Fast Food:  Bad For the Liver, Too     We all know that fast food is bad for our body.  When eaten in excess, fast foods weigh down our bodies, clog our arteries, spike our blood pressures and increase our chances of getting diseases like Type II diabetes.  Yet despite these troublesome truths, fast food joints remain profit goliaths, posting significant gains in their share prices so far this fiscal year—largely on the backs of their double stacked hamburgers and French fries. It may

be too much to expect, but perhaps the latest discovery of fast food’s toll on the human body will prove to be the industry’s swan song.

We don’t think too often of our livers—that boomerang-shaped organ that flanks our right side.  We should, though, because the liver is one of the most important organs in our bodies.  Its responsibilities are manifold, charged with tasks like producing bile, storing glycogen, detoxifying the body of harmful substances and assisting in the metabolizing of food and drink.  The liver is a one of a kind organ.  If it’s unable to function properly, severe disease is often the result.

With this in mind, the results of a Swedish study that looked into the effects of fast food on the liver is a real eye opener.

The testing process wasn’t too different from the test Morgan Spurlock administered on himself in Super Size Me, where he ate McDonald’s fast food every day for a month.  In the Swedish study, 18 thin male and female participants ate two fast food meals every day for four weeks.  Again, much like Spurlock, their daily caloric intake doubled the recommended 2700 calorie a day diet health conscious Americans adhere to.

After four weeks, fat and liver damage were observed in all 18 participants.  Their average weight gain was 16 pounds, but one man gained nearly 30 pounds—yes, in just one month!  Besides the participants’ increased blood pressure readings and belt sizes, the additional poundage put a significant strain on their livers, something doctors haven’t examined with any great detail until now.  According to the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Fredrik H. Nostrom, blood tests showed a greater chance of acquiring a variety of liver and cardiovascular diseases, just 30 days into their fast food regimens.  The study is published in the journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Gut.

Though the liver is perhaps the most resilient of the body’s many organs—eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is enough to put the liver back on the “straight and narrow”— you can only imagine the kind of rigmarole the liver goes through for those who eat fast food on a regular basis (i.e. more than once a week).

In the same way that we as people can only do so many things at once, the liver can only do so much at once also.  Asking the liver to metabolize gobs and gobs of fat over an extended period of time puts a tremendous strain on an organ that has other things to do besides metabolizing fat.  Those that persist in these types of eating habits often get heart attacks and/or some type of cardiovascular disease.

No one wants hardworking Americans to lose their jobs at McDonald’s or Burger King.  However my advice is to completely abstain from fast food altogether as it offers no nutritional value. Let’s just hope that these companies will tweak their marketing strategies, ones where more healthful options are promoted on billboards and television commercials.  Our lives—and our livers—depend on it.

For Adults Only…Or Not  Recently I wrote about how ineffective cough and cold medications were for children, especially for those children ages two and younger.  Now, I’m here to tell you just how ineffective they are for us adults as well.

The results for the review of cough medicines were mixed at best (i.e. some showed some effectiveness, some showed zero effectiveness) but as the report indicates, mixed results means conflicting evidence, and conflicting evidence is evidence that disagrees rather than substantiates overall effectiveness.

Published in the latest issue of the medical review journal The Cochrane Library, a journal that reviews and analyzes medical research, it examined several studies that looked into the effectiveness of over-the-counter cough syrups like Robitussin and pediatric medicines like Triaminicol and Dacol.  The review also examined several other medicines that combined cough suppressants with antihistamines.  In all, the review examined 25 studies of nearly 2,900 adults and 616 children.

As aforementioned, their results were anything but supportive in terms of determining their effectiveness.  In fact, their effectiveness was so spotty, the researchers could not make any broad statistical conclusions.  For example, two of the studies looked at medicines that combine antihistamines and cough suppressants.  One was determined to be effective, the other wasn’t.  Other studies that compared placebos to antihistamines found no difference in their effectiveness relative to each other.  The same was true when reviewing cold medicines for children.

There is some good news, though.  Unlike the adverse side-effects reported regarding children and cold medicines, there does not appear to be any adverse side-effects of these medicines on adults’ health.  In other words, other than the fact that they don’t seem to have any healing powers in the cough and cold realm—and can be downright dangerous for children under the age of 2—they’d make a great addition to your medicine cabinet.  It makes you wonder how these cough and cold medicines are still in business, doesn’t it?

So, what can you do to get rid of that cold quickly?  Sorry to say, but there’s no quick-fix solution.  In fact, it may be a matter of doing the things your mom always told you to do when you got sick:  lots of rest, lots of fluids.  However, there are certainly things you can do to significantly reduce the severity of your symptoms. Read my article on Potent Cold-Crushing Remedies for the Common Cold. But as one of the lead researchers of the study said in an interview with Science Daily, coughing is not necessarily a bad thing.  Sure it’s annoying and something of a nuisance, but it’s the body’s way of shedding viruses. 

Just be sure to cover your mouth when you do.

Lack of Vitamin E is usually a direct result of poor nutrition and diet habits, but what you may not know is that a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that it can also affect your physical abilities as well. A group of researchers studied the nutrition and physical health of 698 people of 65 years and older with 3 year follow-ups throughout this particular study. Micronutrients were measured throughout this study such as Vitamin E, B6, B12 and D.

Although there were many factors to consider throughout this type of study, the researchers found that only low levels of Vitamin E were associated with the consistent decline of physical abilities. Although there have yet to be any studies which determine what the optimal level of Vitamin E should be for older people in order to avoid this decline of physical ability, it is certain that you can obtain the necessary levels through diet alone.

The participants of this study did not take Vitamin E supplements and the researchers recommended obtaing it through food sources. It is far more effective to obtain your Vitamin E intake through the different foods you include in your diet. The foods to target include, almonds, dark green and leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, whole grains, and the list goes on and on. It is important to take the time to include these sources of nutrients in your diet to not only obtain a strong nutritional food intake but to help keep your health strong as you grow older.

All it takes is the time to readjust your diet and meal plan and do what you can to include the Vitamin E positive foods which can be integrated into your favorite meals quite easily. You will find that broccoli, spinach, peanuts and kiwi, just to name a few are great sources of Vitamin E that everyone can enjoy!

Although this study shows that Vitamin E can only affect your physical decline for people 65 years or older, this does not mean for those of you who are younger can neglect your Vitamin E levels and continue choosing a less than healthy diet. The more you begin to research your own Vitamin E levels, you will learn more and more about the Vitamin E supplements which are at your disposal. By visiting your local Natural Health store and speaking with a naturopathic professional, you can find the perfect Vitamin E supplement to help improve your health in a different way.

Although getting your vitamins from food sources is always preferred, the fact of the matter is that the typical Amercian diet is nutritionally flawed and this is where supplementation becomes beneficial. I advocate taking a Vitamin E supplement in conjunction with your natural diet approaches to further make sure you are getting the Vitamin E your body needs. It is important to point out that if you’re taking a Vitamin E supplement be sure it’s a natural source of Vitamin E as synthetic Vitamin E is only 67 percent as active as the natural form. Look for the “d-alpha-tocopherol” form, which is the most potent.

Take this study into consideration as you get older and do what you can to make sure you are getting the most of your Vitamin E nutrients, as it can make a difference in how you live your life in your older years.

The FDA has recently released an important and life altering statement regarding the suicidal effects some epilepsy drugs can have on their patients. The FDA states that they have been looking and comparing placebos with antiepileptic drugs since 2005 and feel that it is time to alert health care professionals of the dangers that may or may not be listed as side affects on the medication.

After reviewing 199 different studies and comparing 11 of these antiepileptic drugs to placebos they found that patients taking the antiepileptic drugs were twice as likely to commit suicide or display suicidal behaviors than patients taking placebos. With over 44,000 patients in the study, 4 of them committed suicide, in comparison none of the placebo patients had these symptoms or committed suicide. There are over half a dozen drugs that are being considered as dangerous due to these studies some including:

· Felbatol
· Carbatrol
· Neurontin
· Keppra

This is just a very small sample of the different drugs which are under close scrutiny right now due to these tests and studies which have been consistently analyzed for several years now. Over the next few months the FDA is planning on working with the drug companies to make sure that these suicidal symptoms and behaviors are on the labels and health care professionals are aware of these risks. Family, friends and health care professionals should keep a close eye on anyone taking antiepileptic drugs as their behavior can change and this is the first warning sign that should not be missed.

If you are someone suffering from epilepsy and are perhaps looking for a more natural solution to ease your symptoms and pain, there are many natural therapies available, which have been proved successful. Simple remedies such as improving your sleeping habits and developing a low in fat and high in nutritious diet can help reduce the risk of seizures on a day to day basis.

Yoga is a form of relaxation and exercise that can help as well through regular practice of 1-2 hours per week. This natural remedy can help reduce any stress and create a new level of consciousness to help you cope with epilepsy on a real and natural level.

Fish oil has also been proven through numerous studies to help reduce the symptoms of epilepsy through adequate supplementation. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish oil and this is the prime natural ingredient that can reduce the protein build-up on the brain and therefore help reduce regular seizures.

Choosing to take these natural remedies is your decision, but it is always wise to meet and consult with a naturopathic doctor before taking or trying any of these natural remedies as they may interfere with your current medications.

Cataracts are a growing vision problem that many people are finding to be an almost common factor in their lives as they grow older. A recent study was published in the Archives of Ophthalmology stating and proving that a diet with more vegetables and higher Vitamin E levels can greatly reduce the risk of cataracts in your future. This was a large study that worked with 35,551 women of 45 years and older and studied them over a period of 10 years.

This study found that after the 10 year study period was up 2,031 of their participants developed cataracts. Those who took the most Vitamin E supplements and natural food intake were found to be 14% less likely to develop cataracts than those participants who had lower or non-existent levels of Vitamin E. Additionally, women who took in more lutein and zeaxanthin, which are compounds found in darker and yellow leafy vegetables were 18% less likely to develop cataracts in their future.

Vitamin E levels can do a great deal for the body and by including this vitamin in your diet through foods you are taking the responsibility and control over your own health.  You can find Vitamin E through foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, whole grains, brown rice, nuts, seeds and legumes.

This is just a short list of the different areas you can utilize to make sure that your Vitamin E levels are where they should be. The daily recommended dosage or intake of Vitamin E can vary when it comes to your age and current health condition, which makes it a smart choice to visit a naturopathic professional to learn what your specific and unique Vitamin E intake should be and if you are a candidate for supplements if your levels are increasingly low.

With this new study stating that Vitamin E can also have an effect on your vision that is just one more reason to make sure that you are doing everything you can to include Vitamin E rich foods in your diet or making the necessary arrangements for the proper supplements for you. Always do what you can to extract Vitamin E naturally through foods.

The Journal of Neurology recently published a study conducted in South Korea that took 518 elderly people under their wing to test their theories about the effects of Folate deficiency. Folate is also known as Vitamin B9 and many people could be suffering from Vitamin B deficiency and not even know it. Folic acid is an important component when it comes to building and maintaining new cells in the body. Folic acid or Vitamin B9 creates normal red blood cells to prevent anaemia and other deadly diseases such as dementia.

Researchers in South Korea took 518 elderly participants into their study which had never before experienced signs of dementia and watched their progression and health states over a 2.4 year time period. Forty-five of the patients developed dementia and thirty-four of these patients developed Alzheimer’s disease. With factors taken into account such as age, weight gain, alcohol consumption and disability the tests still showed that the lack of folic acid or Vitamin B9 in their system was the key factor to bring on the onset of dementia almost three times as fast as a person with high Vitamin B9 levels.

Vitamin B9 is a compound that can be found through natural resources such as bananas, cantaloupe and leafy vegetables such as spinach, romaine lettuce, peas and turnip greens. You can also find this vitamin source through fortified cereals and grain products to help you further increase your folic acid levels. If you are not one who consumes these types of vegetables or foods, there are Vitamin B supplements that can be taken to help compensate for any deficiencies that are lacking in the diet. You can find many different natural supplements for folic acid through any natural food store and the guidance of a naturopathic professional.

There are so many natural benefits of Vitamin B intake that you will want to keep your levels up during and before a planned pregnancy as it can help ensure your child does not develop brain or spinal cord defects through the birthing or development process. Vitamin B can also help increase your short term memory and mental agility. By taking a daily dose of 800 micrograms a day, you can experience these benefits and further step away from the fatal risks folic acid deficiencies can create for your health.

By maintaining a healthy diet and choosing to maintain your Vitamin B levels through the proper supplements and dosages you are taking control of your future and protecting not only your brain function but many other aspects of your health.

Millions of people today are smokers and for those of you trying to find the right resources to help you quit smoking, may already be aware that many of the drugs available can be quite dangerous to your health. Recently the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory to alert not only the consumers but health care professionals as well regarding the new safety warnings in relation to Chantix, a new prescription drug to help people stop smoking.

The FDA is discovering the more they investigate this prescription drug, the more they are finding different and serious health problems such as a distinct relationship between the drug and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms. With light of these findings the FDA is working hard with Pfizer, the manufacturing pharmaceutical giant to make sure all these health risks are clearly included on the prescription pamphlet as well as the label itself. Warnings that include:

Patients should tell their health care professionals about previous psychiatric illnesses or symptoms of the past because Chantix can bring back these symptoms.

Health care professionals, family and friends should monitor the patient using Chantix very carefully as mood and behavioral change can bring out suicidal thinking and actions.

Patients need to immediately report any changes in mood or behaviour to their doctor.

Vivid and unusual dreams can occur while taking Chantix.

Patients taking Chantix may experience impairment for driving or operating heavy machinery.

These are the warnings the FDA are putting on Chantix and they can be very dangerous for anyone’s health. There is no need to continue on this vicious drug cycle and risk your health when there are so many different and natural therapies that have been proven effective to help you quit smoking.

Acupuncture is one of the most common natural therapies and perhaps the most successful in helping people quit smoking. The needles used are about hair thin and they are inserted into key points of your ear for about 20 minutes. By doing this on a regular basis you will find a great deal of relief from your addiction and the strength to quit without adding more drugs to your life such as Chantix.

Ginseng and Lobelia are herbs that help fight the addiction and withdrawal of nicotine. By taking both of these herbs as a supplement by the guidance of a naturopathic professional you will feel less symptoms of withdrawal and therefore a more natural will to quit without the health risks and dangers prescription drugs can give you.

Quit smoking the natural way with herbal remedies such as this and therapies like acupuncture and avoid yet another risk of addiction.

Correlation does not imply causation.

Political scientists are familiar with this term. If you’re unfamiliar with it, perhaps an example will illustrate its meaning.  Studies suggest that incidents of crime increase significantly in the summer time. Something else that increases in the summer time—other than the mercury level—are sales of ice cream. Based on this, we can say that crime and ice cream sales correlate, but we cannot say that ice cream purchases cause an increase in crime. Make sense?

I mention this because of a troubling finding in health matters that correlate to a disturbing trend in food—the prevalence of high fructose corn syrup in foods.  Have you noticed this?  It’s truly amazing.  You name it—cereal, soda, gum, bread, crackers—high fructose corn syrup is among the first few things you’re likely to find in the ingredient list.

If you have noticed this trend, you probably have not noticed the increasing number of people diagnosed with diabetes.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 million Americans have diabetes, a blood disease that prevents the body from being able to convert sugar into glucose due to an inability to produce insulin.  At one time, the lion’s share of diabetes cases was Type I.  After 1994, Type II diabetes diagnoses increased dramatically, up from four percent of cases to 45 percent of cases.  It was around this time that high fructose corn syrup began to be used extensively in foods. 

Though no one can say for certain that the rise in high fructose corn syrup in foods has caused the increase in diabetes, the link is hard to dismiss.  Consider the findings revealed by researchers at the American Chemical Society who said that an increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup may increase the risk of acquiring Type II diabetes.  Researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing 11 different sodas, finding that sodas containing high amounts of high fructose corn syrup also contained dangerously high levels of chemical called carbonyls—free radicals that pervade the blood of those with diabetes.  Coincidence?

Of course, more research needs to be done before one can claim true causality, not just correlation.  The point is really moot, though.  The evidence continues to mount over just how unhealthy high fructose corn syrup is for the body.  Unfortunately, it’s hard to avoid.

My best advice is to avoid consuming foods with HFCS if at all possible.  The biggest culprit—i.e. the foods and drinks that have the highest HFCS content—are sugary carbonated sodas.  Stay away from them.  They are bastions of empty calories and serve as a precursor to obesity.  In this instance—obesity and soda pop consumption—correlation does imply causation.  Perhaps we’ll be saying the same about HFCS and diabetes in the not too distant future.

Not Just a Nice Place to Visit

You are what you eat. It’s a statement that’s become so commonplace, so hackneyed, it’s a cliché; the words just don’t really mean much anymore.  But a study recently released gives life to this age old phrase—literally.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 57 percent of Americans are overweight.  That’s the equivalent of approximately 39 million people or one in every sixth person.  It comes as no surprise, then, that the United States has the rather infamous distinction as the Western world’s leader in obesity, this according to data gathered by the US Census Bureau in 2004 (Mexico is the runner-up).

Of course, the ubiquity of obesity is due to a number of factors, not the least of which is a general lack of exercise.  But the leading reason, of course, is poor eating habits.  What makes this fact distressing, particularly for those of us who make healthy living a priority, is that poor food choices have become designated “Western”—i.e. the Western world, i.e. where we live!  Meanwhile, a diet that’s designated “Mediterranean,” is a diet that’s known for its healthful qualities.  And the numbers indicate as much, for the same numbers gathered by the US Census Bureau regarding the rate of obesity among countries places Mediterranean countries low on the obesity scale (pardon the pun).

A Mediterranean diet is one rife with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans—all foods that are low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fats.  By contrast, the Western diet is one rife with processed foods, foods made with refined flour and hydrogenated oils, “fast” foods—in short, all foods high in saturated fat and low in nutrient value.       

Now, most of us don’t eat an exclusively Western diet, nor do most of us eat an exclusively Mediterranean diet.  But it might be in our interest to develop a Mediterranean eating habit—especially for those of us who have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease.  According to research conducted out of Columbia University, people afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease have a significantly diminished chance of dying as a result of the disease, depending on how closely they followed a Mediterranean diet.

Researchers found that of the 192 New Yorker’s with Alzheimer’s disease studied over a four and a half year period, those that adhered to a Mediterranean diet closest lived four years longer than those who significantly deviated from it.  Of those who followed a Mediterranean diet moderately, their life expectancy was about a year and a half longer.  The findings are published in the journal American Academy of Neurology.

The significance of this finding with respect to Alzheimer’s disease is so impressive that the researchers hope to discover whether or not the Mediterranean diet can slow the disease’s progression in future studies.

The prevalence of Alzheimer’s is fast becoming a problem that’s on par with obesity, as  approximately one in seven elderly Americans are afflicted with some form of dementia, according to the National Institutes of Health.  For the sake of the minds and lives of those with the most wisdom—our elders—let us share these important findings with them.

A Salty Solution to the Common Cold

The FDA made it official last week and acknowledged what many of us already knew: over-the-counter (OTC) cold medicines are dangerous for young children. Though the FDA has made a lot of boneheaded moves in the past—I suppose it’s only appropriate that we note their smart moves. This is certainly one of them.

However, many parents are now left feeling, wondering what cold medicines are left that they can give to their cold-ridden children.  According to a new study published in the Archives of Otolaryngology, the answer may be floating in the ocean—the Atlantic Ocean, specifically.

The answer appears to be the salt in the ocean water, according to the researchers from Europe who conducted the study.  The 390 children were split into two groups—one receiving a nasal decongestant you’d see at any drug store, the other group given several shots of salt water nasal spray.  Both groups of children were given treatment for six weeks and received check-ups to see if their symptoms were diminishing.  Not only were they diminishing to a more significant degree among the group given the salt water nasal spray, but eight weeks after the study began, the salt water nasal spray group’s symptoms occurred less frequently (fewer sore throats, coughs) and had fewer battles with sickness throughout the year than the group given standard nasal decongestant treatments.

Though it’s not known what specifically it is about the salt water that eased children’s cold symptoms, the researchers speculate it may have something to do with the chemical makeup of the saline in its ability to clear excessive mucous from the nose and throat.

Certainly, more research will be conducted on the efficacy of salt water and the relieving of cold symptoms, but this is yet more evidence of the health benefits nature provides.  What’s wrong with OTC cold medicines?  Besides the fact that some children have died as a result of taking these medicines—a side-effect serious enough to give any doting parent pause, despite its rarity—several studies indicate OTC cold medicines just plain don’t work.

Of course, the dangerousness and inefficiency of OTC cold medicines applies to children under the age of two, but that leaves a large swath of children over that age in the dark.  Does the warning on OTC cold medicines apply to them as well? 

At this point, that answer remains unclear.  Though cold remedies are administered to children billions of times a year and a fraction of that number report any severely adverse reactions, a number of health groups caution against using them because they are so easily overdosed.  For instance, instead of administering the cold medicine with the supplied plastic cup, many use a large spoon instead, resulting in mistaken overdose administrations.

The Food and Drug Administration plans on making a statement about its safety to children over the age of two sometime this spring.  In the meantime, your best bet is to veer away from OTC cold medicines.  Health officials make it clear that because colds are viral, they’re immune from antibiotics.  Thus, the alleviation of colds is best achieved through the traditional method:  plenty of sleep, plenty of rest and plenty of fluids.

And maybe plenty of salt water, too.