December 1, 2009

Antioxidant levels in asthma are reduced with severe and uncontrolled disease
Life Extensions, November 30, 2009
An article published online on October 29, 2009 in the British Journal of Nutrition reveals that the previously demonstrated reduction in circulating dietary antioxidants that occurs in asthma varies according to airway responsiveness, asthma control and clinical asthma pattern.
In their introduction, authors Lisa G. Wood and Peter G. Gibson of John Hunter Hospital and the University of Newcastle in Australia note that oxidative stress exacerbates many of the detrimental features of asthma, and that antioxidant defenses are important. These defenses include antioxidant enzymes produced in the body as well as those obtained in the diet, such as vitamins C and E.
The current study evaluated 41 patients with asthma. Airway responsiveness, asthma control and clinical asthma pattern were assessed, and blood samples were analyzed for the antioxidants alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, the vitamin E fractions alpha, beta and gamma-tocopherol, and plasma antioxidant potential.
Drs Wood and Gibson found that patients with airway hyper-responsiveness had lower levels of beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol compared to those without this characteristic. Reduced plasma antioxidant potential was associated with uncontrolled asthma. For those with a severe persistent clinical asthma pattern, lower levels of alpha-tocopherol were observed in comparison to levels measured in patients with a mild to moderate asthma pattern. The authors remark that while it is possible that reduced dietary intake of antioxidants could have contributed to the varying levels found in the asthma subgroups, increased utilization in response to greater oxidant burden is likely an important factor.
“We conclude that asthmatic subjects with airway hyper-responsiveness, uncontrolled asthma and a severe asthma pattern have impaired antioxidant defenses and are thus most susceptible to the damaging effects of oxidative stress,” the authors write. “This highlights the potential role for antioxidant supplementation in these subjects.”
http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2009_11.htm#Antioxidant-levels-in-asthma-are-reduced-with-severe-and-uncontrolled-disease

80 Million Or 1 In 3 Americans Has Heart Disease

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News 12-01-09
Nov. 30--Cardiovascular Disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States. At present, 80 million or 1 in 3 Americans have one or more forms of cardiovascular (heart) disease. Statistics from the American Heart Association suggest that heart disease is currently the cause of 1 out of every 2.8 deaths. Estimates for the year 2006 gave the breakdown for that year as follows -- In 2006, among those who had heart disease, approximately 73.6 million suffered from high blood pressure, 16.8 million had coronary artery disease (i.e. had experienced an acute heart attack or had active angina or chest pain), 6.5 million had dealt with a stroke, and 5.7 million had experienced heart failure.
As a research scientist who speaks frequently on chronic disease prevention, I am often asked two recurring questions when I present statistics to my audience(s) on any chronic disease: 1) Why do we need all these numbers -- Isn't this "stuff" just for the academics?, and 2) What does this have to do with me? -- Do these numbers really represent me (or should they matter to me) as an individual? Here are my answers to the above two questions: 1) No, this "stuff" is NEITHER just academic, NOR is it just for the academics, and 2) Yes, these numbers DO represent you, and include you as an individual -- and, they do matter. Here's why.
WHEN ACADEMIA MEETS REAL LIFE
Two weeks ago on the morning of November 13, my dear father passed away unexpectedly and very suddenly as a result of an acute, catastrophic, fatal heart failure. Being a heart patient, he had been on the standard set of drugs that are given to all patients in his situation. Yet, notwithstanding the beneficial effects of these drugs, he still endured a fatal cardiac arrest without any warning or prior symptoms of an impending problem. In fact, quite surprisingly, even a minute or two before his demise, he was talking normally and appeared symptom free. The sudden and unexpected nature of his death has prompted me to write this post for the benefit of those who might find themselves in the midst of a similar crisis. Given the heart disease statistics cited above, chances are not just high, but indeed very high that you may at some point find yourself facing a similar crisis (either as a patient or a caregiver). If you happen to be in the position of a caregiver, carefully read the following protocol, as it may quite possibly save someone's life.
STEPS THAT CAN SAVE A LIFE DURING AN ACUTE CARDIAC CRISIS
1. The very first moment you suspect that there may be a serious cardiac emergency at hand, call 911.
2. If the patient is at all responsive and able to swallow, give him/her a standard Aspirin tablet (325 mg), or if a medication such as Nitroglycerin has been previously prescribed for the patient, give the patient the doctor recommended dose sublingually.
3. If the patient is unresponsive and has collapsed, do not panic. After calling 911, immediately administer CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) -- CPR can be "Hands-only" or involve both chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (Links on learning how to do this below). When an adult has a sudden cardiac arrest, his or her survival depends greatly on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby. Unfortunately, most bystanders -- in either fear or ignorance -- do nothing to help a patient in such a situation due to fear of making the situation worse. In doing nothing, they make the worst decision of all. The data suggests that only 1/3rd of individuals in a cardiac arrest situation at home, work, or in a public place are able to receive immediate and potentially life-saving CPR.
LEARNING HOW TO DO CPR
Most adults have not attended a formal CPR class or course, and many of them feel that they do not have the time to attend such a course. To address that problem, here are two links that provide a brief video demonstration of the correct way to administer CPR. These videos are a "must-see" for all who desire to be equipped with the ability to administer CPR should a cardiac emergency arise:
1. Two Steps to Save a Life -- Learn How to do "Hands-Only" CPR
2. Learn CPR -- Video Demonstration of Standard CPR for Adults
This year an estimated 1.26 million Americans will have a new or recurrent coronary attack. Thousands of others will have sudden heart failure. Statistics suggest that greater than 300,000 people die each year of a heart attack either at home or in the emergency room without being hospitalized. Most of these are sudden deaths caused by cardiac arrest, usually resulting from ventricular fibrillation. A great many of these deaths can be prevented if prompt CPR is performed on the patient, or if both medication and CPR are administered immediately.
There is no doubt that when we read statistics on a particular disease, or even thoughtfully written research-based articles on disease prevention, it can all seem very academic, in fact, even very impersonal. But, to all reading this -- the very purpose of academic work, especially in the field of Medicine is to benefit, serve, and whenever possible, save lives. When academia meets real life, when your loved one is the one in a crisis or when you are -- academic knowledge suddenly seems very important and personally relevant.
Please take the time to view the links and resources in this post -- ahead of the time when you just might need them to save someone's life. And, please also forward the post to others whom it may benefit. "Later on," maybe just too late.
RESOURCES:
American Heart Association Heart Hub for Patients
AHA Video Library on Heart Disease and Stroke
Learn CPR -- Video Demonstration of Standard CPR for Adults
Desiree Jones, PhD is a Doctor of Epidemiology, who speaks and writes on cutting-edge issues pertaining to chronic disease prevention in the Western, and the newly Westernizing nations. She has worked collaboratively with researchers at The University of Texas, Baylor College of Medicine, and Harvard University. Her first book is expected to arrive on the market by Spring 2010, and is entitled, HALTING THE DEATH MARCH -- Why America and The Westernized World are Dying from Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, and Other Chronic Diseases, And How to Stop It. Dr. Jones is the Founder of the blog site, The Prevention Revolution. This site brings medical/nutritional research and informed opinion on critical health-care issues to individuals and physicians, as well as to corporations facing high health-care costs. Dr. Jones focuses on translating evidence-based research into real-life choices pertaining to food and lifestyle that can help prevent deadly chronic diseases, and create lasting health.
Whole Grains Reduces Heart Disease 30%, Diabetes In Women
70% Certain Cancers, 80% Heart Attacks Preventable, Would Decrease Health Care Costs
2010: WHO Estimates 60% Of Cardiac Patients From Indian Subcontinent
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=9074&Section=Disease

Soy compounds may offer colon cancer protection

Nutraingredients.com, 01-Dec-2009

Natural lipid compounds found in soy may prevent the development of colon cancer, the third most deadly form of cancer, says a new study.
Scientists from the Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland report that compounds called sphingadienes may be behind the potential anti-cancer effects of soy, long touted in scientific studies.
“It’s very exciting,” said the study’s lead researcher Dr Julie Saba. “We are encouraged to find a natural molecule that could be consumed through soyproducts as a strategy to help prevent colon cancer.”
Writing in the journal Cancer Research Dr Saba and her co-workers showed the effectiveness of the compounds in a mouse model of colon cancer. Their results suggest, they said, that eating more soy products may “provide protection against colon cancer in humans”.
“However, studies that specifically address the efficacy of sphingadienes in preventing colonic tumours are needed to confirm this,” they added.
How does it work?
The Oakland-based scientists report that their studies showed that the compounds could promote programmed cell death, or apoptosis, in mutant cells in a fly and a mouse.
Apoptosis is one of the body's most effective defense mechanisms against cancer. Cells are constantly checking their "normal status", and are poised to commit suicide at the first sign of irregularities, thus protecting the host from propagation of abnormal cells that can, over time, form tumours. Virtually all cancers have found ways to undermine this defense mechanism, and activation of a pathway called the Akt pathway is one of them – the pathway promotes cell growth and survival.
Their results indicated that the sphingadienes may block Akt signalling and promote cell death.
Whether other components of soy are also beneficial in fighting colon cancer is not known, said Dr Saba, and further research is necessary. “[In the meantime], I would be comfortable recommending soy products as a change in the diet that could protect against cancer. The more that soy is studied, the more of these protective agents are found, so it’s a very healthy diet choice,” she said.
Additional research is also needed to identify the best delivery methods, and the effects of a prolonged intake of the compounds, said the researchers.
Two research grants have been obtained to continue the research, and Dr Saba also hopes to determine if SDs are effective in protection against other cancers.
Source: Cancer Research “Natural Sphingadienes Inhibit Akt-Dependent Signaling and Prevent Intestinal Tumorigenesis” Authors: H. Fyrst, B. Oskouian, P. Bandhuvula, Y. Gong, H.S. Byun, R. Bittman, A.R. Lee, J.D. Saba
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Soy-compounds-may-offer-colon-cancer-protection

Tiny magnetic discs could kill cancer cells: study
Agence France-Presse 11-30-09
Tiny magnetic discs just a millionth of a metre in diameter could be used to used to kill cancer cells, according to a study published on Sunday.
Laboratory tests found the so-called "nanodiscs", around 60 billionths of a metre thick, could be used to disrupt the membranes of cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct.
The discs are made from an iron-nickel alloy, which move when subjected to a magnetic field, damaging the cancer cells, the report published in Nature Materials said.
One of the study's authors, Elena Rozhlova of Argonne National Laboratory in the United States, said subjecting the discs to a low magnetic field for around ten minutes was enough to destroy 90 percent of cancer cells in tests.
In a commentary on the report, Jon Dobson of Keele University in Britain said antibodies could be used to direct the discs towards tumour cells.
"This provides an elegant and rapid technique for targeting tumour destruction without the side effects associated with systemic treatments such as chemotherapy," Dobson wrote.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=9070&Section=Disease

US food waste impacts climate, say scientists

Foodnavigator-usa.com, 27-Nov-2009

Americans waste about 1,400 calories-worth of food per person a day – or 40 percent of total food supply – with implications for climate change and obesity, claim US researchers.
The researchers, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Maryland, found that food waste has increased 50 percent since 1974, reaching about 150 trillion calories per year in 2003. This takes into account wastage right along the food supply chain, including waste from farms, manufacturers, retailers and consumers.
For the food industry, reducing waste could provide the dual benefits of lower costs and improved environmental sustainability – as consumers are increasingly taking ethical and environmental issues into account at the checkout.
The researchers, writing in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE, claim that the impact of food waste on the environment has been largely – and surprisingly – overlooked in discussions of climate change mitigation.
“Food waste contributes to excess consumption of freshwater and fossil fuels which, along with methane and CO2 emissions from decomposing food, impacts global climate change,” they wrote.
The study estimates that food waste accounts for 25 percent of fresh water use in the United States, and 300 million barrels of oil – about four percent of the country’s total oil consumption.
Cheap food and obesity
In addition, the authors argue that the increase in food waste indicates an excessive quantity of cheap food, which could help to explain why the prevalence of obesity has increased so rapidly – from 15 percent in 1980 to 34.3 percent, with another 32.7 percent overweight, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
“The calculated progressive increase of food waste suggests that the US obesity epidemic has been the result of a ‘push effect’ of increased food availability and marketing with Americans being unable to match their food intake with the increased supply of cheap, readily available food,” the authors wrote. “Thus, addressing the oversupply of food energy in the US may help curb the obesity epidemic as well as decrease food waste, which has profound environmental consequences.”
The researchers also suggested that if America’s food waste problem were tackled, it could help ease global problems of food shortages and food price spikes.
They estimated the quantity of food waste by developing a mathematical model to calculate American food consumption based on body weight and metabolism, and comparing the results with information about the US food supply. On this basis, they claim that previous calculations may have underestimated American food wastage by up to 25 percent.
Source: PLoS ONE 4(11): e7940. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007940 (2009) “The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact” Authors: Hall KD, Guo J, Dore M, Chow CC
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/US-food-waste-impacts-climate-say-scientists

US diabetes cases to double, costs triple by 2034
Last Updated: 2009-11-27 11:34:14 -0400 (Reuters Health)
* Diabetes costs could further strain US health system
* US already struggling to rein in healthcare spending
* Expert says study points to need for diabetes prevention
CHICAGO (Reuters) - By 2034, nearly twice as many Americans will have diabetes and spending on the disease will triple, further straining the U.S. health system and testing the viability of Medicare and other government health insurance programs, U.S. researchers said on Friday.
"We forecast that in the next 25 years, the population size of people with diabetes -- both diagnosed and undiagnosed -- will rise from approximately 24 million people to 44 million people by the year 2034," said Dr. Elbert Huang of the University of Chicago, whose study appears in the journal Diabetes Care.
"We anticipate that the cost of taking care of those people -- and these are direct medical costs -- will triple over the same period of time, going from $113 billion today to $336 billion (per year)," Huang said in a telephone interview.
Huang said the burden of treating so many people with diabetes will strain the viability of Medicare, the U.S. health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.
Huang projects that the number of people covered by Medicare will rise from 8.2 million to 14.6 million, and annual Medicare spending on diabetes will jump from $45 billion to $171 billion.
In the United States, about 11 percent of adults have diabetes. Most have type 2 diabetes, the kind closely linked to obesity.
The rising diabetes burden could further complicate efforts to rein in U.S. healthcare spending in the coming decades.
Congress is grappling with legislation to extend health coverage to millions of uninsured people, control healthcare spending and bar insurance industry practices such as denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.
'MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM'
"Diabetes is a major public health problem right now, but it's important for the country and for policymakers to have an idea of what will happen in the next couple of decades," Huang said.
"We already have a financial crisis at hand in healthcare and we need to plan for how we can deal with those costs in the future," Huang said.
For the study, the researchers built a forecasting model of diabetes population costs that tracks how many people will develop diabetes over the next decades and how much it will cost. The model accounts for the size of different generations that will be entering the diabetes population.
"That is important to account for because we know that age itself is a major predictor of diabetes, and we know that the baby boomer generation is entering an age where there's a high risk of developing diabetes," he said.
It also assumes that no progress is made in terms of rates of obesity, diabetes prevention and diabetes care. If obesity levels rise, Huang said, the model may actually underestimate the problem.
He said the study emphasizes the importance of public health efforts already under way to try to reverse the number of people who have diabetes.
"We know from a recent trial -- the Diabetes Prevention Program -- we know we can prevent diabetes through diet and exercise," Huang said.
In that 10-year study, overweight people with elevated blood sugar levels who lost a modest amount of weight lowered their risk of developing diabetes by at least a third.
People over age 60 got even more dramatic results, cutting their risk of diabetes during the study period by about half.
"I do feel preventing diabetes is the first step," Huang said.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/27/eline/links/20091127elin015.html

Tips for a longer life according to the world's oldest people

A new study has suggested that drinking moderately could be the key to enjoying a longer life.

Telegraph UK,  26 Nov 2009
But what other measures do experts consider beneficial in enjoying a long and healthy retirement?
Here are some tips gleaned from the longest living communities in the world.

:: On the Greek island of Ikaria, which has the largest proportion of 90-year-olds in the world, locals are famed for drinking a thick mountain herbal tea. The drink, which is consumed several times a day, contains a variety of dried herbs including wild mint, rosemary, purple sage and spleenwort.
:: Due to the mountainous geography of the island and lack of transport options, locals are forced to remain active later in life, taking regular exercise well into their 80s and 90s.
:: The Icarian diet also contains large amounts of olive oil, fruit and vegetables and very little processed food.
:: Residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa also enjoy among the world's longest lifespans. Researchers believe this could be down in part to the way they consume food, rarely overeating and finishing a meal when they are 80 per cent full.
:: Locals also eat a diet heavy on grains, fish and vegetables and tend to steer clear of meat, eggs and dairy food.
:: On the Italian island of Sardinia, where there are high number of centenarians, inhabitants drink wine made from grapes which are very rich in polyphenols and antioxidants that help slow the ageing process.
:: In the Hunza Valley in Pakistan people routinely live into their 90s, which researchers believe could be due to their diet of fruit, grain and vegetables. Many of their plants are eaten raw and they also eat high proportions of apricots, cherries, grapes, plums and peaches.
:: The Vilcambamba region of southern Ecuador, claims to have large numbers of people reaching their 100th birthday in good health. Some have attributed this longevity to their consumption of a natural mineral water, which is remarkably free from impurities.
:: In Loma Linda in California a community of Seventh Day Adventists enjoy a lifespan between five and 10 years longer than their fellow citizens. Researchers have put this down to the fact they do not drink or smoke and have a vegetarian diet.
:: Others have attributed their longevity to the low levels of stress and anxiety present among members of the community.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/6652291/Tips-for-a-longer-life-according-to-the-worlds-oldest-people.html

Deadly MRSA superbug has 50 percent mortality rate in hospital patients
E. Huff, NaturalNews.com  November 30, 2009 

(NaturalNews) A recent Henry Ford Hospital study revealed that a new strain of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the deadly bacterial "superbug" that becomes resistant to many antibiotics, is five times more deadly than other previously-seen strains. Fifty percent of patients who become infected with the new virulent strain die within 30 days; other MRSA strains kill only about 11 percent.

Called USA600, the new strain possesses uniquely noxious characteristics that researchers are linking to the significantly higher mortality rate. Study findings were presented at the 47th annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America in Philadelphia.

Typical MRSA strains are problematic because they are resistant to virtually every available antibiotic drug. Most MRSA infections are allegedly treatable with vancomycin, a powerful intravenous drug, but the new USA600 strain has proven itself to be nearly impervious to the drug.

Deadly MRSA strains typically take hold on a person through skin and blood infections, as well as through surgical wounds. While predominantly contracted in health care facilities like hospitals and clinics, the disease is now starting to make the rounds in otherwise healthy people in the outside world.

Experts are associating the increased resistance of deadly MRSA strains to the over-prescription by doctors of antibiotics for all sorts of conditions that do not need them. According to Joel Fuhman, an M.D. from New Jersey, studies show that 90 percent of antibiotics are prescribed for viral diseases, against which they have no effect.

When antibiotics are prescribed needlessly for conditions like a child's ear infection, which is viral rather than bacterial, they do more harm than good by killing off the child's beneficial bacteria. As a result, the child's immune system is weakened making them more susceptible to developing other illnesses and being prescribed more antibiotics.

Europe's Centre for Disease Control warns that if excessive antibiotic use is not curbed, antibiotics will become all but useless and modern medical procedures like organ transplants and neonatal care for babies will no longer be possible. 

Modern medicine must also reawaken to the incredible power of colloidal silver in stopping harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections. Studies show that there is virtually no bacterial strain resistant to silver's powerful antibacterial effects. When developed properly for therapeutic use, colloidal silver packs a punch unlike any other antibiotic.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027619_MRSA_superbugs.html

HRT Drugs Promote Ovarian Cancer
David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com  November 30, 2009 

(NaturalNews) Women who use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase not just their risk of breast cancer but also of ovarian cancer, even when they remain on the drugs fewer than four years, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In 2002, the landmark Women's Health Initiative study was prematurely halted when researchers discovered that HRT drastically increased patients' risk of breast cancer, to an extent that continuing the experiment was no longer ethical. Since then, HRT has fallen out of favor as a way to avoid the symptoms of menopause, and breast cancer rates have dropped correspondingly.

Prior research also showed that long-term use of HRT might increase a woman's risk of ovarian cancer, but suggested that the risk only developed after long-term use. In the current study, researchers examined the medical records of nearly all Danish women between the ages of 50 and 79, or 909,946, between the years of 1995 and 2005. They found that current users of HRT had a 38 percent higher risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who had never used HRT, and a 44 percent higher risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer, the most common form of the disease. This would translate into one extra case of ovarian cancer for every 8,300 women taking HRT.

HRT was responsible for one in 20 ovarian cancer cases in Denmark during the study period, the researchers said.

The new study does not change the recommendations for HRT, the researchers noted.

"The bottom line is, we're already telling women, 'Don't use it,' " said Debbie Saslow of the American Cancer Society, who was not involved in the study. "If you need to use it, use it for the lowest dose and the shortest amount of time, but try not to use it." 

Many women seeking to avoid the symptoms of menopause but frightened of HRT are now turning to products marketed as "bio-identical hormones," derived from plant ingredients instead of from animal hormones. Saslow warned that there is no evidence that these therapies are any safer than conventional HRT, however.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027617_HRT_drugs_ovarian_cancer.html

Phytochemicals in plant-based foods fight obesity and prevent disease, researchers say

S. L. Baker, NaturalNews.com  November 30, 2009 

(NaturalNews) If you ever feel tempted to go for a cheeseburger, fries and a soft drink, consider this: along with the fast food, you are ordering up an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. But the opposite is true, too. According to a new University of Florida (UF) study, if you stay away from processed and fast foods and instead eat a lot of veggies, nuts and fruits, you will actively be helping to prevent or reverse harmful metabolic processes in your body. The result? Better health and a slimmer body.

An important advantage to having plant-based foods as an abundant part of your daily diet appears to result from the phytochemicals they contain. As noted in the UF findings recently published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, these natural substances prevent oxidative stress -- a process linked to being overweight and to the onset of diseases including heart disease and diabetes. Phytochemicals include lycopene from tomatoes, isoflavones from soy, beta carotene from carrots, anthocyanins from blueberries, allicin from garlic, and many more.

Without enough phytochemicals and antioxidants to counteract oxidative stress, damaging free radicals cause inflammation and other toxic problems in the body. In overweight people, excess fat tissue and certain enzymes that are more active also trigger the production of excessive free radicals, according to a media statement by the UF researchers.

The research team, headed by Heather K. Vincent, Ph.D., studied a group of 54 young adults divided into a normal weight and an overweight or obese group, analyzing their dietary patterns over several days. Surprisingly, the people in both groups took in about the same amount of calories. However, the overweight and obese young people were found to be eating fewer plant-based foods. That means those who were carrying around excess pounds were consuming fewer protective trace minerals and phytochemicals and consuming far more saturated fats. 

In addition, those eating less plant-based foods were found to have higher levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in their bodies than their normal-weight counterparts. This is a crucial finding because oxidative stress and inflammation are processes clearly associated with the onset of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and joint disease.

"Diets low in plant-based foods affect health over the course of a long period of time," Dr. Vincent explained in a statement to the press. "This is related to annual weight gain, inflammation and oxidative stress. Those are the onset processes of disease that debilitate people later in life."

"People who are obese need more fruits, vegetables, legumes and wholesome unrefined grains," she said. "In comparison to a normal-weight person, an obese person is always going to be behind the eight ball because there are so many adverse metabolic processes going on."

In order to get enough protective phytochemicals daily, the UF researchers concluded that people should try to consume plant-based foods such as leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes at the start of each meal. As a way to encourage people to get enough phytochemicals from meals and snacks, Dr. Vincent also called for use of a phytochemical index, which compares the number of calories consumed from plant-based, nutrient-rich foods with the overall number of calories taken in each day.

"Fill your plate with colorful, low-calorie, varied-texture foods derived from plants first. By slowly eating phytochemical-rich foods such as salads with olive oil or fresh-cut fruits before the actual meal, you will likely reduce the overall portion size, fat content and energy intake. In this way, you're ensuring that you get the variety of protective, disease-fighting phytochemicals you need and controlling caloric intake," said Vincent, an assistant professor in the UF Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute, in the media statement.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027616_degenerative_disease_phytochemicals.html

FDA fails to follow up on safety of fast-tracked drug approvals
Paul Louis, NaturalNews.com  November 30, 2009 

(Natural News) A new congressional report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reprimanded the FDA for failing to properly monitor drugs approved under the FDA's 1992 accelerated approval process. The report focused on 90 drugs. 

The accelerated approval process was ostensibly enacted to rush minimally tested cancer and AIDS drugs that were urgently needed to assist those with life threatening situations. In exchange for accelerated approval by the FDA, drug manufacturers agreed to provide the FDA with post-marketing reports to determine if the drug is safe and effective.

Yet most drug makers were not complying with post marketing follow-up reports. And the FDA has never removed a drug approved by the accelerated process from the market. Some of the drugs approved have gone 13 years without post marketing reports!

The GAO report states, ". . . the FDA has authority to expedite the withdrawal of a drug from the market if a sponsor does not complete a required confirmatory study with due diligence, or if a study fails to confirm a drug's clinical benefit, [yet the FDA] has not specified the conditions that would prompt it to do so." 

This indicates that the FDA has never created a procedure to remove fast track drugs even if they are dangerous. This precludes quality control on drugs fast tracked for public consumption. Pre-market proposals based on theory and limited testing have been the only basis for continued use. Therefore the public becomes part of a medical experiment.

Some drugs that never reported were big money makers for over a decade. And the FDA never bothered to inquire about their follow up reports. The GAO report requested the FDA "clarify" under what circumstances it would voluntarily remove potentially dangerous or ineffective drugs from the market.

The FDA balked. They claimed there was no need for clarification. 

FDA officials asserted that these fast track drugs are ". . . life-saving drugs for which there are no replacements." Yet there is little or no documented proof of "life saving" efficacy or safety because post marketing reports have, for the most part, never been conducted.

It appears that the FDA's requirements for post market reports from drug companies in exchange for accelerated approval were window dressing. The FDA's lack of enforcement speaks for itself. Meanwhile many drug makers have made a lot of money dispensing often ineffective and sometimes dangerous drugs to desperate people. 
http://www.naturalnews.com/027614_FDA_drug_approvals.html

Executives of Medical Device Company Charged With Crimes for Illegal Marketing
David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com  November 30, 2009 

(NaturalNews) The federal government has indicted a Swiss medical device company and four of its top executives on charges of illegally marketing two experimental spinal cements without FDA approval.

While U.S. law allows medical professionals prescribe or use any treatment that they think would be effective, it prohibits manufacturers from actively marketing any product for a nonapproved ("off-label") use.

"It's not proper for companies to do that without getting approval from the FDA," U.S. Attorney Mark Levy said.

The indictment alleges that Synthes Inc. marketed two kinds of bone cement, SRS and CRS, to doctors without FDA approval, leading to 200patients being treated with the products off-label. 

Synthes and its U.S. subsidiary Norian stand accused of 97 criminal counts, including impairing the functions of the FDA, shipping a misbranded product across state lines, and deliberately making false statements to the FDA in order to cover up its illegal, off-label marketing practices. If convicted, Synthes could be punished with a fine of up to $8.8 million, while Norian could be fined up to $26 million. Indicted executives Richard Bohner, Thomas Higgins, Michael Huggins and John Walsh are facing up to a year in prison and fines of up to $100,000 each.

Three patients died between 2002 and 2004 from rapid blood pressure drops while undergoing spinal surgery in unauthorized clinical trials of the products. Synthes ceased marketing CRS and SRS after the third patient's death. 

Federal prosecutors claim that even before the unauthorized trials had begun, the company possessed preliminary data showing that CRS and SRS could produce blood clots. Neither the company nor its executives are charged with the deaths of the patients, since doctors are unable to prove a direct connection between the bone cements and the drops in blood pressure.

Company spokespeople have declined to comment on the case.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027612_medical_devices_FDA.html

Detox Your Liver with These Natural Herbs
Elizabeth Walling, NaturalNews.com  November 30, 2009 

(NaturalNews) Maybe you have a childhood memory of forgetting to clean your fish tank's filter. After all, it's easy to forget a fish tank even has a filter until it's so clogged up it starts to malfunction. Eventually, the tank is covered in slime and the health of your fish begins to fail. This scenario is much like the way we view our liver today. We often overlook the importance of the liver until it begins to adversely affect our health. However, this organ plays a vital role in cleansing, detoxifying and purification on a daily basis. The liver is also where many important nutrients are metabolized. Without a healthy liver, we cannot be healthy.

If you want to keep the environment clear and healthy in your fish tank, regular filter maintenance is a must. Similarly, if you want to enjoy vibrant health, maintaining your liver is crucial. When liver health is declining, you may experience a variety of symptoms including fatigue, sluggishness, hormone imbalances, acne, headaches and more.

In our literally toxic modern society, maintaining liver health is more important than ever. These natural herbs provide potent results in detoxifying and restoring the liver:

Milk Thistle. By far the most famous herb for liver health, milk thistle contains antioxidant flavonoids, which protect liver cells from damage by preventing toxin absorption and enhancing regeneration. Milk thistle is a part of most popular liver tonics, and it can also be ground fresh and sprinkled over food.

Artichoke. Thought to have a protective effect on liver cells, artichoke can aid liver regeneration and improve its function. It also supports bile production, which is important for digestion and assimilating valuable nutrients. Some clinical studies show artichoke can lower triglyceride levels, as well.

Dandelion. This herb makes an ideal liver treatment because it is highly effective and generally very safe (it is also quite inexpensive). All parts of the flower can be useful, but dandelion root is the most popular liver remedy, while the leaves are known for promoting kidney health.

Licorice. This remedy was often used in Eastern medicine to treat liver problems. One study reported licorice increased the production of interferon, which may explain this herb's unique ability to defend liver health from harmful toxins.

Keep in mind that any of these herbs should be used in conjunction with lifestyle factors which promote liver health, such as avoiding alcohol, caffeine and tobacco; staying active with regular exercise (even walking and yoga are highly beneficial); avoiding processed foods filled with junk sugars and chemical additives; and finally, learning to manage stress and developing healthy sleeping habits.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027607_liver_detox_herbs.html

Your Cookware can Undermine or Support Your Health
Deanna Dean, NaturalNews.com  November 28, 2009 

(NaturalNews) Nearly every American consumer is acquainted with the advantages of nonstick cookware. However two generations later we're learning that this convenience may carry a heavy price tag in terms of health. Recent findings show that 95% of Americans have detectable levels of a plastic material, polytetrafluoroethylene (PFTE) used to coat non-stick cookware, in their blood. Though the application technology has improved over the years the essential ingredient is still there. Also an unknown number of human illnesses are linked to toxic particles and gases emitted when non-stick surfaces break apart. Its safety has been questioned to the extent that a non profit research organization, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), petitioned the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to warn the public of these safety concerns.

Low fat cooking necessitates nonstick cookware, but at what price? The Environmental Protection Agency says that ingesting small flakes of non-stick coatings is not known to cause any health maladies. One company making non-stick cookware has stated for the past 50 years that their non-stick coatings are safe. They further state there are no hazardous chemicals emitted if cookware is used responsibly keeping temperatures below 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Albeit a class-action suit filed by several states claims toxins are released under normal cooking use and that the company did not warn consumers about its dangers.

Another standby in almost every kitchen in America has been glass baking dishes. They were made with borosilicate glass but eventually the technology was sold along with the logo. Since then, there has been a ground swell of controversy with disturbing reports that the newer dishes often explode and shatter in the oven. A spokesman for the new manufacturer says the claims are unsubstantiated and the malfunctioning dishes are another brand even though the original logo is clearly displayed.

Stainless steel pots and pans, along with iron and stone cookware, are durable; the drawback with these is the need for more cooking oils so the food doesn't stick to the pan. This not only adds calories, but when oils are overheated they turn to unhealthy trans fats. New York Times science reporter Gina Kolata says: "The National Academy of Sciences, Department of Health and Human Services, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and the Food and Drug Administration have all concluded: Trans fats are like butter or lard, -both increase cholesterol levels.

Ceramic, glass or enamel coated cookware can be safely heated to high temperatures, but at that point food enzymes and nutrients are destroyed. The health concern here comes from minor components such as pigments, lead, or cadmium. If the enamel coating has been scratched, these harmful materials to the body may leach into food.

Cookware made of aluminum conducts heat easily but has been associated with Alzheimer`s disease, though there is no proven link. Studies have shown aluminum alone leaches out into food during cooking, but we're told not to worry. Assured by the World Health Organization, we are safe if we consume no more than 50 milligrams daily.

Some of the healthiest cookware appears to be waterless, greaseless cookware made from surgical stainless steel. Most vegetables contain 90% water so cooking without adding oil, butter, fats or water preserves the minerals and natural salts. Made in the USA, the cookware creates a vapor seal and works like a small oven. Food is cooked at a low temperature for a minimal amount of time - the best way if you are cooking, to preserve minerals, vitamins and valuable nutrients.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027605_cookware_health.html

High Salt Intake Directly Linked to Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease
ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2009) — High salt intake is associated with significantly greater risk of both stroke and cardiovascular disease, concludes a study published on the British Medical Journal website.
The link between high salt intake and high blood pressure is well established, and it has been suggested that a population-wide reduction in dietary salt intake has the potential to substantially reduce the levels of cardiovascular disease.
The World Health Organization recommended level of salt consumption is 5 g (about one teaspoon) per day at the population level, yet dietary salt intake in most Western countries is close to 10g per day (and much higher in many Eastern European countries).
Collaborative research conducted by Professor Pasquale Strazzullo at the University of Naples, Italy and Professor Francesco Cappuccio at the University of Warwick, UK analysed the results of 13 published studies involving over 170,000 people that directly assessed the relationship between levels of habitual salt intake and rates of stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Differences in study design and quality were taken into account to minimise bias.
Their analysis shows unequivocally that a difference of 5 g a day in habitual salt intake is associated with a 23% difference in the rate of stroke and a 17% difference in the rate of total cardiovascular disease.
Based on these results, the authors estimate that reducing daily salt intake by 5 g at the population level could avert one and a quarter million deaths from stroke and almost three million deaths from cardiovascular disease each year. Furthermore, because of imprecision in measurement of salt intake, these effect sizes are likely to be underestimated, say the authors.
These results support the role of a substantial population reduction in salt intake for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, they conclude.
This study is a useful and welcome addition to the medical literature, and strengthens the case for population-wide salt reduction, says Professor Lawrence Appel from Johns Hopkins University, in an accompanying editorial.
Notes:

• Cardiovascular disease is the first cause of death and disability in the world among people aged over 60 years and the second one among those 15 to 59 years old.
• According to the World Health Organization, 62% of all strokes and 49% of coronary heart disease events are attributable to high blood pressure.
• There is a direct causal relationship between levels of dietary salt intake and levels of blood pressure.
• Most of the salt we eat comes from that added to food in the manufacturing process by industry, caterers and food producers.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124204324.htm

Polyphenols and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Boost the Birth of New Neurons, Study Finds
ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2009) — Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) researchers have confirmed that a diet rich in polyphenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids, patented as an LMN diet, helps boost the production of the brain's stem cells -neurogenesis- and strengthens their differentiation in different types of neuron cells.
The research revealed that mice fed an LMN diet, when compared to those fed a control diet, have more cell proliferation in the two areas of the brain where neurogenesis is produced, the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus, both of which are greatly damaged in patients with Alzheimer's disease. These results give support to the hypothesis that a diet made up of foods rich in these antioxidant substances could delay the onset of this disease or even slow down its evolution.
The study will be published in the December issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and was directed by Mercedes Unzeta, professor of the UAB Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Participating in the study were researchers from this department and from the departments of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, and of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, all of which are affiliated centres of the Institute of Neuroscience of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. The company La Morella Nuts from Reus and the ACE Foundation of the Catalan Institute of Applied Neurosciences also collaborated in the study.
Polyphenols can be found in tea, beer, grapes, wine, olive oil, cocoa, nuts and other fruits and vegetables. Polyunsaturated fatty acids can be found in blue fish and vegetables such as corn, soya beans, sunflowers and pumpkins. The LMN cream used in this study was composed of a mixture of natural products: dried fruits and nuts, coconut, vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated fat and flour rich in soluble fiber. These creams were created and patented by the company La Morella Nuts, located in Reus near Tarragona. Previous studies had verified their effects on regulating cholesterol levels and hypertension, two risk factors commonly associated with heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
During the development of the brain, stem cells generate different neural cells (neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) which end up forming the adult brain. Until the 1960s it was thought that the amount of neurons in adult mammals decreased with age and that the body was not able to renew these cells. Now it is known that new neurons are formed in the adult brain. This generative capacity of the cells however is limited to two areas of the brain: the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus (area related to the memory and to cognitive processes). Although the rhythm of cell proliferation decreases with age and with neurodegenerative diseases, it is known that exercise and personal well being can combat this process.
The main objective of this research was to study the effect of an LMN cream-enriched diet on the neurogenesis of the brain of an adult mouse. Scientists used two groups of mice for the study. One group was given a normal diet and the other was given the same diet enriched with LMN cream. Both groups were fed during 40 days (approximately five years in humans). The analyses carried out in different brain regions demonstrated that those fed with LMN cream had a significantly higher amount of stem cells, as well as new differentiated cells, in the olfactory bulb and hippocampus.
The second objective was to verify if the LMN cream could prevent damage caused by oxidation or neural death in cell cultures. Cultures of the hippocampal and cortical cells were pretreated with LMN cream. After causing oxidative damage with hydrogen peroxide, which killed 40% of the cells, scientists observed that a pretreatment with LMN cream was capable of diminishing, and in some cases completely preventing, oxidative damage. The hippocampal and cortical cells were also damaged using amyloid beta (anomalous deposits of this protein are related to Alzheimer's disease). The results obtained were similar to those obtained using hydrogen peroxide.
These results demonstrate that an LMN diet is capable of inducing the generation of new cells in the adult brain, and of strengthening the neural networks which become affected with age and in neurogenerative processes such as Alzheimer's disease, as well as protecting neurons from oxidative and neural damage, two phenomena which occur at the origin of many diseases affecting the central nervous system.
In this study researchers have used different biochemical and molecular analysis techniques, with the help of specific antibodies, to detect different neuronal markers implied in the process of differentiation.
The group of researchers led by Dr Unzeta has spent years studying the effects oxidases have on oxidative stress as a factor implied in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson and Alzheimer's disease, and the effects of different natural products with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in different experimental models of Alzheimer's disease.
The study forms part of the CENIT project, which was awarded to La Morella Nuts in 2006 under the auspices of the INGENIO 2010 programme, with the objective of establishing methodologies for the design, evaluation and verification of functional foods which may protect against cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease. With 21.15m euros in funding and a duration of four years, the project has included the participation of 50 doctors and technicians from nine different companies, four universities (7 departments) and 2 research centres.
Tony Valente, Juan Hidalgo, Irene Bolea, Bartolomé Ramirez, Neus Anglés, Jordi Reguant, José Ramón Morelló, Cristina Gutiérrez, Mercè Boada and Mercedes Unzeta. A Diet Enriched in Polyphenols and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, LMN Diet, Induces Neurogenesis in the Subventricular Zone and Hippocampus of Adult Mouse Brain. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2009; 18 (4) 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124093543.htm

Connection Between Depression and Osteoporosis Detailed
ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2009) — Research carried out among thousands of people has shown a clear connection between depression and a loss of bone mass, leading to osteoporosis and fractures.
This was revealed by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers, Prof. Raz Yirmiya, head of the Brain and Behavior Laboratory, and Prof. Itai Bab, head of the Bone Laboratory. They further revealed that the relationship between depression and bone loss is particularly strong among young women.
Osteoporosis is the most widespread degenerative disease in the developed world, afflicting 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over 50. Sufferers experience decrease in bone density, which often leads to bone fractures. In many cases, these fractures cause severe disability and even death.
Despite the accumulating evidence for a connection between depression and decreased bone density, official authorities, such as the US National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization, have not yet acknowledged depression as a risk factor for osteoporosis, due to the lack of studies in large samples. To remedy this situation, the Hebrew University researchers assembled the data from all studies on the subject conducted to date, and analyzed them using a special statistical approach called meta-analysis.
The results were recently reported in the journal Biological Psychiatry. In the article the Hebrew University scientists assessed data from 23 research projects conducted in eight countries, comparing bone density among 2,327 people suffering from depression against 21,141 non-depressed individuals.
The results, say the researchers, show clearly that depressed individuals have a substantially lower bone density than non-depressed people and that depression is associated with a markedly elevated activity of cells that breakdown bone (osteoclasts).
Yirmiya and Bab found that the association between depression and bone loss was stronger in women than men, especially young women before the end of their monthly period. This connection was especially strong in women with clinical depression diagnosed by a psychiatrist, but not in community studies, in which women subjectively identified themselves as being depressed using self-rating questionnaires.
Based on the present findings, Profs. Yirmiya and Bab propose that "all individuals psychiatrically diagnosed with major depression are at risk for developing osteoporosis, with depressed young women showing the highest risk. These patients should be periodically evaluated for progression of bone loss and signs of osteoporosis, allowing the use of anti-osteoporotic prophylactic and therapeutic treatments".
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121129.htm

Study: Half of US Kids To Need Food Stamps
According to a recent study, nearly half of all U.S. kids will receive government food stamps at some point during their childhood, reports the Associated Press. 
The study's numbers have opened up a proverbial can of worms in the public debate regarding how this data should be interpreted and what it says about the direction of the country.
The study, conducted by a team of sociologists from Cornell University and Washington University, appeared this month in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 
The researchers examined 30 years of data from around the country and found that U.S. children actually face a significant risk of experiencing poverty at some point during their youth — a fact which they say puts their health and well-being in danger.
Though food stamps were originally an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the programs themselves are actually carried out by state governments. 
Recent annual reports from the USDA stating that more than half the states have not been able to help some of the nation’s neediest citizens have further exacerbated concerns over the study’s results.
The USDA also reported that 15 percent of American households did not have what it calls “food security” in 2008 — up by 4 percent over the previous year and the highest level observed since the agency first began keeping records in 1995.
Yet in a country where the lowest earning classes also statistically suffer from the highest levels of obesity, the various reports have also stoked a debate over how we define “poverty.”
Policy analyst Sarah Meadows believes that the various statistics are highly probable but also cautions that people should keep in mind that they don’t mean that half of all American children are always in need of food stamps.
“While there may be a group of children who are persistently exposed to poverty, many move in and move out,” she told AP.
Statistician Andrew Gelman of Columbia University offered a similar analysis, stating that the recent study sheds light on the common misconception “that people are either on welfare or they’re not.” The reality of the situation is that while some families are more or less permanently on welfare, many more utilize government assistance for short periods of time, often during professional transition periods or other instances of temporary financial hardship.
Senior research fellow for the Heritage Foundation, Robert Rector, claims that while the research’s figures are technically correct, the parameters and definitions used to define and measure “poverty” are largely subjective and tend to exaggerate the seriousness of families’ situations.
According to Rector, the report creates “a picture of alarm that is just not justified by the facts.”
For example, to be eligible for food stamps, a family of four must have a net annual income below $22,000.  While not necessarily ‘living the high life,’ the majority of these families often enjoy a number of modern amenities — such as televisions, internet, and automobiles — that would be considered luxuries in a majority of the world’s countries.
Others, like family welfare specialist and former employee of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Olivia Golden, have a different perspective on the matter.
According to Golden, U.S. children can lack “economic stability” even if they aren’t necessarily suffering from destitute poverty.
“There are several levels of economic disadvantage and we should worry about all of them,” Golden told AP.
Social policy professor at the University of Washington Marcia Meyers, takes a similar line, admitting that while most of the poor in the U.S. “are not on the verge of literal starvation,” they may nevertheless be getting poor quality, unhealthy foods.
This, she believes, likely helps explain why many of the nation’s poorest often see the highest rates of obesity.
Story from REDORBIT NEWS:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/display/?id=1791809

Diabetes, cancer more fatal than AIDS

Times of India  30 November 2009

Heart diseases, chronic respiratory conditions, cancer and diabetes are the world’s top four killer diseases  more fatal than the much feared ailments like AIDS and influenza A (H1N1), says United Nations official. 

United Nations University-Inter national Institute for Global Health director Tan Sri Dr Mohamed Salleh Mohamed Yasin said the above finding was frightening because these diseases were highly preventable” and were due to lifestyle choices. 

Such non-infectious diseases or chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs), also contribute to 60 percent of all deaths worldwide, The Star Online quoted him as telling reporters at Hospital Universiti Keb angsaan Malaysia. 

is twice the number of the combined deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and perinatal conditions and nutritional deficiencies, he added. 

Mohamed Salleh also said that such illnesses were silent killers and would affect those who do not control their diet and exercise. 

The rise in these CNCDs may be caused by the improved standard of living in countries like India and China where people become more affluent and eat richer foods, he said. 

He added that the four top diseases were pinpointed by the recently formed Global Alliances for Chronic Diseases in its inaugural summit in New Delhi and that it was now working towards coordinating research to combat the diseases.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/health/Diabetes-cancer-more-fatal-than-AIDS/articleshow/5284110.cms

Mushrooms can help beat cancer

Times of India  30 November 2009

A mushroom common in Chinese and Japanese cooking can help beat bladder and prostate cancer, according to a new study. 

Scientists in the Department of Urology at the New York Medical College found that the maitake mushroom can shrink tumours by as much as 75 per cent and may lead to new treatments. 

Lead researcher Dr Sensuke Konno, head of urology at the NYMC, said the breakthrough research on the giant edible mushroom would help in improving the quality of life of cancer sufferers. 

“It is very significant because the synergy not only enhances the efficacy of the treatment but also improves the quality of life of the patients by reducing the dose of conventional therapies significantly, the Daily Express quoted Dr Konno as saying. 

Dr Alison Ross, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information officer, added: Many chemotherapy drugs currently in use have been derived from natural substances found in plants so it is not too far-fetched to think that mushrooms could be a valuable source of potential new cancer drugs.” 

The study was published in the British Journal of Urology .

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/health/Mushrooms-can-help-beat-cancer/articleshow/5284196.cms

Red wine prevents tooth decay

Times of India  28 November 2009

Drinking red wine in moderate amount helps to rinse teeth clean of bacteria during and after meals, says a new study. 

Earlier studies have linked moderate red wine intake with everything from improved longevity to diminished risk of cardiovascular and neurological diseases. 

And because the new study was conducted with non-alcoholic red wine, even teetotallers can enjoy dental benefits, reports ABC Science. 

Co-author Professor Gabriella Gazzani, of Pavia University in Italy, said that alcohol’s cavity-preventing benefits are already well known and thats why they investigated "de-alcoholised red wine to verify if substances different from ethanol with anti-strep properties occur in this beverage." 

The researchers purchased red wine from the Veneto region and removed the alcohol using a technique called vacuum concentration. 

They then cultured Streptococcus mutans, a common bacteria that feed on sugars in food and contribute to tooth enamel demineralisation, which often results in cavities. 

In the lab, the bacteria easily mixed with saliva and saliva-coated pulled teeth, along with saliva-coated calcium ceramic beads. 

However, when the non-alcoholic red wine was added to each one, the wine prevented S. mutans from clinging to teeth and saliva. 

Next, the researchers determined that the active components in red wine that protect teeth are proanthocyanidins, naturally occurring flavonoid compounds previously found to have antioxidant properties. 

The compounds are in many plant edibles, such as apples, cinnamon, cocoa and teas. 

The researchers do think that proanthocyanidins could be separated from wine and studied for their potential oral health benefits. 

Acids and sugars in some wines may actually contribute to tooth decay, so isolating wine’s tooth-supporting components could lead to an even more beneficial product, at least from a dentistry standpoint. 

In separate research, scientists from Laval University in Quebec, Canada found that polyphenols in red wine also help to control immune cell response in gums to bacterial infection. 

The study will be published in the journal Food Chemistry. (ANI)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/health/Red-wine-prevents-tooth-decay/articleshow/5278491.cms

Stomach hormone can slow down Parkinson's disease

Times of India  27 November 2009

Ghrelin, a hormone produced in the stomach, may be used to slow down onset of Parkinson's disease, a new study reveals. 


Parkinson's disease is caused by disruption of dopamine neurons (nerve cells) in an area of the mid-brain responsible for dopamine production. 

Some of the symptoms are severe difficulty in walking, restricted movements, lack of appetite, difficulty in eating, periods of remaining motionless (known as freezing) and head and limb tremors. 

When dopamine cells fall sick and die, Parkinson's can develop. Yale School of Medicine (YSM) researcher Tamas Horvath and colleagues found that ghrelin is protective of the dopamine neurons, said an YSM release. 

"We also found that, in addition to its influence on appetite, ghrelin is responsible for direct activation of the brain's dopamine cells," said Horvath, professor of comparative medicine, neurobiology and obstetrics & gynaecology at YSM. 

"Because this hormone originates from the stomach, it is circulating normally in the body, so it could easily be used to boost resistance to Parkinson's or it could be used to slow the development of the disease." 

The study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience .

Nature's antibiotic

Life Extensions, November 25, 2009
A review published in the November, 2009 issue of Future Microbiology stresses the significance of sufficient vitamin D to prevent infection and optimize immune function.
Adrian F. Gombart, of Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute, describes research conducted at OSU concerning the regulation by vitamin D of the expression of an antimicrobial peptide gene known as cathelicidin. According to the article, "The capacity of the vitamin D receptor to act as a high-affinity receptor for vitamin D and a low-affinity receptor for secondary bile acids and potentially other novel nutritional compounds suggests that the evolutionary selection to place the cathelicidin gene under control of the vitamin D receptor allows for its regulation under both endocrine and xenobiotic response systems."
The article highlights a number of areas in which vitamin D’s effects have been investigated, including its associations with a lower risk of cancer and cancer mortality, its role in regulating immune function by activation of innate immune response and control of over-reaction of adaptive immunity (such as occurs in autoimmune disease), the potential of vitamin D analogs to treat tuberculosis, the possible role of vitamin D deficiencies in influenza epidemics, the association of a vitamin D-related protein with reduced infections and improved survival among dialysis patients, and the vitamin's function in lowering cardiovascular disease risk factors.
"About 70 percent of the population of the United States has insufficient levels of vitamin D," Dr Gombart stated. "This is a critical issue as we learn more about the many roles it may play in fighting infection, balancing your immune response, helping to address autoimmune problems, and even preventing heart disease."
“Chronic insufficiency and/or deficiency of vitamin D is correlated with the development of many of the chronic diseases that we associate with old age,” Dr Gombart told Life Extension. “Staying vitamin D replete may reduce the severity of many of these conditions.”

Vitamin D might be just as important as vaccine to prevent effects of H1N1 swine flu, researchers say
Canada NewsWire
11-27-09
TORONTO, Nov. 26, 2009 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- The world's leading vitamin D experts say that raising your levels of "the sunshine vitamin" this winter might be the best way to help your body naturally raise its resistance to all forms of the flu virus - including the H1N1 swine flu virus.
That's the message vitamin D advocate Dr. William Grant wants you to take to the bank.
"I'm a little hesitant to say it will reduce your risk of being infected, but it certainly will reduce your risk of dying from the complications, such as pneumonia, if you are infected," says Grant, founder of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center - a vitamin D research and advocacy group.
Grant is concerned that epidemic vitamin D deficiency in Canada -- 97 percent of Canadians are vitamin D deficient in the winter due to Canada's northerly latitudes and relatively weak sunlight 4-6 months of the year -- means that Canadians could be more susceptible to flu virus in the winter.
Grant points to research suggesting:

<< 
- Higher vitamin D levels assist the body's innate immune system. Some
studies suggest taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D/day will decrease your
risk of seasonal flu.
- The groups most affected by the H1N1 swine flu virus have been those
most likely to be vitamin D deficient: pregnant women, obese people,
those with Type II diabetes and children with neurological disorders.
- Many of the deaths associated with the H1N1 virus have been pneumonia
related, which means anything that would assist your body's innate
immune system would make you less likely to be affected.

Diet rich in polypenols might delay onset of Alzheimer’s
Nutraingredients.com , 27-Nov-2009
A diet rich in polyphenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease through the production of new brain cells and the strenghtening of neural networks, according to a new Spanish study.
Mercedes Unzeta, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) claims that the study showed that mice fed a diet based on polyphenols and fatty acids, when compared to those in the control group, had more cell growth in the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus, both of which are damaged in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers maintain that their results show that the diet is capable of inducing the generation of new cells in the adult brain, and of strengthening the neural networks which become affected with age and in neurogenerative processes such as Alzheimer's disease, as well as protecting neurons from oxidative and neural damage, which they say have been associated with many diseases affecting the central nervous system.
The team claims the results give support to the hypothesis that a diet made up of foods rich in polyphenols such as grapes, olive oil, cocoa, nuts as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids from oily fish and vegetables such as corn and soya beans could delay the onset of this disease or even slow down its evolution.
The study will be published in next month’s issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Care costs
Currently, about 12 million people in the US plus the EU suffer from Alzheimer's, with some estimates predicting this figure will have tripled by 2050.
The direct and indirect cost of Alzheimer care is over $100bn (€ 81bn) in the US alone. The direct cost of Alzheimer care in the UK was estimated at £15bn (€ 22bn).
The study
The UAB researchers said that the main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a polyphenol and fatty acid enriched diet on the neurogenesis of the brain of an adult mouse.
They said that they used two groups of mice for the study, with one being given a normal diet the other was given the same diet enriched with a cream (LMN) composed of a mixture of natural products including dried fruit and nuts, coconut, vegetable oils and flour rich in soluble fibre, which they said was developed by the Tarragona based company La Morella Nuts.
Both groups were fed over a duration of 40 days, which the authors claim is equivalent to approximately five years in humans.
And biochemical and molecular analysis techniques were used to detect different neuronal markers, claim the team.
“The analyses carried out in different brain regions demonstrated that those fed with LMN cream had a significantly higher amount of stem cells, as well as new differentiated cells, in the olfactory bulb and hippocampus,” said the researchers.
Oxidative damage
The second objective, they explained, was to verify if the LMN cream could prevent damage caused by oxidation or neural death in cell cultures.
According to the researchers, cultures of the hippocampal and cortical cells were pretreated with LMN cream. After causing oxidative damage with hydrogen peroxide, which killed 40 per cent of the cells, the scientists observed that a pretreatment with LMN cream was capable of diminishing, and in some cases completely preventing, oxidative damage.
The authors said that the hippocampal and cortical cells were also damaged using amyloid beta (anomalous deposits of this protein are related to Alzheimer's disease), and the results obtained here were similar to those obtained using hydrogen peroxide, they added.
The study forms part of the four year long CENIT project which involves nine different companies, four universities and two research centres with the objective of developing methodologies for the design, evaluation and verification of functional foods which may protect against cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease.
Source: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease  Title: A Diet Enriched in Polyphenols and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, LMN Diet, Induces Neurogenesis in the Subventricular Zone and Hippocampus of Adult Mouse Brain  Authors: T Valente, J Hidalgo, I Bolea, B Ramirez, N Anglés, J Reguant, J R Morelló, C Gutiérrez, M Boada, M Unzeta

Oxford study links DASH diet to lower blood pressure
Nutraingredients.com, 27-Nov-2009
A diet consisting of low fat dairy foods, wholegrains, and fruit and vegetables has been linked to lower blood pressure in the first British study of the DASH diet.
Scientists at the University of Oxford and Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals examined the potential of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet in a study that is soon to be published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
Academic attention
Several studies have previously been conducted in the US on the DASH diet but the concept has only just begun to attract academic attention across the Atlantic.
Oxford scientists decided to adapt the diet slightly to suit British food preferences and serving sizes but kept the emphasis on low fat dairy, wholegrains and fruit and vegetables.
To assess the impact of the DASH diet on blood pressure in healthy people, the researchers gave participants a daily 30-day diet made up of 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2-4 servings of low-fat dairy and 6-13 servings of grains.
At the end of the month long study, the scientists said blood pressure had decreased significantly. They therefore concluded that the DASH style diet should be considered when giving dietary advice to people with elevated blood pressure in the UK.
Dairy content
The Dairy Council welcomed the news, and called for further promotion of the DASH diet. “We hope the relevant UK bodies will take up the researcher’s call to consider advising DASH – which has a very healthy dietary pattern - when giving dietary advice to people with raised blood pressure in the UK,” said Dr Judith Bryans, director of The Dairy Council.
Dairy products have a mixed reputation in the health community because their saturated fat content. “In the UK, we still see far too many people with high blood pressure being wrongly advised to remove dairy from their diets,” added Bryans.
In low fat dairy products like skimmed milk, hard cheese, and reduced fat yoghurt, the Dairy Council claims the calcium and proteins may be good for blood pressure and heart health in the context of a healthy diet.

Depression may up risk of a leaky bladder in women
Last Updated: 2009-11-26 11:00:29 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older women who suffer from major depression are at greater risk of developing urinary incontinence than women of the same age who are not depressed, new research shows.
Since urinary incontinence and depression often occur together in women, Dr. Jennifer Melville from the University of Washington in Seattle and colleagues set out to determine if a causal relationship exists between the two conditions.
Previous studies demonstrated a high rate of depression among women being treated for urinary incontinence but none had examined whether one condition led to the other.
Melville's team hypothesized that because the brain chemical serotonin plays a role in both depression and bladder function, the physiological changes brought on by one illness may set the stage for the other.
"We thought maybe we'd see it both ways. In some people because of chemical changes in the body, depression could lead to incontinence but in others, the cause would run the other way because of the psychologic reaction to incontinence," Melville told Reuters Health in a telephone interview.
They scoured data gathered over six years in the ongoing Health and Retirement Study of the financial and physical health of recent retirees in 70,000 households.
The investigators conducted two analyses. In the first, women who entered study with depression were examined to see if urinary incontinence developed. The second analysis looked at women who entered the study with urinary incontinence to see if depression was reported at follow-up.
In this sample of nearly 6,000 women with an average age of 59 years, "we just saw the one pathway, very strong, leading from depression to incontinence and in fact incontinence not leading to depression," Melville said.
The unambiguous results of the study were not expected, she admitted. "We were surprised at was how one-sided the effect looked."
Doctors can use the findings in the current study "to counsel women with depression about a potentially increased risk for development of urinary incontinence or what to do if incontinence symptoms begin to emerge," Melville and her colleagues write in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The loss of bladder control may take a large toll emotionally because of the impact it can have on daily life, they note in their report. Many people feel humiliated and helpless about their condition and restrict social and work activities as a result.
The findings, Melville and colleagues add, also highlight "the importance of addressing depression urgently as a public health priority," because of the effect it may have on other biological functions.
SOURCE: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, November 2009.

Herbal supplements may raise blood lead levels
Last Updated: 2009-11-26 13:00:56 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Some herbal supplements may boost the levels of lead in the blood of women, new research shows.
Among 12,807 men and women age 20 and older, Dr. Catherine Buettner, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues found blood lead levels about 10 percent higher in women, but not men, who used specific herbal supplements.
When they examined herbal supplement use among women of reproductive age (age 16 to 45 years old), "the relationship with lead levels was even stronger, with lead levels 20 percent higher overall, and up to 40 percent higher among users of select herbal supplements compared to non-users," they report in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Lead accumulates in the body over time and may pass from a woman's placenta and breast milk to developing fetuses and infants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not specify safe lead limits, or even routinely test for this toxin in herbal supplements.
Buettner's team found that women using Ayurvedic or traditional Chinese medicine herbs had lead levels 24 percent higher than non-users, while those using St. John's wort and "other" herbs had lead levels 23 percent and 21 percent higher, respectively, than non-users.
When combined with prior studies hinting at excess lead in specific supplements, the evidence strongly suggests use of specific herbal supplements may result in higher lead levels among women, Buettner said.
In the current study, Buettner was reassured to find "no evidence of lead toxicity," she told Reuters Health in an email.
The researchers point out that the use of some herbal supplements among study participants was low, which limited the power to detect associations among specific herbal supplements.
They also emphasize that the current study does not prove that herbal supplements cause higher lead levels. They urge further studies to analyze how other lead exposures, calcium intake, or use of other dietary supplements alter lead levels.
Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman, at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. concurs in an editorial on the study, and also cautions, "let us not use too broad a brush to tar all herbal products."
Specific analyses of specific herbal products or the blood of users, Fugh-Berman writes, should be used to establish products containing problematic amounts of lead.
SOURCE: Journal of General Internal Medicine, November 2009

"Cancer of fraud" permeates U.S. healthcare system
Last Updated: 2009-11-25 9:14:25 -0400 (Reuters Health)
* Fraud problem getting progressively worse, FBI says
* Big return on investment seen in fighting the crime
* Industry accused of "terrible job" in crime control
By Tom Brown
MIAMI (Reuters) - It's a crime so profitable that even dead people are in on the act.
A U.S. Senate committee revealed last year that public health insurer Medicare had paid as much as $92 million from 2000 to 2007 for medical services or equipment ordered or prescribed by doctors who were dead at the time.
Many had died more than five years before the date when they supposedly ordered or authorized the service.
Healthcare fraud said to cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars a year has garnered increased attention amid the congressional debate about overhauling the U.S. healthcare system -- especially since President Barack Obama wants to cover some of the cost of reforms by fighting abuse.
Yet interviews with several law enforcement and healthcare experts indicate the president may be disappointed.
Some fear the focus on fraud may come as too little, too late after years of government complacency and inaction.
Experts like the FBI's John Gillies say the problem has been getting worse all the time, as mob figures and violent criminals are lured by fabulously easy money and relatively light prison sentences into fraud targeting Medicare, the federal health insurer for more than 43 million elderly and disabled Americans.
"There are so many schemes involved. Take any aspect of the healthcare industry and there's a fraud going on in there right now," Gillies, special agent in charge of the FBI Miami Division, told Reuters in a recent interview.
GROUND ZERO FOR FRAUD
Florida has long been known for its unsavory association with cocaine cartels, political shenanigans and swampland real estate deals. Gillies says the state is also now "ground zero for healthcare fraud" since so many elderly Americans have retired to end their days in its famous sunshine.
Hardly a week goes by without authorities in Florida reporting another arrest, indictment or conviction for Medicare fraud, which has replaced the drug trade as the crime of choice among many criminals.
The cases often involve multimillion-dollar schemes featuring bogus suppliers of wheelchairs, or other so-called durable medical equipment devices, and sham infusion therapies for the treatment of HIV and AIDs patients.
One case filed recently in South Florida included the indictment of 11 members of New York's Bonanno crime family, and prosecutors say the crimes are becoming more elaborate, involving kickbacks, stolen identities and manipulative billing practices.
"When we shut down one scheme they just move onto the next scheme," said Gillies, referring to fraudsters perpetrating one of the most lucrative financial crimes in America today.
"I do not see it slowing down any time soon," he said.
The FBI estimates that fraud accounts for 3 percent to 10 percent of U.S. healthcare expenditure per year, and Gillies said it could easily cost about $200 billion annually.
That is broadly in line with a Thomson Reuters report released on Oct. 26. The report said that in 2007, when the United States spent nearly $2.3 trillion on healthcare and both public and private insurers processed more than 4 billion health insurance claims, fraud was estimated to reach as much as 10 percent of annual healthcare spending.
At that rate, due largely to fraudulent Medicare claims, kickbacks for referrals for unnecessary services and other scams, the losses in 2007 would have been more than $220 billion.
The National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association, an organization of about 100 private insurers and public agencies, estimates that some $60 billion, or about 3 percent of total annual healthcare spending, is lost to fraud. But the Thomson Reuters report said that figure is considered conservative.
The Justice Department and Department of Health and Human Services launched a special strike force in Miami in 2007 to combat Medicare fraud in South Florida and similar units have been set up in Los Angeles, Houston and Detroit.
But critics say far more is needed in terms of meaningful steps to attack fraud in healthcare, which drains the system of resources and forces up insurance premiums.
"We haven't really enlisted all of the troops," said Peter Budetti, who chairs the Department of Health Administration and Policy at the University of Oklahoma's College of Public Health.
"Even though there are a lot more resources going in now, it is still grossly inadequate compared to the amount of fraud," Budetti said.
Fighting fraud effectively can seem expensive, especially in economic hard times when state governments are scrambling to plug gaping budget holes. But Budetti said the benefits far outweigh the costs of detection services such as data mining to root out fake billing scams and forms of fraud.
"Every study that looks at what the return on investment is for fighting fraud shows anywhere from $5 to $7 to as much as $15 to $17 returned for every dollar spent," said Budetti, who formerly headed Taxpayers Against Fraud, a non-profit public interest watchdog group.
Without adequate investment, at the state and federal level, criminals will continue to gorge on healthcare at the expense of taxpayers, Budetti and other experts say.
In the past, the Health Department's Office of Inspector General has documented significant numbers of paid Medicare and Medicaid claims for patients who were already dead at the time when they were supposedly being treated.
Public healthcare officials were embarrassed recently by renewed focus on a report from the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations about millions of dollars paid for medical services and equipment prescribed by dead doctors.
In congressional testimony in May, Malcolm Sparrow of Harvard's Kennedy School of Management cited the dead as a glaring example of how much more needs to be done "to properly excise the cancer of fraud" from healthcare.
The healthcare industry does "a terrible job of crime control," Sparrow told a Senate panel, with almost no procedures to routinely verify that medical claims presented were true, or that services provided were medically necessary.
"Criminals, who are intent on stealing as much as they can and as fast as possible, and who are prepared to fabricate diagnoses, treatments, even entire medical episodes, have a relatively easy time breaking through all the industry defenses," he said.
Senator Jay Rockefeller, the West Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, is among lawmakers preparing to champion new anti-fraud measures in Congress.
"Fraud is a crime against the American people, imposing billions in hidden costs to consumers and law-abiding (healthcare) providers," Rockefeller told Reuters.
"Congress needs to put the resources and teeth behind the effort to crack down on fraud," he added.

Eating 30 percent less meat good for health, planet
Last Updated: 2009-11-25 9:01:05 -0400 (Reuters Health)
* 30 pct meat reduction could stop 18,000 early UK deaths
* Global action needed to see health and climate benefits
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Cutting meat production and consumption by 30 percent would help to reduce carbon emissions and improve health in the most meat-loving nations, scientists said on Wednesday.
Using prediction models, British and Australian researchers found that improving efficiency, increasing carbon capture and reducing fossil fuel dependence in farming would not be enough to meet emissions targets.
But combining these steps with a 30 percent reduction in livestock production in major meat-producing nations and a similar cut in meat-eating, would lead to "substantial population health benefits" and cut emissions, they said.
The study found that in Britain, a 30 percent lower intake of animal-source saturated fat by adults would reduce the number of premature deaths from heart disease by some 17 percent -- equivalent to 18,000 premature deaths averted in one year.
In Sao Paulo, Brazil, it could mean as many as 1,000 premature deaths averted in a year, they said.
According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are from meat production and experts say rising demand for meat, particularly in countries with growing economies, could drive livestock production up by 85 percent from 2000 levels by 2030.
The scientists said global action was needed to maximise the benefits of cutting meat production and consumption, and that the environmental advantages "may apply only in those countries that currently have high production levels."
The study was published in The Lancet medical journal as part of a series in climate change and health ahead of the Copenhagen global climate summit scheduled next month.
In a second study, British scientists found that increased walking and cycling, and fewer cars, would have a much greater impact on health than low-emission vehicles in rich and middle-income countries.
Andrew Haines, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and head of the research series, said delegates at Copenhagen needed "to understand the potential health impacts of their plans".

Mediterranean diet cuts risk of breast cancer in older women
E. Huff, NaturalNews.com, November 27, 2009

(NaturalNews) A recent French study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology has revealed that a "Mediterranean" diet rich in fruits and vegetables, fish, and olive and sunflower oils will reduce the risk of post-menopausal women developing cancer. Findings implicated the "Western" diet as contributing heavily to incidences of breast cancer.

Research for the study began in 1990 when 65,374 women living in France agreed to complete self-administered diet questionnaires that tracked the participants' eating habits from among 208 pre-selected foods and beverages. The women, born between 1925 and 1950, were assessed based on a number of physical, demographic, and genealogical factors that were compiled and analyzed in conjunction with the questionnaire data at the conclusion of the study.

After 9.7 years during a median follow-up interval, it was discovered that 2,381 women had developed post-menopausal invasive breast cancer. Based on data analysis, researchers indicated that the Mediterranean diet was a key factor in reducing the risk of breast cancer when accompanied by adequate energy intake and avoidance of excess junk food consumption.

The Mediterranean diet is replete with foods that are rich in vital nutrients. Olive oil, for instance, contains high levels of oleic acid, an anti-cancer fatty acid that blocks oncogene HER-2/neu, a cancer-causing agent. Other anti-cancer nutrients include high levels of selenium, glutathione, fiber, polyphenols, vitamins E and C, and a highly favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

On the other hand, the Western diet consists of many highly-refined, nutrient-depleted processed foods. Grain-fed meats high in harmful fats, excess refined flours and starchy foods, processed sugars, and gluttonous alcohol intake are some of the typical staples in the unhealthy, cancer-inducing Western diet.

Prior to the study, few scientific inquiries had been made into the correlation between breast cancer risk and diet. Though the link should be obvious to everyone, the study illustrates the obvious fact that diet plays a crucial role in keeping the body healthy and free of disease.

Japan offers a perfect illustration of the detrimental effects of an unhealthy diet on a population. Formerly a very healthy nation, Japan's traditional diet was rich in nutritious, unprocessed foods, many of which were derived from the sea. As Japan has slowly adopted a more Western diet over the years, its rates of cancer have begun to increase, exemplifying the link between dietary habits and health.

It is imperative for every health-oriented individual that a wide variety of whole, natural foods be consumed as opposed to processed foods high in unnatural sugars and refined flours. Fortifying the body with nutrients, minerals, and vitamins from natural, balanced sources is vital to maintaining optimal health. 
http://www.naturalnews.com/027598_Mediterranean_diet_brst_cancer.html

Common Pain Medication Fuels Cancer Growth
Sherry Baker, NaturalNews.com, November 27, 2009

(NaturalNews) Painkillers known as opiates are widely used to treat both acute and chronic pain. Morphine, in particular, is often used to relieve the pain experienced by cancer patients. But now comes evidence from two new studies that strongly indicates opiate-based painkillers actually fuel the growth and spread of malignancies.

The research presented in Boston on November 18, 2009, at "Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics," a joint meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, the National Cancer Institute, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, advances the concept that opiate drugs are cancer promoters. The research also explains how protecting cancer cells from opiates may reduce cell proliferation, invasion and migration.

The concept that opiate drugs used to help cancer patients might be contributing to cancer recurrence developed about eight years ago from several unrelated clinical and laboratory studies. First, a 2002 palliative care study found patients who received spinal rather than systemic pain relief from opiate drugs lived longer. A short time later, Jonathan Moss, professor of anesthesiology and critical care at the University of Chicago, reported that several cancer patients receiving a selective opiate blocker called methylnaltrexone (MNTX) which was developed in the 1980s to treat opiate-induced constipation lived far longer than they were expected to. Other studies had similar results.

"These were patients with advanced cancer and a life expectancy of one to two months yet several lived for another five or six. It made us wonder whether this was just a consequence of better GI function or could there possibly be an effect on the tumors," Moss said in a press statement.

Patrick A. Singleton, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center, along with Moss, Joe G.N. Garcia, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, and colleagues decided to investigate the many peripheral effects of opiates that might encourage cancer growth and the potential benefits of blocking those effects. In laboratory studies using both cell cultures and mice, the scientists found that morphine did directly rev up the proliferation of tumor cells. It also inhibited the immune response, and promoted angiogenesis (the growth of the blood vessels that help "feed" tumors and allow them to thrive). In the research just presented by Singleton and colleagues, they focused on the mu opiate receptor as a regulator of tumor growth and metastasis and they documented the ability of MNTX to block the cancer-promoting effects of opiates on this receptor.

Stop eating processed and fried foods and you'll restore the body's natural defenses, study finds
S. L. Baker, NaturalNews.com, November 26, 2009 

(NaturalNews) There's a drugless and side effect-free way to reduce inflammation in the body, restore the body's natural defense system, lose weight, possibly increase lifespan and improve or prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. What's more, you can get the benefits from this natural health strategy no matter what your age or whether you already have a serious disease. So who's behind these "wild" health declarations? It's not a supplement maker or natural health group. Instead, the claims come from mainstream science -- researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, to be exact. 

Their findings, published in the October/November issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism conclude there's a simple, inexpensive dietary intervention that could control weight even without changing caloric intake and help make people healthier in a host of ways. The key? Stop eating processed and fried foods.

According to the Mount Sinai study, these foods, which are abundant in Western diets, are loaded with harmful toxins called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). AGEs are produced when foods are heated, pasteurized, dried, smoked, fried or grilled. Then, once consumed and inside the body, AGEs adhere to tissues and oxidize them, causing inflammation which can result in numerous diseases. In fact, a long list of animal studies conducted by Helen Vlassara, MD, Professor and Director of the Division of Experimental Diabetes and Aging at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and her team have previously shown the dangers of AGEs. The oxidative stress from high oxidant levels and inflammation associated with long-term exposure to AGEs increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and other chronic ills. 

The new clinical study, conducted in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging (NIA), built on this earlier animal research but this time looked at what people ate and how it affected their bodies. The researchers studied 325 healthy adults and 66 with chronic kidney disease. A subset of 40 healthy participants and another nine with kidney disease were randomly assigned to follow a regular Western diet full of AGEs or to follow a diet with only one-half the amount of AGEs typically found in the American style of eating. Research subjects in the "AGE-less diet" group were advised to avoid grilling, frying or baking their food. Instead, they were told to eat food that was poached, stewed or steamed. There was no change in calories or nutrient intake during the time of the study.

After four months on the low-AGEs eating plan, the scientists checked the blood of the healthy research subjects. They found that AGE levels, lipid peroxides, inflammatory markers, and biomarkers of vascular function declined by as much as 60 percent. What's more, a similar reduction was found in the kidney patients after only one month on the AGE-less diet. 

In addition, the research team found a positive effect on a cellular receptor for AGEs called AGER1. That's a critical finding because the AGER1 receptor is needed for removing toxic AGEs from the body. On the other hand, the participants with kidney disease, all of whom had extremely elevated levels of AGEs, had severely suppressed AGER1 receptors. The Mount Sinai scientists speculate that's because this important defense mechanism is "exhausted" as a result of persistently elevated AGEs. 

But there's good news. After even a short period of not eating AGEs loaded fried and processed foods, the number of AGER1 gene copies was restored to normal levels among patients with kidney disease. That means by simply adjusting the diet to avoid processed and fried foods, the body was rebuilding its healthy defense system.

"What is noteworthy about our findings is that reduced AGE consumption proved to be effective in all study participants, including healthy persons and persons who have a chronic condition such as kidney disease," said Dr. Vlassara, the study's lead author, in a press statement.

"This suggests that oxidants may play a more active role than genetics in overwhelming our body's defenses, which we need to fight off disease. It has been said that nature holds the power, but the environment pulls the trigger. The good news is that unlike genetics, we can control oxidant levels, which may not be an accompaniment to disease and aging, but instead due to the cumulative toxic influence of AGEs."

New Research shows powerful tumor-destroying effects of Chrysanthemum extracts
E. Huff, NaturalNews.com, November 26, 2009 

(NaturalNews) A September research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology endeavored to explain how Chrysanthemum indicum extract (CIE) works to fight cancer. Various studies have been released over the years illustrating the powerful anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulatory, and neuro-protective effects of this powerful herb.

The Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine in China has formed a research team headed by Professor Zong-fang Li to study the working properties of CIE in order to pinpoint the source of the tumor-inhibiting effects. Along with treating vertigo, hypertensive symptoms, and infectious diseases such as pneumonia and colitis, CIE is highly potent in eliminating cancer.

The researchers who undertook the study examined the impact of CIE on both human and rat liver cancer cells, also called the MHCC97H cell line. In order to accomplish this, several control methods were utilized including trypan blue exclusion, MTT assay, phase contrast microscopy, flow cytometry, mitochondrial membrane potential, and Western blotting.

What the team discovered was that CIE obstructs the malignant cell cycle while having no effect on the healthy cells, targeting only the cancer and inhibiting its growth. By way of the mitochondrial pathway, CIE employs the apoptotic effect on malignant cells, essentially programming them to die. Together, these processes work not only to halt the spread of cancer but to destroy it completely.

Though the precise mechanism behind CIE's anti-cancer effect remains largely unclear, the fact that it works so well in fighting cancer is an incredible breakthrough worthy of notice. Since CIE causes no cytotoxicity when administered, meaning it causes no negative side effects, it is a superb alternative to harmful, invasive cancer treatments like chemotherapy.

Clinical studies have shown that postoperative treatment of metastatic breast cancer with CIE results in a 5-year, overall survival rate of 70 percent, and a complete remission rate of 60 percent. When combined with other traditional Chinese medicines to treat advanced stage esophageal carcinoma, CIE achieves a 67 percent response rate.

Many natural plants and herbs contain powerful components that fight all kinds of maladies. Over 3,000 herbs have proven anti-cancer characteristics and many of them work best in combination with one another to achieve optimal results.

Since more than 60 percent of cancer drugs come from natural origins, it is a legitimate and worthwhile endeavor to continue examining, researching, and testing the positive effects of the world's native plants in order to discover their healing properties for use in medicine.

Medical Mafia Marches in the New World Order (Opinion)
Paul Fassa, NaturalNews.com, November 26, 2009

(NaturalNews) A Benedictine Nun from inside a monastery in Barcelona exposed this premise. Sister Teresa Forcades, a former MD, gave a detailed analysis of the flawed pandemic reportage while warning of the dangers from a highly questionable vaccination for a relatively harmless flu.

In her video presentation, the brilliant nun also outlined the steps that were taken by the WHO (World Health Organization) for medical domination over the world. Investigative journalist Jon Rappoport also explained how the WHO is now set up to dominate the world as an agency of control.

The Step Approach for Control

Two steps forward and one step back has been a surreptitious method of gaining control for decades. For every advance a setback is assumed with multiple alternative plans ready to implement. "They" are in it for the long haul.

According to Rappoport, the WHO is an arm of the CFR (Counsel of Foreign Affairs), established by the Rockefeller family 90 years ago to create a one world order agenda. This agenda is falsely promoted as a benefit for mankind. John D. Rockefeller also established the AMA then. He who owns the gold makes the rules!

With pandemic alarms ringing, the medical monarchy comes to the rescue. But it's actually a setup for world domination by a few.

Sister Forcades points out that the WHO changed its criteria for calling a pandemic from widespread morbidity (death rates) to only widespread infections in early 2009! The swine flu has lower morbidity than even the seasonal flu. What a coincidence! The savvy nun pointed out that this enabled the WHO to declare a level six pandemic with low morbidity.

Through a series of prior international agreements, this put the WHO in position to mandate vaccinations for 195 UN member nations. Sister Forcades pointed out that normally the WHO makes recommendations. But recommendations become legal mandates during a stage six pandemic.

Yet the swine flu is not even as widespread as reported. The WHO stopped counting infections in mid-summer of 2009! So current WHO/CDC statistics are highly inflated, as discovered recently by a CBS news program called Washington Unplugged.

After the CDC (Center for Disease Control) stonewalled CBS journalists' request for an accurate count of swine flu cases, CBS surveyed all 50 state labs for confirmed swine flu cases. It turns out that most states reported less than five percent of suspected episodes as confirmed swine flu, and in most states over half those cases were not any flu at all!

But the WHO is big brother, and in the USA the CDC is calling some back door shots for the WHO.

Forced Vaccinations for Forced Health Insurance?

Resistance to overtly mandated vaccinations has risen. But a new angle has been approached in the USA. According to a health insurance industry website, the CDC has inserted a provision in the "health care" bill to withhold health care if vaccinations are not up to date.

What's wrong with the WHO and the CDC having all this control? The medical establishment's actual record speaks for itself. This medical monopoly has caused more death and bad health than any flu over the past 90 years. Here's what is not publicly disclosed:

The annual death toll from AMA medical practices in the USA is 225,000. Of this, 106,000 deaths are from correctly prescribed FDA approved drugs. Disabilities or bad health consequences are not included.

World wide total (not annual) statistics from 15 years of flu scares? SARS - 774 deaths, West Nile Virus - 1088 deaths, Bird Flu - 262 deaths, Swine Flu - ?

Victory in The Senate

American Association of Health Freedom, November 18, 2009
We usually publish our newsletter on Tuesday. We held it overnight in order to report on the outcome of the Senate HELP Committee’s “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act” (Food Safety) mark up hearing. This hearing would decide whether to amend the dangerous Codex provision.  The decision would have a momentous impact on the future of dietary supplements.

During the past few weeks, we met with most HELP Committee Senate offices to discuss our concerns and request an amendment to the Codex language in the Food Safety bill.   Why were we so concerned?  Because the original legislative language appeared to commit the US to the concept of harmonization of our food and supplement safety laws with a global standard. This global standard in turn is very likely to reflect European standards which are extremely hostile to dietary supplements.

Thanks to the amendment, the bill no longer requires the development of a plan “to harmonize requirements under the Codex Alimentarius”. Now the bill calls for a plan   “on whether and how to harmonize requirements under the Codex Alimentarius" (§306, p. 116).

As will be evident, we have not succeeded in eliminating the Codex provision entirely. This is because the Senate wants to keep open the option of adopting some Codex rules while protecting dietary supplements from the harsh European regime. The language of the amendment means that we will have to remain very vigilant and probably refight the same battle over again in the future. But at least the US has avoided committing itself to the concept of Codex harmonization. And this is a very important legislative victory.

US law on dietary supplements is currently governed by The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). Senators Harkin and Hatch, strong supporters of natural health and the use of supplements, have assured us that asking the FDA to review Codex standards will not be allowed to threaten DSHEA. This is vital of course because of the FDA’s well known hostility to dietary supplements.

In his opening remarks in the mark up, Senator Harkin, chair of the HELP Committee,  emphasized this message of protecting DSHEA.  As the Senate moves forward with the legislation, Senators Harkin and Hatch have also promised to see what else can be done to make absolutely clear that none of its provisions will impact our access to high quality, potent dietary supplements.

There is more good news. The Senate Food Safety bill has eliminated many of the provisions in the House bill that most troubled us.   However, we can’t forget that after the Senate passes it’s version of the Food Safety bill, the House and Senate will go to conference. There they will work behind closed doors to combine the Senate and House versions of the bill.  This means that the worst provisions of the House bill could return.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the House bill is the increase in jail sentences (from three to ten years) and fines (to $100,000 for individuals and $7.5 million for corporations) for "adulterating" or "misbranding" food or supplements.  If a food or supplement company cites scientific, peer-reviewed studies in support of a health benefit of a product, this would be deemed by the FDA to be misbranding and could trigger the penalties.  Likewise, as defined in the current Good Manufacturing Practices, even minor paperwork violations could, per the FDA, represent adulteration and lead to draconian fines or jail sentences. These penalties are particularly worrying because of the FDA’s well established record of intimidation and legal harassment of innocent parties. It often seems that the FDA’s primary concern is to protect drugs from competition. Drug companies of course pay a significant portion of the FDA’s salaries.

The House bill also imposes new fees on food operations of all sizes,  from the very smallest to the largest; imposes record keeping, hazard analysis, food safety plans, and more on farms as well as businesses, small and large; gives the FDA control of farming standards and practices, despite the Agency’s ignorance of these matters; permits the FDA to conduct random, warrantless searches; and ignores the recommendations of a government report on the failings of the FDA and the urgent need for reform at the Agency.

We will continue to work with members of Congress to ensure that the final version of the Food Safety bill does not compromise your access to healthy, natural and sustainable healthcare options, including high quality food and food supplements.
Biological H1N1 Vaccines: Too Little, Too Late
Lethality of H1N1 Virus Drops to "Non-Epidemic Resting Levels" in Current Cycle - Virus' Infectivity Remains Increased; New Faster-Developed Synthetic Replikin Vaccines Found Effective, FluForecast(R) Gives Advance Warning of Strain-Specific Outbreaks and Cessation

BOSTON, Nov. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Biotech firm Replikins Ltd., which has analyzed the H1N1 virus' genomic data from the 1918 pandemic through the prediction, outbreak, and progress of the current H1N1 pandemic, today issued its latest biochemical analysis of the virus. The new data shows that the lethality of the H1N1 ("Swine Flu") virus has dropped from its peak of 3.7 (s.d. 4.5) during the virus's current outbreak in the spring of 2009 to resting non-epidemic levels this week of 2.0 (s.d. 0.1). The H1N1 virus' infectivity count, however, remains increased.
The new data shows changes in the Replikin Count*, a measure of a virus's ability to rapidly replicate. A decrease in Replikin Count has signaled the end of each of the three influenza pandemics of the last century (H1N1, H2N2, and H3N2), the end of the SARS outbreak in 2003, and the end of the H5N1 (Avian Flu) outbreak in humans in 2008 (refs).
Figure: http://www.ereleases.com/pr/2009-Replikins-Graphic.pdf
The company issued an interim advance report of this decrease in lethality on September 30, 2009 (refs). That report has now been confirmed by the current additional Replikins data and by the recent CDC epidemiological reports of declining total hospitalizations and deaths, and declining pediatric deaths from H1N1 (refs). In April 2008, Replikins issued a warning of an impending H1N1 influenza epidemic when the virus' Replikin Count reached levels not seen since the last H1N1 pandemic in 1918.
Without advance warning, the current biological methods of vaccine production cannot possibly meet the growing needs of a human population that today exceeds 6.7 billion. The current H1N1 Pandemic demonstrates the inherent limitations of biological vaccines, which simply do not permit the timely delivery of vaccine in sufficient quantities before a "hit-and-run" emergent viral disease like H1N1 has come and gone.
The best intentions and efforts of governments, pharmaceutical firms, and public health authorities cannot overcome the absence of advance warning, and the many months required from outbreak to delivery of the vaccine. It is becoming universally acknowledged that new vaccine technologies and methods for providing advance warning of viral outbreaks must be found.
At a meeting of the Influenza Congress USA in Washington, DC on November 19-20, 2009, Replikins chairman Dr. Samuel Bogoch presented new confirmatory evidence of two of its Replikins-based products that offer promise for advance warning of a viral outbreak and for the timely production and delivery of safe and effective vaccines. The first, called FluForecast(R), is software that has correctly provided advance warning of two flu epidemics -- H5N1 (Avian Flu) and H1N1 (Swine Flu) -- by counting the increase in the number of Replikins in the virus' genes over time. For the current H1N1 pandemic, the company issued an advisory in April 2008 that forewarned its arrival one year later. With advance warning, scientists, public health officials and the pharmaceutical industry can develop, test and distribute the appropriate vaccine with enough time to avert the worst effects of emerging diseases.
Replikins Ltd. has successfully tested a second promising technology that allows for the faster development and deployment of safe and effective influenza vaccines. The company has now produced completely synthetic vaccines based on both new and conserved Replikin structures, which exclude all biological components and any contact with them. The process eliminates unwanted side effects from contaminants and the need for preservatives such as thimerosol. Synthetic Replikin vaccines made in seven days, given orally or intranasally, recently have been found independently to be effective in blocking emergent viruses including H5N1 in chickens, where it totally blocked virus excretion and thus potentially, virus reservoir formation (refs).
When asked at the Influenza Congress about the goals of Replikins Ltd., Dr. Bogoch replied: "Current biological vaccine technologies for emergent diseases are expected to provide, albeit 'too little and too late', approximately 125 million vaccine doses for people worldwide this fall (Klaus Stohr, Influenza Congress USA, Washington, DC, Nov. 19-20, 2009). Replikins synthetic vaccines are targeting emergent diseases in the unserved global population of over six billion people, and selected animal populations, and FluForecast(R) can give advance warning of outbreaks.
"The company has announced the formation of WorldVaccines(TM) Ltd to test and distribute these new Replikins technologies, and invites all interested public health, pharmaceutical, financial, and other institutions to join it in testing and distributing FluForecast(R) and Replikins' synthetic vaccines against emerging diseases."

Replikins are a new group of genomic peptide structures in viruses, other infectious disease agents, and cancer cells, which are associated with rapid replication (refs). Two genes have been isolated in silico in viruses and relate to infectivity and lethality respectively. The increase in Replikin concentration (Replikin Count=Number of Replikins per 100 amino acids) in the virus Infectivity Gene precedes an increase in clinical infectivity and spread; and an increase in the virus Lethality Gene precedes an increase in lethality clinically. The characteristic high infectivity and low lethality found in counting the Replikins in these two genes in the H1N1 strain correspond to what is observed clinically, that is, high infectivity and low lethality. In contrast, in H5N1, the Replikin Counts in the same two genes exhibit the reverse characteristics, that is, low infectivity and high lethality (Figure); and in this case again, the Counts correspond to what follows clinically, that is, low infectivity and high lethality cases. The distinctly separate and opposite states in these genes is therefore observed both intra-strain in H1N1, and inter-strain in H1N1 vs. H5N1. This represents an important validation by the method of "double differentiation" of the independent function of these two genes (refs). Dr. Samuel Bogoch is co-founder with Dr. Elenore Bogoch of Replikins Ltd., a Boston biotechnology firm which attracted worldwide attention for successfully predicting the current H1N1 outbreak a full year ahead of time. Dr. Bogoch is again making waves by stating that as of this month, this cycle of the outbreak has peaked. FluForecast(R) is showing declining levels of key Replikins sequences in the virus. High levels of these sequences have been consistently linked with the lethality of viruses in major epidemics, and their reduction is indicative that the current outbreak is declining from a peak level earlier this year. The Company has announced the formation of WorldVaccines(TM) Ltd to test and distribute FluForecast(R) and Replikins' synthetic vaccines against emerging diseases to address the "niche" of 6 billion people who are not receiving timely biological vaccines.
References:
US Patent Office publications on Replikins 2002-2009; 2) BogochS, Bogoch,ES. Replikins: the Biochemistry of Rapid Replication, Begell House, New York, 2005; 3) Website <replikins.com> Replikins Press 2006-2009; 4) CDC Weekly Reports website (google "FluView"); 5) Betsy McKay, Wall Street Journal, page A3, November 21-22, 2009; 6) Jackwood, M. et al. Efficacy of a Replikin Peptide Vaccine Against Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza H5 Virus. Avian Diseases, Publication Online, doi:10.1637/8892-042509-Res. Note.1; Hard copy Article In Press. July 2009.

Cup of mint tea 'can kill pain'

BBC News, November 26, 2009
A cup of Brazilian mint tea has pain relieving qualities to match those of commercially available analgesics, a study suggests.
Hyptis crenata has been prescribed by Brazilian healers for millennia to treat ailments from headaches and stomach pain to fever and flu.
Working on mice, a Newcastle University team has proved scientifically that the ancient medicine men were right.
The study is published in the journal Acta Horticulturae.
In order to mimic the traditional treatment as closely as possible, the Newcastle team carried out a survey in Brazil to find out how the medicine is typically prepared and how much should be consumed.
The most common method was to produce a decoction. This involves boiling the dried leaves in water for 30 minutes and allowing the liquid to cool before drinking it as a tea.
“ The taste isn't what most people here in the UK would recognize as a mint ” 
Graciela Rocha Newcastle University
The team found that when the mint was given at a dose similar to that prescribed by traditional healers, the medicine was as effective at relieving pain as a synthetic aspirin-style drug called Indometacin.
They plan to launch clinical trials to find out how effective the mint is as a pain relief for people.
Lead researcher Graciela Rocha said: "Since humans first walked the Earth we have looked to plants to provide a cure for our ailments - in fact it is estimated more than 50,000 plants are used worldwide for medicinal purposes.
"Besides traditional use, more than half of all prescription drugs are based on a molecule that occurs naturally in a plant.
"What we have done is to take a plant that is widely used to safely treat pain and scientifically proven that it works as well as some synthetic drugs.
"Now the next step is to find out how and why the plant works."
Graciela is Brazilian and remembers being given the tea as a cure for every childhood illness.
'Interesting research'
She said: "The taste isn't what most people here in the UK would recognize as a mint.
"In fact it tastes more like sage which is another member of the mint family.
"Not that nice, really, but then medicine isn't supposed to be nice, is it?"
Dr Beverly Collett, chair of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, said: "Obviously further work needs to be done to identify the molecule involved, but this is interesting research into what may be a new analgesic for the future.
"The effects of aspirin-like substances have been known since the ancient Greeks recorded the use of the willow bark as a fever fighter.
"The leaves and bark of the willow tree contain a substance called salicin, a naturally occurring compound similar to acetylsalicylic acid, the chemical name for aspirin."
The research is being presented at the International Symposium on Medicinal and Nutraceutical Plants in New Delhi, India.

Local naturopathic doctor has another tool to monitor breast health
By Lara Bricker
news@seacoastonline.com
November 26, 2009 2:00 AM

NEWINGTON — Dr. Nicole Schertell has been getting more questions from women about their breast health since a change in the recommendations for when and how often women should have routine mammograms was announced last week.
The naturopathic doctor, who practices at Whole Life Health Care in Newington, wants women to know there are tools other than mammography to monitor breast health.
"I think this is something that a lot of women would be interested in knowing about right now," Schertell said. "The way they're talking about the situation, it's as if there isn't anything else out there besides mammograms."
Schertell was already using a new procedure known as digital infrared thermographic imaging, DITI, to gauge a woman's risk for developing breast cancer before the change in mammogram recommendations. Breast thermography is not a replacement for mammography but simply another way doctors can track subtle changes in a woman's breast tissue, she said.
"If someone has their blood checked for cholesterol levels and it comes back that they have high cholesterol, that means that person is at a higher risk for having arterial blockages and, later on, a heart attack," Schertell said. "It's the same thing with thermography. We're trying to identify what a woman's risk is. It doesn't mean that the patient has cancer; it just means this patient is a higher risk."
Mammograms and breast cancer have been on many women's minds since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against routine mammography screening in women ages 40 to 49 years, and screening only every other year for women ages 50 and over.
Women have come to Schertell to have breast thermography done for a number of reasons.
"I do see a lot of women who for various reasons chose not to have mammograms," she said. "Some women have very dense breast tissue and have been told not to have mammograms and some women don't like the idea of the compression and radiation (in a mammogram)."
Schertell might refer patients found by a thermography test to be at higher risk to have a traditional mammogram as a follow up.
The digital breast thermography procedure takes 15 minutes and works by detecting infrared heat patterns emitted by the body. It translates those heat patterns into a digital image, which is sent off-site from the Newington medical practice to be interpreted by radiologists specially trained in thermography. The procedure involves no radiation and is a non-invasive approach.
"It's easy; you don't feel anything, you don't even feel warmth," Schertell said.
The digital breast thermography is FDA approved and has been extensively studied and found to have a 90 percent accuracy rate, Schertell said. There have been 800 peer-reviewed studies done with more than 300,000 women included, she said.
Some insurance companies cover a small portion of the cost for the procedure. If it's not covered, the out-of-pocket cost for the first screening is $150 and the follow-up screening three months after is $100. If a person is having trouble paying out of pocket, Schertell works with the United Breast Cancer Foundation, which can pay up to $300 a year per person for breast thermography testing.
The first screening establishes a baseline, while the follow up looks for any changes from that baseline, Schertell said. After the first two screenings, a yearly screening is recommended.
"Thermography is looking at what's going on in the cellular activity and new blood vessel growth," she said. "Thermography has the ability to see things eight to 10 years earlier than mammograms."
That early detection might not necessarily be breast cancer but more an indicator that someone is more at risk of developing breast cancer. Schertell has spoken to some doctors about this technique who have questioned what to do if something shows up on the digital image that is too small to biopsy.
"That seems to be the big hold-back," she said. "They're not quite sure what to do if something shows up. What I'm suggesting is looking at this not from a diagnostic perspective; I'm suggesting that we look at it as a risk indicator."
If someone is deemed a higher risk, they might be monitored more closely. The important thing, she said, is that it is another tool to help measure breast health.
"Thermography has always been every woman's choice and every woman's responsibility," she said. "You can come on your own and take this extra preventative measure."

Molecule Discovered That Makes Obese People Develop Diabetes
ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2009) — Many people who are overweight or obese develop insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes at some stage in their lives. A European research team has now discovered that obese people have large amounts of the molecule CXCL5, produced by certain cells in fatty tissue.

The main risk factors for type 2 diabetes are obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. The biomedical community has known for many years that substances produced by fatty tissue are responsible for the link between obesity and diabetes. "Chronic inflammation of the adipose tissue, which is characteristic of obese people, is a crucial stage in the development of insulin resistence and type 2 diabetes," Lluis Fajas, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in France, said.
The results of this new study show that serum levels of a chemokine molecule called CXCL5, produced by certain adipose tissue cells, appear at much high levels in the tissues of obese people than in those of individuals with normal weight. This has helped Lluis Fajas's research team to come to a biomedically relevant conclusion: "The CXCL5 molecule helps cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes".
The most important part of this study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, is the discovery that an experimental treatment aimed at inhibiting the action of CXCL5 can help to protect obese mice from develping type 2 diabetes. "If these studies can be confirmed in humans, this treatment would represent a fundamental improvement in the quality of life of obese individuals," the researcher concludes.
Bad habits cause obesity and diabetes
According to the latest data from the Spanish Diabetes Federation (FED), almost 3.5 million people in Spain have diabetes. This illness is most common in Andalusia and Murcia, regions where the highest percentage of people who are obese and sedentary. The specialists agree on the importance of prevention. Avoiding obesity, doing daily physical exercise and giving up smoking are some of the measures that could help to cut the number of diabetes cases by a half.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) says that more than 190 million people worldwide currently have diabetes. This figure will rise to 330 million by 2025, due to population growth, the ageing of the population, and increasing urbanisation and sedentary lifestyles. Obesity is the main avoidable risk factor in developing type 2 diabetes. Worldwide, 1.7 billion people are already at high risk of developing a non-contagious, weight-related illness, such as type 2 diabetes.
Obesity can reduce the life expectancy of people with type 2 diabetes by up to eight years, and 80% of people diagnosed with the illness are overweight at the time they are diagnosed.
At least half of all cases of type 2 diabetes among adults could be avoided if they did not put on weight. Taking action on lifestyle, such as changing diet and taking moderate physical exercise, can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 60%.

Emulating Western Lifestyles: Consumption and Carbon Footprints in Less Industrialized Countries
ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2009) — In recent decades, a new global middle class has exploded, with a total population exceeding one billion people. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research explores the consumption attitudes of some of these members of the "new class."

"Our primary interest with this new class concerns climate change," write authors Tuba Üstüner (Colorado State University) and Douglas B. Holt (University of Oxford). "Many pundits and marketing experts claim that these consumers seek to emulate Western lifestyles. If this is so, then the Earth is in particular trouble, for we can hardly afford to double the carbon footprint that the USA and the EU already generate."
The authors studied the status consumption of 36 married women in Turkey. The subjects were upper-middle-class secular women in their 30s and 40s. The authors encouraged participants to reveal their status strategies while they discussed their tastes and preferences of homes, interiors, vacations, fashions, and services.
"We discovered two very distinct class fractions within this sample," the authors write. "These two fractions rely upon different consumption strategies as a result of differences in childhood socialization."
The more educated, cosmopolitan group, they found, was fixated on emulating Western lifestyles, with a focus on the United States. "In Turkey, elite childhood education defines the most important cultural asset to be perfect command of the English language (or, occasionally French or German), not Turkish language, literature, or history," write the authors. Family trips and attending college in the West promote an "in-depth knowledge of Western Lifestyle."
In contrast, the less-educated women organized their consumption around Turkish status symbols. "Their status consumption strategy has two central dimensions: acquiring expensive goods that have been consecrated by Turkish tastemakers of the upper class, and receiving public deference in luxury service encounters."
"We hope that this model proves to be useful for those seeking to intervene in efforts to avoid producing Western levels of environmental degradation in these countries," the authors conclude.
Tuba Üstüner and Douglas B. Holt. Toward a Theory of Status Consumption in Less Industrialized Countries. Journal of Consumer Research, June 2010

When You Eat May Be Just as Vital to Your Health as What You Eat
ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2009) — When you eat may be just as vital to your health as what you eat, found researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Their experiments in mice revealed that the daily waxing and waning of thousands of genes in the liver -- the body's metabolic clearinghouse -- is mostly controlled by food intake and not by the body's circadian clock as conventional wisdom had it.
"If feeding time determines the activity of a large number of genes completely independent of the circadian clock, when you eat and fast each day will have a huge impact on your metabolism," says the study's leader Satchidananda (Satchin) Panda, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Regulatory Biology Laboratory.
The Salk researchers' findings, which will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could explain why shift workers are unusually prone to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high cholesterol levels and obesity.
"We believe that it is not shift work per se that wreaks havoc with the body's metabolism but changing shifts and weekends, when workers switch back to a regular day-night cycle," says Panda.
In mammals, the circadian timing system is composed of a central circadian clock in the brain and subsidiary oscillators in most peripheral tissues. The master clock in the brain is set by light and determines the overall diurnal or nocturnal preference of an animal, including sleep-wake cycles and feeding behavior. The clocks in peripheral organs are largely insensitive to changes in the light regime. Instead, their phase and amplitude are affected by many factors including feeding time.
The clocks themselves keep time through the fall and rise of gene activity on a roughly 24-hour schedule that anticipates environmental changes and adapts many of the body's physiological function to the appropriate time of day.
"The liver oscillator in particular helps the organism to adapt to a daily pattern of food availability by temporally tuning the activity of thousands of genes regulating metabolism and physiology," says Panda. "This regulation is very important, since the absence of a robust circadian clock predisposes the organism to various metabolic dysfunctions and diseases."
Despite its importance, it wasn't clear whether the circadian rhythms in hepatic transcription were solely controlled by the liver clock in anticipation of food or responded to actual food intake.
To investigate how much influence rhythmic food intake exerts over the hepatic circadian oscillator, graduate student and first author Christopher Vollmers put normal and clock-deficient mice on strictly controlled feeding and fasting schedules while monitoring gene expression across the whole genome.
He found that putting mice on a strict 8-hour feeding/16-hour fasting schedule restored the circadian transcription pattern of most metabolic genes in the liver of mice without a circadian clock. Conversely, during prolonged fasting, only a small subset of genes continued to be transcribed in a circadian pattern even with a functional circadian clock present.
"Food-induced transcription functions like a metabolic sand timer that runs for 24 hours and is continually reset by the feeding schedule while the central circadian clock is driven by self-sustaining rhythms that help us anticipate food, based on our usual eating schedule," says Vollmers. "But in the real world we don't eat at the same time every day and it makes perfect sense to increase the activity of metabolic genes when you need them the most."
For example, genes that encode enzymes needed to break down sugars rise immediately after a meal, while the activity of genes encoding enzymes needed to break down fat is highest when we fast. Consequently a clearly defined daily feeding schedule puts the enzymes of metabolism in shift work and optimizes burning of sugar and fat.
"Our study represents a seminal shift in how we think about circadian cycles," says Panda. "The circadian clock is no longer the sole driver of rhythms in gene function, instead the phase and amplitude of rhythmic gene function in the liver is determined by feeding and fasting periods -- the more defined they are, the more robust the oscillations become."
While the importance of robust metabolic rhythms for our health has been demonstrated by shift workers' increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, the underlying molecular reasons are still unclear. Panda speculates that the oscillations serve one big purpose: to separate incompatible processes, such as the generation of DNA-damaging reactive oxygen species and DNA replication.
Panda, for one, has stopped eating between 8 pm and 8 am and says he feels great. "I even lost weight, although I eat whatever I want during the day," he says.
Researchers who also contributed the work include postdoctoral researcher Luciano DiTacchio, Ph.D., graduate students Sandhyarani Pulivarthy and Shubhrox Gill, as well as research assistant Hiep Le, all in the Regulatory Biology Laboratory.
The work was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Pew Scholars Program in Biomedical Sciences.

Brains Benefit from Multilingualism
ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2009) — For a considerable time already there has been discussion within scientific circles about whether knowing and using multiple languages could possibly have positive effects on the human brain and thinking. There have been a number of international studies on the subject, which indicate that the ability to use more than one language brings an individual a considerable advantage.

The report of the research team appointed by the European Commission, "The Contribution of Multilingualism to Creativity," presents the first known macro analysis based on the available evidence, which has been conducted by searching through several studies and giving particular attention on recent research on the brain.
David Marsh, specialized planner at the Continuing Professional Development Centre of Jyväskylä University, who coordinated the international research team behind the study, says that especially the research conducted within neurosciences offers an increasing amount of strong evidence of versatile knowledge of languages being beneficial for the usage of an individual's brain.
"The research report brings forth six main areas where multilingualism and hence the mastery of complex processes of thought seem to put people in advantage. These include learning in general, complex thinking and creativity, mental flexibility, interpersonal and communication skills, and even a possible delay in the onset of age-related mental diminishment later in life," Marsh relates.
One of the central cerebral areas highlighted in the research report is the one responsible for memory function. People rely especially on the short-term memory when thinking, learning and making decisions
"It is obvious that enhanced memory can have a profound impact on cognitive function, says David Marsh. -- This may be one reason why the multilingual shows superior performance in handling complex and demanding problem-solving tasks when compared to monolinguals. They seem to be able to have an advantage in handling certain thinking processes," March continues.
It was assumed earlier that differences in the brain would only occur if a person is bi- or trilingual, that is with a very high command of different languages. The recently published research suggests, however, that changes in the brain's electrical activity may occur already in the beginnings of learning a new language.
According to Marsh, there is also room for improvement in language education, since children should be encouraged to engage in higher order thinking about meaningful content that fires up the brain.
"Learning a language strictly as a separate subject in the curriculum does not work as effectively for a broad range of young people as compared to embedding second language learning into other subjects. Thinking about numbers, for example, does figure naturally in a lot of school learning as well as in real life outside the school, which supports learning and knowing mathematics. The same may not always be true of foreign languages," Marsh argues.
The results of the recently published study show that even though it is difficult to prove the existence of a direct causal link, it is likely that multilingualism produces a special advantage in utilizing a person's brain capacity as creatively as possible.

Yoga Boosts Heart Health, New Research Finds
ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2009) — Heart rate variability, a sign of a healthy heart, has been shown to be higher in yoga practitioners than in non-practitioners, according to research to be published in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics.
The autonomic nervous system regulates the heart rate through two routes -- the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The former causes the heart rate to rise, while, the parasympathetic slows it. When working well together, the two ensure that the heart rate is steady but ready to respond to changes caused by eating, the fight or flight response, or arousal.
The ongoing variation of heart rate is known as heart rate variability (HRV), which refers to the beat-to-beat changes in heart rate. In healthy individuals HRV is high whereas cardiac abnormalities lead to a low HRV.
Now, Ramesh Kumar Sunkaria, Vinod Kumar, and Suresh Chandra Saxena of the Electrical Engineering Department, at the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee, in Uttrakhand, India, have evaluated two small groups of men in order to see whether yoga practitioners can improve heart health. Anecdotal evidence would suggest that yoga practice may improve health through breathing exercises, stretching, postures, relaxation, and meditation.
The team analyzed the HRV "spectra" of the electrocardiograms (ECG) of forty two healthy male volunteers who are non-yogic practitioners, and forty two who are experienced practitioners, all volunteers were aged between 18 and 48 years.
The spectral analysis of HRV is, the team says, an important tool in exploring heart health and the mechanisms of heart rate regulation. The power represented by various spectral bands in short-term HRV are indicative of how well the heart responds to changes in the body controlled by the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems.
The team explains that very low frequency (VLF) variations in the spectra are linked to the body's internal temperature control. Low frequency peaks are associated with the sympathetic control and high frequency with parasympathetic control.
The team concludes that in their preliminary study of 84 volunteers, there is strengthening of parasympathetic (vagal) control in subjects who regularly practice yoga, which is indicative of better autonomic control over heart rate and so a healthier heart.
Ramesh Kumar Sunkaria, Vinod Kumar, and Suresh Chandra Saxena. A comparative study on spectral parameters of HRV in yogic and non-yogic practitioners. Int. J. Medical Engineering and Informatics, 2010, 2, 1, 1-14

Vitamins and minerals up immunity

Times of India, 27 November 2009

Eating food rich in nutrients is more than enough to boost your immunity against colds and flu instead of just popping too many vitamins, says a new study. 

"Almost all vitamins and minerals play some role in ensuring an optimal immune response...but high doses do not help and may do harm," says Catherine Field, dietician and professor of nutrition at the University of Alberta. 

Here are the vitamins and minerals to fight viruses and in which food they are found most based on evidence provided by Field. 

Vitamin C: Optimal vitamin C status has been identified as important for the immune cells involved in defence against viruses. 

The main function of vitamin C is to help heal cuts and wounds; keep gums, teeth, and bones healthy; keep blood vessel walls strong and help absorb iron from the foods we eat. 

Despite being studied for over 40 years, there is insufficient evidence to advise taking more vitamin C to prevent colds or the flu. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men (an additional 35 mg should be added for smokers). 

This is easily obtained by having one to two servings of vitamin C rich citrus fruits (such as oranges), or vegetables like sweet peppers and broccoli. A higher dose of vitamin C is not without side effects such as causing digestive problems. 

Zinc: Zinc is important for the cells involved in defence against viruses. Zinc is also involved in many bodily functions. It supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence. 

It is also required for a proper sense of smell and taste so that low zinc status can influence your appetite and enjoyment of food. 

The current RDA for zinc is eight mg for women and 11 mg for men. The best sources of zinc are seafood, meat, seeds, cooked dried beans, peas and lentils. 

A serving of lentils (3/4 cup) provides almost two mg of zinc. Plant sources are less reliable as the level of zinc in plants depends on the content in the soil. 

As a result, vegetarians who mainly depend on plant sources of nutrients are advised to consult a dietician to ensure their needs are being met. 

Selenium: Although selenium is important for a healthy immune system, there is little evidence that consuming selenium supplements will reduce the risk of viral infections. 

Recommended amounts are small, only 55 micrograms daily for adults, readily obtained from nuts, seafood, organ meat, pork and whole grains. Half a cup of cooked brown rice provides eight to 10 micrograms of selenium and a serving of mixed nuts (or 1/4th cup) has about 150 micrograms of selenium. 

Viral infections, such as the flu, are often associated with a fever. However, there is no evidence that "starving a fever" by reducing the amount of food eaten will reduce a fever, says an Alberta release. 

In fact, a fever is a helpful means used by our own immune system in order to fight off the viral infection. If we stop eating, the immune system doesn't work as well and all of the nutrients mentioned above, as well as many others, are important to the immune system. 

The bottom line is "the key to good health is eating a well-planned balanced diet that focuses on variety", concludes Field. 

Chocolates can reduce stress

Times of India,  27 November 2009

A new study on rats has provided people worldwide the perfect excuse to grab a choco bar: eating chocolate can reduce stress. 

The study, conducted by Australian scientists, showed that food rich in fat and sugar can alter chemical composition in the brain to reduce anxiety. 

In the study, Professor Margaret Morris, from the University of New South Wales’ School of Medical Sciences, and colleagues found that effects of past trauma could be erased by ‘unlimited access to yummy food’. 

"Implementing that diet reversed anxiety ... it took an animal back to the non-stressed state," the Daily Telegraph quoted Professor Morris as saying. "We really don’t know why, but there seems to be a biochemical link," Morris added. 

Using two groups of baby rats, one with normal contact with mothers, the other with lengthy separations and higher stress hormones, the researchers found that they became less stressed with comfort foods. 

"The control group had no effect from the diet really, but the stressed animals had a deficit ... which was restored by the diet," Morris said. 

"The food seems to affect neurogenesis similar to the way anti-depressants promote nerve growth in the brain," Morris added.

Do you have a 'clean aura'?

SUDESHNA CHATTERJEE TIMES NEWS NETWORK , 
Times of India,  25 November 2009

Kavaljit Singh was just 17 years old when he learnt Reiki, the Japanese technique of energy healing. 

As part of the Reiki programme, he also learnt aura cleansing. Ten years hence, aura cleansing has become an integral part of his daily bathing ritual. "I don't remember ever falling ill since I started practising aura cleansing," says the Mumbaibased Singh, who now works for a stock broking firm. "Also, my confidence level has been steady over time and my mind is always alert." 

A healthy aura helps instill a sense of mental and physical well being, affirms aura-cleansing expert Vanitha Soneji. "The aura body exists two inches outside the physical body, and it protects us from illness and negative thoughts. Any illness first comes in contact with the aura body, and only if the aura is weak can it effectively permeate the constitution." Regular aura cleansing helps prevent illness and increases confidence and concentration levels, she adds. "A strong aura enables the mind to eliminate negative thoughts and harbour positive ones, promoting happiness in the process," explains Soneji. 

Those who have benefited from aura cleansing vouch for its healing power and say it helps in building up on positive energy. Jyoti Budhia, a 38-yearold who was introduced to aura cleansing last year while dealing with a severe illness, says, "It often happens that one walks into a particular place and immediately experiences a feeling of calm, no matter what his state of mind is. Similarly, when you are in the company of certain people, you feel good. It seems unexplainable, but this happens because of the aura a place or a person exudes." Aura cleansing helped Budhia cope with her illness and since then she has been a believer, and has been following the practice regularly. 

At Soneji's Mumbai centre, auras are cleansed with the help of aroma oils, magnetic pens, crystals and candles. Usually, there are two therapists involved in the process, and it takes about two hours. "Ideally, one should go for the 21-day cleansing programme, but in case one can't manage time for that, a monthly cleansing session would make one feel rejuvenated," says Soneji. "It works like a spa therapy, but comes at a fraction of the cost - Rs 350 per session." 

Aura cleansing is easy to practice, doesn't take much time, and can be done at home as well. So, you can pack in a few minutes of cleansing no matter how hectic your daily schedule. Here's the recipe for the cleansing salt and a lowdown of the procedure: Make a mixture consisting of 1 kg common salt, 250 gm black salt and 250 gm baking soda. Keep it in a glass jar, away from sunlight. This will keep for up to a month. Every day after you bathe, apply the salt all over your body, avoiding the head. Keep it on for two-three minutes and then wash off with warm water. Follow this up with the application of an aura aroma oil on your aura body. Make sure you do not touch your body with the oil, as it is your aura that is supposed to be treated. 

But before you embark on your auracleansing expedition, make sure you get a professional to guide you through the correct procedure. "One must complete a 21-day cleansing programme under the guidance of an expert before attempting it at home," says Singh. You can also keep a tab on the state of your aura with the help of Kirlian photographs, which reveal the colour of your aura. Auras can have a single colour or a combination of hues. A healthy aura will be gold, blue, violet or green in colour, while a black or grey aura signals an urgent requirement for cleansing. 

Beer belly 'doubles dementia risk'

Times of India  24 November 2009

A new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy has shown that women who store fat on their waist in middle age are more than twice as likely to develop dementia when they get older. 

"Anyone carrying a lot of fat around the middle is at greater risk of dying prematurely due to a heart attack or stroke," said Deborah Gustafson, senior lecturer at the Sahlgrenska Academy. 

"If they nevertheless manage to live beyond 70, they run a greater risk of dementia," Gustafson added. 

The finding is based on the Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, which was started at the end of the 1960s when almost 1,500 women between the ages of 38 and 60 underwent comprehensive examinations and answered questions about their health and lifestyle. 

A follow-up 32 years later showed that 161 women had developed dementia, with the average age of diagnosis being 75. 

However, the researchers could find no link to a high body mass index (BMI). 

"Other studies have shown that a high BMI is also linked to dementia, but this was not the case in ours. This may be because obesity and overweight were relatively unusual among the women who took part in the Prospective Population Study," Gustafson said. 

The study has just been published in the scientific journal Neurology. 

Bottling up negativity can lead to ill health

Times of India, 20 November 2009

People who keep their negative experiences bottled up are more likely to suffer from ill 
health. 

Aline Pelle of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NOSR) discovered that heart failure patients with a negative outlook seldom voiced their complaints in the presence of physicians or nurses. 

Pelle investigated such patients with a so-called type D personality -- people who never express negative experiences for the fear of being rejected by others. 

The presence of D-type among cardiac patients is associated with anxiety and depression as well as reduced state of health. However, Pelle also described which processes might contribute to this. 

Many D-type patients did not contact the physician or specialist nurse in the event of heart failure symptoms. Consequently, they were six times more likely to experience a worse state of health than non type-D counterparts. 

Pelle established that not just the patient's personality but also that of the partner had a significant effect on the patient's mood. In particular, the combination within the couple proved to be particularly important. 

Type-D patients with a non type-D partner reported the lowest marriage quality, even lower than type-D patients with a negatively oriented partner, said an NOSR statement.