Popular Supplements Glucosamine and Chondroitin No Good for Arthritis

Popular dietary supplements – glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate – proved no better than placebos in treating people suffering from osteoarthritis, a two years study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism revealed.

The study is a follow-up to a large 2006 National Institutes of Health-funded study, which was designed to look whether supplements did a better job than sugar pills or the arthritis pain medication Celebrex in reducing pain in osteoarthritis patients. But the study found no improvement in those given supplements. The study was called GAIT (Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial) and was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006.

At the end of the study, the researchers continued to watch 572 volunteers for another 18 months and found the supplements did not appear to slow the loss of cartilage, taken either alone or together. More exactly, arthritis worsened in 24 percent of participants taking both, similar to those taking placebo.

“We don’t have good evidence that it (glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate combination) slows (disease) progression,” rheumatologist Allen Sawitzke, professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah and head investigator, said.

The study comes like a slap in the face of supplements’ makers. The combination glucosamine – chondroitin sulfate is the sixth-top-selling dietary supplement in the United States, with annual sales of $831 million last year, according to the “Nutrition Business Journal.”

However, Dr. Sawitzke said he would neither encourage nor discourage patients from taking the supplements.

"We didn't run into safety issues, so if a patient wants to try them, I don't see a reason to say no. But I can't recommend it; there's no supportive data that says it works," he said.

According to the most recent figures made public by the Arthritis Foundation, osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, currently affects 27 million of the 46 million people in the United States with arthritis. In addition, one in two Americans are at risk for knee osteoarthritis over their lifetime.

Osteoarthritis (OA), also called osteoarthroses or degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis. OA is a chronic condition characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage. Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of the bones and allows easy movement of joints. The breakdown of cartilage causes the bones to rub against each other, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint. OA typically affects only certain joints, such as the hips, hands, knees, low back and neck. After the age of 50, women are more often affected by OA than men. There are not known cause of OA but certain factors such as heredity, overweight, joint injury, repeated overuse of certain joints, lack of physical activity, nerve injury and aging increase the risk of developing OA.

Arthritis and related conditions, such as OA, cost the U.S. economy nearly $128 billion per year in medical care and indirect expenses, including lost wages and productivity.

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FDA: No Lou Gehrig's disease risk with statins

An analysis of dozens of studies found the widely used statin cholesterol drugs do not increase the risk of Lou Gehrig's disease, U.S. health officials said on Monday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it reviewed 41 long-term controlled clinical trials after receiving a higher- than-expected number of reports of Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in patients who were treated with the cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Millions of people around the world take statins, including Pfizer Inc's Lipitor and AstraZeneca Plc's Crestor.

FDA researchers found that nine out of about 64,000 patients treated with statins were diagnosed with ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease, during long-term clinical trials. That compared with 10 of 56,000 patients who got placebos.

"The results show no increased incidence of the disease in patients treated with a statin compared with placebo," an FDA statement said.

Dr. Mark Avigan, director of pharmacovigilance in the FDA's drug center, said the finding was "reassuring," but added that "given the extensive use of this class of drugs and the serious nature of ALS, continued study of this issue is warranted."

Results from another study by researchers at Stanford University and the health insurer Kaiser Permanente should be available in six to nine months, the FDA said. The agency also is considering additional studies of its own.

The FDA analysis was published in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.

AstraZeneca spokeswoman Donna Huang said the company's own monitoring and reviews of medical literature "has not identified a causal relationship between ALS and the use of Crestor." More than 13 million patients worldwide have been prescribed the drug, she said.  

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Pistachios are Heart Healthy

Going green may be heart healthy if the green you choose is pistachio nuts, according to researchers at Penn State who conducted the first study to investigate the way pistachios lower cholesterol.

"We investigated mechanisms of action to explain the cholesterol-lowering effects of the pistachio diets," says Sarah K. Gebauer, recent Penn State Ph.D. recipient, currently a post-doctoral research associate, USDA Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center.

The researchers conducted a randomized, crossover design, controlled feeding experiment to test the effects of pistachios added to a heart healthy moderate-fat diet on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Controlled feeding experiments provide all the food eaten by study subjects for the duration of the study segment.

The participants began the study by eating a typical American diet consisting of 35 percent total fat and 11 percent saturated fat for two weeks. They then tested three diets for four weeks each with about a two-week break between each diet. All three diets were variations on the Step I Diet, a cholesterol-lowering diet in general use. The diets included, as a control, a Step I Diet with no pistachios and about 25 percent total fat and 8 percent saturated fat. The pistachio enhanced diets were Step I Diets with 10 and 20 percent of the energy supplied by pistachio nuts, respectively. The 10 percent pistachio diet had 30 percent total fat and 8 percent saturated fat and the 20 percent pistachio diet had 34 percent total fat and 8 percent saturated fat.

The participants ate half their pistachios as a snack and the rest incorporated into meals.

The researchers report in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that "Inclusion of pistachios in a healthy diet beneficially affects cardiovascular disease risk factors in a dose-dependent manner, which may reflect effects on Stearoyl CoA Desaturase (SCD). " The researchers used the ratio of two fatty acids, 16:1 and 16:0 in plasma as a marker for SCD, an enzyme that is involved in the body's synthesis of fatty acids.

"SCD is an important enzyme involved in cholesterol metabolism," says Gebauer.

They found the ratio of 16:1/16:0 was significantly lower, suggesting a decrease in SCD activity, after eating the 20 percent energy pistachio diet compared to the control diet which had no pistachios. Also, the change in the 16:1/16:0 ratio was correlated with the change in cholesterol, suggesting that SCD activity may contribute to the lipid-lowering effects of pistachios. That, accompanied by the dose-dependent effects of the pistachios, begins to unravel the way in which pistachios improve cardiovascular health.

Compared to the control diet, the 20 percent pistachio diet lowered LDL cholesterol -- bad cholesterol -- about 12 percent and the 10 percent energy pistachio diet lowered LDL cholesterol by 9 percent that suggests a 9 to 12 percent decrease in coronary heart disease risk. The relationships of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol may be more powerful predictors of cardiovascular risk. The effects of the 10 and 20 percent energy diets showed a dose dependent effect on these ratios.

However, the researchers note that the reduction in LDL cholesterol observed was seven times greater than would be expected from only the fatty acid profile of pistachios. They suggest that the lipid lowering effects not only reflect the fatty acid profile of the diet, but also are the result of other bioactive substances in pistachios, perhaps phytosterols and fiber.

"Our study has shown that pistachios, eaten with a heart healthy diet, may decrease a person's CVD risk profile, says Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition and primary investigator of the study."

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Melamine found in sauce packets from Taiwan's Pizza Hut

Taipei - Pizza Hut restaurants in Taiwan stopped giving away cheese sauce packets Thursday night after the toxic chemical melamine was found in them, the Central New Agency (CNA) reportedMore...

Statins Harm Skeletal Muscles

A new study confirms that cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) have adverse effects on skeletal muscles, which are the muscles that allow the body to move. The study, conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, found that statin drugs cause muscle cramping, fatigue, and potential myopathy (weakness).More..

Brits Say No Ritalin for Tots

Parents should be taught how to cope with hyperactive youngsters and Ritalin should only be prescribed as a last resort and never given to the under-fives, a health watchdog said Wednesday.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued new guidelines on how to cope with unruly youngsters suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The disorder affects 365,000 children in Britain, and youngsters with ADHD are easily distracted, forgetful and have difficulty keeping still.

Doctors have prescribed Ritalin -- which can cause insomnia, weight loss, nausea and an erratic heartbeat -- to 37,000 children, but NICE says parents should instead be taught how to create a structured home environment, encourage attentiveness and deal properly with misbehaviour.

NICE -- which examines the cost-effectiveness of particular treatments by the NHS -- said drugs still remain the first option for children over five with severe ADHD, but only as part of a broad treatment plan.

"Quite commonly, people tend to revert to offering methylphenidate or atomoxetene...because the child has got what appears to be ADHD and that's what's available," said Tim Kendall -- the joint director of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health which assisted NICE in framing the new guidelines.

"Its easier to prescribe a drug when other options like parent training programmes are not available," he added.

The ADHD charity ADDISS questioned the new guidelines.

"Parenting programmes are extremely important, but they need to be specific for ADHD. The ones that NICE are recommending were designed for the parents of children with conduct disorder, which is completely different from ADHD," said ADDISS chief executive Andrea Bilbow.

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Chlorinated Pools Boost Asthma Risk 5 Times

Swimming in outdoor chlorinated pools appears to increase the odds a child will develop asthma, Belgian researchers said on Thursday. ..more...

Herbal Remedy May Be Natural Viagra

Move over, Viagra! Researchers in Italy report that an ancient Chinese herbal remedy known as “horny goat weed” shows potential in lab studies as source for new future drugs to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). The study, which provides scientific evidence supporting the herb’s well-known use as a natural aphrodisiac, is scheduled for the October 24 issue of ACS’ Journal of Natural Products, a monthly publication.

In the new study, Mario Dell’Agli and colleagues point out that Viagra (sildenafil) and several other prescription drugs are now available for ED, or male impotence. ED affects an estimated 18 million men in the United States alone. Studies show, however, that these drugs may cause side effects such as headache, facial flushing, stomach upset, and visual disturbances.

To find better treatments, the scientists studied herbal extracts reputed to improve sexual performance. Scientists exposed the substances to an enzyme that controls blood flow to the penis and whose inhibition results in an erection. Of the extracts tested, “horny goat weed” was the most potent inhibitor of the enzyme. By chemical modification of icariin, the active ingredient purified from the extract, the scientists obtained a derivative with activity similar to Viagra and a potential for fewer side effects because it targeted the protein more precisely than sildenafil.

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Why God Wants Us To Fast on the Day of Atonement

And other days as well!

Why would God want us to fast, and is fasting any good for us even to do? God commanded HIS people to fast at least once a year on the Day of Atonement, but are we do follow the old Law? Does fasting, and the Day of Atonement apply to modern Christians today?

The benefits of fasting:

Almost every expert admits that fasting of some sort is good for the human body and many studies make a claim that persons that fast live longer, healthier and happier lives. The physical exhilaration during the fasting, produces a sensation of delight in most sections of the body. A person feels more pleasure in fasting than in eating food. One begins feeling a  dislike for food. So, people that fast appear calm, contented and happy from the start of their fasts, because they feel restful. Most individuals feel very little to no pain during fasting. There are some patients that fasting could be harmful for. They are the weak, elderly and sick. God wants us all to fast, but accepts any type of fast that we can do. GOD READS OUR HEARTS and not our bellies. Do the best you can do for your condition and God will reward you.

However, many researches have shown that weak persons should not be afraid of fasting, because their weight will increase rather than decrease. The weight of such persons can be increased by giving them a little food during the fasts. Therefore, it is incorrect to infer that fasting benefits just  obese persons. Occasionally, weakness is experienced during the fasts, because the ordinary bodily processes that are slightly blocked. The organs and the tissues of the body have an chance to rest during the fasting. Therefore, they, too, work slowly. The heart throbs at a slower rate, blood circulation is slower, breathing is less, and the muscles of the body reduce their work. Especially, the tired, sick body feels relief and rests. This is the desired condition. The body regains its full strength, after it is cleansed. The feeling of energy is experienced after the fasts, long before the food intake is started. This is why, a little weakness for a few days should not be considered when compared with the physical advantages accrued through the fasts. Your doctor can help you on this. (Source:www.healthguidance.org/authors/371/Krishan-Bakhru)

Persons that are addicted to alcoholic drinks or smoking and those who always take very spicy foods, feel many more troubles in the early days of fasting. In the absence of such things which they have to skip, they feel nervous, angry, etc. Furthermore, they vomit and do not sleep well. Uneasiness and pain is felt in the body. They suffer from severe head­ache. This painful situation does exist for some days. Therefore, it is not proper to be apprehensive about it and break the fast. After some days the situation changes and the patient returns to his normal condition.

Herbert Armstrong wrote some sixty years ago: "First, its connection with PHYSICAL HEALTH. Most people have come to believe today that it is NATURAL for people to be sick. THAT IS NOT TRUE! Sickness and disease is not natural, or accidental, but caused in every case by destructive habits. Sickness and disease cannot be eradicated until good habits -- living according to NATURE'S LAWS as set in motion by Creator -- are substituted for bad ones. Bad habits of thought may be a contributing cause to sickness and disease or impaired health. Insufficient exercise, lack of drinking enough pure water, lack of deep breathing of fresh air, lack of sunshine, lack of sleep, faulty elimination, often contribute to poor health. But above all WRONG FOOD is the great outstanding cause. Few people realize this. Doctors seldom tell people this vital truth. Yet the nation's most famous physicians and surgeons -- men like Dr. McCollum of Johns Hopkins, the famous Mayo brothers, Dr. Sherman -- later Senator Sherman of New York, Dr. Kellogg and others -- estimate that from 90 to 95 of all sickness and disease are caused by faulty diet. Dietitians have exclaimed that the average American table is a dietetic horror! People eat things they would never thing of feeding their cows or their dogs. God has revealed to us which animal meats He created to be properly digestible in the human stomach, Leviticus 11. Some day we will learn to our astonishment that the eating of filthy swine's flesh has been a major cause of cancer, fast becoming the nation's number one killer! I want, as soon as we can enlarge The PLAIN TRUTH to 16 pages or more, to have an interesting, vigorous article every month on FOOD, and on sickness, disease, and the laws of health. We can SIN physically as well as spiritually. We sin physically by breaking nature's laws -- the laws of God established for physical health. The penalty of this physical sinning is sickness, suffering, pain, and often the first death. The penaltyfor spiritual sin -- the transgression of God's great spiritual Law, summed up in the Ten Commandments -- is ETERNAL death -- the second death. Jesus continually HEALED THE SICK. When He healed, He said "Go and SIN NO MORE." He was speaking of violating the physical laws of health. Just as the repentant sinner who is converted thru Christ is commanded to turn away from sin and quit sinning (transgressing God's Law), so if we look to God for healing we should try to learn in what manner we have been violating God's physical health laws, and CORRECT OUR LIVING! It is BECAUSE men for untold generations have been living incorrectly, violating these precious health laws. And increasingly so these past four or five generations, that we are a degenerate generation today"

In the beginning of the fasts, some physical changes do occur, depending in each individual. Some times a heaviness in tongue is felt, bad smell may be given out from the mouth or breathing, teeth may be sticky. Symptoms of fever may be felt in the mouth, tongue, breathing, etc. Usually this occurs in fast longer than 24 hours. Many Christians fast for two days, sometimes three days at a time, but unless you are Moses, or Jesus, I would limit the time to a day or two at most if you choose not to drink water. I know some Christians who fast for a week at a time, but they do take in water, and some even vitamin waters.

Urination during the fasts is routine but the color of the urine may change after a few hours and some hardship may be felt in passing the urine. The urine of some patients is dark in color and foul-smelling. From this change in urination, it can be concluded that the kidneys have to overwork for cleansing the accumulated waste. This waste is being thrown out through the urine. When the cleansing is complete, the urine assumes its normal color and form. Important cells of the body have to utilize the nutritive substances stored in advance. They get energized from these substances only and cleanse the body quickly. As the unwanted cells are destroyed, the excess weight of the body, is reduced quickly. This weight loss is also considered as a cleansing programme. At the same time symptoms of health improvement are also observed. (source:http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/4803/1/Benefits-of-Fasting.html)

The physical excitement during the fasting, creates a feeling of joy in most parts of the body. A person feels more pleasure in fasting thanin taking food. He starts feeling a natural dislike for food. Therefore, these types of patients appear calm, contented and cheerful from the start of their fasts, because they feel very restful. Most people feel very little pain during the fasts. (source:http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/4803/1/Benefits-of-Fasting.html)

People who are addicted to alcoholic drinks or smoking and those who always take very spicy foods, feel many more troubles in the early days of fasting. In the absence of such things which they have to skip, they feel nervous, angry, etc. and they vomit and do not sleep well. Uneasiness and pain is felt in the body. They suffer from severe head­ache. This painful situation does exist for some days. Therefore, it is not proper to be apprehensive about it and break the fast. After some days the situation changes and the patient returns to his normal condition. (source:http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/4803/1/Benefits-of-Fasting.html)


Some people start worrying about fasting in advance. Such people imagine the pain, produced during the cleansing of the body during the fast, to be far greater than the real one. But all these troubles do not occur in all the stages of fasting. Very few such examples of pain are seen. There is no rule about it. Most of the people are not found suffering from such little troubles. Sometimes, the cleansing process of the body is completed without any trouble. If some painful situation arises sometime, it should be welcomed warmly, because it is surely for the well-being of the patient.

Sometimes, some boils or pimples are seen on the skin during fasting, but it should also be considered as a result of the cleansing process. Sometimes giddiness is felt and may result in swooning. The heart-throbs increase and other such symptoms are seen but we should not be frightened. There is no danger in this situation. (Source:www.healthguidance.org/authors/371/Krishan-Bakhru)

Finally, I will allow our readers to think for themselves about fasting and following the Day of Atonement. Know this, the early church fasted often and always on the Day of Atonement : Acts 27:9
Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast.SoPaul warnedthem, (THE FAST means Day of Atonement!) It is a personal decision, so get your Bible out and look at these verses. In fact, I put quick links in most of the to make it easier!

Isaiah 58:6
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

1 Kings 21:9
In those letters shewrote: "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people.

2 Kings 18:6
He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses.

Isaiah 58:4
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Matthew 4:2
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Matthew 6:16
[ Fasting ] "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 9:14 [Jesus Questioned About Fasting ]Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

Luke 2:37
and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

Luke 5:35
But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."
Acts 13:2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Acts 13:3
So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Does Monthly Fasting Help Your Heart?

People who skip meals once a month are 40 percent less likely to have clogged arteries as those who do not fast regularly, according to Utah researchers. About 70 percent of Utah’s population are Mormons, who fast during the first Sunday of each month. Religion, however, was not behind the benefits of fasting. Even non-Mormons who skipped food occasionally were less likely to have clogged arteries. The study came about after researchers discovered that only 61 percent of Mormons had heart disease compared with 66 percent of non-Mormons. After surveying 515 people about Mormon’s typical religious practices, which included a weekly day of rest, not drinking alcohol or smoking, donating time and money to charity, avoiding tea and coffee, and monthly fasting, only fasting made a significant difference in heart risk. Only 59 percent of those who skipped meals regularly were diagnosed with heart disease, compared with 67 percent of non-fasters. The researchers suggested that periodic fasting forces your body to burn fat and also gives it a break from making insulin to metabolize sugar. Fasting may therefore help to resensitize insulin-producing cells and make them work better.

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