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February 2006 Vol. 11 No. 2

Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity. - Gilda Radner


Table of Contents:


Flu Drugs Don’t Work

A study indicates that Tamiflu and Relenza, the two antiviral flu drugs intended to be lynchpin of the world-wide defense against the flu, are ineffective against seasonal flu outbreaks, and may not be sufficient to combat an epidemic or pandemic.

The study suggested additional measures such as masks, gowns, gloves, quarantine and hand washing should an epidemic occur. Tamiflu’s maker, Roche, disagreed with the study’s findings, and recommended that Tamiflu should still be used even for seasonal influenza.

The flu has increasingly become a concern worldwide as the possibility of an avian flu pandemic has loomed in the public mind. Vaccines have traditionally been the first line of defense against seasonal flu, but antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza have been used with greater and greater frequency.

Their use, however, is potentially problematic; both Tamiflu and Relenza, for example, actually increase viral shedding from the nose, which could worsen a pandemic.

Forbes.com January 19, 2006
The Lancet January 19, 2006


Yet Another Way Drugs Can Kill Your Kids

According to a new CDC report, unintentional access to pharmaceutical drugs (whether prescription or over-the-counter) accounted for more than 1.3 million incidents of accidental chemical or substance exposure in 2003 alone.

More than 42 percent of those exposures involved children under age 6, based on reports from poison control centers.

More Than 50,000

An analysis of exposures from 2001-03 data collected via hospital emergency departments found more than 50,000 children were treated annually for accidental exposure to medications. 72 percent of these cases involved kids between ages 1 and 2.

Pill Boxes or Purses

One common reason is that many parents remove the medications from the child-proof containers; instead, they are left in accessible areas such as pill boxes or purses.

CDC January 13, 2006
Poynter Online January 16, 2006


Beat Alzheimer’s Naturally With Exercise

According to a new study, older people who exercise three or more times a week are significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.

Healthy people who reported exercising regularly had a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of dementia. This adds to the growing body of evidence that physical activity can help sustain mental faculties.

Researchers monitored the mental health and exercise habits of more than 1,700 healthy seniors with no signs of cognitive problems or dementia for six years.

During that time, some 9 percent of the patients in the study developed dementia-related difficulties, including Alzheimer’s. Yet those who devoted as little as 15 minutes to exercise three days a week cut their risk of dementia sharply. Even a short, brisk walk every day, according to the study, can make a difference.

USA Today January 17, 2006
MSNBC January 16, 2006


Being a Fat Baby Boomer Increases Your Risk of Dying

Even if your blood pressure and cholesterol are normal, extra weight during middle age can still put your health at serious risk. Researchers tracked over 17,000 patients for 30 years and found that being overweight in mid-life substantially increased the risk death from heart disease later on, even if all other factors were normal.

Higher blood pressure and cholesterol have been generally thought to be responsible for the higher risk overweight people face from heart disease. But there is increasing evidence suggesting that excess weight is a risk factor all by itself.

Obese study participants with normal blood pressure and cholesterol were 43 percent more likely than normal-weight participants to eventually die of heart disease. They were also four times more likely to be hospitalized for heart disease. Moderately overweight participants also ran a somewhat higher risk than normal-weight people.

Journal of the American Medical Association January 11, 2006; 295(2): 190-198
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/295/2/190
MSNBC January 10, 2006
Yahoo News January 10, 2006


Want to Stay Slim? Fiber’s In, Fat’s Out

A high-fiber, low-fat diet protects women from becoming overweight, shows a new study by a team of scientists from the University of Hawaii, Tufts University, Bastyr University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Using national survey data from more than 4,000 men and women aged 20 to 59, researchers investigated the relationship between dietary fiber and fat intake on body mass index (BMI) and the risk of becoming overweight. BMI is a measure of body weight adjusted for height. The researchers found that dietary fiber and a low-fat diet were both significant predictors for weight or BMI. In women, a low-fiber, high-fat diet was associated with a greater increase in risk for overweight compared with a high-fiber, low-fat diet. Fiber is found in beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Animal products never contain fiber.
Howarth NC, Huang TT, Roberts SB, McCrory MA. Dietary fiber and fat are associated with excess weight in young and middle-aged US adults. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105:1365-72.


Dangerous Offender, Obesity, is tied to Alzheimer’s

According to a recently released study, obesity can, in addition to the many other problems it causes, increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

BMI and Beta-Amyloid

There is a strong correlation between body mass index and high levels of beta-amyloid, the protein that accretes in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Beta-amyloid likely destroys nerve cells, causing the cognitive and behavioral problems typical of the disease.

Obesity, Diabetes, Hypertension

Many of the conditions that increase heart disease risk, including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, also increase the risk for Alzheimer’s. The precise mechanism by which they do so is still unknown.

Weight Loss Could Reduce Risk

One possible implication of these findings is that shedding excess pounds, and maintaining normal body weight, could reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Jefferson Hospital News December 29, 2005


New Study Dispels Dairy/Weight-Loss Myth

One of the first long-term studies to analyze the relationship between dairy product consumption and weight refutes the controversial dairy industry claim that milk causes weight loss. Researchers randomly assigned 90 obese individuals to one of three groups, each instructed to consume various amounts of dairy products.

One group consumed roughly 800 mg calcium per day; the other two consumed 1,400 mg calcium each, one with added fiber. All volunteers reduced their calorie intake by 500 calories per day. After one year, it was clear that milk had no effect. Researchers found no difference in weight loss or fat loss among the three groups.
Thompson WG, Rostad Holdman N, Janzow DJ, Slezak JM, Morris KL, Zemel MB. Effect of energy-reduced diets high in dairy products and fiber on weight loss in obese adults. Obes Res. 2005;13:1344-53.


How Food Affects Your Mental Health

Two British health organizations have reported that the way food is produced in the modern age has altered the balance of key nutrients people consume, and consequently affected mental health.

Less Fresh Food

A smaller amount of fresh food, and more saturated fats and sugars, may be leading to depression and memory problems. Addressing mental health problems with dietary changes can show better results in some cases than either drugs or counseling.

Omega-3

People are eating 34 percent fewer vegetables and two-thirds less fish than they did 50 years ago. Fish are one of the few sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial to brain health, in the human diet.

These changes may be linked to depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Alzheimer’s disease.

Mental Health Foundation (UK)
BBC January 16, 2006


Youth at Risk: One in Three Kids Not Physically Fit

More than a third of U.S. adolescents are physically unfit. This means they are at greater risk of getting heart disease as they age.

34 Percent

More than 3,000 adolescents were asked to walk or run on a treadmill, after which their heart and blood pressure was measured. About 34 percent were at the lowest possible fitness level. This could mean that as many as 7.5 million adolescents between ages 12 and 19 nationwide are unfit.

The unfit teens were also more than twice as likely to be overweight, and two to three times as likely to have high cholesterol.

Overweight or at Risk

Health experts have issued warnings for years about the diet and exercise habits of children. Roughly 31 percent of U.S. children are currently overweight or at risk of becoming so.

Journal of the American Medical Association December 21, 2005; 294(23): 2981-2988
USA Today December 20, 2005


The Dairy/Weight-Loss Deception

Despite dairy industry claims, scientific studies actually show that adding dairy products to the diet does nothing for weight control. If anything, milk contributes to weight gain. Three very recent studies, one at the University of Vermont, another at Purdue University, and the third just published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, reconfirm these findings.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is urging the federal government to put an end to false and misleading claims by dairy product manufacturers that contend milk consumption promotes weight and fat loss. PCRM is also taking legal action against companies and dairy trade groups making these false claims.

Backgrounder: The Science Behind the Deception (PDF)
Study: More Milk Means More Weight Gain


Want to Stay Slim? Fiber’s In, Fat’s Out

A high-fiber, low-fat diet protects women from becoming overweight, shows a new study by a team of scientists from the University of Hawaii, Tufts University, Bastyr University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Using national survey data from more than 4,000 men and women aged 20 to 59, researchers investigated the relationship between dietary fiber and fat intake on body mass index (BMI) and the risk of becoming overweight. BMI is a measure of body weight adjusted for height.

The researchers found that dietary fiber and a low-fat diet were both significant predictors for weight or BMI. In women, a low-fiber, high-fat diet was associated with a greater increase in risk for overweight compared with a high-fiber, low-fat diet. Fiber is found in beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Animal products never contain fiber.
Howarth NC, Huang TT, Roberts SB, McCrory MA. Dietary fiber and fat are associated with excess weight in young and middle-aged US adults. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105:1365-72.

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