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April 2005 Vol. 10 No. 4

 You don’t lead by pointing a finger and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.
-Ken Kesey

Table of Contents:

Vitamin E Found to Cut Prostate Cancer Risk in Half
Human Proof That Cod Liver Oil Really Can Slow The Onset Of Osteoarthritis
New Study in Pediatrics Shatters Milk Myth
Polymeal response to Polypill
Exercise Provides Shield Against Parkinson’s
Synthetic Estrogen Pills Cause Urinary Incontinence in Over Half of Women
The Dangerous Link Between Migraines and Heart Attacks
How Carbohydrates & Obesity are Linked: The Kind, Not the Amount Foods Containing Carbohydrates

Vitamin E Found to Cut Prostate Cancer Risk in Half 

 Hope for successfully treating prostate cancer mounts, as findings provide evidence of a treatment with promising results.
High blood levels of alpha- and gamma-tocopherol–major vitamin E components–appeared to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by about 50 percent each.

These results are based on a study involving 100 individuals with prostate cancer and 200 individuals without, participating in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study, which included nearly 30,000 men in all. Not only did the study indicate that men with the highest levels of alpha-tocopherol in their blood at baseline were about 50 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those with the lowest level of the vitamin, but it also showed:

Men with highest levels of gamma-tocopherol were 43 percent less likely to develop the cancer, compared with men with the lowest levels.  The connection between high tocopherol levels and low cancer risk was stronger among individuals taking alpha-tocopherol supplements compared to those not taking them.

These findings support those of the ATBC study, which showed daily vitamin E supplementation cut prostate cancer risk by 32 percent.

Vitamin E’s Antioxidant Properties

Because oxidative stress has been linked to the development of prostate cancer, researchers believe it is vitamin E’s antioxidant properties that may be the reason for the studies findings.  Moreover, alpha-tocopherol has other non-antioxidant properties, such as enhancement of the immune response, which may also play a role in the benefits observed of vitamin E.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute March 2, 2005; 97(5): 396-399
ABC News March 2, 2005

Council for Responsible Nutrition articles on vitamin E
http://www.crnusa.org/vitaminEandimmunefunction.html

The benefits of vitamin E are well established. More than 1,000 studies support the preventive health benefits of this vital nutrient, and the general health risk for healthy people for too much vitamin E is low.  ”Many of the studies conducted that find vitamin

E is not beneficial have used synthetic vitamin E [dl-tocopherol], which has clearly been demonstrated not to respond in the human body successfully, as well as has poor response in animal studies.”

Human Proof That Cod Liver Oil Really Can Slow The Onset Of Osteoarthritis 

Scientists from Cardiff University have revealed new clinical data showing that cod liver oil, a popular supplement source of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, is effective in slowing the destruction of joint cartilage in patients with osteoarthritis.

The study, led by Professors Bruce Caterson and John Harwood of Cardiff University, and Professor Colin Dent, Orthopaedic Consultant, University of Wales College of Medicine, provides unique human (in vivo) evidence of the effectiveness of cod liver oil in the management of osteoarthritis.

Findings show that 86% of pre-operative patients with arthritis who took cod liver oil capsules daily had absent or significantly reduced levels of the enzymes that cause cartilage damage compared to 26% of those given a placebo oil capsule. In addition, results showed a marked reduction in those patients taking cod liver oil of some of the enzymes that cause joint pain.

Professor Caterson said: “This breakthrough is hugely significant because it demonstrates the efficacy of a dietary intake of cod liver oil among patients with osteoarthritis prior to their joint replacement surgery.

The data suggest that cod liver oil has a dual mode of action, potentially slowing down cartilage degeneration and reducing factors that cause pain and inflammation.

New Study in Pediatrics Shatters Milk Myth 

For Strong Bones, Kids Need Exercise, Sunshine, and a Dairy-Free Diet

WASHINGTON: In a new scientific review scheduled to appear in the March issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Pediatrics, Cornell-trained nutritionist Amy Joy Lanou, Ph.D., and co-authors show that dairy products do not promote bone health in children and young adults. Physical activity does have a positive impact on bone health, while evidence linking bone health with dairy product consumption is weak, at best.

Under scientific scrutiny, the support for the milk myth crumbles. This analysis of 58 published studies shows that the evidence on which U.S. dairy intake recommendations are based is scant, says Dr. Lanou, lead author of the study. A clear majority of the studies we examined for this review found no relationship between dairy or dietary calcium intake and measures of bone health. In the remaining reports, the evidence was sketchy.

In some, the effects on bone health were small, and in others, the results were confounded by vitamin D intake from milk fortified with vitamin D. To build strong bones and healthy bodies, children need exercise, sunshine, and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that helps them maintain a healthy body weight.

The level of dairy product consumption in the United States is among the highest in the world, and yet osteoporosis and fracture rates are also among the highest.

This calcium paradox was an impetus for the current investigation. We found no evidence to support the notion that milk is a preferred source of calcium, the authors conclude.

Dr. Lanou is nutrition director for the non-profit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), and her co-authors are Susan E. Berkow, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Neal D. Barnard, M.D.

For a copy of the new paper published in Pediatrics, an interview with one of the authors, or b-roll of children engaged in activities that promote bone health, contact Jeanne S. McVey at 202-686-2210, ext. 316 or 415-509-1833, jeannem@pcrm.org.

Polymeal response to Polypill 

A combined meal of seven foods including fish, wine and chocolate could reduce cardiovascular disease by 76 per cent, a team of researchers from the Department of Public Health, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, has found.

Published in the December 17 issue of the British Medical Journal, the study claims that the Polymeal meal would increase men’s life expectancy by 6.6 years and women’s by 4.8 years.

The findings follow research last year into the Polypill - a combination of drugs taken in one dose - which was designed to reduce hart disease by more than 80 per cent.

Said author, Oscar Franco: The Polymeal promises to be an effective, non-pharmacological, safe and tasty alternative to the Polypill for reducing cardiovascular morbidity and increasing life expectancy in the general population.

The doctors searched medical literature to find foods that have been proven to lower the risk of heart disease.

Drinking 150ml of wine a day cuts the risk by 32%, they say, and fish consumed four times a week reduces it by 14%. A daily intake of 100g of dark chocolate and 400g of fruit and vegetables lowers blood pressure, further cutting the risk of heart disease.

Garlic and almonds both lower cholesterol levels. The daily Polymeal contains 2.7g of garlic and 68g of almonds.

Combining all the ingredients of the Polymeal resulted in cardiovascular disease being reduced by 76%. Whether increasing the amount of each ingredient would increase the effect of the Polymeal is uncertain. On the other hand, decreasing the quantities could be expected to reduce the effects of the Polymeal.

Exercise Provides Shield Against Parkinson’s 

 Exercise

Weight loss is not the only benefit people gain from exercising. Researchers found that men who exercised regularly and vigorously early in their adult life lowered their risk for developing Parkinson’s disease when compared to men who did not.

What is Parkinson’s disease? It is a progressive nervous system disease that usually occurs after age 50. It destroys brain cells that produce dopamine (a brain chemical) and is characterized by:

  • Rigidity
  • Muscular tremor
  • Postural instability
  • Slowing of movement

Uncovering the Parkinson’s-Exercise Link

To determine the relationship between physical activity and Parkinson’s disease, researchers involved more than 48,000 men and 77,000 women–who were free of Parkinson’s disease, cancer or stroke–in a study. Participants completed comprehensive questionnaires on disease, lifestyle practices and physical and leisure time activities (beginning in 1986 and updated every two years through 2000).  Throughout the study, a total of 387 cases of Parkinson’s disease were diagnosed–252 men and 135 women.

The study showed:

The most physically active men at the start of the study lowered their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by half, compared to men who were least physically active.

Men who reported engaging in regular physical activity in early adult life lowered the risk for Parkinson’s by 60 percent, compared to men who did not.

Women in the study who participated in strenuous activity in the early adult years were also associated with a lowered risk of Parkinson’s (yet this link was not statistically significant and there was not clear relationship between physical activity later in life and Parkinson’s risk)

Neurology February 22, 2005; 64(4): 664-9
Medical News Today February 22, 2005.

Synthetic Estrogen Pills Cause Urinary Incontinence in Over Half of Women 

 Woman

Estrogen pills, those with or without progestin, may increase women’s risk of becoming incontinent, or make the condition worse in those who already have it, according to the Women’s Health Initiative study. It was previously thought that the hormone pills would prevent incontinence, and many doctors had prescribed them specifically to treat it.

In the study of over 27,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79, those who took estrogen pills for one year were 53 percent more likely to develop urinary incontinence than those who took a placebo. Women who took pills with both estrogen and progestin had a 39 percent increased risk.

Risks for stress incontinence, in which urine leakage is preceded by pressure on the abdomen from sneezing, laughing, walking or coughing, were most severe. Women taking estrogen pills more than doubled their risk of stress incontinence, while those on combined estrogen and progestin pills had similar risks.  In terms of women who already had incontinence, compared with women taking a placebo those taking estrogen pills had a 60 percent greater risk that it would worsen in a year, while those on the combined pills had a 20 percent greater risk of worsening.

The same study previously found that hormone pills increase the risk of:

  • Heart attacks
  • Strokes
  • Breast cancer
  • Dementia

The findings prompted millions of menopausal women to quit using the hormones. In fact, prescriptions for the pills fell to 11 million in the first half of 2004 (after the study was released), down from 16 million in the beginning of 2002.

Journal of the American Medical Association March 2005;293(8):935-948

Further Reading:

Estrogen Replacement Can Be Healthy or Dangerous
Journal of the American Medical Association October 6, 2004;292(13)

The Dangerous Link Between Migraines and Heart Attacks 

Migraine Headache

In addition to sensitivity to light and noise, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and visual disturbances, those who suffer from migraine attacks may have another, more serious, side effect to worry about: An increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

A study, which involved nearly 6000 participants provided a cardiovascular risk profile of those who suffer from migraine attacks and those who suffer from migraine with aura–referring to a visual or other form of hallucination prior to a migraine attack.   One-third of the participants who suffered from migraines experienced aura symptoms before a headache arose.

The Study Results

People with migraines, particularly those with aura, may be more likely to present risk factors associated with cardiovascular conditions. In fact, it has been found that migraine with aura increases the risk of stroke before the age of 45; however, the reason for this statistic is not yet known. Findings showed:

Those with migraine were 43 percent more likely to be smokers, though less likely to consume alcohol.

Those with migraine with aura symptoms were 43 percent more likely to suffer from high cholesterol; they were also 76 percent more likely to suffer from high blood pressure.  People with migraine with aura were more likely to report a history of either stroke or heart disease before the age of 45.

The Gender Role

Women with migraine were twice as likely to be using oral contraceptives; they were also more likely to report a history of high blood pressure during pregnancy than those without migraine.

Men with migraine, on the other hand, were almost twice as likely to have a father with a history of heart attack–though both men and women with migraine overall were nearly two times more likely to have a mother with a history of early heart attack.

Neurology February 22, 2005; 64(4): 614-20
Medical News Today February 22, 2005

For further reading:

Wheat Can Cause Severe Headaches
Neurology February 2001;56:385-388

Link between Magnesium deficiency and Migraine headaches
http://www.afpafitness.com/articles/migrain.htm

How Carbohydrates & Obesity are Linked. The Kind, Not the Amount Foods Containing Carbohydrates 

It’s the kind of carbohydrates you consume, not the number, which becomes a reflection of the number on your bathroom scale.

Contrary to popular belief, overweight people don’t eat more carbohydrates than those of normal weight. However, it was discovered that overweight people were more inclined to eat an excess of refined carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta, which trigger a rapid spike in blood sugar.

The culprit of weight gain, refined carbohydrates, can be found in processed foods high in sugar. Refined carbohydrates add on extra pounds through their high glycemic index, which means they cause a quick surge in blood sugar. The sugar is then stored in muscle and if it is not used it turns into fat.

On the contrary, other carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables don’t have high glycemic indexes.  Even though statistics showed that people are eating less fat, it was revealed that over the course of the past 20 years the rate of obesity has been steadily increasing.

To determine if carbohydrates played a factor in obesity researchers conducted a study by measuring the height and weight of nearly 600 healthy participants. One of the main requirements of the study was for the participants to document the kind of carbohydrates they ate for one year.

The study revealed two key findings:

People with a higher body mass index–a measure of weight that factors in height — tended to eat carbohydrates with a higher glycemic index.
The amount of carbohydrates people ate had no influence on body mass index.
Researchers of the study also noted that some countries are now adding glycemic levels on food labels as a guideline to those who are trying to lose weight or control diabetes.

American Journal of Epidemiology February 15, 2005;161(4):359-367

Selected segments are reproduced from Dr. Mercola’s excellent website:
http://www.mercola.com/index.htm 

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
http://www.pcrm.org