Feb 08 2012 - Lithium from water and diet for healthy brain function
Lithium (Li+), present in virtually all rocks, is found abundantly in hard water, meaning high mineral content and in bottled mineral water (San Pelligrino has .2mgs per litre). Primary dietary sources of Li+ are grains, vegetables, animal protein and dairy products.

Naturally high Li+ in hard tap water has been shown in five Texas counties and Japan's Oita Prefecture to significantly reduce suicide rates. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988-1994 showed a history of attempted suicide was significantly associated with in-adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables. Plant food is water-rich with minerals - to include Li+ - suspended in absorbable molecular form.
<Brain Health from water & diet. Heather Ewart 2010>

Feb 07 2012 - Lithium strong anti-suicide properties
September 3, 1949, in the Medical Journal of Australia, John F.J. Cade, Senior Medical Officer of the Victorian Department of Mental Hygiene, published astonishing findings. He reported that he was able to relieve the suffering of ten manic men using substantial oral doses of Lithium (Li+)carbonate.

Dr. Cade got the idea to use Li+ from a study he was doing on guinea-pigs and the dissolving effect of Li+ had on urate. A side effect was that the animals, while conscious, became lethargic and sedated. He also cites a 1944 passage in the Text Book of Psychiatry by Henderson and Gillespie noting the waters of certain British wells giving psychiatric relief, concluding the waters was high in mineral content, especially Li+.

In 2006 Dr. Ross J. Baldessarini and colleagues reported that Lithium can reduce the risk of suicidal behaviours in individuals with bipolar or other mood disorders by as much as 80%.
<MJOA 1949:2:10:518-520 Nature Medicine 2012:18:190-3>

Feb 06 2012 - Vitamin dilemma
A new study has linked long term use of multivitamins and supplements containing Vtamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc and copper to an increased risk of early death in older women. The strongest risk was seen with iron. These findings were based on an analysis of 38,000 women aged 55-59, followed from 1986 to 2008 and published in Archives of Internal Medicine journal.

Most women should aim to get nutrients by eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
<ConsumerReports ShopSmart Jan 2012 p15>

Feb 05 2012 - First Cochrane Library review of exercise's effect on obesity
The aim of the Cochrane Database is to systematically review all quality evidence underpinning anything to do with medical management of patients - drugs, surgeries, treatments etc. This review of 43 studies covering 3,000+ participants found exercise alone conferred a small weight loss benefit. Exercise combined with diet resulted in a greater reduction than diet alone. Increasing exercise intensity increased magnitude of weight loss. With or without weight loss exercise conferred enourmous reductions in cardiovascular disease risks.
<Shaw K A et al., Exercise for overweight or obesity 2009 Cohrane Collaboration >

Feb 04 2012 - Try blueberries and broccoli for bowel hygiene
Various pathologies such as inflammatory bowel disease might improve if the microbial composition of gastro-intestinal tract was altered. Blueberries and broccoli are known to have anti-flammatory properties that might improve large intestine and colon microbial composition and metabolism. In an experiment using mice blueberries and broccoli were effective in altering and improving digestive and bowel health.
<Nutrition 2012:28:3:324>

Feb 03 2012 - No legal requirement to accommodate pregnant workers
Thousands of US pregnant women are pushed from jobs that they are perfectly capable of preforming when they request minor accommodations. Requests for a seat to break up long periods of standing, for frequent bathroom breaks, and for limits on heavy lifting or strenuous and hazardous work can get a pregnant worker fired or sent off on un-paid leave. Apparently no existing law requires the employer to accommodate the needs of a healthy pregnant worker because pregnancy is not a disability. Low-income workers are disporportionately affected by this gap in legislation, often having physically demanding jobs with little flexibility.
<New York Times Jan 31/12 pA23>

Feb 02 2012 - Reduce sugar intake to control blood pressure
Since the 1970s the food industry has been using high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in sweetened beverages, fruit drinks, pasteries and processed foods. HFCS is similar to sucrose (table sugar:50% fructose & 50% glucose) being a mixture of free fructose (55%) and glucose (45%). Mostly through the consumption of sweetened beverages and soft drinks (SSBs), over the past 40 years average sugar consumption has increased by 30% to almost 150 pounds per year per person.

Several large cohort studies to include Harvard's Nurses Health Study, have found that SSBs and diet sodas both increase the risk of high blood pressure. The PREMIER study, an 18 month randomized controlled trial, has found a dose dependant reduction in blood pressure with each serving subtraction of SSBs and diet pop from diet.

[Before accepting blood pressure control medications try reducing all foods and drinks containing high fructose corn syrup. Simple and cheap.]
<Am J Clin Nutr 2007:86:899-906. Expert Rev. Cardiovasc Ther 2010:8:11:1497-1499>

Feb 01 2012 - Recommended intake of dairy not met by most women
80% of women over the age of 30 don't get the recommended intake of milk products. Often this is due to not knowning what a serving size is or how many servings are needed for daily allowance. Milk products contain up to 16 essential nutrients, including calcium for bones, protein for muscles, and riboflavin and zinc which provide energy.
<getenough.ca>

Jan 30 2012 - Is Queen Elizabeth II a role model?
Queen Elizabeth II inherited the British throne in 1952 because no male heirs existed. She did not seek the position. [The fact that it is humanly impossible to do two full time jobs at once - globe-trotting monarch & mummy - is demonstrated in her dysfunctional and/or scandal ridden children. The divorces, affairs, open marriages of three out of four of her children hardly speaks to a good job of raising well-adjusted individuals.]

A new autobiography by Sally Bedell Smith of the monarch shares a key mental strategy of the Queen's..."I find that I can often put things out of mind which are disagreeable."
<New York Times Jan 22/12 p7>

Jan 28 2012 - Prescibers of psycho-active drugs don't know what they are doing
According to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report fewer than one third of those taking an antidepressant were treated by a mental health professional. Prescibers, mainly family doctors, are un-aware that these drugs - Lexapro, Cymbalta, Effexor etc., - are FDA approved only for "major depressive disorder". Such drugs are in-effective for mild and moderate depression as a meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association in Jan 2010 reported. Millions of people, thanks to un-informed out-of-date physicians, are taking medications that will not help them and will experience adverse side effects - headaches, nausea,insommia etc.
<peoplespharmacy.com 2011/10/30>

Jan 27 2012 - Components of milk protective against cancer
Calcium, Vitamin D and lactoferrin are components of milk and dairy products that have key anticarcinogenic effects. At the molecular/cellular level these components regulate aspects of apoptosis (cell death), proliferation and differentiation. This can generally be termed inflammatory process, which is believed to under pin a host of chronic diseases to include cancer.

Several large cohort studies involving over a million participants -Norwegian Women and Cancer Study, European Prospective Investgation into Cancer and Nutrition, NIH AARP Diet and Health Study - show that milk and dairy products may be preventative of cancer.
<www.dairynutrition.ca>

Jan 26 2012 - Neuro-imaging of PMS, a first
Reseachers at Radbound University in the Netherlands are probably the first to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain to determine the cause/etiology of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). 28 young healthy women were investigated once during the premenstrual phase and once during the late follicular phase (just before ovulation). To measure mood and stress sensitivity, negative affect was assessed after viewing strongly aversive as well as neutral movie clips.

The results showed greater grey matter volume in the amygdala, the brain's emotional center, during the premenstrual phase. This volume increase or change in morphology of the amygdala was matched to the increase in stress-induced negative affect.
< Hum Brain Mapp 2011 online>

Jan 25 2012 - Proof positive estrogen rises with female age, and does not decrease
[Ovulation, the production of an egg/ova, is controlled by a hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian hormone feedback loop of which fluctuating estrogen levels are integral.]

35% of American births in 2009 were to women over age 30, up from 20% in 1980. One third of the 76% increase in the rate of twin births is due to these over 30 aged women. Fertility drugs were responsible for the remainder of the increase rate of twin births.

[At mid cycle, women over 30, frequently have more than enough estrogen to cause not one but two ovulations which if fertilized produces fraternal (non-identical) twins.]
<New York Times Jan 24/12 pD7>

Jan 24 2012 - Harlots and prostitutes.. historical guide books
"Historians love it when they stumble across these guide books" said Debbie Applegate, a Pulitzer Prise-winning historian who is at work on a biography of Polly Adler, Manhattan's most famous madam from the 1920s to 1940s. "They're like underground directories to a city. They tell a huge amount, including how prostitution was so much more widespread than people realize, seeping far beyond the red light districts."

Among the earliest quide books is a Vienesse one dating from 1565, titled "The Catalogue of All the Principle and Most Honored Courtesans of Venice". It listed 210 working girls. From nine editions of the eigtheen century "Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies" it appears that up to 1,000 women worked in prostitution in that area of London.
<New York Times Book Review Jan 22/12 p31>

Jan 23 2012 - Sleep is therapeutic
A good night's sleep calms the emotions because the amygdala, the brain's emotional centre, gets a rest. Matthew Walker and colleagues at the U of California scanned brains of volunteers to measure the effects of sleep. Participants who had recently awoken from sleep showed a decrease in reactivity in the amygdala after viewing emotional pictures. Those who had remained awake showed an increase reactive response.

[Women, especially at midlife going though a long change to non-reproductive, have all kinds of sleep dys-regulations. It makes rational sense that sleep irregulaties would somewhat under-pin the greater emotional swings often endured during this transition.]
<Nature 2011:480:7375>

Jan 22 2012 - Why does exercise make an improvement in both healthy and diseased states?
The mystery behind exercise's protective effect has been partially solved by Dr. Beth Levine and colleagues at the U of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre. It appears that exercise promotes autophagy (derived from Greek meaning self-eating). Autophagy is a biological mechanism where surplus , worn out or malformed proteins and other cellular components are disabled, broken up for scrap and recycled. Autophagy appears to slow the ageing process. Dr. Levine was part of the original research team that discovered that near starvation also increased systemic levels of autophagy which delayed ageing and death.
<Economist Jan 21/12 p89>

Jan 21 2012 - Prudent diet may reduce risk of Parkinson's disease(PD)
Oxidative stress to cells/neurons is an emerging theory underpinning the etiology/cause of many neuro-degenerative diseases to included Parkinson's (and possibly depression) . A prudent diet characterized by high intake of fruit, vegetables and fish is rich in antioxidant properties and probably protective against oxidative stress. Harvard reseachers examined the dietary patterns and risk of PD of 50,000 men in the Health Professionals Study and 80,000 women in the Nurses' Health Study. Participants following the prudent diet had a reduced risk of developing PD.
<Am J Clin Nutr 2007:86:1486-94>

Jan 20 2012 - Mediterranean diet 'halves risk of Parkinson's disease'
The above title headlined a story reported on radio and in several online newspapers yesterday and the day before. A study by researchers at the U of Tokyo found that healthy eating habits as in the Mediterranean or prudent diet (see above article Jan 21/12)halved the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). The research was apparently published in the European Journal of Neurology.

[This writer searched pubmed and the specified journal and could find no such study.]
<aninews.in & huffingtonpost.co.uk>

Jan 19 2012 - Medical conflict of interest II
The US government is about to enact transparency laws requiring drug and device companies to disclose all payments and gifting to doctors. If a doctor is paid to help develop, assess or promote new products that must be reported. If a pharmaceutical rep delivers $25 worth of bagels and coffee to a doctor's office for a meeting that must be reported.

The objective of the legislation is to ensure drugs and treatments are prescribed based on amassing medical evidence and not a lunch or financial relationship. The same disclosure laws will apply to physician owned companies or any ownership interest. Such companies allow doctors to benefit financially from sales of devices or drugs they predominately use or sell.
<NYT Jan 17/12 pA1 & A3>

Jan 18 2012 - Medical conflicts of interest
Unknown to health care consumers and patients is the fact that 25% of American doctors** take cash payments from drug or device makers. Nearly 66% accept routine gifts of food, including lunch for staff members and dinner for themselves. Emerging evidence is showing that doctors on the take make drug and treatment decisions NOT in the interest of the patient. Such doctors make decisions with regard to their personal financial interests.

**20% or approximately 200,000 American doctors rank in the top 1% of wage earners, making $380,000 or more annually. [Is this wealth achieved from doctors receiving from drug and device companies hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in exchange for advice, consulting and lectures?]
<New York Times Jan 17/12 pA1 & A5, New York Times Jan 15/12 pA1 & A20>

Jan 17 2012 - Dieting in-effective and maybe harmful
In a recent study of 31 long term diet plans the American Psychology Association found that up to two thirds of participants ended up heavier than before they started. The 40 billion a year American diet industry is full of fake science and exploiting according to Louise Foxcroft, author of Calories and Corsets: A History of Dieting Over 2000 Years.
<Economist Jan 7/12 p78>

Jan 16 2012 - Harat nashim is Hebrew for the exclusion of women
In recent weeks the above captioned term is every where in Israel. An award winning physician, Channa Maayan, was separated from her husband at a government ceremony and was forced to obey instructions that a male colleague would go on stage to accept her award instead of her.

A conference last week on women's health and Jewish law barred women from speaking from the podium. A eight year old girl was recently spat on by ultra-orthodox jewish men because they deemed her dress immodest. Dr. Maayan to appease the ultra-orthodox acting minister of health, Yakov Litzman, wore a long sleeved top and long skirt to the ceremony where she was so badly treated.

The air force's chief rabbi has resigned because the force would not gender segregate.

[Israel joins France and Italy as a country where it is not great to be a human female.]
<NYT Jan 15/12 p1&10>

Jan 14 2012 - Sunlight appetite suppressant
Exposure to sunlight boosts levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This may act as an appetite suppressant.
<fitnessmagazine Feb 2012 p128>

Jan 13 2012 - Life upon these shores
The above header is the title to a book by Henry Louis Gates Jr., Harvard Professor. He attempts to summarize the black experience in North America from the arrival of free black Juan Garrido in 1513 to the election of Barack Obama in 2008. A review in the New York Times found the book a hit parade of black accomplishment and exceptionalism - a spotlight on "the talented tenth". The 250 years of slavery and what life was like for ordinary people failed to be adequately covered.

[The Nov 26/11 Economist special feature article p3-8 on women and work suffered from the same short comings. Female history of un-requited toil or slavery is reflected in the fact that GNP of most nations would double if women were paid for all they did and continue to do for free ]
<New York Times Book Review Dec 11/11 p22-23>

Jan 12 2012 - Are you D-ficient? III
Vitamin D can be metabolized in the skin when exposed to adequate sunlight. But even during the summer months the sun is strong enough for Vitamin D production only during the hours of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. And use of sun screen cuts production by 99%. Consider taking a supplement. You want Vitamin D3, not Vitamin D2 and no herbal combinations which can interfere with D's function.
<Runners World Feb 2012 p 30>

Jan 11 2012 - Are you D-ficent? II
Many scientists, doctors and nutritionists believe that the current recommended daily allowance (RDA)for Vitamin D at 600 IU (international units) is too low. An RDA of 1,000 to 3,000 IU would be more beneficial.
<Runners World Feb 2012 p30>

Jan 10 2012 - Are you D--ficient?
Few natural sources of Vitamin D exist. Emerging research is showing that the vitamin, which is actually a hormone, has multiple physiological effects essential to maintain healthy body function. Add these items to your grocery list - egg yolks (80 IU, 2 whole), mushrooms (380 IU), and fatty fish (400-800 IU)- for natural sources of Vtiamin D.
<Runners World Feb 2012 p30>

Jan 09 2012 - Extra calories from any source cause fatness
Reported this week in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)is a study were 25 young and healthy men and women were intentionally feed an extra 1,000 calories for 56 days. Carbohydrate consumption was the same for the entire group at 41-42% of diet. Fat and protein diet compositon varied. Everyone put on weight no matter what the composition of the diet.
<Wall Street Journal 1/4/12 pD4>

Jan 08 2012 - Alcohol/ethanol impairs glucose uptake in brain
Glucose/sugar is the primary energy substrate to the central nervous system (CNS) for normal/healthy brain function. More than 90% of the energy required for brain function is derived from glucose.

Limitations in the availability of glucose to brain impair cognitive abilities due to neural injury and death. Ethanol has been demonstrated in vitro (test tube) to dysregulate the glucose transport proteins that ferry glucose across the blood brain barrier (BBB).

In a study at U of Nebraska it was noted that acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC)protected brain tissue from adverse effects of alcohol induced glucose deprivation. ALC is a compound derived from carnitine, an amino acid/protein. The best dietary sources of carnitine are read meat, fish, poultry and milk.
<Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol 2011:3:1:48-56. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements>

Jan 05 2012 - How women got into Harvard medical school
When the introduction of women into Harvard Medical School in 1878 was debated the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) was concerned. "It would be impossible to avoid an indiscriminate mingling of the sexes.." It would not be until 1945 that Harvard admitted female medical students and then only because World War II created a shortage of male candidates. In the 1950s, the NEJM expressed the regret that some women physicians with children "have found it impossible to carry on their practices". [Humanly impossible to do two full time jobs at once and still is.]
<NEJM 2012:366:1-7>

Jan 04 2012 - Sweat inducing activity burns fat
Two or three 45 minute vigorous bouts of exercise per week potentially causes a lose of a pound of fat every two weeks. New research published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal showed people pedaling a stationary bike as hard as they could for 47 minutes slashed 190 calories above their resting metabolic rate for 14 hours after their workout. Add that to the 519 calories burned during the workout. Any sweat-inducing activity you can mantain for 45 minutes will do the trick.
<www.huffingtonpost.com>

Jan 03 2012 - Saturated fat and heart disease, disconnect between science and dietary advice
Available science is NOT reflecting a link between saturated fat intake and cardiovascular disease. Leading US and European advisory boards were apparently selective in their choice of scientific evidence plus came to conclusions/findings that were not reported. It appears that the link between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease is not evidence based or not based on a large mass of valid science research.
<Nutrition 2012:28:2:118>

Jan 02 2012 - Vegetarianism produces sub-clinical malnutrition
Vegetarians have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A study funded by the French U of Louis Pateur, found protein status inferior in 24 vegetarian male adults with an estimated 10% decrease in lean body mass. The low dietary intake of protein and sulfur amino acids by plant eating populations leads to subclinical protein malnutrition. This causes a significant increase in hemocysteine concentration and decreases in cysteine and gluthathione [inflammatory response]. This inflammatory reaction is what causes vegetarians to be vulnerable to cardiovascular disease.
<Nutrition 2012:2:148>

Jan 01 2012 - How boozing became socially acceptable
Happy New Year, did you drink too much last night? This sort of binge drinking was brought into vogue in the 17th century by an educated British elite. The crucible of modern drinking culture was formed by a rise in affluent young men getting educated at Cambridge and Oxford Universities in the 1600s. Heavy drinking became a ritual of higher education and scholarship. The young squires then returned home where they modelled their new excessive consumption behaviours, which were of course copied. For example there is the story of a cleric and two lawyers sitting in a Yorkshire alehouse. The trio begin to "make merry" with a faux-latin competition. In the end the cleric's penis was hanging out and one of the lawyers burned it with his pipe.
<The Economist Dec 31/11 p40>

Dec 31 2011 - Sequencing the genome getting cheaper
The DNA micro-molecular recipe or genome from which all living things are created/based is getting cheaper to sequence and study. In the orginial Human Genome Project the cost of sequencing a single letter of DNA fell from $10 in 1991 to 10 cents in 2001. The cost is now one cent for 3,000 units or pairs of DNA. [The 2001 sequencing of the Human Genome showed that mammals to include humans and rodents have extra-ordinarily similar DNA recipes]. Dr. Ron Depinho, new head of MD Anderson Cancer Center, sets great store by the use of genetically modified mice in a cheaper/new era of cancer research calling them "little patients".
<Economist Dec 31/11 p65>

Dec 29 2011 - Recessionary effect on eating out
The hard times for restaurants began in 2008, as the recession and staggering un-employment forced Americans to cut back on dining out. During the 12 month period ending in August the average American ate or got takeout at resturants 195 times down form 208 times in 2008. These statistics are according to Harry Balzer, analyst for the NPD Group.

[The oversized portions, high salt, sugar and fat content of restaurant meals is often suggested as a source of the epidemic of US obesity. From these stats it could be that Americans eat out two thirds of the year.]
<New York Times Dec 28/11 pB1>

Dec 27 2011 - Temporary relief if asthma meds un-available
Try several cups of strong coffee. Two people have reported to the People's Pharmacy Buffalo News column of being temporarily saved by coffee. One of them was stuck at 30,000 ft on an airplane, separated from medications by an overly efficient flight attendant who had the carry-on luggage checked into the luggage compartment. Coffee came to the rescue because its caffeine rich component is very similar to the asthma drug theophylline. [Strong black tea has similar properties.]
<peoplespharmacy.com 2005/10/18>

Dec 25 2011 - Xmas
For those of you who celebrate Christmas, season's greetings.
<Heather Ewart>

Dec 24 2011 - Red meat consumption is NOT a risk factor for heart disease
The first systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between meat consumption and heart disease found red meat innocent. A significant association between the consumption of processed meat and coronary heart disease was established. This review of the bio-medical science literature covered one million plus individuals, from ten countries on four continents with 23,000+ cases of heart disease, 2,000+ cases of stroke and 10,000+ cases of diabetes. This is the most robust and strongest evidence to date that it is the type of meat consumed and not all meat that needs to be analyzed in terms of healthy or un-healthy.
<Circulation 2010:121:2271-83>

Dec 23 2011 - Abdominal bloating in menopausal stages
In the peri-menopausal and postmenopausal female a high prevelance of altered bowel function and irritable bowel syndrome-like symptoms -eg bloating, pain, diarrhea, constipation - are common. Laxative use, gaseousness, excessive flatulence, heart burn and acid regurgitation are common among post-menopausal women.
<Women Health 1998:27:4:55-66>

Dec 22 2011 - Professor Germaine Greer's opinion of doctors
Greer, radical feminist and author of the Female Eunuch, was a quest panelist on the BBC 4 Radio program Heresy this week. When asked her opinion of doctors she stated some of the stupidest people she went to school with are now doctors. She advocated the individual take responsiblity for her/his own health, by doing research at www.pubmed.gov (she called it medline) which is the world's largest (and virtual)medical library operated by the US government.
<BBC 4 radio Heresy Episode 4>

Dec 21 2011 - Deeply flawed medical rationale
In the 1950s lobotomy was used to control intractable cancer pain. Agressive use of opiates like morphine were available but doctors feared cancer patients would become addicted to these drugs.
[All rational sense is missing. Medically torturing a dying patient with intractable pain by performing invasive lobotomy-neurosurgery when passive drug management is available is severely flawed.]
<New York Times Dec 20/11 pD6>

Dec 20 2011 - White foods
Cauliflower is a digestive aid with high fiber and folate. Mashed potatoes are carbohydrate-rich, restoring glycogen stores post exercise. Mushrooms can be a source Vitamin D if grown using ultra violet light. White beans are fiber and carbohydrate dense and help to suppress appetite. White onions have anti-inflammatory properties stemming from quercetin component.
<Runners World Jan 2012 p44>

Dec 18 2011 - Hostility from the sisterhood and others
Before Katherine Switzer made running history for women, a woman nearly made history of her. A female motorist in the spring of 1967 tried to run Switzer off the road and it wasn't the first or the last time. According to Katherine now 64, back then women were not supportive of a woman running. Sweating in public was un-feminine. "It was like I hate you because you are free." She became the first women to enter the Boston Marathon, registered as K.V. Switzer in 1967 and two miles into the race an offical named Jock Semple grabbed her and tried to yank her number.
<Runners' World Jan 2012 p62>

Dec 17 2011 - Lose 10 pounds with permenant changes to eating habits
The bloated 40 billion dollar diet industry has a dark secret - most diets fail. Cutting 250 to 500 calories from daily consumption - which is not a lot - by careful food choices is much easier than dieting. Start by including a protein with every meal such as animal proteins, lentils, beans, dairy and soy. Don't skip meals especially if exercising. Stay hydrated with water, avoid juices and sweetened beverages. Minimize fast food meals to one or less per week. Exercise portion control.
<Runners World Jan 2012 p83>

Dec 16 2011 - Avoiding vitamin B12 deficiency
Vegetarians, older adults and pregnant women are more likely to be at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. This vitamin at the micro-neuro level is integral to healthy brain and spinal cord function and red blood cell formation. To over come absorption and bio-availablity variations with this vitamin eat meat, poultry and fish. Emerging research on pigs with a digestive system similar to humans is showing that milk and milk products are the most bio-available source of vitamin B12 there is, with an absorption rate of 51-71%.
<www. dairynutrition.ca>

Dec 15 2011 - Hospital staff not always working
A neuro-surgeon making person calls during an operation, and a nurse checking air fares during a sugery are two examples of negligent use of cells phones. A poll of technicians running bypass machines had half admitting to texting during a procedure.

[In the late 1970s, during a hospital training course, I remember watching the anethesiologist pull out a thick paper back and read, after the patient was under. Believing that doctors and allied professionals are some favoured class of intellectual elite is deeply flawed.]
<New York Times Dec 15/11 pA1>

Dec 14 2011 - Garlic and onions therapeutic effect
Symptoms of metabolic syndrome were significantly reduced in rats fed water containing extracts of fresh garlic and onion. Metabolic syndrome includes conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity. This research appears in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.
<Wall Street Journal Dec 13/11 p D2>

Dec 13 2011 - Healthy brain function nutrition dependent
The brain, like other organs, responds to what you eat and drink. It needs fats (fatty acids), protein (amino acids), carbohydrates (rich source of glucose/sugar), vitamins, minerals and water. If you deprive your brain of any of these nutrients, it cannot function properly. For example a vegetarian diet devoid of animal and dairy foods will not deliver Vitamin B12, an essential nutrient to mutiple aspects of healthy neuro-psycho physiology.
<www.helpfordepression.com>

Dec 12 2011 - Walnuts anti-cancer properties
Colerectal cancer tumor growth was significantly slower/inhibited in mice feed walnuts. Walnuts appeared to reduce angiogenesis factors (blood flow to tumor).
<Nutrition 2012:28:1:67-75>

Dec 08 2011 - Sitting jobs lethal
Your office chair might be killing you. The average person now spends 9.3 hours sitting per day. People who sit 6+ hours per day are 40% more likely to die within 15 years compared to people who sit three hours or less per day. Obesity is associated with two and a half more hours of sitting per day, lean people sit less. Research on the hazzards of sitting and a sedentary non-active life is only just emerging, very little is know about the actual pathology associated with in-activity.
<Globe & Mail Dec 5/11 pL1 & L3>

Nov 28 2011 - Food choices when pressured/stressed/injured
Avoid alcohol because protein-building ability in muscle is reduced by alcohol. Avoid sugary carbohydrates because of reduced ability to metabolize them which raises circulating blood fats. Avoid fried and fatty foods because of omega-6 fatty acid content which increases inflammatory reaction, a function of the immune/stress response.
<Runner's World Dec/11 p42>

Nov 27 2011 - Food choices to reduce waist size.
Waist circumference (WC) is proving to be a strong measure of risk of disease and death. It appears that some food/nutrient choices can change WC (up or down) without affecting weight. A study of 100,000+ Europeans* observed increased WC in diets with high glycemic index (GI) and high energy density (ED). This pattern of consumption is high in white bread, processed meat, margarine and soft drinks. Low GI and low ED diets were preventative of adominal fat. This pattern of consumption is similar to the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. This diet is high in fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts, with moderate consumption of low fat dairy, animal protein and sweets.

*European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.
<PLoS ONE 2011:6:8:e23384>

Nov 26 2011 - Dairy products and ovarian cancer
A pooled analysis of 12 cohort studies involving 500,000+ women reviewed by Harvard researchers and colleagues found no association between dairy foods or calcium and cancer.

Lactose, a simple sugar or carbohydrate found in milk and other sources, did modestly increase ovarian cancer risk. Galatose which is a synthesized mainly from food sources of lactose stimulates gonadotropin secretion in the brain which may lead to ovarian failure (toxic environment for oocytes/ova) and cancer.
<Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006:15:364-72>

Nov 25 2011 - A feminist, she was not
Danielle Mitterand, the wife of French President Francois, is dead at 87. In 1989 she was quoted in the Washington Post as saying "I have no power." In 1996 she went on to prove her statement by standing at the grave of her husband right beside his mistress Anne Pingeot and their daughter. In her memoir of the same year Madame Mitterand wrote of this situation "I had to make the best of it". [Mais non Madame, votre choise.]
<New York Times Nov 23/11 pA25>

Nov 24 2011 - Inverse relationship between dairy consumption and diabetes
Chinese researchers conducted a meta-analysis to determine if dairy product consumption reduced the incidence of diabetes type 2 (T2DM). Seven cohort studies were reviewed. The consensus was that total dairy product (not controlling for fat content) consumption could reduce the risk of T2DM by 5%. Low fat dairy consumption reduced the risk of T2DM by 10%.
<Eur J Cnlin Nutr 2011:65:9:1027-31>

Nov 23 2011 - Antidepressants associated with fracture risk
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of anti-depressant drug, is significantly associated with increased risk of fractures. This risk is independent of depression and bone mineral density. Praxil and Prozac are such drugs.
<Nature Reviews Endocrinology 2011:7:693, Osteoporosis International online>

Nov 22 2011 - Vitamin D may inhibit pancreatic cancer
The department of medical oncology Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has reviewed epidemiological studies to clarify conflicting studies of the role of Vitamin D in prevention of pancreatic cancer. They found that among participants in five large prospective cohorts, higher plasma levels of Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25(OH)D) was associated with lower risk of pancreatic cancer.
<Cancer Eipdemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011: online>

Nov 21 2011 - Depression in older women relative to exercise and TV watching
Researchers analyzed data involving 49,000+ US older women from Harvard's Nurses' Health Study. This group was free of depression in 1996. Questionnaires on physical activity levels and doctor diagnosed depression or use of antidepressants were regularly answered over an eight year period. 6,000+ incidences of depression were documented. Higher physical activity was associated with lower depression risk. Depression risk increased with increasing television-watching time.
<Am J. Epidemiology 2011:174:9:1017-27>

Nov 20 2011 - Independent of weight, Mediterranean diet heart healthy
Johns Hopkins researchers have found that mediterranean diets rich in unsaturated fats - avocados, nuts, olive oil - improves insulin performance. Diabetes and heart disease are consequences of deteriorating insulin effectiveness. This benefit was seen even without weight loss. This new research was presented at the recent American Heart Association annual meeting. Dr. M Gadgil gave a news release about the study.
<Medline Plus Nov 16/11>

Nov 19 2011 - Harvard Nurses' Health Study confirms moderate alcohol consumption linked to cancer
The longest and best research on women's health is the US Nurses' Health Study in which Harvard reseachers have followed 100,000+ nurses since 1976. From the analyzed data it appears that as little as three alcohol drinks - type doesn't matter - increases the risk of breast cancer. Consumption of 5- 9.9 grams of alcohol per day - the equivalent of three to six glasses of wine per week - was linked to a 15% increased risk of breast cancer. Risk also appears to increase by 10% per 10 gram increase in alcohol consumed per day.

Alcohol consumption seems to increase endogenous levels of estrogen. Higher estrogen production is a known risk factor for breast cancer. The metabolism of alcohol also increases oxidative stress and the production of tissue harming free radical molecules. Binge drinking and weekend drinking have documented higher detrimental effects on women than men possibly because estrogen levels are brought to a peak by the alcohol.
<JAMA 2011:306:17:1884-90, European Journal of Public Health 2007:17:6:624-9, >

Nov 18 2011 - Professional dental teeth cleaning and brushing may have cardiac benefit
At the American Heart Association annual meeting last week Taiwan researchers presented a study following 100,000 adults. They found that those who had undergone at least one full cleaning and scraping process once a year by a dentist had a significant lower risk of heart attack and stroke. Teeth scraping is thought to reduce inflammation causing bacteria which may underpin cardiovascular disease. Brushing teeth twice a day has also been shown to decease risk of heart disease.
<www.huffingtonpost.com Nov 13/11 & www.bbc.co.uk BBC Health New May 27/10>

Nov 17 2011 - Vitamin C -rich diet heart-healthy, not supplements
A study out of the U or Ulsan in Korea, presented at the American Heart Association annual meeting this week, found people with heart failure who had low levels of Vitamin C from diet fared poorly compared with counterparts getting adequate dietary Vitamin C. A portion of 212 cardiac patients had low Vitamin C intake and high C-reactive-Protein levels, a marker of inflammation linked to heart disease. These patients were twice as likely to be hospitalized and die from heart failure as patients getting adequate Vitamin C. Vitamin C appears to have a superior anti-inflammatory effect if absorbed from a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. The same anti-inflammatory effect has not been shown in studies where Vitamin C is administered as a pill/supplement.
<health.msn.com>

Nov 16 2011 - Fuel with soup
Soup packs a nutritional punch without damaging your waistline. You get lots of protein, fiber and carbs for not alot of calories. Research shows that eating soup before a meal reduces calorie consumption by 20%. A great strategy for weight loss.
<Runner's World Dec 2011 p39>

Nov 15 2011 - Sweentened drinks health risk for women
In a beverage study, Christina Shay and U of Oklahoma colleagues, followed 4,000+ participants, aged 45-84, for five years. All were heart disease free at the beginning of the study in 2002. Women who drank more than two sugary drinks per day had close to four times the chance of having high blood fats (heart damaging triglycerides) and pre-diabetes. The same findings were not seen in male study participants. This research was presented Sunday at the American Heart Association annual meeting.
<health.msn.com Nov 13/11 >

Nov 14 2011 - Car exhaust in congested cities, a health hazzard?
As roadways choke with traffic, researchers suspect that the tailpipe exhaust from cars and trucks - especially tiny carbon particles already implicated in heart disease, cancer and respiratory ailments - may also injure brain cells and synapses key to learning and memory.
<Wall Street Journal Nov 8/11 pD1 &2>

Nov 13 2011 - IVF not risk free
Invitro (test tube) fertilization brings a slightly higher risk of ovarian cancer. Fertility drugs and multiple ovary punctures from IVF may predispose to low grade ovarian malignancies and invasive ovarian cancers. Drugs used with IVF raise gonadotropin and sex hormones to increase chances of conception but also possibly cancers. Dutch research, the Omega study, followed 19,000 women age 40 and under who had IVF and 6,000 who did not have IVF for 15 years. The women who under went IVF were more than four times as likely to develop low grade and treatable ovarian malignancies.
<New York Times Nov 8/11, Human Reproduction 2011:26:12:3456>

Nov 12 2011 - Brillant dietitian reduces IBS suffering
Sue Shepherd, a dietician in Australia, developed a diet for lactose and fructose intolerant patients. In 2001 she found it worked well for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Her theory, which is underpinning her doctorate degree, is the small intestine in IBS has difficulty handling certain classes of carbohydrate. Olgiosaccharides, disaccharides and monsaccharids are the carbohydrate types that IBS suffers may have to control for in diet. Foods high in these saccharides - eg., apples, cabbage, pasta, milk, sweeteners etc., - are eliminated for 6-8 weeks and then gradually reintroduced to benchmark what the patient can tolerate. Jeffery D. Roberts of IBSgroup.org with 45,000 members is getting very favourable feedback about the diet. Dr. William Chey, co-editor of American Journal of Gastroentrology, finds the diet works and is heading design of clinical trials of the diet.
<WSJ Nov 8/11 pD2>

Nov 11 2011 - Increase catchment of patients by lowering diagnostic thresholds
The tendency to lower the threshold of diagnosis has been repeated in a number of common conditions - hypertension, diabetes type 2, zero stage ductile carcinoma insitu etc. Prior to 1997 mild hypertension that did not involve damage to eyes, kidneys or heart was not treated. In 1997 the Joint National Committe on high blood pressure lowered the diagnosis of hypertension to diastolic of 90 mm (instead of 100) and systolic of 140 (instead of 160). With the stroke of a pen 13 million Americans met the criteria to be treated with anti-hypertensive therapy.
<Over-diagnosis 2011 p 20>

Nov 09 2011 - Income generation from un-necessary medical treatments
Lara, healthy & age 65, accepted hormone replacement therapy for treatment of non-existent but [supposedly potential] osteoporosis. This was erroneous information received from her doctor. After a decade on synthetic hormones, she was told of emerging evidence of an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer from the therapy. [Lara and her peer group were the test guinea pigs that provided evidence of the emerging negative effects.]

For still non-existent osteoporosis, Lara accepted bisphosphonate medication until she had difficulty swallowing. A referral to a gastro-enterologist found esophageal ulcers upon endoscopy, a known side-effect of bisphosphonates. She was discontinued on that medication and the ulcers healed, but accepted a third medication which caused a skin rash. Rash resolved when Lara stopped that med.

Still determined to have non-existent osteoporosis treated Lara was referred to an endocrinologist and then to a radiologist for thyroid ultra-sound. Tiny lumps were finally found and she was referred to a surgeon. The surgeon,[ in a moral act of humanity,] stopped the cash generating cascade of medical management that Lara was creating with the knowledge that virtually all adults have some evidence of thyroid cancer.

[Think of the salaries Lara under-wrote - appointments, diagnostics, perscriptions - with this pointless pursuit to treat a non-existent condition.]
<Overdiagnosed 2011 p 29-30>

Nov 07 2011 - Greed not science behind diagnosis of diabetes type 2
Before 1997 a fasting blood sugar of over 140 signaled diabetes. But in 1997 the Expert Committee on the Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus redefined the disorder. Now a fasting blood sugar of over 126 is classified as diabetes. So everyone who has a blood sugar between 126 and 140 used to be normal but now has diabetes. [This change by the stroke of a pen, barely underpinned by any science,] converted 1.6 million people from healthy to diabetics. [The more people there are to treat the more revenue generated.]
<Over-diagnosed 2011 p17-18>

Nov 06 2011 - Obesity and colon cancer in women..surprising news
More than 120,000 European men and women, age 55-69, were followed for 16 years by a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Women who topped a 44 or size 16 in pants and got little exercise were 83% more likely to develop colon cancer. HOWEVER, women with these larger waist lines only had a higher risk of cancer if they got less than 30 minutes of exercise per day. The colon cancer preventative effect of exercise in large waist women was not seen in large waist men.
<Thomson Reuters 2011 Nov4/11>

Nov 05 2011 - Exercise highly effective for migraine
Researchers in Sweden have shown that exercise is equally efficient to common pharmacological and nonpharma therapies for treatment of migraine headache.
<Nature Reviews Neurology 2011:7:596>

Nov 04 2011 - Have low trust and check everything if patient/health care consumer
Jennifer Drumm, 30 years old and a computer technician, was totally disabled by physician knowledge gap and communication disconnect. The emergency doctor who saw Drumm for her complaint of severe painful headache, did not know what the dark ring around a mass in her brain was and chose not to find out. The ring was revealed on a CT scan. Two days later her parents found her un-conscious from a brain abcess that had ruptured, the dark ring in the CT indicated an abcess. She is now not able to work or live independently.

The reading of CT scans and other radiology imaging at this emergency room had been farmed out to a private off-site company (which can be off-shore in India for example). This practice is wide spread among hospitals as a cost cutter, its called teleradiology. Two off-site radiologists reading Drumm's scan in the two days before her abcess ruptured did not contact and were not contacted by the emergency doctor with the knowledge gap.

There is no over-sight or quality control of out-sourced radiology. Between May 2007 and January 2008 teleradiologist Rafashakher Reddy M.D., of Reddy Solutions Inc., signed off on 70,000 scans from hospitals in four different states. The state of Georgia court found that one radiologist cannot possibly read that many scans in eight months, the scans were not even looked at. Dr. Reddy is on his way to jail for 20 years.
<Self Nov/11 p136-140.>

Nov 03 2011 - Sweetened drinks un-healthy
Avoid all sugar-sweetened beverages, whether it's added as in pop drinks or natural as in juices. "The stomach doesn't feel full so the brain can't know it, and you keep eating" said physician and chief John LaPuma. "Because they boost glycemic load, they inflame arteries, disable insulin and clog up the beta-cells in the pancreas, where insulin is made. They can also make the liver store fat. Not a pretty picture." A better alternative - sparkling water.
<Buffalo News Nov 1/11 pC5>

Nov 02 2011 - Plant-rich diet best policy against disease
Plant food - fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains - possess thousands of bio-active compounds. Phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals are gross classifications of these compounds. The excellent health seen among people who eat large amounts of plant food is believed to stem from phytochemical consumption. Many of these compounds are concentrated in the plant peel, causing vibrant colours - red tomatoes, blue blueberries etc. When eaten these plant foods provide anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The root cause of many chronic diseases - heart disease, cancer, arthritis, neuro-degenerative - is thought to be inflammation.
<Buffalo News Nov 1/11 p C5>

Nov 01 2011 - Heavy drinkers cost society over $220 billion
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the above captioned cost in a study of lost productivity, higher health care costs and crimes due to ethanol/alcohol abuse. Heavy drinkers were defined as excessive with more than one drink a day for women and more than two for men or as bingers with four or more drinks per female and five or more for men. Also any alcohol consumption by pregnant women or people under 21 was captured.

Smoking drains over $193 billion annually and physical inactivity costs more than $150 billion.
<Wall Street Journal Oct 18/11 pA6>

Oct 31 2011 - Hormone testing at transition usless
Blood, saliva or urine lab tests for estrogen and progesterone hormone levels during a problematic perimenopausal run-up to menopause are valueless. (1)Hormones are pulsatile, entering the blood stream in pulses controlled by the brain. This translates into a high level reading in one hour and a low level reading in the next hour. (2) The normal hormone levels for perimenopausal women are not known, un-researched and not defined. (3)Exogenous adminstration of synthetic or bio-identical hormones in terms of efficacy levels is largely unknown and un-researched.
<ww.cemcor.ubc.ca Sept 27/07>

Oct 30 2011 - 300 years of flagrant gender bias ends
On Friday at the 16 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting a 300 year old rule was over-turned. According to that rule only first born sons can inherit the British throne. The only way a woman could ascend the throne was if the previous monarch had no male sons, as in the current Queen ELizabeth II. In a moral act of gender equality female members of the royal family are now equally in position to inherit the [useless] throne.
<Buffalo News Oct 29/11 pA4>

Oct 29 2011 - Spicy broccoli
Teaming fresh broccoli with a spicy food up-regulates bioactive compounds from both foods. Mustard, horseradish, wasabi etc., in combination with broccoli boosts the cancer prevention benefit. As little as 3-5 servings of spicy broccoli per week may provide protection against cancer.
<British Journal of Nutrition Sept 13/11>

Oct 28 2011 - Oncology outpatient clinics virtually un-regulated, dirty
Clean and sterile techniques are not being used at many outpatient clinics providing chemotherapy, surgery, and diagnostic services. Evelyn Knight in addition to chemotherapy got Hepatitis C in 2002. A nurse, at a now closed Nebraska clinic, spread the virus to 100 patients by routinely using the same syringe to withdraw blood and flush catheter lines. After her recovery in 2008 Knight wrote a book about her nightmare, "A Never Event". She states "We still don't have a centralized way of enforcing safe practice in free-standing clinics."
<Wall Street Journal Oct 25/11 pD1 &4>

Oct 27 2011 - Vitamins and supplements a waste of money
The science is accumulating that multivitamin and dietary supplements are not beneficial and have some harmful effects. An enormous body of research is now showing health benefits are derived from a plant-rich diet as opposed to popping vitamin and mineral pills. Such diets deliver vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in micro amounts which may be safest way to consume them. Vitamin C intake can reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and improve the survival of cancer cells according to Sloan-Kettering research in 2008.
<Wall Street Journal Oct 25/11 D1&4.>

Oct 25 2011 - An apple a day...
keeps the doctor away, depending on your aim. As stated by Sandi Toksviq, chair of the BBC Radio 4 News Quizz Friday Oct 21/11.
<Series 75 Episode 7 BBC4>

Oct 24 2011 - Adequate Vitamin D antidepressant in older women
The Women's Health Initiative Study followed 80,000 women aged 50-79 for three years. An intake of 800+mgs of Vitamin D from food sources was significantly associated with protection against depressive symptoms. Overall the study found an inverse association of Vitamin D primarily from food sources and depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women.
<The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2011:94:4:1104-1112>

Oct 23 2011 - GI is an endocrine organ
The gastro-intestinal(GI) tract is the largest hormone producing (endocrine) organ in the body. A number of other bio-active compounds are produced by the GI to include the neuro-transmitter serotonin (5-HT).The GI contains about 95% of the body's 5-HT. A wide range of GI and gut disorders are believed to stem from dysregulation of intestinal production of 5-HT.
<Clinical & Experimental Immunology 2010:161:19-27>

Oct 22 2011 - Two year old pillows infested
A study presented at this year's Healthcare Associated Infections meeting found that by the time a pillow was in use for two years about a third of its weight consisted of dead skin cells, dust mites, and mite droppings. Buy washable pillows, or replace frequently. Also consider mite-proof pillow covers.
<Parade Oct 2/11 p13>

Oct 21 2011 - Gut microbes and obesity
Microbes colonize the gut, fermenting nutrients and secreting bioactive compounds. These microbes are believed to affect the host's physiology and metabolism particularly in terms of obesity. The feeding of prebiotic nutrients [eg. yogurt] can influence gut microbes to modulate lipid/fat and glucose balance and systemic inflammation. Gut microbes appear to be a neutraceutical target in the management of obesity.
<Nature Reviews Endocrinology 2011:7:639-646>

Oct 20 2011 - Blue light and sleep
Light, especially blue light from the sun, computer screens, some light bulbs and other products make the body think its day time. Avoid blue light sources in the bedroom - computers, clocks etc.
<Parade Oct 2/11 p13>

Oct 19 2011 - Nutrition illiteracy
A majority of Canadians believe they are very to somewhat knowledgeable about nutrition. A recent study by the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition suggests the opposite regarding healthy diets. The ethnographic study followed 30 participants over a five day period related to grocery shopping, meals, kitchens etc.
The study found numerous meals skipped, meals eaten on the run, totally in-adequate fruit and vegetable consumption, high sweetened beverage intake, excessive caffeine and lack of portion control.
<www.dairynutrition.ca>

Oct 18 2011 - Genes, Economics and Happiness..
is a working paper from the U of Zurich. The researchers concluded that about a third of the variation in people's happiness is heritable.

Studies of identical twins have helped to establish the heritability of behaviours and intellligence. Examination of DNA has uncovered some of the genes responsible. The tendency to be happy or miserable may be related the gene encoding the serotonin-transporter protein. This is the molecule that carries serotonin, a neurotransmitter, across cell membranes.
<Economist October 15/11 p90-91>

Oct 17 2011 - Carbohydrate rich diet increases weight
Sports nutritionist Ilana Katz R.D. points out that extra pounds come with a carbohydrate-rich or loaded diet. "With every gram of stored carbohydrate, you store an extra three grams of water." This physiological state is ideal for running races and marathons. The calorie count is the same per day with carbohydrate-loading just more of those calories are coming from carbohydrates.
<Runners World Nov 2011 p38>

Oct 16 2011 - Extra doses of vitamin supplements harmful
A study published recently in JAMA found that Vitamin E and selenium use among 35,000 men causes a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer. Another study published in the American Archives of Internal Medicine found that among 38,000 Iowa women, older women,using vitmain supplements, had higher risk of dying during a 19 year interval of measurement.

Dr. Eric Klein, one of the researchers, stated "There really is not any compelling evidence that taking those dietary supplements above and beyond a normal dietary intake is helpful in any way, and this is evidence that it could be harmful."
<New York Times Oct 12/11 pA14>

Oct 14 2011 - Exercise improves executive brain function
The work of the brain's frontal cortex - decision making, planning, organizing etc., - might be improved with exercise. A 2010 Japanese study showed people who had just completed bouts of physical activity scored higher on mental tests than those who were not active.
<Runners World Nov 2011 p50>

Oct 13 2011 - Inventor of heart pacemaker dies at 92
Wilson Greatbatch, assistant professor of electical engineering at U of Buffalo, using the wrong switch in 1956 stumbled on to the development of the pacemaker device. The circuit produced by his error reminded him of heart beats and a conversation he had had with other researchers on the electrical activity of the heart in 1951. His discovery was a true example of Pasteur's observation "chance favours the prepared mind".
<New York Times Sept 28/11 pB10>

Oct 12 2011 - Purple potatoes
All potatoes contain fiber, iron, potassium and vitamins B6 And C. But purple potatoes are packed with anti-inflammatory anthocyanins. These are potent antioxidant metabolites also found in blueberries and cherries causing the rich purple colour.
<Runners World Nov 2011 p42>

Oct 10 2011 - Human mood may share biological rhythm
A study by Cornell U researchers of 2.4 million Twitter messages in 84 countries over two years shows amazing mood concordance over a day, a week and seasonally. No matter where they live or work,, or what day it is, people appear to wake up grumpy, brighten by breakfast, gradually taper to a low in the late afternoon and rally again near bedtime. The researchers came to their conclusion about human mood rhythm by analyzing text messages using software looking for words like "awesome", "agree", "annoy", "afraid" and symbols like :)(smiley face).
<New York Times Sept 30/11 pA16>

Oct 08 2011 - Medical murder of a president
James S. Garfield, President of the United States, was shot July 2, 1881 in an attempted assassination. The bullet caused no damage, was embedded in soft tissue, and had he received NO medical attention he would probably have survived. Instead he was given over to the care of doctors who basically tortured him to death in the next ll weeks. Two of them repeatedly probed his wound with unsterilized hands and instruments before sending him back to the White House on a hay-and-horsehair mattress.

The President's care was controlled by the oddly named Dr. Doctor Willard Bliss. Towering incompetence prevailed, well established clean technique that Joseph Lister had discovered years before, was ignored. Bliss and colleagues, too dignified to wash their hands, caused infection/sepsis to quickly over-took Garfield's body. (see Sept 20/11 News Item.)

Bliss went on to compromise the President's gastro-intestinal system by ordering the feeding of heavy meals, alcohol and enormous doses of quinine. Digestive failure - vomiting and cramping - was the only possible outcome of this bizzare/irrational management.
<Destiny of the Republic, NYT Book Review Oct 2/11p14-15>

Oct 07 2011 - Stomach-food-brain connection
"The brain and digestive tract share many of the same nerve connections" says Dr. Douglas Drossman, gastroentrologist and psychiatrist U of North Carolina. When under stress oatmeal, yogurt and fatty fish may provide some relief. Oatmeal slows or speeds the gastro-intestinal system and evens out blood sugar levels. Yogurt according to a British Journal of Nutrition has anti-depressant properties supporting a mind-gut connection. Fatty fish has well substantiated anti-inflammatory action which stress can trigger.
<Buffalo News Oct 4/11 pC5>

Oct 06 2011 - Instead of neuro-surgery to implant stem cells try oral Lithium
Brain injury and various diseases cause damage by reducing oxygen (hypoxia-ischemia) to cells/neurons which causes inflammation and cell death. Nine day old male rats were subjected to unilateral hypoxia-ischemia injury/insult. They were then treated with Lithium (Li+) and sacrificed seven weeks later. When matched to controls the Li+ treated rats has significantly less brain cell death due to Li+ inhibition of inflammation. Also Li+ treatment appears to have promoted survival and proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells.

(Hongfu Li et al., "Lithium-mediated long-term neuroprotection in neonatal rat hypoxia-ishemia is associated with antiinflammatory effects and enhanced proliferation and survival of neural stem/progenitor cells.")
<Journal of Blood Flow & Metabolism 2011:31:2106-2115>

Oct 05 2011 - "Top screwups doctors make..
how to avoid them" - is a new book published by the Buffalo News columnists Joe and Teresa Graedon. Go to their website www.peoplespharmacy.com or their regular newspaper columns for more info.
<Buffalo News Oct 4/11 pC3>

Oct 04 2011 - Exercise and brain health
U of Maryland Professor J.Carson Smith has studied the effect of exercise on brain function. Running sparks the growth of fresh brain cells (neurogenesis) and new blood vessels (angiogenesis). Exercise/running appears to increase brain-tissue volume and somewhat reverses normal shrinkage with ageing. The learning and memory region of the brain (hippocampus) can be increased by 2% in the older individual who exercises. The rate of brain cell death is slowed by exercise.
<Runners World Nov 2011 p50 & PNAS 2011>

Oct 03 2011 - DHA fatty acids and brain health
The central nervous system (brain and spinal cord or CNS) has the second highest concentration of lipids (fats) after adipose (fat) tissue.

Fats broken down in metabolism to fatty acids are integral components of neural (brain & nerve cell) membrane phospholipids. Phospholipids are pivotal to healthy CNS function because of micro-neural DNA cross-talk/signaling properties and facilitating healthy physical permeability of membranes.

A particular fatty acid, docosahexaenic (DHA), if deficient is associated with neuro-tranmission and permeability problems facilitating potential for later onset of neurodegenerative and other chronic diseases.

Animal studies clearly show that oral intake of DHA can beneficially alter brain DHA and improve brain function. DHA, available as a supplement or from fatty fish, offers a neutraceutical agent in brain disorders such as Parkinson disease. A preventative/resorative measure might be to at least correct/avoid DHA deficiency.
<Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids 2007:77:5-6:287-293 & 2004:70:4:361-372>

Oct 02 2011 - Exercise as effective as antidepressants
SSRI drugs for depression are believed to work by keeping serotonin neurotransmitters in synapses longer, improving mood and outlook. Aerobic exercise does the same thing. People successfully treated with SSRIs relapsed sooner than those who stayed physically active.
<Runners World Nov 2011 p50>

Oct 01 2011 - Plant flavonoids can reduce blood sugars
Rats were feed regularly quantities of quercetin a flavonoid found richly in onions. Sugar/glucose levels were significantly decreased in serum indicating a benefical effect of plant food on glucose regulation and absorption.
<Nutrition 2011:27:11:1161-1167>

Sep 30 2011 - New knowledge re determinants of obesity
The big two in the etiology (cause) of obesity are eating too much and in-activity. Recent research has found four other determinants of obesity: short sleep duration, mental stress, low calcium/dairy intake, and persistent organic pollutants.
<www.dairynutrition.ca>

Sep 29 2011 - Contribution of dairy to nutrient adequacy and health
The western diet, involving about two thirds of adults, is generally in-adequate in Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Dairy is a unique food group rich in these nutrients plus zinc, Vitamin A, riboflavin and folate. Adequate dairy is associated with normal bone density, healthy body weight and reduced risk of hypertension, diabetes, stroke and colorectal cancer.
<www.dairynutrition.ca>

Sep 28 2011 - Three ways to fight inflammation and improve immunity
(1)Aim to get 1,000 IU of Vitamin D daily. A range of chronic diseases may be mitigated by adequate Vitamin D intake. As there are few foods outside of fatty fish and fortified milk which are good sources of Vitamin D, consider taking a pill supplement. (2) Soluble fiber - abundant citrus fruits, apples, carrots, beans, and oats - have an anti-inflammatory effect.(3)A [rational] restriction of calories by choosing more fruits and vegetables, lean animal protein and lower fat dairy appears to boost immunity.
<Buffalo News Sept 27/11 pC5>

Sep 27 2011 - New knowledge on how to lose weight V
Reaching an obese state may have been caused by an extra 250 calories per day. To lose that extra weight now requires much larger reduction in calories. According to Dr. Hall's calculations an extra 220 calories a day are now maintaining that obesity. The obese individual now needs to cut 500 calories per day. Burning 250 calories per day with exercise and removing 250 calories from daily diet seems the most reasonable and achievable strategy. Some evidence from the 5,000 participants of the National Weight Control Registry supports this strategy.
<New York Times Sept 20/11 pD7>

Sep 26 2011 - New knowledge on how to lose weight IV
Some studies have indicated that low carbohydrate diets that are relatively high in protein and fat are more effective for losing weight than a more balanced low calorie diet. Dr Hall said that low carbohydrate diets do a little more to reduce weight over the course of six months to a year.
<New York Times Sept 20/11 pD7>

Sep 25 2011 - New knowledge on how to lose weight III (b)
Consuming an extra 100 calories a day does not show up right away as weight gain especially in the obese person. Weight gain happens more slowly for the obese person than the lean person. According to Dr. Hall this is because the obese person's body requires more calories to maintain the extra pounds.
<New York Times Sept 20/11 pD7>

Sep 24 2011 - New knowledge on how to lose weight Part III (a)
In the new model of human physiology and weight loss, Dr Hall suggests a more realistic goal is to cut 250 calories a day from consumption. This would lead to a weight reduction of 25 pounds over three years. Half of that loss would occur in the first year. According to Hall this gradual weight reduction is superior because it allows the new eating and exercise habits to become a lasting lifestyle.
<New York Times Sept 20/11 p D7>

Sep 23 2011 - New knowledge on how to lose weight Part II
Physical activity has a primary role in weight reduction and maintenance. 5,000 participants of the National Weight Control Registry have demonstrated that two tactics maintain a significant weight loss: chronic physical activity and regular checks of weight.

According to Dr. Hall's model an obese individual at 220 pounds can run an additional 12.5 miles a week at a moderate pace and lose more weight and slightly faster than cutting the equivalent amount of calories from diet.
<New York Times Sept 20/11 pD7>

Sep 22 2011 - New knowledge on how to lose weight part I
Human physiology in terms of an individual's weight is emerging research. It appears the conventional medical wisdom of one pound weight loss occuring when 3,500 calories is removed from the diet was in-accurate and not based on science.

Dr. Kevin D. Hall and colleagues at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Dieases have recently created more realistic models of the body and its response to calories.

One finding is that a very small rise in calories - 10 extra calories per day - can increase body weight by 20 pounds over 30 years.

A person with more adipose tissue to start[ - eg., practically all women -] will gain more weight than a lean person. Lean tissue burns more calories than fat/adipose tissue.
<New York Times Sept 20/11 p D7>

Sep 20 2011 - Hospitals un-sanitary
Approximately 100,000 patients die each year from infections acquired in hospital. This mortality stems in large part from hospital staff not washing their hands. Some studies suggest that health professionals follow hand hygiene guidelines only half the time.
<Buffalo News Sept 19/11 pC5>

Sep 18 2011 - US government national pactitioner data bank silenced
The above captioned data base was created in 1986 to provide the public with doctor-specific disciplinary actions and malpractice information. Responding to a complaint by Dr. Robert T. Tenny, a Kansas neurosurgeon, the US department of Health & Human Services on Sept 1/11 appears to have disabled the data base's website.

Additonally, the government department, in a letter, threatened a Kansas City Star newspaper reporter with a violation of confidentiality law and a fine of $11,000. The reporter apparently and lawfully accessed the public domain data base to publish an article on Sept 3/11 titled "Doctors with Histories of Alleged Malpractice Often Go Undisciplined".

Both actions of the US government have outraged reporters and journalism groups across the country.

<New York Times Sept 16/11 pB3>

Sep 14 2011 - IBM supercomputer to be game-changer in health care
[Most patients and clients of modern health care systems are un-aware of the subjective, inferior and error-ridden quality of the medical treatment and advice they receive from doctors.]

This is about to improve. IBM's supercomputer, WATSON, best known for beating players of 'Jeopardy' is about to be implemented in computer-aided-diagnosis (CAD). WellPoint, one of the nation's largest insurers, is going to use WATSON's lightening speed to access current bio-medical science to treat patients by cross-talking/referencing with patient medical records.

[To date there has been no way for health care consumers to protect against physician knowledge gaps and incompetence. See July 29/11 & Aug 8/11 News Items.] As Wellpoint's chief medical officer, Dr. Sam Nussbaum, points out with WATSON's CAD "Imagine having the ability within three seconds to look through all of that information, to have it be up to date, scientifically presented to you, and based on the patient's medical needs at the moment you are caring for that patient."

<Buffalo News Sept 13/11 pA4>

Sep 13 2011 - Refined carbohydrates worse than saturated fats?
The above is an editorial in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010:91:1514-2 that can be downloaded for free. The physician-author, Dr. Frank B Hu, is a principle researcher with the ongoing Harvard Nurses'Health Study commenced in 1976.

He defines carbohydrates has having variation in nutrition quality. Carbohydrates with low glycemic index such as minimally processed oats, barley and rye are more slowly digested, and do not cause spiking blood glucose and insulin levels. Highly refined carbohydrates - white bread, sugar, sweetened beverages etc., - are rapidly digested and regular large consumption is associated with diabetes type 2, obesity and heart disease.

<Am J Clin Nutr 2010:91:1541-2>

Sep 12 2011 - Study shows saturated fat not associated with obesity
A large Danish study followed more than 50,000 men and women for 12 years. Saturated fat intake - butter, cheese, animal products etc., - was NOT associated with higher risks of heart disease and obesity. But a diet high in refined carbohydrates - sugar, bread, pizza, rolls, cold cereals, white rice - was significantly linked to obesity and heart disease.
<Am J Clin Nutr 2010:91:1764-8>

Sep 11 2011 - Rampant Vitamin D deficiency
85% of athletes at the U of Montana have sub-optimal Vitamin D levels in winter, scientists there reported in a study in February. 25% were deficient in the fall. Those with low levels had a higher rate of flu and colds. Take 600-1,000 IU daily of Vitamin D and eat Vit D rich foods. A three ounce serving of fresh salmon has 360 IU and the same serving of canned salmon in oil has 530 IU.
<Runners World October 2011 p32>

Sep 10 2011 - Another reason to eat yogurt and dairy products
Reseachers at the University College, Cork, split mice into two groups. One lot were fed a special broth containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a gut dwelling bacterium often found in yogurt and other dairy products. The other group received no microbe fortified diet. It appears that the microbe-rich diet has an anti-anxiety/fear effect on the first group of mice, doing better at maze and swim tests. Levels of stress hormone were lower in the first group. The inhibitory-tranquilizing neuro-transmittter, gamma-aminobutyric acid, showed higher activity in the first group as well. When the vagus nerve which connects the brain and the gut was cut in the bacteria-fed first group the differences between the two groups vanished.
<Economist Sept 3/11 p80-81>

Sep 09 2011 - Blueberries as anti-inflammatory agent
Researchers at Appalachian State U gave runners a cup of blueberries daily for six weeks and compared them to a second runner group that did not get blueberries. The blueberry eating runners had less signs and symptoms of inflammation than the other group. A metabolite in blueberries, anthocyanidins, is believed to provide the protective benefit.
<Runners World Oct 2011 p 32>

Sep 08 2011 - New knowledge re brain health
European researchers have unleashed a shocking statistic on brain and neurological dysfunctions. From a statistical meta-analysis of the literature the researchers deduced that across thirty European countries an estimated 165 million people annually experience some form of fully developed mental dysfunction/illness. That equates to 38% of the total population of those countries ( Wittchen HU, Neuropsychopharmacol 2011:21:655.)

For both dementia and unipolar illness the ratios of women to men are around two to one. Depression among women seems to arise during their child-bearing years.
<Nature 2011:477:132>

Sep 07 2011 - Chocolate milk has antiobesity effect
Thrity men and women participated in a four and a half week training program at the U of Texas. Subjects who drank milk as opposed to a carb beverage gained more lean muscle and lost more body fat.
<Runners World Oct 2011 p32>

Sep 05 2011 - Calcium supplements or a glass of milk?
Milk is rich in calcium and other vitamins and minerals to promote bone health. Registered dietitian Roberta Andings states aim for three servings per day to get between 1,000 to 1,200 mg. Other good sources include yogurt and fortified orange juice.

If taking supplements dosages should probably be 500 mg twice a day because only 500 mg can be absorbed systemically at one time.
<Parade Mag Sept 4/11 p6>

Sep 02 2011 - Krill oil for arthritis management
Rhumatoid arthritis (RA)is a human autoimmune disorder (body attacks itself) that has been recreated in rat models (CIA). In an experiment by Norweigan researchers krill oil was tested as a treatment for RA in rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Krill oil is an extract of antartic Krill a zooplankton crustacean extremely rich in omega-3 fatty acids attached to phospholipids. This structure increases cell permeability and bioavailablity of omega-3s for a stronger anti-inflammatory benefit. Krill oil also contains the antioxidant astaxanthin. In the study the efficacy of krill oil was compared to fish oil in reducing RA signs and symptoms. Krill oil was superior to fish oil but both were effective.
<BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010:11:136>

Sep 01 2011 - Anti-bacterial properties of spices
Coriander, bay, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and thyme when extracted as oils have significant ability to inhibit bacteria growth. Coriander oil has been shown to damage the cell membrane of twelve strains of bacteria. Coriander is the seed from which cilantro plants are grown and used as fresh leaves in spicing foods.
<Journal of Microbiology Aug 2011 on line & 2004:53:1023. NYT Aug 30/11 pD3>

Aug 31 2011 - Some cardiac benefits from eating chocolate
It appears that a variety of chocolate - candies, candy bars, drinks, cookies, desserts etc., - when consumed protect against heart disease. A report in the British Medical Journal on Monday showed those consuming the most chocolate had significant decreased rate of heart disease and stroke risk. The benefit disappears if binging or very large quantities are consumed according to lead author, Dr. Oscar H. Franco.
<Wall Street Journal Aug 30/11 p D6>

Aug 29 2011 - Cholesterol has vital role in human physiology
Cholesterol, a fatty waxy substance, performs several essential regulatory functions in the body. Bile is synthesized from cholesterol in the liver to facilitate fat digestion and absorption. All steroid hormones - estrogen, progesterone, testosterone etc - are synthesized from cholesterol. Vitamin D is actually a seco-steroid hormone metabolized in the skin from cholesterol.

And most important of all, cholesterol is part of every cell membrane in the body to include neurons. Cholesterol has a primary permeablity function controlling what goes in and out of the cell.
<Nutrition Basics 2004>

Aug 28 2011 - The origin of statins such as Lipitor
The first scientific report of antimicrobial activity of Penicillium mould found on oranges and jam appeared in 1870. Thus commenced the discovery of a range of fungi and bacteria orginated antibiotic drugs - penicillins, cephalosporins etc.

In 1976 pharmaceutical companies were hot on the trail of anything that would lower cholesterol. This was a consequence of a study of 5,000 Framingham Mass residents, where high cholesterol and heart disease had shown a correlation.

Two independent groups of researchers - one at Merck Sharp & Dohme and the other at Tokyo's Sankyo Co., - isolated fungi metabolites that inhibited the biosynthesis of sterol and therefore had a cholesterol lowering effect.

These fungi derived metabolites were given the names compactin, mevastatin, lovastatin. Today semi-synthetic analogues such as pravastatin, simvastatin, atovastatin (Lipitor) and others have been introduced. Statins are now the most widely prescibed drugs in the world.
<Drug Discovery 2005.>

Aug 27 2011 - Humans born to run?
There is no question that humans are appalling sprinters but long distance running humans are good at. Early humans took up long distance running two million years ago probably to chase down big animals that would overheat and collapse before they would. This why thousands of years later so many people can do 42 KM of a marathon. Humans have the ability to sweat, stablize the head while running, and have specially designed gluteus maximus muscles to fire up for endurance runs.
<New York Times Aug 23/11 pD3 & Nature 2004 on line>

Aug 25 2011 - Studies of dietary factors associated with hypertension lose out to drugs
A meta-analysis of 23 random control trials has turned up 27 dietary factors, 17 of which protect agains hypertension. The top three are a protective effect from chronic fruit and vegetable consumption, adequate potassium, calcium and magnesium intake from diet (eg dairy), and polyunsaturated fatty acid from fish or fish oil. The researchers conclude that studies of [practical/self-regulating] dietary factors are fewer than studies of [physician-fee-for-service-managed] anti-hypertensive drugs and have received less investment resources.
<Nat. Rev. Cardiol 2011:8:456-465>

Aug 24 2011 - Milk proteins antihypertensive
Milk proteins, a source of energy and amino acids, contain physiologically active peptides encrypted in the protein sequence (or DNA blue prints for building cells/neurons). Milk derived bioactive peptides are shown to have antihypertensive, antimicrobial, immuomodulatory, antioxidative and mineral-binding poperties. The most studied milk peptides are those that inhibit angiotensin-coverting enzyme (ACE). This has a blood pressure lowering effect because a potent vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II, is then not synthesized.
<Pharmaceuticals 2010:3:251>

Aug 23 2011 - Dietary protein antihypertensive
People with high blood pressure and people of older age may be more sensitive to dietary protein needs. Protein intake, especially from plants, appears to have a blood pressure lowering effect. More protein and/or less carbohydrate intake appears to also reduce blood pressure.
<PLoS ONE 2010:5:8:e12102>

Aug 22 2011 - Before accepting antidepressant medications(ADMs).
Did you know that ADMs have recently attracted much attention because of reported potential associations with increased risk of coronary heart disease and stoke. ADMs use has been associated with weight gain, increased inflammation , abdominal bleeding and hypertension, thus they may increase risk of stroke.
<Stroke on line August 11/11>

Aug 21 2011 - ADM, ageing and stroke in women
Older women using antidepressant medication (ADM) - especially selective reuptake serotonin inhibitors - for depression are at greater risk of stroke. Harvard's Nurses' Health Study followed 80,000 plus women age 54 to 79 for six years and came up with this finding. The researchers examined the association between ADM and stroke risk because of a recent report suggesting an increased risk of subsequent stroke with use of these medications.
<Stroke on line August 11/11>

Aug 20 2011 - Chronic business travel un-healthy
A study by the Mailman School of Public Health U of Columbia found that chronic business travel increased risk of obesity. If traveling more than 21 days per month there was a 92% higher risk of obesity. Higher blood pressure, cholesterol, stress and sleep disorders were also found in frequent travellers for business.
<Wall Street Journal August 16/11 pD2 & Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine>

Aug 19 2011 - Adult-onset allergies
When seasonal allergy symptoms crop up for the first time in adulthood, they are probably due to irritation of the nasal membranes known as vasomotor or non-allergic rhinitis (runny nose).

As people age their immune systems weaken and their mucous membranes lose elasticity, making them more sensitive to irritants. "Even cold air becomes problematic as we get older" says Rohit Katial, director of allergy and immunology services at National Jewish Health, a Denver hospital. "Suddenly your nose starts running all the time."
<Wall Street Journal August 16/11 pD1 & D4>

Aug 18 2011 - Ragweed season lengthens
Research published on line this week is showing that ragweed season has been lengthening in recent decades. In northern US and Canada pollen season in 2009 lasted 27 days longer than in 1995. Ragweed season in New York/New Jersey started last week, ten days earlier than usual. One of the researchers, Leonard Bielory an allergy specialist, states "My prediction is next week, it will explode."

Climate warming trends and a delay in the first frost is believed to underpin the longer ragweed and pollen season. Environmental irritants, previous mild allergies, the ageing process, pregnancy, hormonal changes, other illnesses can all alter a person's immune system and excerbate allergic responses.
<Wall Street Journal Aug 16/11 pD1 & D4 & PNAS on line>

Aug 17 2011 - Exercise in any amount is better than none
The minimum level of exercise thought to reduce cardiovascular disease risk is 30 minutes five days a week at moderate intensity where there is sweating and breathing hard. However, researchers have found that people active at lower levels than the minimium standard also had significantly lower risk of heart disease. The conclusion is some exercise is better than none and additional benefits occur with more physical activity.
<Circulation online August 1/11>

Aug 14 2011 - Fish oil as heart treatment
Fish and fish oil supplements are often used to lower triglycerides. Studies have shown that fish/oil improves antiplatelet (clotting) activity, improves heart function in class II-IV failure, and improves vascular function in diabetes. Fish oil has the effect of lowering total cholesterol, very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and increasing high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
<J Pharm Pract 2011 Jun 6 online>

Aug 13 2011 - Egg yolks for eye health
Egg yolks are a leading source of lutein and zeaxanthin, a dynamic antioxidant duo that accumulate in the retina, where they protect eye health. U of Tufts researchers discovered that lutein is better absorbed from eggs than other sources. Yolks provide selenium, Vitamin E, high quality protein and choline, a nutrient that improves heart health.
<Runner's World Sept 2011 p41>

Aug 12 2011 - Zucchini in season
One medium zucchini contains two grams of fiber and protein. This low calorie, water rich vegetable is high in vitamin A, B and C and the minerals manganese, potassium and magnesium - the latter two help maintain electrolytes and fluid balance.
<Runner's World Sept 2011 p44>

Aug 11 2011 - Purple fruits and vegetables
Produce that is a purple colour means they are saturated with anthocyanin antioxidant molecules. Research is showing these molecules to be powerfully protective against chronic diseases. Black rice, purple carrots, red cabbage, concord grapes and deep colour plums are examples of such produce.
<Runner's World September 2011 p39 &41>

Aug 10 2011 - Soy products not effective against menopause symptoms
Researchers at the U of Miami studied 248 women ages 45-60, half of whom took 200 mgs of soy isofavones daily for two years. Among the women taking soy there was no improvement in bone density, night sweats, insomnia, libido, or vaginal dryness compared to the half of the group not taking soy. The lead researcher, Dr. Silvina Levis, stated there appears to be no clinical benefit and there was more constipation, bloating and hot flashes among soy takers.
<New York Times August 9/11 & Archives of Internal Medicine>

Aug 09 2011 - The atrocity of "son preference"
Sex-selective abortions is one of the largest ignored disasters of modernity. Killing girls is concentrated in China and India but prevelant throughout the world because of parents aspirations of a male/son hier for perpetuity.

Because male fetuses and infants succumb easily 105 boys are born for every 100 females. But China has 120 boys for every 100 girls and India has 109 to 100.

In the book "Unnatural Selection.." the author Mara Hvistendahl points out how Western developed technologies and financial aid have advanced this murder of human females in the name of population control.
<Economist August 6/11 p73-4>

Aug 08 2011 - Short history of a hypocholesterolaemic drug
In 1956 ICI researchers took a second look at plant hormone analogues and discovered that one, clofibrate, had significant ability to reduce cholesterol levels. The emerging field of cardiology (not a specialty before 1950s)was raising un-substantiated concerns about the relationship between high cholesterol levels and cardiac disease(see July 30/11 News item).

Clofibrate became the most frequently prescibed lipid (cholesterol) lowering drug. Unfortunately, later randomized trials were showing the drug killed more people than it saved. In 1980 the World Health Organization sponsored a clinical trial and found a strong association between chronic use of clofibrate and death. There were 25% more deaths in the clofibrate-treated group than in a comparable un-treated group.

Clofibrate was replaced by [supposedly] safer analogues - gemfibrozil, fenofibrate (see July 29/11 News item)and bezafibrate.
<Drug Discovery, A History (2005), PDQ Epidemiology (1998) & Lancet 1980:2:8191:379>

Aug 07 2011 - Heat exhaustion and heat stroke
Heat exhaustion, a milder form of heat-related illness, can sometimes be an early warning of heat stroke. In heat exhaustion a person's heart works harder trying to pump blood to cool the skin and body. Symptoms are heavy sweating, muscle cramps, tiredness, dizziness, headache and nausea. In the more severe heat stroke symptoms are confusion, irrational behaviour, red hot dry skin, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea and unconsciousness. The very young and older people are prone to heat related disorders. The most effective treatment is to adequately cool the body down - cool to cold bath or shower, use garden hose, apply ice packs to groin, head and neck, sponge bath, mist with cool water etc.
<Wall Street Journal Aug 2/11 pD3>

Aug 06 2011 - Mass mammography screening doesn't reduce breast cancer deaths
While deaths from breast cancer have declined substantially in the industrialized west, it is not the result of mammograms. European researchers took advantage of a situation where six countries - Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Norway - introduced mass mammography screening at different points in time. Screened populations could be compared to un-screened populations. Whether screening took place or not the mortality rates decreased by the same amount. The lead researcher Dr. Phillippe Autier said "We were surprised and quite sad to find that breast cancer screening doesn't work." And "We were expecting to find the reverse."
<New York Times August 2/11 pD6 & BMJ 2011;343 online>

Aug 05 2011 - Stop worrying about high cholesterol
The crucial point is that lowering cholesterol actively increases non-coronary mortality. And this increase is not balanced by a decrease in coronary mortality. The right thing to do is stop the cholesterol campaign. The evidence for a causal relation among atherogenic (high fat) diet, high serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease are far from overwhelming.
<U. Ravnskov Circulation 1994:90:5:2572-3>

Aug 04 2011 - Fish consumption protective against heart problems
Most fish, especially fatty fish like salmon, sardines and mackeral, contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Within weeks of regular fish consumption heart health is improved and irregular heart beats reduced.
<Attention on prevention Expositor Aug 2/11 pA7>

Aug 02 2011 - Minimal risk in eating short life fish
Fish that have a short life, like salmon and sardines, don't have a chance to accumulate too much toxic substances. High methylmercury is found in large predatory fish because of their long lives - shark and swordfish for example. Also, the level of PCBs found in salmon is comparable to many other foods that are regularly eaten.

Regular fish eaters like the Japanese have a nearly 90% lower heart disease death rate than less fish consuming countries. The Japanese also have the longest life expectancy in the world.
<Dr. Richard Beliveau column, Expositor Aug 2/11 pA7 >

Jul 30 2011 - Doubtful that high cholesterol causes atherosclerosis (harding of arteries and heart disease)
The following research cast doubt on the ability of hypercholesterolemia (high LDL cholesterol)to trigger atherosclerosis. A study of 194 consecutive autopsies showed that 66% of individuals with severe atherosclerosis had NO elevation in blood cholesterol concentration, and no evidence of renal failure, hypertension, or diabetes. Hypercholesterolemia is not a risk factor in women of any age or in men over 50. Among subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia there is no association between LDL-cholesterol and the prevelance or progression of heart disease.
<Annals of Clinical & Lab Science 2009:39:3:219 & QJ med 2002:95:397>

Jul 29 2011 - Physician knowledge gap kills healthy 68 year old
A person wrote to the People's Pharmacy column in the Buffalo News stating that their father had been healthy until he accepted treatment for high cholesterol. Within months of commencing cholesterol-lowering drugs - Simvastatin(statin) and Fenofibrate (fibrate) - the father could not talk, walk or swallow and died. The two treating doctors were asked if these signs and symptoms of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) could be triggered by statin drugs. Both doctors dismissed the idea.

[These doctors were apparently too dignified to work competently and do a search of www.pubmed.gov - the world's largest medical library funded by the US government. If they had used the simple search terms "statin & ALS" fourteen citations would have come up showing some evidence of a link between ALS and statin drugs.]

www.peoplespharmacy.com has hundreds of anecdotal reports of statin therapy triggered ALS. (see above article)
<Buffalo News July 27/11 pC5>

Jul 28 2011 - Do ERs make a difference?
The best news is that most people who are rushed to the Emergency Room (ER) are in little danger of dying. In fact, they might have been better off if they simply stayed home. A series of doctor strikes in Los Angeles, Israel and Columbia showed that the death rate dropped significantly - 18-50%. The same dip in mortality rate was seen when a large cohort of Washington doctors all left town at the same time to attend a medical convention.
<Superfreakonomics (2009) p81>

Jul 27 2011 - History of hospital emergency rooms (ER)
Dr. Craig Feied, emergency-medicine specialist, is the chief architect of a US project called ER One to modernize ERs. He points out that until the 1960s hospitals were not designed to treat emergencies. If someone was brought to hospital in the night, the doors were locked. You rang a bell and a nurse would answer. She might let you in and a doctor might or might not come to see you. Ambulances were run by the local mortuary. Since 1980 there has been a five-fold increase in emergency-medicine MDs, now the seventh largest specialty.
<Superfreakonomics (2009) p67>

Jul 26 2011 - Antibacterial effects of Vitamin D
Sufficient Vitamin D from diet appears to be paramount for the body to have an adequate immune defense against infection. Vitamin D acting in an intracine (hormone) fashion is able to induce expression of antibacterial proteins and enhance the enviroment in which they function. This is new knowledge regarding human physiology and Vitamin D status, evolving from research over the past five years.
<Nat Rev Endocrinol 2011:6:337>

Jul 25 2011 - Freud was a cocaine addict
Sigmund Freud, the inventor of psychoanalysis and psychiatry, was for twelve years involved in personal "compulsive cocaine abuse". During that period he wrote frequently about cocaine, making plenty of references to its debilitating effect on his clarity of thought. In 1884 he wrote"..a song of praise to this magical substance".."Uber Coca". But after 1896 the drug was rarely mentioned and in that year he published the influential article "The Aetiology of Hysteria".
<An Anatomy of Addiction by W. Halsted reviewed in the NYT Bookreview July 24/11 p1 & 10>

Jul 24 2011 - Corn season - July to September
Corn is a good source of thiamin which helps convert carbs to energy. Also corn is source of folate which spurs new cell growth. All corn contains Vitamin C. Yellow corn has the carotenoid called beta-cryptoxanthin, which promotes lung health.
<Runners' World August 2011 p48>

Jul 23 2011 - There is no such thing as a bad food
The same Harvard study cited in the News Items below - July 21 & 22 - has found the above captioned statement to be untrue. A diet with high consumption of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, dairy products especially yogurt and nuts has an anti-obesity effect. Diets high in potatoe chips, sweet drinks, red and processed meats, desserts, refined carbohydrates/grains, and fried foods have an obesity effect.
<New York Times July 19/11 pD7>

Jul 22 2011 - Additional startling findings from Harvard Study
The study cited below in the July 21/11 News Item held findings contrary to conventional wisdom. An increase in dairy products, whether low fat (milk) or full fat (milk and cheese)had a neutral effect on weight. Weight loss was greatest among people who ate more yogurt and nuts, including peanut butter, over periods of four years.

Nuts are high in vegetable fat and probably have an anti-obesity effect because they slow the return of hunger. Yogurt contains healthful bacteria that increase intestinal hormones that enhance satiety and decrease hunger.
<New York Times July 19/11 pD7>

Jul 21 2011 - Harvard study finds yogurt powerful anti-obesity food
By far the most detailed long term analysis of the factors that influence obesity is Harvard's report in the June 23/11 New England Journal of Medicine. 120,877 participants from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Study were followed from 12 to 20 years. The study's most surprising finding was that yogurt was most strongly linked to weight loss. Participants who ate the most yogurt lost an average of .82 pound every four years.
<N Engl J Med 2011:364:2392-2404>

Jul 20 2011 - Calcium supplements and kidney stones
Research shows that excess calcium intake can lead to kidney stones. Studies in postmenopausal women suggest that the increased risk of kidney stones is due to calcium from pill supplements and not dairy sources.
<NutriNews Spotlight dairynutrition.ca>

Jul 19 2011 - Stress, food and inflammation - cutting edge nutrition
Inflammation is the common link among leading diseases - cancer, heart & circulatory, and depression. Diet and behavior can positively or negatively affect systemic inflammation. Stress influences food choices and stress enhances maladaptive metabolic responses to unhealthy meals. Diet can impact mood. Stressors, negative emotions and unhealthy meals work together to enhance inflammation.

A stronger bridge/relationship needs to happen between behavioral science and nutrition science for people presenting with problems to get the most comprehensive attention.
<Psychosom Med 2010:72:4:365-369>

Jul 17 2011 - Stress alters digestion efficacy
Stress alters gastroduodenal motility, slows gastric emptying, and perturbs intestinal transit and colonic motility. One of twelve cranial nerves, the efferent vagus nerve, causes a vigorous cross-talk between the gut and the brain. Arising from the brainstem the vagus nerve innervates most tissues involved in nutrient metabolism - stomach, pancreas, and liver. Vagal activation directly/profoundly influences metabolic responses to food mainy through its critical role in glucose homeostatsis(balance). Both depression and stress have negative effects on vegal activation that undperin delayed gastric emptying and slow motility of the gut.
<Psychosom Med 2010:72:4:365-369 JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2008:32:5:569-71>

Jul 16 2011 - Stress influences food choices
Stress and depression were associated with less fresh fruit consumption and greater snack food intake among Chinese college students. European female college students reporting stress ate more sweets and fast foods, and fewer fruits and vegetables than less stressed peers. Harvard's Health Professionals study showed men decreased vegetable consumption after divorce and increased same when re-married. Being female, overweight and scoring high on dietary restraint leads to the triad phenomenon of depression, stress and poor food choices.
<Psychosom Med 2010:72:4:365-369>

Jul 15 2011 - Charles Nemeroff, Psychiatrist Chairman at U of Miami, attracts more corruption and fraud charges
A July 8/11 letter accuses C.Nemeroff and colleagues of scientific misconduct. Dr. Jay Amsterdam, a former colleague, states in the letter that the findings in the published report in American Journal of Psychiatry 2001:158:906-912 were biased, unsubstantiated and downplayed the adverse effects of Paxil. Since 2001 this research paper has been cited more than 250 times.

Supporting documents to Amsterdam's charge show evidence that the paper was ghostwritten by the firm Scientific Therapeutics Information (STI)which the authors - Nemeroff and colleagues - never reviewed before publication. STI was working in conjunction with GlaxoSmithKline the maker of Praxil(paroxetine), an anti-depressant.
(See News Item Dec 2, 2010)
<Nature 2011:475:153>

Jul 14 2011 - Stay out of hospitals in July
A paper published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine found evidence of increased death rates during July in hospitals. Also, patients stay longer in hospital in July compared to other months. In teaching hospitals patient death rates increase by 8% in July. This phenomenon is closely matched to the more experienced doctors in training leaving and a new class of [in-experienced] physicians taking over says Dr. John Q. Young, lead author of the report.
<New York Times July 12/11 pD6>

Jul 13 2011 - Sodium and potassium dietary imbalance & heart disease
Q. Yang and Centers for Disease Control colleagues did a prospective study of 12,000+ participants of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ((NHANES III). They found that the sodium to potassium ratio in the diet may be critical to heart and circulatory health. A lower sodium intake and a higher potassium intake appears protective against cardiovascular disease. As 80% of the sodium consumed comes from processed and restaurant foods, this is what needs to be reduced. To increase potassium eat more fruits and vegetables. Foods high in potassium include potatoes, spinach, bananas, prune juice, plain yogurt and fish.
<WSJ July 12/11 pD4 & Arch Inter Med 2011:171:13:1183>

Jul 12 2011 - British MP takes severe harassment for protecting female dignity
In 2004 Clare Short, a Labour MP, mentioned at a lunch that she did not care for the saucy, topless photographs of women that appear every day on page 3 of Murdoch's Sun newspaper. "I would like to take the pornography out of our press," she said.

The Sun editor, Rebekah Wade/Brooks, sent a busload of semi-nude models to jerr at Ms. Short at her home. The paper stuck a photo of Ms. Short's head on a the body of a topless woman. And she was accused of not being proud of her "boobs".
<New York Times July 10/11 pA1>

Jul 11 2011 - Pope Joan
In the mid ninth century an English woman named Joan may have been the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church or the Pope. Apparently she disguised herself as a man and was caught only when she gave birth. Determined not to be fooled again the Church required genital inspection of papal candidates from then on. A special pierced chair was used by a junior cleric, who would shout "He has testicles!" Such a chair resides in the Vactian Museum.
<Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy in the New York Times Book Review July 10/11 p1 & 10>

Jul 10 2011 - Fraud & corruption in oncology
Two gene based screening tests for ovarian cancer are worthless. OvaSure, was developed by Yale scientist Dr. Gil G. Morand, licensed by the university and sold to patients before it was found to be useless. OvaCheck, developed by Correlogic Company, was under license to major labs when two statisticians from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center discovered and published its faults.

Three Duke University research trials, lead by Dr. Anil Potti and Joseph R. Nevins and colleagues, have been been shut down and published findings have been retracted. The company the researchers set up to sell their screening tests for gene-specific treatment of cancerous tumors has been disbanded. This happened NOT when Keith Baggerly and Kevin Coombes, M.D. Anderson Center statisticians sounded the alarm on flawed data. It happened when a trade publication, The Cancer Letter, reported that Dr. Potti had falsely stated he was a Rhodes scholar.
<New York Times July 8/11 pA1 & A14>

Jul 09 2011 - Genetic research supports archaeology re human evolution theory
After the sequencing of the human genome was completed in 2003, a second project called the HapMap was commenced. The goal of the HapMap was to catalog common genetic variations in humans and link them to diseases if possible. The disappointing result has been very few genetic DNA variations account for risk of common diseases. What the Stanford U project did reveal is that the first humans emigrated from Africa fifty thousand years ago. And common DNA variations stemmed from this group. When farming and agriculture commenced ten thousand years ago allowing for a significant increase in the human population - because of reliable food supply - rare DNA variations begain.
<New York Times July 5/11 pD7>

Jul 08 2011 - Salt restriction probably not a benefit with heart disease
A Cochrane review [started by the British physician Archie Cochrane over 40 years ago to have reliable evidence-based science un-pin medical practices, which is frequently not the case] has examined salt restriction, blood pressure and heart disease. Seven randomized control studies met the Cochrane criteria for meta-analyses. The conclusion was that salt restriction showed no strong evidence of reducing morbidity (signs and symptoms) in people with normal blood pressure or people with raised blood pressure and showed no strong evidence of a benefit. Salt restriction appeared to INCREASE the risk of all cause mortality (death) in people with heart failure.
<Am J of Hypertension 2011:Jul 6 online>

Jul 07 2011 - Restaurant food calorie dense
"I looked at the menu and it said there was 1,100 calories in a plate of pasta" states 22 year old Deborah Jourdan of her last visit to California Pizza Kitchen. She probably will not return because there is nothing low calorie for her to eat. IHOP bacon and eggs breakfast has 1,160 calories. Panera Bread Co., has sandwiches with more than 1,000 calories. P.F.Chang's orange chicken is 1,000 calories.
<Buffalo News June 6/11 pC3>

Jul 06 2011 - Pharmaceutical properties of vegetables and fruit
The anti-oxidant properties of vegetables and fruit are thought to be one of the fundamental mechanisms underlying their anti-inflammatory dietary contributions. Oxidants such as super-oxide radicals or hydrogen peroxide that are produced during the metabolism of food can activate the NF-kB pathway, promoting inflammation. Higher fruit and vegetable intakes are associated with lower oxidative stress and inflammation. Some evidence suggests that the addition of vegetables may mitigate the pro-inflammatory responses to high saturated fat meals.
<Psychosom Med 2010:72:4:365>

Jul 05 2011 - Diets that promote inflammation and linked to cancer, heart disease and depression
Diets that promote inflammation are high in starches, sugar, saturated and trans fats and low in omega-3 fatty acids, natural antioxidants and fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Harvard's Nurses' Health Study showed women who ate a "Westernized diet" or one high in red and processed meat, sweets, desserts, french fries and refined grains had high bio-markers of inflammatory process. Those who ate the prudent pattern characterized by fruit, vegetables, legumes, fish, poulty and whole grains had low indicators of inflammation.
<Psychosom Med 2010:72:4:365>

Jul 03 2011 - Diet may reduce depression and suicide risk
The NY State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia U, attracts a high proportion of suicide attempters. Over two years 33 medication-free but depressed people were monitored for suicide attempts over a two year period. Their plasma/blood was specially monitored for poly-unsaturated fatty acids. The findings indicated that low docsahexaenioc acid (DHA), a metabolite of omega-3 fatty acids, and elevated omega-6 to omega-3 ratio was predictive of suicidal behaviour in major depression. [See June 28/11 News item]
<Am J Psychiatry 2006:163:6:1100-2>

Jul 01 2011 - Coffee therapy for Parkinson's Disease (PD)
Sigmum Biosciences and colleagues have shown that a compound found in coffee helps block the neurotoxic aggregation of alpha- synuclein and thereby improves motor skills in mouse models of PD. To help develop the findings these researchers have received $295,000 from the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
<SciBX 2011:4:21 online>

Jun 30 2011 - France miserable place to be female, just like Italy
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, France's equivalent to Italy's Berlusconi, is an excellent example of the sexism and predatory behaviour French women routinely endure. Marie-Clarie Restoux, a councillor in a Paris suburb, decided not to sue Patrick Balkany a mayor for repeated verbal sexual advances. On television Balkany laughed at Restoux's accusations as "totally false" and with a grin stated "Maybe it's precisely because I didn't do anything."
<Economist June 11/11 p57-8>

Jun 29 2011 - Major depression and inflammation
R.C. Shelton and Vanderbilt U colleagues, have analyzed the brain tissues of 14 people with a history of major depression disorder (MDD). These people were drug-free at the time of death. They were matched to 14 normal controls in terms of age and gender. Their data showed evidence of local inflammation, cell/neuron death, and oxidative stress in the MDD brains.
<Molecular Psychiatry 2011:16:686-687>

Jun 28 2011 - Ratio of dietary omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids and risk of depression in women
A recent finding of Harvard's Nurses Health Study, a large prospective cohort analysis of 53,632 women ages 50-77, found specific food choices may be preventative of depression. The data showed that a higher dietary intake of vegetables providing omega-3 fatty acids and therefore the metabolite alpha-linolenic acid was significantly associated with lower risk of depression. This reduced risk was especially true among those who had the lowest intake of linoleic acid which is a metabolite of omega-6 fatty acids. [See Feb 28/11 News item]
<Am J Clin Nutr 2011:93:1337-43>

Jun 27 2011 - Judge Judy, un-flattering interview
CBS Television pays this person an obscene 45 million dollars per year. She works five days a month so that is about $865,000 per day. She resides in a 24,000 sq ft house on 23 acres in Connecticut with gardens, fountains and gold-plated fixtures. She denied contempt for the carnival of humanity that files through her court room.
<The New York Times Magazine June 26/11 p14>

Jun 26 2011 - Four improvements women could make to workouts
First, the biggest mistake women make in training is not exercising with enough intensity. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a 10-20 minute workout that alternates short intense bursts of activity with moderate recovery periods. Indicators of high intensity training are sweating, increased heart rate, burn sensation in muscle (lactic acid production) and post exercise muscle soreness. This is the best way to improve over all fitness and burn fat. Second, lift heavier weights not light ones. Third, workout the upper body not just waist, hips and thigh areas. Fourth, train with bar bells for a more syncronized workout.
<Buffalo News June 21/11 p C5>

Jun 25 2011 - Chronic sitting linked to colon cancers
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology reports on an Australian study connecting colon cancers to low activity/sedentary employment. Researchers collected data from 2005 to 2007 on employment history, lifestyle and physical activity from 918 colon-cancer patients and 1,021 controls. Subjects who spent ten or more years in sitting jobs has twice the risk of colon cancer and a 44% increased risk of rectal cancer, compared with those who never had a sedentary job. The association was independent of recreational activity.

Jobs with high activity were associated with a 44% reduced risk of colon cancer compared with light-activity jobs.
<Wall Street Journal June 21/11 pD4>

Jun 24 2011 - What causes weight gain, specifically?
Harvard's Walter C. Willett M.D., and colleagues studied over 100,000 women and men to detect what caused weight gain over three intervals of four years. Four year increased weight changes were strongly associated with intake of potato chips, sugar-sweetened beverages, un-processed red meat, processed meats. Decreases in weight were associated with intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and yogurt & physical activity. Alcohol use, smoking, less than 6 or more than 8 hours of sleep, and TV watching were also associated with weight gain.
<NEngl J Med 2011:364:2392>

Jun 23 2011 - Cities increase risk of mental health disorders
For decades it has been known that people raised in cities are more prone to mental health disorders than people raised in the country side. Recently using MRI a German research group has shown that a specific brain structure, the amygdala which processes emotions, was activated in city dwellers and not rural dwellers when subjected to stress.Schizophrenia is twice as common in city-born and raised individuals as those from the country side. The bigger the city the higher the risk.
<Nature 2011:474:429>

Jun 22 2011 - Blatant gender bias in US supreme court ruling
In a vote of 5 to 4, supreme court justices blocked the largest sex discrimination law suit in the history of the US from proceeding. The four judges voting for the suit to move forward against Walmart were Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen G. Beyer. They believed there were more than enough common elements to unite the millions of claims and Walmart's gender discrimination over pay and promotion is policy uniform throughout all stores.

The five judges voting to block the lawsuit were all males - Antonin Scalia, John G. Roberts, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito.
<Buffalo News June 21/11 PA1 & A4>

Jun 20 2011 - Greedy radiologists, no dis-insentive to double radiation expose with CT scans
Double scanning or two scans in succession on the same day are seldom necessary. Yet for US medicare patients in some regions this was happening more than 80% of the time according to data from 2008 and 2009. In 2008, about 75,000 patients received double scans, one using iodine contrast to check blood flow and one that did not. This allows radiologists to bill for not one but two scans.This double scanning is rarely necessary and a serious over-exposure to radiation. A single CT scan of the chest is equal to 350 standard X-rays, so two CT scans is twice that amount.
<New York Times June 18/11 pA1 & A3>

Jun 19 2011 - Cholesterol, depression and suicide
The hypothesis that low cholesterol may represent a suicide risk factor was discovered accidently following a series of epidemiological studies which revealed an increase of suicidal risk among subjects with a low cholesterol level. This relationship has some confirmation from several cohort studies. These findings have challenged the vast public health programs aimed at promoting the decrease of cholesterol and the use of lipid (cholesterol) lowering drugs.
<Encephale 2003:29:1:49-58>

Jun 18 2011 - Mediterranean diet protects heart
A number of epidemiological studies provide strong evidence that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, fish, and grape wine have cardio-protective benefits. It appears that regular consumption of these products leads to an accumulation of nitrate/nitrite/nitric oxide, polyunsaturated fats and polyphenolic compounds which work at the micro-molecular-cellular level.
<Nutrition 2011:27:7:733>

Jun 16 2011 - Beets for blood pressure control
In a 2008 British study beet juice lowered blood pressure. Volunteers were randomly assigned to drink two cups of beet juice or two cups of water. Beet juice lowered blood pressure by around 10 points and the effect lasted nearly a day. This benefit compares well to anti-hypertensive medication.
<Home Remedies - Quick and Handy 2011>

Jun 15 2011 - Sunscreens block Vitamin D
Sunscreens hinder the skin's ability to create Vitamin D. Vitamin D is actually a hormone critical to multiple cellular functions and especially essential for the aborption of adequate calcium by the body.
<Buffalo News June 14/11 pC3>

Jun 14 2011 - Vitamin Bs vital for health
There are nine in all, with calf's liver and yeast being especially rich in Vitamin Bs. Asperagus, spinach, bananas, and potatoes are also good sources. B12 is only found in meats and fish. New studies link B vitamins to preserving memory, mood and cognitive mastery at all ages.
<Buffalo News June 7/11 pC5>

Jun 13 2011 - A class of antibiotic with serious side effects
Fluoroquinolone has not rare and serious side effects. Tendonitis, tendon rupture, insomnia, dizziness, confusion, hallucinations, psychosis, movement disorders and seizures are the most noted adverse reactions. This class of antibiotic has the following trade and generic names; Cipro (rofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin)and Avelox(moxiflocxacin). People complain of life altering negative symptoms lasting for months after just a very few doses of this antibiotic.
<The People's Pharmacy Buffalo News June 9/11 pC3>

Jun 12 2011 - Vitamin Bs psycho-neuro importance
Low blood levels of B6 (pyridoxine), B12(cobalamine) and B9 (folate) are linked to cognitive decline and depression in people of all ages. B12 should be monitored in the older person because of declining absorption from food with age. B12 is only found in meats and fish.
<Buffalo News June 7/11 pC5>

Jun 11 2011 - Another drug not worth taking
The FDA has issued a safety restriction on the cholesterol lowering drug called simvastatin (trade name Zocor) taken by 2+ million Americans. An 80 mg dose of the drug appears to cause muscle pain and wasting (myopathy). The new restriction also applies to Vytorin and Simcor - both contain simvastatin - in an 80 mg dose. These higher doses were developed based on the [non-evidenced based or no supporting science] rationale that the higher the dose the lower the patient's cholesterol level. All statin medications at any dose can cause muscle wasting and pain. [And people with high cholesterol live longer than people with low cholesterol.] 94 million presciptions were written for simvastatin last year in the US.
<New York Times June 9/11 pB2>

Jun 09 2011 - Current and future users of new drugs are the real testers
The FDA is waiting for the results of an 800,000 female person study to determine if Bayer's Yaz birth control pill causes significantly more blood clots. All birth control pills pose a risk of blood clots [therefore stroke and heart attack] but two recent reports in the British Medical Journal found a 2-3 times greater risk with pills like Yaz. The hormone drospirenone found in Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz and Safyral is thought to be the problem ingredient. These Bayer products generate $1.74 billion annually and represent 3.3 % of revenue.
<New York Times June 1/11 pB5>

Jun 08 2011 - Have a different whole grain every night
Plug in your rice cooker and cook up ancient grains. Amaranth, barley, quinoa, millet, teff, farro, kamut, and bulgur can be cooked with water according to package directions. Or check out www.wholegrainscouncil.org for instructions. Serve whole grains instead of rice, pasta and potatoes. Or toss into salads, stir fry with vegetables or stir into soups and casseroles.

Whole grains contain the entire grain seed - bran, germ and endosperm - which provide the health enhancing phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals
<Buffalo News June 7/11 pC5>

Jun 07 2011 - Miserable legal status of Japanese wives and women
As seen by Japanese judiciary, a little adultry should not trump marriage. Marriage is more an economic contract than an emotional bond in Japan. A permissive attitude is taken to commercial sex and a 1997 study showed that over half of Japanese men 25 and older had paid for sex. Prostitution is not penalized and defined as exclusively intercourse. Soaplands, bathhouses where men are serviced by women and delivery health where women are dispatched to hotels and homes are legitimate businesses. In divorce proceedings judges make it a virtue for wives to forgive adultry and domestic violence.

In 1991 a judge decided modern appliances are partly to blame for failed marriages because they give women time to contemplate. This judge rejected a wife's request for a divorce after years of physical abuse because her husband did not cheat or gamble and looked so forlorn in court. In the case of rape being drunk is a valid defence. A 24 year old man was told to reflect deeply on his inappropriate act of having sex with a 14 year old girl who the court held did not show sufficient resistence. Statutory rape only applies to a person under 13.
<Economist June 4/11 p92-3>

Jun 06 2011 - No fool like an old-wealthy-radical-traditional female fool
Bunny (Rachel) Mellon, 100 years old, a Listerine, Gillette Razor and Mellon bank hieress, is also a true foot soldier of the patriarch (empowering men). During John Edwards 2007 candidacy for US president Mrs. Mellon secretly gifted him $725,000. She also requested his haircuts be billed to her after the press attacked Edwards about how pricey his cuts were. Her thank you appears to be that the court considers her a co-conspirator in a federal charge against Edwards that he violated campaign finance laws. It may be that Edwards illegally used Mellon's money to conceal an extra-marital affair.

A former Edwards aid, Andrew Young, in a tell all memoir wrote "the only thing Bunny had ever asked of him - in return for more than $6 million - was that he sit on one side of her at the funeral [of her daughter]...John Edwards did not." And most sad of all after the Edwards indicment last Friday Bunny was quoted through an intermediary as saying "she was still behind him".
<New York Times June 5/11 p18 & 23>

Jun 05 2011 - How corruption meanders through the medico-industrial complex
Bitronik found a nefarious and un-wholesome way to grow it's heart devices business - bribing cardiologists to give favour to their products. No studies exist on which company's implanted devices work best or last longest. But in the last few years Bitronik's market share has grown to 5% from 1%. An example of how this growth is achieved is Dr. Duane E. Bridges, an implant specialist in Fullerton California. The dollar value of Biotronik's products used by Dr. Bridges before he became a Biotronik paid consultant was $340,000 form early 2008 to early 2009. In the next twelve months since Bridges became a paid consultant to Biotronik his use of their products has jumped to $1.6 million, more than a fourfold increase.
<New York Times June 1/11 pB1 &B5>

Jun 04 2011 - Inside story of treatment of mental health problems
Biological psychiatry and clinical psychology have both largely [and in-appropriately]given up on the notion of cure. Cosmetic drugs aimed at symptom relief but not curing the problem are the major treatments along with therapeutic counselling. All drugs currently in use for mental health problems are cosmetic and no drugs are in development that aim at cures.
<Martin Seligman, Flourish (2011) p46>

Jun 03 2011 - Physicians not informed re statistics
If your doctor tells you that highly reliable studies have shown that taking a certain pill will cut your risk of getting a serious disease in half(50%), what should your question be? What span of risk is involved is what you should inquire. If the risk is reduced from 20% to 10%, that is an impressive reduction, consider taking the medication. But if the risk is reduced from 4% to 2%, forget about it. Doctors, health professionals, patients, the general public all have severe knowledge gaps regarding statistics.
<New York Times May 31/11 pD6>

Jun 02 2011 - Just 40 years ago..
the New England Journal of Medicine was among the first to warn of a synthetic estrogen given to pregnant women (for nausea) caused damage to female babies they gave birth to. The non-steroidal estrogen was called diethylstiberstrol (DES). The baby girls, 15 to 20 years later, were often sterile and developed clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina.
<New England J of Med 2011:364:2083>

Jun 01 2011 - Over-diagnosed...
Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Wellness. The preceding is the title to a new book by Dartmouth U physician and epidemiologist Gilbert Welch and colleagues. The front book cover flap starts with the following "After the criteria for osteoporosis was altered, seven million American women were turned in to patients - literally overnight....The introduction of prostate cancer screening resulted in over a million additional American men being told they had prostate cancer..there is little disagreement most have been treated for a disease that was never going to bother them.
<Over-diagnosed (2011)>

May 31 2011 - Dieting is a scam
A titan from the world of psychology, Martin Seligman, has the following to say about dieting - "Contrary to their insouciant optimism, it turns out that many aspects of human behavior do not change lastingly. Your waist-line is a prime example. Dieting is a scam, one that bilks Americans out of $50 billion annually. You can follow any diet and within a month lose 5 percent of your body weight. I did the water melon diet for 30 days and lost 20 pounds. I had diarrhea for a month. But like 80 - 90% of dieters, I regained that weight and more within three years. "
<Flourish 2011 p31>

May 30 2011 - Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory Ibuprofen may help prevent Parkinson's
Ageing is the primary risk factor for the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). The mitochondrial theory of ageing stipulates that ageing process is in part mitochondria (fuel source/organelle of the cell) compromised by inflammation. PD may be simply a form of accelerated ageing of a neuro-inflammatory nature in predisposed individuals. X Gao and Harvard colleagues prospectively examined 100,000 participants of the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow up Study. They found that an associated lower risk of developing PD was found among participants who took the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory Ibuprofen.
<PloS One 2010:5:5:e10778, Nat Rev Neuroscience 2011:12:359. Neurology 2011:76:867>

May 29 2011 - Physical inactivity causes problems, not the actual disease
Adeel Safdar and McMaster U colleagues took muscle biopsies from young people, active old (AO)people and sedentary old (SO) people. The SO in this study were in-active due to painful osteoarthritis. The biopsies of the SO showed much higher bio-markers of inflammation than the AO and young people. The SO were markedly more frail from loss of fat-free skeletal muscle mass (saropenia) than the AO. To stop or reverse problems associated with ageing and age-related disease the answer in part might be forced exercise.
<PloS One May 2010:5:5:e10778>

May 27 2011 - Most jobs highly sedentary..cause of obesity epidemic?
Dr. Timothy S. Church and Lousiana State University colleagues have mapped a five decade decline in workplace activity. Over the past 50 years there had been a shift from active production and agriculture type work to service employment involving chronic sitting and in-activity. The research estimates that the daily expenditure of energy by men and women has been reduced by 100 calories. This reduction in caloric expenditure is believed to be a major contributor to the current national obesity epidemic.
<Wall Street Journal May 26/11 pA1 & A3. PloS One 2011:6:5:e19657>

May 26 2011 - Preception of a stressor and not the actual stressor predicts resiliency
Dutch researchers assessed the amygadala (key brain region involved in fear/stress) in soldiers before and after deployment to a combat zone. The control was a group of soldiers not deployed. The pressing question was why are some individuals more resilient to stressors than others. All the deployed soliders showed the same amygadala neuo-molecular changes associated with severe stress. However the most resilient soldiers, who did not experience post traumatic symptoms, appraised and preceived the future threats as low/little/minimal. This advanced perception appears to alter the regulation of the amygdala. Soldiers who preceived much threat were more predisposed to post traumatic stress symptoms.
<Molecular Psychiatry 2011:16:664>

May 24 2011 - Mediterranean diet protects against depression and inflammation of ageing
There is strong emerging evidence of a relationship between depression, inflammation and nutrition. Depression up-regulates pro-inflammatory proteins known as cytokines. A mediterranean diet rich in anti-oxidants from fruit, vegetables and olive oil exerts an anti-flammatory response. Ageing predisposes to both inflammation and depression and it appears that a mediterranean diet is protective against both.
<Molecular Psychiatry 2011:16:589>

May 23 2011 - Vitamin D and sun protective against breast cancer
During a ten year follow-up in a French study of 67,000+ women, cases of breast cancer (BC) and Vitamin D intakes were not associated with BC risk. However in regions of high sunlight (ultra violet rays) postmenopausal women with high vitamin D intake had significantly lower BC risk.
<Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers 2011:20:1>

May 22 2011 - Milk of Magnesia (MoM) as a deodorant
A person who had a chronic problem since teen-hood with body odor wrote into the People's Pharmacy column in the Buffalo News. Nothing this person had tried worked over the years - pricey high power anti-prespirants, natural deodorants, salt crystals, tree oil, witch hazel. Somehow the person got the idea to try MoM in a spray bottle, under each arm before bed and after a shower and it worked!
<Buffalo News May 18, 2011 pC5>

May 21 2011 - Yogurt as anti-hpertensive
Dairy products such as yogurt are rich in angiotensin-I-converting-enzyme inhibitors. These enzymes are gaining attention as effective in preventing and treating hypertension (high blood pressure). To test the influence of yogurt on weight gain, cholesterol, and blood pressure spontaneously hypertensive rats were feed various diets, two containing yogurt and probiotic yogurt.The rats receiving the yogurt diets had improved measures of cholesterol, weight and blood pressure.
<Journal of Food Science 2011:76:4:H131>

May 20 2011 - Salt is not bad for you
The latest data does not support salt/sodium restriction for healthy people. The May 4/11 Journal of the American Medical Association reported lower salt intake was not associated with lower blood pressure. The people who consumed the least amount of salt had the greatest risk of death from cardiovascular complications. These findings are consistent with a national nutrition survey reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine (Sept 2008). That survey found low sodium intake was linked to higher cardiovascular mortality. The journal Diabetes Care (April 2011) reported that type 1 diabetics with the lowest sodium intake were most likely to die during a ten year study.
<The People's Pharmacy, Buffalo News May 17/11 p C3>

May 19 2011 - Saturated fat not bad for you
A meta-analysis of 21 well designed studies has found there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, or vascular disease. More recent studies have found an inverse association with saturated fat. The studies that show a beneficial effect of diets reduced in saturated fats used polyunsaturated fats (PUF) as a replacement that increased the ratio of PUF to saturated fat.
<Am J of Nutr 2010:91:535-46>

May 18 2011 - Surgeon's instruments in the dark ages
The instruments that surgeons us today were invented before biomechanics became a mature science. They work against the physics of the body, instead of with it. Physient, a medical technology company headed by Charles Pell and Hugh Crenshaw, have ideas for improving operating tools. They are working on a kindler and gentler rib spreader. Surgeons often cavalierly treat the broken ribs and other painful side effects of open heart surgery as inevitable. Pell and Crenshaw, both with extensive biomechanical oriented Ph.Ds, have invented a new rib spreader that controls for the fact that bones can bend rather than be broken. They have done pre-clinical work on pigs causing far less damage.
<New York Times May 17/11 pD3>

May 17 2011 - The study of well being
Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychology Association and author of "Learned Optimism" & "Authentic Happiness" has a new book out. The title is "Flourish:.." Much of this book consists of social science research focused on reducing depression and anxiety and increasing resilience and self-discipline. Writing a "what went well today and why" diary, for example tends to lower depression levels for as much as six months.
<Economist May 14/11 p 106-7>

May 16 2011 - Jane Fonda, fitness fraud
Because of a fractured foot Fonda turned from ballet to aerobics done to music. In 1982 she released "Workout Challenge" the first of a long line of wealth generating fitness videos. But her "feel the burn" ethos was not the true source of her slimness. From 1952 on-wards Fonda regularly purged her meals (bulimia).
<New Yorker Mag May 9/11 p54-63>

May 15 2011 - Jane Fonda "parent and feminist of the year"
The actress Jane Fonda, 73 years old, at her son's wedding in 2007 made the following statements in a speech: for Troy (son) Tom Hayden (husband No#2) had been "the parent". "I was usually away making a movie somewhere. Tom was the one who had dinner with Troy every single night."

A month after her 1988 marriage to Ted Turner, Jane found out Ted was having an affair. To win him back she began a series of cosmetic transformations - breast reduction, bigger hair, a wider smile. She stayed married to him for a decade.
<New Yorker May 9/11 54-63>

May 14 2011 - Therapeutic value of plant foods emerging
Most bio-active food constituents are derived from plants and collectively called phytochemicals. The highly reactive metabolic processes at the molecular level of human physiology causes oxidative stress and inflammation. Anti-oxidant molecules produced from phytochemicals counter the effects of free radicals, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species which are the oxidative stress-related sources of chronic diseases.

In 2010, for the first time, the antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements have been analyzed and made available as the 'Antioxidant Food Table'. Spices and herbs were found to have particularly high antioxidant contents.

Researchers at the U of Olso, Norwegian government, Harvard School of Public Health and other institutions preformed the mammoth task of putting this comprehensive database/table together. [Well done.]
<Nutrition Journal 2010:9:1:3>

May 13 2011 - Routine mammogram screening probably pointless
Interval breast cancers that occur in-between routine screenings, are larger, more advanced and aggressive than detected tumors. Interval cancers are biologically different being twice as likely to be both estrogen-receptor and progesterone receptor-negative. They are hard to treat. This research was published May 3 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 400,000+ women ages 50 and over who were screened biennially between 1994 and 2002 as part of the Ontario Breast Screening Program were the study participants.
<New York Times May 10./1 pD6>

May 12 2011 - Frequent & chronic business travel is bad for you
Adults who spent 20 or more nights away from home each month were 2.5 times as likely to rate their health as poor to fair compared with less frequent one to six nights away travelers. Catherine A. Richards and Columbia U colleagues analyzed medical records of 13,000+ employees. Frequent travelers were also twice as likely to be obese. This reseach is published in April's issue of The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health.
<New York Times May 10/11 pD6>

May 11 2011 - Herbs and spices anti-inflammatory properties
"Most chronic diseases have been found to be a result of too much inflammation, including cancer, heart attacks, diabetes and Alzheimer's " says BB Aggarwal Professor of Cancer Research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, U of Texas. Aggarwal goes on to say that drugs have side effects but spices and herbs in cooking have been used safely as anti-inflammatory agents for thousands of years. India is a country with low rates of colon cancer and Alzheimer's, a single Indian curry may contain up to 29 spices such as turmeric, garlic, ginger, pepper etc.
<Buffalo News May 10/11 pC5 & Experimental Biology and Medicine 2009: 234:8:825-849>

May 10 2011 - Good news about hot flushes/sweats
Christopher Li and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center colleagues examined associations between hot flushes and risk of breast cancer in post menopausal women. They found that women experiencing increasing intensity of hot flushes was associated with decreasing risk of three types of breast cancer - invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma, and invasive ductal-lobular carcinoma. This is the first study to report this inverse relationship.
<Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011:20:2:379-88>

May 09 2011 - New knowledge on fatness/obesity prevention
Endocannabinoids(EC)are molecules that act as mediators or neuro-transmitters in the central nervous system (CNS - brain & spinal cord). Emerging research is showing the EC signaling system (ECS) can be manipulated by dietary omega fatty acids. A diet high in omega-6 fatty acids [primarily from grain oils] upregulates ECS activity, decreasing insulin sensitivity, promoting fat accumulation. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids [fatty fish, salmon etc.] down-regulates ECS activity returning insulin and fat metabolism to normal regulation.
<Nutrition 2011:27:6:624>

May 08 2011 - Who gets poor quality health care?
Apparently we all do! The New England Journal of Medicine reported that we are not generally receiving 100% of the defined proper procedures in treating various ailments. Patients with income levels of $50,000 or more receive 57% of the recommended care and patients making $15,000 per year received 53% of care. Only a 4% differential as you move up the income ladder.
<The Atlantic. July/August 2006:297:6:54>

May 07 2011 - Women in science
2009 US Census reported women represent 58% of university degrees, pulling ahead of men. However women earn considerably less than male peers. Female biology scientists represented 53% of workers but earned 89% of what men in similar work earned. In science, technology, engineering and mathematics women are under-represented. An astonishing 52% of female respondents to a survey reported having experienced gender-related bias, compared to 2% of male respondents.
<Nature Cell Biology 2011:13:489>

May 06 2011 - Drug company CEO rewarded for poor performance
William C. Weldon, the CEO of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Pharmaceuticals, will receive his annual & obscene pay of $32 million. Under his inept stewardship this past year had been one of major manufacturing problems. The Fort Washington plant now operates under a consent decree with US federal government regulators. This plant due to manufacturing irregularities had to be closed and overhauled. Manufacturing lapses lead to the recall 300 million products in 2010 to include Motrin and Rolaids. Artifical hips that a separate division manufactures also had to be recalled. A recent settlement saw the company paying $70 million in charges that it was a party to bribing doctors to promote medical devices. Now close to the end of his tenure/contract, Weldon is seeking to malignantly grow the company by acquiring Synthes, a medical devices maker for $21.3 billion.
<New York Times April 28/11 pB1 &B7>

May 05 2011 - Infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans
Flu is thought to have first passed to humans from migratory waterfowl several hundred years ago. HIV/AIDS first crossed to humans from a chimpansee about 90 years ago. Recently armadillos have been established as a source leprosy. About 70% of new emerging infections have animal origins.

Leprosy is endemic in India, Brazil, Africa, Phlippines and Western Pacific Islands but not the US. However, every year about 50-80 Americans turn up with leprosy who have never left the states. The source of leprosy or Hansen's disease was finally traced back to armadillos and reported in Wednesday's New England Journal of Medicine.
<New York Times April 28/11 pA18>

May 04 2011 - Credence goods or customer faith
Economists call the services of surgeons, car mechanics and taxi-drivers 'credence goods'. This means that customers take on faith that the supplier has given them what they need and no more.

The Swiss over the 1990s studied the services of surgeons as suppliers and found that more operations were preformed then strictly necessary.

Two things protected patients against un-necessary surgeries; (1) if you were a doctor - representing the most informed of patients - you underwent the knife much less often then average (2) if you were a lawyer's wife you under went hysterectomy less often.
<Economist 2006:379:8473:April 15-21>

May 03 2011 - Detractors from high performance
Several nights in a row of bad sleep will decrease reaction time, immune, motor and cognitive functions. In-adequate hydration resulting in dark yellow urine means the body is going to retain fluids and slow down metabolsim to maintain circulation. Crankyness, mood swing, anxiety from elevated stressors translates to increased cortisol and decreased dopamine at the neuro-hormonal level. A menstrual cycle increases need for energy/calories to refuel immune system.
<Runners' World June 2011 p58>

May 02 2011 - Exercise protects against insults to muscle mass/wasting
A potent antitumor drug, Doxorubicin (Dox), unfortunately is myotoxic reducing skeletal muscle mass and function. Dox [similar to ageing and neuro-degenerative diseases] appears to increase reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage to muscle fibers. Muscular exercise promotes the expression of numerous cytoprotective proteins - antioxidant enzymes, heat shock protein 72 etc. U of Florida researchers found that in rats exercise is protective against Dox induced muscle toxicity and deterioration.
<Journal of Appl Physiol 2011:110:4:935>

May 01 2011 - Inactivity, muscle mass and protein
Long periods of skeletal muscle inactivity promote loss of muscle protein and result in muscle fiber atrophy (shrinkage, wasting, loss). With in-activity there is an up-regulation of oxidative damage and protease activity causing deceased muscle protein to be synthesized/manufactured by the body and increased protein is degraded and lost.
<Antioxid Redox Signal 2011:>

Apr 29 2011 - Wisdom of crowds
The behaviour of crowds has been modeled by researchers at Paul Sabatier U and mass human actions can now be predicted. Humans in crowds appear to behave like molecules, bouncing off one another instead of like fluid streams as previously thought. At first crowds flow smoothly, then adding more people stop and go patterns emerge, next crushing starts and a finally lethal turbulance and disaster. For example the Mecca 2006 catastrophe where 346 pilgrims were crushed to death. This new model will help to improve design of spaces where crowds gather, especially in the location of evacuation routes.
<Economist April 23/11 p86>

Apr 28 2011 - More reason to insist on montherapy - take just one drug at a time..
Anti-inflammatories such as aspirin and ibuprofen appear to decrease the effectiveness of popular anitdepressants such as Prozac and Celexa. Depressive symptoms in patients who took Celexa went away 55% of the time. That fell to 45% in patients who took an anti-inflammatory according to research published in Monday's journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAC).
<Wall Street Journal April 26/11 pD1>

Apr 27 2011 - Dairy foods reduce high blood pressure
When low fat dairy products were added to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet (DASH) a pronounced effect on blood pressure reduction was noticed. The DASH diet is rich in fruit and vegetables. 2000+ Rotterdam residents over age 55 were followed for six years and their dairy intake monitored. An inverse association was found with total dairy and low fat dairy intake with risk of hypertension. The underlying mechanism of dairy's anti-hypertensive effect is not established. It may be linked to milk proteins, bio-active peptides and or minerals such as calcium, potassium or magnesium.
<Am J Clin Nutr 2009:89:1877-83>

Apr 26 2011 - Doctors untrained in prescribing pain killers
The Obama administration is seeking legislation requiring doctors to undergo training before being permitted to prescribe powerful painkiller narcotics. The drugs that need better control are oxycontin, fentanyl, hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and methadone. They are associated with a national epidemic of abuse and addiction and thousands of overdose-related deaths. Currently about 600,000 doctors, dentists and physician assistances with no to minimal training are authorized to prescribe these drugs.
<New York Times April 20/11 pB1& B7>

Apr 25 2011 - North American socialized medicine started in Saskatchewan Can
In 1946 Tommy Douglas, the premier of Saskatchewan, lead his government to enact universal insurance for hospitalization.

[ As a child Mr. Douglas had a leg problem which doctors gave him to understand would culminate in amuputation because proper treatment was un-affordable for him. Douglas kept his leg but resolved to make decent health care available to everyone regardless of economic state.]

When the program was extended to medical care in doctors offices in 1962, nine out ten doctors went on strike. The herculean efforts of the minister of health, Allan Blakeney, saved the day by permitting doctors to use a fee schedule rather then go on salary. By 1966 universal health care had extended to all Canadians.

Mr. Blakeney, who has just died at 85, watched the American Affordable Health Care Act pass in 2009 with keen interest. He called it "a painfully small step". [Had President Obama's mother not died penniless from a battle with cancer, there would probably still be no socialized coverage for 11 million un-insured Americans.]
<New York Times April 20/11 pA21>

Apr 24 2011 - Doctors cannot be depended upon to know what they are prescribing
A 74 year old man who was physically active and had a superb memory suffered a small heart attack. He accepted simvastatin, a cholesterol lowering agent, and blood pressure pills.

He developed pain and burning sensation in his legs[well known side effects of simvastatin]. His activities of daily living became impaired because it was painful to move. Anti-inflammatory medications were prescribed along with lopurinol for gout [probably a drug induced side effect].

Weight gain, diabetes symptoms and stomach ulcers appeared next. The more medications he took the more confused he got finally ending up on an anti-psychotic called risperidone. He died in a nursing home.

[Un-treated or mono-therapy (just one absolutely necessary drug discontinued as soon as possible) would have made this man's 74th year alot more pleasant and he might still be living.]
<Buffalo News , The People's Pharmacy April 21/11 pB3>

Apr 23 2011 - Americans, a nation of sleep deprived
According to the National Sleep Foundation, Americans get 6.9 hours on average of sleep. Emerging research is indicating that optimal human functioning or psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) requires 8 hours of sleep. PVT is absolutely required by pilots, truck divers, air traffic controllers, surgeons etc., anything that humans do that requires sustained attention. A 14 day study at the Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, U of Pennsylvannia found that participants with eight hours of sleep hardly had any attention lapses or cognitive declines. People getting four and six hours of sleep had serious declines in task performances.
<New York Times April 17/11 p41-42>

Apr 22 2011 - Single best exercise?
Stair climbing at a rapid pace. This excercise activates and strengthens the body's biggest muscles - buttock, back and legs. It is also of short duration and strenuous qualifying as a high intensity interval training (HIT). HIT appears to stabilize blood sugars and may aid in weight control. To be effective HIT must be at a pace found uncomfortable or unpleasant but sustainable for a short time - 60 seconds of hard climbing followed by 60 seconds of easy steps.
<New York Times Mag April 17/11 p44-45>

Apr 21 2011 - High activity level = slimness
A weakness of traditional activity and obesity research is it relies on self-reporting -flawed recollections of calorie consumption and exercise. Dr. James Levine at the Mayo Clinic removed all uncertainties by sequestering participants to a lab for two months and measuring everything. His pressing question was why do people who consume the same amount of food as others gain more weight. After assessing their baseline metabolisms he began to ply them with an extra 1,000 calories per day. And sure enough some subjects put on weight and others didn't. He found that the people who didn't gain weight were unconsciously moving around more. On average the subjects who gained weight were sitting two hours a day more than those who didn't. Exercise was prohibited for the course of the study but moving around -taking the stairs, trips to water cooler, house-work etc., - was allowed.
<New York Times Mag April 17/11 p39 & 41.>

Apr 20 2011 - Sitting is a lethal activity especially for women
Over a lifetime, the unhealthful effects of sitting add up. Alpa Patel, an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society, tracked the health of 123,000 Americans between 1992 and 2006. Men who spent six hours plus sitting per day had an overall death rate that was 20% higher than men who sat less than three hours per day. The death rate for women who sat for more than six hours per day was 40% higher.People who sit shave years off their lives.
<New York Times Mag April 17/11 p39 &41.>

Apr 19 2011 - Food, blood sugar levels and judges' rulings
A report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) by Shai Oanziger and colleagues followed eight Israeli judges for ten months as they rule on over a thousand parole applications. The team found that at the start of the day the judges granted around two-thirds of the applications before them. As the hours passed, that number fell sharply eventually reaching zero. But clemency returned after each of two daily breaks, during which the judges retired for food. The approval rate shot back up to near original value[elevated blood sugar from food], before falling again as the day wore on[lowering blood sugar the longer from the last food intake].
<Economist April 16/11 p87>

Apr 18 2011 - Few women in studies of exercise and stroke prevention
Data from the Women's Health Study (WHS) is among the first research pieces to address the effect of exercise in a large cohort of women. The study had 39,000+ female participants, 45 years and older, who were followed for ten years. Chronic exercise and/or active leisure time walking lowered the risk of stroke significantly. Women who walked more than two hours per week had a 39% lower risk of stroke.
<Expert Rev Neurother 2010:10:8:1263>

Apr 17 2011 - Women under represented in heart studies
Red alert for women's hearts: the urgent need for more research and knowledge has been targeted at the Brussels Workshop on Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Disease (Sept 29/10). A recent report of the EuroHeart project has shown a more profound understanding is needed of the fundamental biological differences that exist between men and women. Important gender differences are present in respect to heart diseases and most of the research had been done on men and than in-appropriately used to treat women as well.
<eurheartj.ehr048 oxfordjournals .ogr 2011/03/14>

Apr 15 2011 - Drug companies biggest payer of fines under the US False Claims Act
The act regulates those who attempt to defraud the US government, originating in 1863 with the civil war defense industry as its target. In the last 20 years there have been 165 settlements with drug companies under the act resulting in $14.8 billion in penalties.

75% of the penalties have been levied in the past five years and over half paid by just four companies - GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Schering-Plough. The largest portion of penalties were for promoting off-label prescribing, a criminal offence. Next, at the state level, it was for defrauding healthcare providers by overcharging.
<www.inpharm.com Evil big pharm.. by D. Tyer>

Apr 14 2011 - Allergies can increase the risk of depression
Severe allergies can bring sleeplessness, fatigue and general physical depletion all of which can worsen mood. Also allergies release proteins called cytokines which play a major role in inflammation and are disruptive of serotonin hormone levels. Spring brings a seasonal increase in allergies and may be linked to the annual peak in suicides each spring. Several studies have revealed increased depression with inceased pollen counts particularly in women.
<New York Times April 12/11 pD5>

Apr 12 2011 - Shattered: Modern motherhood and the illusion of equality
The above caption is the title to a book by British broadcast journalist Rebecca Asher. Her basic theme is that most women who set off on a footing of equality with their partners are betrayed by them when babies arrive. Mothers become "foundation parents" and defacto house-hold drudges, condemmed to professional sidelining and "crap part-time jobs" because fathers fail to pull their weight.

Governments social service programs exacerbate the in-equality by lavishing paid child care leave on poorly paid mothers/women and not extending the program to better paid fathers/men.

When the mother gets sucked into becoming the dominate stay-at-home parent while the father's career progresses the balance of power in the relationship shifts. The mother feels victimized and the father feels guilty and sniping starts up with the sad and frequent outcome of splitting up. A growing number of women, especially educated ones, are chosing to have few or no children
<Economist April 9/11 p93>

Apr 11 2011 - Run long
According to Olympian marathoner, Kara Goucher, long runs do wonders for your endurance. They should account for 20% of your weekly milage. So if you build up to running 20 miles a week, your long run should be 4 miles. She typically does one long run a week.
<Running for Women, 2011 by Kara Goucher>

Apr 10 2011 - Legal murder....drug interactions
Taking more than one prescription drug is responsible for many of the adverse reactions people suffer from medications. Taking multiple medications can also be lethal as in the cases of Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, and Heath Ledger. Doctors who write the presciptions are not reliable in terms of safe-guarding against drug interactions and pharmacist warnings are often ignored. Check your medications yourself at MediGuard.org [and where possible insist on monotherapy, taking only one drug that is really necessary and discontinuing it as soon as possible].
<Buffalo News April 7/11 pB3>

Apr 09 2011 - Chinese sayings..
from fortune cookies with Friday night take-out meal: (1) Sloth makes all things difficult, industry all easy. (2) When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars. (3) He who bravely dares must sometimes risk a fall.
<Dragon Chinese Restaurant and take out>

Apr 08 2011 - Designer labels confer high status
Research by Dutch scientists found that people react to designer labels that are visible as signals of underlying quality. It is not the creative genius of the designer clothes that upregulates the status assessement, just the visible label. People think upon seeing a Lacosta, Tommy Hilfiger or Ralph Lauren label that only the best people can afford those clothes. The study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior shows how obvious designer labels gets the wearer co-operation from others, job recommendations, the ability to solicit more charity dollars etc.
<Economist April 2/11 p77>

Apr 07 2011 - US Court posed to address gross gender bias by Walmart
A class-action lawsuit which began in 2001 and alleges that Walmart pays its female employees less than male staff in equivalent jobs reached the supreme court. Up to 1.5 million women could benefit from punitive damages if six original plaintiffs prevail. The question before the court is: can such a large class action suit proceed.
<Economist April 2/11 p9>

Apr 06 2011 - Mangoes..
are rich in vitamins A and C and potassium. A 2010 study reported tannin anti-oxidant compounds found in mangoes can inhibit the growth of the most common type of breast and colon cancer cells.
<Runner's World May 2011 p50 & J Agric Food Chem 2010:58:7:4104>

Apr 05 2011 - Popcorn, healthy snack
High in fiber and low in calories popcorn makes a great in between meal snack. U of Scranton researchers tested popcorn, a whole grain cereal food, for its anti-oxidant polyphenols content. Among snack foods popcorn had the highest content of the anti-inflammatory compounds which may protect against heart disease and certain cancers
<Runner's World May 2011 p43>

Apr 04 2011 - Economic dignity requires $14+ dollars/hour from employment
According to a study commissioned by Wider Opportunities for Women $30,012 per year or over $14 per hour is necessary to cover basic expenses for one person. That is the amount of money required to meet shelter, food, transportation, personal and savings needs. For a couple both working the amount is $42,504, for one worker with a child $46,368 is required, for one worker with two children $57,756, and a couple with two children $67,920. The study is titled "The Basic Economic Security Tables for the United States". Many of the jobs being added to the US economy in retail, hospitality,and health care do not pay a wage adequate to cover basic expenses.
<New York Times April 1/11 pB1 & B6>

Apr 03 2011 - Kellogg's Bran Buds with Psyllium dramatically improves bowel function
Wheat bran such as the cereal Bran Buds made by Kellogg's increases water-insoluble dietary fiber which has a laxative effect by increasing fecal bulking and weight. Transit time through the gastrointestintal system is also speeded up with high fibre wheat bran based cereals - 20-30% shorter time for passage. Adding psyllium to the cereal (Bran Buds with Psyllium)increases water soluble dietary fiber which in turn increases viscosity which appears to also have laxative effects. These were the results of a study carried out at St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Canada, lead researcher was Vladimir Vuksan. 2.5 servings per day providing 58-87 grams of fibre were tolerated extremely well with general positive levels of gastro comfort.
<Am J Clin Nutr 2008:88:1256-62>

Apr 02 2011 - Milk of Magnesia for acne
The People's Pharmacy is a regular column in the Buffalo News paper. Tuesday's column had a report from a 38 year old woman who never had acne before but was now having a severe outbreak mainly on her forehead. No mattter what preparation she tried, nothing provided relief. She came across the strange idea of applying Milk of Magnesia (MoM) to the area and it worked. After just four days her acne was in retreat. The pharmacists who co-ordinate the column cited a 1975 letter to the Archives of Dermatology reporting the effectiveness of MoM.
<Buffalo News March 29/11 pC3>

Apr 01 2011 - Cardiologists corrupt, guidelines probably worthless
A report in Archives of Internal Medicine found 56% of doctors who helped write treatment guidelines for heart ailments were "on the take" from drug and medical devices companies. These physicians owned stock in such companies, gave paid speeches and were paid consultants. The report stated the even though these conflicts of interest were disclosed, there was plenty of possiblity for bias to seep into the guidelines. Of 34 doctors writting guidelines for defibrillators and pacemakers only seven had no financial tie to a related medical company.
<Wall Street Journal March 29/11 pA4>

Mar 31 2011 - The postmenopausal ovary is not dormant or dead...
but alive and producing a variety of hormones. Robin H. Fogle and colleagues at the U of Southern Californina, using improved ovarian venous sampling techniques and advanced radioimmunoassay (RIA), confirmed ongoing ovarian hormone production. The ovarian venous samples contained statistically significant high levels of testosterone (T), androstenedione (A), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), estrone (E1), and estradiol (E2). This study shows that postmenopausal ovaries are significant sources of T, A, and DHEAS androgen hormones and of E1 and E2 estrogen hormones. Given this new information on the bio-activity of postmenopausal ovaries and the high mortality and dementia rates of women who have ovaries and uteri removed before the age of 45 - every effort should be made to keep and preserve ovaries throughout the life of the human female.
<J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2007:8:3040 & Lancet Oncol 2006:7:821>

Mar 30 2011 - 22 minutes a day of exercise..all you need
According to the US department of Health and Human Services 22 minutes of moderate exercise per day is all that is needed to promote good health. There are 1,440 minutes per day, so only 22 minutes devoted to working out doesn't seem un-achievable. Yet it is, just 30 percent of adults participate in regularly/daily exercise. The benefits of such a tiny amount of chronic workout are enormous - improved immune function, better sleep quality, more energy, reduce risk of depression and chronic diseases such as breast cancer and diabetes.
<Better Homes & Gardens April 2011 p188>

Mar 29 2011 - Factors predicting exercise adherence in healthy older women
Healthy inactive older women will commit to an exercise program if it is of shorter duration. Under 60 minutes seems to be necessary and attendance at an exercise facility outside the home seems to be motivational for older women. This research was carried out at George Washington U and lead scientist was Amanda Visek Ph.D. It surprised these researchers that intensity of exercise - low, medium or high - was not a commitment issue but duration was.
<J Phy Act Health 2011:8:1:104>

Mar 28 2011 - Mechanism of alcohol related brain damage and recovery
In general human alcoholics, both men and women, show significant volume loss in the cortical brain structures that includes both gray and white matter shrinkage. The brain's frontal lobes receive the most insult with the frontral cortex showing significant neuron death and loss. This translates into disorders of behaviour such as impaired judgement (keep drinking), blunt affect, poor insight, social withdrawal, reduced motivation, distractiblity, attention and impulse-control deficits. Amazingly with abstinence much of this damage is reversible. Brain volume loss is recovered and various neuropsychological deficts improve - memory, executive functions, impulse control etc.
<Alcohol and Alcoholism 2008:44:2:115-127>

Mar 27 2011 - Alcohol consumption increases risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women
A ten percent random sample of 1,736 women between the ages of 49-70 years was taken from the Dutch participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. The study adds to mounting evidence that with each 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day, a woman's risk of breast cancer rises 7%. In the Dutch study the highest median alcohol consumption was 30 grams per day (high intake was catagorized as > than 25g/day). These women compared to non-drinkers were at 21% greater risk of breast cancer. Alcohol appears to increase the synthesis of estrogens which are cancerous in target tissues, especially breast.
<J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005:90:3:1414>

Mar 26 2011 - Lithium-mediated protection against ethanol neurotoxicity
Lithium has long been used as a mood stablizer in the treatment of bi-polar disorder. Recent studies suggest Lithium (Li+) has neuroprotective properties and may be useful in the treatment of acute brain injuries, ischemia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and ALS. Excessive alcohol consumption (more than eighth of a cup per day) is neurodegenerative in the adult brain. Recent studies indicate Li+ is neuroprotective by ameliorating ethanol-induced neuroapoptosis (brain cell death).
<Frontier in Neuroscience 2010:4:41:1-4>

Mar 25 2011 - PCOS and depression etc.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have increased prevalence of mood disorders, including depression (26-40%), anxiety (11.6%) and binge-eating (23.3%). Obesity places women with PCOS at increased risk of depression and fat induced insulin resistance improves with treatment of depression. The higher androgen hormone levels seen in PCOS appear to correlate with depression scores, high free testosterone scores brings on depression symptoms. Women with PCOS have higher incidence of seizures and bipolar symptoms.
<Nature Reviews Endocrinology 2011:7:219>

Mar 24 2011 - PCOS and evolution
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age with a prevalence of up to 10%. This frequency is similar in various populations world-wide suggesting an ancient evolutionary benefit to having PCOS. Women with PCOS are sub-fertile but not sterile and fewer children would make the hunter-gatherer life easier. Obesity, a common feature of PCOS, probably evolved to allow these women to easily fatten and store energy and therefore survive long periods of food scarcity and starvation. When other women could not reproduce because of lack of calories and emaciation, PCOS women could. Increased muscle mass and bone density which can be additional features of PCOS likely evolved to meet the high physical strength and activity necessary in the ancient world.
<Nature Reviews Endocrinology 2011:7:219>

Mar 23 2011 - A bad job can be worse than no job
A study in Occupation and Environmental Medicine reports that a poor quality job with high demands, low pay, limited decision making and no security can be detrimental to mental and physical health. The study used data on 7,000+ Australians followed for seven years. Workers in good jobs were found to have better mental health than the unemployed. However workers in poor jobs were significantly worse than the unemployed.
<WSJ March 22/11 pD5>

Mar 22 2011 - Dover Pennsylvania School Board really dense
Five years ago it was up to eleven parents to go to court and sue the Dover School Board to stop the teaching of "intelligent design" or "creationism" as part of the valid science curriculum. These are un-substantiated beliefs that try to refute the evidence-based evolutionary science that humans descended from apes and monkeys. The court ruled that intelligent design was not science but an effort to advance a type of religious view via the public school system and a violation of the US constitution. Many scientists cheered the decision, agreeing with the court that the school board displayed "breathtaking inanity(stupidity)".
<Science 2011:331:6016:404>

Mar 20 2011 - People with dogs exercise adequately
Researchers at Michigan State U reported that dog owners who took their pets for regular walks, 60% met federal criteria for exercise. Nearly half of dog walkers exercised an average of 30 minutes per day five times a week. Only a third of people without dogs get that much exercise. The lead author Dr. Mathew Reeves, associate professor of epidemiology, was not surprised as he has two Labrador mixes to walk, Cadbury and Bella.
<New York Times March 15/11 pD6>

Mar 19 2011 - Gluten sensitivity different from Celiac's disease
Celiac's disease is a severe intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat. According to a study in the British Medical Journal gluten sensitivity has newly emerged as a lesser form of reaction to gluten but still a distinct reaction by the immune system and guts. Many people who test negative for celiac disease but still have bloating, dizzyness, ataxia, migraines, aches and pains find eliminating wheat effective.
<Wall Street Journal March 15/11 pD3>

Mar 18 2011 - Plants that detox indoor air
The Peace Lily, English Ivy, Devil's Ivy, Mother-in-Law's Tongue, Weeping Fig, Flamingo Flower, Janet Craig, Asperagus Fern, Purple Waffle, Purple Heart, and Varigated Wax are all plants that improve indoor air quality. Plants clean the air by absorbing pollution through small leaf pores called stomata and via micro-organisms living in the plant soil.

It seems plants begin reducing pollution the minute they are placed in a room, very useful in poorly ventilated areas. Indoor pollution comes from two sources; (1)particles such as dust, pollen, dander and smoke (2) gaseous pollutants such those emitted from dry cleaning, building materials, and sprays.
<New York Times March 15/11 p D1 &D5>

Mar 17 2011 - DHA for managing neuro-inflammation
Post partum depression(see article below), pms, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, bipolar disorder etc., are psycho-neuro dysfunctions which may emanate in whole or in part from inflammatory processes in the brain. Increasing the dietary ratio of DHA (docsahexaenoic omega-3 fatty acid) appears preventative and ameliorating of neurological disorders. Two fatty fish meals per week such as salmon or a DHA oral supplement of 700-1000/mg per day will get a blood level found in healthy fish eating Japanese subjects. For established affective disorders a higher dose might be tried.
<Prostagladins, Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2009:81:2-3:223>

Mar 16 2011 - New insight into postpartum blues
Immune activation has been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of anxiety and depression. Pregnancy is associated with a characteristic immune activation for the benefit of the fetus. F. Boufidou and colleagues at the U of Athens are the first to examine the cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) of 56 women post delivery looking for a correlation between inflammatory response and mood. Cytokines, proteins indicative of inflammation, were at levels positively associated with depressive mood during the first four days after delivery and also at the sixth week postpartum.
<J of Affective Disorders 2009:115:1-2:287>

Mar 15 2011 - Unsaturated coconut oil available from health food stores
The food writer, Melissa Clark, noticed coconut oil beside olive oil and canola oil while shopping in a health food store. Unsaturated coconut oil has recently become the darling of the natural foods world...Whole Foods selling tons of it. Vegans rely on the oil as a butter replacement to create flaky pie crusts, crumbly scones and fluffy icings. It is sweet and solid at room temperature. Coconut oil's bad reputation came from studies on rabbits using partially hydrogenated oil. Virgin or unsaturated coconut oil still has saturated fats but they are naturally occurring and not artifically enhanced by hydrogenation.
<New York Times March 2/11 pD1 &D7>

Mar 14 2011 - Derivative found in cruciferous vegetables anti-obesity properties
Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) a metabolite found in broccoli, cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables appears to suppress fat synthesis and associated inflammation in rats. 18 male rats were divided into three diet groups: (1)control/basal, (2)high fat and (3)high fat with I3C. After 12 weeks the I3C group had decreased body weight and fat accumulation, improved glucose tolerance and inflammatory macrophage profiles.
<Nutrition 2011:27:4:463-470>

Mar 13 2011 - Red curry paste anti-inflammatory action
In vitro (test tube) incubation of rodent macrophage cells showed red curry paste to have multiple anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The active ingredient appears to be ethanol extract from Thai red curry paste. The central mediator in the cell, Kappa B, of inflammatory response was inhibited by the extract.
<Nutrition 2011:27:4:479>

Mar 12 2011 - Are these women wacko?..and their doctors quacks?
Kay Brown, 35, is injecting herself with human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG) and eating just 500 calories a day. A friend of her's did this before her wedding to slim down. May, 30, is thinking of trying the same thing as Kay to lose 20 pounds in six weeks before a wedding where she is to be a bride's maid. Guldal Caba, 53 and a psychologist, drives from Toledo Ohio for the treatments. Their doctors are Lionel Bissoon and Scott M. Blyer of New York city. Women are apparently streaming into doctors and getting hCG paying upwards of a $1,000 a month for such consultations. There is NO SCIENCE behind this diet and hormone regimen.[Those male physicians must laugh all the way to the bank.]
<New York Times March 8/11 p A1 &A 21>

Mar 11 2011 - Severe knowlege gaps among physicians
Two researchers recently informed nine colleagues that many humans harbour cancer tumors which if not detected, or left alone, will not progress and remain asymptomatic. Autopsies on protstate tissues from men who died of something other than cancer found in situ prostate cancer in 34% of men in their thirties and forties. A similar percentage of autopsies (39%) of women in their forties showed histologic breast cancers, again they died of something other than cancer. The nine physicians were unaware of occult cancers which do not progess into overt cancers.
<Nature Medicine 2011:17:3:320>

Mar 10 2011 - Metabolic supplies of DHA (fatty acid) different in women
Estrogen - which varies monthly, episodically (pregnancy, birth control pill, HRT, PCOS or other ovulatory interruptions etc.,) and chronologically (puberty, peri-menopause, menopause and post menopause)- has a regulatory role in DHA synthesis. During pregnancy DHA doubles in the circulation of the mother. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and birth control pills - which are both chiefly synthetic estrogen hormone - increase the synthesis of DHA from ingested gamma-linolenoic acid. [No such enormous estrogen-specific hormonal tides exist in males.]
<Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2006:65:42-50>

Mar 09 2011 - Two supplements not worth taking
Beta-carotene when consumed through fruit and vegetables may reduce risk of cancers.But research is showing high supplement doses may raise the risk for certain cancers and even death.

Vitamin E studies have found that it does not reduce the risk of heart disease or cancer. Harvard researchers found supplementing may increase the stroke risk. Stick to natural sources like nuts, avocado and olive oil.
<Runner's World April 2011 p 46>

Mar 08 2011 - Fish oil supplement probably worthwhile
Studies show EPA and DHA, the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil, help reduce exercise induced asthma and muscle soreness and increase lean body mass. Both are in fatty fish like salmon and sablefish. If you are eating 2-3 servings of fatty fish a week, you are getting plenty of omegas states Cassandra Forsythe R.D. Ph.D. (A Runner's World survey found 65% rarely eat fish.) A supplement is probably a good choice but read label carefully finding one with 500 mg of actual DHA and EPA in it.
<Runner's World Mag April 2011 p45-46>

Mar 07 2011 - Vegetarian diet in-adequate in DHA omega-3 fatty acid
Protein restricted diets do not get any natural sources of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) found in protein rich foods such as eggs, meat, dairy and fish. AS a consequence vegetarians have much lower concentrations of the LCPUFA DHA in tissues, plasma and red blood cells. Evidence is accumulating that adequate intake of DHA may be preventative of inflammatory based phenomena such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers, Parkinson's, depression, bipolar etc. The long term outcome of vegetarian diets such as age-related diseases of mental and cardiovascular nature have yet to be explored.
<Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids 2009:81:233-236 & 2011:84:7-11>

Mar 06 2011 - DHA deficiency has neurological effects
Rats and mice in experiments purposely receiving in-adequate dietary DHA omega-3 fatty acid did poorly in maze and spatial tests. When their diets were enriched with DHA from fish oil test performances significantly improved. The action of mood stablizers such as lithium, carbamazepine, valproate, lamotrigine etc., has been linked to reduced turn over of pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid (AA) but not anti-infammatory DHA. Dietary supplementation with DHA may further repress AA turn-over and be the mechanism for the documented anti-depressant effect of adequate intake of DHA.
<Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids 2011:84:7-11>

Mar 05 2011 - Your social network affects you alcohol consumption
Nicholas Christakis MD, Ph.D of Harvard Medical School and colleagues are churning out reams of evidence that your social network influences your behaviour choices. Using data from the ongoing 32 year Framingham Heart Study they have found the following: People are 50% more likely to drink heavily if a person they are directly related/connected to (1 degree of separation) drinks heavily. The size of the effect is 36% for people with 2 degrees of separation ( such as a friend of a friend) and 15% with 3 degrees of separation ( a friend, of a friend, of a friend). The effect disappears with 4th degree of separation.

Being surrounded by heavy drinkers increased alcohol consumption by 70% compared to those not connected to heavy drinkers. Being surrounded by abstainers decreased reported alcohol consumption by half.
<Annals of Internal Medicine 2010:152:426>

Mar 04 2011 - New milk fat research
Cows eat a plant diet rich in linoleic fatty acid. Bacteria residing in the cow's rumen converts linoleic acid to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is technically a trans fatty acid but naturally occurring, not commercially produced and not bad for you. It appears from emerging U of Alberta research that CLA may be able to protect against breast cancer. In animal models CLA caused a dose-dependent reduction in incidence and number of mammary tumours. CLA feed animals from prepuberty had a life long protection if the feeding of CLA continued.
<ww.dairynutrition.ca>

Mar 03 2011 - Editor of Runner's Mag favourite gear item
"Running socks are on the short list of things I always recommend to new runners" states David Willey. "Once you wear actual running socks you can't go back. I wince when I see someone wearing cotton socks." His favourites: Asic Kayono socks.
<Wall Street Journal March 1, 2011 pD6>

Mar 02 2011 - Heart attacks surge during winter months
Heart attacks start to climb at Thanksgiving, increasing through Christmas and peak at New Year's. Cold weather was thought to be the cause but even in warm California the pattern exists according to reseach in Circulation 2004. Dr. Robert A. Kloner, lead cardiologist of the study, guesses the seasonal phenomenon is caused by a confluence of factors: delay in seeking treatment so as not to be holiday disruptive, cardiac symptoms mistaken for overindulgence, stress and tension with family members, un-affordable gifting, and allergies to wood burning fireplaces.
<NYT Dec 23/09 Phys Ed.>

Mar 01 2011 - Flexible arteries test..touch your toes?
A 2009 study in the journal of Heart and Coronary Physiology gives a novel way of testing the flexiblity of your arteries, one measure of cardiovascular health. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you, toes pointing up. Reach forward from the hips. Are you flexible enough to touch your toes?. If so, then your cardiac arteries are probably also flexible. Researchers found a clear correlation between inflexible bodies and inflexible arteries in study participants older than 40. A study at the U of Texas found that increasing your flexibility if poor somewhat loosens up your arteries.
<New York Times, Phys Ed, Dec 23/09>

Feb 28 2011 - CNS fatty acid dependent
Lipid/fat molecules are the building blocks of the CNS (central nervous system - brain and spinal cord). In contrast to other human tissues, the CNS and the retina (of the eye) are enriched in poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially the omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA) and the omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These PUFAs are indispensable to the normal development and function of the CNS. Linoleic acid (the precursor to AA) and alpha-linolenic acid (the precusor to DHA) must be derived from diet to maintain sufficient CNS levels. Because they cannot be synthesized by the body they are called essential fatty acids.

Brain and retina DHA decrease resulting from nutritional deficiency and ageing are associated with reduced cognitive ability, emotional dysfunction and decreased vision. Also, the western diet is disporportionately high in omega-6 fatty acids from grain oils. Omega-3 is displaced in the cell wall by omega-6 when the diet is deficient in omega-3 which is largely derived from marine protein.(see article below)
<Nature neuroscience 2011:14:3:345>

Feb 27 2011 - Krill oil for severe PMS?
Fish eating countries have lower levels of depression and the omega-3 fatty acids content of marine protein is high and is thought to be the cause of the mental health benefit. Severe PMS (premenstrual syndrome) negatively alters affect and emotions and interferes with quality of life. There is some evidence that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may be helpful. A small study of 42 women with PMS found omega-6 fatty acids disproportionately high compared to omega-3s. Krill oil may be a superior absorbable source of omega-3 (see article below)
<Alternative Medicine Review 2003:8:2:171-179>

Feb 26 2011 - Krill oil, superior source of omega-3 fatty acids?
Krill are hard shelled marine aninmals that exist in the Antarctic ocean. Krill are extremely rich sources of phospholipids, omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidant astaxanthin. Phospholipids, a fat/lipid with a phosphate attachment, are integral to the health of the cell wall especially in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Krill oil is 40% phospholipids, the majority of which contain omega-3 fatty acids. There is some evidence that the brain absorbs more omega-3 because of the phospholipids connection than other sources where omega-3 are in tricylglycerol form. (see article below)
<BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010:11:136:1471-2474>

Feb 25 2011 - Endocannabinoid neuro-receptor system (EDS)and diet
Diets deficient in omega-3 fatty acids may cause the EDS system to under-perform and negatively affect cognitive ability, emotional behaviour and vision. Western diets while high in calories are poor in essential nutrients and notoriously low in the essential omega-3 fatty acids. Western diets are far too high in omega-6 fatty acids which displace omega-3s in cell walls, affect permeablility and predipose to infllammation. The EDS has an inhibitory/ tranquilizing role (..cannab.. comes from the word cannabis) and doesn't appear to function well if omega-3 fatty acids are reduced in the diet.
<Nature Neuro-science 2011::14:3:345>

Feb 24 2011 - Chocolate milk and dental health
Chocolate and flavoured milk contain components that protect against cavities (dental caries or cariogenic). U of Rochester study found that 2% white milk had up to 10% added sugar - the same amount as chocolate milk - and was no more cariogenic. Also, 2% milk was less cariogenic than water with 10% sugar. There is evidence that foods containing milk casein, calcium, phosphorus, and cocoa may be less likely to cause cavities than sugar and other snack foods.
<www.dairynutrition.ca>

Feb 23 2011 - Free online registry of health research
The British National Health Service on Feb 22/11 launched internationally available PROSPERO. This registry is open to all researchers preparing systematic reviews (also called meta-analysis) of the science literature on a particular subject. This is the first registry of universally available evidence-based medical science.

The goal is to improve the quality of medical research, making it easier for reseachers to overcome knowledge gaps and have read completely on the subject they are researching.
<www.metaxis.cm/PROSPERO>

Feb 22 2011 - Endorphrins are not what makes you feel better after exercise
Endorphins are large peptide molecules that cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. Therefore endorphins are not the source of the improvement in affect and wellbeing that many people get after a good work-out.

The endocannabinoid neuro-receptor system (ECS)in brain, which is thought to be how marijuana or cannabis gains it inhibitory/tranquilizing effect, is now believed to underpin runner's high. Endocannabinoid molecules are derived from fats or lipids and appear to be neuro-modulators of ECS. (see above articles Feb 25, 26,27)
<New York Times Mag Feb 20/11 p 21 & J of Neuroendocrinology 2008:20(supp.1) 110-115>

Feb 21 2011 - Over the counter product removes skin tags
Skin tags or acrochordia are common benign skin growths reported in 46% of the population. Common sites are the neck, armpit, trunk and groin skin surfaces. Tags grow from one to several mm in size and look like a stem with various shaped blobs of skin on top.

The Buffalo News in a column (also available on line free) titled 'The People's Pharmacy' reported that some readers had success removing skin tags with a product called New Skin, a liquid bandage. One reader applied New Skin to her tags once a day for two weeks to ten days and they shriveled up and fell off.

[Yours truely tried the product and it worked.]
<Dermatology Online Journal 2009:15:2:1:1-10 Buffalo News Feb 1/11 p C3>

Feb 20 2011 - Social network and depression
The same researcher, N A Christakis, who found optimism/happiness to be contagious has now looked at depression. He and Harvard colleagues examined the social network (friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbours etc.,) of 12,000+ people from the Framingham Heart study ongoing for 32 years. They found depression could reach out over three degrees of separation, to one's friends' friends' friends. Women were especially influential in the person-to-person spread of depression.
<Nature Mol Psychiatry 2011:16:3:273-281>

Feb 18 2011 - Add black tea to diet for anti-obesity effect
The anti-obesity effect of black tea has been reported in humans but the mechanism is not understood. Researchers at Japan's Kirin Beverage Company studied male rats given an extract of polyphenols specific to black tea. It appears that black tea may inhibit intestinal lipid/fat absorption as plasma triglyeride levels were suppressed in a dose dependent manner as was body weight and adipose tissue mass.
<Nutrition 2011:27:3:287-92>

Feb 17 2011 - Medical devices untested and risky
From 2005 to 2009 external heart defibrilators, infusion pumps and ventilators had numerous recalls because of malfunctions causing injury and death to patients. It appears these devices were approved by an FDA regulatory pathway that does an in-adequate job of testing such devices. Dr. Steven E. Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues reported on this lethal quality control lapse in the Archives of Internal Medicine posted online.
<NYT Feb 15/2011 B1 &B4>

Feb 16 2011 - High fiber diet for longevity
The US government's National Institutes of Health studied the diets of 300,000+ adults aged 50-71. Those diets with the highest fibre content, especially from grains, were protective against various chronic diseases and promoted longevity.

A woman who wants to meet the 25 grams of fiber daily guideline should eat something like the following: bran cereal, a third of a cup (9 grams), a small apple (4 grams), and half a cup mixed vegetables (4 grams). If ammending diet to increase fiber, do it slowly over weeks to allow digestive tract to adjust.

<Archives of Internal Medicine on line Feb 14/11 & Buffalo News Feb15/11 p A5>

Feb 15 2011 - Well-being, marriage and children
Getting married is associated with higher life satisfaction and this may be because of higher levels of well-being among those who marry. However being married may not be associated with well-being for women. One dimenson of well being, autonomy, is higher among women who divorce or separate. Also having children living in the household may not be good for female happiness. Women have higher psychological well being if children over the age of 16 have left home.

Cited from; Huppert FA, "Psychological Well-being: Evidence regarding its causes and consequences". Can be viewed for free, see journal info below.
<Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being 2009:1:2:137-164>

Feb 14 2011 - Exercise micro-manages healthy bone marrow formation
Bones remodel throughout life and the mesenchymal stem cells of bone can either form fat or bone cells. An in vitro (test tube) experiment of an insulin rich soup caused the stem cells to become fat. Mechanical vibrations of the stem cells, which simulates exercise, caused them not to change into fat. It might be that fatty bone marrow and unhealthy bones is prevented by exercise.
<New York Times Feb 2/2011 Phys Ed>

Feb 13 2011 - Dust management
There appears to be no better dusting tool than the damp cloth. Dr. Richard Flagan, chairman of the chemical engineering program at California Institute of Technology, states the liquid in the damp cloth creates a capillary force. The dust will bond to the wet surface or hook-up until the cloth dries.
<New York Times Feb 10/11 pD6>

Feb 12 2011 - Barbara Walter's has heart valve surgery reports Buffalo News
This woman 81 years of age, in her ninth decade, seems surprised that an organ of hers is giving out. She shares that she is curtailing her workload and socializing less - wholly appropriate when your close to 100. For a TV show on heart disease she wants to particularly warn women about risks yet bizarrely her guests are all men - Bill Clinton, Luke Russert, Robin Williams.
<opinion Heather Ewart>

Feb 11 2011 - Exercise improves telomere biology
Telomeres are caps at the end of strands of DNA that shorten over a lifetime until eventually culminating in the death of the cell they are part of. It appears that chronic daily exercise improves telomere biology and they do not shorten as readily with ageing. This translates into the fitter the person the younger their cells remain, resilient to ageing and death.
<NYT Jan 27/11 Gretchen Reynolds Phys Ed online>

Feb 10 2011 - Global cancer statistics
12.7 million cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths are estimated to have occurred in 2008 world wide. Breast cancer in women and lung cancer in men are the most frequently diagnosed cancers. Except in the developed world prostate cancer over-rides lung cancer. Stomach and liver cancers in males and cervix and lung cancers in females are next in line in the developed world. In the second and third worlds colorectal and lung cancer in females and colorectal and lung or prostate cancer in males.
<Ca Cancer J Clin 2011 online Feb 4/11>

Feb 09 2011 - Add weight lifting to aerobics to improve brain function
Adequate vigorous exercise spikes blood flow to the brain. This surge in vascularization is believed to increase neurogenesis ( birth of new brain cells)and from there improve brain function in terms of memory and clear thinking.

It now appears that resistance training or lifting weights enhances the aerobic exercise effect on the brain. After eight weeks rats running with a load on a treadmill had much higher levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) a protein substrate necessary for neurogenesis.

In results from the UBC Brain Research Center, older women who lifted weights preformed significantly better on various tests of cognitive function than women who only toned.
<'Brains and Brawn' NYT magazine Jan 23/11 p28>

Feb 08 2011 - Managing high cholesterol
Before accepting statin drugs to control high cholesterol it might be worth reading 'Eat, Drink and Be Healthy' by Harvard's Walter C. Willett M.D. He references strong and accumulating evidence that diet and exercise can do most of the work of regulating cholesterol. A diet replacing saturated fat and trans fats with mono and poly-unsaturated fats is the start. Then the elimination of high glycemic carbohydrates and sugars and replacing with whole grains is pivotal. Add to this regular exercise and weight control and you may have a winning combination, avoiding drugs.
<Eat, Drink and Be Healthy 2005.>