinary tract symptoms, suggesting that these compounds may also be of value with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Green tea has been used anecdotally for its potential cancer fighting properties. In an article just published in the June 2006 edition of Leukemia Research, researchers out of the Mayo Clinic reported on four patients with low-grade B cell malignancies, three of which had a partial response after taking green tea extract. The researchers cautioned against widespread use of green tea until further clinical trials can be conducted to define optimal dosing, schedule, toxicity and clinical efficacy. This is absurd considering the fact green tea is safe and has been consumed for thousands of years. We are not talking about a new drug that may kill you. Make sure you read the label and look for green tea that has a high percentage of EGCG, the most active component. Another nutrient in the bioflavonoid family is curcumin. This powerful nutrient is also being tested in centers throughout the country, including MD Anderson in Texas, for killing cancer cells. Lycopene is a nutrient in the carotenoid family. There are approximately 600 carotenoids in nature, the best well-known one being beta carotene. There have been some interesting studies on lycopene regarding cancer and heart disease. In one study, 54 patients with biopsy-proven, metastatic prostatic cancer were randomized to undergo orchidectomy (removal of testicles) alone or orchidectomy plus lycopene supplementation. After six months, both groups showed a significant decrease in the levels of PSA but the group treated with orchidectomy and lycopene showed further decrease. After two years, the changes were noted to be more consistent in the orchidectomy/lycopene group. Approximately 40% of the patients treated with surgery alone had a complete PSA response compared with 78% in the group treated with surgery and lycopene. The researchers concluded that adding lycopene to orchidectomy produced a more reliably consistent decrease in serum PSA level, treating not only the primary tumor, but also diminishing secondary tumors. In another study published in the journal Experimental of Biology Medicine (November 2002), 26 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer were randomly assigned to receive 30 mg a day of lycopene extract or no supplementation for three weeks before radical prostate surgery. It was found at the time of surgery those men treated with the lycopene had generally smaller tumors compared to those given no therapy. The researchers indicated that this pilot study suggested that lycopene may have beneficial effects in prostate cancer and suggested a larger clinical trial. I would like to point out the primary standardized supplement utilized in many studies is Lyc-O-Mato. This rather lengthy newsletter was just an introduction into some of the amazing studies on vitamins/nutrients that have been published in recent years. This newsletter, literally, just scratches the surface as I did not cover other important nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin D, calcium, glucosamine/chondroitin, garlic and so on. Recent studies on vitamin D indicate it can help maintain balance and reduce cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. Current RDA/DV levels of 400 IU per day are too low; scientists are suggesting 700 to 2,000 IU per day is optimal. Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate have numerous studies proving their benefits for repairing joints and reversing arthritis in humans. Calcium and magnesium may prevent and reverse osteoporosis and even heart disease.
Comment: Why the news media and medical journals don't make this kind of news front page statis is beyond me, but it might have something to do with profit.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Lifestyle changes improve cognitive function in just two weeks
From Life Extension Foundation
Life Extension Update Exclusive 05-31-06
Lifestyle changes improve cognitive function in just two weeks...
A report published in the June, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry revealed the conclusion of UCLA researchers that adopting a healthy longevity lifestyle program involving memory and physical exercises, an optimal diet, and stress reduction amounts to increased brain efficiency among its practitioners after 14 days.
The study included 17 men and women aged 35-69 with normal memory performance scores. Eight participants were assigned to the following daily regimen: memory exercises such as crossword puzzles and brainteasers to stimulate the brain, walks to improve physical fitness, five small meals per day including abundant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and low glycemic carbohydrates to provide an optimal diet, and daily relaxation exercises to manage stress and help decrease the release of cortisol, a hormone that can impair memory.
The remaining 9 participants practiced their usual lifestyle routines. The subjects completed cognitive performance tests and self-assessments of memory before and after the study period, and received positron emission tomography (PET) scans to evaluate regional cerebral metabolism during mental rest.
After two weeks, the group following the healthy longevity lifestyle program was found to have a five percent decrease in brain metabolism in working memory regions, which means that their brains did not have to work as hard to accomplish tasks. Participants in the improved lifestyle group also had better verbal fluency, which is controlled by the same brain region. The control group demonstrated no significant changes in any of the areas evaluated in the study.
Lead researcher Dr Gary Small, who is a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior stated, "We've known for several years that diet and exercise can help people maintain their physical health and live longer, but maintaining mental health is just as important. The UCLA study is the first to show the impact of memory exercises and stress reduction used together with a healthy diet and physical exercise to improve brain and cognitive function."
"The research demonstrates that in just 14 days, simple lifestyle changes can not only help overall health, but also improve memory and brain function," Dr Small concluded. "Our next step is to assess the individual effects of each lifestyle strategy, which may help us develop an optimal combination.”
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Life Extension Update Exclusive 05-31-06
Lifestyle changes improve cognitive function in just two weeks...
A report published in the June, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry revealed the conclusion of UCLA researchers that adopting a healthy longevity lifestyle program involving memory and physical exercises, an optimal diet, and stress reduction amounts to increased brain efficiency among its practitioners after 14 days.
The study included 17 men and women aged 35-69 with normal memory performance scores. Eight participants were assigned to the following daily regimen: memory exercises such as crossword puzzles and brainteasers to stimulate the brain, walks to improve physical fitness, five small meals per day including abundant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and low glycemic carbohydrates to provide an optimal diet, and daily relaxation exercises to manage stress and help decrease the release of cortisol, a hormone that can impair memory.
The remaining 9 participants practiced their usual lifestyle routines. The subjects completed cognitive performance tests and self-assessments of memory before and after the study period, and received positron emission tomography (PET) scans to evaluate regional cerebral metabolism during mental rest.
After two weeks, the group following the healthy longevity lifestyle program was found to have a five percent decrease in brain metabolism in working memory regions, which means that their brains did not have to work as hard to accomplish tasks. Participants in the improved lifestyle group also had better verbal fluency, which is controlled by the same brain region. The control group demonstrated no significant changes in any of the areas evaluated in the study.
Lead researcher Dr Gary Small, who is a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior stated, "We've known for several years that diet and exercise can help people maintain their physical health and live longer, but maintaining mental health is just as important. The UCLA study is the first to show the impact of memory exercises and stress reduction used together with a healthy diet and physical exercise to improve brain and cognitive function."
"The research demonstrates that in just 14 days, simple lifestyle changes can not only help overall health, but also improve memory and brain function," Dr Small concluded. "Our next step is to assess the individual effects of each lifestyle strategy, which may help us develop an optimal combination.”
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Thursday, May 25, 2006
ADHD drugs send thousands to ERs - Needlessly
Study: ADHD drugs send thousands to ERs
By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press WriterWed May 24, 10:56 PM ET
Accidental overdoses and side effects from attention deficit drugs likely send thousands of children and adults to emergency rooms, according to the first national estimates of the problem.
Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated problems with the stimulant drugs drive nearly 3,100 people to ERs each year. Nearly two-thirds — overdoses and accidental use — could be prevented by parents locking the pills away, the researchers say.
Other patients had side effects, including potential cardiac problems such as chest pain, stroke, high blood pressure and fast heart rate.
Concerns over those effects have led some doctors to urge the Food and Drug Administration to require a "black box," its most serious warning, on package inserts for drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall. Yet even doctors advising the FDA don't agree on whether that's warranted.
The issue was discussed in a series of letters in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, including some from doctors worried about the dangers of not treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
"The numbers (of side effects) are puny compared to the numbers of stimulant prescriptions per year," said Dr. Tolga Taneli, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. "I'm not alarmed."
An estimated 3.3 million Americans who are 19 or younger and nearly 1.5 million ages 20 and older are taking ADHD medicines. Ritalin is made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. of East Hanover, N.J.; Concerta by Johnson & Johnson of New Brunswick, N.J., and Adderall by Shire US Inc. of Newport, Ky.
Twenty-five deaths linked to ADHD drugs, 19 involving children, were reported to FDA from 1999 through 2003. Fifty-four other cases of serious heart problems, including heart attacks and strokes, were also reported. Some of the patients had prior heart problems.
Still, there hasn't been a clear estimate of the scope of side effects. The CDC report, while not a rigorous scientific study, attempts to provide that by using a new hospital surveillance network.
From August 2003 through December 2005, the researchers counted 188 ER visits for problems with the drugs at the 64 hospitals in the network, a representative sample of ERs monitored to spot drug side effects.
Doctors linked use of stimulant ADHD drugs to 73 patients with side effects or allergic reactions. Another 115 accidentally swallowed ADHD pills, including a month-old baby, or took too much.
"These are cases where a young child took someone else's medication or they took too much of their own," CDC epidemiologist Dr. Adam Cohen said of the second group.
Nearly 1 in 5 patients was admitted to the hospital, 1 in 5 needed stomach pumping or treatment with medicines, and 1 in 7 had cardiac symptoms. Sixteen percent of the side effects involved interaction with another drug.
Besides cardiac problems, common symptoms included abdominal pain, rashes and spasms, pain or weakness in muscles, according to Cohen. No patients died.
Extrapolating to all U.S. hospitals, the researchers estimated 3,075 ER visits occur each year.
In another letter in the journal, the heads of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry wrote they are concerned a black box warning would discourage use of ADHD drugs, raising patients' risks of academic failure, substance abuse and other problems.
This past February, an FDA drug safety advisory panel voted 8-7 for a black box warning. The next month, another FDA panel instead recommended data on cardiac and other risks go in a new "highlights" section the agency plans to add to the top of drug inserts.
Dr. Marsha Rappley, pediatrics professor at Michigan State University, and two other doctors on the advisory panels believe the vote for a black box was premature.
She said studies show the drugs raise blood pressure and pulse rates a bit, but it's unknown whether that would harm children taking them for years, and that cardiac risks may be higher for adults.
Dr. Steven Nissen, cardiology chief at the Cleveland Clinic, who had pressed for a black box warning at the FDA panel meeting, said ADHD drugs are powerful stimulants and inherently risky. Nissen and other doctors say the drugs are being prescribed to some who don't need them.
This week, the FDA said it is "working diligently" on "labeling changes that we feel accurately reflect the available data and the advice of the committees." The agency declined interview requests.
Comment: This is ridicules. In my opinion, and the opinion of MANY other health professionals, there is no reason to treat ADHD with harmful drugs. There have been many studies that show a diet low in refined carbs and artificial colorings, along with high doses of Vit B-Complex, Omega 3 Fatty Acids high in EPA/DHA and the trace mineral Zinc, are effective in correcting hyper active as well as attention deficit issues.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
SAVE 80 % OFF BRAND NAME SUPPLEMENTS
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 LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press WriterWed May 24, 10:56 PM ET
Accidental overdoses and side effects from attention deficit drugs likely send thousands of children and adults to emergency rooms, according to the first national estimates of the problem.
Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated problems with the stimulant drugs drive nearly 3,100 people to ERs each year. Nearly two-thirds — overdoses and accidental use — could be prevented by parents locking the pills away, the researchers say.
Other patients had side effects, including potential cardiac problems such as chest pain, stroke, high blood pressure and fast heart rate.
Concerns over those effects have led some doctors to urge the Food and Drug Administration to require a "black box," its most serious warning, on package inserts for drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall. Yet even doctors advising the FDA don't agree on whether that's warranted.
The issue was discussed in a series of letters in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, including some from doctors worried about the dangers of not treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
"The numbers (of side effects) are puny compared to the numbers of stimulant prescriptions per year," said Dr. Tolga Taneli, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. "I'm not alarmed."
An estimated 3.3 million Americans who are 19 or younger and nearly 1.5 million ages 20 and older are taking ADHD medicines. Ritalin is made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. of East Hanover, N.J.; Concerta by Johnson & Johnson of New Brunswick, N.J., and Adderall by Shire US Inc. of Newport, Ky.
Twenty-five deaths linked to ADHD drugs, 19 involving children, were reported to FDA from 1999 through 2003. Fifty-four other cases of serious heart problems, including heart attacks and strokes, were also reported. Some of the patients had prior heart problems.
Still, there hasn't been a clear estimate of the scope of side effects. The CDC report, while not a rigorous scientific study, attempts to provide that by using a new hospital surveillance network.
From August 2003 through December 2005, the researchers counted 188 ER visits for problems with the drugs at the 64 hospitals in the network, a representative sample of ERs monitored to spot drug side effects.
Doctors linked use of stimulant ADHD drugs to 73 patients with side effects or allergic reactions. Another 115 accidentally swallowed ADHD pills, including a month-old baby, or took too much.
"These are cases where a young child took someone else's medication or they took too much of their own," CDC epidemiologist Dr. Adam Cohen said of the second group.
Nearly 1 in 5 patients was admitted to the hospital, 1 in 5 needed stomach pumping or treatment with medicines, and 1 in 7 had cardiac symptoms. Sixteen percent of the side effects involved interaction with another drug.
Besides cardiac problems, common symptoms included abdominal pain, rashes and spasms, pain or weakness in muscles, according to Cohen. No patients died.
Extrapolating to all U.S. hospitals, the researchers estimated 3,075 ER visits occur each year.
In another letter in the journal, the heads of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry wrote they are concerned a black box warning would discourage use of ADHD drugs, raising patients' risks of academic failure, substance abuse and other problems.
This past February, an FDA drug safety advisory panel voted 8-7 for a black box warning. The next month, another FDA panel instead recommended data on cardiac and other risks go in a new "highlights" section the agency plans to add to the top of drug inserts.
Dr. Marsha Rappley, pediatrics professor at Michigan State University, and two other doctors on the advisory panels believe the vote for a black box was premature.
She said studies show the drugs raise blood pressure and pulse rates a bit, but it's unknown whether that would harm children taking them for years, and that cardiac risks may be higher for adults.
Dr. Steven Nissen, cardiology chief at the Cleveland Clinic, who had pressed for a black box warning at the FDA panel meeting, said ADHD drugs are powerful stimulants and inherently risky. Nissen and other doctors say the drugs are being prescribed to some who don't need them.
This week, the FDA said it is "working diligently" on "labeling changes that we feel accurately reflect the available data and the advice of the committees." The agency declined interview requests.
Comment: This is ridicules. In my opinion, and the opinion of MANY other health professionals, there is no reason to treat ADHD with harmful drugs. There have been many studies that show a diet low in refined carbs and artificial colorings, along with high doses of Vit B-Complex, Omega 3 Fatty Acids high in EPA/DHA and the trace mineral Zinc, are effective in correcting hyper active as well as attention deficit issues.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
SAVE 80 % OFF BRAND NAME SUPPLEMENTS
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, May 15, 2006
Nutrients in the news...
People with higher levels of Magnesium, could reduce their risk of death from cancer by as much as 50 per cent, says a new study from France.
The research, published in the journal Epidemiology (Vol. 17, pp. 308-314), reports from the Paris Prospective Study 2, a cohort of over 4,000 men aged between 30 and 60 at the start of the study.
After 18 years of follow-up 339 subjects had died, with 176 due to cancer and a further 56 from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Serum analysis of magnesium, copper and zinc levels showed that highest serum level of magnesium (0.85 millimoles per litre or more) compared to the lowest level (0.76 millimoles per litre or less) was associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, death from cancer, and CVD of 40, 50 and 40 per cent, respectively. High serum levels of this mineral were also linked to a 40 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality, and a reduction of similar magnitude for cardiovascular deaths.
The research is important because dietary surveys show that a large portion of adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium, found naturally in green, leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains and nuts, and milk.
Comment: I recommend taking between 600 mgs to 800 mgs total in supplement form along with eating more green vegetables.
High Fat Does NOT Increase Breast Cancer...
Fat phobia may be the height of fashion but it is junk medicine according to researchers who studied 88,795 women over the course of 14 years. They found that there was not one sign that a high fat diet was in any way associated with breast cancer.
Two very significant findings stand out:
1. Those who consumed the most unsaturated oils had the most breast cancer.
2, Those who consumed the most butter developed the least percentage of breast cancer.
Stearic acid, a component of dairy fat, was thought to be the protective agent for inhibiting
cancer.
Go back to natural fats, particularly if you want to avoid breast cancer. Unsaturated oils are natural of course, but they have been denuded of their natural anti-rancidity protectant - vitamin E - during processing and thus change into a rancid product very quickly. Butter, olive oil, coconut oil and peanut oil are better in every way and DO NOT cause cholesterol levels to rise. Fat Facts...
HIGH-CARB DIET DOUBLES RISK OF BREAST CANCER...
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports a study that indicates women who got 62 percent of their calories from carbohydrates were 2.22 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who diet was less than 50 percent carbohydrate. Researchers believe their findings are based on the fact that carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels which prompts a surge of insulin, causing cells to divide and produce more estrogen, both of which can lead to cancer.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
The research, published in the journal Epidemiology (Vol. 17, pp. 308-314), reports from the Paris Prospective Study 2, a cohort of over 4,000 men aged between 30 and 60 at the start of the study.
After 18 years of follow-up 339 subjects had died, with 176 due to cancer and a further 56 from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Serum analysis of magnesium, copper and zinc levels showed that highest serum level of magnesium (0.85 millimoles per litre or more) compared to the lowest level (0.76 millimoles per litre or less) was associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, death from cancer, and CVD of 40, 50 and 40 per cent, respectively. High serum levels of this mineral were also linked to a 40 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality, and a reduction of similar magnitude for cardiovascular deaths.
The research is important because dietary surveys show that a large portion of adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium, found naturally in green, leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains and nuts, and milk.
Comment: I recommend taking between 600 mgs to 800 mgs total in supplement form along with eating more green vegetables.
High Fat Does NOT Increase Breast Cancer...
Fat phobia may be the height of fashion but it is junk medicine according to researchers who studied 88,795 women over the course of 14 years. They found that there was not one sign that a high fat diet was in any way associated with breast cancer.
Two very significant findings stand out:
1. Those who consumed the most unsaturated oils had the most breast cancer.
2, Those who consumed the most butter developed the least percentage of breast cancer.
Stearic acid, a component of dairy fat, was thought to be the protective agent for inhibiting
cancer.
Go back to natural fats, particularly if you want to avoid breast cancer. Unsaturated oils are natural of course, but they have been denuded of their natural anti-rancidity protectant - vitamin E - during processing and thus change into a rancid product very quickly. Butter, olive oil, coconut oil and peanut oil are better in every way and DO NOT cause cholesterol levels to rise. Fat Facts...
HIGH-CARB DIET DOUBLES RISK OF BREAST CANCER...
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports a study that indicates women who got 62 percent of their calories from carbohydrates were 2.22 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who diet was less than 50 percent carbohydrate. Researchers believe their findings are based on the fact that carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels which prompts a surge of insulin, causing cells to divide and produce more estrogen, both of which can lead to cancer.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Thursday, May 11, 2006
When it come to surviving the Bird Flu, the early bird will have the best chance to survive...
05-13-06 -
I spent the wee hours this morning reading a 63 page joint report by The British Society for Ecological Medicine and the Alliance for Natural Health on "The Pivotal Role for Natural Products in Countering an Avian Influenza Pandemic" The report was put together by some of the best scientists and doctors in the world on Alternative Health and Ortho-Molecular Medicine. Their report argues in favor of trying to prevent through self-treatment and potential reversing the out break of the H5N1 Avian Flu Virus ( Bird Flu), into the general public, by using targeted nutritional intervention as opposed to pharmaceutical drugs.
Although ultimately many people will have to be hospitalized, the report suggests that the chances of survival could be significantly improved by the prophylactic use of mainly 3 important nutrients and some important lifestyle changes. While Tamiflu may be the medical choice for treating the Bird Flu, it might make more sense to begin a natural program early in the spread of the virus, if and when it comes, to improve your immune systems ability to handle the attack on it's own.
The report was put together in the hopes that the World Health Organization would take the boards recommendations and educate the public on what they can do to have the best chance of survival.
Without getting too bogged down with the details mentioned in the 63 page report, here is what they are recommending people to do in the event the Avian Flu hits our shores and begins to replicate between humans.
Several key micro-nutrients were mentioned as potentially life-saving because of their ability to improve the immune system and actually alter the viruses effect on the body. These nutrients included high doses of vitamin C, zinc, b-12, selenium, vitamin A and some botanical substances like Mushrooms, garlic and phytonutrients found in bright color foods.
Protocol 1 for prophylactic use of nutrients...
Zinc - Adults 25 mgs - children 10 mgs
Vitamin C - Adults 3,000 mgs - children 1,000 mgs
Vitamin A - Adults 20,000 iu's - children 10,000 iu's
or Beta Carotene - Adults 60 mgs - children 30 mgs
( Program can be taken for the long term, divided into many doses during the day,with meals)
Protocol 2 for self-treatment...
Zinc - Adults 50 mgs - children 20 mgs
Vitamin C - Adults 6,000 mgs - children 2,000 mgs - Start slow to bowel tolerance level.
Vitamin A - Adults 40,000 iu's - children 20,000 iu's - Short term use.
or Beta Carotene - Adults 120 mgs - children 60 mgs
( Program should be taken more for the short term, divided into many doses during the day,with meals) Do this with the support of your doctor, and or a alternative health professional only.)
NSI Vitamin C -- 1,000 mg - 250 Caps
NSI L-Optizinc -- 30 mg of Zinc - 200 Caps
Country Life Vitamin A -- 10,000 IU 100 Softgels
Nature's Way Beta Carotene -- 25,000 IU - 60 Softgels
Please read the whole report before taking on their program as their are lots of caveats that I am not including in this short review. The full report can be read at the following location and requires The Adobe Reader Program, which is free. The report can be read on their website, located on the right side of their page. http://www.anhcampaign.org/
Dietary recommendations are as follows...
A daily multi vitamin mineral suppement along with a diet of preferably 5-9 portions of organic fruits and vegetables, lots of pure water, fats from olive oil, flax seeds, fish and avoid sugar, refined foods, saturated fats and trans fats.
I personally recommend a Hunter-Gatherer type diet, including lots of proteins from fresh meats and nuts as well as the diet they contend as the best. Remember that fats and proteins are essential daily and support the immune system, but grains, cereals, and most carbohydrates are non essential, and should be in the form of low glycemic vegetables, fruits and nuts.
On a personal note, I have been on a program for over 25 years that exceeds their nutrient suggestions as a life extension program, and it has created an extremely strong immune system.
Let's all take charge of our own health, when ever possible, as no one cares more about you and your wellbeing, than you do.
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
I spent the wee hours this morning reading a 63 page joint report by The British Society for Ecological Medicine and the Alliance for Natural Health on "The Pivotal Role for Natural Products in Countering an Avian Influenza Pandemic" The report was put together by some of the best scientists and doctors in the world on Alternative Health and Ortho-Molecular Medicine. Their report argues in favor of trying to prevent through self-treatment and potential reversing the out break of the H5N1 Avian Flu Virus ( Bird Flu), into the general public, by using targeted nutritional intervention as opposed to pharmaceutical drugs.
Although ultimately many people will have to be hospitalized, the report suggests that the chances of survival could be significantly improved by the prophylactic use of mainly 3 important nutrients and some important lifestyle changes. While Tamiflu may be the medical choice for treating the Bird Flu, it might make more sense to begin a natural program early in the spread of the virus, if and when it comes, to improve your immune systems ability to handle the attack on it's own.
The report was put together in the hopes that the World Health Organization would take the boards recommendations and educate the public on what they can do to have the best chance of survival.
Without getting too bogged down with the details mentioned in the 63 page report, here is what they are recommending people to do in the event the Avian Flu hits our shores and begins to replicate between humans.
Several key micro-nutrients were mentioned as potentially life-saving because of their ability to improve the immune system and actually alter the viruses effect on the body. These nutrients included high doses of vitamin C, zinc, b-12, selenium, vitamin A and some botanical substances like Mushrooms, garlic and phytonutrients found in bright color foods.
Protocol 1 for prophylactic use of nutrients...
Zinc - Adults 25 mgs - children 10 mgs
Vitamin C - Adults 3,000 mgs - children 1,000 mgs
Vitamin A - Adults 20,000 iu's - children 10,000 iu's
or Beta Carotene - Adults 60 mgs - children 30 mgs
( Program can be taken for the long term, divided into many doses during the day,with meals)
Protocol 2 for self-treatment...
Zinc - Adults 50 mgs - children 20 mgs
Vitamin C - Adults 6,000 mgs - children 2,000 mgs - Start slow to bowel tolerance level.
Vitamin A - Adults 40,000 iu's - children 20,000 iu's - Short term use.
or Beta Carotene - Adults 120 mgs - children 60 mgs
( Program should be taken more for the short term, divided into many doses during the day,with meals) Do this with the support of your doctor, and or a alternative health professional only.)
NSI Vitamin C -- 1,000 mg - 250 Caps
NSI L-Optizinc -- 30 mg of Zinc - 200 Caps
Country Life Vitamin A -- 10,000 IU 100 Softgels
Nature's Way Beta Carotene -- 25,000 IU - 60 Softgels
Please read the whole report before taking on their program as their are lots of caveats that I am not including in this short review. The full report can be read at the following location and requires The Adobe Reader Program, which is free. The report can be read on their website, located on the right side of their page. http://www.anhcampaign.org/
Dietary recommendations are as follows...
A daily multi vitamin mineral suppement along with a diet of preferably 5-9 portions of organic fruits and vegetables, lots of pure water, fats from olive oil, flax seeds, fish and avoid sugar, refined foods, saturated fats and trans fats.
I personally recommend a Hunter-Gatherer type diet, including lots of proteins from fresh meats and nuts as well as the diet they contend as the best. Remember that fats and proteins are essential daily and support the immune system, but grains, cereals, and most carbohydrates are non essential, and should be in the form of low glycemic vegetables, fruits and nuts.
On a personal note, I have been on a program for over 25 years that exceeds their nutrient suggestions as a life extension program, and it has created an extremely strong immune system.
Let's all take charge of our own health, when ever possible, as no one cares more about you and your wellbeing, than you do.
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
CLA does in fact reduce fat accumulation, especially around the legs & abdomen areas...
10/05/2006- Lipid Nutrition is today announcing the findings of a new human trial using CLA, that reinforces the fatty acid’s fat mass reduction claim and shed light on the main locations of the fat reduction on the human body. Lipid Nutrition is today announcing the findings of a new human trial using CLA, that reinforces the fatty acid’s fat mass reduction claim and shed light on the main locations of the fat reduction on the human body. The results, presented by Dr Sandra Einerhand, director nutrition and toxicology Europe, at Vitafoods in Geneva, reinforce the ingredient’s promotional claim to be a body shaper – especially for the upper leg and abdomen areas.
CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) is a fatty acid naturally present in ruminant meat and dairy products. Due to changes in the Western diet, average intake of CLA has fallen; if the fat is removed from a dairy product to make a low fat version that will be acceptable to consumers, CLA is removed along with it.
Dr Einerhand explained that CLA is metabolised by bacteria in the stomachs of cows from the grass they eat, but modern farming methods may mean they are not left outside to graze for as long as they were in days gone by.
This has led nutraceutical companies to research and promote CLA for use in dietary supplement and food products, largely based on its two-fold effect on humans: the reduction of fat mass and the induction of lean body mass.
The mechanism of action has been well studied: if fat consumed is not used for energy, the triglycerides are taken up by fat cells – a mechanism for which the enzyme lipoprotein lipase is responsible.
CLA inhibits this enzyme, and instead the triglycerides are diverted to the muscle cells to be burnt. Here the CLA induces the activity of another enzyme, carnitine palmitoyl transferase, which is responsible for oxidation and the burning of fat.
The new placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind study was conducted at an independent research institute and involved 180 obese or overweight adults with a body mass index between 28 and 32.
Over a six month period they received either 3.4g of CLA each day, or a placebo (olive oil).
Dr Einerhand said that the results were already evident eight to 12 weeks into the study, but at the end of the six months the effect on fat mass was seen to be around 2kg compared to the placebo – equivalent to eight packs of butter.
Lean body mass was seen to increase by an average of 0.4kg in the CLA group, over the placebo group.
But the area in which the study really shed light is the location of fat mass reduction – seen to be focused on the abdomen and the legs. This gives credence to the ingredient’s promotional claims to be a body shaper.
NSI Tonalin XS-CLA -- 1g(1,000 mg) - 120 Softgels
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) is a fatty acid naturally present in ruminant meat and dairy products. Due to changes in the Western diet, average intake of CLA has fallen; if the fat is removed from a dairy product to make a low fat version that will be acceptable to consumers, CLA is removed along with it.
Dr Einerhand explained that CLA is metabolised by bacteria in the stomachs of cows from the grass they eat, but modern farming methods may mean they are not left outside to graze for as long as they were in days gone by.
This has led nutraceutical companies to research and promote CLA for use in dietary supplement and food products, largely based on its two-fold effect on humans: the reduction of fat mass and the induction of lean body mass.
The mechanism of action has been well studied: if fat consumed is not used for energy, the triglycerides are taken up by fat cells – a mechanism for which the enzyme lipoprotein lipase is responsible.
CLA inhibits this enzyme, and instead the triglycerides are diverted to the muscle cells to be burnt. Here the CLA induces the activity of another enzyme, carnitine palmitoyl transferase, which is responsible for oxidation and the burning of fat.
The new placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind study was conducted at an independent research institute and involved 180 obese or overweight adults with a body mass index between 28 and 32.
Over a six month period they received either 3.4g of CLA each day, or a placebo (olive oil).
Dr Einerhand said that the results were already evident eight to 12 weeks into the study, but at the end of the six months the effect on fat mass was seen to be around 2kg compared to the placebo – equivalent to eight packs of butter.
Lean body mass was seen to increase by an average of 0.4kg in the CLA group, over the placebo group.
But the area in which the study really shed light is the location of fat mass reduction – seen to be focused on the abdomen and the legs. This gives credence to the ingredient’s promotional claims to be a body shaper.
NSI Tonalin XS-CLA -- 1g(1,000 mg) - 120 Softgels
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Saturday, May 06, 2006
ADD/ADHD, Disorder or Deficiency?
Recent research in the area Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD), shows that 3% to 5% of our children here in the U.S. suffer from this difficult problem. Symptoms of this disorder include short attention span, inability to complete tasks, hyperactivity, and a tendency to interrupt others. In addition to these behavioral issues, nearly 25% of these children suffer from one or more specific learning disabilities in math, spelling, or reading. Most parents of children with ADD/ADHD report feelings of frustration because they know their kids are quite bright in spite of the evident behavior. So here is the critical question…Are these children deficient in Ridlin, the drug of choice these days, or is something natural missing from their diets?
Since 1995, many reputable studies around the world have suggested that ADD and ADHD are actually caused by a deficiency in certain essential fatty acids and not necessarily disorders requiring drug therapy. A study first reported in 1995, conducted at Purdue University, linked a sub-clinical deficiency in a long chain fatty acid derived from fish, called Docosahexaenoic Acid, or DHA, as responsible for the abnormal behavior of children with ADD/ADHD.
In 1997, Dr. Barbara Levine, Professor of Nutrition in Medicine at Cornell University, sounded the alarm that most Americans were grossly deficient in DHA because of a lack of enough fish in the American diet. DHA is the building block of human brain tissue and is very abundant in the gray matter of the brain and the retina of the eye. Low levels of DHA in adults have also recently been associated with many health issues such as depression, memory loss, dementia and visual problems.
It turns out that the DHA of an infant’s brain triples during the first 3 months of life. Lactating mothers and women who are pregnant should make sure that they are getting optimal levels of DHA during that crucial time period. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Levine, the average DHA content of breast milk in the U.S. is the smallest in the world, most likely due to our low intake of fish, relative to other countries. Making matters worse, she tells us that the U.S. is the only country in the world where infant formulas are not fortified with DHA. This, despite the fact that in 1995, the World Health Organization recommended that all baby formulas should provide at least 40mg of DHA per kilo of infant body weight. Dr. Levine believes that postpartum depression, ADD, ADHD, and low IQ’s are all linked to the dismally low intake of DHA in the U.S.
Have you ever wondered why more male children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD compared with girls? Researchers at the School of Medicine at the University of Auckland discovered that male animals require 3 times as much essential fatty acids as do females in order to achieve normal neonatal infant development. Their studies also confirm that blood analysis of ADD/ADHD kids showed significantly depressed levels of DHA, and in most cases, low levels of zinc, an important trace mineral known for improving learning.
For many health reasons, americans should eat cold-water fish like salmon or mackerel at least 3 times per week, or consider supplementing with up to 850mg of concentrated fish oil from a reputable source, as many scientists are suggesting.
NSI Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Since 1995, many reputable studies around the world have suggested that ADD and ADHD are actually caused by a deficiency in certain essential fatty acids and not necessarily disorders requiring drug therapy. A study first reported in 1995, conducted at Purdue University, linked a sub-clinical deficiency in a long chain fatty acid derived from fish, called Docosahexaenoic Acid, or DHA, as responsible for the abnormal behavior of children with ADD/ADHD.
In 1997, Dr. Barbara Levine, Professor of Nutrition in Medicine at Cornell University, sounded the alarm that most Americans were grossly deficient in DHA because of a lack of enough fish in the American diet. DHA is the building block of human brain tissue and is very abundant in the gray matter of the brain and the retina of the eye. Low levels of DHA in adults have also recently been associated with many health issues such as depression, memory loss, dementia and visual problems.
It turns out that the DHA of an infant’s brain triples during the first 3 months of life. Lactating mothers and women who are pregnant should make sure that they are getting optimal levels of DHA during that crucial time period. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Levine, the average DHA content of breast milk in the U.S. is the smallest in the world, most likely due to our low intake of fish, relative to other countries. Making matters worse, she tells us that the U.S. is the only country in the world where infant formulas are not fortified with DHA. This, despite the fact that in 1995, the World Health Organization recommended that all baby formulas should provide at least 40mg of DHA per kilo of infant body weight. Dr. Levine believes that postpartum depression, ADD, ADHD, and low IQ’s are all linked to the dismally low intake of DHA in the U.S.
Have you ever wondered why more male children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD compared with girls? Researchers at the School of Medicine at the University of Auckland discovered that male animals require 3 times as much essential fatty acids as do females in order to achieve normal neonatal infant development. Their studies also confirm that blood analysis of ADD/ADHD kids showed significantly depressed levels of DHA, and in most cases, low levels of zinc, an important trace mineral known for improving learning.
For many health reasons, americans should eat cold-water fish like salmon or mackerel at least 3 times per week, or consider supplementing with up to 850mg of concentrated fish oil from a reputable source, as many scientists are suggesting.
NSI Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
This is a good start, but long overdue...
Nearly All Sodas Sales to Schools to End
By SAMANTHA GROSS, Associated Press 05-03-06
The nation's largest beverage distributors have agreed to halt nearly all soda sales to public schools, according to a deal announced Wednesday by the William J. Clinton Foundation.
Under the agreement, the companies have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools, said Jay Carson, a spokesman for former President Bill Clinton. Diet sodas would be sold only to high schools.
Cadbury Schweppes PLC, Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and the American Beverage Association have all signed onto the deal, Carson said, adding that the companies serve "the vast majority of schools." The American Beverage Association represents the majority of school vending bottlers.
The deal follows a wave of regulation by school districts and state legislatures to cut back on student consumption of soda amid reports of rising childhood obesity rates. Soda has been a particular target of those fighting obesity because of its caloric content and popularity among children.
"It's a bold and sweeping step that industry and childhood obesity advocates have decided to take together," Carson said.
A man who answered the phone at Cadbury Schweppes' London headquarters said no one was available for comment. Calls seeking comment from the other distributors were not immediately returned early Wednesday.
Nearly 35 million students nationwide will be affected by the deal, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation said in a news release. The group, a collaboration between Clinton's foundation and the American Heart Association, helped broker the deal.
"This is really the beginning of a major effort to modify childhood obesity at the level of the school systems," said Robert H. Eckel, president of the American Heart Association.
Under the agreement, high schools will still be able to purchase drinks such as diet and unsweetened teas, diet sodas, sports drinks, flavored water, seltzer and low-calorie sports drinks from distributors.
School sales of those kinds of drinks have been on the rise in recent years, while regular soda purchases by students have been falling, according to an ABA report released in December. But regular soda is still the most popular drink among students, accounting for 45 percent of beverages sold in schools in 2005, the report said.
The agreement applies to beverages sold for use on school grounds during the regular and extended school day, Carson said. Sales during after-school activities such as clubs, yearbook, band and choir practice will be affected by the new regulations. But sales at events such as school plays, band concerts and sporting events, where adults make up a significant portion of the audience, won't be affected, he said.
How quickly the changes take hold will depend in part on individual school districts' willingness to alter existing contracts, the alliance said. The companies will work to implement the changes at 75 percent of the nation's public schools by the 2008-2009 school year, and at all public schools a year later.
Many school districts around the country have already begun to replace soda and candy in vending machines with healthier items, and dozens of states have considered legislation on school nutrition this year.
The agreement follows an August decision by the American Beverage Association to adopt a policy limiting soft drinks in high schools to no more than 50 percent of the selections in vending machines. That recommendation was not binding.
Comment: In order to understand what happens when someone becomes resistant to insulin, we must review the role insulin and its balancing hormone, glucagon, play in the body. When we eat, our bodies break down the food into its basic components - protein (amino acids), carbohydrate (glucose), fat (fatty acids), which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. It is important to realize that carbohydrate has a far greater effect on raising blood sugar (glucose) than fat or protein. A rise in blood sugar signals the pancreas to make and release insulin. Insulin secretion should promptly return blood sugar levels to a normal fasting level within two hours after eating. This occurs as insulin transports glucose out of the blood stream, across the cell membrane, and into cells where it is either burned for energy, stored as fat in fat cells or stored as glycogen (a storage form of glucose) in muscle. Fat travels in the blood in the form of a molecule called triglyceride. A triglyceride is composed of three fatty acid molecules. When a triglyceride in the blood reaches a cell, enzymes at the surface of the cell break down the molecule and the fatty acids can enter the cell. Once inside the cell, an amino acid, L-carnitine helps shuttle the fatty acids into a fat burning factory inside the cell called the mitochondria. Although fat is able to enter the cell without using insulin to transport it like glucose must, insulin blocks this fat-carnitine system and thereby keeps the fat from entering the mitochondria where it would be burned for energy production. Insulin pushes the fatty acids back into triglycerides and out of the cell encouraging the storage of fat in adipose (fatty) tissue. In short, excess insulin directly creates obesity.
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 SAMANTHA GROSS, Associated Press 05-03-06
The nation's largest beverage distributors have agreed to halt nearly all soda sales to public schools, according to a deal announced Wednesday by the William J. Clinton Foundation.
Under the agreement, the companies have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools, said Jay Carson, a spokesman for former President Bill Clinton. Diet sodas would be sold only to high schools.
Cadbury Schweppes PLC, Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and the American Beverage Association have all signed onto the deal, Carson said, adding that the companies serve "the vast majority of schools." The American Beverage Association represents the majority of school vending bottlers.
The deal follows a wave of regulation by school districts and state legislatures to cut back on student consumption of soda amid reports of rising childhood obesity rates. Soda has been a particular target of those fighting obesity because of its caloric content and popularity among children.
"It's a bold and sweeping step that industry and childhood obesity advocates have decided to take together," Carson said.
A man who answered the phone at Cadbury Schweppes' London headquarters said no one was available for comment. Calls seeking comment from the other distributors were not immediately returned early Wednesday.
Nearly 35 million students nationwide will be affected by the deal, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation said in a news release. The group, a collaboration between Clinton's foundation and the American Heart Association, helped broker the deal.
"This is really the beginning of a major effort to modify childhood obesity at the level of the school systems," said Robert H. Eckel, president of the American Heart Association.
Under the agreement, high schools will still be able to purchase drinks such as diet and unsweetened teas, diet sodas, sports drinks, flavored water, seltzer and low-calorie sports drinks from distributors.
School sales of those kinds of drinks have been on the rise in recent years, while regular soda purchases by students have been falling, according to an ABA report released in December. But regular soda is still the most popular drink among students, accounting for 45 percent of beverages sold in schools in 2005, the report said.
The agreement applies to beverages sold for use on school grounds during the regular and extended school day, Carson said. Sales during after-school activities such as clubs, yearbook, band and choir practice will be affected by the new regulations. But sales at events such as school plays, band concerts and sporting events, where adults make up a significant portion of the audience, won't be affected, he said.
How quickly the changes take hold will depend in part on individual school districts' willingness to alter existing contracts, the alliance said. The companies will work to implement the changes at 75 percent of the nation's public schools by the 2008-2009 school year, and at all public schools a year later.
Many school districts around the country have already begun to replace soda and candy in vending machines with healthier items, and dozens of states have considered legislation on school nutrition this year.
The agreement follows an August decision by the American Beverage Association to adopt a policy limiting soft drinks in high schools to no more than 50 percent of the selections in vending machines. That recommendation was not binding.
Comment: In order to understand what happens when someone becomes resistant to insulin, we must review the role insulin and its balancing hormone, glucagon, play in the body. When we eat, our bodies break down the food into its basic components - protein (amino acids), carbohydrate (glucose), fat (fatty acids), which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. It is important to realize that carbohydrate has a far greater effect on raising blood sugar (glucose) than fat or protein. A rise in blood sugar signals the pancreas to make and release insulin. Insulin secretion should promptly return blood sugar levels to a normal fasting level within two hours after eating. This occurs as insulin transports glucose out of the blood stream, across the cell membrane, and into cells where it is either burned for energy, stored as fat in fat cells or stored as glycogen (a storage form of glucose) in muscle. Fat travels in the blood in the form of a molecule called triglyceride. A triglyceride is composed of three fatty acid molecules. When a triglyceride in the blood reaches a cell, enzymes at the surface of the cell break down the molecule and the fatty acids can enter the cell. Once inside the cell, an amino acid, L-carnitine helps shuttle the fatty acids into a fat burning factory inside the cell called the mitochondria. Although fat is able to enter the cell without using insulin to transport it like glucose must, insulin blocks this fat-carnitine system and thereby keeps the fat from entering the mitochondria where it would be burned for energy production. Insulin pushes the fatty acids back into triglycerides and out of the cell encouraging the storage of fat in adipose (fatty) tissue. In short, excess insulin directly creates obesity.
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
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