BIOSYNTRX BLOG

FDA Bans Most Natural Supplements

2011-02-14T07:04:00.001-07:00

Is Margaret Hamburg's recent column in Spooftimes.com funny or beyond sad? You be the judge.

"The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that they are banning 88% of all natural supplements from the market “for the good of the consumer”.

“There are man made pharmaceuticals that work as well or better than many of these herbal remedies”, said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. “We simply want what’s right for the consumer, the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry!”

Hamburg pointed out that Lipitor and Crestor are just as good as garlic and bee pollen at lowering bad cholesterol levels.

“We can’t take garlic off the market as a flavor enhancer”, Hamburg continued. “But we don’t want them making outrageous claims, even if they’re true, about its health benefits“.

Hamburg also said that the anti-arthritis mixture of Glucosamine and Chondritin will be banned from shelves as there are other arthritis treatments and pain relievers currently in development that are nearly as effective.

“We have vital industries to maintain!” Hamburg insisted. “These supplements are destroying the stock market!”

Hamburg said she practices what she preaches by eating fatty foods and taking cholesterol lowering medications each day."

Fish Oil Rises Over Multivitamins in Popularity, or Does it?

2011-02-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

ConsumerLabs.com reports that their survey suggests that fish oil has surpassed multivitamins in popularity.

Guess again.

Mainstream news sources, including the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, have begun to rehash the survey’s results, heralding fish oil as supplanting multivitamins.

What the newsfeeds fail to account for, however, is that the statistics are somewhat skewed by the poll group. The participants of the survey were only those who subscribe to ConsumerLab’s e-newsletter, and thus more likely to be frequent and multiple supplement users. The survey may not adequately represent the overall U.S. supplement consumer market.

According to Nutrition Business Journal figures, fish oil sales for 2009 reached $976 million, whereas multivitamin sales commanded a colossal $4.8 billion. It’s certainly apparent that fish oil supplements are rising in popularity. Nevertheless, they are still a long way off from matching the sales of the bellwether breadwinner, multivitamins.

Council for Responsible Nutrition Responds to Newsweek Antioxidant Article

2011-01-27T16:01:00.001-07:00

Here is the link to the unfortunate article in this week's Newsweek.

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/25/antioxidants-fall-from-grace.html#comments

Dr. Duffy MacKay's response:

“It's unfortunate that this article provided an isolated look at the body of science surrounding antioxidants. For example, this article didn't take into account the entire body of scientific research, which included a number of studies that have shown that taking antioxidant supplements, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc and selenium, consistently over the long-term, can play a role in reducing the risk of chronic disease.

The article also provided an incomplete picture of the existing scientific evidence supporting the benefits of antioxidants, instead relying exclusively on findings from only negative or null studies, and meta-analyses that many scientists have already criticized. For example, the article did not mention that a recent published re-analysis of the same data reviewed in the 2008 Cochrane Collaboration (which the author references in her story), found that antioxidants in fact don't boost mortality risks. Nor did this article reference another recent meta-analysis citing the benefits of vitamin E. These are just two examples of scientific articles which, if included, would have provided readers with a more balanced perspective on the importance of antioxidants.

Nutrition experts agree that a diet high in fruits and vegetables promotes health and reduces the risk of chronic disease. Yet the reality is that people simply aren’t incorporating enough fruits and vegetables in their diets—and therefore may be missing many of the crucial benefits antioxidants provide—and may benefit from taking antioxidant supplements. While they shouldn’t be considered magic bullets, consumers can feel confident that, when used properly in combination with eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise, antioxidant supplements can play an important role in maintaining and promoting overall health. Studies have shown that the number one reason consumers take supplements—including antioxidant supplements—is for the overall health and wellness benefits they provide. Instead of disparaging consumers for the healthy choices they are making, we should be commending them for being proactive in their efforts towards good health.”

1 Biesalski, HK, et al. Re-examination of a Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Antioxidant Supplementation on Mortality and Health in Randomized Trials. Nutrients 2010;2:929-949.

Abner EL, et al. Vitamin E and All-cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis. Curr Aging Sci. 2011 Jan 14.

Stark Warning: Smoking Causes Genetic Damage

2011-01-20T13:09:00.002-07:00

In research described as "a stark warning" to those tempted to start smoking, scientists are reporting that cigarette smoke begins to cause genetic damage within minutes — not years — after inhalation into the lungs.

Their report, the first human study to detail the way certain substances in tobacco cause DNA damage linked to cancer, appears in Chemical Research in Toxicology, one of 38 peer-reviewed scientific journals published by the American Chemical Society.

Stephen S. Hecht, Ph.D., and colleagues point out in the report that lung cancer claims a global toll of 3,000 lives each day, largely as a result of cigarette smoking. Smoking also is linked to at least 18 other types of cancer. Evidence indicates that harmful substances in tobacco smoke termed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, are one of the culprits in causing lung cancer. Until now, however, scientists had not detailed the specific way in which the PAHs in cigarette smoke cause DNA damage in humans.

The scientists added a labeled PAH, phenanthrene, to cigarettes and tracked its fate in 12 volunteers who smoked the cigarettes. They found that phenanthrene quickly forms a toxic substance in the blood known to trash DNA, causing mutations that can cause cancer. The smokers developed maximum levels of the substance in a time frame that surprised even the researchers: Just 15-30 minutes after the volunteers finished smoking. Researchers said the effect is so fast that it's equivalent to injecting the substance directly into the bloodstream.

"This study is unique," writes Hecht, an internationally recognized expert on cancer-causing substances found in cigarette smoke and smokeless tobacco. "It is the first to investigate human metabolism of a PAH specifically delivered by inhalation in cigarette smoke, without interference by other sources of exposure such as air pollution or the diet. The results reported here should serve as a stark warning to those who are considering starting to smoke cigarettes," the article notes.

The authors acknowledged funding from the National Cancer Institute.

Smoking dramatically increases the risk of degenerative eye disease, including macular degeneration. One wonders why any thinking person would start smoking given today's knowledge.

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Another Vitamin E Meta-Analysis on Vitamin E and Stroke Risk

2010-11-05T12:11:00.003-06:00

The British Medical Journal just published another Vitamin E study suggesting that supplemental Vitamin E increases the risk for hemorrhagic (aneurism, or bleeding in the brain) stroke. Vitamin E did not increase the risk of ischemic (thrombosis, or blood clot) stroke. This will, no doubt, alarm the public and those docs who only read headlines and don't bother to read the entire study before recommending that their patients stop taking supplemental vitamin E.

Here are a few reasons to stay positive about vitamin E supplementation.

The majority of this meta analysis data was derived from studies involving diseases on high risk patients, so the results probably are not all that relevant to the general population.
This analysis only looked at studies involving supplemental vitamin E alone. We know that antioxidants (and all nutrients) don't function in isolation but as part of complex networks, so the idea that a single nutrient will have potent effects is probably misplaced to begin with.
The study did not identify the percentage of participants who were supplementing with synthetic (dl) alpha tocopherol vitamin E vs. natural d-alpha tocopherol vitamin E.
Neither did the study identify the lucky subjects who were supplementing with a biochemically balanced mixture of alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherols and tocotrienols, which make up a natural vitamin E molecule.

FYI: The meta-analysis study authors estimated that for every 1000 high risk patients exposed to supplemental vitamin E they would predict 0.8% more hemorrhagic strokes and 2.1% fewer ischemic strokes. So the benefits may actually outweigh the risks, when it come to stroke.

ABC's Good Morning America Suggests Supplements No Substitute for Healthy Diet?

2010-10-29T09:00:00.006-06:00

Given that Healthy People 2010 data suggests that fewer than 11% of the U.S. population consumes even five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, the October 29 ABC news special suggesting that supplements are not necessary seems beyond irresponsible (the new fruit and vegetable serving intake recommendation is now 9-13 servings a day to reach RDAs of most nutrients. Nutrient-emply high-calorie junk food has become the norm for a large percentage of the population and nutritional deficiencies that lead to degenerative disease have become common.

October 29, 2010 Response From the Council for Responsible Nutrition:
Consumers should strive to get their nutrients from eating a healthy diet; however, realistically a large percentage of the population is not getting what they need from food alone. While dietary supplements should not replace a healthy diet, consumers need practical options for getting nutrients, and dietary supplements are a convenient, affordable choice for those consumers who want to ensure their nutritional bases are covered. We need to stop thinking of food and supplements as an either/or situation—they work hand in hand. We encourage consumers to take supplements in combination with other healthy habits, including a well-balanced diet, regular exercise and routine visits with a healthcare professional. More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year—including multivitamins, fish oil, vitamin D, and others—as an insurance policy for good health.

Ellen Troyer, MT MA
Biosyntrx CEO / Chief Research Officer
Voting Member, Council for Responsible Nutrition

The Lost Art of the Apology

2010-10-14T12:52:00.002-06:00

This interesting article was written by Judy Blatman for the Council for Responsible Nutrition blog. It speaks to the large amount of misinformation in today's press.

"There was a time when the press waited for facts to come to light before filing stories or broadcasting accusatory pieces. Those were the days when newsrooms were fat with budgets, and reporters would meet you for a burger and a scotch to get to know you and your industry. There were even fact checkers.

I’m not saying those things don’t exist today—but let’s face it, the network big budgets are gone—and broadcast bureaus and accompanying correspondents have been sliced from their jobs like the meat off the turkey carcass on Thanksgiving. Often there’s very little, if any, time to think about a story before it airs—as producers and editors are held hostage to getting the story out before their competitors. That was tough enough when the competition was two other networks. Now, everyone is the competition—and getting it out first means living on an endless news cycle.

But still there are people responsible for getting things right. That’s what made it even more frustrating to have watched a couple of weeks ago as the story of the hospitalized high school athletes in Oregon unfolded.

Since all the info I have about the story comes from the press, I’m not completely sure how these athletes ended up with compartment syndrome, or who used the word “creatine” first, but I know what wasn’t known. Which is that at the time the story was reported, there was no proof that creatine was involved. But that didn’t stop a well-respected local doctor or the press from making noise that the supplement industry was unregulated or that creatine was likely involved.

Worst of all, it didn’t stop ABC News from airing a story that was at best, choppy and sloppily slapped together to fit that evening’s “scary story” slot (or at least that’s how it appeared to me) with just enough innuendo to indict creatine without actually showing any relationship between the incident and the supplement. A story that was craftily produced to be difficult to criticize (or sue) on a factual basis, but edited in such a way that one could easily conclude that creatine was evil. It was supposition at its best—or worst. And not at the level of journalism that I would expect from the network news.

To compound matters, as the story unfolded, it became even more evident that creatine was not involved (although I’m not sure that even now, all the facts have been collected). But here’s the thing about creatine and this story—first, the athletes weren’t taking any, and second, there doesn’t appear to be a scientific connection to creatine and compartment syndrome—the ailment that caused the hospitalization. So you think that at the very least ABC News would remove their story from the website? Or even respond to our email asking for the story to be taken down. Maybe the local doctor would write us back answering the email sent scientist to scientist—suggesting some of his “facts” were not? Or that we might have heard back from at least one of any of the number of print reporters we reached out to—asking them to make corrections to their characterization of supplement industry regulation or urging them to talk to an academic researcher about creatine and compartment syndrome. Nope. Apparently, in the era of a 24/7 news cycle, admitting you may have rushed to judgment or issuing a mea culpa is apparently a lost art.

So, if I’m being honest, I should probably concede that it is possible that the people we reached out to didn’t get our emails—perhaps the notes are stuck in junk mail folders, or we had outdated email addresses. But you know what…why should I bother to check the facts—if they don’t tie in to my story."

The good news is that the Council for Responsible Nutrition does check facts, and they require that member companies check their facts, as well.

Ellen Troyer, MT MA
Biosyntrx CEO / Chief Research Officer
Voting Member - Council for Responsible Nutrition

Interesting views on a Sensitive Subject

2010-05-06T15:05:00.001-06:00

Wall Street, the Downfall of the Economy, and Dietary Supplements?

By Steve Mister and Mike Greene

As the U.S. Senate takes up the issue of financial regulatory reform this week, rumors are
spreading that it includes a little-known provision that would spell the end of the dietary
supplement industry as we know it. Several grassroots consumer organizations have
even launched a campaign urging consumers to write to their members of Congress and
oppose the bill on that basis, claiming that a possible amendment to the bill that would
provide the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with more authority is really a secret plot
by Chairman Waxman to undermine DSHEA. The problem is: this claim is not truthful,
it’s misleading and it’s not substantiated by the evidence. If it were a dietary supplement
advertisement, this propaganda would be illegal.

However, just like many impermissible advertising claims, there is a nugget of truth
buried in all the hyperbole. And that truth could have negative consequences for dietary
supplement advertising and a host of other consumer products that are regulated by the
FTC. The tricky part is separating the truth from the fiction. So here is what we know to
be true:

• This week, the Senate is holding floor debate on S 3217, the Restoring American
Financial Stability Act—which is intended to provide reform of the nation’s
regulation of financial institutions. The bill creates a new federal Consumer Financial
Protection Agency (CFPA) with this mission, which incidentally, will remove FTC’s
oversight of financial products and services and give it to the new CFPA.

• The House version of the legislation, HR 4173, was passed by the House of
Representatives back in December. It includes a provision that would offset the
FTC’s reduced authority over financial products with expanded rulemaking authority.
Currently, the FTC may not issue formal rulemaking without getting prior approval
from Congress to conduct such rulemaking. Other agencies with narrower
substantive mandates (like FDA and EPA) have this authority to issue substantive
rulemaking. The FTC used to have it, but after expansive misuse of that power in the
1970s, it was removed from the FTC.

• The House version of the bill was managed by Financial Services Committee
Chairman Barney Frank. Certain provisions were managed on the House floor during
debate by the Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman (and long-time industry
critic) Henry Waxman. That does not mean that Congressman Waxman is the source
of this provision.

• The provision is detrimental to dietary supplements along with a whole host of other
industries that make or market consumer products that are under the jurisdiction of
the FTC. It would give the FTC unfettered ability to make substantive rules
governing the marketing of these products without strict Congressional oversight.

History demonstrates that an FTC with broad jurisdiction and substantive rulemaking
authority can run amok.

• One need only look at recent FTC activity under its existing powers to see examples
of an agency that would like to increase the level of support required for consumer
advertising (new standards for testimonials, a requirement for product-specific
clinical trials, disclosure of financial support for research, etc.)

• There is speculation that Senator Rockefeller may offer the same amendment to the
Senate version of the bill. CRN, along with over 40 other trade associations
representing a broad swath of consumer industries have opposed the provision and are
urging Senator Rockefeller not to offer the language to the Senate bill.

Those are the facts. Granting the FTC new authority across broad sectors of the American
economy is not a necessary or relevant response to the causes of the recent recession. The
financial troubles of the past year have not been laid at the FTC’s doorstep, and
provisions to expand the Commission’s authority are out of place in legislation to reform
the financial system. CRN and other like-minded business groups believe that these
FTC-related issues deserve their own due consideration and debate in the more
appropriate context of an FTC reauthorization, as has been done in the past. In that
context, we could lay out the reasons for our opposition and be sure the concerns are
properly considered.

Unfortunately, the effort to prevent this amendment has led to much misinformation.
Blogs and websites are perpetuating rumors that ultimately discredit the industry’s
legitimate concerns and undermine the credibility and goodwill that industry has built as
a reliable source of information. For example:

o The amendment specifically targets the dietary supplement industry – This is not
true. Nowhere in the amendment are dietary supplements singled out for
disparate treatment. Although the FTC’s history of interest in supplements likely
means that expanded authority would lead to expanded interest in supplements,
the provision addresses all of the FTC’s jurisdiction.

o The amendment is a sneak attack by Congressman Waxman – Again, not true.

There is nothing that suggests Senator Rockefeller is being influenced by
Congressman Waxman. Moreover, there is nothing in the House debate that
indicates that he—as opposed to Congressman Frank—was the original source of
the language. This is a case of identifying an industry critic with the cause to
misrepresent this as a plot against supplements.

o A prosecution by the FTC means “secret FTC courts,” a presumption of guilt and
criminal penalties. Merely telling the truth can still get an advertiser thrown in
jail – Do we really need to respond to this one? Administrative law judges
adjudicate FTC proceedings, all of which are appealable to the District court, and
provide due process protections to the litigants. In fact, a recent decision
completely dismissed the FTC’s case, holding that the advertiser’s support for its
supplement ad was sufficient, even where there was conflicting data about the
efficacy of the product.

o This amendment is the end of the dietary supplement marketplace; it will take
your vitamins away from you – C’mon, how many times will we try this
exaggerated claim before consumers realize we are just “crying wolf”? Yes, the
expanded FTC authority could make it more difficult to craft advertising to our
consumers, but it is hardly the end of the industry. Overplaying our hand makes it
hard to be taken serious when a real threat (like the McCain bill) does arise.

It is up to industry and consumers to correct this misinformation as quickly as possible
before any further damage is done to the credibility of mainstream, responsible dietary
supplement industry and the propaganda being circulated makes us all look paranoid and
irresponsible.

Steve Mister and Mike Green, both employees of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, clearly stated that this article represents their opinions and does not necessarily reflect the views of CRN or an official position of the association.

The Empowered Patient

2010-04-16T07:11:00.001-06:00

More and more people who live with chronic conditions are becoming actively involved in high-stake health care decisions. Professor James Burroughs of the University of Virginia designed a brilliant survey to identify traits and habits of people who feel empowered to take a lead role in managing his or her health care.

The questions included:

Relationships with doctors
Treatment history
Social habits
Need for cognition
Self-confidence
Media preferences

The survey suggests that people who take a direct role in managing their treatment plan have several traits that other more traditional patients lack. The survey also discovered what factors don't influence the chances of a person being an empowered patient. 30 percent of the survey was identified as Empowered Patients.

This group likes situations that require a lot of thinking and they like the challenge of solving a problem. These patients were more likely to have a strong sense of self-efficacy, meaning that they were confident in their ability to accomplish almost anything if they decide to do it.

Interestingly, education, income, source of health insurance had almost no effect!

Empowered patients are leading the way online

When asked about personal experiences or seeking out other patients' stories, empowered patients were much more likely to be doing both of these things. They take a more active role online that traditional patients do. Their tendency to be on the early edge of the social networking curve was much stronger than traditional patients. Empowered patients preferred a combination of printed patient education materials and brand.com web sites over television and magazine ads. They did not appreciate being talked down to.

Empowered patients still rely on traditional medical authorities to help improve their health, but they're not willing to cede all control.

The obvious question: can the other 70 percent be motivated or influenced to become empowered patients?

Dr. Burroughs and his team of researchers found that 50 percent of the the survey group had many of the same tendencies and personality traits as the empowered patients who fell into the 30 percent group. They could be influenced by appealing to their need to be addressed in a direct, straightforward manner, as opposed to a patronizing approach. This group is likely to be swayed by social appeals from empowered patients.

Empowered patients have the potential to be influencers and affect the opinions of traditional patients.

The 20% group did not share any qualities with the other two groups and the researchers suggested it unlikely that they could become motivated to become empowered patients.

Given the lack of available health care dollars now and in the future, it should be the goal of government and industry to empower as many patients as possible. Empowered people take more personal responsibility for their healthcare and understand that lifestyle decisions matter.

Addendum: While writing this blog piece I kept thinking about Dan Roberts http://www.mdsupport.org/ community of empowered AMD patients. Kudos again to Dan for all he has done to help worldwide AMD patients become more empowered. And Major Kudos to the mdsupport community members who have or will become Empowered Patients.

Advance Info From Healthy People 2010

2010-03-14T11:56:00.013-06:00

Health & Human Services establish health and disease prevention goals every decade in a program called the Healthy People Project. Although the next report isn't due until 2011; early reports suggest that the Healthy People Project goals are down 41 percent from the last decade.

In the area of nutrition, the percentage of people consuming the recommended servings of vegetables and grains per day has ranged from 4 to 11 percent during the past 9 years, well short of the 2010 50 percent target. In 2000, 25 percent of the population was obese. The HHS goal was to lower that number to 15 percent by 2010. The report suggests that the number of obese US citizens has actually increased to 34 percent.

Given that excess weight and improper nutrition increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancers, diabetes and eye disease, just to name a few, our government disease prevention messages don't seem to be getting to the public, or a large portion of the medical community.

It doesn't help when doctors refuse to discuss weight issues with their patients because it's uncomfortable for the doctor. Nor, does it help when doctors tell their patients that they can get all the nutrients they need from their diets, since over 90 percent of the patients they see in their practices are nutrient deficient, 34 percent are obese and 65 percent are overweight - if the HHS numbers are right.

Adequate nutrition has, sadly, become a major societal and economic issue. High-profit, nutrient-empty high-calorie junk food, which is more often than not subsidized by our government, is relatively inexpensive and the most, or only food affordable to a large percentage of our population who have families to feed on low incomes.

The enormous healthcare costs associated with low-cost, nutrient-deficient fast and center-of-the-supermarket food should concern the tax paying public, and certainly the mainstream medical profession.

Eye-Care-Focused Nutritional Biotechnology Company Reformulates Flagship Multiple: Macula Complete -- COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ --

2010-01-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

Eye-Care-Focused Nutritional Biotechnology Company Reformulates Flagship Multiple: Macula Complete -- COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ --

Men for All Seasons

2009-12-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

We agree with The Scientists.com - one individual stands out as the most accomplished scientists of 2009.

Unless you have been living under a rock this year, you probably know that Francis Collins, MD, PhD, was appointed director of the National Institutes of Health in August.

The geneticist accepted the position after 15 years at the helm of the National Human Genome Research Institute, during which time he helped finish the Human Genome Project ahead of schedule and under budget. Since taking control of the NIH, Collins has been pushing an agenda focused on personalized medicine and stem cell research, backing the efforts by approving 40 new human embryonic stem cell lines as eligible for federal funding. Dr. Collins has also found time to be a much more public figure than previous NIH directors, taking time out to rock with Aerosmith's Joe Perry and joke around with Stephen Colbert.

While directing the National Human Genome Research Institute, he formed a rock band called 'The Directors" with other NIH scientists. They frequently dueled with a rock band from Johns Hopkins University, led by esteemed cancer researcher Bert Vogelstein who once said, "Anyone who likes to play with toys has got to like science because scientists have the world's best toys."

Bart Gordon comes in as a close second in our opinion.

As Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, the 13th term Democrat from Tennessee played a key role in ensuring science got a major boost from stimulus funding.

Bart Gordon also authored bills to further nanotechnology research and commercialization (H.R. 554, passed February 11), require that the President create a national water strategy (H.R. 1145, passed April 23), and improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education programs (H.R. 1709, passed June 8).

Gordon also helped allocate $400 million in stimulus funding to start the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency -- Energy, which funds high risk, high reward energy research. Although the Congressman announced he won't be running for re-election next year, science sure was lucky to have him around in 2009.

Darwin's Minstrel

2009-11-24T12:49:00.003-07:00

The on-line Life Sciences Magazine called The Scientist posted an interesting piece to honor the November 24, 2009 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's seminal work, On the Origin of Species.

"Survival of the fittest does not mean survival of the strongest, but survival of those that best fit their environment, " says Brett Keyser, who co-wrote Darwinii, a play that focuses on big ideas, including natural selection, sexual selection, adaptation, and the struggle for survival.

View a delightful Brett Keyser video at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy0GzVD8Ldw

Keyser also has been quoted as saying, "Darwin work added to our understanding of the world. He showed us that nature is always a delicate balance, which is important for our current understanding of how the decisions we make now can change our environment. "

Big Ideas, Art and Science: perfect entertainment for the 2010 Aspen Ideas Festival.

Ellen Troyer, MT MA
Biosyntrx CEO
Chief Research Officer

Eye Memory

2009-10-16T08:51:00.001-06:00

A new study published in the journal Neuron suggests that eye movements pick the right answers in memory tests, even when the brain doesn't.

Apparently, eye movements correspond to activity in the hippocampus, one of the most important learning and memory centers in the brain. Eye movements are now suggested to reveal unconscious memories.

Two researchers showed volunteers in a functional MRI scanner pictures of 3 faces paired with 50 photos of outdoor scenes. The volunteers were then asked to choose which face had been matched with which landscape scene. When the scene was shown, activity in the hippocampus increased, followed 500 to 750 milliseconds later by eye movements directed toward the correct face, even if the volunteer had clearly chosen a different face.

Eye movements may become a new way of helping scientists understand how much people who are unable to talk and patients with dementia or schizophrenia remember. People with these disorders may remember far more than they are able to say.

Bottom line: keep your eyes and brain healthy.

Buy Supplements From Reputable Companies

2009-10-07T17:01:00.000-06:00

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 7, 2009 — In response to a “Perspective” article published on-line today by the New England Journal of Medicine, which discusses the regulatory status of dietary supplements, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement industry, issued the following statement by Andrew Shao, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN:

“We question how a perspective article about the regulatory status of dietary supplements was accepted for publication in a leading scientific journal, yet facts were not checked. This article contains numerous errors, omissions or misinterpretations with regard to the regulation of dietary supplements, including the misstatement of how botanical supplements were regulated prior to the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). The author may be a credible doctor, but his expertise in understanding the practicalities of the regulatory framework for dietary supplements is questionable.

Contrary to what has become an urban myth, DSHEA did not lessen the oversight of dietary supplements—in fact, DSHEA actually provided the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with new enforcement authority not previously available. For example, DSHEA provided FDA with additional authority to remove adulterated or unsafe supplement products from the market. Further, DSHEA gave FDA authority to issue good manufacturing practices (GMPs) specific to dietary supplements to help ensure the quality and safety of dietary supplements, a critical component of dietary supplement regulation, conspicuously absent from this article. It is already against the law to manufacture and market adulterated or contaminated dietary supplements.

The author chooses to focus on select isolated examples of incidents, as if they were representative of the industry as a whole and fails to place the information into any kind of context. In the first full year that mandatory reporting of serious adverse events was in existence, FDA received only 1,080 total adverse event reports, 672 of which were considered serious. For context, these numbers are minute in comparison to the hundreds of thousands of adverse event reports FDA receives each year for other regulated products such drugs, biologics and medical devices. The overwhelming majority of dietary supplements are safe and well-made and consumers value the benefits these products can provide.

The problems presented by outliers are not isolated to dietary supplements. Like any regulated industry, there are unscrupulous manufacturers that don’t follow the law—but that is not the fault of the law itself nor of responsible manufacturers and changing the law will not deter rogue companies from breaking the law. What is needed are more resources for both FDA and FTC to step up enforcement efforts. The best bet for consumers is to learn as much as they can about the companies from which they plan to purchase supplement products. Stay away from companies making product claims that purport to cure diseases or promise magic bullet results; focus on companies with good reputations, well-known brands, or third-party certifications; and discuss with your physician or other healthcare professional what products or companies he or she recommends. More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year as part of their healthy lifestyle.”

###

I post this as a voting member of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our 70+ manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org.

How Much Fish Oil

2009-09-30T17:16:00.009-06:00

The American Heart Association (AHA) Summary of Recommendations for Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake as of May 7, 2009.

Population
Patients without documented coronary heart disease (CHD)
AHA Recommendation:
Eat a variety of fatty fish at least twice a week.

Population
Patients with documented CHD
AHA Recommendation:
Consume about 1 gram of EPA+DHA per day, preferably from fatty fish.

Population
Patients who need to lower triglycerides
AHA Recommendation:
2 to 4 grams of EPA +DHA per day, provided as fish oil capsules and always under physician care.

The AHA report suggest that patients taking more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from capsules can be at increased risk of internal bleeding and suppressed immune system.

What do epidemiological and observational studies show?

The Good News: Epidemiologic and clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fatty acids reduce CVC incidence. Large-scale epidemiologic studies suggest that people at risk for coronary heart disease benefit from consuming omega-3 fatty acids from plants and marine sources.

However, the ideal amount to take isn't clear, and neither the AHA or the Institute of Medicine recommend more than 500 mg per day (3,500 mg per week) for disease prevention. Evidence from a few prospective secondary prevention studies suggest that taking 2 grams of EPA / DHA per day (fatty fish or supplements) reduces deaths from heart disease. Other retrospective studies suggest not.

Fish Oil is the largest selling product in the supplement industry and agressive marketers are not shy about recommending 2 or more grams of EPA/DHA a day for disease prevention. The American Heart Association clearly recommends physician care for those taking over 3 grams of Omega-3 EPA /DHA on a daily basis.

We at Biosyntrx strongly support fish consumption and fish oil supplementation, but it is not the be-all-end-all magic bullet that some suggest. Excessive amounts of supplemental fish oil may inhibit the body's ability to mount a lifesaving inflammatory response if needed.

Good health and certainly eye health is dependent on adequate consumption of the the full-spectrum of nutrients including fatty acids, portion and weight control, shades when in the sun, committment to regular exercise and loving friend and family relationships.

Omega-6 Fatty Acid Jobs

2009-09-17T17:37:00.003-06:00

Dietary Omega-6 fatty acid is responsible for the bodies ability to mount a lifesaving inflammatory response when needed. This includes spiking a fever to kill off bacterial and viral infections, swelling to protect bones, and clotting to prevent us from bleeding to death.

Biologist have now discovered that the smell of death or injury that repels living beings has been identified as Omega-6 linoleic acid. A biology professor at McMaster University, David Rollo, found that corpses all emit the same death stench produced by this fatty acid.

Dr. Rollo suggests that recognizing and avoiding the dead could reduce the chances of catching the disease, or allow you to get away with just enough exposure to activate your inate immunity.

He also suggests that linoleic acid is reliable and quickly released from cells following death. Evolution appears to have favoured such clues because they were reliable associated with demise, and avoiding contagion and predation are rather critical to survival.

I am always in awe of the the brilliant way the body uses nutrients.

Grand Junction CO & Health Reform

2009-09-16T17:48:00.002-06:00

Grand Junction Colorado's health care system is often sited as excellent and one to be envied.

The system excels because of extraordinary collaboration. This did not occur at random or in a vacuum. Effective collaboration results from the tenacious commitment of its key players to a shared vision of community performance, realized through incentives, information sharing, and appreciation of distinct comparative advantages. Many lessons of the Grand Junction experience should inform the national health reform debate.

Lesson #1:
Vision and incentives are essential to an operational sense of community. Grand Junction’s leaders view their own self-interest and the community’s interests as congruent.

Lesson #2:
Information systems and data sharing are essential for collaboration and trust. The electronic records system and the interoperability enable evidence-based collaboration on complex and high-cost cases, across institutions and among clinicians.

Lesson #3:
Complementary institutions pursuing their comparative advantages facilitate collaboration. Grand Junction’s providers allow specialized complements to focus on specific populations to ensure that all residents get the right care at the right time.

Lesson #4:
Primary care is the core of any high performance health system. Throughout a patient’s life, primary care physicians in Grand Junction are involved in all levels of treatment. Continuity and collaboration between primary care physicians, specialists, and other members of care teams leads to higher-quality care, better outcomes, and lower costs. Most importantly, team-based care refocuses the delivery system on the patient, not on the provider.

I am happy to provide a PDF of an article called Grand Junction, Colorado: A Health Community That Works to all interested readers. The authors are Len Nichols, Micah Weinberg and Julie Barnes.

The Healthcare War

2009-09-08T17:01:00.012-06:00

Every time I start to semiseriously consider just giving up on today's nasty partisan politics, a favorite writer will force me to take a deep breath, have a good laugh, and in this case - listen to some great music.

Here is San Francisco writer, Sam Barry's September 8 column. Sam is Dr. Betty Kamen's son-in-law. Dr. Kamen is an esteemed member of the Biosyntrx Scientific Advisory Board.

"We are fast approaching the time when we, as a nation—and here I am referring to the United States, not Denmark—must make a decision regarding the healthcare system. Broadly speaking, there are two positions on the healthcare crisis, which can be characterized as follows:

Position 1: Everyone should have healthcare. This should be a national priority. If you think otherwise you are an evil, greedy corporate lobbyist for Big Pharma, the insurance industry, or the AMA, or an insane member of the gun-toting Christian right-wing Republican conspiracy, located somewhere east of Berkeley and west of the Hudson River, probably in Texas or Colorado Springs.

Position 2: Healthcare is for sissies. I have a good job and I have healthcare because I earned it. Later, when I am older, I will have Medicare, which I also earned. Screw the rest of you, except for my loved ones, who deserve nothing but the best because I have family values. People who think differently than me are, in a word, Commies.

As you can see, these two positions are fairly far apart. As I see it, we can all either sit down at the negotiating table and hammer out an agreement that serves the best interests of the nation and its citizenry, or we can grab our weapons, get behind some barricades, and start shooting.

The last time we did this in the United States (the shooting that is)—if you exclude minor incidents like the pitched battles at recent congressional town hall meetings—was during the Civil War. While I am not suggesting we have another civil war over the healthcare crisis, it would solve a couple of problems: one side or the other would win, ending the debate; the economy would get a kick start; many National Guard troops would get to come home from Iraq and Afghanistan to fight Americans right here in America; and there would be some good songs written, which we could all then learn to play on the harmonica. Win, win, win all around."

Thank you Sam, for bringing some much-needed humor to the healthcare issue. As promised, here is a link of you playing two of my favorite tunes. http://www.redroom.com/video/sam-barry-and-todd-swenson-play-theme-black-orpheus-manh%C3%A3-de-carnaval-and-the-way-you-look-ton

Annals of Surgery Abstract on Healthcare Reform

2009-08-21T12:37:00.005-06:00

Abstract: The United States has the most expensive and complex healthcare system in the world. Despite the magnitude of funds spent on the system, Americans do not achieve the high standards of health seen in other developed countries.

The current model of health insurance has failed to deliver efficient and effective healthcare. The administrative costs and lack of buying power that arise out of the existing multipayer system are at the root of the problem. The current system also directly contributes to the rising number of uninsured and underinsured Americans.

This lack of insurance leads to poorer health outcomes, and a significant amount of money is lost into the system by paying for these complications. Experience from other countries suggests that tangible improvements can occur with conversion to a single-payer system. However, previous efforts at reform have stalled.

There are many myths commonly held true by both patients and physicians. This inscrutability of the US healthcare system may be the major deterrent to its improvement. A discussion of these myths can lead to increased awareness of the inequality of our healthcare system and the possibilities for improvement.

Sarpel U, Vladeck G, Divina C: Klotman P. Fact and Fiction: Debunking Myths in the US Healthcare System Annals of Surgery: April 2008 - volume 247-Issue 4 - PP 563-569

Statins for Age-related Macular Degeneration

2009-08-07T08:26:00.002-06:00

This Cochrane review published on July, 17, 2009, identified one completed and one ongoing randomized controlled trial.

Of the completed trial, in which 30 patients received either 20 mg simvastatin or a placebo daily for a period of three months, the analyses did not show a statistically significant difference in visual acuity at completion of study treatment or 45 days after the completion of study treatment.

Of the ongoing trial, the preliminary analyses after 12 months of treatment did not show a statistically significant difference between 40 mg simvastatin daily and placebo in visual acuity, drusen score or visual function. Due to the small size of the completed trial and the short duration of the treatment and follow–up period, no conclusion regarding the effects of statins on the onset or progression of AMD can be made at this time. The authors will update this review as data from the ongoing trial become available.

Balanced Immune Health

2009-07-31T09:49:00.006-06:00

Experts are warning that the 2009 fall/winter season could be a miserable one from a public health standpoint. Therefore, we strongly recommend that our Friday Pearl readers subscribe to this blog. http://www.balancedimmunehealth.com/

These folks clearly understand the importance of maintaining a properly balanced immune system, so that our killer cells instantly kill when they need to, and our suppressor cells know when to call off the attack dog cells when an aggressive immune response is no longer needed. Over-reactive immune response can be responsible for cytokine storms that are particularly dangerous for our lungs when it comes to flu bugs.

Have a great weekend.

Aspen Ideas Festival

2009-07-02T09:23:00.004-06:00

This short Brian Greene video from this week's Aspen Ideas Festival is not to be missed by those of you who love science and those of you who weren't properly introduced to the joy of the subject.

http://www.aifestival.org/audio-video-library.php?menu=3&title=315&action=full_info

Brian Greene is the author of The Elegant Universe, Icarus at the Edge of Time and The Fabric of the Cosmos. He is a full professor at Columbia University.

Selenium "Highly Unlikely" to Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk

2009-06-22T14:41:00.005-06:00

FDA has concluded that minimal evidence supports the linking of selenium consumption and reduced risk of prostate cancer, likely delivering a further blow to Bayer One A Day Men’s Multivitamins products containing the mineral and touting its prostate health benefits.

In a decision dated June 19, the agency informs attorney Jonathan Emord that it “intends to consider the exercise of its enforcement discretion” for a claim stating the following: Two weak studies suggest that selenium intake may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. However, four stronger studies and three weak studies showed no reduction in risk. Based on these studies, FDA concludes that it is highly unlikely that selenium supplements reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

The agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is allowing two similarly weak qualified health claims for selenium and bladder and thyroid cancer. FDA rejected all claims for a number of other site-specific cancers Emord had sought, including lung, brain and breast cancers.

In an e-mail, Emord said the agency’s decisions violate First Amendment standards and “reveal a profound and unscientific bias against communication of accurate information concerning the relationship between these nutrients and these disease risks.”

FDA currently allows QHCs linking selenium and vitamins C and E to reduced risk of “certain forms of cancers,” but has not approved the mention of any specific cancers.

Under its new leadership, FDA has shown little willingness to be flexible when claims fall outside approved language and supporting science. Commissioner Peggy Hamburg recently said the agency does not wish “to delve too deeply into the wordsmithing of various claims and labels,” but does want them “to accurately reflect the best available science with respect to the safety and benefits of a given product.”

Genetically Modified Foods?

2009-06-11T08:10:00.005-06:00

I just received this news release from a fellow board member of the Optometric Nutrition Society.

One May 19, 2009, The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) released its position paper on Genetically Modified foods stating that "GM foods pose a serious health risk" and calling for a moratorium on GM foods.

Citing several animal studies, the AAEM concludes "there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects" and that "GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health." The AAEM calls for:* A moratorium on GM food, implementation of immediate long term safety testing and labeling of GM food.

* Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community and the public to avoid GM foods. * Physicians to consider the role of GM foods in their patients' disease processes.
* More independent long term scientific studies to begin gathering data to investigate the role of GM foods on human health.

"Multiple animal studies have shown that GM foods cause damage to various organ systems in the body. With this mounting evidence, it is imperative to have a moratorium on GM foods for the safety of our patients' and the public's health," said Dr. Amy Dean, PR chair and Board Member of AAEM.

"Physicians are probably seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right questions," said Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, President of AAEM. "The most common foods in North America which are consumed that are GMO are corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed oil." The AAEM's position paper on Genetically Modified foods can be found at http:aaemonline.org/gmopost.html.

We recommend that everyone reading this blog take the time to read the AAEM's position paper on genetically modified foods. We can't possibly afford the disease consequences associated with new-to-nature-molecules that prove to be harmful - think hydrogenation and trans-fats.

Why Portion Control Avantrx?

2008-11-01T09:18:00.008-06:00

The Question: Why would a company focused on nutrients and eye disease launch a portion control formula into the eye care market?

The Answer: An increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes and a host of other degenerative disease is directly linked to the amount of excess subcutaneous and visceral fat we carry on our bodies. Visceral fat surrounds vital organs and is metabolized by the liver, which turns it into blood cholesterol. It also increases Il-6 and C-reactive protein, the inflammatory markers associated with disease and metabolic syndrome that precedes development of type-2 diabetes and most all degenerative disease, including the four major eye diseases, cataract, macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data this past Thursday that suggests the rate of new type-2 diabetes cases nearly doubled in the United States in the past 10 years.

The study, led by Karen Kirtland, provides an up-to-date picture of where the disease is exploding. The information should be a big help as the government and health insurance companies decide where to focus prevention campaigns, Petersen said.

Diabetes was the nation's seventh-leading cause of death in 2006, according to the CDC. More than 23 million Americans have diabetes, and the number is rapidly growing. About 1.6 million new cases were diagnosed among adults last year.

In Type 2 diabetes, cells do not properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar into energy. The illness can lead to complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and poor circulation that leads to amputations.

The study involved a random-digit-dialed survey of more than 260,000 adults. Participants were asked if they had ever been told by a doctor that they have diabetes, and when the diagnosis was made.

The researchers had data for 40 states for the years 2005-07. West Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee had the highest rates. Puerto Rico was about as high as West Virginia. Minnesota, Hawaii and Wyoming had the lowest rates.

It is not entirely clear why some states were worse than others. Older people, blacks and Hispanics tend to have higher rates of Type 2 diabetes, and the South has large concentrations of all three groups. However, West Virginia is overwhelmingly white.

The report asked about diagnosed diabetes only. Because an estimated one in four diabetics have not been diagnosed, the findings probably underestimate the problem, said Angela Liese, a diabetes researcher at the University of South Carolina.

Lifestyle changes that include portion control of nutrient-dense diets and daily exercise can dramatically lower the risk of developing type-2 diabetes and the other degenerative diseases.

Our Children and Psychotropic Drugs

2008-09-27T14:28:00.002-06:00

A new study published in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health found that American children are three times more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications for conditions such as ADHA and bipolar disease than European children are. The researchers suggest the difference is in regulatory practices and cultural beliefs.

The lead researcher, Julie Zito, from the pharmaceutical health services research department in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland, suggests there is significantly greater use of atypical antipsychotics and SSRI-type antidepressants for child mental health treatment in U.S. than in Western Europe. She also suggests that most of the use is 'off-label' -- without adequate evidence of benefits and risks, and that closer monitoring should be considered when these medications are used.

Researchers found that the annual prevalence of psychotropic medications among children in the United States was significantly greater than in either the Netherlands or Germany. In the United States, 6.7 percent of children were taking these drugs, compared with 2.9 percent in the Netherlands and 2 percent in Germany. In addition, use of antidepressants and stimulants was three or more times higher in the United States than in the Netherlands or Germany, and use of antipsychotic drugs was 1.5 to 2.2 times greater in the United States than in either of the other countries.

The study suggests that direct-to-consumer drug advertising, which is common in the U.S., is likely to account for some of the differences. The increased use of medication in the U.S. also reflects the individualist and activist therapeutic mentality of U.S. medical culture," the researchers concluded.

It has been suggested many times by researchers that the U.S. has a sick-care system, rather than a health-care system, with a particular emphasis on use of drugs and procedures for diagnosed conditions. This study reaffirms that pattern, with more use of medication for various mental health conditions among children in the U.S than other countries. What this study cannot show is whether the use of medication is appropriate, given variations in culture, or whether other countries under-prescribe psychotropic drugs or whether the U.S. over-prescribes them.

I put my money on over-prescribing.

Berkeley Lab News Center » IMPACTS: On the Threshold of Abrupt Climate Changes

2008-09-19T12:03:00.000-06:00

Berkeley Lab News Center » IMPACTS: On the Threshold of Abrupt Climate Changes

HIV Screening for All Women

2008-08-04T07:28:00.008-06:00

.....regardless of age!

The August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology published a committee opinion suggesting "Routine Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening" for all women between the ages of 19 and 64.

The article estimates that one-quarter of all Americans with HIV are unaware of their status. Women continue to represent a growing proportion of HIV and AIDS cases, and it's critical that they know their status.

When we add the HIV numbers to the fact that one out of every four women over the age of 12 would test positive for incurable genital herpes (according to the CDC one third of these women are asymptomatic and don't know they are potentially infecting everyone with whom they have a sexual encounter). Lest you male readers think you are off the hook, one out of every five of you would test positive for genital herpes -one third of all males with genital herpes are asymptomatic, as well.

Given this data, isn't it time for all health professionals to stop acting like teenage and senior sex doesn't happen. This includes eye care professionals, since both ocular herpes and AIDS are potentially blinding diseases.

Hopefully, cross- talk between all medical specialties will soon become the norm.

We Must Change the Way We Eat

2008-07-31T16:45:00.002-06:00

A study conducted at Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine suggests that most adults in the U.S. will be overweight or obese by 2030, with related health care spending projected to be as much as $956.9 billion per year.

Overweight and obesity is a runaway health problem that must be addressed. If the current trends continue, 86% of the population will be overweight and 1 out of every 6 healthcare dollars will be spent paying for overweight and obesity-related costs.

The authors of this study, published in the July 2008 peer-reviewed issue of Obesity, warn that overweight and obesity is a public health crisis that is expected to get worse, unless health care professionals from every specialty step up to the plate and start working with their patients on lifestyle choices, including caloric intake and exercise.

Statins for Kids??

2008-07-07T14:01:00.010-06:00

The AMA released a notice today stating that they now recommend low fat milk for all children over the age of 12 months, and cholesterol lowering medications to children as young as eight-years-old, inspite of a recent study suggesting that cholesterol lowering meds can alter genetic structure and deteriorate muscles, including the heart muscle.

The pharmaceutical industry line is that a very small percentage of people actually suffer horrific, painful side effects from cholesterol lowering (statin) drugs. If these side effects happen to my child or grandchild, that would make it a 100% reaction for an innocent child and that is not reasonable in this writer's opinion.

There are a number of other ways to lower the childhood factors associated with increased risk of developing heart problems in adult years, including healthy dietary changes that include eliminating all junk foods (specifically all corn-based oil and high-sugar syrup foods) portion control (supersize nothing) and a moderate amount of daily exercise, all of which include positive side effects.

It seems almost criminal to subject any young child to the potential painful side effect risks associated with statin drugs, particularly if this AMA recommendation is in any way being made to increase profits for BigPharma.

Research Misconduct

2008-06-19T12:23:00.000-06:00

A survey of more than 2,000 scientists reveals that misconduct in research may be far more prevalent than suspected. The results are published in a Commentary in Nature this week.

The authors, based at the US Department of Health and Human Services’s Office of Research Integrity (ORI), surveyed 2,212 scientists at 605 institutions and found that nearly 9% believed they had witnessed potential research misconduct in the preceding three years. Extrapolating to the larger research community supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this suggests that as many as 2,300 observations of misconduct occur each year with roughly 1,000 going unreported.

Do we really think this behavior is confined to the United States?

Polar Express

2008-06-09T15:43:00.002-06:00

There is a new sense of scientific urgency around the accelerating pace of climate warming in the earth's polar regions. A NASA satellite camera on the Aqua caught a Manhattan-size floating piece of ice shelf in the act of disintegrating on Feb 28, 2008.

By March 8, the Wilkins ice shelf, comprising some 5,000 miles of floating ice off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula had lost 160 square miles of ice to the Pacific Ocean.

The July 2008 edition of Scientific American reports that this ice breakup is the latest of seven major Antarctic ice-shelf collapses in the past 30 years, after some 400 years of relative stability.

Once again, before casting our votes, we need to know where Barack Obama and John McCaine stand on the issue of global warming, and we need to know who they intend to use as their advisors on the vitally important issue.

Our health and the health of our offspring could depend on the quality of science-based decisions made in the next few years.

Obesity & Heart Failure

2008-06-05T18:08:00.006-06:00

A study in the recent Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that obesity is associated with prolonged inflammation of the heart, which can lead to congestive heart failure.

The 79 male study participants out of the 6,914 men who developed congestive heart failure had far higher levels of inflammatory proteins interleukin-6, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein compared with the nonobese participants. Near doubling of interleukin-6 levels was associated with an 84 percent greater risk of developing heart failure, and near tripling of c-reactive protein with a 36 percent greater risk than those with lower levels.

More and more evidence is building a case that suggests weight-related inflammation to be the chemical route obesity uses to target the heart and other organs, and that inflammation may play an important role in the increased risk of heart failure in overweight and obese people.

Recent government data suggests that 65 percent of the US population is now overweight and 33 percent of the US population is now clinically obese. These alarming numbers can change with lifestyle modification that includes consumption of calorie-restricted, nutrient-dense diets, portion control, full-spectrum supplementation and exercise.

The Power of Mothers

2008-05-09T14:50:00.039-06:00

We set aside the second Sunday in the month of May to honor all mothers, including Mother Earth. This year, she is particularly unhappy because her honey bee children are dying by the millions, which will lead to a reduction in the country's nutrient-necessary fruit and vegetable crops. Many studies now suggest that almost 90% of the feral bee population could already be dead due to a condition called Colony Collapse Disorder.

An amazing documentary called Vanishing of the Bees is in the works. Please, please check out the trailer http://www.vanishingbees.com/

Let's honor Mother Earth and Mother's Day 2008 by making a commitment to use our voices, our votes, and our purchasing power to address global warming, the amount of environmental toxins we are willing to tolerate, inaccessible health care for too many Mother's children, and the personal and corporate greed responsible for so much of earth's destruction.

Albert Einstein supposedly once remarked, "If honey bees become extinct, human society will follow in four years." I can't verify that quote, but the honey bee may very well be the canary in the mine.

The hillside color pallet below is Mother Nature's "Ode to Spring." We can collectively honor her on this day by vowing to protect her art and her honey bees for future generations. Simply click on the photo to view an enlargement.

$445M on Federal Lobbying in 2007

2008-05-06T16:03:00.005-06:00

Health care interests spent $445 million on federal lobbying in 2007--more than any other sector of the economy--to finish as the top spender for the second consecutive year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, HealthBeat reports.

In 2007 pharmaceutical and medical products companies rank first with $227 million in spending, while health insurance companies spent the second-most at $138 million. Hospitals and nursing homes spent $91 million, ranking fifth; while health professionals spent $70 million, ranking 15th; and HMOs/health services spent $52 million, ranking 19th.

Among specific organizations or companies, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spent the third-most at $22.1 million, the American Medical Association spent the fourth-most at $22.1 million and the American Hospital Association was fifth, spending $19.7 million.

According to the CRP, the pharmaceutical industry has spent $1.3 billion on federal lobbying in the last decade, more than any other industry. In addition, the drug industry's reported lobbying increased by 25% from 2006 to 2007.

Lobbying firm, Patton Boggs, whose clients include Bristol-Myers Squibb and Hoffman-La Roche, reported $41.9 million in 2007 revenue—an increase of 20% over 2006--and the most among Washington, D.C.-area firms.

What can we say, except that hopefully a new administration will take some power away from those who blatently put obscene profits before the health care needs of the public.

Chocolate & Pregnancy

2008-05-01T17:24:00.010-06:00

The May 2008 issue of Epidemiology published a Yale study that suggests women who eat dark chocolate are at decreased risk of developing preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous complication of pregnancy.

The study looked at self-reported chocolate consumption and also at levels of a byproduct of chocolate consumption, called theobromine, in the cord blood of pregnant women.

Those who reported chocolate consumption of more than five servings a week had a 70% lower risk of developing preeclampsia.

The researchers have speculated that the presence of anti-oxidants called flavonoids in dark chocolate may confer cardiovascular benefits.

This does not mean pregnant women should eat all the chocolate they want, as tempting as this information may be. Excess consumption of all sweets can lead to weight gain and other health problems during pregnancy, just as it does in a non-pregnant state.

It's Not Easy Being Green

2008-04-22T13:44:00.008-06:00

It's Earth Day and regardless of whether you support or scoff at the idea of global warming, the day is a pretty big deal to a lot of people.

The Earth Day Network estimates that: 500 million people from 4,500 organizations in 180 countries will participate in Earth Day events during April and that for elementary school students, Earth Day is the third most activity-inspiring holiday, after Christmas and Halloween.

Kids intuitively get it - why can't some adults?

It's important that our actions speak as loud as our words. Biosyntrx Inc. pledges to continue considering sustainable design when making science and business decisions.

ScienceDebate2008

2008-04-19T11:08:00.007-06:00

If you strongly believe that voters do not need to be subjected to another inane presidential candidate debate like the one arranged by ABC news last Wednesday night, please urge the three candidates left standing to accept the May 2008 invitation from the leading scientists in this country to ScienceDebate2008, which will be covered by the science channel "Nova."

Voters have the right to know, and a vital need to know, where the three presidential candidates stand on science policy issues. We also have the right to know who they are considering as advisors in this important arena. Frankly, a huge number of votes depend on their willingness to participate in this debate, and the numbers are growing every day.

Protecting our future starts with understanding that much of the wealth and the wellbeing in this country comes from scientific research and technological innovation, which has suffered from inadequate government funding for way to many years.

It seems that the public is generally unaware of the vital role of Federal funding agencies (NIH and NSF) in driving biomedical and technology research, which in the minds of many of us is the heart of the ScienceDebate problem; all three candidates feel they can blow off this request from millions of people because the general public is ignorant of the issues.

Use the following link to add your support for this proposed debate:

http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php?id=23

Vitamin D, Calcium & Colon Cancer

2008-04-18T09:48:00.005-06:00

A clinical study on 92 patients suggests that supplementing diet with calcium and vitamin D appear to increase the levels of a protein called Bax that controls programmed cell death in the colon. More Bax might be pushing pre-cancerous cells into programmed cell death.

The studies of colorectal biopsy samples are part of a ten-year multi-center study of the effects of increased vitamin D and calcium and biomarker-guided treatment of colon cancer recurrence. This effort is to identify a portfilio of measurments that together can gauge someone's risk of getting color cancer. The study involves almost 2,500 people nationwide who have regular colonscopies.

Botox in My Face? Probably Not!

2008-04-02T16:57:00.005-06:00

The April Journal of Neuroscience reported that scientists injected rats' whisker muscles with botulism toxin. Tests of the rodents' brain tissue found that botulism had been transported to the brain stems.

Botox is Allergan's (the largest ophthalmic pharmaceutical company) biggest product, with $1.21 billion in sales last year. The drug, approved in 1989, became fashionable among aging celebrities, and many of my friends, who were seeking to smooth facial wrinkles. It it is now used to treat some neurological disorders with fairly good success.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether patients contracted botulism, a muscle-weakening illness, from Botox. Wouldn't you think they would have investigated this, admitedly small, possibility before it was approved.

I must ask you, didn't the idea of injecting botulism into ones face seem beyond reasonable the first time you heard that Hollywood was doing this to preserve the illusion of youth?

Black Labels for ED Supplements

2008-03-31T14:44:00.002-06:00

The FDA released a warning to consumers not to purchase or use "Blue Steel" or "Hero" dietary supplements promoted and sold online for erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment.

The chemicals similar to sildenafil, Viagra's active ingredient, which aren't noted on the Blue Steel and Hero product labels, "may dangerously affect a person's blood pressure level," an FDA news release states.

People with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates. ED is a common problem in men with these medical conditions. Because they may have been advised against taking ED drugs, these men may seek products like Blue Steel and Hero because the products are marketed as "all natural" or as not containing the active ingredients in approved ED drugs, the FDA notes.

The FDA advises people who have used either of these products to discontinue use and consult their health care professional if they have experienced any adverse events that they feel are related to the use of these products.

Consumers or health care professionals can report adverse events to the FDA's MedWatch program by phone at 800-FDA-1088 or on the FDA's web site.

Time to Rethink Free Samples

2008-03-27T16:22:00.006-06:00

A broken healthcare system needs to rethink a lot of areas that could save patients, government and insurance companies money. Free samples of prescription drugs and dietary supplements is one of those areas.

University of Chicago researchers recently found that, on average, patients spend 30% more for therapies that come with free samples, than on equal or better therapies that don't offer free samples.

So, leaving your doctor's office with a bagful of free samples may seem like a good way to save money, but folks banking on the freebies need to think again.

Samples cost companies a ton of money, and the cost of those samples is simply added into the price you pay for the product. In the supplement world, you are far better off to purchase from companies who don't sample, but who guarantee to return your money if you are not satisifed with the product within a reasonable amount of time.

Food Stamps & Vitamins

2008-03-14T06:14:00.005-06:00

Food stamp recipients can use their benefits to purchase “any food or food product intended for human consumption,” regardless of nutritional value, yet USDA policy prohibits the use of food stamps to purchase vitamin and mineral supplements whose specific function is to improve nutritional status.

Does anyone else but me object to a government policy that allows our food stamp tax dollars to be spent on sodas, potato chips, Twinkies and Oreos, but not on a basic multiple vitamin that can help prevent disease?

Airborne settles lawsuit for $23.3 million

2008-03-04T16:46:00.004-07:00

It took 6 years for them to stop claiming their product cures the common cold, but who cared, sales of the product soared after the product was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show.

Even after the company stopped making such a claim, sales rose in the last 4 years to over $100 million a year. Yesterday Airborne agreed to compensate duped consumers $23 million.

The Moral: It's not wise for teachers to make outrageous health claims for micronutrients they know little about and to blantly ignore FDA label laws. This sort of nonsense gives the entire supplement industry an undeserved bad reputation.

Defending DSHEA

2008-03-01T08:06:00.009-07:00

The editorial below is by Robert Watson, the President of the industry-esteemed company, Vitamin Research Products. VRP manufactures the formulations Biosyntrx designs.

" I was dismayed that baseball officials are blaming the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) for the alleged steroid abuse by athletes. Donald Fehr, Major League Baseball’s union chief, recently testified to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that Congress has played a role in the steroid abuse scandal by passing DSHEA in 1994.

In an interview with The New York Daily News, UCLA professor Don Catlin, who runs the Olympic lab in Los Angeles, jumped on the anti-DSHEA bandwagon, saying, “It was very clear to me that DSHEA was created in order to give the supplement manufacturers a huge shield so they could distribute steroids.”

As the President/CEO of a company that prides itself on producing well-researched, high-quality nutritional supplements that contain exactly what is listed on the label, I’m appalled at these ridiculous statements.

First, DSHEA was passed to protect the rights of consumers. Prior to DSHEA, FDA was arbitrarily treating supplements as either unapproved food additives or drugs, which they are not, restricting consumers’ access to nutritional supplements.

Second, the anabolic steroid drugs athletes are abusing cannot scientifically or ethically be compared to nutritional supplements. Hormones such as DHEA, pregnenolone and progesterone are all found naturally in the human body, do not produce the same potent effects associated with prescription anabolic steroid drugs and have been shown to enhance many aspects of health.

Fehr’s testimony has unearthed the first stirrings of DSHEA unrest in Congress. House Oversight Committee’s chairman, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), agrees with Fehr that DSHEA is ripe for review.

Fehr and the baseball industry clearly are trying to find a scapegoat to distract Congress and pull attention away from the true problem. This misguided approach is endangering DSHEA, one of the most important and beneficial laws Congress has passed. I urge you to contact your representatives and senators and ask them to continue to support DSHEA and your right to have access to nutritional supplements."

Heath Ledger, RIP

2008-01-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

Heath Ledger was a talented young actor with a bright future. We extend our sincere sympathy to his family and friends.

If toxicology reports prove that he died from a combination of FDA approved anti-depressants and sleeping pills, we can only hope society will wake up and start to take precautions to protect our innocent children and ourselves from similar fates in the future.

The media-driven mass-medication of our population needs more controls. However, patients and parents need to take more responsibility for the drugs they put in their bodies and their children's bodies by carefully reading the drug inserts, as well as the information most pharmacists provide when they fill scripts.

An obvious question: why isn't every filled FDA prescription logged into a national data base (patient SS number, date of birth, and address, plus prescribing doctor)? Fairly simple programing of this data base could instantly alert all pharmacists to question the prescribing doctor when filling scripts that adversely react with drugs the patients is already taking, as well as expose over-prescribing physicians, and most of those patients who go from doctor to doctor for scripts for physically addicting drugs.

The Cost of Drugs

2008-01-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

A 2007 article in Medical Economics estimated there to be 90,000 to 100,000 drug reps nationwide; each is supposed to call on eight to 10 physician offices a day.

Some practices may get only two to four visits a week, but primary care physicians deemed as "heavy prescribers" were called on by an average of 29 reps a week, according to 2005-2006 data gathered by Health Strategies Group, a research firm that tracks the pharmaceutical industry.

The cost of the drug samples being handed out daily, by almost 100,000 drug reps, is passed right on to the consumer in the price of drugs.

Once again we learn: there is no free lunch.

Fish & Fat Loss

2008-01-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

The fact is, fish oil has a number of important health benefits. But, the idea that fish oil is some kind of magic bullet for weight loss is nothing more than a myth. You can't just pop a lot of fish oil capsules and expect your fat to melt away without making changes to your diet and exercise program first.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that daily consumption of fish or fish oil is only effective for weight loss, if it is combined with moderate exercise like walking for 45 minutes three days a week.

This study looked at 75 overweight subjects for a period of six weeks who took fish oil and exercised: subjects who took fish oil and did not exercise, and subjects who took Omega-3 sunflower or flax seed oil and exercised for three days a week, vs those who took the vegetable oils and did not exercise.

The subjects who lost the most weight were in the group who ate moderate amounts of healthy foods, exercised three days a week, and took fish oil.

Are we really surprised?

Vitamin C & Stroke

2008-01-15T12:16:00.001-07:00

A study published in the January 2008 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that persons with a mean age of 58 years with the highest levels of vitamin C had a 42% lower risk of having a stroke than did the study participants with the lowest level of plasma vitamin C.

Correlation does not always mean causation, so although data from this study cannot be used to infer a causal relation between intake or plasma concentration of vitamin C and risk of stroke, they can justifiably be used to suggest that low plasma vitamin C concentrations may serve as an excellent biological marker in identifying individuals at high risk of stroke.

It's important to note that data from this study and others suggests that smoking dramatically lowers plasma vitamin C. So, if you are still smoking - give it up!

Pee, Sweat & Tears

2008-01-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

Question One:

How often do women pee or sweat compared to the men in their lives? I think we all know the answer.

Sweat removes excess salts from the body and cools us down when we are overheated; urine expels waste products that can harm the body. Both sweat and urine lower the level of toxic proteins associated with stress. This speaks to the efficiency of human design. If males had to sit down every time their bladders responded to stress, there would be lines in front of every men's room door and we would see a lot more men peeing their pants.

Tears are body excretions just like sweat and urine. There are three types of tears and they differ completely in function and biochemical composition. Basil tears (also called continuous tears) keep the ocular surface moist; reflex tears (also called irritant tears) are a reaction to onion vapors, smoke or foreign bodies; emotional tears, secreted in moments of intense feelings or total fatigue, lower levels of proteins and hormones that can become toxic when the body experiences emotional stress.

One of the major stress hormones released from tears is prolactin, which is found in higher concentration in women's bodies than in men's, therefore explaining the tendency for females to tear up quicker than males.

If the hormones and proteins associated with stress are not discharged through body excretions, they build up to toxic levels---the outcome being a compromised immune system in both males and females.

So, let's make a deal. We women will continue to pretend we don't notice how often you men suddenly have to pee, and you men will understand that when a woman gets a tear in her eye, it's a similar physiological response designed to protect our health.

Question Two:

Forgive me, but I have to ask this question, too.

Given the information above and in order to be fair, shouldn't both the liberal and conservative press start giving the same amount of coverage to the number of times the presidential hopefuls visit the men's room, as they are giving to one tear that didn't even fall.

I'm Ellen Troyer, and this article is meant to be educational, not a Senator Clinton endorsement.

Who Gets Pain Drugs?

2008-01-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

A study published in this week's JAMA suggests a dramatic difference in prescribing practice for whites and non-whites.

Among patients in severe pain, opioids were prescribed to 52 percent of whites, 42 percents of Hispanics and 39 percent of African-Americans.

The use of opioids increased overall from 1993 to 2005, but the differences in use between racial and ethnic groups did not change.

The study data comes from analysis of 374,891 emergency department visits over 13 years.

Another study published in the January 2006 issue of Cancer found that white women with metastatic breast cancer suffer less pain than nonwhites.

Nalgene Water Bottle Safety

2008-01-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

Canadian retailers have pulled nalgene plastic water bottles from store shelves. These bottles contain a hormone-mimicking chemical bisphenol A (BPA).

Few scientists dispute the fact that BPA causes hormonal system disruption, but the FDA and the plastics industry have argued the BPA-based products do not pose a health risk.

An expert panel of researchers recently reported that many Americans have higher levels of BPA than those found to cause harm in lab animals.

Hostility & Antioxidants

2008-01-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

New research, published in the January, 2008 American Journal of Epidemiology, suggests that certain heart-healthy antioxidants could lower the risk of heart disease associated with the hostile personality, so frequently linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that hostile individuals are more likely to smoke, drink and suffer micronutrient deficiencies, which all affect antioxidant status.

Does this research suggest the possibility of a full-spectrum multiple becoming the first line of heart-health defense for hostile people?

Dr. Burton Goldberg & Cancer

2007-12-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Collins, MD, editor of The Townsend Newsletter, suggests that Burton Goldberg's Cancer Conquest is "the video every alternative practitioner should see."

Dr. Goldberg is an esteemed member of the Biosyntrx scientific advisory board.

The Townsend Newsletter is a highly respected alternative medicine forum. It provides an authoritative review of scientific information on a wide variety of alternative and integrative medicine topics.

In an article titled, The Cutting Edge of Alternative Medicine and Cancer Treatment: The Video Every Alternative Practitioner Should See, Dr. Collin lauds Burton Goldberg's information- dense documentary as a "must view" for physicians, cancer workers, and cancer patients.

To watch a free 3-minute preview of Burton Goldberg's exceptional video, Cancer Conquest, visit Dr. Goldberg's website today. www.burtongoldberg.com

Vitamin E and The Diabetic Heart

2007-12-20T21:35:00.001-07:00

Science Daily reports that researchers at the Technion-Israel Institue of Technology and the Clalit Health Services in Israel suggest that vitamin E supplements can significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and related deaths for diabetics who carry a particular version of a gene.

After 18 months of treatment, people with the haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 gene who took 400 IUs of vitamin E daily had more than 50 percent fewer heart attacks, strokes, and related deaths than Hp 2-2 patients who took a placebo pill. 40 percent of diabetics carry the Hp 2-2 gene.

This finding is a new answer to an old question: can antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin E help prevent heart disease?

Weston Price, DDS

2007-12-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

The following dietary guidelines are based on the years of research conducted by Dr. Weston A. Price during his years of traveling and investigating the eating habits of indigenous peoples around the world.

In his travels, Dr. Price noted that most of the chronic, degenerative diseases that are so commonplace in modern society were virtually non-existent among the peoples he investigated.

Further inquiry on his part revealed that all of them shared common eating habits, leading him to attribute their health and long life spans to what foods they ate and how they ate them. In the midst of so much current trendy and often conflicting dietary recommendations, Dr. Price’s recommendations, which he first established early in the 20^th century, offer a common sense solution that enables anyone to follow the dictates of Hippocrates (“Let thy medicine be thy food, and thy food be thy medicine.)

1. Eat whole, natural foods.

2. Eat only foods that will spoil, but eat them before they do.

3. Eat naturally-raised meat including fish, seafood, poultry, beef, lamb, game, organ meats and eggs.

4. Eat whole, naturally-produced milk products from pasture-fed cows, preferably raw and/or fermented, such as whole yogurt, cultured butter, whole cheeses and fresh and sour cream.

5. Use only traditional fats and oils including butter and other animal fats, extra virgin olive oil, expeller expressed sesame and the tropical oils—coconut and palm.

6. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic, in salads and soups, or lightly steamed.

7. Use whole grains and nuts that have been prepared by soaking, sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid and other anti-nutrients.

8. Include enzyme-enhanced lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis.

9. Prepare homemade meat stocks from the bones of chicken, beef, lamb or fish and use liberally in soups and sauces.

10. Use herb teas and coffee substitutes in moderation.

11. Use filtered water for cooking and drinking.

12. Use unrefined Celtic seasalt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation.

13. Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and expeller expressed flax oil.

14. Use natural sweeteners in moderation, such as raw honey, maple syrup, dehydrated cane sugar juice and stevia powder.

15. Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals.

16. Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel.

17. Use natural supplements.

18. Get plenty of sleep, exercise and natural light.

19. Think positive thoughts and minimize stress.

20. Practice forgiveness.

Thank you Larry Trivieri, for reminding us about Weston Price's research during this holiday season.

For more about his body of work, visit the A. Price Foundation at http://www.westonaprice.org.

Bad News for Beta Carotene

2007-12-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

This morning, The Center for Science in the Public Interest requested that the Food and Drug Administration take enforcement actions against manufacturers of dietary supplements containing more than 5,000 IUs of synthetic beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A) unless the labels of such products contain a statement warning consumers (think dietary supplement black box) that beta-carotene may cause lung cancer in smokers. This will obviously include the AREDs and all the AREDs copy-cat formulations.

This action was taken after the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research reviewed the scientific literature on the effects of diet, nutrition, and physical activity on cancer. They concluded that an excessive amount of synthetic beta-carotene (anything over 5,000 IUs) causes lung cancer in current smokers.

This conclusion echoed a concern about beta-carotene expressed in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) State-of-the-Science Conference Statement on Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Chronic Disease Prevention in 2006.

The NIH panel concluded: "We found no evidence to recommend beta-carotene supplements for the general population and strong evidence to recommend that smokers avoid excessive beta-carotene supplementation."

In spite of this 2006 NIH consensus, the AREDs2 committee still included 25,000 IUs of synthetic beta-carotene as the Vitamin A source in two of the arms of the AREDs2 study.

Biosyntrx multiples, Oculair and Macula Complete include a very small amount (500 IUs) of natural, not synthetic, beta-carotene as part of a full-spectrum of job specific antioxidants; beta carotene quenches singlet oxygen, which is particularly destructive to the retina. We do not include beta carotene as a source of Vitamin A.

FYI: Synthetic beta carotene is less than one third the cost of natural beta carotene. Therefore, natural beta carotene is rarely included in mass-produced supplements such as Centrum, which includes between 1,000 and 2,000 IUs of synthetic beta carotene as a source of Vitamin A in their different multiples.

Colon Cancer & B Vitamins

2007-12-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

A mouse study published in the December 2007 issue of the Journal of Nutrition suggests a B vitamin deficiency increases the risk of DNA damage and colorectal cancers.

A number of studies have linked folate deficiency to colon cancer. However, many biochemical functions of folate are dependent on adequate availability of other B vitamins, including B6, B12 and riboflavin.

The researchers in the new Journal of Nutrition study suggested that a mild depletion of folate alone did not affect DNA, but a mild depletion of all four B vitamins significantly increased the DNA damage on the tumor suppressor gene, adenomatosis polyposis coli gene (Apc).

We can't stress enough the importance of supplementing with a full-spectrum multiple that includes all of the B complex vitamins.

Self Care for Colds and Flu

2007-11-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

Larry Trivieri, the publisher of 1healthy world.com, and the brilliant editor of Burton Goldberg's Definitive Guide to Alternative Medicine, just sent these tips to share with our blog readers. Dr. Goldberg is a member of the Biosyntrx scientific advisory board.

...As with all other disease conditions, prevention is the best way to deal with colds and flu. In this case, prevention means improving the health of your immune system so that it can swiftly respond to attacking cold and flu viruses and eliminate them before you develop any symptoms. The following recommendations can help you do so:

Eat a healthy diet that is free of sugar and artificial sweeteners, simple carbohydrates, and processed foods. Drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day, and emphasize fresh, organic vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables. During flu season, also regularly consume fresh vegetable soups, and drink fresh-squeezed vegetable juices.

Take a daily high-potency multivitamin/multimineral supplement.

Wash your hands frequently throughout the day, especially when you come in contact with people suffering from colds and flu. Also avoid rubbing your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Get adequate sleep each night.

Learn how to manage stress, and take time out for yourself each day to engage in activities you enjoy, as well as spending time with your loved ones.

Engage in regular exercise. One of the easiest and most effective exercises for all age groups is a daily 45-minute walk, which can dramatically boost NK cells and help keep your body’s lymphatic system free of toxic waste buildup. Yoga, particular the “cobra pose,” is also useful for keeping your respiratory tract healthy. To perform the cobra pose, lie on your stomach and raise your upper body backwards off the ground, bending at the waist as you inhale deeply. Hold this position for five seconds as you continue breathing. Then, as you exhale, return to your starting position. Repeat five to ten times. This exercise helps to expand your chest and lungs and can free up trapped mucus and phlegm.

Should you develop congestion in your sinuses or chest, massage your chest with menthol-based lotion or ointment (avoid products that contain petroleum) before you go to sleep. This will help clear your air pathways and increase the supply of blood to your thalamus, one of the organs that control your immune system.

Throughout the day, tap your chest over your thymus gland, located in the center of your chest approximately one inch below your collarbone. This will help to stimulate your thymus gland, which in turn will help to boost your immune function.

Self-Care Treatments

The key to treating colds and flu is to increase your body’s immune function activity. The following natural therapies can help you accomplish this goal safely and effectively.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture helps to restore your body’s supply of ATP (adenosine triphosphate, which is produced in all cells and responsible for energy) and cortisol, a hormone necessary for properly adapting to stress. Both of these results help to improve immune function. Acupuncture can also help to balance and improve digestion, endocrine gland function, and the health of the lungs, and other organs, all of which also helps your body fight off and resist cold and flu infections. In addition, acupuncture treatments can help prevent colds and flu from ever occurring.

Aromatherapy: Add any of the following essential oils to a pot of hot water: camphor, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, peppermint, pine, rosemary, or tea tree oil. Cover your head with a towel and bend over the pot, inhaling deeply.

Ayurveda: Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine treat colds and flu by helping the body to eliminate indigestible toxins, which attract viruses and impair immune function. Among the ways that this is accomplished is through the use of herbs such as ginger, cayenne, black pepper, long pepper, and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), all of which stimulate digestion. Patients are also advised to drink plenty of warm water throughout the day, as well as ginger tea, in order to break up mucus and phlegm. Ginger tea can easily be prepared by adding a few slices of fresh, raw ginger root to boiling water, and letting the mixture steep for 20 to 30 minutes before drinking. In cases of colds of flu accompanied by a dry cough, adding pieces of licorice root to the mixture is advised.

Another common Ayruvedic practice for treating and preventing colds and flu is the cleansing of nasal passages. This is done by filling a teapot with a quart of warm water and one teaspoon of sea salt, and then slowing pouring the water into one nostril and out the other. Doing this to both nostrils once or twice a day keeps the nostril linings moist and free of germs, and helps to open up the air pathways.

Diet: To improve your ability to resist colds and flu, emphasize fresh, organic vegetables, such as carrots, leafy greens, onions, and orange squash, that are eaten raw or lightly steamed. You can also make fresh vegetable juices and soups, which will help your body remain in a slightly alkaline state, free of over-acidity. Also be sure to drink plenty of water during the day, and avoid mucus-forming foods such as milk and dairy products, wheat, and most grains (millet and brown rice are acceptable exceptions). Also eliminate all processed foods and commercial poultry and meats, choosing organic whole foods and free-range chicken, turkey, and beef.

Herbs: Herbs have long been used by most world cultures to treat and prevent colds and flu, due to their ability to stimulate immune function, as well as their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-catarrhal properties. Herbs that can increase immune function include astragalus, echinacea, goldenseal, licorice, and St. John’s wort. Goldenseal is also excellent for helping to reverse inflammation of the mucus membranes.

Another important herb that can protect against colds and flu is lomatium, which acts as an antiviral agent and an immune stimulant. It is particularly helpful for treating cases of the flu, often bringing about complete recovery in 24 to 48 hours. Some herbalists recommend mixing lomatium with echinacea for even better results.

Other useful herbs are boneset, which stimulates the immune system, encouraging white blood cells to destroy viruses and bacteria; elder flower, which acts as an immune stimulant, anti-inflammatory, and anticatarrhal agent; elecampane, which helps to soothe irritating coughs and bronchial infections; eyebright, which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and helps heal irritations in the nasal pharynx and the sinuses; and yarrow, which is particularly useful for colds and flu associated with fever, loss of appetite, and overall malaise.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is another excellent herbal remedy for colds and flu. For best results, take garlic in high doses at the same time as you take your nutritional supplements. High-quality deodorized garlic capsules are more effective in this regard than garlic cloves because they offer more concentrated doses of allicin, garlic’s active ingredient, which has been shown to increase immune function and to stimulate the production of flu antibodies.

According to Jonathan Wright, M.D., a leading holistic physician, the following herbal combination formula is also excellent for both colds and flu: cayenne pepper, echinacea, myrrh, osha (also known as Porter’s lovage), and red clover. This combination can be taken as a tea (3-5 cups per day) or as a tincture (30 drops of each herb, four times daily).

Homeopathy: Useful homeopathic remedies for colds and flu include Aconitum napellus, Allium cepa, Baptisia, Belladonna, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Natrum muriaticum, Nux vomica, and Viscum album (mistletoe), a homeopathic remedy that can be taken either orally or by injection.

Another popular homeopathic remedy for colds and flu is Oscillococcinum, which is widely used in Europe. For best results, at the onset of your symptoms, take six pellets dissolved under the tongue, every six hours. As with other homeopathic remedies above, avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes before and after each use.

Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy helps to strengthen the immune system and detoxify the body. For colds and flu, consider contrast hydrotherapy, which involves exposing your body to alternating hot and cold water as you shower.

Another useful approach is to make a throat or chest compress before bed. Do this by applying a warm washcloth to your throat and chest, followed by a cold cotton wrap to the same areas of your body. Cover your neck with a wool scarf and your chest with a wool sweater and go to sleep.

Hyperthermia: Hyperthermia helps to stimulate immune function and detoxification through sweating and artificial fever. This can be accomplished by using hot baths or showers, hot water compresses, or far-infrared sauna treatments. While soaking in a hot bath or in the sauna, you can enhance the benefits of hyperthermia by drinking hot tea.

(Note: Your body temperature should never be permitted to rise above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. To prevent this from happening, monitor yourself and, if necessary, cool off by sponging with cold water.)

Juice Therapy: The following juice combinations can be helpful: carrot, beet, and cucumber; carrot, beet, tomato, green pepper, and watercress; carrot and celery; carrot and spinach; and lemon, orange, pineapple, black currant, elderberry juice. For added benefit, you can include garlic, ginger, and/or onion in any of the above juice combinations.

Cranberries, Viruses & Bacteria

2007-11-21T06:40:00.000-07:00

Cranberries can be magic.

Ask any woman who has ever had a slight, but pesky, bladder infection.

Research published in the peer-reviewed journal, Phytomedicine, suggest cranberries to have potent antiviral properties. After the virus known as bacteriophage T2 and T4 was exposed to cranberry juice, the viral count in the cells was no longer detectable. By contrast, orange and grapefruit juices had a much lower effect, inhibiting the virus by only 25 to 35 percent. The researchers noted that cranberry juice could prevent the virus from adhering to cells.

A note of caution to those folks who are on prescription blood thinners: cranberries do contain anti-clotting properties, so you might want to check with your physician before loading up on the bittersweet berries over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

We suggest that you spring for pure cranberry juice instead of the high glycemic cranberry juice cocktail product available in half gallon bottles. That stuff is almost pure sugar!

Time For Thyme

2007-11-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Rosemary and Thyme are often culinary go-togethers.

Thyme is a basic ingredient in French, Italian, Spanish and Turkish cuisines. It's used to flavour meats, soups and stews, and it has a particular affinity to and is often used as a primary flavour with lamb, tomatoes and eggs.

Oil of thyme is a brilliant antiseptic (think Listerine) and has also been shown to be effective against the fungus that commonly infects mens toenails (this type of fungus is linked to mostly male genes, so it rarely affects women).

Thyme tea is great for cough and bronchitis. Its antiseptic properties make this tea effective against inflammation of the throat if you gargle with it a few times a day.

Neuroprotection From Rosemary

2007-11-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

A study published in the October 2007 issue of Nature Reviews Neuroscience. and a study published online November 8 in the Journal of Neurochemistry, show that carnosic acid (CA), the active ingredient in the herb rosemary, activates a novel signaling pathway that protects brain cells from the free radical damage associated with stroke and other neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

CA from rosemary is proving to be neuroprotective, without producing the serious adverse effects characteristic of so many drugs used to treat neurodegenerative disease.

Rosemary has been used since the Middle Ages to treat disorders of the nervous system and to ward off sickness. However, the exact chemical pathways by which it works have, until now, been unknown.

Can you think of anything better than roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic? If only someone would produce a low glycemic index potato!

Caper Magic

2007-11-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Capers may explain one of the reasons why the Mediterranean diet is so healthy.

A number of new studies strongly suggest that the flowering buds of Capparis Spinosa L (capers) have one of the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values, as well as diuretic and antihypertensive effects in certain pathological conditions related to uncontrolled lipid peroxidation.

An October 2007 study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found an increasing body of evidence that suggests capers have the antioxidant ability to inhibit a large amount of lipid oxidation associated with gastric digestion, particularly with meat.

A study published in Life Science found that capers contain flavonoids (kaempferol and quercetin derivatives) and hydrocinammic acids with very high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.

The Life Science study also observed that caper consumption could counteract the harmful effects induced by the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 and 6.

Since capers have also been suggested to have a chondroprotective effect, they might be used in the management of cartilage damage during the inflammatory process associated with arthritis.

And, you regular martini drinkers might want to consider replacing your olive with a large caper berry.

Addendum: The United States Department of Agriculture just last week published an updated list of ORAC values for over 277 food items. The newer list is more accurate because lipophilic values were included for the first time. The new data shows that all plants have variable amounts of both lipophilic and hydrophilic phytochemicals that contribute to total ORAC.

Ripe Fruit & Antioxidants

2007-11-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

Don't be so hasty to throw away slightly over-ripe apples and pears.

A group of scientists at the University of Innsbruck in Austria claim to be the first to identify the decomposition mechanism and products of apples and pears, and their findings suggest that as these fruits start to go bad their antioxidant levels dramatically increase. Key to the process is the change in color that occurs as fruits ripen.

According to lead researcher Berhard Krautler, fruit undergoes a similar decomposition process as leaves turn from green to red to yellow to brown. This color change is caused by the breakdown and disappearance of chlorophyll, which is what gives leaves and fruits their green color.

Through their research with botanists over the past several years, they claim to have identified the first decomposition products in leaves. These are colorless, polar nonfluorescing chlorophyll catabolytes (NCCs) that contain four pyrrole rings - like chlorophyll and iron.

After examining the peels of apples and pears, they found that in ripe fruits, NCCs replace the chlorophyll, especially in the peel and the flesh immediately below it.

"When chlorophyll is released from its protein complexes in the decomposition process, it has a phototoxic effect: when irradiated with light, it absorbs energy and can transfer it to other substances. For example, it can transform oxygen into a highly reactive, destructive form," reported the research team.

"However, the NCCs have the opposite effect," they said.

"These are powerful antioxidants and can thereby play an important physiological role for a plant. In the same way, when these are consumed as part of the human diet, they can play the same anti-oxidative role in humans."

Now isn't this great news at the height of autumn apple and pear season?

Viruses & Obesity

2007-11-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

No one that I know disputes the role that diet and activity play in maintaining a healthy weight - if you consume more calories than you burn in daily activity, you gain weight. But does that fully explain the amazing prevalence of obesity in the United States today?

Please don't use any of the information in this post as an excuse to pig out, because it's still theory at this point.

Richard Atkinson, MD, suggests there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that viruses may play a role in causing obesity in humans.

Dr Atkinson is the director of Obetech Obesity Research Center in Richmond, VA. One of his recent articles, published in the October 2007 Mayo Clinic Proceedings, discusses five animal viruses and three human viruses than have been shown to cause obesity in laboratory studies.

According to Dr. Atkinson, several studies offer ample evidence that animals infected with certain human viruses experience excess weight gain and fat storage.

When researchers infected animal subjects with a human virus known as Human Ad-36, they reported measurable increases in the infected animals' body fat and the visceral fat that surrounds the organs deep within the belly. In addition, studies also demonstrated that infection with Ad-36 and the resulting weight gain could be transmitted from infected animals to uninfected animals.

Information on virus-induced obesity in human subjects is much more limited. Citing his own study conducted in 2005, Dr. Atkinson also showed a connection between obesity and exposure to the Ad-36 virus in humans.

Dr. Atkinson's study screened for antibodies to Ad-36 (a sign of exposure to this virus) in 502 people of varying body weights, both obese and non-obese, from three cities in the United States. Ad-36 antibodies were found in 30 percent of obese individuals and 11 percent of lean individuals. Study results also showed highly significant differences in body mass index (BMI) between antibody-positive and antibody-negative individuals.

Dr. Atkinson also highlighted a study that looked at 89 sets of American adult twins and screened them for Ad-36. Because twins tend to be similar in many characteristics, including body weight, the researchers looked at twin pairs where one twin tested positively for Ad-36 and the other did not.

"Antibody-positive twins were slightly, but significantly, heavier and fatter than their antibody negative co-twins," says Dr. Atkinson. "The infected twins had a higher BMI and a greater percent of body fat than the uninfected co-twins."

Dr. Atkinson's article also explores what current research has to say about the possible mechanisms underlying virus-induced obesity. Some research suggests that viral infections have a direct effect on adipocytes, cells that manufacture and store fat, turning on the enzymes of fat accumulation and recruitment of new adipocytes.

What's the next step for this research? According to Dr. Atkinson, "the body of evidence linking adenoviruses to obesity in humans is now sufficient to think about the next step. Ideally, we could prevent infection and virus-induced obesity with a vaccine for the obesity viruses."

Should this be true, development of a human vaccine of this sort would take several years, so it's way too early to give up watching your diet and getting plenty of exercise.

Nutrient Synergy

2007-11-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

Is there more to a carrot than beta carotene? Is lycopene the best we get from tomatoes? Is vitamin C the only reason to eat an orange? And when we heap our plates with wild salmon, are we serving up something other than Omega3s?

Meta-analysis of several individual vitamin studies suggests that food may be more than just a sum of its nutrient parts.

Well, duh!!

In order to publish or perish, some people in the scientific research community used the funding-dependent pharmaceutical paradigm and designed nutrition studies around individual nutrients including beta carotene, lutein, calcium, lycopene, individual vitamin and minerals, along with other phytochemical nutrients, in order to look at their health benefits in the human body.

The less creative, and usually desperate, publish or perish research folks are now doing meta-analysis on those poorly designed studies, which if nothing else, provides frequently much-needed headline material for the lay press.

University of Minnesota professor of epidemiology, David R. Jacobs, PhD, argued in a piece in yesterday's NYT that nutrition researchers should focus on whole foods and the full-spectrum of nutrients rather than only on single nutrients.

Well, duh again!!

He also argued that we need to study the effects of whole foods and the full-spectrum of nutrients on disease prevention in the healthy population, not just on sick people. He stated in the interview, "Food and nutrient synergy, rather than the biological activity of just a few key nutrients, is the real reason that certain diets, like those consumed in parts of the Mediterranean and Japan, appear to lower the risks of heart disease and other health problems."

We can only hope that those folks who are overdosing on the latest nutrient craze like it might be the second anti-aging coming (think fish oil capsules) will take Dr. Jacobs' nutrient synergy concerns to heart and eat a balanced diet with a full-spectrum multiple along with their fish oil to guarantee the nutrients that are lost during today's food processing methods.

Department Chairs & Drug Companies

2007-10-29T09:02:00.000-06:00

A new survey published in last week's JAMA indicates that almost two thirds of department heads at U.S. medical schools have financial ties to drug companies.

The survey, conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, was distributed to all 125 accredited medical schools and the nation’s largest teaching hospitals. A total of 459 of 688 eligible department chairs completed the survey.

The results indicated that many of the academic leaders at these institutions served as paid consultants to the pharmaceutical industry or accepted free meals and drinks from drug company representatives. Overall, 60 percent of the department heads had a personal financial relationship with the drug companies. Twenty-seven percent reported serving as a paid consultant to the pharmaceutical industry and an equivalent amount of respondents also reported serving on a drug company scientific advisory board. Furthermore, 21 percent of these academic leaders reported serving on speakers’ bureaus for the drug industry. Eleven percent of respondents were on the board of directors of companies involved in the medical industry. In short, the survey found that pharmaceutical companies are involved in every aspect of medical care.

The lead author of the study, Eric Campbell, pointed out that drug companies and makers of medical devices often take advantage of these academic connections to convince physicians to widely prescribe the companies’ products to patients, even if the products aren’t necessarily in the patients’ best interest. Campbell also co-authored a study last year, which found that these same links to drug companies occur on hospital review boards that oversee experiments on patients.

Oil From the Sea

2007-10-25T07:09:00.000-06:00

The Institute of Medicine recommendation to consume at least two servings of EPA /DHA cold water fish per week has created a business boom reminiscent of the decade old dot.com crazies.

As appreciation of the cardio, neuro and retina protective properties of the long-chain fish oil derived omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) has grown, so too have the dietary guidelines. An article in the September 2007 Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine recommended minimal intakes to either maintain the status quo (100-200 mg /day in most Western countries) or a minimum of 400-600 mg /day to lower the risk of cardiovascular or retina disease.

This science is music and money to the ears of the food fortification industry that is now targeting a vast array of packaged foods for EPA/DHA fortification. Gross overconsumption of EPA/DHA could well become a national health problem before the decade is over without government intervention in the food industry.

An article in the September Food Science and Technology Journal discusses the stability of 400 mg fish oil eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in cream-filled sandwich cookies (think Twinkie). These high glycemic cookies were packaged under vacuum or atmospheric conditions and stored for 28 days. They were not stale-they had no aftertaste and no loss of EPA and DHA during storage. What will the U.S. junk food industry try next?

So how does this new oil strike affect our wallets?

The pharmaceutical industry is now selling concentrated fish oil, as prescription medicine, for five times the per milligram cost of OTC concentrated EPA /DHA from fish oil.

Some companies are adding insignificant amounts of nutrients to their fish oil to capture disease-specific markets, such as eye care and charging excessive amounts per mg for EPA /DHA.

Too much of a good thing is definitely too much where fish oil is concerned.

Regular ingestion of reasonable amounts of Omega-3 EPA can successfully modulate the silent inflammatory process for many people. However, too much Omega-3 EPA can disrupt inflammatory process essential fatty acid (EFA) homeostasis, thereby preventing optimal inflammatory response when it's needed to spike a temp to kill off bacteria, start the clotting process if bleeding, or create swelling around a tissue injury.

Omega-3 DHA (directly metabolized from EPA) is the most abundant essential fatty acid in the brain and the retina. However, very excessive intake of DHA has been linked to increased mortality following cardiac events.

As a population, non fish eaters became DHA deficient due to cattle being taken off grass and fed grain before butchering, plus there is far less DHA in eggs in today's world due to factory farming. Unfortunately, the conversion of Omega-3 Flax Seed Oil to EPA is not dependable, therefore causing many Flax Seed Oil loving vegetarians to actually be EPA/DHA deficient.

The obvious question: What happens to future generations who will also need EPA/DHA in their diets if industry is allowed to deplete the seas of cold water fish to satisfy, yet another industry driven, perceived dependency on oil ?

Do You Ever Wonder?

2007-10-22T19:39:00.000-06:00

Do you ever wonder what goes on between the scientists researching new ideas, or controversial concepts? I thought it might be of interest to readers to share an actual exchange between three of the scientists of a nutraceutical company (Biosyntrx) as they debate the understanding of a condition and the possible role of nutritional supplements in answer to a question frequently heard from patients.

One should not draw the conclusion from this exchange that any one of us has the final answer. But the exchange of ideas is challenging and exciting, and this is what makes it all worthwhile.

The participants in this exchange are Ellen Troyer, Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer of Biosyntrx, Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, a nationally known optometric educator and member of Biosyntrx Scientific Advisory Board, and Spencer Thornton, M.D., president of Biosyntrx.

The background of this particular exchange is a question frequently asked of eye specialists that was directed to Dr. Anshel recently. “What causes the floaters that interfere with vision?”
----------------------
To: Dr. Jeffrey Anshel
Date: Friday, 19 Oct 2007 06:25:15 -0700
Subject: RE: Nutritional Supplements
Dear Dr. Anshel:
Many patients have been asking me if nutritional supplements will help with vitreous floaters. Any news about this?
Thanks!
LL, OD
-------------------------
From: Dr. Jeffrey Anshel
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2007 12:47 AM
To: Ellen Troyer
Subject: Fwd: Re: nutritional supplements

I was going to tell this doctor ”No”, but just thought I'd run it past you
first (can't think of anything new at the moment). Maybe you have some thoughts about it. JA
--------------------------
From: Ellen Troyer
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 08:35:05 -0600
To: "'Dr. Jeffrey Anshel'"
Cc:
Subject: RE: Re: nutritional supplements

The question is, are vitreous floaters cellular debris? When I had the YAG done to open holes in the film that had grown over the back of my IOLs, I had almost no floaters, which is apparently most always a complaint for a few days post YAG treatment. Kevin Waltz and I wondered if I had almost none because I was taking so many scavenging antioxidants. This is not proven science, so be careful using it as anything other than a possibility. Spencer will surely have some thoughts on this subject. ET
------------------------
From: "Dr. Jeffrey Anshel"
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:26:15 -0700
To: Ellen Troyer
Cc:
Subject: RE: Re: nutritional supplements

Technically, yes it is cellular debris, but it's embryonic cellular debris, so most of it is there from birth! I don't see how it relates to anything related to YAG capsulectomy.
JA
--------------------------
From: Spencer Thornton
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:30:30 -0500
To: Jeffrey Anshel , Ellen Troyer
Subject: Re: Thoughts on floaters

I have to disagree with the statement that “technically, vitreous floaters are embryonic cellular debris”. There is one type of floater that is embryonic in origin, and that is the small protein clumps that are remnants of embryonic structures. These are referred to as “congenital” floaters. These may be seen at any age, and are more common in myopic young people.

The most common cause of floaters in adults is degeneration of the vitreous, which consists of 99% water and 1% solid elements. The solid portion consists of a network of collagen and hyaluronic acid, with the latter retaining water molecules. Other components include salts, sugars, and phagocytes. The phagocytic cells in the vitreous serve to remove unwanted debris.

Though vitreous is 99% water, it has a gel like consistency because of its 1% collagen and hyaluronic acid content. Degeneration of the collagen network causes the hyaluronic acid to release its bound water, thereby liquefying the gel. The collagen then breaks down into fibrils, which ultimately are the floaters that people see. This is the “acquired type”, more commonly seen in older patients, and may vary in size, shape and consistency, appearing as spots, threads or cobwebs.

The collagen fibers of the vitreous are held apart by electrical charges. With aging and free radical accumulation, these charges tend to weaken, and the fibers tend to clump together. Also, the gel may liquefy, leading cells and other organic clusters to float freely within the vitreous humour. Floaters are generally harmless, but sudden onset of recurring floaters may signify a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) or other diseases of the eye. Floaters may also appear in macular degeneration, cystoid macular edema, and after surgery that disturbs the vitreous.

Normally, there is no treatment indicated. Vitrectomy has been used in treating more severe cases; however, the procedure is typically not warranted in those with lesser symptoms due to the potential for complications. Another treatment is laser vitreolysis. In this procedure a YAG Laser is focused onto the floater and in a quick burst vaporizes the structure. There is no consensus as to how completely effective this is. Because of the degenerative nature of acquired vitreous floaters it would seem reasonable to believe that antioxidant supplements may help reduce or neutralize free radicals present. ST

---------------------------
From: "Dr. Jeffrey Anshel"
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 22:22:25 -0700
To: Spencer Thornton , Ellen Troyer
Subject: Re: Thoughts on floaters

Thanks Spence! I agree with most of what you say but my impression of "acquired" floaters in the HEALTHY eye (important point) is that they are just more visible congenital floaters. The way I explain it to patients is that their existing floaters are suspended in a more substantial gel-like vitreous which softens and liquifies with age. The SAME floaters now become more visible due to their movement.

We agree that most surgical interventions tend to worsen the problem. I've looked at the YAG "treatment" for them and have seen mixed results- some better, most worse (seems that the laser "explodes" the floater to create more little ones).

We can discuss the process of vitreous degeneration and the role of antioxidants- any studies out there?? Would love to see that because this is such a common complaint (from this author as well!!!! ;-)). I'm sure the role of antioxidants has been just scratched at the surface so if we are on to something here, we'll all be happy!!!
JA
-------------------------
From: Spencer Thornton
Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 08:15:18 -0500
To: Jeffrey Anshel Ellen Troyer
Subject: Re: Thoughts on floaters
Jeff, Delighted to see your response.
Studies I did years ago on the micro-anatomy of the vitreous, with Jan Worst of Gronegran, Netherlands, showed that floaters in the healthy eye were not just more visible congenital floaters – they were developmental elements from the depolymerization of the hyaluronic acid and syneresis, leading to cells and other organic clusters floating free in the vitreous humor. This occurs in the healthy eye, and more prominently in the unhealthy eye.

On the role of antioxidants, I think Ellen is on to something. It’s hard to pin down some of my colleagues because they want to throw in all sorts of secondary modifying factors.

I have used YAG laser on anterior vitreous floaters with some success, but I think you are right about the creation of more “little” floaters when ablating larger (and more posterior) floaters. ST
-----------------------
From: "Dr. Jeffrey Anshel"
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:23:42 -0700
To: Spencer Thornton Ellen Troyer
Subject: Re: Vitreous Floaters
Vitreous floaters come from several sources, including the chemical changes in clear substances like hyaluronic acid (as clear egg albumen can be changed into hard, non-transparent egg white). These chemical changes may be due to UV or infra-red light, or other stress factors that produce free radicals in the vitreous. The bottom line is that inasmuch as we know that antioxidants neutralize free radicals, formulations of broad spectrum multiples, with vitamins, antioxidants, and essential trace minerals may have a beneficial effect on free radicals in the vitreous, helping to reduce the incidence and severity of degenerative floaters.

People ask me why there are so few scientific studies on the genesis of floaters and the effect of nutraceuticals, and I point out to them that scientific studies cost a great deal of money and financial grants are generally made for development and evaluation of pharmaceuticals, not nutraceuticals. Compelling evidence is there however, and we are gradually learning that formulations like Macula Complete do have a free radical quenching effect, potentially benefiting the vitreous as well as the retina.

Jeff Anshel
-------------------

What will we learn from this debate? The research is ongoing. Stay tuned.

Higher Doses of Vitamin D Safe

2007-10-19T15:03:00.000-06:00

A question from a customer regarding the safety of 1,200 IUs of Vitamin D in Macula Complete prompted this post.

A study on vitamin D3 and multiple sclerosis resulted in data supporting the use of much higher doses of vitamin D3 for clinical research, and provided evidence that vitamin D3 intake beyond the current upper limit of 2,000 IU per day is safe by a large margin.

The current RDA is only 400 IUs per day. Based on a large number of new peer-reviewed studies suggesting that number to be too low, the RDA is expected to triple in the coming year.

The study, published in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included 12 patients in an active phase of multiple sclerosis (MS) who were given 1,200 milligrams elemental calcium per day along with progressively increasing doses of vitamin D3—from 700 (2,800 IUs) to 7,000 micrograms (28,000 IUs) per week—to determine the
"tolerability" of higher doses of vitamin D that may be required for therapeutic efficacy therapy. This study specifically assessed how well the body handles calcium levels relative to vitamin D concentrations in the blood.

At the beginning of the 28-week study, mean serum concentrations of 25(OH)D were 78 ± 35 nmol/L, rising to 386 ± 157 nmol/L (P < 0.001). Mean values of serum calcium concentrations and the urinary ratio of calcium to creatinine—both biomarkers of which high levels are associated with problems processing calcium in the body—did not increase or exceed reference values for any participant. Additional related biomarkers including liver enzymes, serum creatinine, electrolytes, and serum protein levels did not change. Disease progression and activity were not affected, but there was a mean decrease in the number of MS-related lesions per patient.

Participants' serum vitamin D concentrations reached twice the top of the normal range without resulting in hypercalcemia or hypercalciuria—detrimental conditions linked to problems with the body's processing of excess calcium.

Clean Freak Mothers = Asthma

2007-10-18T11:00:00.000-06:00

A recently published University of Alberta study found that children reared on a farm have less than half the risk of developing asthma as children who were reared by urban clean freak mothers.

Farm children ages 1 to 5 showed a stronger protective effect against asthma than those aged 6 to 11 years, probably due to earlier exposure to the farm environment.

Exposure to "endotoxins" from animal viruses and manure and avoidance of urban environment pollution early in life may very well reduce the risk for development of asthma.

European researchers also say that exposure to household cleaning sprays and air fresheners as little as once a week increases the risk of developing asthma.

Another study published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine suggests that the relative risk rates of developing childhood or adult asthma in relation to exposure to cleaning products could account for as much as 15 percent, or one in seven of asthma cases.

This report also suggests that children with allergic sensitizations in economically developed countries are far more likely to develop asthma than similarly sensitized children in poorer countries.

The researchers speculated that some factors that protect children with allergic sensitization from developing asthma are less present in affluent settings, which might not provide the commensal bacteria necessary for tolerance and immune function development.

So much for what my former husband's maiden Aunt Lillian always said about the importance of maintaining an absolutely spotless house for my children's health!

Homocysteine Bad For Eyes

2007-10-17T16:24:00.000-06:00

Science Daily reported on a study today that suggests homocysteine, an amino acid linked to heart attack, stroke and dementia, may also be a player in retinal damage and vision loss. Although the writer's explaination of methionine metabolism is way too simplistic, we will present the material just as they did in Science Daily.

....The study leader, Dr. Sylvis Smith of the Medical College of Georgia, explained that homocysteine levels rise when folic acid levels drop, a problem for many whose diets are poor in folate-rich fruits, tomatoes, vegetables and grains. Smith exposed layers of retina to high levels of homocysteine and found the retina "terribly disrupted."

"Folate and vitamin B12 convert homocysteine to methionine, an amino acid essential to protein synthesis. Without the conversion, rising homocysteine levels interfere with the folding and structure of collagen, a component of bone, tissue and the basement membrane of blood vessel walls," Smith said.

"At any point in your life, too much homocysteine can be problematic, whether you are talking about pregnant women, cardiovascular disease or dementia," Smith says in a statement. "If homocysteine is not converted into methionine or cysteine -- by vitamin B6 -- to aid protein synthesis, it can do something bad."

Science = Nobel Peace Prize

2007-10-15T12:58:00.000-06:00

The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to the approximately 1000 world wide university scientists who contributed research to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for "their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."

This award reflects a global science consensus that man-made climate change is a crisis that can't be ignored.

The prize was also jointly awarded to former Vice President, Al Gore, for his 1992 book " Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit," and his 2006 Oscar winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." Al Gore gifted his entire $750,000 Nobel Prize money, as well as monies from his documentary to the Palo Alto, CA nonprofit organization, Alliance for Climate Protection http://www.climateprotect.org/

In spite of global warming concerns recently expressed by the White House, some politicians and radio talk show entertainers are using this selection as a chance to discredit the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize; reminiscent of the way the prize was discredited when Dr. Martin Luther King became the recipient in 1965.

With that said: Biosyntrx is in the process of making the few changes necessary to become a certified Green Business that will best work for our our customers, our planet and our business.

Avastin & Lucentis

2007-10-12T12:59:00.000-06:00

Genentech is notifying ophthalmologists of a change to the distribution of Avastin (a cancer drug also being used to inhibit AMD associated retinal bleeds). Avastin sells for about $50 per dose vs. Lucentis, the new Ocular-specific version of Avastin being used in new AMD clinical studies, which we're told will cost the patient somewhere in the range of $2,000 per dose.

Beginning November 30th, the Lucentis compound must be ordered directly from Genentech, rather than purchased from a compounding pharmacy.

Both versions of this drug have been linked to increased risk of stroke.

The FDA and Genentech claim to be concerned about sterilization issues involved when compounding pharmacists divide Avastin into tiny portions for ocular use.

Glycemic Index & Eye Health

2007-10-10T07:35:00.000-06:00

Researchers concluded, in a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, that consuming foods high on the glycemic index can increases the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The glycemic index is a measurement of the extent to which foods raise blood sugar levels. Past studies have suggested a link between diets containing high-glycemic-index foods and a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Scientists from the Center on Aging at Tufts University obtained dietary information from 4,099 non-diabetic participants ages 55-80 years (56 percent women) in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). A total of 8,125 eligible eyes at baseline were classified into 1 of 5 AMD groups according to the size and extent of pathological growths known as drusen, the presence of atrophy, and neovascular changes.

Compared with subjects who consumed lower glycemic-index foods, subjects who consumed foods with the highest glycemic index had a significantly higher risk of developing drusen-related damage associated with AMD. Consuming foods with a high-glycemic index also appeared to increase the severity of AMD. For subjects who consumed more high-glycemic foods than the average person their age, there was a 49 percent increase in the risk of advanced AMD.

The study authors concluded that “20% of prevalent cases of AMD would have been eliminated if the AREDS participants consumed diets with a dietary glycemic index below the median.” They went on to state that “a reduction in the dietary glycemic index, a modifiable risk factor, may provide a means of diminishing the risk of AMD.”

This is very important news!

Health Rights: Smoke Free Living

2007-10-08T10:52:00.000-06:00

Two California cities will vote this month on unprecendented legislation that will ban all smoking inside apartments and condos.

This legislative push, which has triggered death threats against both cities council members by "my home is my castle" smokers, is controversial in spite of mounting scientific evidence that no-level of secondhand smoke is risk-free.

The closeness of most apartment and condo units allows smoke to waft easily from the doors and windows of one unit to those of other units. At the very least, this drifting smoke is a nuisance and on that account alone can be restricted.

Noises, smells, and a host of activities in one's home that adversely effect other's enjoyment of their living space can, and is, regulated. The only difference with cigarettes is that Americans have been bombarded with advertising and movie images of smoking that link smoking with individuality and independence.

When the Surgeon General issued his landmark study suggesting smoking was hazardous to human health, Big Tobacco's immediate response, among others, was an ad campaign linking smoking with rugged American individualism- the Marlboro Man. The message: society and doctors be damned, like a cowboy on the open range, I'll do what I please and I don't care who it harms.

The reality is that cigarettes are not symbols of freedom and individualism, but are symbols of addiction, cancer, death, disease, ignorance, and dependence.

The sooner Americans finally get over their Marlboro Man complex, the sooner sensible laws will be enacted. The Marlboro Man, by the way, died of lung cancer.

If the ophthalmic and optometric medical communities truly believe that living and working in smoke free environments will help prevent degenerative eye disease, improve overall public health and lower the societal cost of healthcare, we need to support this type of legislation.

Pharmacists and Scripts?

2007-10-03T12:28:00.000-06:00

Today's FDA proposal was to have pharmacists write behind-the-counter scripts for patients who can't afford to see a doctor.

Doesn't that seem to be a bit of a conflict of interest for a profession that has not been trained to diagnose disease?

Another mind boggling idea from the FDA - Big Pharma's godfather!

Prolong Life with Vitamin D

2007-10-03T02:30:00.000-06:00

We’re living longer than ever according to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A September, 2007 report revealed that US life expectancy is now nearly 78 years, up from less than 76 years just a decade ago. The higher figure reflects a continued reduction in deaths from heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Part of the reason may be better treatment, but prevention plays a significant part.

A new European study suggests that Vitamin D supplements could prolong your life. Released last month by researcher Philippe Autier, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, and Sara Gandini, from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy, the results were from 18 trials involving more than 57,000 people.

Vitamin D intake varied from 300 to 2,000 international units. Those who took Vitamin D supplements had a 7 percent lower risk of dying during the trials than those who didn’t. Autier believes people should take Vitamin D supplements daily, in addition to getting a moderate amount of sun each day, since the skin uses sunlight to produce vitamin D.

I’d recommend a multivitamin supplement with between 500 and 1500 international units of Vitamin D.

Big Pharma Cartel

2007-10-01T14:59:00.000-06:00

We received a lot of emails asking our opinion on how last week's Drug Reform Bill could have become so watered down before it was sent to Congress. One of the answers: media and advertising lobbyists who convinced a few members of the House (built, inpart, with Madison Avenue, Network and Cable dollars) that media profits were more important than the health and safety of Americans.

These lobbyists realized they could lose a huge cash cow if pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer ads were ever put up to a Congressional vote. The word inside the beltway is that network and cable media created a very expensive targeted campaign suggesting that any restriction on direct-to-consumer advertising would be a violation of Big Pharma's first amendment rights. They were successful because any limits on direct-to-consumer disappeared from the bill before it went to the house.

Considering the first amendment rights abuses the citizens of this country have tolerated in the past few years, this ad campaign would be funny - if it weren't so sad.

The rights of Big Pharma and the FDA to deceive Americans were preserved (but a few bipartisan elected officials did manage to protect the wording on the bill that holds Big Pharma legally responsible for unsafe drug deaths, and Big Pharma will now be required to make ALL of the clinical trial and drug reaction data collected available to the public vs. the creative writing versions that get published in peer-reviewed journals.

The Drug Reform Bill still allows Big Pharma to maintain its monopoly on U.S. drug prices, which are higher than the prices they charge in other countries. And believe it or not, Big Pharma also gets to keep 25% of the FDA drug approval investigators on their consulting payrolls forever, and they have five years to get that number down to 25%.

Hardly a great victory - but new bills will be written and there will always be wantabe congressional members waiting for our votes.

Let's cast those votes wisely!

Lutein & Zeaxanthin

2007-09-27T12:09:00.000-06:00

Surprise, surprise!

The AREDs committee just published a report in the Archives of Ophthalmology that suggested the ARED study participants who reported the highest intake of lutein/zeaxanthin were statistically less likely to have advanced AMD or large extensive intermediate drusen than those reporting lowest dietary intake.

Does anyone else wonder why the same committee fought so hard to prevent lutein and zeaxanthin from being included in the AREDs2 study?

Aging and Lifestyles

2007-09-26T13:36:00.000-06:00

Recently published CDC findings confirm previous studies that show the public is not following good lifestyle choices. Actually they are getting worse.

Chronic degenerative conditions thought of as inevitable signs of aging can be modified to the benefit of the individual if we make healthy lifestyle choices – no smoking, moderation in alcohol consumption (if at all), no drugs unless prescribed by ones physician for specific indications, daily multivitamin intake, and regular exercise.

Most changes of aging are related to chronic noninfectious inflammatory conditions, thought to be the result of environmental factors.

70 million Americans suffer from Arthritis – or one in every three adults; twice as many as there were twenty years ago.

Asthma is now the sixth most common human disease.

There are more than 18.2 million people with Diabetes, a 49% increase over the past ten years.

Almost 64 million Americans have cardiovascular disease (CVD) in some form. It is the number one killer of Americans, with almost a million deaths last year.

More than one million Americans have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the numbers are increasing.

Obesity, now a pandemic, affects more than 200 million Americans, along with the exacerbation of existing inflammatory disease, and fat cells play a major role in the production of the messengers that cause inflammatory disease.

Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the major cause of vision loss in America and is becoming more common.

The take home message is that these are all inflammatory conditions, and all can be delayed or modified by making the lifestyle choices listed above.

NAC and Gambling

2007-09-26T07:10:00.000-06:00

A study published in the September issue of Biological Psychiatry indicates supplementation with N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) may reduce addictive behavior in compulsive gamblers, as well as individuals with other addictions.

N-acetyl cysteine is thought to restore extracellular concentrations of the chemical glutamate, which is often associated with reward in the brain. This ability led researchers to believe NAC could have a promising role to play in minimizing addictive behavior.

The researchers enrolled 27 pathological gamblers (12 women) in an 8-week trial of NAC. The first part of the study was an open trial where subjects each consumed daily doses of NAC. In this part of the study, 16 of 27 subjects (59.3 percent) reported experiencing less urges to gamble. The effective dose of NAC ranged from 1,100 to 1,700 mg per day.

Of those 16 subjects, 13 went on to participate in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of NAC. Of those subjects given NAC, 83.3 percent experienced a reduced compulsion to gamble compared with only 28.6 percent of those assigned to a placebo.

The study authors concluded, “The efficacy of NAC lends support to the hypothesis that pharmacological manipulation of the glutamate system might target core symptoms of reward-seeking addictive behaviors such as gambling. Larger, longer, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies are warranted.”

Similar studies of N-acetyl cysteine have shown it can curb drug addictions in animals. However, the researchers of the current study believe their study was the first to look at the effects of a glutamate-modulating agent in pathological gamblers. The researchers are currently investigating whether NAC could help methamphetamine users quit.

85% Undernourished

2007-09-21T14:24:00.000-06:00

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released the results of a recent telephone surveyed involving 356,112 people which found that less than 15 percent of the population were actually eating enough fruits and vegetables and getting enough exercise. And this government survey only used five servings of fruits and vegetables as the target goal (the new HHS recommendation is actually nine).

The exercise questions were on moderately intense exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or vigorous exercise for at least 20 minutes a day, three days a week.

The survey found that only 14.6 percent of those surveyed were getting both enough exercise and enough fruits and vegetables. This broke down into 16.6 percent of women and 12.4 percent of men.

Sorting the results by ethnic group, the researchers found that American Indians and Alaska Natives scored the best, with 19.6 percent of women and 17.5 percent of men getting enough vegetables and exercise. In contrast, only 17 percent of white women, 14.8 percent of Latino women and 12.6 percent of black women met the government standards, along with 12.6 percent of white men, 11.7 percent of Latino men and 11.2 percent of black men.

This report underscores the need for any new government healthcare plan to focus on lifestyle improvements including daily exercise, improved dietary habits and daily supplementation with a full-spectrum multiple to address nutrient deficiencies associated with DNA breakage, innapropriate gene transcription, and the progression of chronic degenerative diseases, on which 75 percent of our healthcare dollars are spent according to the most recent statistics.

Worlds oldest man

2007-09-21T10:30:00.001-06:00

Tomoji Tanabe, celebrated his 112th birthday last week (Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007) in the southern Japanese city of Miyakonojo, in Miyazaki prefecture. Born Sept. 18, 1895, Tanabe was named world's oldest man after the death of the Puerto Rican Emiliano Mercado Del Toro, who died aged 115 last January.

How did he do it? Tanabe is a former city land surveyor who lives with his son and daughter-in-law. He is in good health and is a milk drinker. He also keeps a diary, avoids alcohol, and does not smoke. He believes his lifelong avoidance of alcohol has led to his good health and longevity, and he remains active by working in his dairy and taking walks near his home.

Japan has one of the world's longest average life spans, and the growing number of Japanese centenarians is often attributed to the nation’s traditional diet rich in fish and rice. But part of the reason may be an overall improvement of the Japanese diet, with greater emphasis on variety of foods with more attention to vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Exercise is also important in the Japanese lifestyle.

The number of Japanese living beyond 100 has more than quadrupled in the past 15 years, with the once-exclusive centenarian club soon expected to surpass 28,000, the government has announced. The increase underscores both positive and negative sides of the country's aging population. While experts say there are more active centenarians than ever before, the rapidly graying population adds to concerns over Japan's overburdened public pension system.

The increasing longevity in Japan may be due to several factors, including, in addition to the traditional diet of fish and rice, the growing popularity of multivitamins, minerals and antioxidants, in addition to regular exercise.

We could all learn from the Japanese.

Inflammation 101 - Steve Whiting, PhD

2007-09-19T11:55:00.000-06:00

Our esteemed scientific advisory board member, Steve Whiting, PhD, does a fabulous job of explaining why inflammation can be your best friend or your worst enemy. He also discusses the importance of choosing a natural anti-inflamatory whenever possible.

Questions for HIllary Clinton

2007-09-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

I just received Mrs. Clinton's proposed American Health Choices Plan to ensure that all Americans have affordable, quality health insurance. This plan covers every American - finally addressing the needs of the 47 million uninsured and the tens of millions of workers with coverage who fear they could be one pink slip away from losing their health coverage.

She is proposing the same choice of health plan options that members of congress receive for everyone (Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) - that seems fair.
She is promising lower premiums and increased security by reducing costs and insurance discrimination - that seems reasonable.
She is promoting shared responsibility by ending discrimination based on pre-existing conditions and requiring individuals to keep this high-quality affordable insurance - that would be a very good thing.
She is proposing refundable insurance tax credits for working families - seems very fair.
She is proposing small business tax credits for job-based coverage - love that idea.

She is also proposing a choice of health plan options and, as a condition of doing business with the federal government, insurers must cover high-priority preventive services that experts agree are proven and effective. This focus on prevention will improve health and lower costs in the long run. Now we are talking!!!!!

My questions:

1) Nowhere in the shared responsibility plan did I see anything about affordable health care coverage requiring individual citizens to be responsible for making lifestyle choices that help prevent disease.

2) Nor did I see anything in the plan about the reasonable possibility of funding this universal health care coverage by dramatically raising taxes on corporations that knowingly promote disease.

Cancer: Vitamin C and N-Acetyl Cysteine

2007-09-13T08:24:00.000-06:00

A new Johns Hopkins study suggested that vitamin C and NAC significantly inhibited the spread of lymphoma or prostate cancer cells that were implanted in mice.

This new research suggests that antioxidants ability to protect DNA from damage is just part of the cancer picture - the antioxidants vitamin C and NAC also prevented cancer cells from replicating in this study.

It has long been known that vitamin C and NAC fuel the production of cellular glutathione, the primary antioxidant in a cell that protects it from damage. It has also been known that cellular glutathione powers immune cells and the ability of natural killer cells to knock out cancer.

This study shows that the immune boosting properties of these antioxidants are vital for a proper cancer defense system.

Vitamin E and Blood Clots

2007-09-12T10:23:00.000-06:00

This week's big vitamin E headlines are on data from the Women's Health Study that included almost 40,000 women aged 45 and older who took 600 IUs of vitamin E, or a placebo, every other day and were followed for 10 years.

The women who took vitamin E in this study were over 20% less likely to develop venous thromboembolism than the women who did not, but the reduction was more than double this (44%) among the women who had a history of clots. And taking vitamin E appeared to cut the clot risk in half among women with genetic mutations that increased their risk.

This study data, which was reported in the September 2007 journal Circulation, found no significant side effects in the female study participants who took vitamin E for an average of 10 years.

This news follows right on the heels of last months Archives of Internal Medicine study, which found a 23% reduction in the compliant primary CVD mortality end point in the at risk women who actually took 600 IUs of natural Vitamin E every other day. Unfortunately, the study results were misrepresented by including the non-compliant participants in the findings. That study author found no adverse effects in the vitamin E study groups.

In the face of this news and the news that the 2004 vitamin E meta-analysis was unreliable science since a fairly large number of positive vitamin E studies were not included in the meta-analysis, the American Heart Association continues to swiftboat vitamin E by suggesting that "Vitamin E Is Not Ready for Prime Time."

Given the positive results of so many well-designed vitamin E studies, we must now all ask ourselves-what's really motivating AHA to take this stand?

Mast Cells: The Good, Bad and Ugly

2007-09-07T07:13:00.000-06:00

Stanford researchers have found that mast cells, known for triggering the itch and inflammation in allergy attacks, can also calm down the flare-ups. These findings were published in the September online version of Nature Immunology.

The new findings reveal that, in mice, mast cells help decrease skin damage over time from sun exposure or from poison oak by releasing the immune-suppressing molecule, interleukin-10 (IL-10), the same brilliant anti-inflammatory tissue repair interleukin released by our bodies after prolonged exercise stimulates the release of the tissue breakdown proinflammatory interleukins, IL-6.

The findings contradict mast cells' reputation for being the trigger-happy gunslinger in an allergic reaction. Located just beneath the skin and in the loose connective tissue throughout the body, mast cells lie in wait for intruders. Packed with granules containing inflammation-inciting molecules such as histamine, they sometimes react to non-threatening trespassers, such as pollens or plant oils. Mast cell response to pollen can cause excessive tearing and eyeball itching that drives thousands of folks crazy every spring.

The ugly side: over zealous mast cell confrontations can cause allergic reaction and, in extreme cases, the life-threatening overreaction of anaphylaxis seen in bee-sting or peanut allergies.

"The fact that one sees the mast cell playing a role in resolving inflammation is surprising," said Juan Rivera, PhD, chief of the Molecular Inflammation section of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. "All of the research thus far has focused on how quickly mast cells unleash inflammation rather than how they might mitigate it. I find it very intriguing finding that the mast cell plays this dual role."

The obvious question for our readers: does the human mast cell eventually release IL-10 to stop the ocular reaction to spring pollens if there is no pharmaceutical interference in the process?

Vitamin D Deficiency

2007-09-06T08:16:00.000-06:00

Dr. Larry Norton, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, spoke out this morning on the CBS Early Show about the pandemic deficiency of Vitamin D and its consequences. He pointed out that most people away from equatorial areas are deficient because of more clothing, work indoors, less daylight time especially in the winter months, and the use of sun screen in excess.Vitamin D deficiency has received attention recently because of its link to cancers of the breast and colon.

Dr. Norton pointed out that despite the fortification of some foods with vitamin D, there was still a deficiency. He recommended supplementation with multivitamins high in Vitamin D3. He pointed out that recommended amounts generally were too low and recommended at least 2000 International Units daily (the current RDA is only 400 IUs. ). Toxicity, he pointed out, only occurs when intake exceeded twice that amount. He went on to say that he recommended vitamin supplements as the best way of assuring that adults received the necessary amounts for needed effect.

Vitamin D plays an important role in the maintenance of organ systems, and a deficiency may be manifested in forms such as rickets in childhood, and several types of cancer in adults. It regulates the calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood by promoting their absorption from food in the intestines and by promoting re-absorption of calcium in the kidneys. It promotes bone formation and mineralization and is essential in the development of an intact and strong skeleton. It affects the immune system by promoting immuno-suppression, phagocytosis, and anti-tumor activity.

So much emphasis has been placed on the harmful effects of sunlight and the need for sun-block that the public has become brainwashed.

Fortified foods represent the major dietary sources of vitamin D, as very few foods naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D. In some countries, foods such as milk, yogurt, margarine, oil spreads, breakfast cereals, pastries and bread are fortified with vitamin to minimize the risk of vitamin D deficiency. In the United States and Canada, for example, fortified milk typically provides 100 IU per glass, or one quarter of the estimated adequate intake for adults over the age of 50. This amount has been shown to be inadequate.

The bottom line: Your multivitamin should contain more Vitamin D3 to compensate for the lack of its production in the skin due to inadequate exposure.

Homocysteine and B Vitamins

2007-09-04T13:32:00.000-06:00

The Western Norway B-Vitamin Intervention Trial (WENBIT) results presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2007 today, showed NO benefit for either supplemental folate with vitamin B12, or vitamin B6 in patients with established heart disease.

Could these CVD / homocysteine /folate /B12 /B6 studies possibly be collecting the wrong data on the wrong group?

It may be that faulty methionine metabolism hyperhomocysteinemia , which is most always caused by deficiencies of folate, B12 and B6, triggers gene-based (mRNA) inflammatory signals in the cells of the vascular walls representing a major pathogenetic pathway of atherosclerosis. This could be happening years before heart disease is established.

This concept is not dissimilar to metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance) being an issue years before type 2 diabetes is diagnosed.

Treatment with folate, B12 and B6 after disease is established may be too late, just as treatment with folate after the 28th day of fetal gestation is too late to prevent neural tube defects, although it's still important for the folate deficient pregnant Mom at risk for megaloblastic anemia.

A number of epidemiological studies have clearly shown that higher blood homocysteine levels are associated with higher risks of coronary, cerebral, and peripheral vascular disease and are inversely related to blood levels of folate and of vitamin B12 and vitamin B6.

Observational studies cannot exclude the possibility that elevated homocysteine levels may be associated with some other factor, rather than being causally related to vascular disease.

Large-scale randomized trials on healthy people are now in order to determine if supplemental folate, B12 and B6 could PREVENT hyperhomocysteinemia before it triggers the endothelium inflammatory process associated with most all heart and vascular disease.

Science Daily and Zinc

2007-08-30T16:18:00.000-06:00

On August 28th, Science Daily featured a zinc study published in the April 2007 Experimental Eye Research Journal. A team of scientists, including three researchers at George Mason University, found that the mineral zinc could play a role in the development of macular degeneration.

These findings are and were viewed as extremely important because the 2001 Age-Related-Eye-Disease (ARED) study results suggested that high doses (80 mg) of supplemental zinc oxide, when combined with vitamin antioxidants and copper, slowed the progression of macular degeneration.

Many nutrition-trained eye care professionals and most biochemists have adamantly disagreed with the long-term daily consumption of 80 mgs of zinc oxide, which is included in the ARED formulation.

Imre Lengyel, PhD, senior fellow at the Institute of Ophthalmology in London and this zinc study chief investigator, found unexpectedly high concentrations of zinc in drusen and sub-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) post-mortem maculae of eyes with AMD. He has been quoted as saying, "Although supplemental zinc has been found to enhance the immune system, excessive amounts may play a role in the advancement of macular degeneration."

We reported on this study in the March 23, 2007 Friday Pearl.

The Academy of Medicine's published safe upper limit (UL) of supplemental zinc is 40 mg per day.

Conflicts of Interest May Affect Your Health

2007-08-28T12:21:00.000-06:00

The FDA reauthorization bill that recently came to a vote in Congress, allows continuation of conflicts of interest between FDA advisors and the drug industry.

Under this bill the FDA can continue to allow advisors with financial interests in pharmaceutical companies to serve on FDA advisory committees. The bill also continues to let the FDA receive over 50% of its budget from fees paid to it by the pharmaceutical companies it regulates. This has resulted in the FDA becoming beholden to pharmaceutical companies.

Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, pointed out that when it came time to renegotiate PDUFA, the FDA met with pharmaceutical companies 112 times to negotiate agency standards the FDA must achieve in order to receive these fees, while consumer advocates and doctors groups only got to meet with them five times.

The problems with unsafe drugs being recalled after harming and killing some patients and various food products being recalled after sickening and killing consumers has highlighted the problems at the FDA.

With respect to drug company oversight, one way to lessen the grip pharmaceutical companies have is to inform consumers when their health care provider may have a conflict of interest due to gifts or income from a drug company. That's why DeFazio reintroduced the Drug Company Gift Disclosure Act, which will require prescription drug manufacturers, packers, and distributors to report annually to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs any gifts with a value of $50 dollars or more provided to doctors and other health care providers in connection with their marketing activities.

It’s time the public knew the truth. Safety and efficacy should be the priority, not drug or food industry profits. Think it’s time for you to get involved?

Let your Representative in Congress know how you feel.

Early Warning Markers for Type-2 Diabetes

2007-08-27T14:24:00.000-06:00

Two recent UCLA studies strongly link metabolism and immunology to type 2 diabetes.

These new studies suggest that the inability of the body to process insulin stems from chronic inflammation, which can be caused by fat cells' secretion of chemical signaling compounds called cytokines.

Think of signaling cytokines as the body's early warning smoke alarm.

Three of these compounds; tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleudin-6 (IL-6), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are the key molecule markers now confirmed to lead to type 2 diabetes.

The presence of these cytokine markers corresponded in recent studies to a double or triple increase in the risk of the development of type-2 diabetes. Inclusion of these test in annual check-ups could be a tremendous step forward in diabetic disease prevention and management.

These tests are not particularly expensive. If you find you have high cytokine formation while you're still healthy, you can make better lifestyle choices that will help lower cytokine formation, thereby lowering the risk for a five alarm disease fire.

Currently, most docs still only use the the blood glucose level test to determine diabetes, but by the time blood glucose levels are in the diabetic range, it may be too late to make the lifestyle changes necessary to prevent disease progression.

Type-2 diabetes (formerly called adult onset) can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, nerve damage, amputation and death if not properly controlled; preferably with dietary intake, exercise and other lifestyle changes that promote health.

Over 20 million people in the Unites States have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes

Uveitis and Potentially Life Threatening Drug Use

2007-08-23T08:43:00.000-06:00

The July 2007 issue of Ocular Immunology & Inflammation published a study to heighten the awareness of a potentailly life-threatening drug interaction in patients with chronic uveitis who are being concomitantly treated treated with cyclosporine for the uveitis and simvastatin for hypercholesterolemia.

Rhabdomyolysis has developed with acute renal failure from the probable interaction between these two drugs. Immediate discontinuation of simvastatin and cyclosporine seems to result in resolution of rhabdomyolysis and normalization of renal function.

Statins are associated with a dose-related risk of myopathy, myositis, and rhabdomyolysis.

Cyclosporine is a potent inhibitor of simvastain metabolism and may facilitate simvastatin-induced rhabdomyolysis.

The journal article conclusion was. "Concomitant use of statins and cyclosporine should be avoided."

We wonder, given this information, how long it will take the drug manufacturers to put this warning on both drugs.

Vitamin D-the Miracle Vitamin

2007-08-22T19:01:00.000-06:00

Vitamin D may be the new asprin. It is now associated with lowering the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and some cancers.

The most recent news on vitamin D deficiency comes from a report in the American Journal of Hypertension, which suggests that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are associated with increased blood pressure. This inverse relationship was strongest in people over 50, compared with younger study participants.

Ethnic differences in the average levels of serum vitamin D are linked to the increased hypertension commonly seen in non-Hispanic blacks who consistently have the lowest levels of serum vitamin D, with Mexican Americans just slightly higher.

This study suggests a need to elevate vitamin D levels by increasing sun exposure or vitamin D supplementation in these at-risk communities.

This includes the elderly who spend very little time in the sun.

Too Much Desk Time Is Bad For Our Health

2007-08-21T13:14:00.000-06:00

I own right up to borrowing this brilliant blog article from the Colorado Springs Business Journal-but don't try this at home:

Sit in a stationary position for eight to 10 hours. Keep your fingers moving in patterns pushing buttons. Squint.

This can be risky behaviour for many parts of your body, especially your eyes, back, and wrists. Yet most of us do it five days a week or more.At the very least, get up and walk around (to change up your back strain), look at things of varying distances (to work those eyeball-focusing muscles), and keep your wrist elevated (we all know that one, right?)Want to take things further? Want to be able to lift things in your retirement? Want to be able to type for another few years? Want to stave off the reading glasses? There's lots you can do!

Stay hydrated, don't let the HVAC blow dry air in your eyes, get up and stretch more frequently, and keep your office space well lit. Don't let the monitor be the brightest thing in your field of vision, and avoid glares. Move your desk if you have to. The Mayo clicnic recommends these stretches, you can get a new chair, and there's even yoga you can do in your cubicle (free videos!).

Last but not least, check out the Treadputer.

Antioxidants and Disease

2007-08-21T08:47:00.000-06:00

A number of research papers presented last week at the 234th annual American Chemical Society National Meeting in Boston centered around the ability of antioxidants to prevent DNA damage.

Julia Brumaghim, of Clemson University in South Carolina suggested. "Cancers, cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson'ts and Alzheimer's diseases are often linked to DNA damage that can be prevented by increasing the amount of green tea and garlic in our daily diets."

Monica Giusti of Ohio State University tested the anti-colon cancer effects of anthocyanin-rich extracts from a variety of fruits and vegetables including grapes, radishes, purlple corn, bilberries, purple carrots and elderberries. Her research fround that purple corn was the most potent antioxidant, with bilberry extracts being nearly as potent.

Dr. Giusti said, "All fruits and vegetables rich in anthocyanins have compounds that can slow down the growth of colon cancer cells, whether in experiments in laboratory dishes or inside the body."

Did Merck Hide the Fosamax Risks?

2007-08-17T11:46:00.000-06:00

Merck, maker of the osteoporosis drug Fosamax, may have seriously under reported the risks of jawbone death related to the drug, according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Jawbone death is associated with the use of a bisphosphonate class of drugs that includes Fosamax. Bisphonsphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) is always serious. It destroys the bone in the jaw and it's extremely difficult to treat.

Another Fosamax adverse side effect that Merck chose to ignore was covered in our October 1st 2004 Friday Pearl. It focused on an ocular adverse drug study funded by Research to Prevent Blindness and published in Ophthalmology. This study suggested Fosamax stimulates the production of a distince subgroup of T cells that release cytokines associated with inflammatory uveitis and /or scleritis, which can lead to major loss of vision.

Are menopausal / postmenopausal women (by far the largest users of Fosamax and the target of the Fosamax TV ads), once again innocent victims of Big Pharma?

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