March 23, 2009
Research from the relatively new field of environmental cardiology includes a Harvard University study conducted over 16 years of six U.S. cities that found fine particulate pollution, even at levels below the federal health standard, can shorten lifespans by two years. A majority of these earlier deaths were due to heart disease.
Another study in Salt Lake City found that when a steel mill shut down for a period of months, there was a four to six percent drop in mortality in neighboring areas. The mortality rose to previous levels when the steel mill reopened.
A study of 250 metropolitan areas around the world found that a spike in air pollution is followed by a spike in heart attacks.
In animal experiments, Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar has found that aldehydes - a toxic class of chemicals found in most forms of smoke, including cigarette smoke and car exhaust - increase blood cholesterol levels and activate enzymes that cause plaque in the blood vessels to rupture. When plaques rupture, it can cause a blood clot, which may block an artery and lead to a heart attack. Aldehydes are present in high concentrations in smog and are generated during combustion of any kind of organic material coal, wood, paper, or cotton.
Dr. Grout's Comment:
It is good to see that the cardiology branch of medicine is recognizing that environmental factors impact human health. Dr. Bhatnagar of the University of Louisville put together a symposium called Environmental Factors in Heart Disease that will take place April 21 in New Orleans.
Research shows that blood vessels react to pollutants by producing an inflammatory response to attack the foreign particles and that can trigger a complex physiological reaction harmful to the blood vessels. The medical community is discarding the old "cholesterol is the key marker for heart disease" mantra and coming to accept that heart disease is a primarily a matter of chronic inflammation.
A simple, non-toxic process called chelation can reduce inflammation in the blood vessels and stimulate more NO (nitric oxide) which helps keep arteries clean and flexible. It is a safer approach than statin drugs which come with significant side effects.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Vitamin D affects adolescent weight gain
March 13, 2007
Too little vitamin D can lead to fatter adolescents, researchers say. A Medical College of Georgia study of more than 650 teens age 14-19 found that those who reported higher vitamin D intakes had lower overall body fat and lower amounts of the fat in the abdomen, a type of fat known as visceral fat, which has been associated with health risks such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension.
"We already know that encouraging teens to get an adequate amount of vitamin D in their diets will help promote a healthy body as they grow and develop," Ms. Stallman-Jorgensen says. "Now we need to do intervention studies where we give teens vitamin D supplements to determine if there is a cause and effect relationship between vitamin D intake and fat."
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends adolescents get at least 400 units of vitamin D per day - either from milk or sun exposure. There are typically 100 units in one 8-ounce glass of whole milk. The recommended daily dose from the sun would require at least 30 minutes of adequate exposure to direct sunlight two or three times a week at peak hours, between noon and 3 p.m.
"As humans, our largest source of vitamin D should be the sun. But we don't spend enough time outdoors to get enough sun exposure and when we do, we're often covered up and wearing sunscreen," Stallman-Jorgensen said. "We can get vitamin D from certain foods, like fatty fish and liver, but it's not in a lot of foods that we commonly consume. In this country, our milk is fortified with vitamin D. Unfortunately, teens just don't drink enough milk to get their daily requirements. Most teens want to drink sodas and sugary drinks."
Dr. Grout's Comment:
For too long, the medical community erroneously told people to stay out of the sun and slather on (toxic) sunscreen lotion. Most people are deficient in vitamin D. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to diabetes, cancer, and even autism. Exposure to the noonday sun for about 20 minutes results in production of between ten and twenty thousand IU (international units) of the active form of vitamin D. This would be more than enough to supply the body with its requirement vitamin D.
Childhood obesity typically stems from a combination of things – empty calories like processed foods and soda pop, lack of good nutrients like fish oil, an increasing body burden of environmental toxins that the body stores in fat cells, stress, lack of exercise [preferably outdoors in the sunlight]
It only makes sense that a low level of vitamin D would also be associated with weight gain.
Too little vitamin D can lead to fatter adolescents, researchers say. A Medical College of Georgia study of more than 650 teens age 14-19 found that those who reported higher vitamin D intakes had lower overall body fat and lower amounts of the fat in the abdomen, a type of fat known as visceral fat, which has been associated with health risks such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension.
"We already know that encouraging teens to get an adequate amount of vitamin D in their diets will help promote a healthy body as they grow and develop," Ms. Stallman-Jorgensen says. "Now we need to do intervention studies where we give teens vitamin D supplements to determine if there is a cause and effect relationship between vitamin D intake and fat."
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends adolescents get at least 400 units of vitamin D per day - either from milk or sun exposure. There are typically 100 units in one 8-ounce glass of whole milk. The recommended daily dose from the sun would require at least 30 minutes of adequate exposure to direct sunlight two or three times a week at peak hours, between noon and 3 p.m.
"As humans, our largest source of vitamin D should be the sun. But we don't spend enough time outdoors to get enough sun exposure and when we do, we're often covered up and wearing sunscreen," Stallman-Jorgensen said. "We can get vitamin D from certain foods, like fatty fish and liver, but it's not in a lot of foods that we commonly consume. In this country, our milk is fortified with vitamin D. Unfortunately, teens just don't drink enough milk to get their daily requirements. Most teens want to drink sodas and sugary drinks."
Dr. Grout's Comment:
For too long, the medical community erroneously told people to stay out of the sun and slather on (toxic) sunscreen lotion. Most people are deficient in vitamin D. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to diabetes, cancer, and even autism. Exposure to the noonday sun for about 20 minutes results in production of between ten and twenty thousand IU (international units) of the active form of vitamin D. This would be more than enough to supply the body with its requirement vitamin D.
Childhood obesity typically stems from a combination of things – empty calories like processed foods and soda pop, lack of good nutrients like fish oil, an increasing body burden of environmental toxins that the body stores in fat cells, stress, lack of exercise [preferably outdoors in the sunlight]
It only makes sense that a low level of vitamin D would also be associated with weight gain.
Medical ethics for sale
March 11, 2009
A Massachusetts anesthesiologist, Dr. Scott Reuben, has been accused of faking data used in 21 "scientific" papers published in peer-reviewed medical journals from 1996 - 2008. Journals have begun retracting papers authored by Dr. Reuben.
Celebrex and its relatives have been shown in some studies to interfere with bone healing - but not in Reuben's research. Reuben's studies reported favorable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a painkiller. Pfizer gave Reuben five research grants between 2002 and 2007. Reuben also was a member of the company's speaker's bureau, giving talks about Pfizer drugs to colleagues.
Reuben was employed at Baystate Medical Center. A hospital review found that Reuben made up some or all of the data. Hospital officials said Reuben did not admit to the fabrications. The doctor couldn't be reached for comment.
Benzon, the chief of pain medicine at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital, called the revelations about Reuben's research "very disappointing. We're talking about 12 to 13 years that this has been going on with over 20 publications."
"Doctors have been using (his) findings very widely," said Dr. Steven Shafer, editor of Anesthesia and Analgesia. "His findings had a huge impact on the field."
In an editorial in Anesthesiology's April edition, editor-in-chief Dr. James Eisenach calls for new research "re-examining the questions that seemed to be answered by Reuben."
Dr. Grout's Comment:
Perhaps the most amazing thing to me about this story is that editor-in-chief Eisenach thinks all he needs to do is "re-examine answers that seemed to be answered by Reuben." How about a broad-based call to clean up the well documented problems with drug companies paying for research that makes their products look good, and then journals printing it?
Medical journals not only print articles, they also run advertising. And therein lies the conflict of interest that can cause editors to cast a blind eye to some content. It's not unlike the situation with lawmakers who are directed to look out for citizens' best interests but also receive campaign contributions from corporate entities with deep pockets.
So in the end: Reader beware. Consumer beware.
A Massachusetts anesthesiologist, Dr. Scott Reuben, has been accused of faking data used in 21 "scientific" papers published in peer-reviewed medical journals from 1996 - 2008. Journals have begun retracting papers authored by Dr. Reuben.
Celebrex and its relatives have been shown in some studies to interfere with bone healing - but not in Reuben's research. Reuben's studies reported favorable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a painkiller. Pfizer gave Reuben five research grants between 2002 and 2007. Reuben also was a member of the company's speaker's bureau, giving talks about Pfizer drugs to colleagues.
Reuben was employed at Baystate Medical Center. A hospital review found that Reuben made up some or all of the data. Hospital officials said Reuben did not admit to the fabrications. The doctor couldn't be reached for comment.
Benzon, the chief of pain medicine at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital, called the revelations about Reuben's research "very disappointing. We're talking about 12 to 13 years that this has been going on with over 20 publications."
"Doctors have been using (his) findings very widely," said Dr. Steven Shafer, editor of Anesthesia and Analgesia. "His findings had a huge impact on the field."
In an editorial in Anesthesiology's April edition, editor-in-chief Dr. James Eisenach calls for new research "re-examining the questions that seemed to be answered by Reuben."
Dr. Grout's Comment:
Perhaps the most amazing thing to me about this story is that editor-in-chief Eisenach thinks all he needs to do is "re-examine answers that seemed to be answered by Reuben." How about a broad-based call to clean up the well documented problems with drug companies paying for research that makes their products look good, and then journals printing it?
Medical journals not only print articles, they also run advertising. And therein lies the conflict of interest that can cause editors to cast a blind eye to some content. It's not unlike the situation with lawmakers who are directed to look out for citizens' best interests but also receive campaign contributions from corporate entities with deep pockets.
So in the end: Reader beware. Consumer beware.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Carcinogen still found in personal products
March 6, 2009
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) spearheaded testing of leading conventional and "natural" and "organic" brands of personal care and household cleaning products, looking for levels of the contaminant 1,4-dioxane.
Products bearing the USDA Organic seal (such as products from Dr. Bronner's, Intelligent Nutrients and Terressentials), were totally free of 1,4-dioxane.
Some of the leading brands with products testing at the highest levels for the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane were Dial, Palmolive, Head & Shoulders, and Body Essence. Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap had the highest levels of the carcinogen at an alarming 204 ppm (parts per million), ten times higher than any other product's current results in the study.
1,4-dioxane is a petrochemical "known to the State of California to cause cancer" under Proposition 65. Due to its toxicity, many consumers would not expect to find it in "natural" or "organic" branded personal care products. The contaminant 1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of the ethoxylation process, "which is a cheap shortcut companies often use to provide mildness to harsh cleaning ingredients. 1,4-dioxane is also a suspected kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant, and respiratory toxicant, according to the California EPA, and it is a significant groundwater contaminant." While previous studies have revealed the presence of 1,4-dioxane in baby, children and adult products and those mislabeled as "organic" and "natural", this latest study shows the toxin is being significantly reduced as many brands reformulate.
OCA conducted a similar study last year which prompted many companies to reformulate their products. OCA reported that several brands which tested badly last year claimed to be working on product reformulations that were not ready in time for this study: Nature's Gate, Healthy Times, The Village Company, and Whole Foods Market's private label 365 Everyday Value.
Brands whose products showed significant improvement since the last study include: Earth Friendly Products, Ecco Bella, Giovanni, Jason, Johnson & Johnson, Kiss My Face, Life Tree, Method, Nature's Gate, Planet Ultra, and Seventh Generation.
Dr. Grout's Comment:
You can view the chart with the study's full listing of products at http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/DioxaneResults09.pdf
The organic standards for personal care products are not as black and white as those for food. Personal care products have the word "organic" in their brand name or on the product label, but unless they are USDA certified, the main cleansing ingredients and preservatives are often made with synthetic and petrochemical compounds.
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) spearheaded testing of leading conventional and "natural" and "organic" brands of personal care and household cleaning products, looking for levels of the contaminant 1,4-dioxane.Products bearing the USDA Organic seal (such as products from Dr. Bronner's, Intelligent Nutrients and Terressentials), were totally free of 1,4-dioxane.
Some of the leading brands with products testing at the highest levels for the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane were Dial, Palmolive, Head & Shoulders, and Body Essence. Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap had the highest levels of the carcinogen at an alarming 204 ppm (parts per million), ten times higher than any other product's current results in the study.1,4-dioxane is a petrochemical "known to the State of California to cause cancer" under Proposition 65. Due to its toxicity, many consumers would not expect to find it in "natural" or "organic" branded personal care products. The contaminant 1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of the ethoxylation process, "which is a cheap shortcut companies often use to provide mildness to harsh cleaning ingredients. 1,4-dioxane is also a suspected kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant, and respiratory toxicant, according to the California EPA, and it is a significant groundwater contaminant." While previous studies have revealed the presence of 1,4-dioxane in baby, children and adult products and those mislabeled as "organic" and "natural", this latest study shows the toxin is being significantly reduced as many brands reformulate.
OCA conducted a similar study last year which prompted many companies to reformulate their products. OCA reported that several brands which tested badly last year claimed to be working on product reformulations that were not ready in time for this study: Nature's Gate, Healthy Times, The Village Company, and Whole Foods Market's private label 365 Everyday Value.
Brands whose products showed significant improvement since the last study include: Earth Friendly Products, Ecco Bella, Giovanni, Jason, Johnson & Johnson, Kiss My Face, Life Tree, Method, Nature's Gate, Planet Ultra, and Seventh Generation.
Dr. Grout's Comment:
You can view the chart with the study's full listing of products at http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/DioxaneResults09.pdf
The organic standards for personal care products are not as black and white as those for food. Personal care products have the word "organic" in their brand name or on the product label, but unless they are USDA certified, the main cleansing ingredients and preservatives are often made with synthetic and petrochemical compounds.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Artificial sweeteners linked to weight gain
February 15, 2009
Whether you call them calorie free sweeteners or sugar substitutes, many "experts" advised us to eat diet foods with artificial sweeteners to curb the obesity epidemic.
"Apparently we were wrong," says Professor Susan Swithers of Purdue University. She says, "It's temping to think that by simply consuming a food that has fewer calories, that body weight gain and food intake are automatically going to go down. Our data suggest that, in fact, the opposite might happen. When (the rats) got a sweet-tasting food that didn't deliver those calories, they then overindulged in their regular food as a consequence."
A Purdue University study was done on two groups of rats. One group was given artificially sweetened yogurt and the other group was given yogurt with glucose, a natural sweetener high in calories. The rats given the artificial sweetener gained 20 percent more weight.
Researchers say the artificial sweetener somehow interrupts the body's ability to regulate or register the amount of calories it has consumed. As a result, metabolism slows down and does not burn as many calories. Problems with self-regulation might explain in part why obesity has risen in parallel with the use of artificial sweeteners "The data clearly indicate that consuming a food sweetened with no-calorie saccharin can lead to greater body-weight gain and adiposity than would consuming the same food sweetened with a higher-calorie sugar," the authors wrote.
Dr. Grout's Comment:
The pitfalls of trying to fool Mother Nature. Here is yet another study showing that artificial sugar substitutes are hurting, not helping the obesity epidemic.
And it is not just an issue of weight. Artificial sweeteners have been shown to invite a host of problems ranging from seizures to cancer.
The consumer education group Citizens for Health follows each study and is demanding that the FDA revoke its approval of sucralose, marketed as Splenda, because it suppresses beneficial bacteria and directly affects the expression of isozymes that are known to interfere with the bioavailability of drugs and nutrients.
Asparatame has generated more complaints to the FDA than any other food additive.
Stopping the sugar habit isn't something most people can do cold turkey because it is addictive. Scientists have found the brain responds to sugar not unlike how it responds to heroin and cocaine.
If you have candida, it is almost impossible to kick the sugar habit until you knock down the fungus. Call us to help you fight the impediments to stopping sugar and sugar substitutes.
Whether you call them calorie free sweeteners or sugar substitutes, many "experts" advised us to eat diet foods with artificial sweeteners to curb the obesity epidemic.
"Apparently we were wrong," says Professor Susan Swithers of Purdue University. She says, "It's temping to think that by simply consuming a food that has fewer calories, that body weight gain and food intake are automatically going to go down. Our data suggest that, in fact, the opposite might happen. When (the rats) got a sweet-tasting food that didn't deliver those calories, they then overindulged in their regular food as a consequence."
A Purdue University study was done on two groups of rats. One group was given artificially sweetened yogurt and the other group was given yogurt with glucose, a natural sweetener high in calories. The rats given the artificial sweetener gained 20 percent more weight.
Researchers say the artificial sweetener somehow interrupts the body's ability to regulate or register the amount of calories it has consumed. As a result, metabolism slows down and does not burn as many calories. Problems with self-regulation might explain in part why obesity has risen in parallel with the use of artificial sweeteners "The data clearly indicate that consuming a food sweetened with no-calorie saccharin can lead to greater body-weight gain and adiposity than would consuming the same food sweetened with a higher-calorie sugar," the authors wrote.
Dr. Grout's Comment:
The pitfalls of trying to fool Mother Nature. Here is yet another study showing that artificial sugar substitutes are hurting, not helping the obesity epidemic.
And it is not just an issue of weight. Artificial sweeteners have been shown to invite a host of problems ranging from seizures to cancer.
The consumer education group Citizens for Health follows each study and is demanding that the FDA revoke its approval of sucralose, marketed as Splenda, because it suppresses beneficial bacteria and directly affects the expression of isozymes that are known to interfere with the bioavailability of drugs and nutrients.Asparatame has generated more complaints to the FDA than any other food additive.
Stopping the sugar habit isn't something most people can do cold turkey because it is addictive. Scientists have found the brain responds to sugar not unlike how it responds to heroin and cocaine.
If you have candida, it is almost impossible to kick the sugar habit until you knock down the fungus. Call us to help you fight the impediments to stopping sugar and sugar substitutes.
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