Is calcium good or bad for you?

Sunday February 23, 2014

BY DR YEAP SWAN SIM

Some questions have arisen about the benefits of calcium after certain studies reported a link with heart attacks.

Take note that for calcium tablets taken as supplements, the label usually gives the total amount of calcium salt in the tablet, not its elemental calcium content. -MCT

CALCIUM is an important mineral that can be found in many foods. The body needs calcium to maintain strong bones and carry out important functions with regards to muscle and nerve function.

Approximately 99% of the body’s calcium is stored in bones and teeth. Thus, it makes intuitive sense that adequate calcium is required for optimal bone health.

How much calcium is enough?

The Health Ministry recommends that adolescents (10-18 years old) should have a calcium intake of 1,000mg daily. Pregnant and lactating mothers should also take 1,000mg of calcium daily.

Men and women between the ages of 19 and 40 years are advised to have an intake of 800mg calcium daily, and those over the age of 50 years, 1,000mg calcium daily.

All these recommendations are based on elemental calcium intake, and should include both dietary and supplemental calcium.

In Malaysia, the average calcium intake from the diet is about 500mg daily.

The situation is slightly different for calcium tablets taken as supplements. The tablets usually give the total amount of calcium salt in the tablet. For example, one tablet of calcium carbonate is commonly 500mg. In effect, the amount of elemental calcium in that tablet is 40% of 500mg, which is only 200mg.

Calcium lactate, another common calcium supplement, comes in 300mg tablets. But it only contains 13% of elemental calcium, so a 300mg tablet of calcium lactate only contains 39mg of elemental calcium.

Some proprietary brands of calcium carbonate will have 1,500mg in a single tablet, giving 600mg elemental calcium per tablet.

Thus, when buying any calcium supplement, please check its formulation, as this would affect the amount of calcium you get per tablet.

For optimal absorption, the amount of elemental calcium should not exceed 500-600mg per dose, irrespective of the calcium preparation. If you require more than 600mg of calcium supplement daily, the dose should be divided.

Does taking calcium supplements lead to heart attacks?

The short answer is that we are not sure. The bad news about calcium started in 2008 when a study from New Zealand showed that postmenopausal women taking 1,000mg of elemental calcium daily were more likely to have a heart attack (4.92%), compared to those on placebo (2.84%).

However, the researchers will usually report the figures as relative risk, i.e. comparing the ratio of the probability of the event occurring in one study group versus the other group.

If we do that, then the relative risk for having a heart attack while on calcium is 1.49, i.e. 49% more than the other group.

If put this way, the results seem worrying, but the absolute numbers of affected individuals are small.

This stirred up a storm, since calcium has always been considered a beneficial mineral.

The controversy led to more studies on the same topic from other parts of the world, which did not show the same results.

Three studies – one each from Australia, Scotland and Canada – showed no increased cardiovascular mortality in subjects taking about 1,000mg elemental calcium supplements daily, compared to those who did not; one of the studies had followed up the subjects for as long as 10 years.

Another study, this one a meta-analysis (a type of study combining the results from many smaller studies to try to get a better understanding of the size of the effect of an intervention), showed that 2.71% of the subjects taking more than 1,000mg of calcium supplementation daily had a heart attack, compared to 2.24% of those on placebo.

The relative risk between the groups was 1.27 in this study.

A study from Europe with almost 24,000 subjects followed up for an average of 11 years, showed no difference in heart attack incidence between those taking lower, compared to higher levels of dietary calcium. However, the same study showed that there were more heart attacks in those taking calcium supplements.

A caveat to all this information is that all these studies were done in Caucasian populations where the average dietary calcium intake was already nearly 1,000mg daily, so the supplements further increased the average calcium intake to anywhere between 1,500 and 2,000mg daily.

Whether calcium supplementation can lead to similar problems in a low dietary calcium intake population such as in Malaysia is not known.

However, the reassuring news is that no such effect was seen with increased dietary calcium intake, so it is advisable to take calcium from food sources in the diet, rather than as a supplemental tablet.

Calcium and osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition where the bones are more fragile, and thus, more prone to breaks or fractures. It occurs when the bones lose minerals, especially calcium, which leads to low bone density.

In patients who have confirmed osteoporosis, diagnosed either by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan or following an osteo-porotic fracture, treatment with medication is advised.

Just taking calcium supplements (with or without vitamin D) alone at this stage is not helpful in increasing bone density.

All the trials of the medications for osteoporosis, such as the bisphosphonates, strontium, or teriparatide, have been done with calcium and vitamin D given to all patients.

The patients in the comparison group taking the placebo treatment are therefore effectively only taking calcium and vitamin D.

Inevitably, this group of patients will lose, or at best maintain, bone density over the period of the study.

The treatment arm taking the active drug and calcium and vitamin D would usually show an improvement in their bone density.

So, the efficacy of osteoporotic treatments has always been assessed with the patients taking calcium (typically between 500 and 1,000mg of calcium carbonate daily) and vitamin D, and it is not known whether the treatment will be slightly less effective without adequate calcium and vitamin D supplementation.

In addition, these treatment studies have been done in European or North American patients whose average dietary calcium intakes are typically 800-1,000mg daily, which is double the average Malaysian dietary calcium intake.

So, what can we conclude? In Malaysia, the average dietary calcium intake is still low, approximately 500mg daily.

Adolescents still building their bones to their peak bone mass should definitely be encouraged to take up to 1,000mg of calcium daily, preferably from calcium-rich foods.

If you are a healthy postmenopausal woman, you should try to maintain a calcium intake of approximately 1,000mg daily, both from food and supplements.

If you already have osteoporosis, please discuss with your doctor what would be the best medication for your condition. In addition, an adequate calcium and vitamin D intake is recommended, again aiming for a total intake of 1,000mg calcium daily, both from the diet and supplements, together with 800IU of vitamin D daily.

References:

1. National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition (2005). Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysia. Ministry of Health, Malaysia.

2. Bolland MJ, Barber PA, Doughty RN, et al. Vascular events in healthy older women receiving calcium supplementation: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2008; 336(7638): 262-6.

3. Lewis JR, Calver J, Zhu K, et al. Calcium supplementation and the risks of atherosclerotic vascular disease in older women: results of a 5-year RCT and a 4.5-year follow-up. J Bone Miner Res 2011; 26: 35–41.

4. Avenell A, MacLennan GS, Jenkinson DJ, et al. Long-Term Follow-Up for Mortality and Cancer in a Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial of Vitamin D3 and/or Calcium (RECORD Trial). J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2013; 97: 614–22.

5. Langsetmo L, Berger C, Kreiger N, et al. Calcium and Vitamin D Intake and Mortality: Results from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos). J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2013; 98: 3010-8.

6. Bolland MJ, Avenell A, Baron JA, et al. Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis. BMJ 2010; 341: c3691. doi:10.1136/bmj.c3691.

http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Health/2014/02/23/Is-calcium-good-or-bad-for-you/

Testosterone for you?

Published: Sunday February 23, 2014

BY DR STEVEN WOLOSHIN AND DR LISA M. SCHWARTZ

About ‘Low T’ and the peril of medicating grumpy old men.

COULD you have low testosterone? That’s the question an awareness campaign in the United States has been urging men to consider, with its “Is It Low T?” programme, a highly effective effort to change how doctors and the public think about managing ageing in men.

Since 2008, this massive marketing endeavour has targeted middle-age men who have put on some weight, sometimes feel grumpy, or get sleepy after meals, encouraging them to have their testosterone levels tested, and to consider treatment if levels are low.

It has helped persuade legions of men to take a drug that may not help, and may actually do harm for a condition they probably don’t have.

In a recent article in JAMA Internal Medicine, we described the tactics such campaigns use to sell disease. Since the start of the campaign, testosterone sales, which had been stable for years, have risen more than 1,800%, exceeding US$1.9bil (RM6.08bil) in 2012.

By targeting men worried about weight, muscle tone, energy levels, mood and sexual satisfaction, the campaigns imply that treatment will help them become thinner, more muscular, more energetic, less grumpy and more sexually satisfied.

But there’s a big problem: We really don’t know if diagnosing and treating “low T” does any good.

More important, there is some evidence it may cause harm.

Last month, a new study of men found that older men taking the drug were more likely to have heart attacks. Soon after the study’s release, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new investigation into the possible harms of testosterone.

Testosterone drugs were initially developed for a narrow use: treating men with a reduced ability to produce testosterone because of such things as trauma, chemotherapy, genetic abnormalities or undescended testicles.

For these men, testosterone replacement provides a clear quality-of-life benefit, permitting normal sexual development or restoring male appearance and sexual function.

In the years since the drug was first developed, the FDA has approved a whole medicine cabinet of testosterone products – gels, pills, patches, and even, an underarm roll-on.

Testosterone is a male sex hormone that is important for sexual and reproductive development. -MCT

But who should be getting the drug?

Drug information approved by the FDA is ambiguous about which conditions testosterone drugs are approved to treat. This matters because pharmaceutical companies can promote drugs only for “on-label” FDA-approved uses.

Years ago, the Institute of Medicine, the US’s premier medical advisory group, described prescribing testosterone for low T as an off-label use.

Last month, the FDA seemed to agree. In announcing its new investigation, the agency specifically mentioned that testosterone is approved only to treat hormonal problems caused by medical conditions.

So why has the FDA tolerated six years of aggressive marketing of the drug to a much wider range of potential patients?

One reason is that the FDA only regulates advertisements that mention drugs by name. Strictly speaking, the disease awareness campaign does not mention any brand names.

But this seems like sophistry, since the campaign does specifically mention testosterone and lists the variety of ways it is available – patches, injections, tablets, etc.

And the “Is It Low T?” website links to a direct-to-consumer website for a testosterone gel. Websites for the gel and other testosterone products use tactics very similar to the “Is It Low T?” website – except they explicitly mention the brand-name drug.

Doesn’t this bump up against FDA regulations about off-label promotion?

It’s time for the FDA to rein in these kinds of “disease awareness” campaigns and branded advertising, because they are misleading: They imply unproven benefits and ignore possible harms.

The proven benefits of treating low T are small: subtle increases in lean body mass, libido or sexual satisfaction.

Studies have found no improvement, or inconsistent results, when it comes to effects on weight, depression or strength; effects on energy and irritability are unknown.

Even campaigns promoting low T as a diagnosis are careful not to suggest directly that treatment will address the symptoms that bring men to their websites.

Moreover, any benefits need to be weighed against the possibility of serious harm.

The FDA’s new investigation was prompted by two recent studies.

In the first, older men and men with heart disease filling new prescriptions for testosterone had more heart attacks than similar men filling prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs.

In the second, among veterans who had undergone cardiac catheterisation, the use of testosterone drugs was associated with a higher risk of heart attack, stroke or death. Because neither study was a randomised trial, it’s not possible to know whether the findings were due to testosterone or something else about the men who happened to take it.

A randomised trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2010 raised concerns about giving the drug to frail, elderly men. The trial was stopped early because 7% of the men in the testosterone gel group versus 1% in the placebo group experienced serious heart problems (although some criticise this evidence because the trial had not set out to look for heart problems).

Other testosterone trials have been too small and brief, even when combined, to confidently exclude an important increase in heart attacks.

As physicians who study communication about prescription drugs, we find the marketing of low T eerily reminiscent of another campaign: the hyper-promotion of hormone replacement for post-menopausal women.

While these drugs can have an important quality-of-life benefit for women with severe menopausal symptoms, a gold-standard randomised trial showed that for most women, the hormones did more harm than good.

For men with severe hormone deficiency from a medical problem, testosterone replacement is a major advance. But for the ageing men targeted by the low T campaign, the balance of benefits and harms is unknown. And there is good reason to worry about heart attacks, especially in men with heart disease, and in the frail and elderly.

When it comes to testosterone, the pharmaceutical industry has gone too far – and the FDA, not far enough. Maybe the problem isn’t low T; maybe instead it is low R – low regulation. – Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Sevices

Drs Steven Woloshin and Lisa M. Schwartz are internists and professors of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in Lebanon, New Hampshire, US. They are the authors of ‘Know Your Chances: Understanding Health Statistics’.

http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Health/2014/02/23/T-for-you/

Do you have low testosterone?

Published: Sunday July 8, 2012

BY AGE WELL

BY TEE SHIAO EEK

The male hormone, testosterone, is essential for healthy ageing in men.

DATUK Prof Dr Tan Hui Meng recalls the day that 58-year-old Mr L sat in his clinic and told him about his “old man sickness”.

“L used to be a very active and vibrant man,” says Prof Tan. “He would go mountain biking and scuba-diving regularly, and played golf every day.”

However, something changed when L hit 55. He began to feel tired and sleepy every afternoon. Instead of exercising for an hour-and-a-half every day, he cut it down to 45 minutes. He also felt that he was generally less focused.

Prof Tan says that he has seen many men in their 50s and 60s complaining of the same “old man sickness”, where they start to feel lethargic, moody and irritable, gain weight around their tummy, and suffer from low libido.

Many of these patients seemed resigned to the fact that their condition is part and parcel of ageing.

However, Prof Tan believes that there is more to it than just getting old. Blaming these symptoms on age, he says, leads to the assumption that they are inevitable. But what if these so-called ageing symptoms could be prevented or better managed to help men maintain their quality of life?

Prof Tan has been privy to a lot of exciting international and local research, which increasingly confirms that low testosterone levels are linked to many physical and psychological symptoms and conditions usually associated with ageing.

A lot of this research also suggests that treating testosterone deficiency could be the key, not only to improve these symptoms, but also to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, which is linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and early death.

All this knowledge motivated Prof Tan to write a book about testosterone deficiency syndrome, to help men in Malaysia identify if they have low testosterone, and what they can do to bring their levels back to normal.

Testosterone: Secret to Healthy Aging for Men is based on the latest international research, and answers many important questions about testosterone replacement therapy, including its efficacy, safety, and link with prostate cancer.

What is low testosterone?

Testosterone is a male hormone (also known as androgens) produced by the Leydig cells in the testicles of the male body and in the adrenal cortex. Although it is called a male hormone, testosterone is also produced in women’s ovaries, though in small amounts.

According to Prof Tan, the primary responsibility of testosterone is ensuring the proper development of male sexual characteristics. However, testosterone is also important for maintaining muscle bulk, adequate levels of red blood cells, bone density, cognitive function, sense of well-being, sexual and reproductive functions, and many metabolic processes, including those occurring in the fat cells (especially abdominal fats).

Each of these functions of testosterone is explained in more detail in Prof Tan’s book.

“Since testosterone acts on many cells, tissues and organs in the body, we know that the hormone is directly connected to organ systems, body functions and whole body health,” he says. Therefore, it makes sense that once the testosterone level drops, it would lead to a myriad of problems.

Testosterone levels tend to decline as men get older. Generally, even in normal healthy men, there is a decline of total testosterone by 1% to 1.5% per year after these men reach the age of 40. Certain medical conditions like obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and alcoholism further accelerate the decrease of testosterone.

In Malaysia, two studies found that an average 20% of men above age 40 have testosterone deficiency (total testosterone level lower than 11 nmol/L or 350 ng/dL).

“This is no small number, and furthermore, we are beginning to realise that the problems faced by these men are not as harmless as we previously thought,” Prof Tan warns.

More than just a hormone

His cautionary words will come as a surprise to those who think that testosterone deficiency is just a harmless side effect of ageing. In fact, Dr Tan is concerned that many doctors and men still fail to recognise low testosterone as a serious condition.

“Testosterone deficiency is worrying because it is closely related to the metabolic syndrome. This is a group of conditions – namely, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, high triglycerides, low HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol levels and abdominal fat – that increases men’s risk of developing heart disease and diabetes by three to five times,” he says.

More studies now confirm that having low testosterone is a predictor for developing the deadly metabolic syndrome.

This relationship with metabolic syndrome points to an urgent need to manage low testosterone by providing testosterone replacement therapy. Men who have their testosterone levels returned to normal will find that their insulin sensitivity improves, their body fat goes down, and their lipid levels and blood pressure may also improve.

Recognising signs

Unfortunately, testosterone deficiency is not easy to pin down. You may not recognise the condition immediately, as it is a slow process and it comes on gradually.

There are a few common symptoms that are usually most suggestive of low testosterone: decreased sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, lethargy and lack of energy, negative mood changes and irritability, memory loss and lack of concentration.

However, Prof Tan points out that these symptoms are very general, and your doctor is hardly likely to jump to the conclusion that you have low testosterone if you are simply experiencing some tiredness, mood swings and weight gain. They could have been caused by many other conditions or changes in life.

But as he explains in his book, you can look for other clues to piece together the bigger picture – namely, some of the disabilities or conditions that are commonly associated with testosterone deficiency. These signs include frailty, accumulation of fat around the waist, impaired or high blood glucose, cardiovascular disease and sexual dysfunction.

“If you have these co-existing conditions, your doctor should immediately screen you for low testosterone using standard screening questionnaires, such as the St Louis University ADAM Questionnaire and the Aging Male Symptoms (AMS) Questionnaire,” he says.

Finally, a blood test looking at total testosterone level can be taken to confirm whether you have low testosterone. There is no fixed level that is defined as low testosterone, but if it is lower than 11 nmol/L – combined with symptoms that are causing discomfort or distress – then there is a high probability that you have testosterone deficiency.

http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Health/2012/07/08/Do-you-have-low-testosterone/

5 Ways to Prevent Arthritis Pain

November 22, 2013

If you already have arthritis you know it all too well…

Not being able to bend over and pick up the keys you dropped or give your grandson a hug… Calling someone to the kitchen to open the jar of pasta sauce for you… Putting off that trip because you don’t think you’ll be able to walk very far…

But worst of all? The excruciating pain.

And if that’s not bad enough, prescription drugs offer little help—with terrifying side effects. How do you feel about potential seizures…bleeding from your rectum…lung infections…extreme fatigue…impotence…heart failure? Not good? Neither do we.

That’s why today we’re bringing you five all-natural, all-safe alternatives to ease your suffering.

1. Cruciferous Vegetables: A compound in these veggies can help prevent osteoarthritis. It’s called sulforaphane. And it actually preserves joint cartilage.1

In one study, a higher intake of these vegetables resulted in an over 35 percent lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.2

Some of your best choices are broccoli, cauliflower, and kale.

2. Vitamin D3: You probably already know that Vitamin D3 is essential to maintaining strong bones. But it’s just as effective at protecting you from arthritis. An increase in rheumatoid arthritis pain is linked to lower levels of D3 in the blood.3

The same study that stresses the importance of cruciferous vegetables in preventing arthritis also finds that women with a greater intake of this vitamin lower risk by about 30 percent.4 If you’re looking to add more D3 to your diet, eat more mushrooms, eggs, and cold water fish,

3. Devil’s claw: It might sound scary. But the side effects are downright soothing. This herb fights pain and inflammation. And it is particularly effective at preventing arthritis pain.

One study found that devil’s claw was just as effective as a popular prescription drug. But with one key difference… The people taking devil’s claw did not experience as many side effects or require as many pain relievers.5

Around 700 mg is enough to help prevent pain. You can get devil’s claw as a supplement or use the root to brew tea.

4. Krill oil: Getting enough omega-3s in your diet can reduce your chances of developing arthritis over time. And krill oil is your best bet. Here’s why…

Three hundred mg of krill oil can reduce inflammation by nearly 20 percent in only a week.6 But this oil not only reduces inflammation, it also lowers overall arthritis pain by about 24 percent.

You can find krill oil in just about any drug store. Be we always recommend you buy it from a health food store. And be sure to get it from a quality source that also contains this next natural solution.

5. Astaxanthin: This is 65 times stronger than vitamin C when it comes to getting rid of the free radicals in your body that can cause inflammation.

Research shows that 4 mg of astaxanthin daily can reduce inflammation by 26 percent in eight weeks.7 This compound is what makes krill oil so effective at preventing and treating arthritis.

Bottom line? If you want to avoid arthritis of any kind, these five solutions can help. And if you already have it…they can ease you pain.

References:

1 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.38133/abstract
2 http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/157/4/345.full
3 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24134402
4 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14730601?dopt=Abstract
5 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11185727
6 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17353582
7 http://www.cyanotech.com/pdfs/bioastin/batl43.pdf

Related Articles:

• 5 Natural Ways to Avoid the Flu
• This Indian Herb Improves Osteoarthritis in One Month
• 5 Overlooked Ingredients for Preventing Heart Disease
• This Supplement Helps Prevent and Ease Diabetic Neuropathy
• Your Body Needs This Vitamin to Fight Colorectal Cancer

http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2013/11/5-ways-to-prevent-arthritis-pain/

Five Natural Alternatives to Antidepressants

February 21, 2014 

Doctors write about 200 million prescriptions for antidepressants every year.1 They’re the most prescribed drugs in the U.S.

But seventy-five percent of people who take them still suffer from at least five different depressive symptoms. Suicidal thoughts are one of them. No thanks.

You can fight depression naturally and get better results. Here are five natural supplements to boost your mood.

1. St John’s Wort: The ancient Greeks were the first to use this herb as a medicine. That was over 2,000 years ago. And they were on to something. St. John’s wort is just as powerful as some SSRIs.

It’s 20 percent more effective than paroxetine, a popular SSRI. About 70 percent of the people who take it improve their depression symptoms.2

2. Folate: Also known as B9, you’ll find it in foods like beef liver, broccoli, asparagus, and avocado. The problem is that you may not be getting enough from your diet alone.

People with depression have lower levels of folic acid in their blood. Taking a supplement brings these levels up. This significantly lowers depression, especially in women. Not having enough also makes you less likely to respond to antidepressants that you may already be taking. 3

3. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP): You might know that it’s a great way to relieve a headache. It helps you produce more serotonin and endorphins. This is also what makes 5-HTP so effective at fighting depression.

Antidepressants in the Prozac family don’t work any better than 5-HTP. But, of course, 5-HTP doesn’t come with the side effects of those meds.4

4. Probiotics: The probiotic bacteria in your body do more than kill harmful invaders. Your gut bacteria make 95 percent of your body’s serotonin.5 That’s why your gut is called your second brain.

Some researchers go so far as to call some of these bacteria “psychobiotics.”6 They produce serotonin. Probiotics also lower the amount inflammatory cytokines in your blood. Those are toxins that can cross the blood-brain barrier and make your depression worse.7

5. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe): You might not have heard of this amino acid derivative. But it is in every cell in your body. Italian researchers first discovered it in the 1950s. Not having enough may throw a wrench in your neurotransmitter function.8

When you use it to treat depression, SAMe is just as effective as a prescription antidepressant. The key difference is that people taking it tolerate it much better. It has fewer side effects.9 If you have a deficiency in folate, you most likely are also low on SAMe.10

Sometimes it takes more than a positive outlook to get out of a slump. But antidepressants shouldn’t be your first course of action. They’re too risky. Instead, try out these five natural solutions for fighting depression.

References:

1 http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/antidepressant-manufacturing.html
2 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2234633/
3 http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/
4 http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21399
5 http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling.aspx
6 http://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-journals/are-probiotics-a-promising-treatment-strategy-for-depression
7 http://chriskresser.com/5-uncommon-uses-for-probiotics
8 http://www.originaldrugs.com/blog/general/antidepressant-alternatives/
9 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12418499
10 http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21460


http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2014/02/five-natural-alternatives-to-antidepressants

The Food That Glues Your Arteries Shut

Carl Lowe | Feb 21, 2014

Your heart health depends on the ability of your arteries to dilate and allow blood to flow freely. So if you’re concerned about your cardiovascular system, beware of the meal that can close your arteries.

A study at the Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Centre (ÉPIC) of the Montreal Heart Institute shows that merely eating one junk food meal can hamper the dilation of your arteries. When researchers fed volunteers a sandwich that contained sausage, egg and cheese along with hash browns, their arteries lost 24 percent of their ability to widen.

In contrast, a meal consistent with the Mediterranean diet, containing salmon, almonds and vegetables cooked with vegetable oil, allowed their arteries to function normally.

“These results will positively alter how we eat on a daily basis. Poor endothelial (blood vessel) function is one of the most significant precursors of atherosclerosis. It is now something to think about at every meal,” says researcher Anil Nigam.

http://easyhealthoptions.com/news/the-meal-that-glues-your-arteries-shut/

Reduce Your Risk Of Breast Cancer

Dr. Isaac Eliaz | Feb 18, 2014

Many experts believe we are winning the fight against breast cancer and that the more than 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the United States testify to our progress.

But you can’t be complacent about this deadly disease. Though we may be edging forward in the anti-cancer battle, you may not be out of danger. We may never completely prevent or cure this disease even though we are increasing the survival statistics.

Reduce Your Risks

Though there is a genetic component to breast cancer, 90 percent to 95 percent of cases are not hereditary. You need to focus on the risks that you can reduce.

Always avoid ionizing radiation whenever possible. Consider that CT scans produce 500 times more radiation than standard X-rays, so never be scanned except when the scan is absolutely necessary.

You also need to minimize other potential carcinogens in your life like pesticides, heavy metals, environmental toxins and estrogen-mimicking compounds present within numerous food, household and environmental sources.

Personal habits are critically important. Lower your cancer risk by not smoking, avoiding excess drinking, getting enough sleep and keeping your weight under control.

Smart Detection

Mammography can spot problem areas in the breast, but it also misses tumors. It fails to detect 20 percent of tumors in women over 50 and as many as 40 percent in younger women. Also, mammograms produce ionizing radiation, a cancer risk. However, researchers are constantly searching for ways to improve this technology, with some interesting outcomes such as a novel, new photon-counting technique.

Other testing options include ultrasound, MRI and thermography. Unfortunately, none of these tests achieve complete accuracy. I recommend a combination of the above imaging methods in order to achieve a comprehensive baseline image, then using thermography annually to measure breast health progression.

There is also preventive detection using lab work. For example, vitamin D levels, hormone imbalances, poor estrogen metabolism, low thyroid levels and high iodine can all be problematic. Diagnosing these problems early and correcting them can head off cancer.

We are also learning more about cancer biomarkers. The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a test for galectin-3, a protein that, at elevated levels, can indicate increased cancer risk.

Biopsy

If you have a suspicious mass, a biopsy is often used to determine whether it is cancer. There are two main types of biopsy:

• Fine needle biopsy: A hollow needle removes a small sample of tissue.

• An excisional biopsy: Removal of the entire mass.

Each of these techniques has advantages and disadvantages.

Needle biopsies produce accurate results, but they disturb the body. That can lead to increased inflammation and growth factors the body tries to use to heal the irritated area. This response, however, can actually feed cancer.

Excisional biopsy, on the other hand, removes the entire mass. It leaves behind no abnormal tissue for the body to try to heal. However, excisional biopsies are more invasive and require general anesthesia.

Treatments

The three major forms of cancer treatment include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

Surgery can be either lumpectomy, removal of only the cancer, or mastectomy, the removal of the entire breast. The choice depends largely on a cancer’s invasiveness.

Interestingly, breast cancer survival rates are better in premenopausal women when surgery is conducted soon after ovulation.

Chemotherapy uses toxic chemicals to poison cancers. However, new individualized approaches, based on the genomes of the cancer and the patient, are having a profound effect on chemo effectiveness. All cancers have genetic mutations, and knowing those specific variations can direct treatment. Other genetic tests can determine whether a patient will respond well to a certain drug.

New radiation therapies are also being developed. Some facilities offer a technique, called the mammotome, in which a tiny radioactive seed is inserted for a short period of time, delivering highly targeted radiation to the tumor while leaving surrounding tissue undisturbed.

Published Research On Foods And Herbs

Your lifestyle and diet can affect your breast cancer risk.

We have long known that red meat and fried foods are associated with cancer. Sugar feeds inflammation and tumor growth. On the other hand, diets high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables contain natural antioxidants that have been shown to help prevent cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale and cauliflower are especially beneficial because they contain multiple compounds that act specifically against cancer and help balance hormones. A whole foods, low-glycemic (low-sugar) diet, combined with physical activity, has also been shown to protect against cancer risk. And you should always stay hydrated with plenty of filtered water.

Supplemental Help

Research shows that nutritional supplements can play an important role in protecting against breast cancer. Medicinal mushrooms such as Trametes versicolor, Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus linteus; extracts of the herbs skullcap, astragalus and turmeric; the flavonoid quercetin; and the compound DIM (diindolylmethane) have all shown effects against breast cancer.

An integrative breast care formula containing these ingredients has been shown in a number of published studies to reduce breast cancer aggressiveness and decrease the expression of specific metastatic cancer genes.

A 2012 preclinical study on this advanced breast formula was performed at Indiana University and published in the journal Oncology Reports. Results demonstrated that the formula slowed highly aggressive triple negative breast cancer and prevented lung metastasis by up to 70 percent. Gene analysis showed that the combination of ingredients in this formula suppressed two genes implicated in the metastatic process: PLAU and CXCR4. These genetic findings had been previously reported in earlier studies on the same formula.

Another important supplement is modified citrus pectin (MCP), which blocks excess galectin-3 throughout the body, significantly reducing cancer growth and metastasis. A recent study published in Integrative Cancer Therapiesshowed that the combination of MCP and the breast formula mentioned above further reduced breast cancer and metastasis by up to 40 percent compared to controls. MCP also controls inflammation, boosts immunity against cancer and safely removes cancer-causing heavy metals from the body.

Mind-Body Connections

In all this, never forget the role chronic stress can play in fueling cancer. Use available tools to keep stress at bay: long walks, yoga, and spending time with friends and family. Remember, cancer hates positivity. Kill it with kindness, and don’t give in to pessimism.

Above all, we are seeing the most successes against breast cancer using highly individualized programs that take into account a person’s physical, mental and emotional health. The goal is to strategically combine a number of approaches that can work together synergistically to fight cancer while simultaneously supporting your health from many different angles. For more information about breast health, diagnosis and treatment, download my freewellness guide on this important topic.

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