Showing posts with label Nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nutrition. Show all posts
Monday, September 14, 2009
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Soy Protein Doesn't Lower Cholesterol
Regular consumption had little effect on LDL levels, study finds
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) -- Eating foods with soy protein has been promoted as a way to lower cholesterol, but a new study finds it has no significant effect on cholesterol levels.
The findings "do not support the current health claims for soy protein in a general population," said study author Peter R.C. Howe, director of the Nutritional Physiology Research Centre at the Sansom Institute for Health Research at the University of South Australia in Adelaide.
He's referring to the health claims approved for soy foods in both the United States and the United Kingdom that link daily consumption of 25 grams of soy protein to a reduction in heart disease risk through a lowering of LDL, or "bad," cholesterol.
Howe's team studied 35 men and 58 women, average age 52, who had mildly high cholesterol levels. He assigned each participant to rotate through one of three diets for six weeks each. Each diet had varying amounts of soy protein and isoflavones, substances in soy that some experts say may have cholesterol-lowering powers.
One diet contributed 24 grams of soy protein and 71 milligrams of isoflavone equivalents, one had 12 grams of dairy protein and 12 of soy protein, with 76 milligrams of isoflavones. The dairy diet, which served as the control, had 24 grams of dairy protein without isoflavones.
Howe's team measured each person's blood cholesterol -- LDL, HDL and trigylcerides -- at the start of the study and after each six-week diet.
They found no significant effect of the diets with either 24 grams or 12 grams of soy protein on LDL levels.
In his research, Howe also looked closely at whether a person's ability to maximize the body's response to soy protein had a better cholesterol-lowering effect. These people are termed "equol producers" because of their above-average ability to make equol, a substance produced in the intestines as a metabolite of a potent soy isoflavone called daidzen. Equol is thought to inhibit LDL.
When Howe compared the cholesterol-lowering effects of those who were equol producers with those who were not, he found no differences.
Howe's study was confined to those with mildly high cholesterol; he said it may have an effect on those with higher cholesterol levels. And the soy diets did lower triglycerides, a blood fat, by 4 percent.
The findings were published in the August issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Even though the study found no effect of the soy protein on LDL cholesterol, Dr. Frank Sacks, a professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, called the research interesting. One facet he finds especially intriguing, he said, is the finding that equol producers have no benefit either.
After a series of studies on soy and its effect on cholesterol, the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee, of which Sacks is vice-chairman, reviewed the evidence and issued an advisory, saying there is "nothing special" about soy or isoflavones for improving cholesterol and that the heart association doesn't recommend isoflavone supplements.
However, "there are other benefits to soy foods," Sacks said. They are healthy due to high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. But, he added, "forget soy protein for lowering LDL."
More information
To learn more about LDL cholesterol, visit the American Heart Association.
Visit us also at:
AyurCold - Cold & Flu
AyurGold - Healthy Blood
Ayurstate - Prostate Care
Ayurtox - Body Detox
Cardiofy - Heart Care
ClariMind - Memory
Cosmic Joy - Mood
Immunice - Immunity
Joint Mender - Joint Care
Kama Raja - Male Virility
Kama Rani - Female Libido
Mystic Sleep - Insomnia
PMS Lite - PMS Relief
Radiancio - Beauty
Sherpa Strength - Power
Yogic Slim - Weight Loss
Youtharia - Anti-Aging
AyurCat - Cat Health
AyurDog - Dog Health
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) -- Eating foods with soy protein has been promoted as a way to lower cholesterol, but a new study finds it has no significant effect on cholesterol levels.
The findings "do not support the current health claims for soy protein in a general population," said study author Peter R.C. Howe, director of the Nutritional Physiology Research Centre at the Sansom Institute for Health Research at the University of South Australia in Adelaide.
He's referring to the health claims approved for soy foods in both the United States and the United Kingdom that link daily consumption of 25 grams of soy protein to a reduction in heart disease risk through a lowering of LDL, or "bad," cholesterol.
Howe's team studied 35 men and 58 women, average age 52, who had mildly high cholesterol levels. He assigned each participant to rotate through one of three diets for six weeks each. Each diet had varying amounts of soy protein and isoflavones, substances in soy that some experts say may have cholesterol-lowering powers.
One diet contributed 24 grams of soy protein and 71 milligrams of isoflavone equivalents, one had 12 grams of dairy protein and 12 of soy protein, with 76 milligrams of isoflavones. The dairy diet, which served as the control, had 24 grams of dairy protein without isoflavones.
Howe's team measured each person's blood cholesterol -- LDL, HDL and trigylcerides -- at the start of the study and after each six-week diet.
They found no significant effect of the diets with either 24 grams or 12 grams of soy protein on LDL levels.
In his research, Howe also looked closely at whether a person's ability to maximize the body's response to soy protein had a better cholesterol-lowering effect. These people are termed "equol producers" because of their above-average ability to make equol, a substance produced in the intestines as a metabolite of a potent soy isoflavone called daidzen. Equol is thought to inhibit LDL.
When Howe compared the cholesterol-lowering effects of those who were equol producers with those who were not, he found no differences.
Howe's study was confined to those with mildly high cholesterol; he said it may have an effect on those with higher cholesterol levels. And the soy diets did lower triglycerides, a blood fat, by 4 percent.
The findings were published in the August issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Even though the study found no effect of the soy protein on LDL cholesterol, Dr. Frank Sacks, a professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, called the research interesting. One facet he finds especially intriguing, he said, is the finding that equol producers have no benefit either.
After a series of studies on soy and its effect on cholesterol, the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee, of which Sacks is vice-chairman, reviewed the evidence and issued an advisory, saying there is "nothing special" about soy or isoflavones for improving cholesterol and that the heart association doesn't recommend isoflavone supplements.
However, "there are other benefits to soy foods," Sacks said. They are healthy due to high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. But, he added, "forget soy protein for lowering LDL."
More information
To learn more about LDL cholesterol, visit the American Heart Association.
Visit us also at:
AyurCold - Cold & Flu
AyurGold - Healthy Blood
Ayurstate - Prostate Care
Ayurtox - Body Detox
Cardiofy - Heart Care
ClariMind - Memory
Cosmic Joy - Mood
Immunice - Immunity
Joint Mender - Joint Care
Kama Raja - Male Virility
Kama Rani - Female Libido
Mystic Sleep - Insomnia
PMS Lite - PMS Relief
Radiancio - Beauty
Sherpa Strength - Power
Yogic Slim - Weight Loss
Youtharia - Anti-Aging
AyurCat - Cat Health
AyurDog - Dog Health
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Some Fats Deserve Change of Heart
(HealthDay News) -- Fewer than half of Americans realize there are two types of dietary fat that actually help their hearts, a new survey shows.
So, while many have heeded the warnings about the cardiovascular dangers of trans fats and saturated fats, the American Heart Association (AHA) now thinks people need to pay more attention to the cardiovascular benefits conferred by polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.
As a result of its recent survey, the AHA's new Face the Fats campaign has harnessed the power of the Internet to encourage people to view these lesser known fats with new respect.
"We're trying to take education to the next level and say when you have the opportunity to choose, choose the better fat, not the bad fat," said Dr. Clyde W. Yancy, the association's president-elect.
The campaign's Web page presents information at varying levels of sophistication. The pages include an interactive quiz on fats, menus, recipes and a Fats 101 course. A Fats Translator calculates a body-mass index from the input of height, weight, age and level of activity. The index is a scale ranging from under weight to obesity.
The AHA decided to go digital in this phase of its campaign because "the Web really is becoming the world's premier information source, so we have to be there," Yancy added.
"When we have lots of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in our diet, our HDL cholesterol goes up and helps protect our arteries from clogging up and hardening," explained Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern. "HDL kind of acts like a broom and sweeps up the artery-damaging molecules and takes them away."
Trans fats and saturated fats are more able to stick to blood vessel walls and harden arteries, Yancy added. This process can lead to the rupture of an artery or obstructed blood vessels that can cause heart attacks, strokes or blood vessel disease.
Sandon supported the idea of greater education on the different forms of dietary fat. "I think it's still very confusing for people," she said. "They don't know if they should be eating low fat, what kind of fat." She also advised moderation in consumption of any kind of fat. All fats have 9 calories per gram, she explained, so even too much of the better fats can lead to weight gain. "They're healthy, but you can't go wild with them," she said.
The Face the Fats campaign is funded by $7 million received from McDonalds USA as part of the settlement of a California class action lawsuit brought by a consumer advocacy group, bantransfat.com, according to the AHA. McDonald's recently announced that it has eliminated trans fats from its fried foods by changing to a canola-based cooking oil.
More information
For more on the Face the Fats campaign, go to the American Heart Association.
So, while many have heeded the warnings about the cardiovascular dangers of trans fats and saturated fats, the American Heart Association (AHA) now thinks people need to pay more attention to the cardiovascular benefits conferred by polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.
As a result of its recent survey, the AHA's new Face the Fats campaign has harnessed the power of the Internet to encourage people to view these lesser known fats with new respect.
"We're trying to take education to the next level and say when you have the opportunity to choose, choose the better fat, not the bad fat," said Dr. Clyde W. Yancy, the association's president-elect.
The campaign's Web page presents information at varying levels of sophistication. The pages include an interactive quiz on fats, menus, recipes and a Fats 101 course. A Fats Translator calculates a body-mass index from the input of height, weight, age and level of activity. The index is a scale ranging from under weight to obesity.
The AHA decided to go digital in this phase of its campaign because "the Web really is becoming the world's premier information source, so we have to be there," Yancy added.
"When we have lots of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in our diet, our HDL cholesterol goes up and helps protect our arteries from clogging up and hardening," explained Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern. "HDL kind of acts like a broom and sweeps up the artery-damaging molecules and takes them away."
Trans fats and saturated fats are more able to stick to blood vessel walls and harden arteries, Yancy added. This process can lead to the rupture of an artery or obstructed blood vessels that can cause heart attacks, strokes or blood vessel disease.
Sandon supported the idea of greater education on the different forms of dietary fat. "I think it's still very confusing for people," she said. "They don't know if they should be eating low fat, what kind of fat." She also advised moderation in consumption of any kind of fat. All fats have 9 calories per gram, she explained, so even too much of the better fats can lead to weight gain. "They're healthy, but you can't go wild with them," she said.
The Face the Fats campaign is funded by $7 million received from McDonalds USA as part of the settlement of a California class action lawsuit brought by a consumer advocacy group, bantransfat.com, according to the AHA. McDonald's recently announced that it has eliminated trans fats from its fried foods by changing to a canola-based cooking oil.
More information
For more on the Face the Fats campaign, go to the American Heart Association.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Daily Stress May Raise Women's Risk of Cervical Cancer
(HealthDay News) -- High levels of daily stress could explain why some women infected with malignancy-linked types of human papillomavirus (HPV) develop cervical cancer, a new study suggests.
Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia tested 74 women, all diagnosed with cervical dysplasia (precancerous cervical lesions), for an immune response to HPV 16, one of the strains of human papillomavirus thought to be a major cause of cervical cancer. The women also completed a questionnaire that assessed stressful life events experienced during the previous six months -- including deaths of family members, loss of a job or divorce -- as well as their perceived daily stress level over the previous month.
The research, published in the February issue of Annals of Behavioral Medicine, found that slightly more than 55 percent of the women tested positive for one or more types of HPV, a sexually transmitted infection that can cause genital warts as well as cancer.
"We observed that stress was associated with deficits in immune response to HPV 16," said Carolyn Y. Fang, the study's lead investigator.
Most HPV infections in healthy women disappear over time without progressing to precancerous cervical lesions or cancer. "That means HPV infection alone is not sufficient to cause cervical cancer," Fang said. "Our study suggests a potential mechanism by which stress may influence cervical disease progression.
"We were surprised to discover no significant association between the occurrence of major stressful life events and immune response to HPV 16, possibly because of the amount of time that had passed since the event and how the women coped," she added. "However, women with higher perceived levels of daily stress were more likely to have an impaired immune response."
HPV expert Dr. Kevin Ault, associate professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, said, "It is unusual to see psychology and immunology in the same study, and this is very interesting. It is clear that almost all sexually active men and women get infected by HPV but very few have cancer. We already knew that nutrition may play a role. It seems likely that immune responses to HPV are influenced by stress, too."
Dr. Charles Raison, clinical director of Emory University's Mind-Body Program, said the new study adds to the growing evidence that stress can negatively influence health.
"There is data that stress can put the immune system at a disadvantage in dealing with viral infections. Even daily hassles like commuting in bad traffic can impact how the body functions," he said. "If a person with HPV is feeling stressed, it is important to do something positive to reduce the stress load. Exercise is known to help, and psychiatric therapy for any depression is important, too."
Fang added: "We want women to understand that stress does not cause cervical cancer, and feeling stressed out does not mean that one will develop cervical cancer. In this initial study, we observed that stress was associated with deficits in immune response to HPV. Whether stress causes these deficits, however, is unknown, and much more research will need to be done."
To that end, Fang and her research team have launched a five-year randomized trial to examine whether participation in an eight-week stress reduction program can lead to enhanced HPV-specific immune responses in women diagnosed with cervical dysplasia.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that one in four American women between the ages of 14 and 59 years is infected with HPV. Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against several cancer-causing HPV sub-types, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, the vaccine works best when given to girls before they become sexually active and is not effective in women already infected.
That means the best protection against cervical cancer for sexually active women, whether or not diagnosed with HPV, is to have regular Pap tests and to develop good health habits, Ault said.
More information
For more on HPV and cervical cancer, visit the CDC.
Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia tested 74 women, all diagnosed with cervical dysplasia (precancerous cervical lesions), for an immune response to HPV 16, one of the strains of human papillomavirus thought to be a major cause of cervical cancer. The women also completed a questionnaire that assessed stressful life events experienced during the previous six months -- including deaths of family members, loss of a job or divorce -- as well as their perceived daily stress level over the previous month.
The research, published in the February issue of Annals of Behavioral Medicine, found that slightly more than 55 percent of the women tested positive for one or more types of HPV, a sexually transmitted infection that can cause genital warts as well as cancer.
"We observed that stress was associated with deficits in immune response to HPV 16," said Carolyn Y. Fang, the study's lead investigator.
Most HPV infections in healthy women disappear over time without progressing to precancerous cervical lesions or cancer. "That means HPV infection alone is not sufficient to cause cervical cancer," Fang said. "Our study suggests a potential mechanism by which stress may influence cervical disease progression.
"We were surprised to discover no significant association between the occurrence of major stressful life events and immune response to HPV 16, possibly because of the amount of time that had passed since the event and how the women coped," she added. "However, women with higher perceived levels of daily stress were more likely to have an impaired immune response."
HPV expert Dr. Kevin Ault, associate professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, said, "It is unusual to see psychology and immunology in the same study, and this is very interesting. It is clear that almost all sexually active men and women get infected by HPV but very few have cancer. We already knew that nutrition may play a role. It seems likely that immune responses to HPV are influenced by stress, too."
Dr. Charles Raison, clinical director of Emory University's Mind-Body Program, said the new study adds to the growing evidence that stress can negatively influence health.
"There is data that stress can put the immune system at a disadvantage in dealing with viral infections. Even daily hassles like commuting in bad traffic can impact how the body functions," he said. "If a person with HPV is feeling stressed, it is important to do something positive to reduce the stress load. Exercise is known to help, and psychiatric therapy for any depression is important, too."
Fang added: "We want women to understand that stress does not cause cervical cancer, and feeling stressed out does not mean that one will develop cervical cancer. In this initial study, we observed that stress was associated with deficits in immune response to HPV. Whether stress causes these deficits, however, is unknown, and much more research will need to be done."
To that end, Fang and her research team have launched a five-year randomized trial to examine whether participation in an eight-week stress reduction program can lead to enhanced HPV-specific immune responses in women diagnosed with cervical dysplasia.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that one in four American women between the ages of 14 and 59 years is infected with HPV. Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against several cancer-causing HPV sub-types, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, the vaccine works best when given to girls before they become sexually active and is not effective in women already infected.
That means the best protection against cervical cancer for sexually active women, whether or not diagnosed with HPV, is to have regular Pap tests and to develop good health habits, Ault said.
More information
For more on HPV and cervical cancer, visit the CDC.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Breast-Feeding Cuts Food Allergy Risk
(HealthDay News) -- Breast-feeding in the first three months of life appears to help shield children from developing food allergies.That's just one of a number of findings on food allergies scheduled to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Dallas.
Research has determined a possible role for food allergy prevention strategies in high-risk children, including maternal food avoidance in pregnancy, breast-feeding, maternal food avoidance while breast-feeding, use of hypoallergenic formulas, delayed introduction of allergenic foods and probiotics, noted one expert.
"A review of 18 studies demonstrates a significant protective effect of exclusive breast-feeding for at least three months for children with high risk for atopy (genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases) against the development of atopic dermatitis and early childhood asthma-like symptoms," Dr. Robert Wood, international health director for pediatric allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.
He offered a number of recommendations for children at high risk of allergic diseases:
- Women should avoid peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy and while breast-feeding.
- Mothers should supplement breast-feeding with a hypoallergenic formula (extensively or partially hydrolyzed).
- Delay feeding these children solid foods until they're six months old.
- Delay introduction of milk and egg until age 1 and peanut and tree nuts until age 3.
- Start early intervention when signs of food allergy appear (secondary prevention).
In a planned presentation about allergies and dietary restrictions, another expert noted that a person may have an allergy to one member of a food family, but may be able to eat other members of the same food family.
For example, one study on nine common fish found cross-reactivity and allergenicity were highest among cod, salmon and pollack and lowest among halibut, flounder, tuna and mackerel.
Another study on edible nuts found cross-reactivity was strong among walnut, pecan and hazelnut; moderate among cashew, pistachio, Brazil nut and almond; and extremely low between peanut and tree nuts.
"You may be allergic to a particular part of a food, but not to another part," Dr. Sami Bahna, chief of allergy and immunology at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, said in a prepared statement.
Another expert said doctors need to consider food allergy as a potential cause of gastrointestinal or dermatological symptoms in patients.
"The eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGID) which may affect the esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum are mostly chronic and recurrent disorders that adversely impact quality of life for patients and families," Dr. Amal Assa'ad, director of the Food Allergy & Eosinophilic Disorders Clinic at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.
"Patients with EGID have a high rate of sensitization to food and environmental allergens, and many of them have a high rate of clinical symptoms with various food ingestions. A subset of patients respond to removal of major food allergens from their diet," Assa'ad said.
"EGID management often requires multiple specialists, including the primary physician, allergy and immunology, gastroenterology, nutrition and psychology," she noted.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has more about food allergy.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Aerobic, Weight Training Combo Best Against Diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- Most people know that exercise can help beat type 2 diabetes, but one type of fitness regimen might work best, a new study shows.
Specifically, workouts that combine aerobic and resistance training exercises appear better at controlling blood sugar than either type of activity alone, researchers say.
The finding is new, because "most other studies have looked at just one kind of exercise, either aerobic or resistance," noted lead researcher Dr. Ronald J. Sigal, an associate professor of medicine and cardiac sciences at the University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada.
The study is published in the Sept. 18 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
As part of their research, Sigal's team evaluated 251 adults, ages 39 to 70, all with type 2 diabetes and not regular exercisers at the start of the study.
The participants were assigned to one of four groups: those who did 45 minutes of aerobic training three times a week, those who did 45 minutes of resistance (i.e., weight) training three times a week, those who did 45 minutes each of both forms of exercise three times a week, and those who did no exercise at all.
The aerobic group worked out on a treadmill or a bike at the gym; memberships were provided. The resistance group also worked out at the gym, with memberships provided, doing seven different exercises on weight machines.
Sigal's team evaluated changes in A1c values -- a measurement reflecting blood sugar concentrations -- over the previous two to three months. A1c is expressed as a percentage.
A decline of 1.0 percent in A1c value would be linked to a 15 percent to 20 percent decrease in risk of heart attack or stroke, the researchers explained, and a 25 percent to 40 percent decline in risk of complications linked to diabetes, such as eye disease or kidney disease.
As expected, blood sugar control improved in all the exercise groups. In those who did either aerobic or resistance, the A1c value declined by about 0.5 percent compared to the non-exercisers. Those who did both kinds of exercise had double that level of success, with their A1c value dropping by 0.97 percent compared to the non-exercising group. Non-exercisers experienced no change in their A1c values over the 26-week study.
The bottom line: "There is additional value to doing both resistance and aerobic exercise," according to Sigal.
He said the decrease of nearly one percent of A1c seen in the study "translates to a 15 to 20 percent reduction in risk of heart attack or stroke and a 25 to 40 percent reduced risk of other complications, such as retinopathy," an eye problem related to diabetes.
How does physical activity fight type 2 diabetes, the most common and obesity-linked form of the disease? According to Sigal, "exercise decreases insulin resistance. It makes the transport of glucose [blood sugar] more efficient."
Another expert said the study adds gives new information for people hoping to beat back diabetes.
"Basically, aerobic and resistance training both do very well, and the combination does even better," said Cathy Nonas, director of physical activity and nutrition for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator.
But she said couch potatoes often need to ease into exercise to maintain a fitness regimen over time.
The study participants built up to their 45-minute fitness sessions, Nonas noted, and the combination group ended up doing about 4.5 hours of exercise a week -- an amount some might find daunting.
"I would never talk about 4.5 hours a week to someone who doesn't exercise at all," Nonas said. Rather, she encourages physical activity in any amount to start. "Anything you do is good," she said. Then, she encourages people to slowly build up their time.
"I think this is a very uplifting study," she added. "It says whatever you do will have an effect, and the more you do, the better the effect."
More information
To learn more about the benefits of exercise for diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association.
Specifically, workouts that combine aerobic and resistance training exercises appear better at controlling blood sugar than either type of activity alone, researchers say.
The finding is new, because "most other studies have looked at just one kind of exercise, either aerobic or resistance," noted lead researcher Dr. Ronald J. Sigal, an associate professor of medicine and cardiac sciences at the University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada.
The study is published in the Sept. 18 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
As part of their research, Sigal's team evaluated 251 adults, ages 39 to 70, all with type 2 diabetes and not regular exercisers at the start of the study.
The participants were assigned to one of four groups: those who did 45 minutes of aerobic training three times a week, those who did 45 minutes of resistance (i.e., weight) training three times a week, those who did 45 minutes each of both forms of exercise three times a week, and those who did no exercise at all.
The aerobic group worked out on a treadmill or a bike at the gym; memberships were provided. The resistance group also worked out at the gym, with memberships provided, doing seven different exercises on weight machines.
Sigal's team evaluated changes in A1c values -- a measurement reflecting blood sugar concentrations -- over the previous two to three months. A1c is expressed as a percentage.
A decline of 1.0 percent in A1c value would be linked to a 15 percent to 20 percent decrease in risk of heart attack or stroke, the researchers explained, and a 25 percent to 40 percent decline in risk of complications linked to diabetes, such as eye disease or kidney disease.
As expected, blood sugar control improved in all the exercise groups. In those who did either aerobic or resistance, the A1c value declined by about 0.5 percent compared to the non-exercisers. Those who did both kinds of exercise had double that level of success, with their A1c value dropping by 0.97 percent compared to the non-exercising group. Non-exercisers experienced no change in their A1c values over the 26-week study.
The bottom line: "There is additional value to doing both resistance and aerobic exercise," according to Sigal.
He said the decrease of nearly one percent of A1c seen in the study "translates to a 15 to 20 percent reduction in risk of heart attack or stroke and a 25 to 40 percent reduced risk of other complications, such as retinopathy," an eye problem related to diabetes.
How does physical activity fight type 2 diabetes, the most common and obesity-linked form of the disease? According to Sigal, "exercise decreases insulin resistance. It makes the transport of glucose [blood sugar] more efficient."
Another expert said the study adds gives new information for people hoping to beat back diabetes.
"Basically, aerobic and resistance training both do very well, and the combination does even better," said Cathy Nonas, director of physical activity and nutrition for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator.
But she said couch potatoes often need to ease into exercise to maintain a fitness regimen over time.
The study participants built up to their 45-minute fitness sessions, Nonas noted, and the combination group ended up doing about 4.5 hours of exercise a week -- an amount some might find daunting.
"I would never talk about 4.5 hours a week to someone who doesn't exercise at all," Nonas said. Rather, she encourages physical activity in any amount to start. "Anything you do is good," she said. Then, she encourages people to slowly build up their time.
"I think this is a very uplifting study," she added. "It says whatever you do will have an effect, and the more you do, the better the effect."
More information
To learn more about the benefits of exercise for diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Get Your Fruits & Veggies: CDC
(HealthDay News) -- A new school year, a new chance to eat healthier every day: That's the idea behind the first National Fruits & Veggies More Matters Month, sponsored by a number of leading medical and cooking organizations.
Parents hungry for ideas on using fruits and vegetables in their family's diets can get tips from a newly launched Web tool titled Explore the World With Fruits and Vegetables, a resource guide from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the CDC, 90 percent of Americans do not meet the daily recommendation for fruit and vegetable consumption, even though the data shows people are aware of the health benefits of eating their greens. Most people need to double the amount they eat now to meet the latest dietary guidelines.
The Produce for Better Health Foundation and the CDC are teaming up during the back-to-school season to increase awareness of the importance of eating produce. The effort is part of the Fruit & Veggies More Matters campaign. That effort was launched in March in partnership with The Culinary Institute of America, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and others.
The goal of the campaign is to encourage Americans to consume more fruits and vegetables in all forms -- cooked, fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and juiced. More than 23,000 supermarkets support the campaign, which is also mentioned on the produce packaging of more than 170 companies.
"Reaching children and their parents is critical if we are going to change the way people think about what they eat," Dr. William Dietz, director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, said in a prepared statement. "With obesity becoming a growing problem for children and adults alike, we need to instill healthy eating habits early on."
The CDC has developed a kit titled Explore the World With Fruits & Vegetables, aimed at helping teachers and others working with families move fruits and vegetables out of the produce aisle and onto the dinner table.
"Many people know the facts, but actually changing behavior is not easy," Dietz said. "Success will involve combining education with a number of initiatives including improved access to healthy food in neighborhoods; food industry efforts to provide healthy options; increased availability of fruits and vegetables in work sites, hospitals, and other community organizations; and media messages and marketing to counter-balance the focus on less nutritious options. All this together should lead to sweeping changes in healthy eating habits."
More information
For tips on fruit and vegetable presentation, visit Fruits and Vegetables Matter.
Parents hungry for ideas on using fruits and vegetables in their family's diets can get tips from a newly launched Web tool titled Explore the World With Fruits and Vegetables, a resource guide from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the CDC, 90 percent of Americans do not meet the daily recommendation for fruit and vegetable consumption, even though the data shows people are aware of the health benefits of eating their greens. Most people need to double the amount they eat now to meet the latest dietary guidelines.
The Produce for Better Health Foundation and the CDC are teaming up during the back-to-school season to increase awareness of the importance of eating produce. The effort is part of the Fruit & Veggies More Matters campaign. That effort was launched in March in partnership with The Culinary Institute of America, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and others.
The goal of the campaign is to encourage Americans to consume more fruits and vegetables in all forms -- cooked, fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and juiced. More than 23,000 supermarkets support the campaign, which is also mentioned on the produce packaging of more than 170 companies.
"Reaching children and their parents is critical if we are going to change the way people think about what they eat," Dr. William Dietz, director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, said in a prepared statement. "With obesity becoming a growing problem for children and adults alike, we need to instill healthy eating habits early on."
The CDC has developed a kit titled Explore the World With Fruits & Vegetables, aimed at helping teachers and others working with families move fruits and vegetables out of the produce aisle and onto the dinner table.
"Many people know the facts, but actually changing behavior is not easy," Dietz said. "Success will involve combining education with a number of initiatives including improved access to healthy food in neighborhoods; food industry efforts to provide healthy options; increased availability of fruits and vegetables in work sites, hospitals, and other community organizations; and media messages and marketing to counter-balance the focus on less nutritious options. All this together should lead to sweeping changes in healthy eating habits."
More information
For tips on fruit and vegetable presentation, visit Fruits and Vegetables Matter.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Health Tip: Dangerous Dieting
(HealthDay News) -- The right way to diet and lose weight is slowly, over time, and while eating a balanced diet with plenty of healthy foods, the American Heart Association says.
Diets that encourage eating only one type of food or encourage rapid weight loss can be dangerous to your health.
The association offers this list of the possible risks posed by fad diets:
Nutritional deficiencies caused by a lack of a balanced diet.
Lack of physical activity from emphasis on diet only can increase the risk of heart disease.
Lack of variety in foods can cause boredom and frustration, and make it difficult to maintain the diet for more than a brief period.
Severe restrictions on the foods you can eat may make it difficult to establish and maintain a healthy diet in the future.
Many quick weight-loss diets are based on unfounded claims that may do more harm than good.
Diets that encourage eating only one type of food or encourage rapid weight loss can be dangerous to your health.
The association offers this list of the possible risks posed by fad diets:
Nutritional deficiencies caused by a lack of a balanced diet.
Lack of physical activity from emphasis on diet only can increase the risk of heart disease.
Lack of variety in foods can cause boredom and frustration, and make it difficult to maintain the diet for more than a brief period.
Severe restrictions on the foods you can eat may make it difficult to establish and maintain a healthy diet in the future.
Many quick weight-loss diets are based on unfounded claims that may do more harm than good.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
End-of-Life Hospice Care Underused
(HealthDay News) -- Too few Americans entering life's final phase are availing themselves of high-quality hospice care, despite the fact that Medicare covers the expense, experts say.
The situation is only going to become more problematic as the nation's "baby boomers" reach the end of their expected life spans in coming decades, according to two articles in the July 26 New England Journal of Medicine.
"Hospice care is underutilized -- only a third of Americans die under the care of hospice, and hospice care is free," noted the author of one article, Dr. Gail Gazelle, assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School. "Far too often, patients end up in an ICU, rushed to the emergency room, and they end up dying there, when really they would much rather have died in their own home," she added.
According to Gazelle, many of these patients avoid hospice, because they -- and often their doctors -- believe end-of-life care means they have "failed" in the face of disease. "They often view it as, 'OK, someone is telling me to crawl into my bed and die,'" she said. In reality, many hospice patients lead full, mobile and high-quality lives for months, Gazelle said.
There's also the misperception that hospice is expensive. Too often, terminal patients don't realize that Medicare and private insurance cover the full cost of hospice care.
And yet those aren't the only factors keeping terminal patients from the pain management and emotional support that comes with hospice, say oncologists Dr. Ingrid Katz, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Dr. Alexi Wright, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, both in Boston.
In a second journal article, they recounted the story of one Boston-area patient, Joanne Doolin, a 64-year-old mother of three with terminal colon cancer.
Doolin did not choose to enter hospice care. She understood that the service was covered by Medicare, but she also knew that coverage had its limits. As a prerequisite to enter hospice care, Doolin, who was unable to eat on her own, would have been forced to give up intravenous feeding, an expensive service for which she would not be reimbursed. "If she had gone on hospice care and not received [feeding], she would've died within a couple of days," said Wright, a fellow in hematology/oncology at Dana-Farber.
So, Doolin opted to stick with hospital-based chemotherapy and intravenous feeding instead. "Because she got this nutritional support, she lived for more than a month and got to see her daughter get married," said Wright.
Doolin's condition did deteriorate soon after, however. She and her family found themselves scrambling for some kind of dignified, palliative care in the woman's last days. "There shouldn't have been a single barrier to her receiving hospice care the night that she needed it," Wright said. Family and friends in the community worked together to help get Doolin the care she needed, "but her dying experience was a near-disaster," Wright said.
That's because gaps still exist when it comes to items that Medicare, as well as much private insurance, will reimburse for hospice patients. Intravenous nutrition is one such item, as are chemotherapy drugs that might extend -- but not save -- a cancer patient's life. Entering hospice care, "patients often have to give up medicines that are helping to support them, make them feel better, helping them live longer," Wright said.
She believes in an "open access" system where these needs are taken into account. Building such a system might mean the creation of larger hospice organizations, however, so that the cost of expensive therapies could be spread over a larger patient population, Wright said.
But Gazelle stressed that hospice continues to meet or exceed the expectations of terminally ill patients and the people who love them. In fact, one recent survey found that 98 percent of family members said they would strongly recommend hospice care to others in need.
And hospice isn't just focused on dying cancer patients. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, about 40 percent of U.S. hospice admissions now involve patients with end-stage heart disease, dementia, lung disease or stroke.
Still, "people need to understand that hospice is about living," Gazelle said. "It's about living as well as you can when life has dealt you a bad deck of cards. Having your dignity, your quality of life, as little physical and emotional suffering as possible -- that's what hospice can do for people."
Hospice care focuses on the patient, of course, but also on those affected by his or her illness, Gazelle added. Counseling and support is made available to caregivers and can last for months after the patient's death. "To know that their family is going to be attended to is critically important for people near the end of life," said Gazelle, who is also president of the medical advocacy group MD Can Help.
But the fact remains that a full third of hospice patients enter the service only in the last week of their life -- even though Medicare covers six months of this type of care. "That's very, very sad," Gazelle said.
She and Wright believe things are about to change, however.
"Baby boomers are going to turn all of this around," Gazelle said. "They are so empowered around their health care and the health care of their loved ones -- they're going to push hard to make sure that their needs are met."
Wright agreed. "I think that we will see the reimbursement structure change dramatically over the next decade," she said. "Baby boomers have received the best medical care imaginable for their entire lives -- why should their death be any different?"
More information
Find out more about hospice and palliative care at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
The situation is only going to become more problematic as the nation's "baby boomers" reach the end of their expected life spans in coming decades, according to two articles in the July 26 New England Journal of Medicine.
"Hospice care is underutilized -- only a third of Americans die under the care of hospice, and hospice care is free," noted the author of one article, Dr. Gail Gazelle, assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School. "Far too often, patients end up in an ICU, rushed to the emergency room, and they end up dying there, when really they would much rather have died in their own home," she added.
According to Gazelle, many of these patients avoid hospice, because they -- and often their doctors -- believe end-of-life care means they have "failed" in the face of disease. "They often view it as, 'OK, someone is telling me to crawl into my bed and die,'" she said. In reality, many hospice patients lead full, mobile and high-quality lives for months, Gazelle said.
There's also the misperception that hospice is expensive. Too often, terminal patients don't realize that Medicare and private insurance cover the full cost of hospice care.
And yet those aren't the only factors keeping terminal patients from the pain management and emotional support that comes with hospice, say oncologists Dr. Ingrid Katz, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Dr. Alexi Wright, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, both in Boston.
In a second journal article, they recounted the story of one Boston-area patient, Joanne Doolin, a 64-year-old mother of three with terminal colon cancer.
Doolin did not choose to enter hospice care. She understood that the service was covered by Medicare, but she also knew that coverage had its limits. As a prerequisite to enter hospice care, Doolin, who was unable to eat on her own, would have been forced to give up intravenous feeding, an expensive service for which she would not be reimbursed. "If she had gone on hospice care and not received [feeding], she would've died within a couple of days," said Wright, a fellow in hematology/oncology at Dana-Farber.
So, Doolin opted to stick with hospital-based chemotherapy and intravenous feeding instead. "Because she got this nutritional support, she lived for more than a month and got to see her daughter get married," said Wright.
Doolin's condition did deteriorate soon after, however. She and her family found themselves scrambling for some kind of dignified, palliative care in the woman's last days. "There shouldn't have been a single barrier to her receiving hospice care the night that she needed it," Wright said. Family and friends in the community worked together to help get Doolin the care she needed, "but her dying experience was a near-disaster," Wright said.
That's because gaps still exist when it comes to items that Medicare, as well as much private insurance, will reimburse for hospice patients. Intravenous nutrition is one such item, as are chemotherapy drugs that might extend -- but not save -- a cancer patient's life. Entering hospice care, "patients often have to give up medicines that are helping to support them, make them feel better, helping them live longer," Wright said.
She believes in an "open access" system where these needs are taken into account. Building such a system might mean the creation of larger hospice organizations, however, so that the cost of expensive therapies could be spread over a larger patient population, Wright said.
But Gazelle stressed that hospice continues to meet or exceed the expectations of terminally ill patients and the people who love them. In fact, one recent survey found that 98 percent of family members said they would strongly recommend hospice care to others in need.
And hospice isn't just focused on dying cancer patients. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, about 40 percent of U.S. hospice admissions now involve patients with end-stage heart disease, dementia, lung disease or stroke.
Still, "people need to understand that hospice is about living," Gazelle said. "It's about living as well as you can when life has dealt you a bad deck of cards. Having your dignity, your quality of life, as little physical and emotional suffering as possible -- that's what hospice can do for people."
Hospice care focuses on the patient, of course, but also on those affected by his or her illness, Gazelle added. Counseling and support is made available to caregivers and can last for months after the patient's death. "To know that their family is going to be attended to is critically important for people near the end of life," said Gazelle, who is also president of the medical advocacy group MD Can Help.
But the fact remains that a full third of hospice patients enter the service only in the last week of their life -- even though Medicare covers six months of this type of care. "That's very, very sad," Gazelle said.
She and Wright believe things are about to change, however.
"Baby boomers are going to turn all of this around," Gazelle said. "They are so empowered around their health care and the health care of their loved ones -- they're going to push hard to make sure that their needs are met."
Wright agreed. "I think that we will see the reimbursement structure change dramatically over the next decade," she said. "Baby boomers have received the best medical care imaginable for their entire lives -- why should their death be any different?"
More information
Find out more about hospice and palliative care at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Glucosamine Trials Show Little Benefit Against Arthritis
(HealthDay News) -- Although millions of arthritis sufferers buy glucosamine supplements to ease their joint pain, there's still no convincing proof the product works, according to a major new analysis.
In fact, the results of 15 trials of over-the-counter glucosamine vary so widely that industry bias may be a factor influencing the more positive outcomes, concludes a team writing in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
"There's a big difference between trials, much more than you would expect by chance," explained lead investigator Dr. Steven Vlad, a fellow in rheumatology at Boston University Medical Center.
But an editorialist in the journal refutes those claims.
Dr. Jean-Yves Reginster, of the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center for Public Health Aspects of Rheumatic Disease, in Liege, Belgium, counters that industry trials are typically more stringent than independent academic research. He also believes that Vlad's group included trials in their analysis that were very unalike in terms of timeframes and methodology, confusing the results.
So, the years-long scientific debate on glucosamine continues. The popular supplement did take a major hit earlier this year, when a major U.S. study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found glucosamine hydrochloride to be of little help for knee osteoarthritis.
But Vlad also knew that other studies had found a real benefit to regular glucosamine use. Why the differences between trials?
To find out, he and his team combed through the available literature and selected 15 double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials that looked at the use of glucosamine for more than four weeks to help fight hip or knee osteoarthritis pain.
Trials involved either of the two major glucosamine preparations: glucosamine hydrochloride or glucosamine sulfate. Each delivers glucosamine bound to a different chemical salt.
First of all, the team determined one of the preparations to be useless.
"I think we have shown pretty conclusively that glucosamine hydrochloride doesn't work," Vlad said. "The data there is all consistent, it goes together -- there's just no evidence that it works."
But that wasn't the story with the other preparation, glucosamine sulfate.
In that case, results varied widely between the randomized trials. However, that variance went far beyond random chance. In fact, according to Vlad, the spread in results among various trials was four times that which would be normally expected.
No particular feature of the studies' design helped explain this disparity, except for differences among trials in what's known as "allocation concealment" -- the fact that some trials were more lax than others at concealing from the researchers involved which patients would get the drug and which would get a placebo.
One factor did appear to play a role in the variance between the glucosamine sulfate trial results: industry involvement.
"It's really hard to know just how big a factor that is," Vlad said, "whether it's manufacturing the whole effect or just exaggerating an effect that's there." He also stressed that, "If there is a bias from industry, I doubt very much that it is intentional. People want to sell their product, but I think that they rarely go into a study with the intention of twisting the results."
But Reginster, in his editorial, believes Vlad's own analysis is flawed. He agreed with the Boston group that industry involvement can, and often does, influence trial results. But he also notes that many of the industry studies included in the Boston analysis had to pass muster with the European League Against Rheumatism, the expert body which vouched for many of the trials' high quality.
That's important, he said, because -- unlike in the United States -- glucosamine sulfate is approved for sale as a prescription drug by regulatory agencies in Europe. To gain approval, industry-funded trials must conform to regulatory oversight and are often better designed than independent studies, he noted.
But Vlad doesn't buy that argument. "I would agree with [Reginster] that, in general, drug manufacturers do produce better trials," he said. "But I also believe it is too simplistic to say that academic researchers aren't as good at weeding out confounding factors and things that would influence the results. They can produce trials that are every bit as good."
Another expert weighed in on the issue.
"I have worked on both sides [industry and independent]," said Malachy McHugh, director of research at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. He said one issue at play is the dire lack of quality independent studies.
"In the nutritional supplement area, the bigger problem is that there is a disincentive for companies to have their products tested," he said. "If they can convince people that their product works, why run the risk of proving otherwise? There are also many negative studies that never see the light of day."
Reginster lobbed another major criticism at the Vlad study. In his opinion, the Boston group mixed together trials with widely varying timeframes (four-week studies and three-year trials), glucosamine delivered in both injections and pills, and studies of greatly differing quality. This type of heterogeneity was bound to lead to variety in results, he wrote.
Vlad agreed that his team's analysis did cast a wide net, but he said that's the way meta-analyses are typically performed. "You try and capture all the trials that may be relevant to your question," he said. Select too few trials, he said, and you lose statistical power.
The system is "never going to be perfect," Vlad said.
He stressed that the new analysis does not close the book on glucosamine. And given the supplement's good safety profile, patients who really believe they are reaping a benefit from the glucosamine sulfate should feel free to continue to take it.
Vlad and McHugh remain dubious, however, that the pricey supplement does ease osteoarthritis pain.
"From my perspective," McHugh said, "the New England Journal of Medicine paper provides the most objective take on the efficacy. The bottom line is that there is limited efficacy."
In a related study in the same issue of the journal, U.S. researchers surveyed more than 6,000 people with rheumatoid arthritis and found that most are reluctant to switch to a new medication as long as their condition does not worsen.
The team from the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases in Wichita, Kan., found three-quarters of respondents were happy with their current medications, and almost two-thirds (64 percent) said they wouldn't try a new drug unless their symptoms deteriorated. The findings may explain why many patients hold off trying promising new medications, the researchers said.
More information
There's more on osteoarthritis at the Arthritis Foundation.
In fact, the results of 15 trials of over-the-counter glucosamine vary so widely that industry bias may be a factor influencing the more positive outcomes, concludes a team writing in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
"There's a big difference between trials, much more than you would expect by chance," explained lead investigator Dr. Steven Vlad, a fellow in rheumatology at Boston University Medical Center.
But an editorialist in the journal refutes those claims.
Dr. Jean-Yves Reginster, of the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center for Public Health Aspects of Rheumatic Disease, in Liege, Belgium, counters that industry trials are typically more stringent than independent academic research. He also believes that Vlad's group included trials in their analysis that were very unalike in terms of timeframes and methodology, confusing the results.
So, the years-long scientific debate on glucosamine continues. The popular supplement did take a major hit earlier this year, when a major U.S. study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found glucosamine hydrochloride to be of little help for knee osteoarthritis.
But Vlad also knew that other studies had found a real benefit to regular glucosamine use. Why the differences between trials?
To find out, he and his team combed through the available literature and selected 15 double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials that looked at the use of glucosamine for more than four weeks to help fight hip or knee osteoarthritis pain.
Trials involved either of the two major glucosamine preparations: glucosamine hydrochloride or glucosamine sulfate. Each delivers glucosamine bound to a different chemical salt.
First of all, the team determined one of the preparations to be useless.
"I think we have shown pretty conclusively that glucosamine hydrochloride doesn't work," Vlad said. "The data there is all consistent, it goes together -- there's just no evidence that it works."
But that wasn't the story with the other preparation, glucosamine sulfate.
In that case, results varied widely between the randomized trials. However, that variance went far beyond random chance. In fact, according to Vlad, the spread in results among various trials was four times that which would be normally expected.
No particular feature of the studies' design helped explain this disparity, except for differences among trials in what's known as "allocation concealment" -- the fact that some trials were more lax than others at concealing from the researchers involved which patients would get the drug and which would get a placebo.
One factor did appear to play a role in the variance between the glucosamine sulfate trial results: industry involvement.
"It's really hard to know just how big a factor that is," Vlad said, "whether it's manufacturing the whole effect or just exaggerating an effect that's there." He also stressed that, "If there is a bias from industry, I doubt very much that it is intentional. People want to sell their product, but I think that they rarely go into a study with the intention of twisting the results."
But Reginster, in his editorial, believes Vlad's own analysis is flawed. He agreed with the Boston group that industry involvement can, and often does, influence trial results. But he also notes that many of the industry studies included in the Boston analysis had to pass muster with the European League Against Rheumatism, the expert body which vouched for many of the trials' high quality.
That's important, he said, because -- unlike in the United States -- glucosamine sulfate is approved for sale as a prescription drug by regulatory agencies in Europe. To gain approval, industry-funded trials must conform to regulatory oversight and are often better designed than independent studies, he noted.
But Vlad doesn't buy that argument. "I would agree with [Reginster] that, in general, drug manufacturers do produce better trials," he said. "But I also believe it is too simplistic to say that academic researchers aren't as good at weeding out confounding factors and things that would influence the results. They can produce trials that are every bit as good."
Another expert weighed in on the issue.
"I have worked on both sides [industry and independent]," said Malachy McHugh, director of research at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. He said one issue at play is the dire lack of quality independent studies.
"In the nutritional supplement area, the bigger problem is that there is a disincentive for companies to have their products tested," he said. "If they can convince people that their product works, why run the risk of proving otherwise? There are also many negative studies that never see the light of day."
Reginster lobbed another major criticism at the Vlad study. In his opinion, the Boston group mixed together trials with widely varying timeframes (four-week studies and three-year trials), glucosamine delivered in both injections and pills, and studies of greatly differing quality. This type of heterogeneity was bound to lead to variety in results, he wrote.
Vlad agreed that his team's analysis did cast a wide net, but he said that's the way meta-analyses are typically performed. "You try and capture all the trials that may be relevant to your question," he said. Select too few trials, he said, and you lose statistical power.
The system is "never going to be perfect," Vlad said.
He stressed that the new analysis does not close the book on glucosamine. And given the supplement's good safety profile, patients who really believe they are reaping a benefit from the glucosamine sulfate should feel free to continue to take it.
Vlad and McHugh remain dubious, however, that the pricey supplement does ease osteoarthritis pain.
"From my perspective," McHugh said, "the New England Journal of Medicine paper provides the most objective take on the efficacy. The bottom line is that there is limited efficacy."
In a related study in the same issue of the journal, U.S. researchers surveyed more than 6,000 people with rheumatoid arthritis and found that most are reluctant to switch to a new medication as long as their condition does not worsen.
The team from the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases in Wichita, Kan., found three-quarters of respondents were happy with their current medications, and almost two-thirds (64 percent) said they wouldn't try a new drug unless their symptoms deteriorated. The findings may explain why many patients hold off trying promising new medications, the researchers said.
More information
There's more on osteoarthritis at the Arthritis Foundation.
Monday, April 30, 2007
New Drug Counteracts Overeating
(HealthDay News) -- A pill might one day achieve the same calorie-burning effects of vigorous exercise.
It's possible, according to a scientist who's developed a potential weight-loss drug that revs up cellular metabolism, much like what happens during heavy physical activity.
In mice, the drug does "result in protection against weight gain on high-fat and high-caloric diets," said Ronald M. Evans, an investigator at The Salk Institute in San Diego. "We're very excited by the potential extension to people."
Of course, there's one big caveat: mice aren't people, and no one knows if the drug will allow ordinary folks to eat to their heart's content without gaining weight.
At stake is a medical solution for people who want to lose weight but either will not diet and exercise properly or can't lose enough weight that way. Diet pills have existed for decades, but they have significant side effects and aren't always effective.
One possible solution is to rev up the body's metabolism, the process whereby it turns food into energy. That's where Evans enters the picture.
He has developed a drug that uses chemicals to turn on a genetic switch in the body known as PPAR-d.
Evans is scheduled to talk about the drug Monday at Experimental Biology 2007, an annual scientific program of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in Washington D.C.
When given the drug in the form of a liquid or powder, the bodies of mice appear to act as if they are exercising even when they aren't, causing their metabolism to speed up, Evans explained. "You then have lower fatty acid levels in your blood, lower triglyceride levels, and lower sugar levels," he said. "They all appear to be linked."
Mice who received the drug were also able to exercise twice as long, turning into what researchers calls "marathon mice."
But what about humans?
According to Evans, the drug could indeed become a "fat pill," although "anything like this will be more effective in the context of a healthy diet and exercise. If you want to get a maximum benefit, just doing it with the drugs alone will always be somewhat of a challenge."
Several companies are testing drugs that target the genetic switch in people, Evans said.
While an effective weight-loss pill is the "holy grail" of obesity research, there are plenty of reasons to be cautious about the new finding, said Leah Whigham, a research scientist who studies nutrition at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison.
"The most obvious caution is that this work is in mice, which are much different from humans and have different energy expenditure mechanisms. It remains to be seen if this research can translate into something useful for humans," she said.
Also, mice are much more similar to each other than humans. "Something that works in all mice of a given strain might not be as effective across a population of humans with differing genetic, ethnic, cultural environmental backgrounds," she explained.
Still, Whigham said, "that doesn't mean this research isn't very exciting. It is just very preliminary at this point."
More information
Learn more about obesity from the American Obesity Association.
It's possible, according to a scientist who's developed a potential weight-loss drug that revs up cellular metabolism, much like what happens during heavy physical activity.
In mice, the drug does "result in protection against weight gain on high-fat and high-caloric diets," said Ronald M. Evans, an investigator at The Salk Institute in San Diego. "We're very excited by the potential extension to people."
Of course, there's one big caveat: mice aren't people, and no one knows if the drug will allow ordinary folks to eat to their heart's content without gaining weight.
At stake is a medical solution for people who want to lose weight but either will not diet and exercise properly or can't lose enough weight that way. Diet pills have existed for decades, but they have significant side effects and aren't always effective.
One possible solution is to rev up the body's metabolism, the process whereby it turns food into energy. That's where Evans enters the picture.
He has developed a drug that uses chemicals to turn on a genetic switch in the body known as PPAR-d.
Evans is scheduled to talk about the drug Monday at Experimental Biology 2007, an annual scientific program of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in Washington D.C.
When given the drug in the form of a liquid or powder, the bodies of mice appear to act as if they are exercising even when they aren't, causing their metabolism to speed up, Evans explained. "You then have lower fatty acid levels in your blood, lower triglyceride levels, and lower sugar levels," he said. "They all appear to be linked."
Mice who received the drug were also able to exercise twice as long, turning into what researchers calls "marathon mice."
But what about humans?
According to Evans, the drug could indeed become a "fat pill," although "anything like this will be more effective in the context of a healthy diet and exercise. If you want to get a maximum benefit, just doing it with the drugs alone will always be somewhat of a challenge."
Several companies are testing drugs that target the genetic switch in people, Evans said.
While an effective weight-loss pill is the "holy grail" of obesity research, there are plenty of reasons to be cautious about the new finding, said Leah Whigham, a research scientist who studies nutrition at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison.
"The most obvious caution is that this work is in mice, which are much different from humans and have different energy expenditure mechanisms. It remains to be seen if this research can translate into something useful for humans," she said.
Also, mice are much more similar to each other than humans. "Something that works in all mice of a given strain might not be as effective across a population of humans with differing genetic, ethnic, cultural environmental backgrounds," she explained.
Still, Whigham said, "that doesn't mean this research isn't very exciting. It is just very preliminary at this point."
More information
Learn more about obesity from the American Obesity Association.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Help Your Child Excel! Preventing ADHD
With sharpened pencils and colorful new backpacks, millions of school children have returned to the freshly scrubbed hallways of the nation's schools to begin a new year of learning and development. How can you make sure your child is getting the most out of hours spent in school?One way is to enhance learning ability with the natural techniques of Maharishi Ayurveda. Ayurvedic texts describe three aspects of mental ability: dhi (the power of acquisition or learning), dhriti, (the power of retention), and smriti (the ability to recall).
When the three mental functions are not in balance, either individually or in their coordination with one another, then learning problems can crop up. Children who have learning problems often feel like failures in school, which leads to frustration and low self-esteem.
When these three mental functions are coordinated, then the child's memory is quick and bright. If impurities (ama) are obstructing the channels of communication between these three functions, then not only learning problems but behavioral problems can begin. The high incidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in this country is a prime example of a learning/behavioral problem for millions of children.
According to a study in Advanced Pediatrics, the frequency of ADHD among school children has been estimated to be as high as 20 percent.
What Maharishi Ayurveda Says What causes some children to thrive on learning while others struggle? According to Maharishi Ayurveda, most learning problems are caused by eating food that is lacking in intelligence. By this we mean food laced with chemicals, junk food, and food that is not fresh. Food lacking in intelligence disturbs the intellect and mind, and it disrupts the intellectual rhythm between dhi, dhriti, and smriti. This is especially true for children, who are naturally more sensitive than adults.
Modern researchers are just discovering the link between learning disorders and harmful food additives such as the chemical food preservatives BHT and BHA, the cake rising agent calcium silicate, and other colorings, flavorings and emulsifiers. Unfortunately, these harmful food additives and preservatives are found in most packaged foods. A rather shocking study showed that the average person consumes 8–10 pounds of additives a year.
Because children have lower body weights and are in the critical developmental years, the harmful effects of these additives are magnified many times. And artificial flavors, colors and preservatives can cause more allergic reactions in children because they are more sensitive than adults.
When children are eating unintelligent food, they are not nourishing the mind with minerals, vitamins, and other aspects of nature's intelligence. And modern researchers confirm ancient ayurvedic wisdom -- that any nutritional deficiency can result in diminished mental function. Another cause of mental deficiency in children includes not getting enough sleep. If children do not go to bed on time, or if they watch violent TV shows or read frightening comics before bed, that can disrupt sleep and aggravate the doshas, which then can be expressed as poor memory and recall in school. But diet is still most important, because diet also affects the quality of sleep. Diet is the primary focus for enhancing mental ability, because even herbal compounds won't work if the child is eating unintelligent food.
Addressing Three Types of Learning Imbalances To understand how Maharishi Ayurveda can help nourish the memory and attention span in children, it's important to understand the three subdoshas involved in memory.
These are Prana Vata, which governs the brain, sensory perception, and the mind; Sadhaka Pitta, which governs the emotions and their effect on the functions of the heart; and Tarpaka Kapha, which governs the spinal fluids, sinus cavities, and sensory organs. In ayurveda, three types of imbalances of the mind are described, and each is associated with a different subdosha.
We can correlate diminished learning ability combined with a hyperactive mind, with a breakdown in Prana Vata. A disturbance in Sadhaka Pitta is associated with a learning imbalance that carries over from childhood into adolescence and young adulthood -- the Pitta time of life. And imbalances in Tarpaka Kapha correlate with problems with learning that occur without hyperactivity involved.
For all three types of learning imbalances, Maharishi Ayurveda recommends fresh, organic foods that are prepared using intelligent cooking methods. This means that they are prepared in a way that does not destroy nature's intelligence, and in a way that creates bliss after eating. Also follow an ayurvedic diet that pacifies the specific subdosha causing the imbalance.
The daily ayurvedic oil massage is also a powerful way to balance the doshas and help enhance learning ability. If time does not permit a daily massage, doing it regularly every weekend will help. At night, Slumber Time aroma oil can be added to an aroma pot by the child's bed to help provide a deeper, more balanced night's sleep.Mind Power with Ayurvedic Herbal Compounds Besides diet and daily routine, Maharishi Ayurveda offers another sophisticated method for addressing imbalances in memory and attention.
These include traditional herbal compounds, called Medhya Rasayanas, that provide powerful nourishment for the mind. Medhya Rasayanas enhance dhi, dhriti, and smriti individually, and they enhance the coordination between these three mental factors. Medhya Rasayanas have also come to the attention of modern researchers. Take Mandook Purni (Centella Asiatica) for instance.
The ancient texts say, 'This Mandook Purni is medhya, giving consciousness and rasayana value. And modern research published in the Journal of Psychiatry shows that this herb produced a significant increase in the mental abilities of 30 mentally disabled children. Brahmi, (Bacopa Monniera and Herpestis Monniera) is another important Medhya Rasayana.
The texts mention that Brahmi is both medhya and hridya, meaning that it supports both the heart and the mind. A study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology shows that Brahmi improved acquisition, retention and delayed extinction of newly acquired behavior in rats.
The third Medhya Rasayana, Shankhapushpi or Aloeweed, appears in the following verse: "Shankapushpi has a specific action as medhya action. It is also being researched as a memory-enhancing herb. Using these Medhya Rasayanas as a base, Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, Inc. has developed several powerful products to help enhance learning and memory. For instance, the Study Power herbal formula is ideal not just for children but students of all ages, because it helps enhance attention span, focus, and the ability to acquire new information and to apply it later.
An impressive 1995 research study published in Free Radical Biology of Medicine found that Study Power helps increase intelligence. The Medhya Rasayanas are also found in Mind Plus Syrup, which is ideal for helping to calm the mind in stressful situations. It is effective in enhancing problem-solving ability, retention and recall. Youthful Mind is especially designed for people over forty, nourishing and revitalizing all three mental functions as the mind ages. These products are ideal for people of all ages who use their minds at school or on the job, and want to feel fresh, creative, and fatigue-free.
Mental performance can be expanded to its full potential. All it requires is going back to the basics -- proper nutrition, quality sleep and the balanced wisdom of herbs that can help nourish the mind in a natural, safe way.Six Keys to Mind Power -- at Any Age
Eat fresh, pure foods -- The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians' advice for kids holds true for everyone -- stay away from foods with chemicals, pesticides or additives. The purer the foods you eat, the more of their intelligence you absorb.
Balanced Nutrition is Essential—A diet rich in healthy proteins, such as from soy, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, is good for enhancing mental potential. Don't count fat out entirely, fat plays some essential roles in the physiology.
The Power of Antioxidants -- Recent research shows that blueberries are powerful food for the brain because of their antioxidant value. The brain is especially vulnerable to free-radical damage. Take Amrit everyday for superior antioxidant protection—it has been shown to have 1,000 times the free-radical scavenging power of vitamin C or E!
Get Your Zzzzs -- Research has confirmed that sleep deprivation leads to diminished mental performance. Ayurveda considers sleep to be a basic building block for good mind/body health, just like diet.
Manage Stress -- High levels of stress negatively impact both mind and body. Practice the Transcendental Meditation technique, or find other ways to relax.
Keep that Brain Working! -- Like the battery in your automobile, you have to keep your mind active to keep it running. So keep those creative juices flowing and exercise your brain regularly!
*To receive your own copy of the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha-pacifying dietary guidelines, please call MAPI at 1-800-ALL-VEDA and we will mail them to you. Ayurvedic recipes are also available at http://www.mapi.com/.
References
B.A. Shaywitz et al "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder," Advanced Pediatrics, Vol 44 pp. 331-67 (1997).
T. E. Duormaa, "The adverse effects of food additives on health: a review of the literature with a special emphasis on childhood hyperactivity," Journal of Automolecular Medicine, Vol. 4, pp. 225-38 (1994).
Ann Seingold, Why your child is hyperactive, New York, Random House (1975).
M. Krause, L. Mahan, "Nutritional care and disease of nervous system and behavioral disorders," Food Nutrition and Diet Therapy, pp. 654-670, Philadelphia W.B. Saunders (1984).
R. Dsend et al, "The relationship between nutrition and student achievement, behavior and health," Review of the literature by Sacramento, California, State Department of Education (1980).
Sharma, H. et al, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Vol. 18. No.4, p. 687-697 (1995).
Appa Rao, et al, Indian Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 19 p. 54-59 (1977).
Singh H. K. and Dhawan B.N., Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Vol. 5, p. 205 (1982).
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Happy Holidays, Without the Weight Gain
(HealthDay News) -- From now until New Year's, it's a season of eating, drinking and, well, more eating and drinking.And worrying about how all those extra calories will translate into extra pounds the next time you dare to step on the scale.
Relax. It doesn't have to be another holiday of nail-biting between nibblings, experts say. All you need is the proper attitude and proven strategies that work to keep your calories-in, calories-out equation balanced.
Anyone who's fought with the scale over the holidays (or shoved it under the bed) knows the basic tricks: Drink water or eat an apple before heading out to a party. Or say, "No, thank you," nicely but firmly, when Aunt Hattie offers you a giant piece of pecan pie a la mode for the fifth time.
But other strategies and perspectives may be new to you.
"Perspective is key during the holiday season," said Jeannie Moloo, a registered dietitian in Roseville, Calif., and an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman. "It's not the best time of year for weight loss. Focus instead on maintaining a healthy weight, not on losing."
Keep that focus when you're faced with a huge buffet or Mom's homemade cooking, added Leslie Bonci, a registered dietitian and director of sports medicine nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Don't deprive yourself -- but don't give free rein to your gastronomic impulses, either.
"You can enjoy everything, but cut it by a third," she said. "Instead of having three cookies, have two. Instead of a two-inch slice of pie, try for about a one-and-a-half inch slice. Instead of a big scoop of both stuffing and potatoes, have a half scoop of each."
And don't forget the "calories-out" part of the equation. "Always look for opportunities to move. Make sure getting some daily physical activity during the holidays remains a priority," Moloo said. "It can be challenging with shorter days and hectic schedules to keep physical activity on the calendar, but now is not the time to go sedentary."
If you have young kids, you can build physical activity into your day by suggesting a walk to the park or a snowman-building contest or other winter fun. Or you might buddy up with a co-worker and hit the health club or a walking path at least three times a week, after work or during lunch.
You can manage those holiday parties, too, Bonci said, whether you're the host or the guest. As the hostess, she said, "There don't have to be cookies in every room in your house. Set up 'no eating' zones." Your guests will probably thank you, at least silently. It'll give them a chance to avoid temptation and focus on socializing and friendships.
And not everything has to be sugary to be festive. "Use fresh fruit for edible holiday decorations," said Lona Sandon, a registered dietitian at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Fill large glass bowls or baskets with washed, fresh fruits."
If you know you'll be tempted with endless party buffets or tables full of family favorites, refresh your memory ahead of time about proper portion sizes, Moloo said.
"Portion size is key to managing weight, especially during the holidays," she said. "A few tips to keep in mind: Keep protein servings [such as your meat dish] to the size of the palm of your hand. Your fat choice -- for instance butter, sour cream, salad dressing -- should be no larger than twice your thumbnail. One cupped hand is a serving of rice or pasta, and a baseball is the size of a potato." Any more, and you're overdoing it.
If you'll be traveling during the holidays, Moloo suggests packing healthy snacks that keep. That way, you'll be less tempted by less-than-healthy airline or airport fare or fast-food outlets along the highway.
If all else fails, remember you have the power over the food, not the other way around. "If you have to, physically remove yourself from the food," Bonci said. At a party, you can walk away and find someone interesting to talk to, or admire your host's artwork or interior design. At home, you might decide to rake leaves or play in the snow, she said.
More information
To learn more about healthy holiday eating, visit the American Dietetic Association.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Traveler's Acidic Consequence and Holiday Season Influenza
Here are two non-contagious lifestyle and dietary conditions (called diseases by allopathic medicine) for which I have given new names:
1) Traveler's Acidic Consequence is a result of the sum total consumption and behaviors of a traveler during their more unusual or somewhat different from normal lifestyle than when they were not traveling.
A typical traveler's day will upset one's normal metabolism and digestive habits.
They eat and drink different foods at different times and different volumes than usual, which creates an over-acid state and a need for more alkaline buffers (bicarbonates) leading to indigestion, constipation, dehydration and further problems of acidity, depending on the degree of irregularity.
Traveler's Acidic Consequence is commonly blamed by allopathic medical science on a particular site on the traveler's path as if he caught something.
This current medical ideology is based on Pasteur's germ theory and is a scientific illusion.
The true cause of this condition is the result of the traveler's acidic dietary choices and the lack of alkaline hydration, nutrition and hygiene that can result in this over-acidic condition.
2) Holiday Season Influenza (The Flu) is a result of the sum total consumption and behaviors of a person during so-called holiday acidic feasting.
They will consume acidic foods and drinks that they know are not healthy or alkalizing, i.e., more sugar or sugar substitutes than normal, alcohol, meats and much of this at greater volumes than normal.
They become detrimentally influenced physically and emotionally by holiday acidic foods. Holiday Season Influenza is commonly blamed on a particular virus contracted from another person(s) and not from acidic lifestyle and dietary choices of that person.
Like the acidic traveler, a person chooses to consume on their own as many acidic foods and drinks during the holiday season and as a result are suffering from the consequences of their poor dietary choices -- not from some phantom flu virus!
The flu is nothing more than the body increasing temperature to improve circulation to remove excess acidity through perspiration, respiration, defication and urination.
Also, please keep in mind it doesn't take either traveling or holidays for someone to express the symptoms of Traveler's Acidic Consequence and/or Holiday Season Influenza.
All you need to do is consume excessive amounts of acidic meats, chocolate, ice cream, cake, alcohol or other thrillers. This can happen in the middle of a warm summer.
This coming Holiday Season may you resolve not to succumb to the acidic choices that lead to Traveler's Acidic Consequence and/or Holiday Season Influenza.
In love and healing Alkaline light,
Dr. Robert O. Young
1) Traveler's Acidic Consequence is a result of the sum total consumption and behaviors of a traveler during their more unusual or somewhat different from normal lifestyle than when they were not traveling.
A typical traveler's day will upset one's normal metabolism and digestive habits.
They eat and drink different foods at different times and different volumes than usual, which creates an over-acid state and a need for more alkaline buffers (bicarbonates) leading to indigestion, constipation, dehydration and further problems of acidity, depending on the degree of irregularity.
Traveler's Acidic Consequence is commonly blamed by allopathic medical science on a particular site on the traveler's path as if he caught something.
This current medical ideology is based on Pasteur's germ theory and is a scientific illusion.
The true cause of this condition is the result of the traveler's acidic dietary choices and the lack of alkaline hydration, nutrition and hygiene that can result in this over-acidic condition.
2) Holiday Season Influenza (The Flu) is a result of the sum total consumption and behaviors of a person during so-called holiday acidic feasting.
They will consume acidic foods and drinks that they know are not healthy or alkalizing, i.e., more sugar or sugar substitutes than normal, alcohol, meats and much of this at greater volumes than normal.
They become detrimentally influenced physically and emotionally by holiday acidic foods. Holiday Season Influenza is commonly blamed on a particular virus contracted from another person(s) and not from acidic lifestyle and dietary choices of that person.
Like the acidic traveler, a person chooses to consume on their own as many acidic foods and drinks during the holiday season and as a result are suffering from the consequences of their poor dietary choices -- not from some phantom flu virus!
The flu is nothing more than the body increasing temperature to improve circulation to remove excess acidity through perspiration, respiration, defication and urination.
Also, please keep in mind it doesn't take either traveling or holidays for someone to express the symptoms of Traveler's Acidic Consequence and/or Holiday Season Influenza.
All you need to do is consume excessive amounts of acidic meats, chocolate, ice cream, cake, alcohol or other thrillers. This can happen in the middle of a warm summer.
This coming Holiday Season may you resolve not to succumb to the acidic choices that lead to Traveler's Acidic Consequence and/or Holiday Season Influenza.
In love and healing Alkaline light,
Dr. Robert O. Young
Monday, December 11, 2006
Victim Count in Taco Bell E. coli Outbreak Still Rising
(HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials are still trying to determine the source of the E. coli outbreak linked to Taco Bell restaurants that has now sickened scores of people in at least six states.
And they predicted that the number of victims will rise in coming days, because symptoms of E. coli O157 infection sometimes don't appear for up to a week after eating contaminated food.
"Illnesses are still occurring," Dr. Christopher Braden, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news teleconference Friday afternoon. "The outbreak is still going on."
Reports of infections have spread beyond the initial outbreaks in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, to Delaware, South Carolina and Utah, CDC health officials said.
As of Friday afternoon, the CDC reported 63 confirmed cases of E. coli infection in six states.
New Jersey has 28 confirmed cases; New York has 22; Pennsylvania has 9, Delaware has 2, and South Carolina and Utah have one each, according to the CDC list.
But, state health department officials report that New Jersey also has 55 potential cases, and New York has 220, including 177 on Long Island, according to Bloomberg News.
Of the confirmed cases on the CDC list, 79 percent of the victims required hospitalization and 11 percent have developed a form of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome, the agency said.
Green onions have been considered a possible source of the infections but that still hasn't been confirmed, Braden added.
Besides testing vegetables, the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are examining cheese used at Taco Bell restaurants, said Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
"There is no data to implicate or rule out any food item," Acheson added during the teleconference, stressing that green onions haven't been confirmed as the source of the outbreak. The CDC and FDA are testing food samples from Taco Bell restaurants and from food distributors. Such samples are routinely set aside in case health problems arise, Acheson said.
Several laboratories are also testing food samples from Taco Bell restaurants, according to the CDC. Some of those preliminary tests have indicated the possible presence of E. coli O157 in samples of green onions, but the tests have not been confirmed.
Those tests have led officials to focus on Boskovich Farms in Oxnard, Calif., which grows the green onions for the supplier of Taco Bell, The New York Times reported Friday.
Earlier this week, Taco Bell removed the green onions, also called scallions, from its 5,800 restaurants nationwide. "We're focused on working with the authorities to find the root cause," said Rob Poetsch, a spokesman for Yum! Foods, which owns Taco Bell.
However, it still isn't clear if the green onions could have been contaminated at Boskovich Farms; at a Ready Pac Produce plant in Florence, N.J., where they were processed; or at a warehouse of McLane Foodservice in Burlington Township, N.J., which distributed them to Taco Bell outlets in eight northeastern states.
Laboratory testing found three samples of green onions that appeared to have a harsh strain of E. coli.
However, FDA spokesman Michael L. Herndon said, "All we have been given is presumptive evidence only from a contract lab whose results we can't confirm."
Federal authorities said Thursday that there were no plans to issue general warnings about green onions, the Associated Press reported.
Ready Pac is the sole supplier of green onions to Taco Bell. This is the second E. coli scare to hit Ready Pac in the past four months.
In September, spinach with the Ready Pac label was among the brands pulled from the shelves after federal authorities traced a nationwide E. coli outbreak to a Natural Selections processing plant that bags Ready Pac fresh spinach, the AP said. That outbreak sickened 199 people in 26 states and Canada and left three dead.
Also in September, an outbreak of salmonella was traced to tomatoes served in restaurants. The outbreak sickened 183 people in 21 states, as well as two people in Canada.
Meanwhile, the first lawsuit stemming from the latest E. coli outbreak has been filed, by the family of an 11-year-old Long Island boy who got sick after eating at a Long Island Taco Bell. The suit against Taco Bell seeks an undisclosed amount in damages.
One expert thinks the recent spate of food-borne problems is a sign of new dangers in the U.S. food production and distribution system, which has become increasingly mechanized.
"This [the latest E. coli outbreak] is one of a series of outbreaks, which represent a change in the pattern of food-borne outbreaks," said Dr. Pascal James Imperato, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and director of the Master of Public Health Program at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Previously, E. coli contamination occurred at the place where food was served as opposed to the source of growing and production, Imperato said. "This outbreak and the spinach outbreak are really a newer development. We are now seeing contamination at the source of production," said Imperato, a former New York City health commissioner.
Since growing and distributing vegetables has become an "agribusiness," with fewer but larger growers, processors and distributors, there's more chance of contamination, Imperato added. Contamination can occur from irrigation, which can spread E. coli from neighboring animal grazing lots, and during the packaging in large plants. And that packaging increasingly relies on plastic bags, which create an ideal environment for bacteria such as E. colito grow, he explained.
Imperato said he thought the only solution to the problem is increased government oversight and regulation.
Currently, the FDA is responsible for monitoring produce and seafood, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture has oversight for meat and poultry. But, while the FDA has published sanitary standards for produce farmers, the agency has no regulatory authority to enforce those standards. Also, the FDA has few inspectors to even observe the level of voluntary compliance to those standards, Imperato said.
"It's going to require more rigorous oversight and the implantation and adherence to standards from the time the crop is grown in the field through the entire processing of the product and its distribution," he added.
Acheson agreed that new farming and distribution practices have increased the risk for contamination. Given the latest outbreak and the spinach problem in September, "it's fairly clear that something needs to changed," he said.
New regulation may be a part of the solution, Acheson said. But, he added, more may have to be done, including changing some farming and processing practices.
E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Although most strains are harmless, this strain produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness, such as bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. The symptoms usually clear up within five to 10 days, according to the CDC.
More information
For more on the latest E. coli outbreak, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And they predicted that the number of victims will rise in coming days, because symptoms of E. coli O157 infection sometimes don't appear for up to a week after eating contaminated food.
"Illnesses are still occurring," Dr. Christopher Braden, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news teleconference Friday afternoon. "The outbreak is still going on."
Reports of infections have spread beyond the initial outbreaks in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, to Delaware, South Carolina and Utah, CDC health officials said.
As of Friday afternoon, the CDC reported 63 confirmed cases of E. coli infection in six states.
New Jersey has 28 confirmed cases; New York has 22; Pennsylvania has 9, Delaware has 2, and South Carolina and Utah have one each, according to the CDC list.
But, state health department officials report that New Jersey also has 55 potential cases, and New York has 220, including 177 on Long Island, according to Bloomberg News.
Of the confirmed cases on the CDC list, 79 percent of the victims required hospitalization and 11 percent have developed a form of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome, the agency said.
Green onions have been considered a possible source of the infections but that still hasn't been confirmed, Braden added.
Besides testing vegetables, the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are examining cheese used at Taco Bell restaurants, said Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
"There is no data to implicate or rule out any food item," Acheson added during the teleconference, stressing that green onions haven't been confirmed as the source of the outbreak. The CDC and FDA are testing food samples from Taco Bell restaurants and from food distributors. Such samples are routinely set aside in case health problems arise, Acheson said.
Several laboratories are also testing food samples from Taco Bell restaurants, according to the CDC. Some of those preliminary tests have indicated the possible presence of E. coli O157 in samples of green onions, but the tests have not been confirmed.
Those tests have led officials to focus on Boskovich Farms in Oxnard, Calif., which grows the green onions for the supplier of Taco Bell, The New York Times reported Friday.
Earlier this week, Taco Bell removed the green onions, also called scallions, from its 5,800 restaurants nationwide. "We're focused on working with the authorities to find the root cause," said Rob Poetsch, a spokesman for Yum! Foods, which owns Taco Bell.
However, it still isn't clear if the green onions could have been contaminated at Boskovich Farms; at a Ready Pac Produce plant in Florence, N.J., where they were processed; or at a warehouse of McLane Foodservice in Burlington Township, N.J., which distributed them to Taco Bell outlets in eight northeastern states.
Laboratory testing found three samples of green onions that appeared to have a harsh strain of E. coli.
However, FDA spokesman Michael L. Herndon said, "All we have been given is presumptive evidence only from a contract lab whose results we can't confirm."
Federal authorities said Thursday that there were no plans to issue general warnings about green onions, the Associated Press reported.
Ready Pac is the sole supplier of green onions to Taco Bell. This is the second E. coli scare to hit Ready Pac in the past four months.
In September, spinach with the Ready Pac label was among the brands pulled from the shelves after federal authorities traced a nationwide E. coli outbreak to a Natural Selections processing plant that bags Ready Pac fresh spinach, the AP said. That outbreak sickened 199 people in 26 states and Canada and left three dead.
Also in September, an outbreak of salmonella was traced to tomatoes served in restaurants. The outbreak sickened 183 people in 21 states, as well as two people in Canada.
Meanwhile, the first lawsuit stemming from the latest E. coli outbreak has been filed, by the family of an 11-year-old Long Island boy who got sick after eating at a Long Island Taco Bell. The suit against Taco Bell seeks an undisclosed amount in damages.
One expert thinks the recent spate of food-borne problems is a sign of new dangers in the U.S. food production and distribution system, which has become increasingly mechanized.
"This [the latest E. coli outbreak] is one of a series of outbreaks, which represent a change in the pattern of food-borne outbreaks," said Dr. Pascal James Imperato, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and director of the Master of Public Health Program at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Previously, E. coli contamination occurred at the place where food was served as opposed to the source of growing and production, Imperato said. "This outbreak and the spinach outbreak are really a newer development. We are now seeing contamination at the source of production," said Imperato, a former New York City health commissioner.
Since growing and distributing vegetables has become an "agribusiness," with fewer but larger growers, processors and distributors, there's more chance of contamination, Imperato added. Contamination can occur from irrigation, which can spread E. coli from neighboring animal grazing lots, and during the packaging in large plants. And that packaging increasingly relies on plastic bags, which create an ideal environment for bacteria such as E. colito grow, he explained.
Imperato said he thought the only solution to the problem is increased government oversight and regulation.
Currently, the FDA is responsible for monitoring produce and seafood, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture has oversight for meat and poultry. But, while the FDA has published sanitary standards for produce farmers, the agency has no regulatory authority to enforce those standards. Also, the FDA has few inspectors to even observe the level of voluntary compliance to those standards, Imperato said.
"It's going to require more rigorous oversight and the implantation and adherence to standards from the time the crop is grown in the field through the entire processing of the product and its distribution," he added.
Acheson agreed that new farming and distribution practices have increased the risk for contamination. Given the latest outbreak and the spinach problem in September, "it's fairly clear that something needs to changed," he said.
New regulation may be a part of the solution, Acheson said. But, he added, more may have to be done, including changing some farming and processing practices.
E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Although most strains are harmless, this strain produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness, such as bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. The symptoms usually clear up within five to 10 days, according to the CDC.
More information
For more on the latest E. coli outbreak, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
BodyLogicMD Offers Botox, Hormone Therapy and Skin Care Services
Chicago Practice Combines Medical and Holistic Approach
CHICAGO, IL--(MARKET WIRE)--Oct 3, 2006 -- With new medspas, skin care clinics and anti-aging centers opening every day, there are more choices than ever in reversing or preventing the signs of aging.
With Botox(TM) being one of the most popular treatments for those wanting to decrease the look of visible lines and wrinkles, doctors are quickly adding the procedure and offering it to their patients. But these doctors do not all have the specialty of hormone therapy under their belt, which can greatly improve the look and feel of skin when combined with Botox(TM).
Dr. Paul Savage of BodyLogicMD, a national network of doctors specializing in hormone therapy and skincare, is leading the pack by offering a skin treatment program that combines Botox(TM) with hormone therapy.
"While Botox(TM) is great for treating lines and wrinkles, integrating it with hormone therapy will produce an overall improvement in the skin," says Dr. Savage, the Chief Medical Officer of both Chicago-area BodyLogicMD offices and co-founder of BodyLogicMD. "As the Botox is smoothing the face and giving it a younger appearance, the hormone therapy is treating aging skin by adding hydration, improving collagen and elastins -- and balance from the inside out."
With the skin being the largest organ in the body and one of the most important, balanced hormones are crucial to healthy skin. By offering a complete package of skin care and hormone evaluations, Dr. Savage is able to treat skin problems from a superficial approach, while simultaneously treating the multiple causes of hormonal imbalances.
"Here at BodyLogicMD, we believe in a holistic approach to skin care," says Dr. Savage. "We use medical grade skin care formulas integrated with organic skin care lines and organic microdermabrasion."
The Experts
Trained under Dr. Savage are two expert aestheticians treating patients with BodyLogicMD skin services. Susan Anthony has been a leader in the aesthetics industry for the past ten years. Originally from Burmouth, England, Susan trained at one of the most prestigious schools in England where she mastered the art of skin care and nutrition. Her natural leadership skills have led her to work with some of the most world-renowned board-certified plastic surgeons.
At BodyLogicMD, Susan is committed to provide her clients not only the spa experience, but also an education that the true quality of skin care is a culture from within. "Beautiful skin is a balance of external procedures and lifestyle choices including nutrition, exercise and spirit," Susan explains.
Justyna Leniartek has been a leader in the beauty industry for more than ten years. She found her passion for making others look and feel beautiful when she started to have problems with her own skin, and became fascinated with skin care. She then decided to get her aesthetician's license and passionately embarked on a career in helping others achieve beautiful, healthy skin. Throughout her career as a skin care specialist, Justyna worked for many prominent institutions, including several board-certified plastic surgeons, where she became educated in medical aesthetics.
Today, Justyna has taken her experience and knowledge to BodyLogicMD where she is dedicated to providing the best possible service to each client. "Our mission is not only to provide the best customer service in the industry," Justyna explains, "but to educate and customize a unique program designed specifically for that client. Skincare is a lifestyle, and we want to stress that to everyone who comes through our doors."
About Dr. Paul Savage
Dr. Paul Savage is the founder of BodyLogicMD, a nationwide network of physicians specializing in bioidentical hormone therapy. Dr. Savage received his medical degree from the University of Michigan and is double board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He owns the Chicago-based BodyLogicMD practices.
About BodyLogicMD
Founded in 2003, BodyLogicMD offers bioidentical hormone therapy, nutrition and fitness to women and men. Its nationwide network of anti-aging physicians helps those suffering from hormonal imbalance, menopause and andropause.
BodyLogicMD
Chicago and locations include:
150 E. Huron Street, Suite 802Chicago, IL 60611
For appointments and information call (866) 535-2563 384
E. Irving Park RoadRoselle, IL 60172
For appointments and information call (866) 535-2563
For more information visit http://www.bodylogicmd.com
CHICAGO, IL--(MARKET WIRE)--Oct 3, 2006 -- With new medspas, skin care clinics and anti-aging centers opening every day, there are more choices than ever in reversing or preventing the signs of aging.
With Botox(TM) being one of the most popular treatments for those wanting to decrease the look of visible lines and wrinkles, doctors are quickly adding the procedure and offering it to their patients. But these doctors do not all have the specialty of hormone therapy under their belt, which can greatly improve the look and feel of skin when combined with Botox(TM).
Dr. Paul Savage of BodyLogicMD, a national network of doctors specializing in hormone therapy and skincare, is leading the pack by offering a skin treatment program that combines Botox(TM) with hormone therapy.
"While Botox(TM) is great for treating lines and wrinkles, integrating it with hormone therapy will produce an overall improvement in the skin," says Dr. Savage, the Chief Medical Officer of both Chicago-area BodyLogicMD offices and co-founder of BodyLogicMD. "As the Botox is smoothing the face and giving it a younger appearance, the hormone therapy is treating aging skin by adding hydration, improving collagen and elastins -- and balance from the inside out."
With the skin being the largest organ in the body and one of the most important, balanced hormones are crucial to healthy skin. By offering a complete package of skin care and hormone evaluations, Dr. Savage is able to treat skin problems from a superficial approach, while simultaneously treating the multiple causes of hormonal imbalances.
"Here at BodyLogicMD, we believe in a holistic approach to skin care," says Dr. Savage. "We use medical grade skin care formulas integrated with organic skin care lines and organic microdermabrasion."
The Experts
Trained under Dr. Savage are two expert aestheticians treating patients with BodyLogicMD skin services. Susan Anthony has been a leader in the aesthetics industry for the past ten years. Originally from Burmouth, England, Susan trained at one of the most prestigious schools in England where she mastered the art of skin care and nutrition. Her natural leadership skills have led her to work with some of the most world-renowned board-certified plastic surgeons.
At BodyLogicMD, Susan is committed to provide her clients not only the spa experience, but also an education that the true quality of skin care is a culture from within. "Beautiful skin is a balance of external procedures and lifestyle choices including nutrition, exercise and spirit," Susan explains.
Justyna Leniartek has been a leader in the beauty industry for more than ten years. She found her passion for making others look and feel beautiful when she started to have problems with her own skin, and became fascinated with skin care. She then decided to get her aesthetician's license and passionately embarked on a career in helping others achieve beautiful, healthy skin. Throughout her career as a skin care specialist, Justyna worked for many prominent institutions, including several board-certified plastic surgeons, where she became educated in medical aesthetics.
Today, Justyna has taken her experience and knowledge to BodyLogicMD where she is dedicated to providing the best possible service to each client. "Our mission is not only to provide the best customer service in the industry," Justyna explains, "but to educate and customize a unique program designed specifically for that client. Skincare is a lifestyle, and we want to stress that to everyone who comes through our doors."
About Dr. Paul Savage
Dr. Paul Savage is the founder of BodyLogicMD, a nationwide network of physicians specializing in bioidentical hormone therapy. Dr. Savage received his medical degree from the University of Michigan and is double board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He owns the Chicago-based BodyLogicMD practices.
About BodyLogicMD
Founded in 2003, BodyLogicMD offers bioidentical hormone therapy, nutrition and fitness to women and men. Its nationwide network of anti-aging physicians helps those suffering from hormonal imbalance, menopause and andropause.
BodyLogicMD
Chicago and locations include:
150 E. Huron Street, Suite 802Chicago, IL 60611
For appointments and information call (866) 535-2563 384
E. Irving Park RoadRoselle, IL 60172
For appointments and information call (866) 535-2563
For more information visit http://www.bodylogicmd.com
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Nine Ayurvedic Dietary Must-Dos
The single most important thing you can do for your health every day of the year is to eat wisely. Food is just as, or even more, powerful than medicine. If you do not eat the right foods, and do not follow good eating habits, medicine won't be of much use in recouping health. On the other hand, if you eat the right foods for your physiology, and follow a good routine that enhances digestion, your body will not need medicine for the most part.
Here are nine dietary suggestions from The Council of Ayurveda Physicians:
1. Eat naturally intelligent foods. Did you know that close to three-quarters of the products sold by grocery stores in the United States contain genetically modified ingredients? Or that many of the chemicals and pesticides used in growing foods have been linked to numerous diseases? Processed foods, genetically modified foods, and foods to which additives or artificial preservatives have been added are no longer alive with the intelligence of nature. According to ayurveda, the human physiology is a reflection of the laws of the universe, and the more in tune our lives are with nature, the healthier we are likely to be. Our body possesses the natural intelligence to process those foods best that are closest to nature--whole grains, organically grown vegetables and fruits, wildcrafted herbs. Help your digestion function optimally by choosing organic foods when possible--your health is worth the added effort and cost.2. Shun food fads. Every day the media report a new research study on a specific food or drink or a new diet that is guaranteed to work. Keeping up with the latest on what to eat or how or when can be a challenge. After all that, what works for a million other people may still not be right for you. Listen to your own physiology, and include a sensible mix of various types of foods in your diet so that you are getting the nutrition your body needs. The recommended midday ayurvedic meal includes whole grains, lentils, vegetables cooked with spices and lassi, a drink made by combining fresh yogurt with water, for balanced nourishment. Rotate your menus. Vary cooking methods--sauté, steam, boil, roast, bake--eating should be an adventure, not a chore. Food fads and roller-coaster diets end up doing more harm than good, starving the body of balanced nutrition and nourishment needed to build healthy cells and tissues.
3. Opt for lots of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain lots of phytonutrients, and a variety of sense-pleasing colors, tastes and textures. Ayurveda has always recommended eating lots of fruits and vegetables, not only for their nutritional value, but also because they are fine natural internal cleansers. Modern research concurs that fruits and vegetables are powerful disease-prevention foods--in fact, it is now recommended that you eat nine servings of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables a day to prevent cancer and other free radical induced diseases. The specific food guidelines for Vata, Pitta and Kapha can help you pick a variety of fruits and vegetables suited to your physiology and the season. Vegetables do not, necessarily, have to be cooked as separate dishes--add them to grains, stuff them in breads, toss them in stews and soups-there's always room for your favorite veggies in every dish. Start your day with stewed apples or pears. Eat a handful of berries for your mid-afternoon snack. Ayurveda's Mango and Peach Chutneys can brighten up any meal.4. Be spice-wise. Why choose mustard and ketchup to tickle your palate at every meal when there is a world of aromatic spices to choose from? Spices not only add flavor and aroma; they also bring therapeutic value to your meal. There are over a thousand research studies that have been done just on turmeric. Spices help boost natural immunity, and most of them rev up your digestion so that your body is better able to absorb and assimilate the nutrients from the foods you eat. If you are new to the world of spices and aren't quite sure what to choose, try one of the ready-to-use Churnas from Ayurveda, or browse the special editions of our Total Health newsletters for spice mixtures and spice/herb waters for different health goals.5. Give your digestive system a break. According to ayurveda, the build-up of ama -digestive toxins-in the physiology is the root cause of most disorders. That's why ayurveda recommends internal cleansing at every change of seasons for optimal health. Detoxing is particularly recommended in the early spring, because that is the time nature starts the annual cycle of regeneration as well. During internal cleansing, eat light yet nourishing foods such as mung bean soup or kitcheree and drink lots of warm water through the day. Sip detoxifying tea or ama pachana water. Fresh, sweet juicy fruits are excellent cleansers. Take Elim-Tox or Elim-Tox-O from Ayurveda for gentle full-body cleansing and Herbal Cleanse or Digest Tone to aid elimination. Periodic internal cleansing gets rid of accumulated junk from inside the body and revs up the digestion for another season.6. Drink to your health. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and carbonated soft drinks and switch to life-giving, vitality-boosting beverages this year. Start with water, that most basic yet most overlooked drink-drinking lots of water through the day helps to rehydrate your system and flush toxins out of the body. Water that has been boiled and cooled has the added healing element of fire in it. Don't drink water ice-cold--if you have a lot of Pitta to balance, drink it cool, otherwise room temperature or warm water is best. Spiking your drinking water with herbs and spices suited to your physiology or a mix of herbs and whole spices designed to correct a specific imbalance can enhance the healing quality of the water you drink. Raja's Cup from Ayurveda comes with antioxidant power as well as rich coffee flavor, Almond Energy offers a quick pick-me-up when you are feeling fatigued, and a wide range of therapeutic Herbal Teas offers comfort any time of day or night. At bedtime, drink a cup of warm milk, boiled and cooled for added digestibility, blended with a spoonful of Rose Petal Preserve or with a pinch of cardamom or nutmeg to aid sleep.7. Cultivate good eating habits. Our lifestyle these days is generally not conducive to good digestion. Eating on the go, eating while working, skipping meals and eating "junk" foods are all too common improper eating habits. You can add life to your years as well as years to your life by following a good eating routine. Eat three regular meals at about the same times each day. Make lunch your main meal of the day--eating a heavy meal at night taxes your digestion and disrupts sleep. Cook and eat fresh food-leftovers are "dead" foods from the perspective of ayurveda, offering only substance, not sustenance. Practice deep breathing for a couple of minutes before you start a meal. Say thanks for the food you eat. Sit quietly for a few minutes after a meal. Small things, but they add up to good health and longevity.8. Eat for your soul. Total health goes beyond physical wellness to well-being in mind, spirit, emotions and senses as well. According to ayurveda, the food you eat can nourish or vitiate all of these aspects of health, not just your physical health. Cooking or eating when you are angry or stressed can turn the food into poison. Cooking and eating in a saatvic, harmonious, atmosphere, on the other hand, turns the food into nectar. Pleasant aromatherapy, soothing or uplifting music playing softly in the background, a tidy, cheerful dining table, and the nurturing company of friends or family can make mealtimes nourishing for your mind, emotions, senses and spirit. Try eating in silence sometimes-the total focus on your food can turn the meal into a feast, no matter how simple the fare. You'll find yourself relishing colors, textures, aromas and flavors in an eating experience that is optimal for health.9. Experiment. If you find yourself eating the same dishes several times a week, or your food shopping-list has the same items in it every time you shop, you need to break out of the rut you are in, and experiment with new foods and flavors. Resolve to try at least one new recipe a week.
Here are nine dietary suggestions from The Council of Ayurveda Physicians:
1. Eat naturally intelligent foods. Did you know that close to three-quarters of the products sold by grocery stores in the United States contain genetically modified ingredients? Or that many of the chemicals and pesticides used in growing foods have been linked to numerous diseases? Processed foods, genetically modified foods, and foods to which additives or artificial preservatives have been added are no longer alive with the intelligence of nature. According to ayurveda, the human physiology is a reflection of the laws of the universe, and the more in tune our lives are with nature, the healthier we are likely to be. Our body possesses the natural intelligence to process those foods best that are closest to nature--whole grains, organically grown vegetables and fruits, wildcrafted herbs. Help your digestion function optimally by choosing organic foods when possible--your health is worth the added effort and cost.2. Shun food fads. Every day the media report a new research study on a specific food or drink or a new diet that is guaranteed to work. Keeping up with the latest on what to eat or how or when can be a challenge. After all that, what works for a million other people may still not be right for you. Listen to your own physiology, and include a sensible mix of various types of foods in your diet so that you are getting the nutrition your body needs. The recommended midday ayurvedic meal includes whole grains, lentils, vegetables cooked with spices and lassi, a drink made by combining fresh yogurt with water, for balanced nourishment. Rotate your menus. Vary cooking methods--sauté, steam, boil, roast, bake--eating should be an adventure, not a chore. Food fads and roller-coaster diets end up doing more harm than good, starving the body of balanced nutrition and nourishment needed to build healthy cells and tissues.
3. Opt for lots of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain lots of phytonutrients, and a variety of sense-pleasing colors, tastes and textures. Ayurveda has always recommended eating lots of fruits and vegetables, not only for their nutritional value, but also because they are fine natural internal cleansers. Modern research concurs that fruits and vegetables are powerful disease-prevention foods--in fact, it is now recommended that you eat nine servings of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables a day to prevent cancer and other free radical induced diseases. The specific food guidelines for Vata, Pitta and Kapha can help you pick a variety of fruits and vegetables suited to your physiology and the season. Vegetables do not, necessarily, have to be cooked as separate dishes--add them to grains, stuff them in breads, toss them in stews and soups-there's always room for your favorite veggies in every dish. Start your day with stewed apples or pears. Eat a handful of berries for your mid-afternoon snack. Ayurveda's Mango and Peach Chutneys can brighten up any meal.4. Be spice-wise. Why choose mustard and ketchup to tickle your palate at every meal when there is a world of aromatic spices to choose from? Spices not only add flavor and aroma; they also bring therapeutic value to your meal. There are over a thousand research studies that have been done just on turmeric. Spices help boost natural immunity, and most of them rev up your digestion so that your body is better able to absorb and assimilate the nutrients from the foods you eat. If you are new to the world of spices and aren't quite sure what to choose, try one of the ready-to-use Churnas from Ayurveda, or browse the special editions of our Total Health newsletters for spice mixtures and spice/herb waters for different health goals.5. Give your digestive system a break. According to ayurveda, the build-up of ama -digestive toxins-in the physiology is the root cause of most disorders. That's why ayurveda recommends internal cleansing at every change of seasons for optimal health. Detoxing is particularly recommended in the early spring, because that is the time nature starts the annual cycle of regeneration as well. During internal cleansing, eat light yet nourishing foods such as mung bean soup or kitcheree and drink lots of warm water through the day. Sip detoxifying tea or ama pachana water. Fresh, sweet juicy fruits are excellent cleansers. Take Elim-Tox or Elim-Tox-O from Ayurveda for gentle full-body cleansing and Herbal Cleanse or Digest Tone to aid elimination. Periodic internal cleansing gets rid of accumulated junk from inside the body and revs up the digestion for another season.6. Drink to your health. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and carbonated soft drinks and switch to life-giving, vitality-boosting beverages this year. Start with water, that most basic yet most overlooked drink-drinking lots of water through the day helps to rehydrate your system and flush toxins out of the body. Water that has been boiled and cooled has the added healing element of fire in it. Don't drink water ice-cold--if you have a lot of Pitta to balance, drink it cool, otherwise room temperature or warm water is best. Spiking your drinking water with herbs and spices suited to your physiology or a mix of herbs and whole spices designed to correct a specific imbalance can enhance the healing quality of the water you drink. Raja's Cup from Ayurveda comes with antioxidant power as well as rich coffee flavor, Almond Energy offers a quick pick-me-up when you are feeling fatigued, and a wide range of therapeutic Herbal Teas offers comfort any time of day or night. At bedtime, drink a cup of warm milk, boiled and cooled for added digestibility, blended with a spoonful of Rose Petal Preserve or with a pinch of cardamom or nutmeg to aid sleep.7. Cultivate good eating habits. Our lifestyle these days is generally not conducive to good digestion. Eating on the go, eating while working, skipping meals and eating "junk" foods are all too common improper eating habits. You can add life to your years as well as years to your life by following a good eating routine. Eat three regular meals at about the same times each day. Make lunch your main meal of the day--eating a heavy meal at night taxes your digestion and disrupts sleep. Cook and eat fresh food-leftovers are "dead" foods from the perspective of ayurveda, offering only substance, not sustenance. Practice deep breathing for a couple of minutes before you start a meal. Say thanks for the food you eat. Sit quietly for a few minutes after a meal. Small things, but they add up to good health and longevity.8. Eat for your soul. Total health goes beyond physical wellness to well-being in mind, spirit, emotions and senses as well. According to ayurveda, the food you eat can nourish or vitiate all of these aspects of health, not just your physical health. Cooking or eating when you are angry or stressed can turn the food into poison. Cooking and eating in a saatvic, harmonious, atmosphere, on the other hand, turns the food into nectar. Pleasant aromatherapy, soothing or uplifting music playing softly in the background, a tidy, cheerful dining table, and the nurturing company of friends or family can make mealtimes nourishing for your mind, emotions, senses and spirit. Try eating in silence sometimes-the total focus on your food can turn the meal into a feast, no matter how simple the fare. You'll find yourself relishing colors, textures, aromas and flavors in an eating experience that is optimal for health.9. Experiment. If you find yourself eating the same dishes several times a week, or your food shopping-list has the same items in it every time you shop, you need to break out of the rut you are in, and experiment with new foods and flavors. Resolve to try at least one new recipe a week.
Nutrition Question: Standardized Food Chart
QUESTION: Why doesn't Ayurveda recommend a standardized food chart, which can simply tell me I need x milligrams of calcium per day or y milligrams of Vitamin C and so on?
ANSWER: Ayurveda sees nutrition as a choice based on an individual's unique tastes and imbalances. The logic is simple. We are all made differently. Our energies, moods, emotions, actions, and reactions are unique to us.
Even in the same family, one person may love to eat Chinese food, while another could have absolutely no taste for it. Similarly, one person might not be able to tolerate cold weather, while another would be happy out skiing in February.
Now this obviously means that our bodies have an innate intelligence of their own, which decides what kind of clothing they need, what kind of food is suitable for them, what kind of activities they would like to pursue.
Quite simply, a healthy body is blessed with plenty of natural intelligence--you could also call it strong natural immunity--and will love what is good for it. But if there is an imbalance, then the body--or rather, the senses--will crave things that are harmful rather than healing to us. For example, a person prone to Pitta-related imbalances like skin eruptions should ideally avoid hot, spicy foods. But if that person's physiology is ridden with dosha imbalances, then he or she will not be able to resist eating spicy curries.
Therefore, The Council of Ayurveda Physicians recommends that your diet be intuitive--based on a good understanding of your tastes and of foods that bring you both good taste and good nutrition.
In his insightful book Contemporary Ayurveda, Dr Hari Sharma makes an interesting observation about the American diet: "The typical American diet," observes Sharma, "under-represents the pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes, and overemphasizes the sweet taste, as well as the salty and sour.
These three tastes increase Kapha dosha, which is part of how Ayurveda would explain the prevalence of obesity (a Kapha imbalance) in the West."
The best way to ensure you get a "complete" diet is to try and get all six flavors on your plate--sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent.
Add flavor and healing nutrients to your food by cooking them with Ayurveda's Churnas. Blended in precise proportions to ensure dosha balance, these spice-mixes are both delicious and versatile.
On the whole, the balance of tastes ideal for your individual constitution depends on your prakriti or original combination of doshic energies, and vikriti--the imbalances you are trying to correct at any point in time. Consult a vaidya for guidance on foods that would work best for you; then browse our recipe section for hundreds of recipes and tips on what to eat and how to cook ayurvedically.
ANSWER: Ayurveda sees nutrition as a choice based on an individual's unique tastes and imbalances. The logic is simple. We are all made differently. Our energies, moods, emotions, actions, and reactions are unique to us.
Even in the same family, one person may love to eat Chinese food, while another could have absolutely no taste for it. Similarly, one person might not be able to tolerate cold weather, while another would be happy out skiing in February.
Now this obviously means that our bodies have an innate intelligence of their own, which decides what kind of clothing they need, what kind of food is suitable for them, what kind of activities they would like to pursue.
Quite simply, a healthy body is blessed with plenty of natural intelligence--you could also call it strong natural immunity--and will love what is good for it. But if there is an imbalance, then the body--or rather, the senses--will crave things that are harmful rather than healing to us. For example, a person prone to Pitta-related imbalances like skin eruptions should ideally avoid hot, spicy foods. But if that person's physiology is ridden with dosha imbalances, then he or she will not be able to resist eating spicy curries.
Therefore, The Council of Ayurveda Physicians recommends that your diet be intuitive--based on a good understanding of your tastes and of foods that bring you both good taste and good nutrition.
In his insightful book Contemporary Ayurveda, Dr Hari Sharma makes an interesting observation about the American diet: "The typical American diet," observes Sharma, "under-represents the pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes, and overemphasizes the sweet taste, as well as the salty and sour.
These three tastes increase Kapha dosha, which is part of how Ayurveda would explain the prevalence of obesity (a Kapha imbalance) in the West."
The best way to ensure you get a "complete" diet is to try and get all six flavors on your plate--sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent.
Add flavor and healing nutrients to your food by cooking them with Ayurveda's Churnas. Blended in precise proportions to ensure dosha balance, these spice-mixes are both delicious and versatile.
On the whole, the balance of tastes ideal for your individual constitution depends on your prakriti or original combination of doshic energies, and vikriti--the imbalances you are trying to correct at any point in time. Consult a vaidya for guidance on foods that would work best for you; then browse our recipe section for hundreds of recipes and tips on what to eat and how to cook ayurvedically.
Ayurvedic Comfort Foods
What do you think of when you hear the words "comfort food"? Mashed potatoes and gravy at Thanksgiving, Rocky Road ice-cream in the middle of the night or cream donuts for breakfast? That may be what you crave, but these foods won't comfort you very long; in fact, they may even cause discomfort in your digestion. How about a warm soup or rice pudding? Real comfort foods are nutritious, nurturing, wholesome and satisfying. According to ayurveda, they should also be intelligent, and balance the mind and body.
Ingest nature's intelligence with your foodThe food you eat should be lively. Fresh, organic, home-cooked food has the power to carry nature's intelligence to your brain and body. These foods are called triptighna, which means they are satisfying and nourishing. Preserved, frozen, processed foods and leftovers, on the other hand, are triptighna: foods that leave your body unsatisfied and craving for more. Since these junk foods are void of intelligence they cannot support the intelligence of the physiology, so you end up eating more and craving for more without ever getting nourished or fulfilled. What's more, you can easily gain weight this way.
Cooked food versus raw foodWhile we want to preserve the intelligence of our ingredients, we also want to make them digestible. That's where cooking comes in, which inserts agni, digestive fire, in our food so we can digest and assimilate it properly. Certain food items, such us grains, beans and dahls should always be eaten cooked. Most vegetables are also more beneficial cooked, and some of them, such as spinach, chard, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, should never be eaten raw. Milk is another item that can be hard to digest so ayurveda recommends always boiling it with some cardamom and cinnamon. Make sure, however, not to overcook or burn anything. Add some ghee or olive oil, water and spices to protect nature's intelligence. You don't have to cook everything and skip salads entirely. Juicy vegetables, such as cucumber and lettuces, can be refreshing for lunch in the summer but stay away from them at night and in the winter since they can aggravate Vata. Also, if your digestive fire is weak, stay away from sprouts. Fruits are also good raw during the day. In the morning, a stewed apple is best to stimulate the digestive system.
Use spice-powerIn addition to their delicious taste, spices can greatly increase the intelligence of your meals. They also help with digestion and assimilation. To bring the most out of them, cook them with your food or sauté them in ghee and add them to your meals. For best assimilation of the benefits of therapeutic spices, eat them cooked, instead of sprinkling raw spices over foods. Ayurvedic spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, saffron, cinnamon and cardamom offer rich and varied aroma and flavor besides helping to balance different doshas and enhancing the metabolism. They can transform simple dishes into feasts for all your senses, providing fulfillment and contentment from meals.
Stop the cravingsThe first thing you can do to avoid feelings of false hunger and cravings is to increase the intelligence in your meals by eating, fresh, home-made meals, and avoiding "junk" foods. You also need to eat a variety of foods with all six tastes. Make sure to eat sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent foods to satisfy the body. Cooked food is also more nourishing than raw foods. Raw foods are harder to digest and can diminish agni. When agni is weak, the body creates ama (accumulated toxins), which clogs the channels and prevents the body from receiving nutrients from food. This, in the end, results in cravings. Ayurveda also encourages portion control. Eat enough but don't overeat. Your stomach should be two-thirds full after main meals.
Sweets for the heartEmotional downs are the result of an imbalance in Sadhaka Pitta, the subdosha that governs the heart. The sweet taste pacifies pitta, which explains our cravings for sweets. But before you reach for cookies or chocolate, think for a moment. Although these foods provide the sweet taste, they lack the intelligence to carry it to your brain, which won't register it and the craving won't stop. Try a piece of sweet, juicy fruit, soaked dates or raisins, rice pudding, milk-date shakes or mango shakes. Ayurveda Rose Petal Preserve is also a great pitta-pacifying sweet. These healthy foods will deliver to the brain and heart what they need and leave you satisfied.
Foods to pacify worriesWorries and mental imbalance are the result of aggravated Vata dosha. To calm the mind, eat easy-to-digest, nourishing meals and use spices such as black pepper, cumin and coriander to open the channels of the brain. In addition to the above-mentioned sweets, walnuts, almonds and coconut milk are especially supportive for the mind. The Ayurveda Worry Free Tablets and Tea are also helpful in enhancing the connection between the mind and the body. The new Worry Free Spice Mix will increase the intelligence of foods by supporting the transportation of nutrients to the brain. These spices also help open up the channels of the mind, heart and the rest of the physiology.
Realizing that junk foods will not satisfy your body is the first step in beating the cravings. With a little attention you can switch to healthier options and receive more nutrition, which will decrease your desire for unintelligent snacks. A well-nourished body is only hungry for healthy food!
Ingest nature's intelligence with your foodThe food you eat should be lively. Fresh, organic, home-cooked food has the power to carry nature's intelligence to your brain and body. These foods are called triptighna, which means they are satisfying and nourishing. Preserved, frozen, processed foods and leftovers, on the other hand, are triptighna: foods that leave your body unsatisfied and craving for more. Since these junk foods are void of intelligence they cannot support the intelligence of the physiology, so you end up eating more and craving for more without ever getting nourished or fulfilled. What's more, you can easily gain weight this way.
Cooked food versus raw foodWhile we want to preserve the intelligence of our ingredients, we also want to make them digestible. That's where cooking comes in, which inserts agni, digestive fire, in our food so we can digest and assimilate it properly. Certain food items, such us grains, beans and dahls should always be eaten cooked. Most vegetables are also more beneficial cooked, and some of them, such as spinach, chard, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, should never be eaten raw. Milk is another item that can be hard to digest so ayurveda recommends always boiling it with some cardamom and cinnamon. Make sure, however, not to overcook or burn anything. Add some ghee or olive oil, water and spices to protect nature's intelligence. You don't have to cook everything and skip salads entirely. Juicy vegetables, such as cucumber and lettuces, can be refreshing for lunch in the summer but stay away from them at night and in the winter since they can aggravate Vata. Also, if your digestive fire is weak, stay away from sprouts. Fruits are also good raw during the day. In the morning, a stewed apple is best to stimulate the digestive system.
Use spice-powerIn addition to their delicious taste, spices can greatly increase the intelligence of your meals. They also help with digestion and assimilation. To bring the most out of them, cook them with your food or sauté them in ghee and add them to your meals. For best assimilation of the benefits of therapeutic spices, eat them cooked, instead of sprinkling raw spices over foods. Ayurvedic spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, saffron, cinnamon and cardamom offer rich and varied aroma and flavor besides helping to balance different doshas and enhancing the metabolism. They can transform simple dishes into feasts for all your senses, providing fulfillment and contentment from meals.
Stop the cravingsThe first thing you can do to avoid feelings of false hunger and cravings is to increase the intelligence in your meals by eating, fresh, home-made meals, and avoiding "junk" foods. You also need to eat a variety of foods with all six tastes. Make sure to eat sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent foods to satisfy the body. Cooked food is also more nourishing than raw foods. Raw foods are harder to digest and can diminish agni. When agni is weak, the body creates ama (accumulated toxins), which clogs the channels and prevents the body from receiving nutrients from food. This, in the end, results in cravings. Ayurveda also encourages portion control. Eat enough but don't overeat. Your stomach should be two-thirds full after main meals.
Sweets for the heartEmotional downs are the result of an imbalance in Sadhaka Pitta, the subdosha that governs the heart. The sweet taste pacifies pitta, which explains our cravings for sweets. But before you reach for cookies or chocolate, think for a moment. Although these foods provide the sweet taste, they lack the intelligence to carry it to your brain, which won't register it and the craving won't stop. Try a piece of sweet, juicy fruit, soaked dates or raisins, rice pudding, milk-date shakes or mango shakes. Ayurveda Rose Petal Preserve is also a great pitta-pacifying sweet. These healthy foods will deliver to the brain and heart what they need and leave you satisfied.
Foods to pacify worriesWorries and mental imbalance are the result of aggravated Vata dosha. To calm the mind, eat easy-to-digest, nourishing meals and use spices such as black pepper, cumin and coriander to open the channels of the brain. In addition to the above-mentioned sweets, walnuts, almonds and coconut milk are especially supportive for the mind. The Ayurveda Worry Free Tablets and Tea are also helpful in enhancing the connection between the mind and the body. The new Worry Free Spice Mix will increase the intelligence of foods by supporting the transportation of nutrients to the brain. These spices also help open up the channels of the mind, heart and the rest of the physiology.
Realizing that junk foods will not satisfy your body is the first step in beating the cravings. With a little attention you can switch to healthier options and receive more nutrition, which will decrease your desire for unintelligent snacks. A well-nourished body is only hungry for healthy food!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Health Begins In The Colon $19.99  The REAL Secret to Health is Finally Revealed! Did you know that disease starts and health begins in the colon? You can read more about how to better your health in Dr. Group's exclusive book |
