Dental Woes May Herald Chronic Ills

Our modern dental woes have a lot do to with modern whole-body ills like heart disease and diabetes, according to the author of a review of decades' worth of studies on diet and health.

The culprit in both cases? The so-called fermentable carbohydrates forming the foundation of the modern diet, says Dr. Philippe P. Hujoel of the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle. These include sugars and starchy foods that break down into sugars in the mouth, as well as tropical fruits and dried fruits. MORE>>>>>>>

Probiotics May Prevent Children's Colds

Bacteria that are present in the body naturally and sometimes are added to food or dietary supplements might help ward off children's colds, researchers say.

A study done in China found that small children who drank a mixture of such bacteria known as probiotics in milk twice a day during the winter and spring had fewer colds, needed fewer antibiotics, and missed fewer days of school than children who drank plain milk.

Researchers have shown in some studies that probiotics can benefit those who are already ill with various conditions, and the bacteria are thought to boost the immune system's response to invaders. Whether they were effective at preventing sickness, however, was unclear.

The study in China involved 326 children, ages 3 to 5, who were assigned randomly to three groups: one given milk with a bacterium called Lactobacillus acidophilus mixed in, another that received the same organism along with a strain of another bacterium, Bifidobacterium animalis, and a third that received just milk with placebo. MORE>>>>>>>>>>

Calcium-Rich Dairy Foods May Prolong Life

Although many shun calcium-rich dairy products as a source of artery-clogging cholesterol, consuming them in childhood may add years to one's life in some cases, reported a study released Tuesday.

A 65-year follow-up to a 1930s survey of more than 1,300 families in England and Scotland showed that a diet high in milk, cheese, and butter did not lead to higher rates of cardiovascular disease.

Moreover, children with the largest intake of calcium from dairy products enjoyed a lower death rate from strokes, according to the study, published in the British Medical Journal.

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Childhood Radiation Ups Risk of Breast Cancer

The results of a study confirm that girls who undergo radiation for cancer in childhood have an increased long-term risk of developing breast cancer, regardless of their age at the time of treatment.

When such treatment included a high dose to the ovaries, however, women seemed to be protected against future breast cancer risk.

Radiation is a common, and highly effective, treatment for cancers such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, and adolescents and adults who receive such treatments are known to be at higher risk of developing breast cancer late in life, Dr. Peter D. Inskip of the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues note in their report.

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Minimally Invasive Treatment Relieves Rotator Cuff Pain

A minimally invasive procedure to treat tendonitis in the rotator cuff of the shoulder provides immediate symptom relief to the patient, according to a study published in the July issue of Radiology. The study found that ultrasound-guided nonsurgical therapy significantly reduces pain from calcific tendonitis of the rotator cuff and restores lasting mobility after treatment.

"With this treatment, we were able to establish a single inexpensive and effective treatment for calcific tendonitis of the rotator cuff. This has never happened before," said co-author Luca M. Sconfienza, M.D., from the Unit of Radiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan School of Medicine in Milan, Italy. "Symptoms improved in patients treated with our procedure compared to non-treated patients."

Calcific tendonitis is a condition that causes the formation of small calcium deposits within the tendons of the rotator cuff in the shoulder. It is most common in adults in their 40s. In most cases, the deposits become painful and can restrict mobility of the shoulder. In minor cases, physical therapy or anti-inflammatory medications may be sufficient to address the problem until the calcifications break apart spontaneously. In severe cases, patients may require shockwave treatment or open surgery to remove the calcium. Open surgery requires a hospital stay and rehabilitation and, on rare occasions, may result in major complications, such as tendon rupture.

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Weight Loss Surgery May Cut Cancer Risk

Weight-loss or "bariatric" surgery appears to cut the increased risk of cancer in obese women, according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Severely "obese women are at incredible risk for multiple cancers, primarily breast and (uterus) cancer but also colorectal and other gynecologic cancers," Dr. Susan C. Modesitt told Reuters Health via e-mail. "I hope that physicians begin to be proactive in evaluating these women for cancer promptly when indicated."

Modesitt and her colleagues at the University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, studied 1,482 severely obese women who underwent bariatric surgery at the university and compared them with a population of severely obese women who did not undergo surgery.

Overall, 53 bariatric surgery patients (3.6 percent) developed cancer, including 15 with breast cancer and nine with uterus cancer, the authors report.

Most cases were diagnosed and treated before bariatric surgery (34 women, 64.1 percent), while 32 percent (17 women) were diagnosed after bariatric surgery.

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Baking Soda for Kidney Health?

A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate baking soda, already used for baking, cleaning, acid indigestion, sunburn, and more slows the decline of kidney function in some patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), reports an upcoming study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). "This cheap and simple strategy also improves patients' nutritional status, and has the potential of translating into significant economic, quality of life, and clinical outcome benefits," comments Magdi Yaqoob, MD (Royal London Hospital).MORE>>>>>>>

Aloe Vera Helps Teeth and Gums

The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. Its ability to heal burns and cuts and soothe pain has been documented as far back as the 10th century. Legend has it that Cleopatra used aloe vera to keep her skin soft. The modern use of aloe vera was first recognized the 1930s to heal radiation burns. Since then, it has been a common ingredient in ointments that heal sunburn, minor cuts, skin irritation, and many other ailments. Recently, aloe vera has gained some popularity as an active ingredient in tooth gel. Similar to its use on skin, the aloe vera in tooth gels is used to cleanse and soothe teeth and gums, and is as effective as toothpaste to fight cavities, according to the May/June 2009 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Probiotics Help Gastric Bypass Patients Lose Weight

Gastric bypass patients may want to add probiotics the so-called "good" bacteria found in yogurt and dietary supplements to their daily routine to help lose weight faster after surgery, researchers say.

In addition, the dietary supplement also helped patients avoid becoming deficient in a crucial B vitamin, according to researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Probiotics help maintain a healthy, natural balance of organisms in the intestines, which helps in the digestion of food. MORE>>>>>>>>>

High Fructose Diets Impair Memory in Rats

Researchers at Georgia State University have found that diets high in fructose � a type of sugar found in most processed foods and beverages � impaired the spatial memory of adult rats.

Amy Ross, a graduate student in the lab of Marise Parent, associate professor at Georgia State's Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, fed a group of Sprague-Dawley rats a diet where fructose represented 60 percent of calories ingested during the day.

She placed the rats in a pool of water to test their ability to learn to find a submerged platform, which allowed them to get out of the water. She then returned them to the pool two days later with no platform present to see if the rats could remember to swim to the platform's location. MORE>>>>>>

Docs, Nurses Use and Recommend Diet Supplements

Doctors and nurses commonly take vitamin, mineral, and other dietary supplements themselves, and recommend the same to their patients, results of a survey indicate.

Yet, most of the 900 physicians and 277 nurses surveyed admitted having no formal education or training on the use of dietary supplements, according to a report in the Nutrition Journal, an online publication of BioMed Central.

Dr. Annette Dickinson, from Dickinson Consulting, LLC in St. Paul, Minnesota and colleagues found that 72 percent of the doctors and 89 percent of the nurses use some sort of dietary supplement regularly, occasionally, or seasonally. Moreover, 79 percent of the physicians and 82 percent of the nurses recommend dietary supplements to their patients. MORE>>>>>

Retail Watch: California calorie law alters chains' fare

As California restaurants begin handing out state-mandated calorie counts, some menu favorites are undergoing extreme makeovers.

Two chains with Sacramento-area stores have already announced menu changes, shifting to lower calorie-count options. Others could follow suit, in an effort to be more palatable to consumers while meeting California's new requirements, which apply to restaurant chains with more than 20 outlets.

Romano's Macaroni Grill, with four locations in the region, has managed to squeeze a whopping 880 calories out of just one salad, as the chain's menu undergoes a massive revamp under new ownership.

In June, Denny's rolled out its "Better for You" menu, which will be available at all 1,550 Denny's restaurants, including 400 in California. One of its signature items on that menu getting a calorie cut: The Grand Slam.

Even though studies have indicated that menu-labeling will alter some diners' choices, the healthy changeover in restaurant offerings wasn't anticipated, said Sacramento County Public Health Officer Glennah Trochet.

"If indeed they are adding lower-calorie options, it will give more variety and give people healthier options," she said.

At Denny's, the traditional Grand Slam breakfast accounts for as much as a quarter of revenue for the value-oriented chain, according to CEO Nelson Marchioli. He said the company's dinner and late-night business is struggling but the breakfast crowd remains strong for the value-oriented chain.

The new Grand Slam – two eggs, two sausages, two bacon slices and pancakes – is a build-your-own option with substitutions such as chicken instead of pork, egg whites, turkey bacon and whole wheat pancakes. For another 49 cents, add-ons such as yogurt are available.

With the healthier options, the Grand Slam drops from 882 calories to 546, not to mention a 70 percent drop in fat grams.

Other menu changes are coming in the fall.

But traditionalists, fear not. The Moons Over My Hammy – 780 calories – is still on the Denny's menu.

Starting this month, California required all chain restaurants with more than 20 stores to provide calorie information in brochures available to customers. Starting in 2010, the calorie counts must appear on menus or menu boards.

According to health officials, the average American adult should only be eating 2,000 calories a day.

The menu changes are in response to growing public interest, as much as to any government mandates, Marchioli said.

"The industry is trying to find a common ground. We do believe strongly it's the right thing to do and we've worked to bring alternatives to the public," he said.

At Macaroni Grill, the company's new CEO, who came on board after the chain was sold in December, has been working the past six months to boost same-store sales, primarily by retooling the menu.

"We had a new vision from the beginning ... an Italian-Mediterranean vision that is fresh, simple and authentic," said CEO Brad Blum, who previously helped run Burger King and Olive Garden.

The revamped menu already appears on Macaroni tables in California and is expected to roll out nationwide by the end of August, Blum said.

Providing nutritional information is the "right thing to do," he said.

The new CEO, who says he's overseeing the taste-testing himself, is primarily focused on boosting food quality.

For example, the chain's mozzarella alla caprese salad was not usually made with "high-quality" tomatoes, he said, but now uses vine-ripened tomatoes. The dish also dropped 110 calories.

The chain's scallops and spinach salad, formerly a 1,270-calorie offering, is now slimmed down to 390 calories. Blum won't disclose how, except to say the dish had more fat than was necessary.

In spite of the salad's calorie reduction, consumers have "enjoyed it better than before," Blum said.

HRT Increases Risk of Ovarian Cancer

New research suggests that no matter how hormone replacement therapy is given, it increases the risk of ovarian cancer.

Hormone replacement therapy, consisting of estrogen, progesterone, or both, and used to relieve the symptoms of menopause, has been linked to breast cancer, Dr. Lina Steinrud Morch, from Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues note in their study. Some studies have suggested that it could raise the risk of ovarian cancer.

Morch's team studied more than 900,000 Danish women who were 50 to 79 years of age from 1995 to 2005. None of them had tumors that grew in response to hormones, and none had had their ovaries removed during a hysterectomy or for other reasons. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Asian Spice May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Women who have taken a combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy increase their risk of developing breast cancer. But curcumin, an Asian spice, may reduce their risk.

A study at the University of Missouri found that curcumin decreased the incidence of progestin-accelerated breast tumors in animals. It also delayed onset of the disease and reduced the incidence of multiple tumors.

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Pesticide Linked to Parkinson's Disease

People with Parkinson’s disease have significantly higher blood levels of a particular pesticide than healthy people or those with Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

In a study appearing in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, researchers found the pesticide beta-HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) in 76 percent of people with Parkinson’s, compared with 40 percent of healthy controls and 30 percent of those with Alzheimer’s.

The finding might provide the basis for a beta-HCH blood test to identify individuals at risk for developing Parkinson’s disease. The results also point the way to more research on environmental causes of Parkinson’s. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>

Scientists Fear Mad Cow Disease From Farm-Raised Fish

Scientists are worried that people who eat farmed fish that are fed cattle byproducts could get mad cow disease, according to an article in the new issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) is known as Creutzfeldt Jakob disease. It is untreatable and always fatal.

Most nations have outlawed feeding cattle byproducts to other cattle because the disease spreads easily within the same species. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Heavy Drinking May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk

Men who drink heavily may be raising their risk of developing prostate cancer, researchers reported Monday.

What's more, their study found, the drug finasteride, which can help lower a man's risk of the disease, appears unable to undo the damage of heavy drinking.

The findings come from a clinical trial of nearly 11,000 men looking at whether finasteride lowered the risk of prostate cancer over seven years. Of the men, 2,219 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 8,791 remained cancer-free throughout the study.

The researchers found that men who drank heavily -- four or more drinks per day, on at least five days out of the week -- were twice as likely as non-drinkers to develop aggressive prostate tumors.

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Vegetable Amino Acid Lowers Blood Pressure

Get plenty of it in your diet, researchers say

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they have discovered that one of the most common amino acids in vegetable protein seems to lower blood pressure.

Analysis of data from an international diet study shows that a 4.72 percent higher intake of glutamic acid as a portion of total dietary protein correlates with a 1.5- to 3-point reduction in average systolic blood pressure (the higher of the two blood pressure readings, when the heart beats) and a 1- to 1.6-point lower diastolic pressure (the lower reading, when the heart rests between beats). The report appears online July 6 in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the journal Circulation.

The point difference might not sound like much, but high blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular problems, and a reduction on that scale could cut stroke death rates by 6 percent and coronary heart disease deaths by 4 percent, said study author Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, professor emeritus of preventive medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.

However, the worry is that people could take the finding as a reason to pop glutamic acid pills rather than making vegetables a larger part of their diet, Stamler said.

"We make a clear statement that there are no data on supplements of glutamic acid to tell us anything one way or another about their value," Stamler said.

Protein, animal and vegetable, consists of chains of amino acids. Glutamic acid is the most common of those amino acids, accounting for 23 percent of vegetable protein and 18 percent of meat protein.

The relationship between higher glutamic acid intake and lower blood pressure seen in the study of 4,680 people in China, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom was not unexpected, said Ian J. Brown, a research associate in epidemiology and public health at Imperial College London, and a member of the research team.

"It is compatible with earlier findings that a diet high in vegetable proteins, those found in beans, whole grains, rice, soy products and bread, is associated with lower blood pressure," Brown said.

"The fact that the most important amino acid in vegetable protein is related to blood pressure supports the inference that a diet high in vegetable protein and low in animal protein has favorable effects on blood pressure," Stamler added.

Similar but lesser effects on lowering blood pressure have been found for other amino acids more common in vegetable protein, such as proline, phenylalanine and serine, Brown said.

"The solution to improving blood pressure is not based around a single nutrient," he said. "We are looking at a whole series of dietary elements that act together. Combined, they have a large effect."

But diet is not the only factor to be considered in attacking high blood pressure, Stamler said.

"We must also consider obesity, high salt intake, high alcohol intake and high potassium intake, among other risk factors," he said.

Still, the study provides evidence why the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, developed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, reduces blood pressure, Stamler said. The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean poultry, nuts and beans.

"It's just as mothers and grandmothers have been saying for years," Brown said. "Eat your vegetables, avoid fatty foods, avoid excess alcohol."

More information

The DASH diet is detailed by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

SOURCES: Jeremiah Stamler, M.D., professor emeritus, preventive medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago; Ian J. Brown, Ph.D., research associate, epidemiology and public health, Imperial College, London; July 6, 2009, Circulation online

Last Updated: July 08, 2009

Artificial sweeteners can make you sick and fat

Source: Houston Examiner

For several years there have been frightening stories circulating about the dangers of Aspartame. Well, it turns out, this is not just another urban legend.

Aspartame is the chemical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. Aspartame was approved for dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983. It was originally approved for dry goods on July 26, 1974, but objections filed by neuroscience researcher Dr John W. Olney and Consumer attorney James Turner in August 1974 as well as investigations of G.D. Searle's research practices caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put approval of aspartame on hold (December 5, 1974). But by now, we all know how easily powerful, rich pharma can get dangerous products on the market.

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death.(1) A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame:(2) Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.

Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," by James and Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of "chemical poison." You can read more about this here

The word is out on Aspartame and that opened the door for the "safe alternative", Splenda.

Last year, a 12-week study, done by researchers from Duke University, reported that Splenda and its key component, sucralose, may suppress beneficial bacteria in the gut and cause weight gain. The study also found that consumption of the sweetener may affect the expression of certain enzymes known to interfere with the absorption of nutrients and pharmaceuticals.

This is how the study was done:

Researchers separated 50 rats into five equal groups. One (the control group) was administered only water with its diet, while the other four groups had the diet supplemented with different doses of Splenda in water. The amounts given to the rats were in a range that was slightly below to slightly above the daily intake amount that the FDA considers safe. In other words, the dosages that the animals consumed equated to amounts that would be reasonable for a human to consume.

After 12 weeks, half the animals in each group were evaluated for certain intestinal bacteria, enzymes, and weight. The remaining animals spent a further 12 weeks without any Splenda in the diet.

The results showed that Splenda reduced the amount of beneficial bacteria in the intestines by 50%, increased the pH level in the intestines, contributed to increases in body weight, and affected certain enzymes that are related to the metabolism of medications in the liver. Low beneficial bacteria levels and elevated enzyme levels continued even after the animals stopped consuming Splenda during the 12-week recovery period. It makes me wonder about the surge in obesity and also acid reflux and GERD.

The marketing ploy used in promoting Splenda, leads you to believe that this is some type of natural product. Sugar that is magically made to contain no calories. Sorry- that's not the case. . The process starts with sucrose, which is simply a sugar molecule, to which three chlorine molecules are added. This manipulation of the sugar molecule makes it unrecognizable to the body, thus impossible to digest or metabolize, therefore the body cannot extract calories from it. I guess you could compare it to eating baby powder or worse.

Some scientists theorize that Splenda is actually a toxic chemical because of the process used in its synthesis. Adding chlorine to the sucrose molecule (specifically, the carbon bonds) creates a chemical called chloro-carbon, causing it to resemble the chemical composition of a pesticide. According to these scientists, the safety of Splenda has yet to be determined.

To sum it up, this study shows that Splenda has been shown to cause weight gain, intestinal disruption and alterations to the metabolism of drugs. We'll probably find more dangers as additional studies are conducted.

So now the newest "natural and safe" sweetener being mass marketed is Stevia. Stevia (STEE-vee-uh) is a South American shrub whose leaves have been used for centuries by peoples in Paraguay and Brazil. The Japanese have been using stevia for over thirty years in small amounts; to sweeten pickles and other foods. “But the Japanese don’t consume large amounts of stevia,” notes Douglas Kinghorn, professor of pharmacognosy (the study of drugs from plants) at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“In the U.S., we like to go to extremes,” adds toxicologist Ryan Huxtable of the University of Arizona in Tucson. “So a significant number of people here might consume much greater amounts.”

Until recently, you didn't see stevia on supermarket shelves next to the Sweet’N Low, Splenda or Equal. You had to buy it in health food stores. The FDA was reluctant to approve it. So was Canada. In fact, the scientific panel that reviews the safety of food ingredients for the EU concluded that stevioside is “not acceptable” as a sweetener because of unresolved concerns about its toxicity. In 1998, a United Nations expert panel came to essentially the same conclusion.

Suddenly, stevia got it's approval and is now being mass marketed.

But is it really safe?

Here’s what troubles toxicologists:

Reproductive problems. Stevioside “seems to affect the male reproductive organ system,” European scientists concluded last year. When male rats were fed high doses of stevioside for 22 months, sperm production was reduced, the weight of seminal vesicles (which produce seminal fluid) declined, and there was an increase in cell proliferation in their testicles, which could cause infertility or other problems.1 And when female hamsters were fed large amounts of a derivative of stevioside called steviol, they had fewer and smaller offspring.2 Would small amounts of stevia also cause reproductive problems? No one knows.

Cancer. In the laboratory, steviol can be converted into a mutagenic compound, which may promote cancer by causing mutations in the cells’ genetic material (DNA). “We don’t know if the conversion of stevioside to steviol to a mutagen happens in humans,” says Huxtable. “It’s probably a minor issue, but it clearly needs to be resolved.”

Energy metabolism. Very large amounts of stevioside can interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates in animals and disrupt the conversion of food into energy within cells. “This may be of particular concern for children,” says Huxtable.

The bottom line: If you use stevia sparingly (once or twice a day in a cup of tea, for example), it isn’t a great threat to you. But if stevia were marketed widely and used in diet sodas, it would be consumed by millions of people. And that might pose a public health threat." according to Dr. Ed Zimney. Well, Coca Cola plans to market stevia under the trade name of Rebiana. This calorie-free food and beverage sweetener is also being marketed under the Cargill corporation, a food and agricultural provider. Cargill, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, has developed rebiana as a natural, zero-calorie ingredient which is being marketed under the brand name TRUVIA™. Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, the world’s largest soft drink makers, have stevia drinks ready to roll-out

I'm tossing my artificial sweeteners and I'm going to start using a little sugar. Sounds like it might help me lose weight.

Flu Vaccine May Be More Dangerous Than Swine Flu

An outbreak of swine flu occurred in Mexico this spring that eventually affected 4,910 Mexican citizens and resulted in 85 deaths. By the time it spread to the United States, the virus caused only mild cases of flu-like illness.

Thanks to air travel and the failure of public health officials to control travel from Mexico, the virus spread worldwide. Despite predictions of massive numbers of deaths and the arrival of doomsday, the virus has remained a relatively mild disease, something we know happens each year with flu epidemics.

Worldwide, there have only been 311 deaths out of 70,893 cases of swine flu. In the United States, 27,717 cases have resulted in 127 deaths. Every death is a tragedy, but such a low death rate should not be the basis of a draconian government policy. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Nitrates in Environment May Cause Alzheimer’s, Diabetes

Researchers have found a link between nitrates in the environment and increased deaths from Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and Parkinson’s and other diseases of aging.

The study, published in the “Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease,” found strong parallels between deaths and exposure to nitrates, nitrites and nitrosamines due to processed and preserved foods as well as fertilizers.

Nitrates are found in many food products including bacon, cured meats, cheese products, beer and water. Nitrates are generated by the high temperatures of frying and grilling, and our bodies make nitrates in the highly acid conditions of the stomach. Nitrates also get into our body through fertilizers, pesticides, contaminated water supplies and cosmetics as well as through the manufacturing and processing of rubber and latex products. Over 90 percent of nitrates tested have been found to cause cancer in various organs of the body MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Caffeine Reverses Alzheimer's Memory Symptoms

Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup. When aged mice bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease were given caffeine – the equivalent of five cups of coffee a day – their memory impairment was reversed, report University of South Florida researchers at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Back-to-back studies published online today in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, show caffeine significantly decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer's disease....MORE>>>>>>

Travel more than doubles risk of blood clots: study

People who travel have nearly triple the normal risk of developing a dangerous blood clot, with a measurable increase for every two hours spent sitting in a car or wedged into an airline seat, researchers reported on Monday.

They said the risk is serious enough to merit research into better ways to keep travelers healthy, although not severe enough to justify giving airline passengers anti-clotting drugs.

Dr. Divay Chandra and colleagues at Harvard University in Boston looked specifically at venous thromboembolism -- the development of a blood clot in a vein, usually in the legs.

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C-Reactive Protein Doesn't Cause Heart Disease

A protein known as a key indicator of inflammation in the body and thought to cause heart disease is not linked to development of the fatal ailment, according to a British study published Tuesday.

C-reactive protein (CRP), a target for studies of treatment for coronary heart disease, is not in fact directly involved in causing it, as once thought, said the research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Some researchers thought C-reactive protein would be a good molecule to target, as raised levels of this protein in the blood are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease," noted lead author Paul Elliott, a professor at Imperial College, London. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Dietary Supplements Boost Cancer Survival

The health benefits of dietary supplements have long been a subject of hot debate, but now Norwegian researchers have convincing evidence that supplements improve the rate of survival of women diagnosed with solid tumor cancers. Their study, which will be published in the September 2009 issue of the International Journal of Cancer, shows that women with solid tumors had better survival rates if they had used dietary supplements in the year before they were diagnosed.

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Metabolic Syndrome May Raise Breast Cancer Risk

Physiological changes associated with the metabolic syndrome may play a role in the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, according to study results published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The metabolic syndrome, or insulin resistance syndrome, consists of a constellation of factors including abdominal obesity, high blood glucose levels, impaired glucose tolerance, abnormal lipid levels and high blood pressure.

Affecting roughly 47 million Americans, the metabolic syndrome is also associated with poor diet and lack of physical activity. It can also increase the risk for diabetes and heart disease.

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Farrah Fawcett's Anal Cancer: Fighting the Stigma

The iconic photo of Farrah Fawcett smiling in a red swimsuit marked her as the face of sexy, natural beauty in the 1970s.

American actor and model Farrah Fawcett smiling while sitting outdoors in blue jeans and a mauve blouse. Fawcett was diagnosed with anal cancer -- a rare and stigmatized disease -- in 2006.

(Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Now, after her death Thursday at age 62 from anal cancer, her fight against the illness may help give a face to a potentially stigmatizing condition that can be the result of infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection.

"This does not mean that she was promiscuous," noted Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of the department of hematology and oncology at Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. "It simply means that she, at some point in her life, was probably exposed to the human papilloma virus."

Indeed, estimates for the percentage of anal cancers as a result of infection with HPV ranges from 45 to 90 percent. Although the exact cause of anal cancer is not known, the American Cancer Society reports that most anal cancers seem to be linked to HPV infection.

Research Disputes FDA Claim that BYETTA Increase Risk of Acute Pancreatitis

In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published strong warnings that the type 2 diabetes drug exenatide (trade name Byetta) might increase risk of acute pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas. The FDA's action came in the wake of reports that 30 exenatide users had come down with pancreatitis and that six of them had died from the condition.

Now, however, a study published by researchers from Medco Health Solutions, Inc., says that exenatide users run no greater risk of developing pancreatitis than type 2s who take neither drug.

The study results, presented at the recent 69th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), showed that only 0.44 percent of exenatide users experienced an episode of acute pancreatitis. Among sitagliptin users, only 0.28 percent had such episodes. Among the control group of type 2s, however, who had never taken either drug, the rate of incidence was 0.39 percent.

The study results were based on tracking the pharmacy and medical claims of 123,621 non-insulin-using type 2s for 540 days and observing which ones came down with pancreatitis:

• 9,260 patients were exenatide users
• 2,143 patients were on sitagliptin
• 112,218 patients, the control group, used neither drug but were taking a medication designed to control blood glucose
• No patient in the study had a history of pancreatitis, hepatitis or alcohol abuse
• The patients' ages ranged from 18 to 63 years

The Medco study is the first to lend scientific support to Eli Lilly and Co., Byetta's maker. Lilly has questioned the FDA's statistical reasoning, citing the extremely low percentage of pancreatitis cases associated with the drug.

For more information on the study, visit Medco

Teen Acne Linked to Heart Health

There may be a payoff for all of those years of teenage angst caused by acne. The same high levels of male hormones that can trigger acne during adolescence may protect sufferers from heart disease as adults.

Researchers in the United Kingdom investigated the link between male hormones, called androgens, and acne. Almost 10,000 men participated in health checks between the years of 1948 and 1968 when they were students, and any history of acne was noted. The scientists found that 18 percent of the men reported having acne.

Years later, the men were traced through the United Kingdom’s National Health Service Registry. Researchers found that the men who had a history of acne as adolescents had a 33 percent reduced risk of dying from heart disease than the men who didn’t have acne. MORE>>>>>>>>>

Green Tea Slows Prostate Cancer

Active compounds in green tea may slow the progression of prostate cancer, according to a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research.

The study, which was conducted at Louisiana State University, also showed that green tea might lower the incidence of prostate cancer in the first place.

Editor’s Note: <>

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Maine marks new anti-obesity measures

AUGUSTA, Maine—Even as state lawmakers produced a leaner budget this year, they are still looking to trim some fat -- this time from Maine's waistlines.

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It started Wednesday when lawmakers and Gov. John Baldacci marked the passage of three bills, all aimed at promoting health and combatting obesity.

The most significant new law replicates efforts nationwide that require chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus, menu boards and drive-thrus.

Baldacci hosted a signing ceremony for the measures, which also call for schools to record the heights and weights of Maine school children and encourage elementary schools to promote physical activity and physical education.

Participation in the body mass indexing project will be voluntary and data, which is to be kept confidential, will be transmitted to the Maine Center for Disease Control.

"We used to think that it was a good thing to see a child with chubby cheeks," Rep. Helen Rankin, a longtime school nutritionist, said in a statement. "But now we're talking about kindergartners who already are at risk of type II diabetes and a shortened lifespan because they are carrying too much weight."

The governor said an estimated 30 percent of youth in Maine are overweight or obese.

Baldacci, seconded by House Speaker Hannah Pingree, hailed the newly enacted pieces of legislation as important advances in public health.

According to Pingree's office, the rate of obese and overweight Maine adults has doubled and the rate among Maine children has tripled in the last 20 years.

At Wednesday's ceremony in Baldacci's office, Pingree noted that calorie posting has come up for discussion in the context of federal health care reform.

"Overweight and obesity are now overtaking tobacco as the number one threat to public health," Denise Whitley, Maine advocacy director of the American Heart Association, said in prepared remarks.

The Legislature gave final approval to the statewide menu labeling law sponsored by Pingree a week ago as this year's regular session drew toward a close.

The legislation mandates that chain restaurants with 20 or more establishments and at least one in Maine must post calorie data, effective Feb. 1, 2011.

Supporters cited similar ordinances in New York City, Seattle and Portland, Ore. They pointed to California and Massachusetts policies to begin next year. Lawmakers in Connecticut and Oregon have enacted similar legislation this year.

Maine's new law makes exceptions for salad bars and buffets, exempts movie theaters, grocery stores and hotels and does not apply to menu items that are offered for less than 90 days.

New Evidence: Vinegar May Be Fat Fighter

Researchers in Japan are reporting new evidence that the ordinary vinegar — a staple in oil-and-vinegar salad dressings, pickles, and other foods — may live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a health promoter.

They are reporting new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and weight gain. Their study is scheduled for the July 8 issue of the bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Tomoo Kondo and colleagues note that vinegar has been used as a folk medicine since ancient times. People have used it for a range of ills. Modern scientific research suggests that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, may help control blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and fat accumulation. MORE>>>>>

Some Video Games Can Make Children Kinder

Some video games can make children kinder and more likely to help other people.

That's the conclusion of new research published in the June issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, a top-tier, peer-reviewed academic journal.

The article presents the findings of three separate studies, conducted in different countries with different age groups, and using different scientific approaches. All the studies find that playing games with so-called "prosocial" content causes players to be more helpful to others after the game is over. MORE>>>>>

Better Sex Makes Better Workers

Good sex and emotional support at home can ease stress and improve life in the workplace, according to a new Swedish study.

“Either you come home to something that gives you a possibility to rewind and recover, or you have a relationship that makes you more troubled,” study author Ann-Christine Andersson Arntén told The Local, an English language publication in Sweden.

“If that’s the case then you cannot recover, and your whole system physically and mentally will become unbalanced,” said Arntén, who is a psychology doctoral student from the University of Gothenburg. “It will start to become more and more unhealthy and could end up in depression, anxiety, or sleeping problems.” MORE>>>>>

Chemical in Food Containers Linked to Heart Disease

A chemical commonly used in coatings on the inside of food and beverage cans and in the manufacturing of clear plastic bottles may be harmful to the heart, especially in women. According to a new study by the University of Cincinnati, the chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), may cause arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats.

BPA is found in a vast array of everyday items including baby bottles, bottle tops, and dental fillings and sealants. It has been in use for over 50 years, and is a key component of epoxy resins used to line cans, and also of polycarbonate plastics used to make bottles. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Laptops Could Snare Men in Web of Infertility

Young men who are wired now could end up infertile later because of heat their laptops generate, says a reproductive specialist at Loyola University Health System.

That heat can "impact sperm production and development making it difficult to conceive down the road," said Dr. Suzanne Kavic, MD, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology at the university and associate professor at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "However,

Kavic recommends placing laptops on tops to prevent damaging sperm and decreasing counts and motility. Other tips to protect male fertility include: MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ignored Form of Cholesterol Blamed for Heart Attacks

Danish researchers said on Tuesday they have found the strongest evidence yet that an often ignored form of cholesterol can cause heart attacks.

They said people with higher levels of a little-understood form of cholesterol called lipoprotein (a), which varies up to a thousand fold from one person to another, were also more likely to have heart attacks.

Statins -- taken by millions to cut heart attack and stroke risk -- do not affect lipoprotein (a) but the findings may encourage the development of new cholesterol-lowering drugs, said Borge Nordestgaard of Copenhagen University Hospital, who led the study.

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FDA Releases List of Potential Drug Risks

U.S. regulators on Thursday listed two dozen drugs, including weight-loss medicines and sleep disorder pills, that it is reviewing for potential safety problems.

Many of the issues have been disclosed previously, but the Food and Drug Administration continues to review them.

The FDA is checking Pfizer Inc.'s smoking cessation drug Chantix for possible risk of accidental injury, vision impairment and other issues, and Cephalon Inc.'s sleep disorder drugs Nuvigil and Provigil for a potential of serious skin reactions.

Other drugs listed included orlistat, a weight-loss drug that Roche Inc. sells as the prescription product Xenical and GlaxoSmithKline Plc sells as the over-the-counter drug Alli. The FDA said it is continuing to evaluate liver toxicity reports for orlistat. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Turmeric May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s

Turmeric, which is called the spice of life in ancient Indian lore, might help fight Alzheimer’s, according to initial stages of a study.

The spice is an integral ingredient in curry, and tests on laboratory rats have provided evidence that curry helps prevent dementia.

A human clinical trial is under way in California.

Murali Doraiswamy, director of the mental fitness laboratory at the Duke University Medical Center's psychiatry department, told a conference that curcumin, an element of turmeric, appears to prevent the accumulation of amyloid plaques. The plaques are toxic proteins found in the brains of Alzheimer’s victims and are a key characteristic of the disease. The plaques are thought to interfere with the electrical signals between brain cells. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Cherry Juice May Be New Sports Drink

Drinking cherry juice could help ease the pain for people who run, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Seattle, Wash.

The study showed that people who drank tart cherry juice while training for a long-distance run reported significantly less pain after exercise than those who didn't. Post-exercise pain often can indicate muscle damage or debilitating injuries. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Vitamin D May Make Seniors Smarter

Getting more of the "Sunshine vitamin" may make you brighter later in life, according to a study that bolsters evidence vitamin D may help older people stay mentally fit.

The findings also raise the prospect that people who do not get enough of the vitamin could use supplements to keep the brain fully functioning as they age, David Lee and colleagues at the University of Manchester reported in their study, published Thursday in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

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Certain foods may thwart age-related vision loss

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study suggests that older adults who eat diets rich in citrus fruits, leafy greens and fish oil, but low in "glycemic index," may have a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration -- the leading cause of vision loss among older U.S. adults.

AMD, also known as "age-related macular degeneration" refers to gradual damage to the macula, a structure in the retina that allows for seeing fine detail. The condition affects more than 1 million Americans, usually after the age of 65.

A number of studies have suggested that individual nutrients, including the antioxidants lutein, vitamin C and vitamin E, can help protect against AMD. This latest study, published in the journal Ophthalmology, looked at the overall diet patterns of 4,000 older adults and the links to AMD risk.

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Ancient Drug Kava Could Be Safe and Effective

Australian researchers have found that a traditional preparation of the South Pacific herbal medicine Kava, an ancient drug long used for treating stress and insomnia, is safe and effective. A University of Queensland research team conducted a placebo-controlled, world-first clinical trial. It showed that Kava prepared by the traditional method, which uses water, is safe for treating anxiety and improving mood, while the modern European method of preparation, which uses acetone and ethanol, may be responsible for the ill side effects associated with it. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Smoking May Boost Fat-Fighting Gene

Offering clues to why smokers often gain weight after quitting, a new study suggests that smoking enhances the activity of a gene that helps break down body fat.

Researchers found that compared with non-smokers, a group of healthy smokers showed greater activity in a gene called AZGP1 in cell samples taken from their airways.

Because the gene is thought to be important in breaking down fat and controlling weight, the findings point to one possible reason that smokers tend to weigh less than non-smokers -- and why people often put on pounds after quitting. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Formaldehyde Raises Risk of Deadly Cancers

Industrial workers who are exposed to the chemical formaldehyde may have a significantly higher risk of dying from blood and lymphatic cancers, U.S. government researchers said on Tuesday.

A study of more than 25,000 workers at industrial plants that produced formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin found workers with the highest exposures had a 37 percent increased risk of death compared to those with the lowest exposure levels, they reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Put on Your Broccoli: Juice Better Than Sunscreen

An extract made from broccoli sprouts can help protect skin from the sun’s damaging rays, according to researchers at the John Hopkins School of Medicine.

Although a commercial product is still in the early stages of development, it would have definite advantages over sunscreens:

First, the natural product would not contain cancer-causing chemicals found in typical sunscreens. Second, it would not interfere with the body’s production of vitamin D. Sunscreens now block sunlight from the skin, thus keeping the body from making vitamin D.

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Older People Need More Sun to Curb Heart Ills, Diabetes

Spending more time in the sunshine could help older people reduce their risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

Older people are more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency because of the natural aging process and changes in lifestyle, but exposure to sunlight stimulates vitamin D in the skin.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated significantly with metabolic syndrome, a combination of medical and metabolic disorders that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to researchers at the University of Warwick near Coventry, England.

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Trial drugs 'reverse' Alzheimer's

US scientists say they have successfully reversed the effects of Alzheimer's with experimental drugs.

The drugs target and boost the function of a newly pinpointed gene involved in the brain's memory formation.

In mice, the treatment helped restore long-term memory and improve learning for new tasks, Nature reports.

The same drugs - HDAC inhibitors - are currently being tested to treat Huntington's disease and are on the market to treat some cancers.

They reshape the DNA scaffolding that supports and controls the expression of genes in the brain.

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Late motherhood boosts family lifespan

Women who have babies naturally in their 40s or 50s tend to live longer than other women. Now, a new study shows their brothers also live longer, but the brothers' wives do not, suggesting the same genes prolong lifespan and female fertility, and may be more important than social and environmental factors.

University of Utah demographer Ken R. Smith led a new study confirming that women who have their last baby after age 45 live longer than women who have their last baby at younger ages, and also showing that their brothers live longer too. That suggests the same genes promote both prolonged fertility in women and longevity in both sexes. Credit: Jason Smith, University of Utah

"If women in your family give birth at older ages, you may well have a chance of living longer than you would otherwise," says the study's lead author, demographer Ken R. Smith, a professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah. "If you have a female relative who had children after age 45, then there may be some genetic benefit in your family that will enhance your longevity."

For descendants of the Utah and Quebec pioneers studied, "you may be able to look at the ages when your female ancestors gave birth - rather than just their longevity - in estimating how long you may live," says Smith, whose study will be published online May 4 and in the June 10 print issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences.

The researchers examined high-quality genealogical records from the Utah Population Database at the University of Utah with its records of 1.6 million Utah Mormon pioneers and their descendants. They also used the University of Montreal's Program on Demographic History Research, which has records on 400,000 people who lived in heavily Catholic Quebec between 1608 and 1850.

Specifically, the study involved the records of 11,604 Utah men who were born between 1800 and 1869 and who had at least one sister who lived at least to age 50; and the records of 6,206 Quebec men who lived between 1670 and 1750, and had at least one sister who lived to 50 or older. The key findings:

• Women who had "late fertility" - a birth at age 45 or older - were 14 percent to 17 percent less likely to die during any year after age 50 than women who did not deliver a child after age 40. That confirmed earlier studies. But those studies did not determine if the women gave birth later and lived longer because of genes or because of social and environmental factors such as good nutrition or healthy living.
  
• Brothers who had at least three sisters, including at least one sister who gave birth at age 45 or later, were 20 percent to 22 percent less likely to die during any year after age 50 than brothers who had no "late fertile" sisters. That indicates what earlier studies did not, namely, the same genes may influence the lifespan of both sexes and women's ability to give birth at older ages.
  
• The brothers' wives didn't have longer lives, suggesting any environmental or social factors that influence lifespan had only a weak influence, and that genes may explain why brothers lived longer when they had a sister who gave birth in her 40s.

The study didn't address how much longevity is due to genetics, but Smith says scientists believe genes account for up to 25 percent of differences in longevity.

Fish Prevents Heart Attacks

Grill That SalmonStudy suggests eating fatty fish weekly protects the heart Holy mackerel. A new Swedish study suggests that a weekly serving of fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, whitefish and char) increases men's protection from heart failure by 12 percent. The men who consumed a moderate amount of fish oil (marine omega-3) also showed increased protection from heart failure.

Print or bookmark this handy fish chart to learn which fish contain the most omega-3, a heart-healthy fatty acid.

The Swine Flu and Diabetes

The Swine Flu and Diabetes

Experts have been warning of a worldwide outbreak of a horrific influenza ever since 1997, when the first human cases of so-called H5N1 avian influenza were reported in Hong Kong. Read more...

China's secret tea revealed as fat-busting wonder cuppa by scientists

A DAILY cup of special tea may combat the obesity epidemic, scientists will say today.
An extract of white tea prevents new fat cells from forming and helps to burn off mature ones, according to research.

Nutritionist Marc Winnefeld said: "In the industrialised countries, the rising incidence of obesity-associated disorders including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes constitutes a growing problem.

"We have shown that white tea may be an ideal natural source of slimming substances." Mr Winnefeld and colleagues at German multinational Beiersdorf AG, which makes personal-care products, studied the biological effects of the extract – the least processed version of the tea plant Camellia Sinensis.

They grew human fat cells in the laboratory and found that after treating them with the white tea compound, the amount of fat in them was reduced.

Mr Winnefeld, whose findings are published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, said: "The extract solution induced a decrease in the expression of genes associated with the growth of new fat cells, while also prompting existing adipocytes (fat cells] to break down the fat they contain."

Obesity is a growing problem in Scotland, which now just trails the US for overweight people among countries in the developed world.

Currently, 25 per cent of the adult population in Scotland are obese, ahead of 24 per cent in England and Wales, but still a long way behind America's 32.2 per cent.

White tea is made from the buds and first leaves of the plant used to make green tea and the black tea most commonly drunk in Britain and other Western countries.

It is less processed than the other teas and contains more of the ingredients thought to be active on human cells which the researchers believe to be responsible for many of the fat-busting effects seen in their study.

For hundreds of years, the Chinese have kept the extremely beneficial properties of white tea a secret.

Some scientists have dubbed it the ultimate health drink.

As well as being an aid to weight loss, it has been shown to inhibit cancer cells and prevent the formation of new ones.

White tea is also said to be very effective in giving radiant, problem-free skin. The abundant antioxidants help fight off "free radicals" – agents responsible for wrinkles and ageing.

White tea has also been shown to have anti-bacterial and antiviral properties similar to honey, with specific natural chemicals that have the unique ability to kill bugs.

And research has shown that people who drank white tea were more likely to have stronger bones compared to those who did not.

Meanwhile, white tea lowers the "bad" cholesterol level in the body through a class of antioxidants called catechins.

These help maintain the correct amount of cholesterol required by the body.

Mr Winnefeld added: "This plant extract is an ideal natural source to modulate the adipocyte life cycle at different stages and to induce anti-obesity effects."

Medical breakthrough! Help for chemo side effects

By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Logo for Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

A research and development company has announced a new treatment for cancer patients that has been shown in trials to reduce dramatically the hardship from side effects of chemotherapy, allowing a more normal life while the body engages cancer in a war.

Officials for Pro-Pharmaceuticals Inc. told WND that some patients given their Davanat product have seen significant improvements even during treatments that otherwise had been marred by side effects such as weakness, mucositis, low blood counts and other typical secondary problems.

"Our goal is to improve the clinical benefit for patients by extending their survival, improving their quality of life and reducing the rising costs of health care. The data from the cancer patients in our clinical trials indicates Davanat improves efficacy and reduces the side effects associated with chemotherapy regimens," company CEO Theodore Zucconi said in a recent statement about a clinical trials update.

George Macricostas, a businessman and company investor, told WND his wife benefitted greatly from the treatment before she eventually succumbed to cancer last year.

Macricostas, whose financial involvement with the company started before his wife began treatments with Davanat and expanded later, said she had had difficulties with traditional chemotherapy treatments because they caused her blood count to plummet.

She discontinued a low dose of chemotherapy in late 2007 because her blood work was so bad, he reported.

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Another attempt at the treatment was begun in February 2008, but after two days at a 20 percent dose of the Insulin Potentiated Therapy his wife, Beth, needed two units of blood.

Then permission was obtained to use the Davanat in combination with chemo, and he reported on the sudden change.

"Beth did not need any more blood transfusions after March 2008, and she was able to discontinue her Procrit shots in June 2008, as her body was able to tolerate the treatment thanks to the Davanat protecting her health cells," he said in a report.

She also was able to discontinue use of painkillers, and even though one tumor had caused a hairline fracture in her hip socket, creating considerable pain and requiring her to use a walker, the fracture healed. She was able to walk without even a cane within weeks of beginning the treatment.

The hospital bed was returned to the rental company, and "Beth was able to take Advil for slight pain and discomfort," Macricostas reported.

She even drove to go shopping and to visit relatives 120 miles away, he said.

Beth eventually succumbed to a new cancer in her liver that had been undetected earlier, he said.

The company says Davanat works by using carbohydrates to bind to lectins on tumor cells, but not lectins on surrounding healthy tissue, and carry with it the lethal chemicals that attack the cancer in chemotherapy.

"Proteins on the surface of all cells, including cancer cells, are able to attach to certain kinds of carbohydrates. These carbohydrate receptors, known technically as 'lectins,' are very specific: a given lectin will bind only a particular kind of carbohydrate," the company explains.

"Davanat is formulated to attach to lectins on tumor cells rather than the lectins on surrounding healthy tissue," it says.

Since 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted permission for some patients to use the investigational drug under special cases.

Macricostas told WND as a result of the chemotherapy treatment, possible because of the minimization of the side effects, he and his wife saw "the scans all going in the right directions. … Anything visible was shrinking, a number of them had disappeared completely."

In a company announcement just days ago, Pro-Pharmaceuticals said a review of data from Phase One and Two clinical trials revealed no mucositis or serious adverse events from among 100 patients treated with Davanat in combination with chemo.

Up to 40 percent of cancer patients being treated with the 5-FU type of chemotherapy get the side effect, which is characterized by intestinal tissue destruction throughout the GI tract, including painful mouth ulcerations and severe gastrointestinal symptoms interfering with nutrition and treatment.

Since there are no currently effective treatments, patients suffering debilitating mouth sores may need morphine or other narcotics to deal with it.

But with Davanat, there were no "events," even in patients with more than 100 cycles of treatments with 5-FU and Davanat.

A statement a month earlier from the company said a trial revealed that the combination of treatments for end-stage colorectal cancer patients extended median survival by 29 weeks after all other treatments were exhausted.

Board chairman Jim Czirr told WND the basic procedure of the treatment puts more of the treatment chemicals in the tumor and less in the liver, kidney or lungs.

"The incredible irony here is after keeping a hideously toxic chemical in a patient's blood three times longer, there are huge decreases in side effects," he said.

Dr. Peter Traber, president emeritus of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told WND he joined the board of Pro-Pharmaceuticals only recently, at least partly because of the potential he sees for the treatment.

Since chemo treatments address rapidly dividing cells, they frequently attack the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, which is lined with the cells. The result is side effects ranging from mouth sores to nausea to vomiting and diarrhea.

"It's a significant problem in cancer patients," he told WND. "There's a lot of discomfort."

A treatment that reduces the impact on the GI tract, he said, "can be very beneficial with more chemo targeting the cancer while protecting the tissues."

---

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---

Bob Unruh is a news editor for WorldNetDaily.com.

Long-Acting Byetta Tops Two Other Diabetes Drugs in Direct Comparison

Results from DURATION-2, a 26-week test comparing the diabetic drugs Januvia, Actos, and experimental long-acting Byetta (Byetta LAR) show that Byetta produced lower A1c's and more weight loss than the other two drugs.

Sponsored by Byetta's co-manufacturers, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Eli Lilly and Co., the randomized, double-blind study tracked 491 type 2 patients over a six-month period. Patients received either Byetta LAR (exenatide), Januvia (the brand name for Merck & Co., Inc.'s sitagliptin), or Actos (the brand name for Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd's pioglitazone).

Patients taking Byetta LAR reduced their baseline A1c by 1.7%, compared to 1.4% for patients on Actos and 1.0% for those on Januvia.

Over the 26 weeks, Byetta LAR recipients lost an average of 6.2 pounds, versus a 1.9-pound loss for Januvia patients. Those on Actos experienced a weight gain that averaged 7.4 pounds.

Researchers conducting the study said that in general, the patients were not obese, a factor that made the weight loss associated with Byetta impressive.

The most common adverse responses for both Byetta LAR and Januvia patients were nausea and diarrhea. Actos users reported upper respiratory tract infection and peripheral edema as the most common side effects.

One crucial result was that there were no reported cases of pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas among Byetta LAR patients in the study. Among the estimated 700,000 users of the current version of Byetta, a twice-daily drug that has been on the market for four years, there have been 30 reported incidents of pancreatitis, including six fatalities. Although there is no evidence that the drug caused the disease, the FDA made Amylin and Lilly rewrite the warning labels on the drug.

The possible connection between Byetta use and pancreatitis has also made FDA scrutiny of Byetta LAR more intense. The drug, which is now before the agency for marketing approval, uses injectable time-release capsules to provide a continuous does of the drug over a seven-day period.

Byetta's makers are hoping that the long-acting form of the drug will nudge sales, which have been flat over the past year, by appealing to users who want the convenience of once-a-week injections instead of having to remember to inject the drug every morning and evening at mealtimes.

Sex and Diabetes

Welcome to Diabetes Health's new column on sex and diabetes, by David Spero RN and Aisha Kassahoun. Once a month, we'll publish questions submitted by our readers, along with David and Aisha's responses. Send your questions to love@diabeteshealth.com and watch for their answers to appear in this column.

Dear David and Aisha,

My husband was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes seven years ago and put on oral medication. We've had some sexual problems since then, and lately there has been no sex at all. He says that he doesn't want it or need it. We had a very good sex life before this. What can I do? I think we all need intimacy in our lives. At least I do. I don't feel that it is fair to me to be left high and dry, and I want to do something to help him.

High and Dry in Tennessee

Dear H and D,

Yours is a sad and very common story. Diabetes can impact our sex and love lives physically and emotionally. But there are ways of maintaining and even improving sex and intimacy with diabetes.

Here are some possibilities to consider:

• How good is your husband's diabetes control? High sugars can drag a person down so he doesn't feel like doing anything physical, including sex. If his glucose is up, he probably won't be down for loving.

• How physically active is he otherwise? Maybe he needs to get his body moving. Exercise can make him feel more positive, improve his blood sugar control, and increase his sexual desire.

• He might be depressed. Is he being treated for that, and if so, how? Depression kills desire, and sometimes antidepressant medicines (especially the SSRIs) can knock out sex drive. Blood pressure medicines can also have sexual side effects.

• Quite possibly he is reacting to erection problems by withdrawing, without admitting that's the reason. Diabetes can make erections (and lubrication in women) more difficult. Some men will say "I don't want to" when they really mean "I'm afraid I can't."

• His testosterone level may be low. Many men and women with diabetes are low in testosterone and consequently have low sex drive.

• Other relationship issues and other emotions might be involved. There may be anger, grief, fear, or disagreements in your lives that interfere with his wanting you. These feelings could be his, yours, or both of yours.

Read More....

Health Buzz: Fitness Ball Recall and Other Health News

Fitness

Balls Recalled Because of Risk of Injury

New York-based EB Brands has recalled about 3 million fitness balls because they may suddenly burst while being used after overinflation, and that can cause people using a ball to fall and injure themselves, the Associated Press reports. Forty-seven incidents have been logged so far of the balls bursting unexpectedly, resulting in one fracture and many bruises. The balls are 55, 65, and 75 centimeters in diameter and come in various colors. They are labeled with a Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, or Valeo logo, according to the AP. The balls were sold by department stores and fitness retailers from May 2000 to February 2009 for between $15 and $30. Consumers who own the balls can get updated safe inflation instructions online or can call EB Brands at (800) 624-5671 in order to have a copy of the instructions sent to them.

Read More.........

OPINION: Health care in the offing

Of all President Barack Obama's transformative domestic policy proposals, none is more far-reaching and less transparent than health care. What most Washington policy people mean when they talk about his health care proposal was described in the first two paragraphs of Robert Pear's meticulous article in The New York Times on April 1:

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When Doctors Opt Out

Here's something that has gotten lost in the drive to institute universal health insurance: Health insurance doesn't automatically lead to health care. And with more and more doctors dropping out of one insurance plan or another, especially government plans, there is no guarantee that you will be able to see a physician no matter what coverage you have.

Consider that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reported in 2008 that 28% of Medicare beneficiaries looking for a primary care physician had trouble finding one, up from 24% the year before. The reasons are clear: A 2008 survey by the Texas Medical Association, for example, found that only 38% of primary-care doctors in Texas took new Medicare patients. The statistics are similar in New York state, where I practice medicine.

Read More..........

Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Inflammation

Vitamin D deficiency, already blamed for retarding immune function and cardiovascular health and increasing cancer risk, also may be tied to inflammation, a negative response of the immune system, in healthy women.

Increased concentrations of serum TNF-?, an inflammatory marker, were found in women who had insufficient vitamin D levels, according to a University of Missouri nutritional sciences researcher has found that vitamin D deficiency. This study is the first to find an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and concentrations of TNF-? in a healthy, non-diseased population. This may explain the vitamin's role in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases, including heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

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Spray for 'six times longer' sex

A spray can help men with premature ejaculation problems prolong the length of time they have sex by six times.

Men who used the treatment five minutes before having intercourse extended their love-making from half a minute to almost four minutes, trials showed.

The spray, developed at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, contains local anaesthetics that numb the penis.

A British Journal of Urology International study says it could be available in the next couple of years.

Up to 40% of men experience premature ejaculation at some time in their lives, experts estimate.

Read More..........