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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 30 July, 2008
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I never know how these newsletters are going to turn out.
Some weeks it's mostly medical and others - like this
one - it's mostly natural news. There's a couple of warnings
in here for women at both ends of the reproductive cycle,
and I am raising the flag for one of our commonest and most
underrated vegetables. Also I have included for the first
time a reader's tip that I thought it would be helpful to
pass on. If you have anything you think would be helpful
to other readers, then just email me. I look forward to
hearing from and I wish you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- VITAL VEG - THE DYNAMIC DUO
- PETS AND PREGNANCY - A WARNING
- OSTEOPOROSIS DRUGS QUESTIONMARK
- OH REALLY?
- READER'S TIP
VITAL VEG - THE DYNAMIC DUO
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Cabbage is not everyone's favourite food - shades of
school dinners and that terrible lingering smell as it
boiled away all morning - and celery, too, can be an
acquired taste you either love or loathe, but these
two vegetables can immeasurably improve your health.
Here are some of the really good reasons to include
cabbage in your diet on a regular basis:
On a diet? An average portion is around 15 calories,
so it can help you lose weight, while feeling full. It
is also full of vitamin C which many believe helps your
cells to burn fat.
It contains phytonutrients that help protect you
from the free radicals (cancer causing agents) that
can damage your cell walls.
Helps to clean and detox your liver of impurities
by stimulating the production of the antioxidant glutathione.
The lactic acid in it can help disinfect your colon to
inhibit growth of bacteria.
Promotes healthy, glowing skin because of the amounts
of vitamin E it contains.
Keeps your eyes healthy with a good dose of vitamin A.
All that applies to the white and green cabbage varieties,
however if you add in some red cabbage you will be getting
a bonus in the form of anthocyanin, an antioxidant which
is responsible for its red colour. However it's not there
just to make it look good alongside your Lancashire hotpot,
the traditional accompaniment to this winter dish. It has
several vital roles to play in supporting your mental health
as it helps protect your brain cells, and this is the reason
many scientists now believe it could have a role in the fight
against Alzheimer's. Again, like it's green cousins, it can
also help if you are dieting as anthocyanins also have potential
as 'fat-fighters', according to a Japanese study carried out
in February 2008. They reported that the antioxidants in red
cabbage could help tackle metabolic syndrome (MetS), which
can cause obesity, hypertension, and insulin problems.
Enough about cabbage - what about celery? In my childhood
it appeared in water in a cut glass jug to accompany Sunday
tea and I avoided it like the plague. Now, I enjoy it on a
daily basis - more later. So what is celery good for? Well
more good news for dieters, as it can help suppress your
appetite and that can help you slim. If you are an anxious
type then celery can be useful as it has a calming effect
on the central nervous system. Celery contains 'pthalides',
compounds which can help relax your artery muscles, and
have an effect on lowering your blood pressure - always a
good idea if you are anxious, and those same compounds
also reduce your levels of stress hormone, which help keep
your blood vessels relaxed and open. It's the leaves,
rather than the stalks that contain the biggest concentration
of the pthalides, so chop finely and add to salads, don't
just eat the crisp stem.
BUT I DON'T LIKE THEM!
I promised an easy way to eat these two vital veg, and I
will let you into a secret. I really don't like eating
vegetables at all. There are a favoured few, but mainly
I count potatoes as my only 'much-loved' vegetable. But,
I know how important it is to get those nutrients, so I
juice my vegetables instead. The quickest way to get
the benefits of cabbage is to drink 25-50 ml of fresh,
raw cabbage juice each day. This is based on research
done in the early 1950s by Dr Garnett Cheney who found
that peptic ulcer patients who drank 4 glasses of raw
cabbage juice daily quickened the healing process and
relieved the pain. A quarter of an average cabbage will
give you that amount, throw in some celery with the
leaves and you have an amazing cocktail. If you want
it a little sweeter pop in a carrot. You can juice
pretty much anything and everything, and there are
some great juice recipe books on the market - please
try to use organic veg where possible and drink the
juice the second you have made it - don't let it stand
or it will start to oxidise on contact with the air
and it doesn't look very pretty either. I start the
day usually by juicing an apple, a carrot, couple
sticks of celery, half a grapefruit and a piece of
ginger. If you haven't time for breakfast, then that
will really set you up.
PETS AND PREGNANCY - A WARNING
A new study shows that pregnant women who use flea and
tick shampoos on pets may double the risk of autism in
their children. This preliminary finding comes from the
Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment
study (CHARGE) - a case-control study from the University
of California Davis, in the US.
The results are part of an ongoing research project which
is following 2,000 children - some with autism, some with
developmental delay, and some with typical development -
and compares individual genetic patterns with exposure to
medications, chemicals, food products, and other
environmental factors.
It is believed that it is pyrethrins , commonly used
chemicals in insecticides, that may play a role in
triggering autism in certain children. Pyrethrins are
extracted from Chrysanthemum flowers and are regarded
as low in toxicity and there are commercial pyrethrum
formulas that are considered safe to use in food preparation
areas where flies and other insects can be found. One other
product where Pyrethrins are widely used is in lice-
control shampoos for humans and pets.
As I mentioned earlier, this is only a preliminary study
but it would be a sensible precaution for pregnant women
to avoid contact with lice-control shampoos. Let someone
else shampoo the dog, or look for shampoos that treat lice
naturally with ingredients such as tea tree oil, and not
pyrethrins.
OSTEOPOROSIS DRUGS QUESTIONMARK
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Some years ago I set up the Natural Progesterone Information
Service to provide women with the latest news on natural
hormones rather than synthetic ones such as HRT. One of
the things that John Lee talked a lot about all those years
ago was how in his opinion the biphosphonate drugs given for
osteoporosis were actually weakening the bone rather than
helping to build it. He had seen great results with women
using natural progesterone to build bone density, though
the medical profession did not accept that progesterone
could work more effectively than the drugs. Now after all
these years, more questions have emerged about whether
long-term use of bone-building drugs for osteoporosis
may actually lead to weaker bones in a small number of
people who use them. Case reports show an unusual fracture
pattern in people who have used bone-building drugs, the
biphosphonates, for five years or more.
If you are taking such drugs please ensure you are also
having regular bone scans to check your progess and it
would be worth looking at your diet and natural supplements
that can help build bone such as horsetail and silica. If
you would like information on natural progesterone for
osteoporosis and HRT replacement (I no longer have any
connection with the service since I gave up running it)
you can obtain a booklet from the Natural Progesterone
Information Service, tel: 07000 784849 or visit their
website at www.npis.info. Wellspring Trading in Guernsey
also have an excellent free booklet on natural progesterone
cream which is written by my good friend and colleague,
Dr Shirley Bond - a private GP who specialises in hormone
therapy for women. Wellspring's telephone number is -
01481 233 370.
OH REALLY?
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This week's winner in the 'how did they get money to research
that' contest comes from a recent study, which appeared in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. I know you are going
to struggle to believe this, but apparently watching too much
TV is associated with poor health, in particular, lack of weight
loss and an increased risk of excess weight/obesity. Oh really?
The researchers looked at a group of young adults aged 26-36
and assessed them for waist size, TV viewing time, amount of
food and drink consumed during TV viewing, and physical
activity levels during leisure time.
I want to help you here, so be aware that if you want to reduce
your waistline, then reduce your tv hours first. Apparently,
women who watched 3 or more hours a day had an 89% increased
risk of severe obesity compared to those watching 1 hour of TV
a day or less. Unfairly, it seems to me, men get off more
lightly - but that is still no excuse for hanging on to the
remote. Men watching 3 or more hours of TV a day were more
than twice as likely to have moderate obesity compared to
those watching 1 hour of TV a day or less.
You might have thought this would be offset by what people
did in their spare time, but it seems not to have been the
case. Whether you rollerblade or sit and watch the world go
by is not particularly influential when compared to how much
tv you watch. There is also the fact that watching tv is
also associated with snacking, not generally on carrot and
celery sticks, so that could also be a factor. TV turns
the mind off, which turns off the mind/body connection and
the internal desire to eat healthy food, and someone who
watches a lot of television is more likely to be influenced
by advertisements, which generally encourage you to eat more
of the sweets/crisps/chocolates rather than healthier options.
READER'S TIP
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I am always on the lookout for healthy news, and I was sent an
email from Karen Hopwood which reminded me about a very old
fashioned remedy indeed. When I was a child and had a cold my
mother would apply lashings of Vick's vapour rub to my chest
and cover it with a red flannel liberty bodice. A sticky
concoction, but it seemed to do the trick.
Karen has a slightly different take on it, and I will let
her tell it to you in her own words. "When my eldest son was
a baby he caught a cold which was very heavy and I was really
worried. Nothing the doctor gave me seemed to clear the cold.
A Jamaican lady I worked with suggested I try putting Vicks
Vapourub on his feet and then putting cotton socks on him.
I did it and he was much better the next morning. I then
caught the cold and she suggested I do the same thing but
added that I should drink some hot Ribena with a slug of
black rum in it as well. It does make you sweat but you
are much better the next day. It really works!"
Not sure of the medicinal effect of the rum and Ribena,
but it undoubtedly worked for Karen - and probably would
cheer you up in the midst of your cold!
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I hope you have found this information useful, but do remember
I am not a doctor and cannot give you medical advice, so please
always take appropriate action by consulting your own medical
advisor if you have concerns about any aspect of your health.
Please feel free to pass on any of this information to your
friends, or suggest they sign up for the newsletter themselves
at my website.
Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk
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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 23 July, 2008
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Interesting news this week for ex-smokers, and those
who wish they were. The dangers of high cholesterol
levels are rarely out of the news, but there is another
side to the story that you might find interesting. The
bird flu scare has died down, but not gone away and there
is a race on to find the most effective vaccine so here's
the latest update, plus hope for those of you wandering
the supermarket aisles bedazzled by the variety of juices
on sale - I let you in on a secret, there is only one that
has been extensively tested and proved to do exactly what
it says on the box!
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- DRAMATIC DECREASE IN LUNG CANCER RISK FOR SMOKERS
- WHY LOW CHOLESTEROL IS NOT ALWAYS A GOOD THING
- AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE FOR BIRD FLU?
- THE MOST EFFECTIVE ANTIOXIDANT JUICE - HONEST
GIVEN UP SMOKING? TAKE UP GARDENING!
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If you know anyone who has recently given up smoking, or
is thinking of doing so, then there is some great news
on a really substantial benefit if they will also take
up a very specific form of physical exercise. Former
smokers can decrease their risk of developing lung cancer
by up to an amazing 45%, and if they also reform their
diet they can reduce their risk even further. These
findings came out of a study presented at the American
Association for Cancer Research's Sixth Annual International
Conference in Philadelphia this month.
Researchers studied 3,800 women and men using a pairing
system that sorts people according to smoking status.
Therefore, smokers with lung cancer would only be compared
to smokers without lung cancer, with the same pairing
taking place for former smokers and those who have never
smoked. Researchers compared those who had not developed
lung cancer based on a variety of factors including
exposure to secondhand smoke, dust exposure, family
cancer history, personal respiratory history, diet and
exercise.
The 'exercise' that is credited with this decrease in
risk is gardening, because apparently that is one of the
few activities that people with lung cancer report doing.
So the former smokers who gardened reduced their lung cancer
risk by 45% percent, while current smokers who gardened
reduced their risk by 33%. Hopefully they were also growing
their own vegetables because eating four or more salads a
week reduced their risk by 67 percent, and for those still
smoking who gardened and chomped on the green stuff they
reduced their risk by 71%
Time to get out the garden spade, rake and dibber and
get planting.
WHY LOW CHOLESTEROL IS NOT ALWAYS A GOOD THING
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I know that in the media there is a lot of emphasis placed
on the dangers of high cholesterol, however what many people
fail to realise is that cholesterol is essential for your
health. It's present in every single cell in your body where
it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and
bile acids to help you digest fat.
Cholesterol also helps in the formation of your memories
and is vital for neurological function, and now scientists
have discovered that there is one specific area where having
low levels of one type of cholesterol has been linked to
memory loss and Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists studied more than 3,500 civil servants to
investigate how levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol were
associated with memory. HDL cholesterol can influence the
formation of the beta-amyloid "plaques" that are a distinctive
feature in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Higher levels
of HDL are also believed to protect against damage to blood
supply caused by the narrowing of the arteries.
After the five-year study period, the researchers found
that people with low levels of HDL were 53% more likely
to suffer memory loss than people with the highest levels
of HDL. Those with impaired memory are at an increased risk
of developing dementia later in life, and that is not the
only area where low cholesterol levels can cause you health
problems.
The Risks of Low Cholesterol
Other risks related to neurological function are depression,
suicidal tendencies and may lead to violent behaviour and
aggression. Cholesterol levels that are too low can also
increase your risk of cancer and Parkinson's disease so
trying to reduce your cholesterol to unreasonably low levels
is doing your long-term health no favours.
Why do cholesterol levels rise?
High cholesterol has become such a hot topic that many
people don't realise that it is not a disease in itself.
It is actually a perfectly normal response when something
has gone wrong and your body needs to make new, healthy
cells. Because cholesterol is produced whenever your cells
become damaged, it will show as high cholesterol levels,
but if you have a lot of damaged cells, you're also going
to have a lot of cholesterol in your bloodstream. This is
a good thing, because it means your cells are being repaired.
Instead of just trying to reduce the high cholesterol, it
makes more sense to search for what's causing the damage
in the first place, rather than moving straight on to
cholesterol-lowering drugs.
One of the most common causes of high cholesterol is
inflammation, and that can be brought on by a number of
factors, including:
** Too many processed foods
** Smoking
** Not enough exercise
** Emotional stress
Healthy cholesterol levels are essential to keep your
cells functioning at their best, and all of those risk
factors above are within your control so that might be
the place to start. If stress is the issue, have a
look at the website for my book on How To Cope
Successfully With Stress at www.sortingstressout.com
and if you are still a smoker then the previous item
will give you a couple more ideas.
AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE FOR BIRD FLU?
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The words 'bird flu' have struck terror into many in
the food industry as well as those concerned for wildlife.
The H5N1 avian flu virus has become entrenched among birds
in much of Asia and parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle
East. It rarely infects people but it has killed 243 people
out of 385 infected in 15 countries, according to the World
Health Organization.
Experts fear the constantly mutating virus could change
into a form easily transmitted from person to person,
perhaps sweeping the world and killing millions. At
least 16 companies are working on vaccines against H5N1,
and although it may be too early to claim complete victory,
a DNA-based vaccine against bird flu has been developed
by Vical Inc. This is a US company based in San Diego
who research and develop biopharmaceutical products
based on a patented DNA delivery technology. They have
previously been involved in developing gene-based
treatments for cancer and infectious disease vaccines,
and with the bird flu vaccine they are claiming that
it can safely stimulate the immune system to levels
expected to protect against this disease.
However, their study is a small one, using only 100
volunteers, although 67% of the patients receiving the
higher dose had immune responses that could protect
against infection with the H5N1 avian flu virus, with
no serious adverse reactions after two injections.
This was a Phase I clinical trial, meant to demonstrate
the vaccine is safe, and is continuing.
DNA vaccines use bits of genetic material called plasmids.
They are meant to generate an immune response against a
specific bit of the virus and are designed to last longer
than standard vaccines under conditions of heat and cold.
If successful, Vical says a DNA-based vaccine could be
made in six to eight weeks, compared with four to six
months for influenza vaccines made the current way,
using bits of the actual virus grown in chicken eggs
and this shorter time scale is a tremendous advantage
when dealing with a potentially worldwide infectious
disease.
THE MOST EFFECTIVE ANTIOXIDANT JUICE - HONEST
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It used to be that you just went into the supermarket, and
bought juice. Probably orange or apple and that was that.
Now the packs all scream about being one of your 5 a day,
or that they are rich in antioxidants and can reduce your
levels of free radicals - in their opinion, which is rarely
backed up by any facts and figures. You know that to be
healthy you need a decent level of antioxidants in your diet,
but with up to a dozen or so manufacturers all claiming
the same thing for their product - so just who do you believe?
Happily for us, the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry
has just reported on some research done at the University
of California which definitively proves which juice has
more antioxidants than any other drink, including other
juices, green or black tea, and red wine.
Ready for it? The winner is pomegranate juice, which has
around 20% more antioxidants than other drinks tested.
They carried out a series of tests to determine their
antioxidant levels and abilities to scavenge for free
radicals. The pomegranate juice was a clear winner on all
counts as was their conclusion and it has been linked to many
other health benefits including a 50% reduction in Alzheimer's
risk, and suggested as part of a cancer prevention diet,
particularly prostate cancer.
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I hope you have found this information useful, but do remember
I am not a doctor and cannot give you medical advice, so please
always take appropriate action by consulting your own medical
advisor if you have concerns about any aspect of your health.
Please feel free to pass on any of this information to your
friends, or suggest they sign up for the newsletter themselves
at my website.
Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 16 July, 2008
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My mother used to go around turning mirrors to the wall
during a thunderstorm, which was to avoid being struck
by lightening, but apparently a thunderstorm can have
adverse effects on your health. It's the final part of
our longevity feature and the result may surprise you.
And carrying on with the Biblical theme - it will make
sense as you read the newsletter, honest! Plus news on
an old naturopathic way of dealing with joint pain
whose origins are found in the Bible - honest, plus
an unexpected health issue resulting in global warming.
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- ASTHMA SPIKES AFTER THUNDER
- THE SECRETS OF LONGEVITY - PART 3
- NATURAL RELIEF FOR JOINT PAIN
- ANOTHER EFFECT OF GLOBAL WARMING?
ASTHMA SPIKES AFTER THUNDER
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Some interesting research has just come in from the
University of Georgia Atlanta, and is worth passing on
if you know someone with asthma. Apparently hospital
emergency room data shows that there is about a 3%
increase in asthmas cases coming for treatment the
day after a thunderstorm.
The data was collected over the entire 20-county
Atlanta region, and was studied initially because
asthma is prevalent in the region so that even such
a small relative increase could have a significant
public health impact in the population.
It is certainly interesting and worth keeping an
eye if you are susceptible to asthma attacks, but
exactly why thunderstorms might have this effect
remains unclear. However, one leading hypothesis
is that pollen grains break up by osmotic shock
in rainwater, releasing allergens, which are then
spread by the gusty winds of the storm.
THE SECRETS OF LONGEVITY - PART 2
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We have journeyed to the Japanese island of Okinawa
and the Sardinian village of Ovodda, but now we are
off to what can seem like the natural home of those
seeking eternal life - California. Certainly no other
nation spends so much time, money and effort in trying
to look younger and live longer, but strangely enough
their longest lived community subscribes to none of
those ideas.
Loma Linda, in California, is a town that is home of
a large community of Seventh Day Adventists and they
are proving anyone can increase their chances of living
a longer, healthier life - and it has nothing to do with
your genetic inheritance.
On average, Seventh Day Adventists in the town live
between five and 10 years longer than fellow citizens,
and it makes them the longest living people in the US.
What is making the difference? For many of those living
in Loma Lindo long life is a matter of their faith, and
the simple explanation would be that the Church advocates
no tobacco or alcohol and promotes a vegetarian diet.
All of these are factors that will definitely improve
health and prolong life, however,not all members follow
this code and even they live significantly longer than
average.
Research has previously shown that people that go to church
regularly -
whatever faith they have - live longer, and that fact has been
known for the last 30 years. But why? According to Dr Gary
Fraser, who is researching the community, it seems
that regular churchgoers have significantly lower levels of
stress hormones and so may be better equipped to cope with
life's upsets and challenges.
Dr Kerry Morton, who is involved in a longer-term study on
Adventist health, certainly seems to agree. "Religion and
connection to something higher than oneself, connection to the
sacred,connection to a tight-knit religious community allows you
to modulate your reactions and your emotions to believe there is
a broader purpose. Therefore your body can stay in balance and
not be destroyed by those stressors and traumas over time".
Well there you have it, the three longest-lived communities
in the world, and all with a different answer. Whether it's
faith, food, or family I think it comes down to attitude and how
you feel about yourself and your life - whichever route you take
make it a positive one.
NATURAL RELIEF FOR JOINT PAIN
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Old wives' tales are usually dismissed as being nonsense,
but if you really care about your health they are well
worth paying attention to as they are based on experience
and 'case studies' that may be anecdotal but have at
least been tried on actual human bodies - usually
several thousand of them over a long period of time.
I have mentioned the health benefits of Manuka honey
before, and an old folk remedy for joint pain combines
honey with cider vinegar to good effect. I teased you
with that mention of the Bible, well cider vinegar
gets a mention for being a healing agent and having
antiseptic properties and has been used for many
things including dealing with high blood pressure,
lowering cholesterol and reducing stress. However,
one of it's most impressive qualities lies in it being
able to tackle joint disease.
How does it do it? Because vinegar is full of natural
enzymes that can help dissolve uric acid, and it is that
acid which breaks down the calcium deposits in your
joints. It is also believed that cider vinegar builds
up the minerals needed for healthy bone structure.
In other words, it acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.
Commercial vinegars are produced to give you a fine,
clear liquid which is produced by boiling, and
unfortunately that also kills all the enzymes and
removes vital nutrients. However, like honey, it
is better when from a powerful natural source such
as Manuka - which itself has anti-inflammatory
properties - so cider vinegar is most effective
when it is unpasteurised and for that you need to
find a specialist supplier. One enterprising
company has combined the two ingredients for
maximum effectiveness - and to make the vinegar
palatable it must be said! A tablespoon of the
combination in water on a daily basis will have
your joints thanking you, and personally I combine
it with a splash of ginger cordial concentrate and
make it with hot water. It really does taste good,
and if you want to know more then visit this website
if you want to order up some ease in your joints -
www.greenbayharvest.co.uk
GLOBAL WARMING EFFECT ON HEALTH
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We are used to hearing about the dire effects global
warming will have on the environment and the knock on
effect on the animal and plant life of our planet. Now
it seems that another animal is being affected: the human
one. Apparently, as temperatures across the U.S. increase
because of global warming, there is a suggestion that the
prevalence of kidney stones is expected to grow.
Researchersat the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center in Dallas have reported online in the Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences, that if the temperature
overall increases by just 2.38°C, then such climate change
is expected to create 1.61 to 2.25 million new cases of kidney
stones by 2050. This is an increase of 7% from 2000 and would
add $947 million to $1.33 billion in annual healthcare costs,
according to the researchers' calculations. This represents a
25% increase over the $5.3 billion spent in 2000.
They predict the increase would either be in a band covering
the southern half of the U.S. or the upper Midwest. The maximum
climate-related risk increases would be found in cities such as
New York, Detroit, Chicago, Salt Lake City,and Sacramento
although
they predict new cases would occur mostly in the Midwest and
Northeast.
The south eastof the US already has a 50% higher incidence of
kidney
stones than other parts of the country, due to regional
differences
in temperature. Rising temperatures are believed to be
associated
with a greater risk of kidney stones, perhaps because of
increased
dehydration, the researchers said, although the link hasn't been
proven. It also appears that when people relocate from areas of
moderate temperature to areas with warmer climates,a rapid
increase
in stone risk has been observed and it would be interesting to
track
whether has also been the case with the substantial number of UK
residents who have relocated to Spain and the South of France.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you have found this information useful, but do
remember I am not a doctor and cannot give you medical advice,
so please always take appropriate action by consulting your own
medical advisor if you have concerns about any aspect of your
health.
Please feel free to pass on any of this information to your
friends, or suggest they sign up for the newsletter themselves
at my website.
Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk
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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 9 July, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to give you an update
on the statins story I wrote last week because it has worrying
implications for other drugs. Part two of how to live longer
might give you some ideas, and I couldn't resist another useless
(in my opinion) piece of research. If this weather continues I
will also do a piece on surviving torrential rain and gale force
winds in what is supposed to be summer, so have added in an item
on helping you sleep better!
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- STATINS - CHILDREN NEXT?
- THE SECRETS OF LONGEVITY - PART 2
- THE 5 C'S THAT STOP YOU SLEEPING
- OH REALLY?!
STATINS - CHILDREN NEXT?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week I raised concerns about the routine prescribing of
statins, and now from the USA comes news that the American
Academy of Pediatrics Committee has recommended routine
screening of children, from 2 years old, for "high cholesterol".
Given the deterioration in children's' diets you may think that
a good idea, but not when it is accompanied by the news that
they are also recommending giving children as young as eight
years old statin drugs.
These drugs have never even been tested on children, never
mind approved for their use - in fact not one single safety
test has ever been conducted with children taking these powerful
chemicals.
I am not going to repeat the side effects that I gave last week,
but if they have such an impact on adults, can you imagine what
they will do to children? Schools are having enough disciplinary
problems as it is, without adding in children on drugs that can
cause homicidal impulses and mental confusion.
No one denies that more children are now presenting with high
cholesterol levels, but surely the answer lies in controlling
their diet and ensuring enough exercise? The main 'culprits'
if a child is diagnosed with high cholesterol at the age of
eight are the consumption of too great a quantity of these:
* Milk and dairy products
* Fried foods and trans fatty acids
* Processed meats and animal products
Nutritionists believe that virtually any child can be cured
of high cholesterol in a matter of weeks by being fed a
100% plant-based diet, comprised entirely of non-processed
foods, and including fresh, raw vegetable and fruit juices
along with numerous superfoods such as apples, broccoli,
wholemeal bread, salmon, bananas and brazil nuts. Simple,
yes, and certainly better than putting a child on a drug regime
that they could be kept on for years.
THE SECRETS OF LONGEVITY - PART 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you found last week's item on the longevity of the Okinawans
of Japan, then hopefully this week's contribution will give you
even more ideas on how to prolong your life as healthily and
actively as possible. To do that we are heading off to Ovodda
in Sardinia. In stark contrast to the Okinawans, the residents
of Ovodda don't count calories and meat is very firmly on the
menu, while tofu and soya are not. That may seem like a more
typical western diet, but this small town of just over 1,700
residents boasts five centenarians and even more remarkably,
as many men live to 100 as women and that certainly bucks the
statistical norm. The benefits of a Mediterranean diet are well
known, and certainly the consumption of olive oil, more fruit,
vegetables and fish is well-accepted as being a health basis
for longevity, but this still does not account for the number
in Ovodda and other parts of Sardinia. It apparently still
applies when residents have actually emigrated between the ages
of 20-40 as they still regularly get to be 100 years of age,
according to the researchers. Chiefly responsible for this
information is Professor Luca Deiana who has tested every
single Sardinian centenarian and has come up with a surprising
theory about why there are so many.
For hundreds of years families in Ovodda have lived in relative
isolation from the rest of the living in the town today are
descended from only a few original settlers. "Marriage among
relatives is not the rule but there are some cases of this
taking
place," says Professor Deiana. "From a genetic point of view,
when this happens, there's a higher probability of having
genetic
diseases, but also of having positive results like
centenarians".
In Ovodda, this interbreeding actually seems to have enabled
people
to live longer. The limited gene pool has provided a unique
opportunity to discover specific genes that are associated with
long life. Professor Deiana has detected a number of unusual
genetic characteristics that seem to link the centenarians of
Ovodda. "One particular gene on the X chromosome seems to be
faulty, failing to produce an enzyme known as G6PD. This can
often have a negative impact on health, but in Ovodda it may
well have had a positive effect. The role G6PD may play in
living longer is now being researched further, but the professor
is convinced the genetic elixir of life lies with the families
of Ovodda.I am not suggesting you start thinking of marrying
your cousin, but marrying into the Ovodda gene pool might not
be a bad idea.
THE 5 C'S THAT STOP YOU SLEEPING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone experiences occasional bouts of sleep disturbance,
though if it is prolonged it can really impact your health.
I have come across an excellent natural way to help you sleep,
but I thought it might help you know the five main reasons
why we can't sleep. Knowing by itself doesn't help, but
identifying the problem is the first place to start.
They are:
1. Change
2. Conflict
3. Criticisms
4. Concerns
5. Crises
Mostly during the day we manage to deal with them, or put
them out of our minds, but at night they come back with a
vengeance. Unfortunately they are almost automatic, your
mind returns to them in order to solve the 'problem' so
just telling yourself not to think about them doesn't do
the trick.
There are a couple of suggestions that I have tried, that
might help you. First do not beat yourself up about not
sleeping - it only makes it worse. Next, from that list
of 5, what is the main thing that you focus on as being
the root cause for you? If you can identify it then spend
ten minutes or so before bed in just writing out everything
in your head about that particular topic. Don't make it neat,
don't make it orderly - just dump it all out on the page,
thoughts, feelings, anger, pain, sadness. Whatever is in
there, get it out. When you have finished, take the paper
and put it in the bin. Say to yourself, that's done with,
anything on there can wait until tomorrow. Repeat this
every night and you will find the list getting shorter,
and you have made a commitment to yourself that it doesn't
matter until tomorrow.
Stage two, is to prepare yourself for bed by pausing for
a few minutes and visualizing your day and all the good
things in it that you are grateful for. Allow at least
two hours after eating before going to bed, and don't
have any coffee or tea during that time either.
Finally, I have just come across a new item from the
Bach Flower company called Night Rescue (they make Rescue
Remedy)
and it is a different combination of flower essences that
I have found very effective in stopping the brain racing away.
Five drops on your tongue before going to bed is recommended,
and it is available from health shops, and Boots the Chemist.
Worth a try.
OH REALLY?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes I really despair about the people who hand out
research
grants - then again sometimes I wish they would just give me the
money because in a 30 second phone call I could give them the
same
conclusions for a lot less money - and so could you. This week's
prize goes to Aryeh D. Stein, M.P.H., Ph.D., of Emory
University,
Atlanta who has discovered that the if a baby is well fed for
the
first few years of life, they will be smarter as they grow up.
No really? His study was based on children from poor and
disadvantaged
Guatemalan villages and he discovered that when said children
were
given a proper diet with sufficient protein and adequate
nutrition
they were able to think better - on average it related to the
equivalent of 1.6 years of schooling,
Having an inadequate diet has an effect on virtually every
function
of the body and certainly impacts the ability to think clearly
- hunger can do that to you as you would have imagined the
researchers could have guessed at for themselves. What really
annoyed and upset me however was they based their trial on
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 2 July, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you opened a newspaper over the last year and read
yet another story of how wonderful statins are? They may
be, for some people, but there have been rumblings of
discontent among healthcare professionals and today I
offer you an alternative point of view. I am also giving
you part one of a three part series on how to live longer
with some remarkable findings from three very different
communities who seem to have got this ageing business
licked.
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- STATINS - SAINT OR SINNER?
- NATURAL BABY PRODUCTS
- PROGESTERONE USE FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS
STATINS - SAINT OR SINNER?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many of you will have heard of Patrick Holford, the
UK's leading nutrition expert, and I have known him
for many years. Indeed I edited his Optimum Nutrition
magazine for a while and always find what he has to
say of interest.
The topic of statins has come up a lot recently,
particularly when I have been giving talks on natural
health, and there seems to be a lot of confusion. This
is not surprising because every year there is always a
'new' wonder thing that will help us stay health without
much willpower on our part, but will bring fairly large
profits to the people manufacturing it.
Cynical? Maybe, but when you have written about health
for as long as I have you see the cycle of celebration,
doubt, debunking and then quietly disappearing for many
so called 'miracle' cures.
New health guidelines issued recently say all adults
aged 40 to 75 should be assessed for risks, including
smoking, weight and blood pressure and those with at
least a 20 per cent increased chance of a heart attack
over the next 10 years should be offered treatment,
usually statins.
Patrick Holford takes a different view and completely
disagrees with the routine prescribing of these drugs.
I think what he has to say is important so I am quoting
him directly here, and leaving you to make up your own
mind.
"Statins work by blocking the production of cholesterol,
which is a perfectly normal substance, and in the process,
stops the body producing Co-Q10, a vital heart nutrient,
causing harmful side effects. This was confirmed in research
published last month in the journal Nature. As a consequence,
statins are far from harmless.
The notion that cholesterol is linked with heart disease
goes back over fifty years, along with the idea of bringing
cholesterol levels down with a low fat diet to protect the
heart.
But both of these ideas have been strongly challenged. For
example, plenty of studies show that only 50% of people who
develop heart problems have high cholesterol, while a study
in the BMJ in 2001 found no link between changing fat in the
diet and heart disease.
The best known side-effect of statins involves muscles problems.
The probable reason for this is that they stop the production
of Co-Q10 which is found in all cells (especially those of
the heart muscle) and is vital to energy production. In one
study of 14 healthy people, 10 developed heart rhythm
abnormalities
when given statins. This, say some researchers, could explain
the
muscle weakness and also the memory loss some people experience.
Some practitioners recommend that anyone taking statins should
also supplement with Co-Q10 and a warning on statin packets is
now
mandatory in Canada, saying that CoQ10 reduction 'could lead to
impaired cardiac function'.
In fact the closer you look, the more questionable the benefits
become. You might assume that taking prophylactic statins would
mean that you would live longer overall. But that isn't what the
studies show. The total number of heart attacks drops slightly
but then the risk of dying from other things goes up slightly,
so overall life expectancy stays the same.
How can you avoid statins? By doing everything you can
to keep your heart healthy. You do that by the well-
known - but little enough practiced - regime of eating
well with plenty of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains
in your everyday diet. Make sure you also include foods
that are high in heart-protective Vitamin E, such as beans,
olive oil and eggs and reduce the amount of sugary foods,
refined carbohydrates and keep your stress levels as low as
you can.
Instead of an expensive drug, try lowering your
cholesterol levels and heart disease risk by raising
your 'good' HDL cholesterol and lowering 'bad' LDL cholesterol.
A simple, inexpensive way to do that is take a supplement
of niacin (vitamin B3), and to further help prevent
cardiovascular
disease it is suggested that you include a CoQ10 supplement of
around 90mg a day. The COQ10 will also help those who are
already on statin drugs and wish to stay on them.
If you would like to know more about Patrick Holford's
work, his new book 'Food is Better Medicine Than Drugs'
would be a good place to start. You can read about it
here: www.amazon.co.uk
NATURAL BABY PRODUCTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you saw in last week's item about shampoo, products
for babies and children are not always as pure as we
imagine them to be. If you do want to have an entirely
natural, organic range of products then specialist
online company Bebeco would be a good place to look.
They produce a nappy balm that is super sensitive on
baby's skin and contains only organic sunflower oil,
cocoa butter, carrot oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and
local beeswax. If your baby has a real problem with dry
skin and eczema, then their problem skin cream helps
soothe it with all-natural ingredients of organic
sunflower oil, organic calendula petals, local beeswax,
and lavender essential oil. If cradle cap is the problem
then try their treatment oil with organic jojoba oil,
organic calendula, marshmallow root, and almond oil.
It also makes a lovely massage oil for baby, and
presumably Mum too. www.bebeco.co.uk for details.
Oh, and by the way, on the subject of babies, it has
always been know that breastfeeding gives much greater
protection against infection and helps build the
immune system, but now it turns out there is another
good reason to keep off the bottle where possible.
A massive survey carried out by doctors of 13,889
children and their mothers has revealed that breastfed
babies are more intelligent than those weaned on
formula milk.
Of those mothers, around half had attended clinics
promoting breastfeeding and 43% of them fed their
babies only on breast milk until the age of three
months, compared with 6.4% of women at other clinics
that didn't promote breastfeeding. At the age of six
and a half, children who had been exclusively breastfed
scored 7.5 points higher in verbal intelligence tests
and 5.9 points higher in overall IQ tests.
As a significant number of babies are actually allergic
to cow's milk, this is another reason to add to the file
of pluses for breastfeeding, where that is possible for
mother and baby.
THE SECRETS OF LONGEVITY - PART 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I imagine that you, like me, want to live as long as
possible - but, I want to have a healthy, active life
too. How to achieve that has been the subject of much
research and debate, and I have found evidence of
three different communities who seem to have achieved
this. People on the remote Japanese island of Okinawa,
in the small Sardinian mountain town of Ovodda and at
Loma Linda in the USA live longer in these three places
than anywhere else on earth.
At an age when the average Briton is predicted to die
(77 years for men and 81 for women) - inhabitants of
these three places are looking forward to many more
years of good health. Often they're still working in
jobs as demanding as heart surgery.
Their reasons are not all the same, so I thought I would
share their secrets with you over the next three weeks.
Let's start with the Japanese island of Okinawa.
With a population of one million, they have 900
centenarians, four times higher than the average in
Britain or America. Even more remarkably, the region
of Ovodda is the only place in the world where as many
men as women live to be 100 years of age, which goes
against the global trend of women outliving men.
There is one remarkable scientific fact that sets
Okinawans apart from the rest of us, they actually age
more slowly than almost anyone else on earth.
"The calendar may say they're 70 but their body says
they're 50," says Bradley Willcox, a scientist who is
researching the extraordinary phenomenon. "The most
impressive part of it is that a good lot of them are
healthy until the very end."
Finding the cause of their exceptional longevity is
not simple but the spotlight has fallen on one hormone
- DHEA. It's a precursor of both oestrogen and testosterone
and produced in the adrenal glands. While scientists
don't know what it does, they do know that the hormone
decreases with age and levels decline at a much slower
rate among the Okinawans.
Explanations for this seem most likely to be found in
their diet as they not only eat more tofu and soya
products than any other population in the world, but
have what scientists refer to it as a rainbow diet.
That is one that also includes a wide range of different
vegetables and fruit, all rich in anti-oxidants.
That sounds familiar enough, but it's what they don't
eat that may be at the heart of their exceptionally
long lives.
The Okinawan's most significant cultural tradition is
known as hara hachi bu, which translated means eat
until you're only 80% full. In a typical day they
only consume around 1,200 calories, about 20% less than
most people in the UK. The 'all you can eat' buffet is
not something that would appear in Okinawa, and this
voluntary calorie restriction is not fully understood
by scientists call it caloric restriction, but they think
it works by sending a signal to the body that there is
going to be a impending famine, sending it into a more
protective, self-preservation mode.
"It's this ability to trick their bodies into starvation
that may be keeping Okinawans physiologically so young.
It's a stark contrast with the cultural habits that
drive food consumption in other parts of the world,"
says Mr Willcox - and he has studied them long enough,
so he should know.
So, if you want to live longer, eat less. Start with
smaller portions on a smaller plate, your body will
thank you for it. If your family have expectations of an
early pay out from your will, then they may of course not
be quite so pleased!
PROGESTERONE USE FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week I talked about progesterone and mental health,
and just like buses along comes another story about this
key female hormone. I have myself written for the
endometriosis society in the past about how progesterone
can help with endometriosis, and now a study on female
rhesus macaques monkeys at the the Oregon National
Primate Research Center has brought more proof of the
hormone's effectiveness.
Apparently, female macaques in captivity are prone to
endometriosis - a painful, debilitating condition where
bits of tissue scattered around the pelvic cavity behave
like uterine (endometrial) tissue, filling with blood
and then releasing it. Conventional medicine hasn't had
much success in treating endometriosis safely and effectively,
but Dr.John Lee, noting that women with endometriosis often
get better when they are pregnant, recommended using high
doses of natural progesterone and indeed, many of his
patients found relief, though not a cure, by doing this.
In the Center's study, seven monkeys with advanced
endometriosis were injected with capsules that released
progesterone continuously for up to 20 months. All of
the monkeys showed significant benefit within the first
two weeks and although two monkeys then got no further
benefit, the other five continued to do well. If you
know someone suffering from this painful condition it
would be worth suggesting they talk to their doctor
about obtaining natural progesterone in cream or sub-
lingual form - don't treat it with yam cream which
converts insufficient progesterone in the body to be
of use.
Natural progesterone cannot be obtained in the UK
without a doctor's prescription, but you can buy it
over the internet and import it for your own use with
no restrictions.
Further good reading on this is found in John Lee's
book 'What Your Dr. May Not Tell You about PREmenopause'
and also in my own book with Dr Shirley Bond 'Natural
Progesterone' which you will find on my website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you have found this information useful, but do
remember I am not a doctor and cannot give you medical
advice, so please always take appropriate action by
consulting your own medical advisor if you have concerns
about any aspect of your health.
Please feel free to pass on any of this information to
your friends, or suggest they sign up for the newsletter
themselves at my website.
Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk
the children being provided twice daily with either fresco,
a sugar-sweetened drink that provided 330 kcal/L but no fat
or protein, or the dietary supplement atole -- a traditional
hot drink made with vegetable protein, dry skimmed milk, and
sugar -- that provided 6.4 g/100 mL protein and 900 kcal/L.
How do you justify giving deprived kids a sugar loaded drink
with no benefit to them just to test a theory that anyone with
half a brain could have predicted the results of? The
supplemented
kids who got atole showed improved growth and less stunting at
age three years as well as better cognitive ability. Great, but
what about the rest? This is research for its own sake and how
it was justified is a mystery to me but presumably it made sense
to the people who paid for it; namely the National Institutes
of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Thrasher Fund
and the Nestle Foundation. The latter was set up to provide
initiates and supports research in human nutrition with public
health relevance in low - and lower middle-income countries,
and presumably to sell more of their products from coffee to
baby milk - wonder if they also make fresco?
The researchers did not report any conflicts of interest.
Primary source: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
Source reference:
Stein AD, et al "Nutritional supplementation in early childhood,
schooling, and intellectual functioning in adulthood: a
prospective
study in Guatemala" Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008; 162: 612-618.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you have found this information useful, but do remember I
am not a doctor and cannot give you medical advice, so please
always take appropriate action by consulting your own medical
advisor if you have concerns about any aspect of your health.
Please feel free to pass on any of this information to your
friends, or suggest they sign up for the newsletter themselves
at my website.
Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk
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