The new year has begun, which means it's time for lists: here's a list of our 5 favorite supplements that we've seen patients benefit from the most.

1. Whole Food Multivitamin - the best source of nutrition is whole foods. The second best source of nutrition is whole foods in tablet form (not the synthetically-derived vitamin components sold in high doses at the drug store). We like Catalyn because Standard Process has perfected the process of raising it's own organic produce and tests every step of the way to make sure it's multivitamin provides the best nutrition.
2. Omega 3 Fish or Krill Oils - omega 3 fish oils are one of the most anti-inflammatory foods you can eat, but most of us are not including them in the diet. If you're not eating wild fatty fish regularly, include a high quality fish or krill oil.
3. Probiotics - researchers continue to find more links between our microbiome (bugs living in and on our bodies) and a variety of health issues involving digestion, regularity, immunity, skin health, mental health, arthritis, obesity, auto-immunity and more! Include healthy bugs in your diet on a regular basis by eating fermented foods or taking probiotics.
4. Vitamin D - the importance of vitamin D has been well established, but 80-90% of our patients tested for vitamin D with blood work show insufficient levels. Is that a surprise in less-than-sunny Northeast Ohio? There are few food sources high in vitamin D, and most of us don't spend enough time in the sun to produce adequate levels. Take vitamin D to keep your levels up to par.
5. High Quality Protein Powder - a smoothie can be a quick and easy nutritious meal when you're in a hurry (or have time to enjoy it). Start with a minimally processed whey protein powder (not isolate) without added junk like processed sweeteners, colors, artificial flavors, etc. Combine with fruits and other good ingredients for a delicious meal.

For the most benefit, take your supplements with healthy meals as much as possible. A variety of other supplements can be helpful for specific needs, but these are the best supplements for most of us.

Modern health problems are related to modern lifestyles, not modern genes. Modern humans have essentially the same genes we did thousands of years ago, and those genes provide our bodies with the blueprints to be strong, smart, and beautiful...as long as we continue the ancient habits that turn those beautiful genes on.

Research has confirmed the following tips have amazing health benefits beyond anything modern medicine can provide. Make this your healthiest year yet by living like a caveman (except for the cave). Just think - what would Caveman do?

1. Drink the best beverage ever created: water! Caveman no drink sweetened sodas and teas, flavored waters, sports drinks, and energy drinks. He may have enjoyed a seasonal crushed fruit smoothie or occasional fermented rotting fruit beverage (puddle of wine anyone?).
2. Get moving. Caveman may not have zumba-ed or yoga-ed but he may have line danced. Whether it's walking, swimming, cycling, lifting, dancing, climbing, gardening, skipping...just get moving on a regular basis. And occasionally do something more intense.
3. Breathe like a caveman. Do you breathe with your chest or with your belly? We're pretty sure Caveman didn't worry about sucking in his gut to look good. Stop sucking in your gut, and take deep belly breathes that fill your lungs with oxygen.
4. Sleep or find time for quiet restfulness. When it's dark, sleep. When you're tired, sleep. When you don't feel good, sleep. When you're at work...wait...Caveman did not have a boss paying him to be awake. A few minutes of quite time and deep breathing at work can also be beneficial.
5. Hug a tree. Caveman spent a lot of time in nature. He didn't really have another option. Go outside when you can, and bring outside in when you can't.
6. Eat like a caveman. Eat cooked and raw whole foods grown naturally without chemicals - vegetables, fruits, meats/eggs, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, and herbs. Would Caveman recognize what you're eating?
   
7. Get adjusted. Anthropologists in North Eastern Africa recently found what they believe to be the oldest fossilized remnants of face paper dating back to 50,000 years ago. It was found near a large stone about the size of a table. Not really, but the oldest form of treatment surely would have involved one caveman helping another by using his hands.

The secrets to a healthy year are now yours. Live the way our genes designed for. Live like a caveman. If you need some help, give us a call.

Researchers looking to study the risk of injury following chiropractic treatment found a surprise.

Researchers analyzed Medicare data of patients aged 66-99 who were treated for neuromusculoskeletal complaints by their primary medical physician or chiropractic physician. They specifically looked for risk of traumatic injury to the head, neck, or trunk following an office visit for chiropractic spinal manipulation.

The risk of injury after chiropractic treatment was significantly lower than risk of injury after a medical visit. Data showed only 4 injury incidents per 10,000 chiropractic visits, as compared to 15.3 incidents per 10,000 primary care medical visits.

Risk of Traumatic Injury 76% Lower One Week Following Chiropractic Treatment

Researchers concluded that among Medicare beneficiaries aged 66-99 with an office visit for a neuromusculoskeletal problem, risk of injury within 7 days was 76% lower among subjects with a chiropractic office visit as compared to those who saw a primary care physician.

The safety of chiropractic treatment has been well documented for years. Chiropractic adjusting has also been shown to help improve balance and reduce falls in the elderly, which may play an important role in the reduction of injury following treatment.

With the CDC announcing this year's flu vaccine is less effective than usual, some medical experts are predicting a bad flu season. That means more cases of flu and those with weakened immune systems dealing with bothersome symptoms.

What's a doctor to do? Prescribe Tamiflu is they don't read research.

Dr. Andrew Buelt (DO) recently wrote an article for Medpage Today about doctors continuing to prescribe Tamiflu to treat the flu when the research shows no significant benefit. Here are some excerpts:

"Oseltamivir, brand name Tamiflu, was released onto the market in 1999 for the treatment of influenza...

It's easy to see why everyone thought this was a wonder drug. A meta-analysis...concluded that "Oseltamivir treatment of influenza illness reduces LRTCs [lower respiratory tract complications], antibiotic use, and hospitalization in both healthy and 'at-risk' adults."

However, the same authors (Kaiser L, et al) also said acute bronchitis requires antibiotic use, which we know it doesn't, and that eight of the 10 trials were unpublished or published only in abstract form. Finally, 68% of the randomized patients tested positive for influenza when, on average, only about 14% of those in a given flu season test positive, according to U.S. virological surveillance data.

When Tom Jefferson, MD, of the Cochrane Review, asked for the clinical studies and full research, he was turned away. This started a 4-year stall by Roche, makers of Tamiflu. For those of you who are interested in the exchange, you should follow the paper trail on The BMJ website...

Finally, Roche started to release the clinical studies.

First, a report with access to some of the full clinical data concluded "there is no evidence that oseltamivir reduces the likelihood of hospitalization, pneumonia, or combined outcome of pneumonia." And what was more shocking was that this trial, WV15912, which took 401 adults with at least one cardiac or respiratory condition, had an end result of a nonsignificant 1-hour reduction in symptoms. I repeat only 1 hour, only 60 minutes, only 3,600 seconds.

When the Cochrane reviewers were finally able to look at and sort through the body of information, and not just the abstract data, they came to similar conclusions, and reported that there were no differences for hospital admissions, reductions in confirmed pneumonia, or other complications.

However, I don't want to say the drug did nothing, as there were increases in symptoms of nausea (NNH 28), vomiting (NNH 22), and headaches (NNH 32).

Yes, Tamiflu is too good to be true. Patients who have the flu feel bad, they want a drug to help them feel any amount of relief. Sadly, we have nothing for them. We can encourage hydration and rest, but that's about it.

The easy path is to write a prescription for Tamiflu and move to the next patient. The hard path is to discuss why you are not going to write the script to someone who doesn't want to hear it."

When a drug manufacturer can't prove their drug causes a reduction in symptoms for only one hour (could you ask of any less from a drug?), it's pretty clear the drug is not effective. Try some simple natural solutions instead - at least they shouldn't increase nausea, vomiting, and headaches.

Some argue America's patent system for medications unfairly allows drug companies a monopoly to make billions in profit while restricting access to new medication, while others argue it's a fair bonus to encourage drug companies to manufacture new medications.

Regardless of what consumers think, drug companies apparently feel a monopoly that allows them to makes billions off a single blockbuster medication in one year is not enough. Recent court battles illuminate drug company schemes to extend their medication monopolies beyond the normal patent to produce billions more in profit.

Drug Companies Can Pay to Extend Their Monopoly

The idea behind drug patents (which exclude competitors from selling similar products) is that they last long enough to give companies time to benefit financially from their newly created medication. Then the patent expires, and competitors can make generic versions that tend to be dramatically cheaper. Drug companies have been using a strategy called "pay to delay" to extend their monopolies by paying generic competitors who promise not to sell competing medications. Medpage Today reported on a court case that ruled these anti-competitive payments are allowed. It's win-win for big drug companies and their competitors, but what about the patients?

Drug Company Forced to Maintain Access to Medication

Drug companies were not so successful in their attempts at another money-making scheme. Reuters reported:

"A U.S. judge ruled on Thursday that Actavis Plc must continue to sell its Alzheimer's drug [set to lose patent protection next year] in a lawsuit alleging that the company was scheming to limit generic competition while it launched an extended-release version of the widely used drug...

The company planned to withdraw Namenda IR from the market in August to focus sales on its new but similar drug, called Namenda XR, which is taken once instead of twice daily, according to the lawsuit...

The move, also called a 'forced switch,' asks doctors to transition patients to Namenda XR, which will not face generic competition for years."

These schemes are pervasive throughout the drug industry (as well as billion dollar fines and settlements). It's apparently hard to do what's right for patients when the alternative is making billions of dollars. The best response is making healthy lifestyle choices so you can live a long and healthy life without medications. Start now by eating better and being active.

The risks associated with antibiotic use in children continues to grow as new research finds a strong link between antibiotic use and the development of arthritis in children.

Medpage Today reports, "Children who were exposed to antibiotics had an increased risk of developing juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)...any antibiotic use was associated with more than twice the risk of JIA."

Antibiotics are made to kill microbes throughout the body, but end up killing helpful bacteria with the harmful bacteria. Researchers noted this disruption of healthy bacteria has been linked to multiple autoimmune diseases..."including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, and exposure to antibiotics has been linked with inflammatory bowel disease in children."

The researchers went on to note that 25% of antibiotics used for children are for respiratory infections and are not needed.

For a reminder of when antibiotics should NOT be used (common colds, flu, runny nose, bronchitis, fluid in ears, etc.) click here. To keep you and your children healthy, avoid antibiotics whenever possible and include probiotics or fermented foods in the diet to make sure there is plenty of good bacteria in the gut.

Medpage Today reported on a recent study linking knee surgery to increased rates of arthritis. Individuals with knee pain who had undergone knee surgery were significantly more likely to experience loss of cartilage, developing arthritis of the knee.

Radiologists examined imaging of patients with knee pain for signs of arthritis. All of the knees showing signs of arthritis were those that had undergone surgery, while none of the 354 patients who avoided surgery developed arthritis.

They reported, "Individuals with knee pain who undergo surgery to repair meniscus cartilage tears often develop osteoarthritis in that knee within a year of the operation..."

"...the type of surgery was not apparent from the records accessed for the study but [researchers] believed that most of the procedures were performed through arthroscopic rather than open surgery."

With current research on arthroscopic knee surgery finding no significant improvement compared to sham (fake) surgery, this study provides more reason to try conservative treatment first and only choose surgery with caution.

Britain's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently updated quality care guidelines for childbirth, noting that research shows it is safer for healthy mothers to have their babies at home, or in a birth center, than in a hospital.

"Women with uncomplicated pregnancies...were better off in the hands of midwives than hospital doctors during birth...For these low-risk mothers-to-be, giving birth in a traditional maternity ward increased the chances of surgical intervention and therefore infection, the regulator said."

The difference in safety is related to doctors' frequent use of cesarean sections, episiotomies, and epidurals (which increase the risk of protracted birth that requires forceps and tissue damage). All of these medical procedures carry increased risk of infection and other complications.

For years, doctors have recommended hospital delivery over home or birth center delivery, but the research doesn't support those recommendations for healthy mothers. Compared to the United States, home births are more common in Europe where the government provides health care and there is no financial incentive for doctors to recommend birth at a hospital.

Dr. Jeffrey L. Ecker, the chairman of the committee on obstetrics practice for American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists noted that if a recommendation for home births were made in the United States, doctors might worry about losing patients to midwives.

Read more of the article in the New York Times.

Acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol and other brands, is commonly recommended for back pain, but until now only minimal medical research had been performed to see if it actually helps. Even back pain treatment guidelines recommend acetaminophen as a first-line treatment without any direct evidence of benefit.

To the surprise of many, a study recently found no benefit to using acetaminophen for back pain. Researchers studied over 1600 patients with back pain. The patients were given acetaminophen or placebo pills. The scientists found no significant difference between the groups in recovery time, pain, disability, function, symptom changes, sleep or quality of life.

With increasing awareness of the significant risks of taking acetaminophen (causing over 50,000 liver injuries in Americans each year), this study gives further support to the recommendation of minimizing use as much as possible.

Medical treatment guidelines offer a better treatment choice for back pain: chiropractic manipulation. Research has found chiropractic treatment to be one of the only options that reduces back pain, improves function, and has minimal risks. Before reaching for that bottle of Tylenol for your back pain, think twice.

A small study performed on patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) found another reason to eat dark chocolate - improved walking.

PAD is a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to your limbs, often causing leg pain with walking. PAD is similar to atherosclerosis that affects the heart and can be a sign that blood flow is reduced to your heart and brain as well.

Those eating dark chocolate could walk farther and longer

In the study, researchers compared two groups, those eating 40 grams of dark chocolate (>85% cocoa) and those eating 40 grams of milk chocolate (<35% cocoa). Those eating dark chocolate experienced a significant improvement in their ability to walk within two hours of eating. The patients could walk further and walk for a longer period of time. There was no change for the group eating milk chocolate.

While a larger study should be performed to confirm the results, this research provides further support on the benefits of eating dark chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the better. Milk chocolate has too much added sugar and processed oils to be beneficial, so choose dark chocolate.

In recent years, researchers have noted potential harmful health effects when using the chemical BPA as an ingredient in plastic baby bottles. BPA is similar to female hormones and can leach from the bottles, accumulating in the body of an infant, and potentially contributing to health problems. Some concerned parents have switched to "BPA-free" plastic baby bottles, but a new study finds that these plastic bottles can often leach hormone-like chemicals as well.

Replacing BPA with other chemicals

Recognizing the demand for an alternative to BPA, plastic bottle producers have switched to a variety of other chemical ingredients to replace BPA and market their bottles as "BPA-free". Researchers recently tested common "BPA-free" baby bottle brands (and other "BPA-free bottles) under various conditions to check for the leaching of female hormone-like chemicals.

Heating the bottles (like in a microwave) or exposure to sunlight or sterilizing lights often increased chemical leaching. Using certain dyes to color a bottle even made a difference (some colors protected the bottle from leaching chemicals).

Overall, the researchers were surprised with the number of "BPA-free" plastic bottles that leached other hormone-like chemicals. Click here for a more detailed explanation of the results and to see which brands performed better.

What's in your bottle?

While the focus of public concerns has been largely on baby bottles, it's important to note that these chemicals are also used in other types of drink bottles and coat the inside of cans (to avoid corrosion from contact with food). While the research showed some plastic bottles performed well with testing, it may be safest to use glass or metal bottles, especially when feeding babies.

One of the biggest hurdles to eating healthy is time, so here are 7 tips to help you save time while eating better:

1. Go nuts - a handful of nuts is a great snack that takes no preparation. They have healthy fats and protein to keep you satisfied and full of energy longer; and provide a variety of other great nutrients. Mix it up and include a variety of nuts in your diet.
   
2. Make a smoothie - blend together some fresh and frozen fruit, water and a good quality protein powder for a healthy meal that's ready in a minute. Add a spoonful of flax oil or meal for some extra healthy fats. A stick blender keeps cleaning to a minimum.
   
3. Produce prep - find a convenient time each week (preferably after your trip to the grocery store) to prepare your produce so it's ready to go. Wash and chop your veggies and fruit and sort them in baggies or containers. With your fruit & veggies ready to go all week, you can have meals ready in half the time.
   
4. Stir fry - toss some meat, veggies (already prepped thanks to #3), butter or oil in a pan with seasoning and have a stir fry cooked in 10 minutes. Skipping the rice or noodles will save you time and keep you healthy.
   
5. Boil those eggs - eggs are a great whole food to include in your diet regularly. Don't worry about those myths you've heard - eggs are good for you, especially from pastured chickens. Boil some up so you have them ready to go all week.
   
6. Toss a salad - pull out those veggies you already prepared, your boiled eggs or other meat, and some good salad dressing. Mix them up and have fun. You just made a great meal in 5 minutes!
   
7. Love those leftovers - when you're cooking a great meal, cook more. It doesn't take much more effort, but saves a lot of time the next 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.

There's good news about store-bought meat just in time for Christmas. This may be one of the best gifts Santa could give us. Two recent changes in the regulation of how meat is raised and sold in the United States should help improve the quality of what we buy in the store.

Bye Bye Antibiotics

The Washington Post reports, "The vast majority of antibiotics sold each year in the United States — by some estimates as much as 80 percent — are used in agriculture rather than in human medicine... The [FDA] finalized recommendations asking animal drug manufacturers to voluntarily alter their labels so that farmers would no longer be allowed to use antibiotics merely to make animals grow faster."

The good news is it will be harder for farmers to feed their livestock antibiotics to make them grow faster rather than treat disease. The bad news is, following the regulations is still somewhat voluntary. Fortunately, pharmaceutical companies seem to be on board. With increasing concerns about the "superbugs" created by antibiotic overuse, it's good to see steps made in the right direction. This should be a healthy improvement for the quality of our meat supply.

Where's This Meat From?

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."