Comments (0)

By admin, March 31, 2010 1:54 pm

To be prepared for (almost) anything, keep the following basic first aid items in your medicine chest all year long. We have provided the conventional remedies, as well as our experts’ homeopathic and naturopathic alternatives…

Prepare yourself for all your summer events

Analgesic to relieve pain and/or reduce fever

Conventional approach: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin (aspirin should not be taken by children or teens under age 19)
Homeopathic approach: Arnica montana, Bromelain
Naturopathic approach: White Willow Bark

Ointment to reduce risk of infection

Conventional approach: Triple antibiotic ointment or Bacitracin
Homeopathic approach: Calendula ointment
Naturopathic approach: CCC Cream, tea tree oil

Antacid to relieve upset stomach

Conventional approach: Tums or another over-the-counter antacid
Homeopathic approach: Calcium carbonate, DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice)
Naturopathic approach: Ginger chews or capsules, peppermint tea (do not take if you have heartburn)

Allergy symptom relief

Conventional approach: Benadryl (antihistamine)
Homeopathic approach: Urtica urens (orally or tea)
Naturopathic approach: Vitamin C, Bromelain, Quercetin (flavonoid) capsules

Skin Irritation, itching or inflammation

Conventional approach: Hydrocortisone 1% ointment or cream
Homeopathic approach: Calendula cream
Naturopathic approach: Chickweed cream, Calamine lotion

Syrup of ipecac to induce vomiting

All three physicians recommend ipecac, which is a natural substance. Call a poison control center before using.

Other supplies

• Adhesive bandages of assorted sizes (to cover minor cuts and scrapes)
• Adhesive tape (to keep gauze in place)
• Gauze pads (to dress larger cuts and scrapes)
• Thermometer (do not use mercury-based thermometers)
• Tweezers
• Calibrated measuring spoon
• Rubber gloves

Source(s):

William Ellert, MD, is associate director of the family medicine residency program at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona.

Michael Carlston, MD, is editor and principal author of the medical textbook Classical Homeopathy (Churchill Livingstone).

Jane Guiltinan, ND, has been a practicing naturopathic physician for 23 years. Dr. Guiltinan is immediate past president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. She is a clinical professor at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, Seattle, Washington.

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Code.

Comments (0)

By admin, March 30, 2010 2:49 pm

Every year at this time, I make a special trip to the drugstore to stock up on summertime first aid products, since with the season’s pleasures comes an assortment of cuts, bruises, bites, sunburns and motion sickness. I prepped for this year’s shopping trip by asking for a list of summertime first aid essentials from three different types of doctors — a family physician, a homeopathic physician and a naturopathic physician.

Enjoy your summer to the fullest.

Three Docs, Three Approaches

For the family medicine perspective, I spoke with William Ellert, MD, recipient of the 2009 Family Physician of the Year award by the American Academy of Family Physicians, whose advice emphasizes preventive measures and common sense. I got homeopathic suggestions from Michael Carlston, MD, author of Classical Homeopathy, who uses both conventional and alternative therapies in his clinical practice. In his view, homeopathic medicine is the “gentler and more natural” approach to healing because it encourages the body’s “innate healing powers” to cure itself, rather than masking symptoms. And then, for the naturopathic perspective I spoke with Jane Guiltinan, ND, immediate past president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, who believes that in most situations “living organisms are able to mount their own healing responses.” Naturopathy encourages the support of those healing abilities through a variety of natural approaches including nutrition, botanical medicine, dietary supplements, hydrotherapy (water therapy) and homeopathy.

Summertime First Aid: 5 Scenarios

It’s a good idea to stock your home and car with basic first aid items, as well as specific ones you or your family may require on outings and day trips. These should be stored under dry and temperate conditions, avoiding prolonged exposure to heat or cold.

Cuts, Scrapes and Bruises

Conventional approach:

Dr. Ellert says that few wounds get infected if they’re washed out well — he advises using soap and water or a cleansing wipe and, if the wound gets red and more tender (signs of possible infection), applying a triple antibiotic ointment or Bacitracin. For bruises, Dr. Ellert recommends using a cold pack for the first 48 hours to minimize swelling.

Homeopathic approach:

For cuts, scrapes and other types of abrasions, Dr. Carlston recommends using calendula (Calendula officinalis) cream or ointment, made from marigolds, which promotes healing and prevents infections. He treats bruises with the oral homeopathic remedy Arnica montana (made from mountain daisy) to reduce swelling and stiffness.

Naturopathic approach:

Dr. Guiltinan recommends applying CCC Cream (composed of calendula, coneflower and comfrey) to stimulate healing for both abrasions and bruises… or the homeopathic remedy Hydrastis canadensis cream (made from goldenseal). These products are available at health food stores.

Insect Stings and Bites

Conventional approach:

Dr. Ellert advises repelling mosquitos and other biting insects with mosquito nets and over-the-counter insect repellant. To soothe mosquito bites, he turns to the old standby Calamine lotion. To treat bee stings, Dr. Ellert recommends washing the sting area… removing the stinger… and applying a cold pack or ice to reduce swelling. To reduce itching and block an allergic reaction, you can take an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine(Benadryl). For severe allergic reactions, use an EpiPen, if you have one available, and seek medical attention.

Homeopathic approach:

To prevent bites, Dr. Carlston recommends taking vitamin B-1 and applying topical soy oil, re-applying every 45 minutes. Dr. Carlston uses the homeopathic remedies Sulphur and Urtica urens (made from the nettle plant) to relieve the discomfort of mosquito bites.

For bee stings, he advises tailoring homeopathic treatment to your individual response: If the area feels cold or is accompanied by throbbing pain, he recommends Ledum palustre (made from wild rosemary)… if the area feels hot, swollen or sensitive to touch, he recommends Apis mellifica(made from honeybees).

Naturopathic approach:

Dr. Guiltinan suggests taking Brewer’s yeast or vitamin B-6 to keep mosquitos away. She recommends Chickweed (Stellaria media) cream to reduce itching and promote healing, noting that the application of soy oil can also be helpful. For bee stings, Dr. Guiltinan recommends rubbing Bromelain (enzymes derived from pineapple) cream on the affected area.

Poison Ivy

Conventional approach:

If you have a rash from poison ivy, Dr. Ellert’s advice is to first wash the area thoroughly with soap (you can use either regular soap or poison ivy-specific soap such as Tecnu) and water and then apply 1% hydrocortisone cream to the affected area, which will relieve inflammation and irritation. Calamine lotion and cold packs may also be helpful.

Homeopathic approach:

Wash thoroughly and then use a homeopathic remedy, depending on the symptoms. Dr. Carlston recommends Rhus toxicodendron (Rhus tox), made from poison ivy, if both itching and burning are intense… Sulphur if itching gets worse with heat… or Anacardium occidentale (a remedy derived from cashew nuts) if the rash is painful but light touching feels good.

Naturopathic approach:

Dr. Guiltinan recommends Calamine lotion along with the homeopathic remedy Rhus toxicodendron. A less common remedy that is also often helpful is comfrey, particularly in combination with goldenseal, she said. Yet another: Use old-fashioned lye soap. It removes the oil when applied in a thick paste to the affected area. Wash off after it dries completely.

Sunburn

When it comes to sunburn, all physicians stress prevention. Limit direct exposure to the sun, especially during the peak hours of 10 am to 2 pm. But if you find yourself with a burn anyway…

Conventional approach:

Dr. Ellert says that the most important thing to do when suffering from sunburn is to replace the lost fluids by drinking plenty of water. Soothe the burn by taking a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Homeopathic approach:

Dr. Carlston recommends the homeopathic remedy Belladonna (from the plant of the same name) to ease the pain and promote healing.

Naturopathic approach:

Dr. Guiltinan recommends applying aloe vera gel to the affected area. It helps to both heal the skin and soothe the pain.

Motion Sickness

Spending time in cars, planes and boats can set the stage for motion sickness.

Conventional approach:

To prevent motion sickness while riding in a car, Dr. Ellert suggests sitting in the front seat (and don’t read). In a boat or a plane, choose a seat in the middle, where there is less rocking motion. If you are prone to motion sickness, Dr. Ellert recommends taking preventive medications such as Dramamine (Dimenhydrinate) 30 minutes beforehand or Bonine (meclizine hydrochloride) one hour beforehand.

Homeopathic approach:

Dr. Carlston recommends Cocculus indicus (from the Anamirta cocculusplant) for dizziness and Nicotiana tabacum (from the tobacco plant) for nausea and vomiting. Use only to treat symptoms, not as a prophylactic.

Naturopathic approach:

Eat ginger to prevent motion sickness, suggests Dr. Guiltinan. You can chew fresh ginger… eat chewable candies… or swallow capsules. Ginger tea may also be helpful, though it is not as strong.

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Code.

Comments (0)

By admin, March 29, 2010 2:32 pm

As days lengthen through spring my thoughts often turn to… light. Every year I find my spirits lift as the days get longer and I can spend more time outdoors. I see this as yet another example of how much better we feel when we’re living a lifestyle that’s close to “natural.” Curious to see what the latest science shows, I looked for studies on how we can make the most of this seasonal bounty — not only during these bright and sunny days, but at other times as well.

Natural light and your health making changes

Illuminating Information

Recognizing the many health benefits of natural light, the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is studying how to make the most of natural daylight and use less artificial light in buildings. They are developing tools to manipulate illumination to meet human circadian needs so architects can make healthy light-related design decisions.

One recent study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, found that using white light enriched with blue-light waves helped office workers stay more alert during the day, reduced evening fatigue and improved night sleep. Investigations are also underway to see how other types of light treatment — such as synchronization to individual melatonin rhythms, simulated dawns or adding environmental blue light — might improve individual health and performance.

To learn more about these new findings, I spoke with neuro-endocrinologist, Russel J. Reiter, PhD, at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, a long-time researcher on this topic. I asked whether it makes sense to purchase different types of lights for different rooms in our homes, based on these findings. Affirming the connection between blue light and alertness, he told me that white lights (which contain all wavelengths, including blue) are best for rooms where you are reading, working or engaging in other activities that require focus. In rooms where you want to relax, such as the bedroom, it makes sense to use bulbs that have a yellow-to-red cast, which do not have this effect.

The Dark Side

The darker side of this story is that there is evidence that the wrong light can actually damage your health. I spoke with Richard G. Stevens, PhD, a cancer epidemiologist at the University of Connecticut, who has been studying the rise in breast cancer rates that occurred along with industrialization. He told me that increasing use of artificial lighting during the nighttime hours might be disrupting workers’ circadian rhythms, possibly by suppressing melatonin production. Melatonin is produced by the body at night and is known to inhibit tumor formation — however, experts theorize that when the retina encounters light at night, production shuts down and cancer risk increases.

Researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel used satellite images to measure light at night in a variety of communities, finding that those with the highest levels also have the highest breast and prostate cancer rates. To check this theory, a comparison group — blind women unable to see light at night — was measured in four countries and, indeed, found to have 20% to 40% less cancer risk. Dr. Stevens told me that in 2007, after careful study, the International Agency for Research on Cancer identified overnight shift work as a probable carcinogen and he predicts that we will begin seeing more studies focused specifically on the cancer risks of “light at night.”

Let the Sun Shine

Then, of course, is the increasingly well-known link between sunlight, vitamin D production and overall health. For the latest details, I called Michael Holick, MD, PhD, director of the General Clinical Research Center at Boston University School of Medicine.

Vitamin D is unique, he says, “because we make it in skin exposed to sunlight.” It helps absorb calcium for bones, supports immune systems and reduces common cancers, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, types 1 and 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and infections.

The sun has been the natural source for vitamin D for hundreds of thousands of years, Dr. Holick noted. Vitamin D-deficiency rickets became a health problem when industrialization began to keep people working indoors all day. He believes more than half of Americans are vitamin D-deficient today because they avoid sun altogether, overuse sunscreen and spend too much time indoors, in front of computer screens and in artificial light. Dr. Holick offered some general recommendations for the spring and summer months: Get 15 minutes of arm and leg exposure two or three times a week, between 10 am and 3 pm. (Note: This is the guideline for those whose skin turns pinkish in a half hour of sun.) Sun exposure requirements vary by latitude, time of day and skin pigmentation, so adjust accordingly. Use sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 on your face, since it is more prone to skin cancer, but on your body only after your initial exposure, because it significantly reduces your vitamin D-making ability. This should generate about 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day, which Dr. Holick says is enough.

At the End of the Day

And, of course, light — or rather the lack thereof — has an effect on how well we sleep at night. Here are some tips from our experts…

Darken your room as much as possible. Turn off your computer monitor. Don’t sleep with the television on. Don’t use a nightlight in your bedroom.

If you need light for safety — for instance, in the hallway or bathroom — use low-wattage and preferably red light bulbs in a nightlight. (These are available in hardware stores — Dr. Stevens suggests using Christmas bulbs if you can’t find other red bulbs.)

Use light-blocking shades to keep outdoor lights from brightening your room. If “trespass light” leaks in anyway, wear eyeshades while sleeping — it’s not dangerous but you can minimize its effect on your circadian rhythm by blocking it out.

If you wake up and want to go back to sleep, do not get up and go into a lighted room. Instead, lie quietly in the dark — counting sheep, your blessings or whatever works for you — while you wait for sleep to return.

Source(s):

Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics, director of the General Clinical Research Center, director of the Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory, director, Biologic Effects of Light Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston.

Richard G. Stevens, PhD, professor and Cancer Epidemiologist, division of epidemiology & biostatistics, department of community medicine and health care, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut.

Russel J. Reiter, PhD, professor, department of cellular & structural biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, and editor-in-chief, Journal of Pineal Research.

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Code.

Comments (0)

By admin, March 28, 2010 7:52 am

Do you know zilch about zinc? Let’s rectify that, as this essential trace element is vital to your health and well-being. According to some reports, as many as 12% of Americans may have a zinc deficiency, a figure that may rise to as much as 45% in people over age 60. Among the important functions of zinc in our bodies — it boosts the immune response… protects cell membranes from harmful oxidants and structural damage… repairs DNA… and supports nearly 100 different enzymes that regulate the chemistry of cells and organisms.

Regular Daily Health News contributor Mark Stengler, NMD, told me that zinc is also helpful in stabilizing blood glucose… contributes to neurological function… and helps the formation of testosterone, thereby potentially boosting sexual function. (So the reputation of oysters as an aphrodisiac has a scientific basis — they have more zinc than any other food.) And, of particular interest to the older population, says Dr. Stengler, is that zinc helps prevent or reduce the damage of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in adults over age 60.

Why Do We Lack Zinc?

Our ability to absorb zinc may decline with age. On top of that, many older folks take medications known to deplete zinc, in particular thiazide diuretics and ACE inhibitors (used to control blood pressure) and acid-suppressing medications. Additionally, having a digestive disorder that prevents proper nutrient absorption — such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Crohn’s disease — can contribute to deficiency. And since animal products are a primary source of zinc, eating a vegetarian diet can also mean that you don’t get enough.

Benefits of Zinc...

With so many people at risk, you’d think there would be good tests to measure zinc levels, but alas, the only ones available are not sensitive enough to be useful — so it is important to be aware of deficiency symptoms. Severe deficiency causes severe problems (such as rashes, chronic diarrhea and night blindness), but that’s rare in developed countries. Lower level deficiency is far more common, but its symptoms can be troublesome, too — including depression, a loss of appetite and libido, and frequent colds and other infections.

Zinc and Colds

When you get a cold or respiratory infection, supplementing with zinc can help relieve your sore throat and shorten your suffering, a benefit that has been demonstrated in many studies. This has made zinc-based cold fighters, including the Zicam Cold Remedy line, quite popular. There was considerable concern last year when the FDA issued a warning about use of Zicam products delivered nasally (its gels and sprays). These are no longer being sold, and according to Dr. Stengler, Zicam lozenges are safe (a daily dose — six lozenges — has 80 mg of elemental zinc). Dr. Stengler likes even better lozenges that contain 15 mg to 25 mg of elemental zinc, and in particular the brands Bluebonnet and LifeExtension. At the first sign of a cold, have one every two hours away from meals, since zinc supplementation may also interfere with the absorption of iron and calcium, and competes with copper for uptake from the gut. Note: Zinc may hinder absorption of antibiotics, so if you’re on them, be sure to use it at least two hours before or after the time you take the drug.

For Health in General

The zinc Recommended Daily Allowance is 11 mg a day for men and 8 mg for women. You can obtain this much from food (see below), but if you have signs of deficiency or are not eating a zinc-rich diet, Dr. Stengler says 15 mg per day is generally a good supplemental dose. The upper limit for a zinc supplement is 40 mg — too much zinc has been associated with prostate cancer. Pregnant and nursing women should not take zinc unless instructed to do so by a doctor.

Zinc-rich foods include…

• Beef
• Crab
• Turkey
• Oysters
• Liver
• Dairy including milk, yogurt and cheddar cheese
• Cashews, almonds, peanuts
• Crimini mushrooms
• Spinach
• Pumpkin seeds

For most people at most times, he says, eating a varied, healthful diet and taking a daily multivitamin with zinc should be sufficient to prevent deficiency.

Source(s):

Mark A. Stengler, NMD, a naturopathic medical doctor and leading authority on the practice of alternative and integrated medicine. He is editor of Bottom Line’s Natural Healing newsletter, author of The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies (Bottom Line Books), director of the La Jolla Whole Health Clinic in La Jolla, California, and adjunct clinical professor at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about his work, visit www.drstengler.com and www.lajollawholehealth.com.

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Code.

Comments (0)

By admin, March 27, 2010 8:47 am

The feeling of being on “pins and needles” is wonderful — if it describes how children feel when looking forward to a birthday party or adults when anticipating a special vacation. But where diabetes patients are concerned, those words often are used to describe a painful chronic condition, calleddiabetic peripheral neuropathy, that results from damage to nerves (typically in the hands, arms, feet and legs) caused by elevated blood sugar. Affecting about 60% of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, neuropathy is the leading cause of diabetes-related hospital admissions and amputations, and it is not curable — so finding any information about how to prevent it or slow its progression is valuable.

Is there a connection?

Now a study from the University of Michigan has uncovered a crucial clue that helps identify patients most at risk for neuropathy progression. Researchers analyzed data from 427 people with diabetes and early-stage neuropathy using advanced technology to measure the amount of damage to patients’ peripheral nerves at the beginning of the study and again one year later. The surprising finding was that those whose neuropathy got worse over the year were the same ones who also had elevated levels of triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. In fact, having elevated triglycerides was a more accurate predictor of neuropathy progression than other factors such as blood sugar or high levels of cholesterol.

What Does this Mean for Your Health?

I spoke with study coauthor Kelli A. Sullivan, PhD, assistant research professor in neurology at University of Michigan Medical School. She told me that people with type 2 diabetes frequently have elevated triglycerides primarily because they are so often overweight, which is known to be associated with high triglycerides. The study’s findings could be a crucial indicator to doctors that they should monitor triglyceride levels in overweight or obese diabetic patients as closely as they do blood sugar.

Fortunately, there are ways to bring elevated triglyceride levels down into a normal range. Lifestyle habits have a strong impact on normalizing triglycerides — this includes shedding excess pounds and having a healthy diet that limits fats and sugars… not smoking… and moderate alcohol consumption, especially red wine. Exercise is a must, says Dr. Sullivan, as demonstrated in a 2006 Italian study that showed regular long-term aerobic exercise improved neuropathy in early stages. And since having more muscle mass benefits nerve tissue as well, strength training is helpful too.

Source(s):

Kelli A. Sullivan, PhD, assistant research professor, department of neurology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor.

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Codes.

Comments (0)

By admin, March 26, 2010 12:44 pm

If you’re one of the 20% of Americans who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you’ve probably been told that consuming more fiber will alleviate your symptoms — but were you told what kind? A new study, published in British Medical Journal, finds that the soluble fiber found in psyllium supplements may be more effective than insoluble bran fiber for relieving the constipation, bloating and diarrhea that accompany IBS.

Should you go with bran?

Researchers at University Medical Center in Utrecht randomly assigned participants to one of three groups. Each participant took 10 grams of psyllium, insoluble bran or a placebo (rice flour in this case) twice daily for 12 weeks. Researchers evaluated patients at one, two and three months to see how they fared in terms of relief of symptoms, severity of abdominal pain and overall quality of life.

Over the course of the trial, psyllium was significantly better than both bran and the placebo at reducing abdominal pain and other issues with IBS — and this was true whether a patient’s IBS was dominated by constipation or diarrhea or both. Even more surprising, though, was the fact that the bran did worst of all — in fact, the bran actually seemed to worsen patients’ symptoms.

Why Bran Bombed

This result was so unexpected that I checked in with our medical editor, Andrew L. Rubman, ND, to see whether he had any theories about why the bran group got such poor results. Dr. Rubman pointed out that the study was relatively small — 275 patients — and that by the end 40% of the participants had dropped out. He found it telling that, though participants initially did not know which group they belonged to (psyllium, bran or placebo), the research report noted that most of them were able to guess correctly which treatment they were getting.

Dr. Rubman believes these results are likely due to the fact that bran must be metabolized, and people with IBS lack the “good gut bacteria” necessary to properly break it down, which made life unpleasant for that particular study group. Dr. Rubman noted that bran is insoluble and has a rough texture that sometimes acts as an irritant on the stomach lining in those with chronic gastritis.

Psyllium, on the other hand, can soothe the stomach lining. Psyllium is soluble, meaning it disperses in water, and forms a gel which travels through the digestive system, coating and calming its lining, making for a very different journey.

So, if you have IBS and currently take bran, you may want to ask your doctor whether it’s advisable to switch to psyllium. If you decide to give it a try, keep in mind that plain psyllium seed husks are best. There’s no need to buy expensive products touting exotic sources, special compounding benefits or exclusive additives that supposedly improve the material. Also avoid commercial psyllium brands sweetened with loads of sugar. Dr. Rubman suggests buying psyllium in bulk at health food stores, where the best stuff also happens to be the least expensive.

Source(s):

Andrew L. Rubman, ND, medical director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut. www.naturopath.org.

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Codes.

Comments (0)

By admin, March 25, 2010 1:40 pm

“Eat your peas,” I tell my children, as Mom once told me. As usual, mother knows best — peas, once viewed as a starchy vegetable, are now being recognized as nutritional blockbusters, packed with protein, assorted nutrients and fiber, and free of fat and cholesterol. Even better, Canadian food chemists have discovered a protein in yellow garden peas that shows promise in treating high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Peas reducing blood pressure world wide

While researching treatment options for patients with kidney disease, Rotimi Aluko, PhD, an associate professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada, and colleagues purified a mixture of proteins — pea protein hydrolysate — from yellow peas. They fed this to rats with severe kidney disease every day for eight weeks. At the end of this period, Dr. Aluko and his team found that…

• Blood pressure decreased by 20% in rats who consumed the pea mixture, compared with a control group of rats who did not.
• Urine production, which typically decreases with kidney disease, improved by 30% in treated rats, bringing it to a normal level.

What’s Next: Pea Pills for the Heart and Kidneys

Given these promising results, trials are now underway in humans with mild hypertension, and — subject to regulatory approval — Dr. Aluko estimates that an edible product derived from peas could be available in as little as two to three years. By 2012, you may be able to stroll into your local pharmacy or health food store and purchase pea extract in pill form or as a powder to add to food or beverages. As for eating peas themselves, Dr. Aluko explained that for this purpose pea proteins must be treated with special enzymes in order to become active. But he agreed that they’re healthy anyway — so tell the kids and adults at the table to eat their peas, please.

Source(s):

Rotimi Aluko, PhD, associate professor, University of Manitoba, Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, Winnipeg, Canada.

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Codes.

Comments (0)

By admin, March 24, 2010 3:35 pm

Did you know that there is a kind of fat that can actually help you lose weight? It’s called brown fat, and we have been aware of it for years — but, until just recently, scientists believed that it was only found in babies, small mammals and hibernating animals. The big news is that adult humans have brown fat as well, so scientists are working furiously to figure out how to put it to work. If this research continues along its promising path, it may someday also be used as a mechanism to help people lose weight.

Start losing weight the right way

Brown Fat Burns Lots of Calories

Curiously, the discovery that adults have brown fat came about because PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans of the neck area were sometimes blocked by a mysterious gleaming tissue beneath the subcutaneous fat, which turned out to be brown fat. When I spoke with Aaron M. Cypess, MD, PhD, who led the brown fat study at Joslin Diabetes Center (Boston), he told me that scientists had assumed adults didn’t have brown fat because there is none between their shoulder blades, which is where babies carry most of theirs. As it turns out, adult brown fat is found primarily in the front of the neck and around the collar bone, but Dr. Cypess told me that researchers believe we probably carry it in other areas of the body as well.

Even babies have only a bit of brown fat (just 1% of their total body weight) and adults certainly have far less… but, as it happens, even small amounts can make a big difference. A mere two ounces can burn 300 to 500 calories per day. Furthermore, while brown fat gets some of its fuel from glucose, it also leeches it away from white fat. So it’s not a huge step to theorize that increasing the amount of brown fat in the body could lead to decreased stores of white fat — in other words, significant weight loss. This has been achieved already in the mouse world, in fact… but things get a little more complicated when it comes to human beings.

Activating Brown Fat

Brown fat burns calories when it is activated, which normally is done by cold — and bundling up against the cold inactivates it. Not surprisingly, obese people have less brown fat than do lean people, possibly because their excess fat insulates against the cold, says Dr. Cypess. Brown fat also decreases with age, for reasons unknown, which may be one reason it is harder to lose weight as we get older.

Unfortunately, all the ways that we currently know to activate this energy-expenditure process (called thermogenesis) in amounts sufficient for weight loss are problematic. Nicotine is one, for instance (although Dr. Cypess says this is not the reason why smokers are often thin), but we know that’s not good for us. Then there is the stimulant ephedra, which as you may recall was once a principal ingredient in over-the-counter weight-loss drugs until it proved to cause a variety of problems from anxiety to heart attack. The other known activator is norepinephrine, the stress hormone that triggers the flight-or-fight response in the body, which also has undesirable effects.

Future Research

Challenges aside, I think we can expect to hear lots more about brown fat in the future as scientists and manufacturers continue to search for the holy grail of weight loss. Its discovery in adults is just the first step, says Dr. Cypess — researchers are working to learn its role in the adult body, with a focus on finding out how to increase levels as well as how to “selectively” turn on the brown fat function. Finding those answers could mean that future struggles to lose weight would become much easier for all.

Source(s):

Aaron M. Cypess, MD, PhD, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston.

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Codes.

Comments (0)

By admin, March 23, 2010 10:25 am

Cost-consciousness and excellent medical care can go hand in hand — for instance, a recent discovery in genetic medicine lets doctors customize chemotherapy not only to increase the likelihood it will work, but also to dramatically cut overall costs. Specifically, scientists have found that people with a certain gene mutation do not respond to cetuximab (Erbitux), a powerful chemotherapy drug for treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.

Make colon cancer less scary

Testing for this mutation before initiating treatment spares patients from ineffective and potentially toxic therapy, so they can try other therapies more likely to work, explains study author Veena Shankaran, MD, of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Sparing Patients and Saving Health Dollars

Cetuximab and similar drugs such as panitumumab (Vectibix) work by blocking epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a substance that makes tumors grow. But when there is a mutation in a specific gene called the Kras gene, this therapy doesn’t work. Dr. Shankaran said that testing for it can therefore help patients have faster access to chemotherapy that may work better.

The cost savings are quite significant, too. In her study, Dr. Shankaran made calculations based on a theoretical population of patients to forecast how much would be saved by testing all advanced colorectal cancer patients for Kras mutations before administering cetuximab chemotherapy, as follows:

• Estimated number of patients annually with metastatic colorectal cancer: 28,274 (American Cancer Society statistics).
• Approximate percentage of patients with Kras mutations: 35.6% (based on estimates from a recent study by Van Cutsem et al).
• Average cost of a Kras test: $452.
• Average cost of cetuximab treatment: starting dose, $3,986… weekly dose, $2,491 (or assuming $61,279 per patient).

Using these figures, the annual cost of testing patients for Kras mutations is $13 million, compared with the cost of treating the 10,066 patients with Kras mutations (in whom treatment is ineffective), which is $617 million. Thus testing patients for Kras mutations before treating them would save $604 million. Dr. Shankaran presented these results at the January 2009 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

Dr. Shankaran recommends that all patients with advanced (or metastasized) colorectal cancer be tested for Kras mutations beforecetuximab chemotherapy. In the future, identifying more Kras-like markers is likely to result in more targeted therapies — treatments that are both more beneficial for patients and more cost-effective for our health care system as a whole.

Source(s):

Veena Shankaran, MD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Codes.

Comments (0)

By admin, March 22, 2010 9:15 am

In light of the fact that there are no clear answers, how should a man diagnosed with prostate cancer determine his course of action?

Discover your options

The most important thing to do, suggested Dr. Jones, is have a heart-to-heart discussion with your doctor, discussing the factors that must be considered, including your age, your general health, your expected life span, the stage and grade of your cancer, and your feelings about how aggressively you want to treat the disease.

The first question a man needs to ask himself, says Dr. Jones, is, “am I going to treat this cancer or am I comfortable with expectant management?” If you decide to treat, the second decision is, “am I going to have surgery to remove the prostate or am I going to try another treatment?” If you decide to try another treatment, the third question is, “which one should I choose, based on the pros and cons of each treatment option and my own feelings on the matter?”

Finally, seek a variety of medical opinions. “As the saying goes, if your only tool is a hammer, every problem will look like a nail,” said Dr. Jones. In other words, if you seek a surgeons opinion, he will likely be thinking surgically. If you see a radiation therapist, his recommendation will probably be radiation. Ultimately, you want to find a doctor you trust, who takes the time to explain all of your options to you, and helps you to think them through.

Source(s):

Stephen Jones, MD, is chairman of the department of regional urology at the Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, and is associate professor of surgery (Urology) at Cleveland Clinic. He is author of two books, The Complete Prostate Book(Prometheus) and Overcoming Impotence (Prometheus).

Get involved with the Medifast Diet and make drastic changes to your health. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price with the latest Medifast Coupon Codes.