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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>