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11/17/2015 Research Roundup: Animal Antibiotics Hurt Kids, Bad Medicine, and Healthy Eating Improves Health!Read Now Enjoy the latest research on health care and healthy living:
American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) Says No to Antibiotics in Animal Feed Feeding livestock antibiotics to artificially boost growth is big business and America's Pediatricians are finally saying that's enough. MedPage reported on the AAP's announcement discouraging use of antibiotics in animal fed due to the potential harm for children. While 7.25 million pounds of these drugs are sold for use in humans, more than 32.2 million pounds are sold for use in animals -- animals that often have no active infection. The overuse of antibiotic medication in children was also briefly addressed: "Clinicians bear some responsibility for this problem because we ourselves are not always prudent in our use of antibiotics...Unfortunately, too many people still prescribe antibiotics for colds or sore throats without having an appropriate bacterial diagnosis. So, since clinicians are part of the problem, they can be part of the solution." For your family's safety, choose meat that has been raised without antibiotics or other chemicals. And avoid antibiotic use for common colds, runny noses, and sore throats that are caused by viruses that cannot be killed with antibiotics. Medical Errors Still Alarmingly High Forbes recently reported: "A disturbing new study, published in the October 2015 issue of Anesthesiology, found that medication errors occurred in nearly half of all surgical procedures. Additionally, the study found that one-third of all errors resulted in adverse drug events or harm to patients." The study reviewed surgeries performed at a Harvard-affiliated hospital "considered a leader in patient safety." Clinicians weighing in on the study felt this actually underestimates the number of medical errors. This follows research estimating deaths due to preventable medical errors at 400,000 per year in the United States. Furthermore, these estimates seem to only consider hospitalized medical care, not accounting for other medical treatment. It's always important to recognize the significant risks associated with even "non-invasive" or "minor" medical care, utilizing safer conservative care first whenever possible. Now Some Good News: Americans Are Eating Better And Reducing Disease Don't let us mislead you, researchers still conclude the diet of Americans is "poor". However, an analysis of diet trends (from 1999-2012) found small signs of improvement with a big payoff: 1.1 million fewer premature deaths, 8.6% fewer cardiovascular disease cases, 1.3% fewer cancer cases, and 12.6% fewer type 2 diabetes cases. Good job Americans - now keep going! You're apparently drinking fewer sugary beverages and eating more fruit, but you haven't increased your veggies. Get those veggies in and keep cutting the sweets and carbs. Eat real unprocessed food and get moving!
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Here's a question that most diabetics get wrong when we ask, but their health depends on it. Unfortunately, proper nutrition education for diabetics often takes a back seat to medication use. Can you answer this question correctly? Which type of food is the most stabilizing to your blood sugar? A. Carbohydrates B. Protein C. Fat Don't peek below until you've guessed... Think hard... Ready? It's not carbohydrates... It's fat. If you said protein, you've been scared away from fat like most Americans. 
Image source: http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk
Good fats are important for all of us (not just diabetics) to maintain a stable blood sugar, which means sustained energy and less food cravings through the day. Fat provides steady energy for hours and protein does a pretty good job too. Carbohydrates (sugars) give us a quick burst of energy, but leave us wanting more as energy levels slump after only two hours. Start your day right with eggs instead of cereal or toast, and feel the difference.
 Sugar-sweetened beverages kill almost 200,000 per year. Still think your sugar-sweetened beverage won't hurt you? It may kill you based a recent study published in Circulation Journal. Put down the pop and toss the sweet tea.
Researchers looked at studies linking sugar consumption and various chronic diseases to make the best estimate of annual deaths related to sugar-sweetened beverages. Here's what they calculated for those drinking sugar-sweetened beverages:
These conditions cover only a fraction of the health problems linked to sugar consumption, and include only beverages not sugary foods. They also excluded store-bought fruit juice, which has been found to cause harmful effects comparable to soda. These numbers likely underestimate the harm from sugar. While Americans have been told to focus on cutting fat, we've largely overlooked the bigger problem - sugar. Start reducing your sugar intake today and don't think artificially sweetened beverages are any better for you. Don't let sugar-sweetened beverages kill you.  Better health happens with better nutrition We regularly coach patients on dietary changes that will gradually improve their health, but we are often asked what can be done to see dramatic changes in a short period of time. For these patients we have specialized nutrition programs that allow them to see quick progress and leave no doubt in their mind about the power of nutrition.
Well-designed nutrition programs can give you a quick boost in the right direction AND help you set better lifestyle habits for long term health. It's never about a quick fix. It's about a quick start to better health that lasts a lifetime. 21-day Purification Program Standard Process' 21-day Purification Program is the oldest and most popular nutrition program we've offered patients at our clinic. At this point, we have seen positive changes with just about every health problem you can imagine - allergies, asthma, skin problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, stress, digestive problems, aches & pains, anxiety, sleep problems, overweight... It's amazing how quickly the body can change when we focus on eating ONLY nutrient dense foods and provide extra support from whole food supplements. It's not about taking some chemical to flush you out. It's not about stopping eating and taking a diet drink. It's about eating the most nutritious foods you can and learning to establish healthy habits. It's also a lot of fun for us. 10-day Nutrition Programs For those patients that aren't ready for a full 21-day program or are looking for something more specific to their individual needs, we now offer 10-day nutrition programs. These also focus on eating the most nutritious foods, while including supplements that target the desired health problem or goal. Anti-inflammation Program Inflammation is involved to some degree in just about every health problem, and the average American is driving up their systemic inflammation with poor eating habits. This nutrition program targets inflammation to reduce it as quickly as possible - naturally - to avoid the side effects of anti-inflammatory medications. Balanced Blood Sugar Program With diabetes and blood sugar handling problems hitting epidemic levels, this program provides a natural solution to control blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. Women's Vitality Program Hormonal imbalance in cycling and non-cycling women can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. This nutrition program helps balance hormones naturally to reduce the discomfort and symptoms so commonly noted. What's right for you? If you are not sure, ask our doctors or attend one of our monthly nutrition classes for more information. Our goal with every patient is to see enough improvement that there is no doubt in your mind as to the power of better nutrition, and these nutrition programs help us do that.  Enjoy a handful of nuts each day. A recent study confirmed the benefits of eating a handful of nuts daily, showing a significant reduction in risk of death from heart disease, cancer, or other causes.
NBC News reported, "And not only that, nuts seem to help keep the pounds off, the team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health found. 'The most obvious benefit was a reduction of 29 percent in deaths from heart disease — the major killer of people in America,' said Dr. Charles Fuchs of Dana-Farber, who led the team. 'But we also saw a significant reduction — 11 percent — in the risk of dying from cancer.' Studies have found that people who eat nuts have all sorts of biological benefits: less inflammation, which is linked to heart disease and cancer; less fat packed around the internal organs; better blood sugar levels; lower blood pressure — and even fewer gallstones." Nuts are great for a convenient snack or meal on the go. They provide a tasty package of healthy fat, protein, fiber, and other nutrients. The healthy fats will keep your energy level up and keep you satisfied longer than something made with grains (crackers, cereals, corn chips, etc.) Mix it up and enjoy a variety of different nuts in your diet to add years to your life or life to your years.  Should 1/3 of adults be on cholesterol meds? The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recently issued new cholesterol guidelines that are estimated to double the number of American adults on statins (cholesterol lowering medications) from about 15% to 30%.
New Cholesterol guidelines would place 1/3 of adults on statins Dr. Neil Stone, who headed the cholesterol guideline panel, explained to reporters, "We're going to give statins to those who are the most likely to benefit." The guidelines increase the emphasis on factors like age, gender, race, and smoking rather than cholesterol levels. Trying to be more selective about the use of cholesterol medication sounds like a good idea, especially with increasing warnings about newly recognized risks over the past couple years. But when the plan results in doubling the number of American adults on cholesterol lowering medication (and those adults may not even have high cholesterol)...it seems like something went wrong. We're not the only ones wondering about the new guidelines. The AHA and ACC have taken considerable heat from doctors and researchers. Rita F. Redberg, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center and the editor of JAMA Internal Medicine and John D. Abramson, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and the author of “Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine,” noted flaws with these guidelines in a New York Times article: "[This would be good news for patients] if statins actually offered meaningful protection from our No. 1 killer, heart disease; if they helped people live longer or better; and if they had minimal adverse side effects. However, none of these are the case."  Are trans fats hiding under that frosting? After years of recognizing trans fat as a safe food additive, the FDA has finally buckled under mounting research that finds no evidence of safety at any level. The FDA announced trans fats are no longer generally recognized as safe and will move toward eliminating them from the American food supply.
Trans fat has been allowed at low levels in a variety of processed foods. Food companies have even been allowed to label packages as "no trans fat" when the food actually has low levels of trans fat. The elimination of trans fat from the American diet is expected to cause reductions in diabetes, cholesterol problems, heart attacks, and heart deaths. Increased trans fat consumption came about with growing use of "healthy" processed liquid oils (corn, soybean, canola, "vegetable"). Manufacturers needed a way to stabilize these fragile liquid oils and in some cases solidify them (think margarine). Food refiners chemically altered them with hydrogenation to form trans fats that would last longer. Eventually, research confirmed that "healthy" hydrogenated fats were unhealthy, but experts still promoted partially hydrogenated fats as a good choice. Finally, experts have recognized that "healthy" partially hydrogenated oils are unhealthy also because trans fats at any level increase health problems. What now? The change is not official yet. Food manufacturers and their "experts" will have a chance to voice their opinion. Fortunately for them, a new type of fat has been created by food scientists- "interesterified fat". Sound yummy? We recommend you avoid trans fats and processed oils, and eat good fats - butter, olive oil, coconut oil...  It's time to eat more (good) fat. Too many "experts" have scared Americans away from eating fat for far too long, with little research and no common sense to back up their theories. We've thrown out the butter and turned to mysterious butter-like yellow-dyed spreads. We've switched from animal fats to "vegetable" oils that are no closer to a vegetable than a fruit (why not market them as "fruit" oils while they're at it?).
Americans have made these supposedly healthy changes and now have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions than ever before. Good fat is essential to our health. When we go shopping at the store we automatically avoid foods labeled "low fat," "reduced fat," "no fat," or "fat free." Here's why we recommend you do the same:
Which fats are good fats? We recommend three fats for most of your kitchen creations: real butter, extra virgin coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil. Organic is preferred but not required. Butter should be from grassfed cows ideally, but we won't fight about it. Butter and coconut oil are best for cooking. Olive oil should not be heated much; save it for salad dressings. Other oils that can also be a healthy choice: flaxseed, grapeseed, and hemp seed. Quality fish oil is a great supplement for those not eating 2-3 meals of fatty fish each week. Now do yourself a favor and eat more good fat. There's probably a lot more sugar in your favorite drink than you think. Americans drink their sugar for a hit of energy in the morning, throw back some more to keep them going in the afternoon, and often polish off dinner with a favorite sugary beverage. So how much are you drinking? Below we have calculated total sugars in the most popular size (20 ounces) of 12 common beverages. You'll also see how many pounds of sugar that equals if you enjoy just one of your favorite beverages each day.
Surprised?
The sugars add up quicker than you think. If you drink one of these a day, you're increasing your risk of obesity, diabetes, stroke, and other serious health problems. It you drink more than one of these a day, it's time for an intervention. Drink more water! 12/6/2012 Natural News & Research - Salt & Heart Disease, Bariatric Surgery & Halting Alzheimer's DiseaseRead Now Should you be afraid of salt? It's time again to catch up on some of the latest research related to natural ways to improve your health. From heart disease to diabetes and Alzheimer's you can do more than you think to prevent these diseases or stop them in their tracks...
Diet Benefits Beyond Meds for Heart Disease A study of over 30,000 men & women confirms that changing to a healthier diet can help prevent heart problems for those at high risk. A healthy diet also prevents further problems for those who already have heart disease. Researchers found a benefit to healthy eating regardless of medications being taken. Those who ate the healthiest diet had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events (death, heart failure, stroke) than those eating the poorest diet. This confirms that eating well helps everyone, not just those who are already healthy. It's never too late to benefit from a healthier diet, so start now. Link Between Salt & Heart Disease Debatable  Less inflammation with every back stroke. Physical activity has long been recognized as an important part of staying healthy, but a recent study shows it has the potential to also improve our health by reducing inflammation.
Why does reducing inflammation matter? Inflammation has been linked to most all chronic diseases and conditions including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma & allergies, digestive problems, arthritis, Alzheimer's, aches & pains, etc. Many conditions that are considered a part of aging are more likely the result of increasing inflammation. Temporary localized inflammation may be helpful for healing a cut or scrape, but inflammation throughout the body is a growing problem with many Americans. Research on physical activity & inflammation: In a study published in the Journal Circulation1, 4289 participants reported their level of physical activity, and blood tests measuring inflammation (CRP and IL-6) were performed over an 10 year period. Physically active participants had lower measured levels in inflammation. Based on this data the researchers noted, "Regular physical activity is associated with lower markers of inflammation over 10 years of follow-up and thus may be important in preventing the pro-inflammatory state seen with aging." "Regular physical activity...may be important in preventing the pro-inflammatory state seen with aging." This is powerful news for those who have not heard it before. Regular activity could help prevent or improve a variety of chronic conditions. Exercise can help us stay younger and healthier. Now before you start looking for a shortcut to living younger, consider that anti-inflammatory medications will not automatically provide the same health benefits. That handful of pills carries an increased risk of stroke (in otherwise healthy individuals) among other problems. You can't cheat your way to better health, but there is another way to boost your inflammation-killing routine even further: an anti-inflammation diet. Combine regular physical activity with an anti-inflammation diet to supercharge your health. The basics of an anti-inflammation diet include:
For more on an anti-inflammation diet read our article. Take charge of your health and see how much you can benefit from naturally reducing your inflammation.  Worried about diabetes? Sleep more, eat less rice. Two studies on diabetes have been in the news recently. One looked at the relationship of diabetes and consumption of white rice, while the other looked at diabetes and sleep.
Diabetes & Rice Consumption A meta-analysis reviewed four studies covering 13,284 cases of type 2 diabetes among 352,384 participants over 4 to 22 years. The researchers found those eating the highest amount of white rice have a 27% greater risk of developing diabetes. Results showed with each increase in rice serving per day, risk of type 2 diabetes rose by 11%. These results are not surprising considering white rice is a processed food that is high in carbohydrates. Processed grains tend to spike blood sugar levels and increase insulin resistance, leading to a higher risk of diabetes or worsening of the condition for those who already have it. Even whole grains like whole brown rice or wild rice should be consumed in limited quantities to avoid their high level of sugars. Further research has linked reduced insulin sensitivity to increased inflammation, which leads to a variety of chronic health problems. To reduce your risk of diabetes and other chronic problems, avoid processed/refined grains and limit whole grains in your diet. Diabetes & Sleep Prior population studies have indicated there is a link between lack of sleep and increased risk of diabetes and chronic conditions. Researchers have now published the results of an experiment that confirmed the link in a lab. "Healthy adults spent >5 weeks under controlled laboratory conditions in which they experienced [optimal] sleep, 3 weeks of sleep restriction (5.6 hours of sleep per 24 hours) combined with [abnormal day length], followed by 9 days of recovery sleep with [normal 24 hour days]." The researchers checked blood sugar levels throughout the experiment and found an increase in blood sugar when sleep was restricted or disrupted. Once sleep returned to normal, blood sugar levels improved again. Researchers concluded that restricted or disrupted sleep "alters metabolism and could increase the risk of obesity and diabetes." Our advice may not be easy, but it is simple: sleep well. And if you really want to avoid diabetes, don't wake up in the middle of the night to eat rice.  Diabetics may be able to improve their DNA with exercise One of our favorite topics is the growing research on epigenetics and healthy lifestyle. Epigenetics refers to the expression of our genes. Think of each gene in our DNA having an up and down switch that controls whether the gene works a lot or a little. This is a powerful topic because it shows that we can change our genes with simple lifestyle choices like eating well and exercising. We are not slaves to "bad genes".
A recent study on epigenetics found that within just a few hours of exercise, genes involved in muscle oxidation, DNA transcription, and glucose regulation were upregulated (told to "work harder"). Researchers had thought these types of changes were slow to occur, so there is excitement about the speed at which these positive changes happened. Genes that reduce a diabetics ability to regulate sugar were positively improved with exercise. The scientists involved noted the important application of their findings to diabetes. Prior research has shown diabetics have an altered expression of these genes in their muscles. They are not as active as they should be. It helps explain why diabetics are less sensitive to insulin and have trouble regulating glucose levels. The same genes that reduce a diabetic's ability to regulate sugar with insulin were positively improved with exercise. The benefits of exercise for diabetics was clear already, but this new research sheds light on the benefits of exercise at a genetic level. This makes sense. Our bodies are designed to move and be active. When we move our bodies they work the way they are meant to and adapt well to a changing environment. When we don't move our bodies, we're in trouble. Exercise once for a few hours and your DNA is set for life, right? So you can exercise once for a few hours and your DNA is set for life, right? Nope. The researchers found that the positive epigenetic changes reversed several hours later. Clearly, regular exercise (not hours a day) is the key to making healthy changes. Expect future research to explore how a long-term exercise program results in long-term epigenetic benefits. For now, get away from the computer and get moving. R. Barres et al., “Acute Exercise Remodels Promoter Methylation in Human Skeletal Muscle,” Cell Metabolism 15:405-11, 2012. |
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Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your treating doctor. This blog is not a doctor and will not diagnose or treat your problems.
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