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September 2002 Vol. 7 No. 9
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
- Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
He who would go a hundred miles should consider ninety-nine as halfway.
-Japanese Proverb
Remembering September 11th …
Table of Contents:
Routine Exercise Snuffs Out Common Colds
Low Vegetable Intake May Lead to Stroke
Healthy Diet and Weight Improves Breast Cancer
Omega-3 Fats Prevent Breast Cancer
Want to Reduce Breast Cancer? Fish Oil is a Must
Drug Treatment For Depression Is Dead Wrong
Exercise Better Than Drugs For Depression
ALLERGY SEASON: Choking, coughing, sneezing, & wheezing made worse by dairy…
Parents’ Guide to Building Better Bones
Routine Exercise Snuffs Out Common Colds
Regular exercise appears to ward off, or at least significantly reduce, common colds. Over 500 healthy adults were evaluated over the course of a year to assess how many colds they experienced and how often they engaged in moderate physical activity. This activity included anything more strenuous than a walk, including household, leisure and occupational activities.
People who reported being the most active had 25% fewer colds over the course of a year compared to those least active.
On average, adults get between two to five colds a year. While generally only a minor health nuisance, these colds are the leading cause of visits to doctors and missed workdays. The researchers suggest that employers can reap lower healthcare costs and greater productively by encouraging exercise and activity among their employees.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2002; 34:1242-1248
Cold Prevention:
The best way to prevent a cold is to be proactive and not get colds in the first place. It seems the major reasons why one gets them to begin with are:
Going off a sensible eating plan
Stress
Not enough sleep
Any combination of the above
To prevent a cold:
1. Avoid food choices that will sabotage your health.
2. Address your stress issues. If you are stressed please consider EFT, an effective tool to address the root of your stress.
To treat a cold:
In case you do get sick, please bookmark the following recommendations for treating the common cold.
Related Articles:
http://www.mercola.com/diet.htm [most of the recommendations are good]
Hydrogen Peroxide For Colds and Flu
http://www.mercola.com/2002/mar/13/hydrogen_peroxide.htm
Naturopathic Physicians Offer Tips to Avoid Becoming Cold or Flu Victim This Season
http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/31/naturopathic_advice.htm
Secrets About Colds and How to Treat and Avoid Them
http://www.mercola.com/2001/nov/14/colds.htm
Zinc Therapy Reduces Duration of Colds
http://www.mercola.com/2000/sept/3/zinc_colds.htm
Beware of Colds If You Are Under Stress
http://www.mercola.com/2001/may/5/colds.htm
Low Vegetable Intake May Lead to Stroke
In a study of nearly 6000 men and women over age 65, those with the lowest intake of potassium were 1.5 times more likely to have a stroke over the next 4 to 8 years than those with higher intakes of potassium.
And among those taking diuretics to lower their blood pressure, the risk of stroke was 2.5 times higher if their potassium intake was low. Diuretics can lower the levels of potassium in the blood.
High potassium intake was defined as more than 4 grams a day, while low potassium intake was defined as less than 2.4 grams a day. The average daily intake of potassium was 3.3 grams.
The study does not recommend the ideal daily intake.
But the researchers do recommend people become more aware of their potassium intake - particularly those taking diuretics — as they can likely benefit from higher potassium levels. Neurology 2002; 59:302-303, 314-320
Healthy Diet and Weight Improves Breast Cancer
A review of recent studies on the effect of nutrition on cancer survival and recurrence suggests that women with breast cancer who control their weight and maintain a healthy diet may live longer after their diagnosis than those who aren’t health conscious.
Slimmer patients survive for longer periods of time than overweight or obese patients, the studies suggest. And the intake of fruits and vegetables has a somewhat protective effect for those with breast cancer.
The investigators also noted that those diagnosed with breast cancer often become motivated to change their diet to improve their health, and doctors should consider taking advantage of this “teachable moment” by advising them on the benefits of weight loss or control and proper nutrition.
Journal of Clinical Oncology 2002; 20:3302-3316
Omega-3 Fats Prevent Breast Cancer
Researchers evaluated over 250 patients with breast cancer and analyzed their fat relative to 90 women without breast cancer.
The analysis showed that there was indeed a protect effect of omega-3 fatty acids on breast cancer risk and supports the imperative balance of the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio as being important in the development of breast cancer. Previous studies have shown the importance of vitamin D in the development of breast cancer.
Int. J Cancer March 2002 1; 98(1):78-83
Want to Reduce Breast Cancer? Fish Oil is a Must
BRCA1 (breast cancer gene 1) and BRCA2 (breast cancer gene 2) are two tumor suppressor genes that, when functioning normally, help repair damage to DNA (a process that also prevents tumor development).
In 1994, researchers discovered that women who carry mutations of BRCA1 or BRCA2 are at higher risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer than women who do not have these genetic mutations. Currently, women with BRCA1 mutations account for 5% of all breast cancer cases.
Differences in the actions of omega-3 and omega-6 fats have been observed on these genes. Omega-3 fats have been described to reduce cancer cell growth and the omega-6 fats have been found to cause cancer growth.
The researchers examined the expression of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in breast cell lines after treatment with both omega-6 and omega-3 fats. They found that omega-3 fats (DHA and EPA) were able to induce increases in BRCA1 and BRCA2 but omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid did not.
The researchers believe that there is a possible transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation of the cancer protection genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 after omega-3 fat treatment in breast cancer cells.
The second study reviews new evidence on the biological mechanisms as to how fish oil can protect against breast cancer.
It appears that omega-3 fats activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) which are capable of influencing the growth of breast cancer cells.
British Journal of Nutrition April 2002, vol. 87, no. 4, pp. 281-289(9)
British Journal of Nutrition, March 2002, vol. 87, no. 3, pp. 193-198(6)
Drug Treatment For Depression Is Dead Wrong By Nathaniel S. Lehrman, MD
Psychiatry And The Growth Of Depression
Depression has become very big. Feelings of “helplessness, loss of hope, sadness, crying, sleep or appetite disturbances, or difficulty concentrating, for at least two straight weeks” are sufficient for the very common diagnosis of “clinical depression.” Over the past half- century, hospitalizations for depression have increased almost thirty times, from 9.8 per 100,000 in 1943 (in New York, which had more per capita than any other state) to an estimated 280 per 100,000 (nationally) in 1994.
And that’s only the beginning. Scientists estimated in 1997 that 18 million Americans suffer severe depression each year, with one in five of us experiencing a depressive episode during his or her lifetime (that’s 20,000 per 100,000).
Drugs For Depression
Ann Landers maintained that 80% of depressions “can be treated successfully with medication” (listed first), “psychotherapy, or a combination of both,” and noted happily that on National Depression Screening Day in 1998, more than 85,000 people visited screening sites, with over 70% of them then “referred for a full evaluation.”
Some experts, claiming that 50 percent of “clinically depressed” people will have another episode, note that a growing number of doctors are writing prescriptions for them for years on end. One expert even insists “there is a subgroup of people who will stay on medication for the rest of their lives.” These views of depression, based on today’s drug-oriented approach to treatment, conflict almost totally with the experience of many, including myself, who treated depression successfully before the drug era began.
It is estimated that 28 million Americans now take prescribed (doctor-controlled) anti-depressant medications. Production of these drugs has consequently become a huge business, with “global sales estimated at $6 billion a year and rising.” Prozac sales alone amounted to more than $1.7 billion in 1999 - a third of the Eli Lilly and Company’s total business - while prescriptions for its major current competitors, Zoloft and Paxil, also continue to rise rapidly.
Despite the side effects experienced by a quarter of Prozac users, Lilly recently spent $15 million to advertise the drug directly to the public - to increase patients’ demand for it from their physicians. And at a time that our churches, moral guides to the nation, face many grave financial problems, the major backer of the Public Broadcasting System’s “Religion and Ethics Newsweekly” is the Lilly Foundation.
The Dangers Of Anti-Depressant Drugs
Although all the long-term side-effects of these central nervous system drugs are still not known, those which are known have evoked much less attention than they should. Anti-depressant drugs’ greatest danger is their evocation of suicidal and/or homicidal feelings and behavior; both teenagers who attacked their fellow students at Columbine happened to be taking anti-depressants. Another danger from “feel-good” drugs is the creation of dependency or addiction. Many who are hooked will turn to street drugs since they are cheaper, more available, and often stronger - and under a user’s own control, rather than under a doctor’s. We find ourselves in this increasingly difficult situation because psychiatry has badly mishandled depression in its all-consuming reliance on drugs as the first line of treatment.
Dr. Nathaniel S. Lehrman is the former Clinical Director of the Kingsboro Psychiatric Center in Brooklyn, NY
Red Flags Weekly August 15, 2002
http://www.redflagsweekly.com/Thursday_report/2002_august15.html
Exercise Better Than Drugs For Depression
Besides its physical health benefits, exercise is often said to help people simply feel good. And a growing number of studies are showing that these mood-boosting effects may even fight clinical depression.
Researchers found that walking for 30 minutes each day quickly improved the patients’ symptoms–faster, in fact, than antidepressant drugs typically do. The results indicate that, in selected patients with major depression, aerobic training can produce a substantial improvement in symptoms in a short time.
Previous studies have suggested that exercise is a potent mood-booster, and some research indicates that for some patients regular activity may be a better depression treatment than psychotherapy or medication. Exactly why is unclear, but exercise does influence certain mood-related hormones. And it is also believed to enhance people’s sense of control over their lives. In one study that compared exercise with antidepressants among older adults, investigators found that physical activity was the more effective depression-fighter.
British Journal of Sports Medicine April 2001; 35:114-117
ALLERGY SEASON: Choking, coughing, sneezing, & wheezing made worse by dairy…
Those who finance milk congestion studies often have little to gain by demonstrating that milk causes mucus. The studies are poorly designed, lasting for only a few hours. Long distance runners know. Opera singers know. Broadway actors and actresses are told not to consume milk or dairy products or their voices will become “phlegmy.” Eighty percent of milk protein is casein, a tenacious glue and allergenic protein. Eat casein and you produce histamines, then mucus.
The reaction is often delayed, occurring 12-15 hours after consumption.
Few people note the ill effects because milk and dairy products represent 40% of what the average American eats (about 666 pounds per American per year), and these proteins are continuously eaten. On vacation, the consumption of dairy increases. Ice cream and pizza overdose.
“Allergy to cow’s milk proteins has been defined as any adverse reaction mediated by immunological mechanisms to one or several of these proteins. Reactions to cow’s milk have been classified according on their onset as immediate (Frank Oski, M.D., Don’t Drink Your Milk
To Receive Your Own Monthly Newsletter Regarding the Controversy Regarding Milk check this address through your e-mail and in the subject line request the online newsletter:
Journals for Further research:
British Journal of Medicine [http://bmj.com/]
Lancet [http://www.thelancet.com/]
Pediatrics [http://www.pediatrics.org/]
Townsend Newsletter [http://www.tldp.com/]
Parents’ Guide to Building Better Bones
Bones have become big business. Just flip through any magazine or turn on the television, and you’ll see scores of products-from jugs of milk to endless supplements-advertised as the easy answer to lifelong bone health.
Recently, physicians and nutritionists at PCRM sorted through the scientific evidence pertaining to healthy bones and, not surprisingly, found that not everything we hear in the media tells the whole story. Fortunately, easy adjustments to your diet and exercise routine are all most of us need to grow sturdy skeletons that will stay strong for life.
Should parents worry about their child’s bone development?
Most children develop healthy bones just being the active little people they are. Genetics and hormones related to growth and puberty have a strong influence on bone health, and there are a few nutritional and lifestyle factors parents can encourage to help their children build strong bones.
Is calcium the most important mineral for building strong bones?
Bones are a matrix of collagen, water, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and other minerals. While it is important to replenish calcium from foods in the diet, other factors such as exercise affect bone health as well. For instance, a recent study published in Pediatrics found that inactive teens had lower bone density by age 18 than those who engaged in regular physical activity. The researchers also found that the amount of calcium consumed-from milk or other sources-had no effect on their bone density.
Which foods provide active kids the best nutrients for bone health?
Researchers have found that vitamins C and K, potassium, and magnesium are all vital. These nutrients are found in citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, bananas, potatoes, green vegetables such as kale and spinach, beans, soy foods, and many other fruits and vegetables. And the calcium found in some plant foods such as collards and kale is absorbed nearly twice as well as the calcium in milk. You’ll also do without the troubling risks of antibiotics and hormones used by dairy farmers, the high fat content of many dairy foods, and the cholesterol we all want to avoid. Calcium-fortified fruit juices and soymilk are tasty and highly concentrated sources as well.
I’ve heard vitamin D is important for adult bones. Is this true for children as well?
Absolutely. This essential nutrient is produced in the skin when we are outdoors in the sunlight. Just 15 minutes per day is all a child needs. For families who can’t get outside regularly, multivitamins or fortified foods will suffice.
Are there any foods kids should avoid?
Yale University researchers looked at hip fracture rates in 16 countries and found that those with the highest meat, fish, egg, and dairy product consumption had the most bone breaks. Animal proteins seem to stimulate bone deterioration and encourage calcium loss. This is one good reason to build meals from healthy vegetarian foods such as pasta primavera, bean and rice burritos, hearty lentil soup, or crisp, colorful salads.
Few parents realize it, but salt, caffeine, and cigarette smoke also cause calcium losses. It makes good parenting sense to learn to flavor foods with fresh herbs and spices instead of salt, to offer water, juice, or soymilk instead of soda, and to strongly discourage smoking.
Does milk really do the body good?
It’s never a good idea to rely solely on product advertisements when it comes to making decisions about nutrition. In a 12-year Harvard University study of 78,000 women, those who got the most calcium from dairy products actually broke more bones than the women who got little or no calcium from dairy.
There are other reasons to avoid milk, too. In babies under one year of age, cow’s milk has been linked to iron deficiency, colic, and Type 1 diabetes. In childhood, allergies to milk and milk products are common. Many children and teens with irritable bowel syndrome, autism, asthma, and sinus and skin allergies improve after they stop drinking cow’s milk.
Amy Joy Lanou, Ph.D., is nutrition director for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, overseeing PCRM’s Cancer Project, conducting clinical research, working with cancer foundations, and promoting a vegetarian diet among policymakers, dietitians, and researchers.
Booklet for Parents
For a more in-depth look at how to ensure healthy bone development, please request a copy of the Parents’ Guide to Building Better Bones, a new publication from PCRM, by calling 202-686-2210, ext. 306, or e-mailing bleonard@pcrm.org.