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January 2005 Vol. 10 No. 1

 “One realizes the full importance of time only when there is little of it left.
Every man’s greatest capital asset is his unexpired years of productive life
P.W. Litchfield

Table of Contents:AFPA has recently been granted Affiliate status by the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE)
Fiber-Rich Diet Lowers Heart Disease Risk
Calcium Channel Blockers Can Actually Cause Heart Disease
Moderate Exercise Prevents Cancer, Ups Survival
Cutting Back On Sleep Can Make You Gain Weight
Can Honey Help Fight Cancer?
Vegetable Fiber Protects against Prostate Cancer
Boost Your Memory with Magnesium
Can Orange Juice Cure Cancer?
Hormones Linked to Stroke and Blood Clots

AFPA has recently been granted Affiliate status by the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE)AFPA has recently been granted Affiliate status by the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE), and we can help you prepare for the National Boards, a new set of standardized tests developed by the NBFE.

AFPA’s  PT Certification Course is based on the state of the in fitness training and enables personal fitness trainers to stay on the cutting edge of the fitness industry by mastering the skills that are necessary to pass both written exams and the all-important hands-on practical exams. AFPA’s curriculum and exams are currently in the process of accreditation by Vital Research, a leading national accreditation agency.

AFPA’s PT Certification Course will also assist personal trainers in preparing for the National Boards, a new program of standardized testing from the National Board of Fitness Examiners.

AFPA cannot guarantee that everyone who takes and passes the PT Certification Course will pass the National Boards, but it’s the best way to get started on preparation for the new board exams.

The beta version of the written component (Part I) of the National Boards will be tested by the NBFE starting in January or February 2005. If you want to participate in the beta-testing phase, contact the NBFE at www.nbfe.org.  The final version of the written exam will be administered starting in April 2005, and the practical component (Part II) of the National Boards will be administered toward the end of 2005.

The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) the most prestigious and credible testing organization in the world recently met with the NBFE and expressed support for both written and practical examinations in the fitness industry. The NBME and the NBFE are engaged in discussions and planning that will allow qualified certification organizations to assist in the delivery of practical exams for personal trainers.

For more information about the National Board of Fitness Examiners and the National Boards, visit the NBFE Website at www.nbfe.org

Fiber-Rich Diet Lowers Heart Disease Risk 

Dietary fiber from cereal and fruit lowers risk for coronary heart disease in men and women, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers analyzed data from ten studies involving more than 90,000 men and more than 240,000 women in the United States and Europe, finding that every 10 grams of fiber in the daily diet is associated with a 14 percent reduction for all coronary events and a 27 percent reduction in coronary deaths.

In a second study, adults consuming the most dietary fiber had the lowest serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation that may predict future cardiovascular events, according to a study including 4,000 men and women over

20 years of age. Fiber is found in beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and is not found in animal-derived products.
Pereira MA, O?Reilly E, Augustsson K, et al. Dietary fiber and risk of coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med 2004;164:370-6.
Ajani UA, Ford ES, Mokdad AH. Dietary fiber and c-reactive protein: finding from National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey data. J Nutr 2004;134:1181-5.

Calcium Channel Blockers Can Actually Cause Heart Disease 

Postmenopausal women taking a certain class of blood pressure medicines known as calcium channel blockers better proceed with caution. Researchers found that the use of such medications may double the risk of dying from heart disease — especially when given in certain combinations.

Calcium channel blockers lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessel walls. Previous studies have indicated that such drugs can contribute to heart failure, but found they did not increase death rates.

Calcium Channel Blockers

  • Cardizem
  • Norvasc
  • Procardia

According to the most recent study, however, such drugs do indeed put women at twice the risk of dying from heart disease, especially when linked with diuretics (which reduce the amount of fluid in the blood). In addition, researchers discovered that women who took a calcium channel blocker alone had a 55 percent higher risk of death than women who only took a diuretic.

The study involved almost 20,000 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79 who were being treated for high blood pressure. Although the study involved women, researchers said the findings likely apply to men as well.
USA Today December 15, 2004
Journal of the American Medical Association December 15, 2004;292:2849-2859

Moderate Exercise Prevents Cancer, Ups Survival 

At the 95th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, researchers reported that getting modest amounts of exercise, even half-hour daily walks, substantially improved survival rates for women who had breast cancer.

The study followed more than 2,000 women for 16 years, finding that women who walked between three and eight hours per week cut their risk of dying by as much as half.

A separate study found that exercise helped women lower their risk for developing endometrial cancer by one third. It included 832 women in China, where endometrial cancer has doubled since the 1970s. Women who reported exercise participation in both adolescence and adulthood were 30 to 40 percent less likely to develop endometrial cancer than women who reported no exercise in either life period.

Cutting Back On Sleep Can Make You Gain Weight 

Not getting enough sleep at night could result in loosening the old belt a couple of notches. This is because losing sleep has been shown to raise levels of two hormones linked with appetite and eating behavior. More specifically, lack of sleep reduces Leptin, a hormone that tells the brain there is no need for more food, and increases Ghrelin, a hormone that triggers hunger.

In one study, researchers found people who received only four hours of sleep a night for two nights experienced:

  • 18 percent reduction in Leptin
  • 28 percent increase in Ghrelin

Also, the sleep-deprived subjects in the study seemed to eat more sweet and starchy foods, rather than vegetables and protein products. Researchers suspected these cravings stemmed from the fact that the brain is fueled by glucose (blood sugar); thus, when lack of sleep occurs, the brain searches for carbohydrates.

In another study, researchers found that the less people slept, the more they weighed (in regard to body mass index, which scales weight to height). This study also revealed that people who slept less had lower Leptin levels and higher Ghrelin levels.

More specifically, a:

  • 16 percent reduction in Leptin
  • 15 percent increase in Ghrelin

Yahoo! News December 6, 2004

Can Honey Help Fight Cancer? 

While some regard honey as a condiment to tea or toast, researchers have discovered a vastly different use for it. According to findings, a range of honey-bee products may be useful in the control of tumor growth.

Such products include:

  • Honey
  • Royal jelly (produced in the salivary glands of worker bees)
  • Bee venom
  • Propolis (a resin-like substance used in the construction of honeycombs)

In order to discover whether or not these products aid in stopping the growth and spread of tumors, researchers conducted a series of experiments. They first generated tumors in mice — via the injection of cancer cells — and then gave the honey-bee products to different mice before, at the same time, or after the injection.

Sweet Discoveries 

Oral honey intake appeared to inhibit the development of tumors when given prior to the injection; however, when given afterwards the development of secondary cancers were amplified. Simultaneously injecting the mice with royal jelly and tumor cells reduced the spread of cancer.  Tumors appeared to shrink after being injected with bee venom.  When Propolis was injected into the mice, subcutaneous tumor growth significantly reduced, while survival time increased.

Though it is still unclear how honeybee products affect human cancer cells, researchers suggest they may cause cell suicide, which helps the immune system fight the development of tumors. It was also noted that bee products should be considered in addition to (not instead of) chemotherapy treatment.
BBC News December 5, 2004

Vegetable Fiber Protects against Prostate Cancer 

Men who eat more vegetables have lower rates of prostate cancer, according to research from the International Journal of Cancer. Between 1991 and 2002, researchers in Italy distributed diet and lifestyle questionnaires to 1,294 men with prostate cancer and 1,451 men without the disease, ages 46 to 74. Unlike previous studies, the new survey broke down fiber intake according to type and source.

Men who consumed the most vegetable fiber were 18 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who ate the least.
Pelucchi C, Talamini R, Galeone C, et al. Fibre intake and prostate cancer risk. Int J Cancer 2004;109:278-80.

Boost Your Memory with Magnesium 

 As many as half of all Americans do not consume the recommended daily amount of magnesium (400 mg). This deficit poses a major health risk, as magnesium helps build strong bones, make proteins, release energy that is stored in muscles and regulate body temperature. In addition, researchers found that helping maintain memory function in middle age and beyond may be another of magnesium’s roles.

Magnesium, a trace mineral, can be found in dark green, leafy vegetables. Researchers have found that not getting the optimal daily intake of magnesium can be associated with:

  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
  • Anxiety
  • Heart disease
  • Muscle cramps

According to studies, magnesium is also important in synaptic function, which is associated with the connections among brain cells. Researchers discovered that sustaining a proper amount of magnesium in the cerebrospinal fluid is crucial for maintaining plasticity of synapses; plasticity (the ability to change) is vital to the brain’s ability to learn and remember. Therefore, a loss of plasticity in the hippocampus, where short-term memories are stored, results in the forgetfulness that is common in older people.

Further, magnesium is the porter for the NMDA receptor, which receives signals from an important excitatory neurotransmitter involved in synaptic plasticity. Magnesium helps the NMDA receptor open up for important input and shut down to background noise.  Thus, it was concluded that a healthy amount of magnesium might improve cognitive function.
Medical News Today December 1, 2004

Can Orange Juice Cure Cancer? 

 If one is confronted with the question: “Why is it important to drink orange juice every day?” the typical response would revolve somewhere around the benefits of vitamin C. Though according to research, two additional ingredients found in the citrus drink need to be recognized: flavonoids and limonoids (nutrient-packed pigments that give color and taste to fruit).

These compounds are significant because they may help prevent or even stop neuro-blastoma cells. Neuro-blastomas account for nearly 10 percent of all cancer in children and usually exist as a solid tumor residing in the neck, chest, spinal cord or adrenal gland.

Unlike other anti-cancer drugs, limonoids are non-toxic and do not present any harmful side effects. And although flavonoids and limonoids both work against cancer, researchers found that limonoids specifically:

  • Prevent cancer from forming 
  • Slow the growth of existing cancer 
  • Kill cancer cells

Studies showed that neuro-blastoma cells died in 48 hours or less within contact of 5, 10 and 50 micromoles of limonoids — one micromole is equal in size to a tiny skin flake. (One glass of orange or grapefruit juice will comprise these amounts of limonoids.) They also discovered that limonoids trigger apoptosis, a programmed cell death that spirals in an unstoppable fashion once the weak spot on the cell is struck.

This, in turn, leads to cell death. Researchers hope their findings will lead to the possibility of taking an oral cocktail of limonoids to put a stop to cancer.
Science Blog December 1, 2004

Hormones Linked to Stroke and Blood Clots 

Premarin increases the risk of stroke and dangerous blood clots in postmenopausal women, findings that have caused another portion of the long-running Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) to be terminated early.

As reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study was conducted in 40 U.S. cities beginning in 1993, including more than 10,000 women, 50 to 79 years of age, who had undergone a hysterectomy.

Previous WHI findings found that hormones do not protect women from heart disease as doctors once believed and actually increase heart disease and cancer risk.

Anderson GL, Limacher M, Assaf AR, and et al. Effects of conjugated equine estrogen in postmenopausal women with hysterectomy: the Women’s Health Initiative randomized controlled trial.
JAMA 2004; 291:1701-12.

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