HEALTH, FOOD, NUTRITION, and SUPPLEMENTS

[sumisu]

How To I.D. Genetically Modified Food at the Supermarket

http://blog.friendseat.com/how-to-id-genetically-modified-food-at-the-supermarket

[westeffer]

The Fukushima disaster appears to be a massive coverup of the potential risk from hot particles circulating in the Northern Hemisphere

(1) video Arnie Gundersen Nuclear Plant Expert discusses current plant status along with information on hot particles in atmosphere

(2) video Maggie Gundersen interviews radiation air quality expert regarding hot particles diepersing over Northern Hemisphere

(3) Audio/ print interview of Arnie by Chris Martensen that really gives some nasty scenarios on radiation if plant 4 collapses along with the long term window to control what is happening.

http://www.fairewinds.com

[$BABA]

The Great Cancer Hoax
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/11/burzynski-the-movie.aspx

[SPARK]

RED CABBAGE, PHYTOCHEMICALS X2

Delivers Double on Research Sompounds

Red cabbage is the modern multi-tasker's dream food: delivering double phytochemical benefits by combining the promising compounds from cruciferous vegetables with the polyphenols anthocyanins more commonly associated with grapes and berries.

Like its less colorful cousin, green cabbage, the red variety is loaded with glucosinolates which trigger a cascade of the body's own natural enzymes, with benefits that linger for days. Unlike pale green cruciferous veggies, vibrant red cabbage is also imbued with the same anthocyanins that give berries their vibrant hues. These compounds are thought to do their own clean-up work as possible regulators of cell communication. Anthocyanins are credited for blueberries' memory boosting benefits, as well as the heart health effects of red wine.

Anthocyanins make red cabbage the highest ranking cruciferous vegetable on the ORAC list, a laboratory index proportional to overall polyphenol content, indicating potential for food to furnish biological value once consumed. USDA research shows red cabbage may be bioavailable in a dose-dependent fashion: In other words, the more you eat, the more phytochemicals you get. A cup of cooked red cabbage will also provide you with 85% of your daily vitamin C and 20% vitamin A (both are immune-enhancing) and vitamin K (bone-building) needs -- all for a mere 28 calories. For a delicious way to incorporate red cabbage into your diet, try our Featured Recipe: Red Cabbage With Apples.

Bonus: In addition to filling you up with fiber and water content, red cabbage's anthocyanins may also support weight loss by increasing your body's production of two hormones: adiponectin (fat-metabolizing) and leptin (appetite-suppressing), according to preliminary research.

[SPARK]

Rhodiola rosea crashed the growing natural health party when a rigorous Swedish case study suggested rhodiola’s ability to quicken memory, improve attention span, sharpen mental performance, alleviate depression, soothe mental and physical fatigue and improve human focus in difficult circumstances. (The exact extract used in that study was SHR-5, a proprietary rhodiola rosea extract manufactured and distributed by the Swedish Herbal Institute.)

Rigorous case studies suggest genuine neurochemical mechanisms produce these positive rhodiola benefits. The most well-known case studies were conducted by Dr. Richard P. Brown, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Dr. Patricia L. Gerbarg, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at New York Medical College, Dr. Philip R. Muskin, the Chief of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center and a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University, and reported in their books The Rhodiola Revolution and How to Use Herbs and Nutrients in Mental Health Care (those are links to these books on Amazon.com, where you can buy them and then read them for yourself!).

Despite these broad benefits, rhodiola rosea features a remarkably low toxicity level. In standard clinical toxicity studies performed with rats, the lethal dose at which 50 percent of animals perish was determined to be 28.6 ml/kg, which is approximately 3,360 mg/kg. This is extremely low even compared to many common, safe herbs or frequently-consumed over-the-counter pain medications.

[SPARK]

XanGo® Juice May Help Lower Marker Of Inflammation And Improve Weight And Body Fat
06 Apr 2010

A new study published in Nutrition Journal indicates that XanGo® Juice, a market-leading, premium mangosteen beverage, has lowered levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in overweight and obese people in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial. CRP is a marker used to measure inflammation levels, and a reduction in CRP may indicate a corresponding reduction in the risk of heart disease and diabetes. This study also suggests that XanGo Juice has healthful properties for weight management.

Mike Pugh, a scientist at XanGo, explains, "The reason why the scientific community is interested in probing inflammation is that it may be an early indicator of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, potentially even lung disease, skin conditions and arthritis. So, scientists test CRP as a first step in assessing an individual's level of inflammation, and then, in turn, they use that to help picture a patient's potential for these serious diseases." Current understanding of body fat suggests that reducing inflammation may also assist in managing one's weight, which may have wellness benefits of its own.

XanGo's chief marketing officer, Larry Macfarlane, elaborates on why XanGo whole-heartedly supported the research performed by Dr. Jay Udani at Medicus Research in California, "Sometimes, consumers turn to pharmaceutical products as a preventive measure to maintain good health. While consumers should always consult with their healthcare provider before changing their dietary regimen, XanGo realizes that our flagship product, XanGo Juice, might provide a natural alternative for maintaining good health."

In the study, Dr. Udani tested three different dosages (varying between three to nine ounces) of XanGo Juice against a placebo juice. Participants consumed the assigned beverages twice a day, in the morning and evening. All three dosages of XanGo Juice demonstrated an ability to reduce CRP as a marker of inflammation. Dr. Udani comments, "Subjects who consumed the highest dose demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in CRP (1.33 mg/L). The other doses had non-significant reductions in CRP while the placebo group actually increased their CRP level."

Body fat percentage was significantly different between the three-ounce juice group and placebo. This three-ounce group also experienced a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) score compared with placebo at eight weeks. The six-ounce group had significantly lower BMI than placebo at four weeks and at eight weeks.

Dr. Udani reports that no side effects or safety concerns emerged at any dosage tested, and cautions that longer studies with larger numbers of participants are needed to confirm the findings and further probe a possible dose-dependent effect. However, this first human clinical trial points to exciting avenues for XanGo Juice's use in the maintenance of heart health and other conditions that may be connected to inflammation.

Previous research shows the xanthones in XanGo Juice may possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help sustain a healthy cardiovascular system, support cartilage and joint function, support the immune system, promote a healthy seasonal respiratory system, maintain intestinal health and neutralize free radicals.

About XanGo, LLC

A leading global nutrition company, XanGo, LLC is a recognized leader in health and wellness products. Currently expanding into a wider range of botanicals, XanGo was the first company to market a premium mangosteen beverage, XanGo® Juice, to consumers worldwide. Its roster of premium, functional products now includes XANGO 3SIXTY5TM, a whole food nutrition multi-vitamin, Glimpse® Topical Skin Nutrition and elevivTM for natural, youthful vigor. XanGo is privately-owned and powered by a global network of more than 1 million independent distributors in the U.S. and more than 30 international markets such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany and Malaysia.

[SPARK]

Tabata Training For Busy Mom's and Dad's

Please consult your Dr before beginning any new workout plan.

Everybody's got at least 5 minutes! (watch below)

As busy moms, there will be days when we simply do not have enough time for a full 15 to 30-minute workout. Therefore the typical approach we take is to just skip the workout altogether mistakenly believing that no significant results can occur in less time anyways.

This could not be further from the truth! Well get ready for Tabatas - 4 minutes of high-intensity interval training, featuring the breakthrough Tabata Protocol that Japanese scientists used to compare the effects of only 4 minutes of high-intensity interval training to a slow, long 60-minute steady-state aerobic alternative. They found greater fat loss and greater improvements in overall conditioning with the following 4-minute interval routine versus the full hour of aerobics!

It's not about time... It's not about how many calories a machine "says" you burned

IT'S ALL ABOUT INTENSITY!

[SPARK]

Tabata Training: Can 4 Minutes Of Exercise Be Enough For Fat Burning?


The basis of Tabata Training is 4 minutes of intense interval training/circuit training. What you are doing is taking an exercise we'll use sprints as an example here.

Sprint as hard as you can for 20 seconds

Walk for 10 seconds

Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 sets.

So what you have is a total of 4 minutes of workout time.

Tabata Training can be done with a number of different exercises the idea is to use an exercise that gets the whole body involved or at least the major muscle groups.Tabata Training can be done with Barbells, Dumbells, Kettlebells or just Bodyweight exercises.

Tabata Training was developed by Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. They did a study on comparing the effects of moderate intensity endurance(aerobics) and high endurance intermittent training(tabata training intervals) on VO2 max and anerobic capacity.

To cut to the results of the study: the moderate intensity group training program produced a significant increase in VO2 max of about 10%, but had no effect on anaerobic capacity. The high intensity group improved their VO2 max by about 14% while anaerobic capacity improved by 28%. The study was done over a six week period. Both groups working out 5 days per week.

[westeffer]

This new skin mist cosmetic is already having an impact on the market do to tremendous customer reviews. The best part is that it is refillable with pure mineral water so your skin can get treatment for one year for less than $50.00

This new rechnology also has significant applications in agriculture, medicine and water treatment equipment for better health.

http://www.aqualiv.net/infotone-face-mist

http://www.aqualiv.net/technology/technology

[westeffer]

http://www.Serrapeptase.info has some pretty remarkable claims in reference to your post

[SPARK]

What Are Systemic Enzymes and What Do They Do?
By: Dr. William Wong ND, PhD

The word “systemic” means body wide. Systemic enzymes are those that operate not just for digestion but throughout your body in every system and organ. But let’s take first things first, what is an enzyme?

An enzyme is a biocatalyst - something that makes something else work or work faster. Chemical reactions are generally slow things, enzymes speed them up. Without enzymes the chemical reactions that make up our life would be too slow for life as we know it. (As slow as sap running down a tree in winter). For life to manifest as we know it, enzymes are essential to speed up the reactions. We have roughly some 3000 enzymes in our bodies and that results in over 7000 enzymic reactions. Most of these enzymes are derived or created from what we think of as the protein digesting enzymes. But while digestion is an important part of what enzymes do, it's almost the absolute last function. First and foremost these body wide proteolytic (protein eating) enzymes have the following actions:

Natural Anti-Inflammatory.

They are the first line of defense against inflammation. (1,2,3). Inflammation is a reaction by the immune system to an irritation. Let’s say you have an injured right knee. The immune system sensing the irritation the knee is undergoing creates a protein chain called a Circulating Immune Complex (CIC for short), tagged specifically for that right knee. (The Nobel Prize in biology was won in 1999 by a scientist who discovered this tagging mechanism). This CIC floats down to the right knee and causes pain, redness and swelling are the classic earmarks for inflammation. This at first is a beneficial reaction; it warns us that a part of ourselves is hurt and needs attention. But, inflammation is self-perpetuating, itself creating an irritation that the body makes CIC’s to in response!

Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Celebrex, Vioxx and the rest of the Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs all work by keeping the body from making all CIC's. This ignores the fact that some CIC’s are vital to life, like those that maintain the lining of the intestine and those that keep the kidneys functioning! Not to mention the fact that the NSAID’s, along with acetaminophen, are highly toxic to the liver. Every year 20,000 Americans die from these over the counter drugs and another 100,000 will wind up in the hospital with liver damage, kidney damage or bleeding intestines from the side effects of these drugs. (4,5).

Systemic enzymes on the other hand are perfectly safe and free of dangerous side effects. They have no LD-50, or toxic dose. (6). Best of all systemic enzymes can tell the difference between the good CIC’s and the bad ones because hydrolytic enzymes are lock and key mechanisms and their "teeth" will only fit over the bad CIC’s. So instead of preventing the creation of all CIC’s, systemic enzymes just “eat” the bad ones and in so doing lower inflammation everywhere. With that, pain is lowered also.

Anti Fibrosis.

Enzymes eat scar tissue and fibrosis. (7). Fibrosis is scar tissue and most doctors learn in anatomy that it is fibrosis that eventually kills us all. Let me explain. As we age, which starts at 27, we have a diminishing of the bodies’ output of enzymes. This is because we make a finite amount of enzymes in a lifetime and we use up a good deal of them by the time we are 27. At that point the body knows that if it keeps up that rate of consumption we’ll run out of enzymes and be dead by the time we reach our 40’s. (Cystic Fibrosis patients who have virtually no enzyme production to speak of, even as children usually don’t make it past their 20’s before they die of the restriction and shrinkage in the lungs from the formation of fibrosis or scar tissue).

So our body in it's wisdom begins to dole out our enzymes with an eyedropper instead of with a tablespoon; as a result the repair mechanism of the body goes out of balance and has nothing to reduce the over abundance of fibrin it deposits in nearly every thing from simple cuts, to the inside of our internal organs and blood vessels. This is when most women begin to develop things like fibrocystic breast disease, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and we all grow arterial sclerotic (meaning scar tissue) plaque, and have fibrin beginning to spider web its way inside of our internal organs reducing their size and function over time. This is why as we age our wounds heal with thicker, less pliable, weaker and very visible scars.

If we replace the lost enzymes we can control and reduce the amount of scar tissue and fibrosis our bodies have. As physicians in the US are now discovering, even old scar tissue can be “eaten away” from surgical wounds, pulmonary fibrosis, kidney fibrosis and even keloids years after their formation. Medical doctors in Europe and Asia have known this and have used orally administered enzymes for these situations for over 40 years!

Blood Cleansing.

The blood is not only the river of life, it is also the river through which the cells and organs dispose of their garbage and dead material. Enzymes improve circulation by eating the excess fibrin that causes blood to sometimes get as thick as catsup or yogurt, creating the perfect environment for the formation of clots. All of this material is supposed to be cleared by the liver on its "first pass", or the first time it goes through but given the sluggish and near toxic or toxic states of everyone's liver these days that seldom happens. So the sludge remains in the blood waiting for the liver to have enough free working space and enough enzymes to clean the trash out of the blood. This can take days, and in some cases, weeks! (8).

When systemic enzymes are taken, they stand ready in the blood and take the strain off of the liver by:
1.Cleaning excess fibrin from the blood and reducing the stickiness of blood cells. These two actions minimize the leading causes of stroke and heart attack causing blood clots. (8).
2. Breaking dead material down small enough that it can immediately pass into the bowel. (8).
3. Cleanse the FC receptors on the white blood cells improving their function and availability to fight off infection. (9).


And here we come to the only warning we have to give concerning the use of systemic enzymes - don't use the product if you are a hemophiliac or are on prescription blood thinners like Coumadin, Heparin and Plavix, without direct medical supervision. The enzymes cause the drugs to work better so there is the possibility of thinning the blood too much.

Immune System Modulating.

Enzymes are adaptogenic seeking to restore a steady state to the body. (9). When the immune system is running low we become susceptible to infectious disease, when it’s cranked up too high then the system creates antibodies that attack it's own tissues as are seen in the auto immune diseases of MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Lupus. Here the enzymes will tone down immune function and eat away at the antibodies the immune system is making to attack its bodies own tissue.

Virus Fighting.

Viruses harm us by replicating in our bodies. To do this a virus must bond itself to the DNA in our cells through the medium of its exterior protein cell wall. Anything that disrupts that cell wall inhibits the ability of viral replication by rendering individual viruses inert. (10,11). Systemic enzymes can tell the difference between the proteins that are supposed to be in your body and those that are foreign or not supposed to be there, (again the enzyme lock and key mechanism).



One note: many in the States have learned in school that enzymes are too big a protein to be absorbed through the gut. The pioneering research done in the US by Dr. Max Wolf (MD & PhD x7) at Columbia University in the 40’s through the 70’s has not made it to the awareness of most doctors. There are currently over 200 peer reviewed research articles dealing with the absorption, utilization and therapeutic action of orally administered systemic enzymes. A search through Pub Med using the key words: serrapeptase, papain, bromelain, trypsin, chymo trypsin, nattokinase and systemic enzyme will yield some of the extensive work. Systemic enzymes now have a 4 decade plus history of widespread medical use in central Europe and Japan.



References:

1) Carroll A., R.: Clinical examination of an enzymatic anti-inflammatory agent in emergency surgery. Arztl. Praxis 24 (1972), 2307.
2) Mazzone A, et al.: Evaluation of Serratia peptidase in acute or chronic
inflammation of otorhinolaryngology pathology: a multicentre, double blind,
randomized trial versus placebo. J Int Med Res. 1990; 18(5):379-88.
3) Kee W., H. Tan S, L., Lee V. Salmon Y. M.: The treatment of breast engorgement with Serrapeptase: a randomized double blind controlled trial. Singapore Med J. 1989:30(l):48-54.
4) Celebrex article Wall Street Journal 19 April 1999.
5) No author listed: Regular Use of Pain Relievers Can Have Dangerous Results. Kaleidoscope Interactive News, American Medical Association media briefing. July 24, 1997.
6) Enzymes ñ A Drug of the Future, Prof. Heinrich Wrba MD and Otto Pecher MD. Published 1993 Eco Med.
7) Kakinumu A. et al.: Regression of fibrinolysis in scalded rats by administration of serrapeptase. Biochem. Pharmacol. 31:2861-2866,1982.
8) Ernst E., Matrai A.: Oral Therapy with proteolytic enzymes for modifying blood rheology. Klin Wschr. 65 (1987), 994.
9) Kunze R., Ransberger K., et at: Humoral immunomodulatory capasity of proteases in immune complex decomposition and formation. First International symposium on combination therapies, Washington, DC, 1991.
10) Jager H.: Hydrolytic Enzymes in the therapy of HIV disease. Zeitschr. Allgemeinmed., 19 (1990), 160.
11) Bartsch W.: The treatment of herpes zoster using proteolytic enzymes. Der Informierte Arzt. 2 (1974), 424-429.

[SPARK]

What Ingredients are in NT Factor®?

NT Factor® is a nutrient complex extracted and prepared using proprietary processes. It is composed only of food and food components listed as:

Phosphoglycolipids - includes polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine, glycolipids and other polyunsaturated phosphatidyl nutrients.

Bifido and Lactobacillus Bacterium -freeze-dried and microencapsulated in a state of suspended animation with the potential to form healthy microflora colonies.
Growth Media - foods and bacteria growth factors to support microflora colonies including rice bran extract, arginine, beet root fiber, black strap molasses, glycine, para-amino benzoate, leek, pantethine (bifido growth factor), taurine, garlic, calcium borogluconate, potassium citrate, spirulina, bromelain, natural vitamin E, calcium ascorbate, alpha-lipoic acid, oligosaccharides, B-6, niacinamide, riboflavin, inositol, niacin, calcium pantothenate, thiamin, B-12, folic acid, chromium picolinate.





See what people are saying about NT Factor®.

Listen to success stories from people who are enjoying more energy and better health from NT Factor®. Hear testimonials from physicians, nurses and researchers and how the NT Factor® family of products is clinically proven to be successful in repairing and restoring damaged cells.

Dr. Brett Jacques
“I’m Dr. Brett Jacques, the medical director of Tustin Longevity Center. We find NT Factor to be such a valuable adjunct in our therapy for low energy states including chronic fatigue. Most of our patients rave about the experience they have with it. As a matter of fact, I just had a patient who was non responsive to thyroid therapy who started on the NT Factor, and finally found she had the energy she had been looking for, that had been missing in her life for quite some time.”

Brighton Ellithorpe
“I have been taking NT Factor for about 9 years now. The reason I take it is because I am very athletic… I surf, run, and do all kinds of extreme sports, such as snowboarding and skateboarding. I was very fatigued and my endurance levels were going down in the gym and during sports. Since taking NT Factor the fatigue is gone, my energy levels are up, and I feel very healthy.”

Elyce Monet
”I’m 55 years young. I started taking NT Factor about ten years ago, and my friends tell me today that I look younger than I did ten years ago! I attribute that to a healthy lifestyle, a strong spiritual life, and NT Factor. Ten years ago I was faced with a very serious health crisis that almost cost me my life, and with the help of NT Factor I have completely turned around my health naturally. Now I feel like a kid again, and I enjoy life like never before. I am very grateful for NT Factor, because I really feel like it re-built my body from the inside out.”

Linda Keil, RN
“I am a registered nurse here at the clinic. Our physicians are prescribing NT Factor, and I decided to try it prior to going skiing. I typically have muscle fatigue after the first day, and after using NT Factor three times a day, I skied for four days, and felt fabulous! I love NT Factor!”

Dr. Steven Rosenblatt, MD
“NT Factor is one of the most beneficial natural health supplements available today. It has been a crucial mainstay supplement for practice and my patients. I believe if people take NT Factor, they will actually feel the difference in their energy, and overall quality of their health.”

Dr. Ronald Hoffman, MD
“The scientific evidence is compelling, but most importantly, my experience with grateful patients and radio listeners convinces me that NT Factor represents an exciting new key element in a multi-pronged nutritional program to halt and reverse degenerative diseases”.

[westeffer]

Some great posts Spark.

I have been using a product Can-C eye drop formula developed in Russia that has been very helpful for me. Our whole family has experienced cataracts and this treatment 3-4 times daily seems to helpful for dry eyes and I have better clarity. In 6 months, I will go to my eye doc and see if it's real or placebo affect.

[SPARK]

Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea), sometimes called Arctic root or golden root, is an adaptogenic herb, meaning that it acts in non-specific ways to increase resistance without disturbing normal biological functions.

The herb grows at high altitudes in the arctic areas of Europe and Asia, and its root has been used in traditional medicine in Russia and the Scandinavian countries for centuries. Studies of its medicinal applications have appeared in the scientific literature of Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, the Soviet Union and Iceland.

Today in Russia, rhodiola is used as a tonic and remedy for fatigue, poor attention span, and decreased memory; it is also believed to make workers more productive. In Sweden and other Scandinavian countries it is used to increase the capacity for mental work and as a general strengthener.

[SPARK]

Malic Acid

Malic acid, an alpha-hydroxy organic acid, is sometimes referred to as a fruit acid. This is because malic acid is found in apples and other fruits. It is also found in plants and animals, including humans. In fact, malic acid, in the form of its anion malate, is a key intermediate in the major biochemical energy-producing cycle in cells known as the citric acid or Krebs cycle located in the cells' mitochondria.

Malic acid is a chiral molecule. The naturally occurring stereoisomer is the L-form. The L-form is also the biologically active one. There is some preliminary evidence that malic acid, in combination with magnesium, may be helpful for some with fibromyalgia. Malic acid sold as a supplement is mainly derived from apples and, therefore, is the L-form. Malic acid is a naturally occurring compound that plays a role in the complex process of deriving adenosine triphosphate (ATP; the energy currency that runs the body) from food. Although uncontrolled research had suggested that the combination of 1,200–2,400 mg per day of malic acid and 300–600 mg of magnesium for eight weeks reduced symptoms of fibromyalgia,1 double-blind evidence has shown that malic acid plus magnesium fails to help people with this condition.

Malic acid is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract from whence it is transported via the portal circulation to the liver. There are a few enzymes that metabolize malic acid. Malic enzyme catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of L-malate to pyruvate with concomitant reduction of the cofactor NAD+ (oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) or NADP+ (oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate). These reactions require the divalent cations magnesium or manganese. Three isoforms of malic enzyme have been identified in mammals: a cytosolic NADP+-dependent malic enzyme, a mitochondrial NADP+-dependent malic enzyme and a mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme. The latter can use either NAD+ or NADP+ as the cofactor but prefers NAD+. Pyruvate formed from malate can itself be metabolized in a number of ways, including metabolism via a number of metabolic steps to glucose. Malate can also be metabolized to oxaloacetate via the citric acid cycle. The mitochondrial malic enzyme, particularly in brain cells, may play a key role in the pyruvate recycling pathway, which utilizes dicarboxylic acids and substrates, such as glutamine, to provide pyruvate to maintain the citric acid cycle activity when glucose and lactate are low.

Malic acid is also a natural constituent of many fruits and vegetables that are preserved by fermentation. This acid may be broken down during fermentation by certain bacteria into lactic acid and carbon dioxide. This reaction is desired to reduce the acidity in certain types of wines, and is undesired in the fermentation of cucumbers because of gaseous spoilage from carbon dioxide accumulation inside the fruit.

Many traditional fresh and fermented ready-to-eat foods are dependent on their acidity as the primary means for controlling the presence of disease- causing bacteria. In such foods, how quickly pathogenic microorganisms are inactivated is dependent on both the level of acidity (pH) and the identity and amount of the specific acid associated with the food. Recent concern about the survival of acid resistant pathogens in apple cider produced a need for better information on how malic acid, the principal acid in apples, affects bacteria. The current study helps address that need by providing information on how malic acid and pH interact to inactivate the foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes. These results demonstrate that malic acid is one of the gentler food acids.

Malic acid is both derived from food sources and synthesized in the body through the citric acid cycle. Its importance to the production of energy in the body during both aerobic and anaerobic conditions is well established. Under aerobic conditions, the oxidation of malate to oxaloacetate provides reducing equivalents to the mitochondria through the malate-aspartate redox shuttle. During anaerobic conditions, where a buildup of excess of reducing equivalents inhibits glycolysis, malic acid's simultaneous reduction to succinate and oxidation to oxaloacetate is capable of removing the accumulating reducing equivalents. This allows malic acid to reverse hypoxia's inhibition of glycolysis and energy production. This may allow malic acid to improve energy production in Primary fibromyalgia (FM), reversing the negative effect of the relative hypoxia that has been found in these patients.

Because of its obvious relationship to energy depletion during exercise, malic acid may be of benefit to healthy individuals interested in maximizing their energy production, as well as those with FM. In the rat it has been found that only tissue malate is depleted following exhaustive physical activity. Other key metabolites from the citric acid cycle needed for energy production were found to be unchanged. Because of this, a deficiency of malic acid has been hypothesized to be a major cause of physical exhaustion. The administration of malic acid to rats has been shown to elevate mitochondrial malate and increase mitochondrial respiration and energy production. Surprisingly, relatively small amounts of exogenous malic acid were required to increase mitochondrial energy production and ATP formation. Under hypoxic conditions there is an increased demand and utilization of malic acid, and this demand is normally met by increasing the synthesis of malic acid through gluconeogenesis and muscle protein breakdown. This ultimately results in muscle breakdown and damage. In a study on the effect of the oral administration of malic acid to rats, a significant increase in anaerobic endurance was found. Interestingly, the improvement in endurance was not accompanied by an increase in carbohydrate and oxygen utilization, suggesting that malic acid has carbohydrate and oxygen-sparing effects. In addition, malic acid is the only metabolite of the citric acid cycle positively correlated with physical activity. It has also been demonstrated that exercise-induced mitochondrial respiration is associated with an accumulation of malic acid. In humans, endurance training is associated with a significant increase in the enzymes involved with malic acid metabolism.

Because of the compelling evidence that malic acid plays a central role in energy production, especially during hypoxic conditions, malic acid supplements have been examined for their effects on FM. Subjective improvement in pain was observed within 48 hours of supplementation with 1200 - 2400 milligrams of malic acid, and this improvement was lost following the discontinuation of malic acid for 48 hours. While these studies also used magnesium supplements, due to the fact that magnesium is often low in FM patients, the rapid improvement following malic acid, as well as the rapid deterioration after discontinuation, suggests that malic acid is the most important component. This interesting theory of localized hypoxia in FM, and the ability of malic acid to overcome the block in energy production that this causes, should provide hope for those afflicted with FM. The potential for malic acid supplements, however, reaches much farther than FM. In light of malic acid's ability to improve animal exercise performance, its potential for human athletes is particularly exciting.

Additionally, many hypoxia related conditions, such as respiratory and circulatory insufficiency, are associated with deficient energy production. Therefore, malic acid supplements may be of benefit in these conditions. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has also been found to be associated with FM, and malic acid supplementation may be of use in improving energy production in this condition as well.. Lastly, malic acid may be of use as a general supplement aimed at ensuring an optimal level of malic acid within the cells, and thus, maintaining an optimal level of energy production.

[SPARK]

D-Ribose I use the stuff before I go to the gym and yank them heavy-ass weights~

[SPARK]

The use of D-ribose in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia: a pilot study.

Teitelbaum JE, Johnson C, St Cyr J.


Source

Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, Dallas, TX, USA. [e-mail]


Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are debilitating syndromes that are often associated with impaired cellular energy metabolism. As D-ribose has been shown to increase cellular energy synthesis in heart and skeletal muscle, this open-label uncontrolled pilot study was done to evaluate if D-ribose could improve symptoms in fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

DESIGN:

Forty-one (41) patients with a diagnosis of FMS and/or CFS were given D-ribose, a naturally occurring pentose carbohydrate, at a dose of 5 g t.i.d. for a total of 280 g. All patients completed questionnaires containing discrete visual analog scales and a global assessment pre- and post-D-ribose administration.

RESULTS:

D-ribose, which was well-tolerated, resulted in a significant improvement in all five visual analog scale (VAS) categories: energy; sleep; mental clarity; pain intensity; and well-being, as well as an improvement in patients' global assessment. Approximately 66% of patients experienced significant improvement while on D-ribose, with an average increase in energy on the VAS of 45% and an average improvement in overall well-being of 30% (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS:

D-ribose significantly reduced clinical symptoms in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

[SPARK]

The Rise of D-ribose

Until 1944, D-ribose was thought to be primarily a structural component of DNA and RNA with little physiological significance. But a series of studies, culminating in 1957, revealed that this sugar molecule played an intermediate role in an important metabolic reaction called the pentose phosphate pathway. This reaction is central to energy synthesis, the production of genetic material, and for providing substances used by certain tissues to make fatty acids and hormones.

The D-ribose connection to cardiac function was made by the physiologist Heinz-Gerd Zimmer at the University of Munich. In 1973, he reported that energy-starved hearts could recover faster if D-ribose was given prior to, or immediately following, ischemia (oxygen deprivation). Five years later, he reported the same effect in skeletal muscle and also showed for the first time that the energy-draining effects of drugs that make the heart beat more strongly (inotropic agents) could be lessened if D-ribose was given along with the drug. Zimmer and his research colleagues later proved that D-ribose was the limiting element in energy recovery in ischemic tissue and that energy synthesis could not occur without it.






Zimmer’s research sparked a flurry of research on humans, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs, and even turkeys, all with similar results. D-ribose administration significantly improved energy recovery in ischemic, hypoxic, or cardiomyopathic hearts and skeletal muscle, and it improved functional performance of the tissue. In addition, studies with several common heart drugs—those used even today—showed that D-ribose administration did not negatively affect (and in many cases helped) the action of the drug on the heart.

The most significant findings of the studies underscored the dramatic effect that D-ribose administration played in both energy restoration and the return of normal diastolic cardiac function. A clinical study from Zimmer’s group in Munich in 1992 showed that D-ribose administration to patients with severe, stable coronary artery disease increased exercise tolerance and delayed the onset of moderate angina. Since this groundbreaking study in coronary artery disease, the benefits of D-ribose have been reported for cardiac surgery recovery, heart failure and neuromuscular disease treatment, restoration of energy to stressed skeletal muscle, and control of free-radical formation in oxygen-deprived tissue.

Several notable papers were published in 2003. One study showed that D-ribose improved diastolic functional performance of the heart, increased exercise tolerance, and significantly improved the quality of life of patients. Researchers have even extended their sights to healthy hearts and bodies and documented benefit from D-ribose supplements to improve athletic performance.

Research continues here and abroad. Yet, despite the powerful scientific evidence, very few US physicians have even heard of D-ribose outside of their first-year medical school biochemistry class, and fewer still recommend it to patients. We lucky ones who are familiar with it have the wonderful gratification of seeing it help our patients on a regular basis.

Our Recommendations

Supplemental D-ribose absorbs easily and quickly through the gut and into the bloodstream. About 97% gets through.

How much D-ribose do you need? That question can only be answered with another question, “What do you want it to do for you?






Studies have shown that any amount of D-ribose you give to energy-starved cells gives them an energy boost. At the University of Missouri, researcher Ronald Terjung has shown that even very small doses (the equivalent of about 500 mg) of D-ribose increase energy salvage in muscles by more than 100%. Larger doses increase the production of energy compounds by 340-430%, depending on the type of muscle tested, and improve the salvage of energy compounds by up to 650%. Most amazing is that when muscles are supplemented with D-ribose, they continue to add to their energy stores even while they actively work! Until this study was reported, it was thought that muscle energy stores were only refilled in muscles at rest.

An adequate dose of D-ribose usually results in symptom improvement very quickly—sometimes within a few days. If the initial response is poor, the dose should be increased until the patient feels relief. Logically, the sickest patients stand to gain the most.

Patients with arterial and heart disease who chronically choke off oxygen delivery to their tissues need to take a higher dosage simply to allow enough of it to work its way through the clogged vessels into the energy-parched portions of the heart. We start those patients at higher dosages and monitor their progress. With progress, the dosage can be reduced to the lowest possible point at which good energy and quality of life are maintained.

Those patients must take D-ribose every day. Missing even one or two days will negatively impact cellular energy, which will show up as weakness and fatigue.

We don’t know the optimal level for every patient or every pathological condition, but we can make some recommendations as dosage starting points:
¦5 grams (if using a powder, two teaspoons) daily for cardiovascular prevention, for athletes on maintenance, and for healthy people doing strenuous activity
¦10-15 grams daily for most patients with heart failure, other forms of ischemic cardiovascular disease, or peripheral vascular disease, for individuals recovering from heart surgery or heart attack, for treatment of stable angina, and for athletes working out in chronic bouts of high-intensity exercise
¦15-30 grams daily for patients with advanced heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy, or frequent angina, for individuals awaiting heart transplant, and for people with fibromyalgia or neuromuscular disease.

Start at the upper level of each range for patients with heart or peripheral vascular disease. We recommend that daily doses up to 10 grams be taken as two 5-gram doses with morning and evening meals or just before and just after exercise or activity. Larger doses (15 grams per day or more) should be taken in three or sometimes even four smaller doses of about 5 grams each. Daily doses in excess of 30 grams are seldom needed. Most heart patients will stabilize at about 10 grams per day.






Once a patient responds with a reduction in symptoms, the dosage may be gradually reduced until a maintenance level is reached. Sometimes patients well maintained at a certain dose may require an increase due to changes in their activity level or changes in their cardiac drug therapy, such as the addition or deletion of beta blockers or calcium channel blockers. It cannot be overemphasized that patients must continue on D-ribose therapy, or relapses will almost certainly occur. D-ribose is quickly absorbed and leaves the blood rapidly. Therefore, assessing blood levels of D-ribose is not helpful, in addition to being very costly.

Precautions

The toxicology and safety of D-ribose have been exhaustively studied. The supplement is 100% safe when taken as directed. Thousands of patients have taken D-ribose at dosages up to 60 grams per day with minimal side effects. However, even though there are no known contraindications of D-ribose therapy, we recommend that pregnant women, nursing mothers, and very young children refrain from taking D-ribose simply because there is not enough research on its use in these populations.

D-ribose can actually lower blood glucose levels; therefore, insulin-dependent diabetics should check with their physicians before starting on the supplement.

Reported side effects are minimal and infrequent. Patients may experience light-headedness if they take a large dosage (10 grams or more) on a completely empty stomach. Take D-ribose with meals, or at least mixed into juice, milk, or fruit, to offset the blood-glucose-lowering effect.

There are no known adverse drug or nutritional interactions associated with D-ribose use.

Excerpted from Reverse Heart Disease Now by Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, and James C. Roberts, MD (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2007).

[SPARK]

5 health reasons to not quit coffee.

By Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D., Associate Nutrition Editor at EatingWell Magazine

I really like coffee. The morning ritual of brewing a cup, the smell that perks me up before I take a sip and, of course, the flavor all make it my favorite beverage aside from water (water’s delicious!). As a registered dietitian and a nutrition editor for EatingWell Magazine, I know that coffee is fine in moderation. It has lots of antioxidants and is low in calories if you don’t load it up with cream and sugar. Nonetheless, I always feel slightly guilty about drinking it—you know, in a “it’s so good, it must be bad” kind of way.

Which is why I’m always delighted to hear of new reasons that coffee is good for your health...and there are plenty! Over 18,000 studies on coffee have been published in the past few decades, revealing these benefits, many of which Joyce Hendley wrote about in the March/April issue of EatingWell Magazine:

1. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee’s antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.

2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.

3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it’s those antioxidants—chlorogenic and caffeic acids—and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.

4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.

5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.

Now, that’s not to say that coffee doesn’t have any pitfalls—it does. Some people are super-sensitive to caffeine and get jittery or anxious after drinking coffee; habitual coffee drinkers usually develop a tolerance to caffeine that eliminates this problem (but they then need the caffeine to be alert and ward off withdrawal headaches). Coffee can also disturb sleep, especially as people age. Cutting some of the caffeine and drinking it earlier in the day can curb this effect. Lastly, unfiltered coffee (like that made with a French press) can raise LDL cholesterol, so use a filter for heart health.

But if you like coffee and you can tolerate it well, enjoy it...without the guilt.

[SPARK]

Here's a cool waffle recipe - great for breakfast

HEALTHY PROTEIN WAFFLES

INGREDIENTS:
3 Egg whites
1/4 Cup oat flour
2 Scoop vanilla protein powder
(assumes roughly 4g carbs, 45g protein, 2g fat)
1 Tbsp applesauce
1 Packet artificial sweetner
Dash of cinnamon

Directions
Whisk all ingredients in a bowl.
Spoon batter into a preheated waffle iron. (Add some non-stick cooking spray)
Cook until golden brown and serve with sugar
free syrup or free cut strawberries.

Nutritional Information **
(depends on protein powder used)
Calories (Per Serving): 235
Protein (g): 35
Carbohydrates (g): 8
Fat (g): 3

[SPARK]

18 Things Your Feet Say About Your Health
By Paula Spencer, Caring.com
Thu, Feb 03, 2011

Explore and compare medications Want to make a simple, ten-second check on the state of your health? Sneak a peek at your feet.

"You can detect everything from diabetes to nutritional deficiencies just by examining the feet," says Jane Andersen, DPM, president of the American Association of Women Podiatrists and a spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association.

The lowly left and right provide plenty of insightful data: Together they contain a quarter of the body's bones, and each foot also has 33 joints; 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments; and countless nerves and blood vessels that link all the way to the heart, spine, and brain.

Unresolved foot problems can have unexpected consequences. Untreated pain often leads a person to move less and gain weight, for example, or to shift balance in unnatural ways, increasing the chance of falling and breaking a bone.

So when the feet send one of these 18 warning messages, they mean business.

8 Things Your Hair Says About Your Health

1. Red flag: Toenails with slightly sunken, spoon-shaped indentations

What it means: Anemia (iron deficiency) often shows up as an unnatural, concave or spoonlike shape to the toes' nail beds, especially in moderate-to-severe cases. It's caused by not having enough hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein in the blood cells that transports oxygen. Internal bleeding (such as an ulcer) or heavy menstrual periods can trigger anemia.

More clues: On fingers as well as toes, the skin and nail beds both appear pale. The nails may also be brittle, and feet may feel cold. Fatigue is the number-one sign of anemia, as are shortness of breath, dizziness when standing, and headache.

What to do: A complete blood count is usually used to diagnose anemia. A physical exam may pinpoint a cause. First-step treatments include iron supplements and dietary changes to add iron and vitamin C (which speeds iron absorption).

2. Red flag: Hairless feet or toes

What it means: Poor circulation, usually caused by vascular disease, can make hair disappear from the feet. When the heart loses the ability to pump enough blood to the extremities because of arteriosclerosis (commonly known as hardening of the arteries), the body has to prioritize its use. Hairy toes are, well, low on the totem pole.

More clues: The reduced blood supply also makes it hard to feel a pulse in the feet. (Check the top of the foot or the inside of the ankle.) When you stand, your feet may be bright red or dusky; when elevated, they immediately pale. The skin is shiny. People with poor circulation tend to already know they have a cardiovascular condition (such as heart disease or a carotid artery) yet may not realize they have circulation trouble.

What to do: Treating the underlying vascular issues can improve circulation. Toe hair seldom returns, but nobody complains much.

3. Red flag: Frequent foot cramping (charley horses)

What it means: The sudden stab of a foot cramp -- basically, the hard contraction of a muscle -- can be triggered by fleeting circumstances such as exercise or dehydration. But if it happens often, your diet may lack sufficient calcium, potassium, or magnesium. Pregnant women in the third trimester are especially vulnerable thanks to increased blood volume and reduced circulation to the feet.

More clues: Charley horses tend to rear up out of nowhere, often while you're just lying there. They can be a single sharp muscle spasm or come in waves. Either way, soreness can linger long afterward.

What to do: Try to flex the foot and massage the painful area. You may also be able to relax the muscle by applying a cold pack or rubbing alcohol. To prevent cramps, stretch your feet before you go to bed. Then drink a glass of warm milk (for the calcium).

4. Red flag: A sore that won't heal on the bottom of the foot

What it means: This is a major clue to diabetes. Elevated blood glucose levels lead to nerve damage in the feet -- which means that minor scrapes, cuts, or irritations caused by pressure or friction often go unnoticed, especially by someone who's unaware he has the disease. Untreated, these ulcers can lead to infection, even amputation.

More clues: Oozing, foul-smelling cuts are especially suspect because they've probably been there awhile. Other symptoms of diabetes include persistent thirst, frequent urination, increased fatigue, blurry vision, extreme hunger, and weight loss.

What to do: Get the ulcer treated immediately and see a doctor for a diabetes evaluation. Diabetics need to inspect their feet daily (older people or the obese should have someone do this for them) and see a healthcare professional every three months.

5. Red flag: Cold feet

What it means: Women, especially, report cold feet (or more precisely, their bedmates complain about them). It may be nothing -- or it may indicate a thyroid issue. Women over 40 who have cold feet often have an underfunctioning thyroid, the gland that regulates temperature and metabolism. Poor circulation (in either gender) is another possible cause.

More clues: Hypothyroidism's symptoms are pretty subtle and appear in many disorders (fatigue, depression, weight gain, dry skin).

What to do: Insulating layers of natural materials work best for warmth. (Think wool socks and lined boots). If you also have other nagging health complaints, mention the cold feet to your doctor. Unfortunately, however, aside from treatment with medication in the event of a thyroid condition, this tends to be a symptom that's neither easily nor sexily resolved.

6. Red flag: Thick, yellow, downright ugly toenails

What it means: A fungal infection is running rampant below the surface of the nail. Onychomycosis can persist painlessly for years. By the time it's visibly unattractive, the infection is advanced and can spread to all toenails and even fingernails.

More clues: The nails may also smell bad and turn dark. People most vulnerable: those with diabetes, circulatory trouble, or immune-deficiency disorders (like rheumatoid arthritis). If an older person has trouble walking, sometimes the problem can be traced to the simple fact that as infected nails grow thicker, they're harder to cut and simply go ignored to the point of pain.

What to do: See a foot specialist or your regular physician for care and treatment. In serious cases, over-the-counter antifungals are usually not as effective as a combination of topical and oral medications and the professional removal of diseased bits. Newer-generation oral antifungal medications tend to have fewer side effects than older ones.

7. Red flag: A suddenly enlarged, scary-looking big toe

What it means: Probably gout. Yes, that old-fashioned-sounding disease is still very much around -- and you don't have to be over 65 to get it. Gout is a form of arthritis (also called "gouty arthritis") that's usually caused by too much uric acid, a natural substance. The built-up uric acid forms needlelike crystals, especially at low body temperatures. And the coolest part of the body, farthest from the heart, happens to be the big toe.

"Three-fourths of the time, you wake up with a red-hot swollen toe joint as the first presentation of gout," says podiatrist Andersen.

More clues: Swelling and shiny red or purplish skin -- along with a sensation of heat and pain -- can also occur in the instep, the Achilles tendon, the knees, and the elbows. Anyone can develop gout, though men in their 40s and 50s are especially prone. Women with gout tend to be postmenopausal.

What to do: See a doctor about controlling the causes of gout through diet or medication. A foot specialist can help relieve pain and preserve function.

8. Red flag: Numbness in both feet

What it means: Being unable to "feel" your feet or having a heavy pins-and-needles sensation is a hallmark of peripheral neuropathy, or damage to the peripheral nervous system. That's the body's way of transmitting information from the brain and spinal cord to the entire rest of the body. Peripheral neuropathy has many causes, but the top two are diabetes and alcohol abuse (current or past). Chemotherapy is another common cause.

More clues: The tingling or burning can also appear in hands and may gradually spread up to arms and legs. The reduced sensation may make it feel like you're constantly wearing heavy socks or gloves.

What to do: See a physician to try to pinpoint the cause (especially if alcohol addiction doesn't apply). There's no cure for peripheral neuropathy, but medications from pain relievers to antidepressants can treat symptoms.

9. Red flag: Sore toe joints

What it means: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a degenerative joint disease, is often first felt in the smaller joints, such as the toes and the knuckles of the hands.

More clues: Swelling and stiffness usually accompany the aches. This pain tends to be symmetrical; for example, it happens simultaneously in both big toes or in both index fingers. RA develops more suddenly than degenerative arthritis, and attacks may come and go. Women are almost four times more affected than men.

What to do: A full workup is always needed to pinpoint the cause of any joint pain. For RA, there are many medications and therapies that can minimize pain and preserve function, though early diagnosis is important to avoid permanent deformity. (In the feet, the toes can drift to the side.)

10. Red flag: Pitted toenails

What it means: In up to half of all people with psoriasis, the skin disease also shows up in the nail as many little holes, which can be deep or shallow. More than three-fourths of those with psoriatic arthritis, a related disorder that affects the joints as well as the skin, also have pocked, pitted nails.

More clues: The nails (fingers as well as toes) will also thicken. They may be yellow-brown or have salmon-colored patches. The knuckle nearest the nail is also likely to be dry, red, and inflamed.

What to do: A variety of medications can treat both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and can restore the nail bed surface in many cases, especially if treatment begins early.

11. Red flag: Being unable to raise the foot upward from the heel

What it means: "Foot drop" (also "drop foot") signals nerve or muscle damage that can originate well north of your feet -- as far as your back or even shoulder or neck. Certain chemotherapy drugs can also cause trouble lifting the front part of the foot while walking or standing.

More clues: There may be pain and numbness as well, though not necessarily. Sometimes the pain is felt in the upper leg or lower spine, where a nerve is pinched (by damage or a tumor). In some cases, the foot drags when the person walks. It's rare for both feet to be affected.

What to do: Report this serious symptom to your doctor. Foot drop can be completely reversible or permanent, depending on its cause and treatment.

12. Red flag: Dry, flaky skin

What it means: Even if your face or hands tend to be powdery-dry, don't dismiss this skin condition on your feet. You don't have to be a jock to contract athlete's foot, a fungal infection that usually starts as dry, itchy skin that then progresses to inflammation and blisters. When blisters break, the infection spreads.

(The name comes from the moist places the fungus thrives -- places athletes tend to congregate, such as locker rooms and pools.)

More clues: Athlete's foot usually shows up between the toes first. It can spread to the soles and even to other parts of the body (like the underarms or groin), usually due to scratching.

What to do: Mild cases can be self-treated by bathing the feet often and drying them thoroughly. Then keep the feet dry, including using foot powder in shoes and socks. If there's no improvement in two weeks or the infection worsens, a doctor can prescribe topical or oral antifungal medication.

13. Red flag: Toes that turn patriotic colors

What it means: In cold weather, Raynaud's disease (or Raynaud's phenomenon) causes the extremities to first go white, then turn blue, and finally appear red before returning to a natural hue. For reasons not well understood, the blood vessels in these areas vasospasm, or overreact, causing the tricolor show.

More clues: Other commonly affected areas include the fingers, nose, lips, and ear lobes. They also feel cool to the touch and go numb. Women and those who live in colder climates get Raynaud's more often. It typically shows up before age 25 or after 40. Stress can trigger Raynaud's attacks, too.

What to do: See a doctor about medications that can widen blood vessels, which reduces the severity of attacks.

14. Red flag: Feet that are really painful to walk on

What it means: Undiagnosed stress fractures are a common cause of foot pain. The discomfort can be felt along the sides of the feet, in the soles, or "all over." These fractures -- they often occur repeatedly -- may be caused by another underlying problem, often osteopenia (a decrease in optimum bone density, especially in women over age 50) or some kind of malnutrition, including a vitamin D deficiency, a problem absorbing calcium, or anorexia.

More clues: Often you can still walk on the broken bones; it just hurts like heck. (Some hardy people have gone undiagnosed for as long as a year.)

What to do: See a foot doctor about any pain. If, for example, you've been walking around Europe for three weeks in bad shoes, your feet may simply be sore. But a 55-year-old sedentary woman with painful feet may need a bone-density exam. An X-ray can also reveal possible nutritional issues that warrant a referral to a primary care provider.

15. Red flag: Toes that bump upward at the tips

What it means: When the very tips of the toes swell to the point where they lose their usual angle and appear to bump upward at the ends, it's called "digital clubbing" or "Hippocratic clubbing" after Hippocrates, who described the phenomenon 2,000 years ago. It's a common sign of serious pulmonary (lung) disease, including pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. Heart disease and certain gastrointestinal diseases, such as Crohn's disease, are also associated with clubbing.

More clues: Fingers can be clubbed as well as toes. It can happen in just some digits, or in all.

What to do: Treatment depends on the underlying cause, so report this serious symptom to a doctor. (Physicians are also well trained to look for clubbed digits during exams.)

16. Red flag: Shooting pain in the heel

What it means: Plantar fasciitis -- a fancy name for inflammation of a band of connective tissue (fascia) running along the bottom (plantar) of the foot -- is abnormal straining of the tissue beyond its normal extension.

More clues: The pain starts when you take your first steps in the morning and often intensifies as the day wears on. It's usually concentrated in the heel (one or both) but can also be felt in the arch or in the back of the foot. Running and jumping a lot can cause it, but so can insufficient support. You're at risk if you go barefoot a lot or wear old shoes or flimsy flip-flops, have gained weight, or walk a lot on hard surfaces.

What to do: If pain persists more than a few weeks or seems to worsen, have it evaluated by a podiatrist. Stick to low shoes with a strong supportive arch until you get further advice and treatment (which may include anti-inflammatory drugs and shoe inserts).

17. Red flag: "Phee-uuuuw!"

What it means: Though smelly feet (hyperhidrosis) tend to cause more alarm than most foot symptoms, odor -- even downright stinkiness -- is seldom a sign something's physically amiss. (Whew!) Feet contain more sweat glands than any other body part -- half a million between the two of them! And some people are more prone to sweat than others. Add in the casings of shoes and socks, and the normal bacteria that thrive in the body have a feast on the resulting moisture, creating the smell that makes wives and mothers weep. (Both sexes can have smelly feet, but men tend to sweat more.)

More clues: In this case, the one olfactory clue is plenty.

What to do: Wash with antibacterial soap and dry feet well. Rub cornstarch or antiperspirant onto soles. Toss used socks in the wash; always put on a fresh pair instead of reusing. Stick to natural materials (cotton socks, leather shoes) -- they wick away moisture better than man-made materials. Open up laced shoes after you remove them so they get a chance to fully air out; don't wear them again until they're fully dry.

18. Red flag: Old shoes

What it means: Danger! You're a walking health bomb if your everyday shoes are more than a couple of years old or if walking or running shoes have more than 350 to 500 miles on them. Old shoes lack the support feet need -- and footgear wears out faster than most people think, foot specialists say.

More clues: Blisters (too tight), bunions (too narrow), heel pain (not enough support) -- if you're having any kind of foot trouble, there's at least a 50-50 chance your shoddy or ill-fitting footwear is to blame.

Older people are especially vulnerable because they fall into the habit of wearing familiar old shoes that may lack support, flexibility, or good traction.

What to do: Go shoe shopping.

[westeffer]

On the cancer subject, my dog stopped being able to bark and had severly difficulty breathing. The Xrays indicated large tumor that was aspirated and general diagnosis of a tumor that appeared to be cancerous. They wanted more specific tests, but these vets are high priced IMHO. I stopped them and decided to spend money on treating her with large doses of Poly MVA, vitamin D-3 and liquid CoQ-Quinol for ten weeks so far. One lymph node is still slightly swollen so still treating her.

She has made an amazing recovery with ease of breathing plus can bark like crazy again. Her energy is back to normal and she runs better than ever again at age 13.

http://www.drforsythe.com uses Poly MVA in their treatment of canacer - featured in Suzanne Somers in her knock out cancer book

I ordered directly from http://www.polymva.com

[Max Power]

ewwww...special cream?? i make my own...

[SPARK]

This time....stop asking for the double mocca with Special Cream!~

[Max Power]

great!! i am gonna go have another cup....

[SPARK]

Severely short Ecuadorians resistant to diabetes, cancer, study says

(CNN) -- For years, Dr. Jaime Guevara-Aguirre of Quito, Ecuador, noticed that his shortest patients never seemed to get the common ailments that befell others.

These patients had a genetic mutation that would not allow them to grow more than 4 feet tall -- their heights would be fixed to that of a 7-year-old for life.

Although they aged, Guevara-Aguirre noticed that "they developed neither cancer nor diabetes." "That was fascinating," he said.

That observation launched a 22-year study.

The study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine monitored a group of 99 Ecuadorians -- described as being of "severe short stature." The mechanisms that stunt their growth could potentially prevent cancer and diabetes, according to the findings.

Guevara-Aguirre and the co-authors compared the living participants' health with that of their close relatives who were of regular height. Those blood relatives "developed diabetes like the general Ecuadorian population, about 20% of them have died of cancer," Guevara-Aguirre said.

Yet of all the severely short patients only one got cancer in the 22-year period. After receiving treatment for ovarian cancer in 2008, she has remained cancer-free.

Researchers also looked at detailed death information on 53 severely short people who were not part of the study. They found no evidence of cancer or diabetes-related deaths there.

Despite this resistance to diabetes or cancer, life expectancy of the study subjects didn't rise.

Tips for managing diabetes

"The answer is, it doesn't lead to life extension," said Dr. Valter Longo, one of the authors in the study. "It leads to major reduction in cancer and diabetes."

During the course of the study, nine of the 99 participants with dwarfism died. Their common killers were age-related diseases such as heart disease and stroke. Compared with their relatives of regular height, they "died much more frequently from accidents, alcohol-related causes, and convulsive disorders," according to the study.

"They do have potential to live longer if they don't die of weird causes of death-accidents, alcohol-related conditions," said Longo, an associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Southern California.

Dwarfism can be caused by several factors, including genetics, kidney disease or hormones.

The severely short Ecuadorians in the study have a specific mutation in their growth hormone receptor gene.

Although their pituitary glands produce enough growth hormones, their receptors are missing. That inability to bind to receptors means another growth hormone, called insulin-like growth factor-1 is not well-produced. This condition is known as Laron syndrome.

The affected Ecuadorians are descendants of Spanish Jews who escaped to South America to avoid the Inquisition and converted to Christianity, according to the researchers. The mutation is prevalent in this gene pool.

The findings from this study raise questions about the relationship between growth hormones and diseases.

"We treat adults who become growth hormone deficient with growth hormones. Studies like this, makes us pause," said Dr. Roberto Salvatori, associate professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology and metabolism at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

In more than two decades with nearly 100 patients affected by dwarfism, Guevara-Aguirre has had one cancer case.In the West, growth hormones have been used illegally as anti-aging treatments. Growth hormone treatments have been known to improve skin, wrinkles, water muscle retention and help with fat burning, Salvatori said.

"There are positive effects these can do, but you've got to wonder whether these people using growth hormones as anti-aging are going to have higher risk of diabetes or tumors," said Salvatori, who is not associated with the Ecuadorian study.

He cautioned that the subgroups in the study are extreme cases and may not apply broadly across all humans.

"It's hard to extrapolate," Salvatori said. The people in the Ecuador study have never had growth hormones since birth. "There are degrees of growth hormone deficiency. It's very extreme in genetic models," he said.

Salvatori conducted similar research on 65 Brazilians with a different form of dwarfism published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2010. That study only recorded one death from cancer.

He said the findings in the Ecuadorian study are "very striking that there was no diabetes and cancer. This was our experience with the Brazilian dwarfs."

Laboratory models have shown similar findings in yeast, cells and mice. The deficiency of the growth hormones appeared to have some protective effects.

The mice that lacked growth hormone receptors lived 40 percent longer than other mice and were resistant to diabetes and cancer.

In human models, compared with the serum of their relatives, the samples from the severely short Ecuadorians had less DNA breaks. Their serum "can protect against oxidative DNA damage," according to the researchers.

As a possible explanation, "the cells don't grow as large or divide, but invest energy into the protective mechanism," Longo said.

Another paradox that puzzled researchers was that many of the Ecuadorians with dwarfism had poor diets and about 20 percent of them were obese.

"You have a population with increased obesity, yet no diabetes whatsoever," Longo said.

When their fasting glucose was measured, they had about a third of the amount as their relatives did and were more insulin-sensitive than their relatives.

A life without diabetes and cancer isn't exactly easier, however.

Many living in urban areas face discrimination because of their height, Guevara-Aguirre said.

The participants deserve a lot of credit, he said, for their selfless contribution to science.

"The most important thing of this moment is that people in the world know that these patients have been cooperating for 22 years. They are helping to understand cancer and diabetes with their effort, blood, serum and cells."

[SPARK]

..Zinc will help your cold, at least a little

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new look at the medical evidence shows zinc supplements may take the edge off the common cold.

Although the precise estimate is still uncertain, researchers found that people who started taking zinc-loaded lozenges or syrups within 24 hours of showing symptoms -- a sore throat, say, or runny nose -- shortened their cold by one day. By comparison, a normal cold lasts about a week.

Still, with an infection that currently has no good treatment and leads to an estimated 275 million lost work days a year in the U.S., well, what a difference a day makes.

The review, published by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research, also shows that people taking the supplements tended to have milder symptoms.

"I think one can give it a try," said Dr. Meenu Singh, a pediatrician at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, who led the new work.

"But giving zinc over a long period of time for prevention should be done very carefully," she told Reuters Health.

Zinc may interfere with other metals in the body, and that may have unpredictable consequences over the long haul, Singh said.

An earlier Cochrane review from 1999 didn't find any signs that zinc supplements would work. But since then several new studies - known as randomized controlled trials - have been completed.

The new review is based on 13 trials with 966 participants who either took zinc or a dummy treatment at the beginning of their symptoms. Another two trials found that zinc helped stave off colds, but the quality of that research was low.

The bottom line: After seven days of treatment, those taking the supplements had less than half the chance of still being sick.

A typical adult has a few colds every year. While the episodes usually aren't serious, the resulting visits to the doctor alone cost the U.S. an annual $7.7 billion, according to the new report.

Singh said the side effects of zinc lozenges, which can be bought for a few dollars in any drug store in the U.S., come down to bad taste and some cases of nausea.

The researchers did not study nasal zinc remedies, however.

In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Matrixx Initiatives to stop selling its widely used supplement Zicam after more than 130 users reportedly lost their sense of smell.

Singh said there was no evidence of a similar danger from the lozenges or syrups.

Exactly how well zinc works is a matter of future research, and the one day estimate may well change, the researchers note. They add it is currently unclear what dose and particular formulation of the supplement will be most helpful.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/eNBPnl The Cochrane Library, online February 15, 2011.
...

[SPARK]

Preventing Frailty In Old Age - Could Chocolate And Oranges Be The Answer?


A study which hopes to establish the health benefits from cocoa and vitamin C is looking for volunteers.

Researchers at The University of Nottingham are trying to find ways of helping us maintain muscle mass as we grow old and want to hear from healthy men aged between 18-28 and 65-75.

The £270,000 Chocolate Orange Study, funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust, is being run by Beth Philips a postgraduate research associate in the Department of Clinical Physiology. The department is a world leader in the research of skeletal muscle, with a focus on muscle protein synthesis and degradation.

Using state-of-the-art technology - a contrast enhanced ultrasound machine - Beth is monitoring the impact of cocoa and vitamin C on the amount of blood flow that reaches the muscle in both fasted and fed conditions.

In the UK there are now more people over the age of 65 than there are under the age of 18. It is projected that by 2033 the number of people aged 85 and over will reach 3.2 million - that will account for five per cent of the population.

Falling is one of the major causes of premature death in elderly people. From the age of 50 onwards we lose up to 0.4 per cent of our muscle mass every year. This makes us less mobile, more prone to fractures and at higher risk of a potentially life-threatening fall.

Beth said: "There is a well-established correlation between premature mortality and muscle mass loss in the elderly. We have shown that as we age the blood flow to our legs in response to feeding is impaired. This means that fewer nutrients and oxygen are able to reach our muscles which may contribute to muscle wasting and ultimately frailty. We want to know if cocoa and vitamin C can help slow down this deterioration."

The study needs 10 men from the younger age group and 30 men from the older age group. Each volunteer will undergo a detailed health check before being accepted onto the study which will take just one day to complete. The study will involve the insertion of four fine canulae for blood sampling, four muscle biopsies and the previously mentioned contrast-enhanced ultrasound measures to assess any changes in blood flow to the leg muscles.

The tests will be carried out in Derby at the University's School of Graduate Entry Medicine and each volunteer will receive a £150 inconvenience allowance.

Source:
Lindsay Brooke
University of Nottingham

[SPARK]

Could Chocolate Be The New 'Super Fruit?'

It is widely known that fruit contains antioxidants which may be beneficial to health. New research published in the open access journal Chemistry Central Journal demonstrates that chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants and contains more polyphenols and flavanols than fruit juice.

When researchers at the Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition™ compared the antioxidant activity in cocoa powder and fruit powders they found that, gram per gram, there was more antioxidant capacity, and a greater total flavanol content, in the cocoa powder.

Similarly when they compared the amount of antioxidants, per serving, of dark chocolate, cocoa, hot chocolate mix and fruit juices they found that both dark chocolate and cocoa had a greater antioxidant capacity and a greater total flavanol, and polyphenol, content than the fruit juices. However hot chocolate, due to processing (alkalization) of the chocolate, contained little of any.

Dr Debra Miller, the senior author of the paper, says that, "Cacao seeds are a "Super Fruit" providing nutritive value beyond that of their macronutrient composition". Which is great news for chocolate lovers.

Notes:

Cacao seeds are a "Super Fruit": A comparative analysis of various fruit powders and products
Stephen J. Crozier, Amy G. Preston, W. Jeffrey Hurst, Mark J. Payne, Julie Mann, Larry Hainly and Debra L. Miller
Chemistry Central Journal (in press)

Source:
Dr. Hilary Glover
BioMed Central

[SPARK]

Roasting coffee beans a dark brown creates powerful antioxidants
by S. L. Baker, features writer

(NaturalNews) Drink too much coffee and you can suffer from anxiety, heart palpitations and insomnia. But in moderate quantities, coffee can offer health benefits -- including slashing the risk of certain cancers. It may even lower the chance of developing dementia

Now scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have figured out much of the complex chemistry behind coffee's remarkable health benefits. And the healthiest form of coffee appears to be the dark roasted variety of java.

It turns out that the roasting process itself releases antioxidants. This is important because antioxidants protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. And free radical damage may lead to cancer and other chronic diseases.

The new study, headed by Yazheng Liu and David Kitts, is set for publication in the journal Food Research International. The UBC research team discovered that when green coffee beans are browned under high temperatures, a chemical process occurs known as the Maillard reaction which loads dark roasted coffee with protective antioxidants.

The Maillard reaction is named after early 20th century French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard who pioneered study into how heat affects the carbohydrates, sugars and proteins in food, such as when meat is grilled or bread is toasted. During the heating process, hundreds of different flavor compounds are created that, in turn, break down to form even more compounds. Each type of food has a distinctive set of these compounds that are created during the Maillard reaction.

"Previous studies suggested that antioxidants in coffee could be traced to caffeine or the chlorogenic acid found in green coffee beans, but our results clearly show that the Maillard reaction is the main source of antioxidants," Liu, a graduate student in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS), said in a media statement.

So drinking the dark roasted variety could increase the health benefits of java -- benefits which include possibly preventing certain cancers. For example, in the first study of its kind, Harvard researchers previously noted a strong link between drinking coffee and a lowered chance of men developing the most deadly and aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

The scientists found that men who consumed the most coffee had a 60 percent lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer than men who were not coffee drinkers and concluded the many biologically active natural compounds in coffee, including antioxidants, could explain the lowered risk of the most serious forms of prostate cancer in coffee drinkers.

For more information:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres...
http://www.naturalnews.com/027743_p...

[SPARK]

Anthocyanins may help fight diabetes
21-Dec-2004

Fruit compounds called anthocyanins could help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, suggest preliminary tests on animals.

Anthocyanins, a class of plant pigments responsible for the colour of many fruits such as cherries and blackberries, increased insulin production in animal pancreatic cells by 50 per cent, according to the study.

"It is possible that consumption of cherries and other fruits containing these compounds [anthocyanins] could have a significant impact on insulin levels in humans," said study leader Muralee Nair, a natural products chemist at Michigan State University.


"We're excited with the laboratory results so far, but more studies are needed, he added.


The potent antioxidant compounds have previously been associated with a variety of health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer.


But the new study shows that they also have promise for both the prevention of type 2 diabetes, on the rise around the world, and for helping control glucose levels in those who already have the condition.


Diabetes has already increased by one-third during the 1990s, due to the prevalence of obesity and an ageing population. The worldwide numbers are expected to climb from 194 million people to more than 333 million diabetics by 2025, according to the International Diabetes Federation.


Food and supplement makers are increasingly looking at ways to help slow the onset of the disease and such products may be the most efficient way to provide the beneficial anthocyanins, according to Nair.


The researcher's team tested several types of anthocyanins extracted from tart cherries, popular in the United States, and the Cornelian cherry, which is widely consumed in Europe. They investigated their effects on mouse pancreatic-beta cells, which normally produce insulin in the presence of high concentrations of glucose.


Compared to cells that were not exposed to anthocyanins, exposed cells were associated with a 50 per cent increase in insulin levels, the researchers say.


The mechanism of action by which these anthocyanins boost insulin production is not known, Nair said, but the team is currently feeding anthocyanins to a group of obese, diabetic mice to determine how the chemicals influence insulin levels in live subjects.


Scientists in Nair's laboratory have also developed a patented process for removing sugar from fruit extracts that contain anthocyanins. This could lead to sugar-free products for people with diabetes.


The study is scheduled to appear in the 5 January issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The online version was initially published on 17 December on the journal's website .

[SPARK]

Chinese 'secret' could be key to arthritis relief
08-Aug-2002

A herb which has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine but which is still relatively unknown in the west could be the key to treating rheumatoid arthritis.

A recent study by scientists in the US, reported in last month's edition of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, suggests that Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TWHF), or 'thunder god vine', could help ease the symptoms of the painful ailment.


A team from the US National Institutes of Health, led by Dr Xuelian Tao, found that extracts of TWHF in a variety of doses were effective at alleviating rheumatoid arthritis, a disease caused by a deterioration of the tissue around the joints.


Rheumatoid arthritis can be easily treated using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or steroids, which help alleviate the inflammation of the joints. However, such drugs are known to carry a risk of significant side effects such as osteoporosis or ulcers.


Although Tao's study focused on only a small group of sufferers - just 35 people took part in the research, and only 21 completed it - the results were positive enough to merit further study, the researchers said.


The study participants were divided into groups and given 180 milligrams of TWHF, 360 milligrams of the TWHF or a placebo over a period of 20 weeks. Eight of those people on the high dose of TWHF and four of those on the lower dosage showed a 20 per cent improvement or better in their symptoms, while none of those in the placebo group showed any improvement.


However, Tao's team also noted that six study participants on the high dosage and five on the lower intake also suffered side-effects from the treatment, including hair loss, heartburn and diarrhoea. This may not necessarily undermine the efficacy of the herb as an arthritis treatment, however, since five people in the placebo group also suffered similar side-effects, suggesting that TWHF may not be the cause of the symptoms.

[SPARK]

Cherries may help prevent gout

A small study supports the reputed anti-gout efficacy of cherries, write researchers in the Journal of Nutrition this month.

The team found that the plasma urate dropped in 10 healthy women who ate sweet cherries after an overnight fast. Their urinary urate concentrations rose after they ate cherries, with peak excretion taking place three hours later.


As well as plasma urate markers, the researchers from the US Department of Agriculture's ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center at the University of California, Davis, also measured antioxidant and inflammatory markers in the study subjects. They found an increase in plasma ascorbic acid among the women, indicating that dehydroascorbic acid (the sole vitamin C content of the cherries) in fruits is bioavailable as vitamin C.


The women, aged 22-40 years old, consumed two servings (280g) of cherries after an overnight fast. Blood and urine samples were taken before the cherry dose, and at 1.5, 3 and 5 hours afterwards. Plasma urate decreased 5 hours postdose to 183 µmol/L compared with predose baseline of 214 µmol/L on average. C-reactive protein and nitric oxide concentrations also decreased marginally 3 hours after cherry consumption.


This decrease in plasma urate produced after eating the cherries backs the theory that the fruit has an anti-gout effect, write the researchers. 'Gout' is a recurrent acute arthritis of peripheral joints caused by the accumulation of monosodium urate crystals. The researchers add that the trend toward decreased inflammatory indices (C-reactive protein and nitric oxide) adds to the in vitro evidence that compounds in cherries may inhibit inflammatory pathways.

[SPARK]

Red cherry to combat arthritis

Help for arthritis may have arrived in the form of the red tart cherry. Research scientists have found a natural source of anthocyanins, the free radical fighting substance in red tart cherries, offering positive results for many arthritis sufferers.




According to a study conducted by Michigan State University researchers, tart cherries contain 17 different antioxidant compounds and are up to 10 times more effective in fighting joint pain and inflammation than aspirin or many other NSAIDS, such as ibuprofen (statistics provided by the Cherry Marketing Institute).




The tart cherries do not have the potential side effects associated with NSAIDS or prescription products. They have also been found to have substantial amounts of melatonin, a naturally-occurring antioxidant. The discovery, made by Dr. Russel Reiter and a team of scientists at The University of Texas Science Centre in San Antonio, means tart cherries can attack free radicals in the system and help protect against cancer, heart disease and regulate sleep patterns.

[SPARK]

Tart cherries can reduce ‘belly fat’: rat study

By Shane Starling, 22-Oct-2008

Tart cherries, a relatively new entrant to the superfruit category, have been shown to benefit heart health as well as body weight, in a study on obese rats.

The University of Michigan researchers found that after 12 weeks, rats fed cherries had 54 per cent body fat compared with 63 per cent for those rats fed a “Western diet”.


This was particularly so in fat deposited around the waist area, which contributed most to heart disease risk, according to the American Heart Association.

The researchers said the high levels of antioxidants found in tart cherries were responsible for the heart health benefits. They also noted cherry consumption may effect important fat genes and genetic expression.


Tart cherries had the potential to lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation which had heart benefit links, the Cherry Marketing Institute-funded study found. It will be presented at the annual meeting of the America Dietetic Association next week.


The conditions the study references are often grouped together as Metabolic Syndrome.


Method

The rats were fed either a HFMC (high fat and moderate carbohydrate diet – 45 per cent kcal from fat, 40 per cent from carbohydrate). Others were on a LFHC (low fat, high carbohydrate – 10 per cent kcal from fat, 75 per cent from carbohydrate) diet.

These diets either came with or without added whole tart cherry powder, totalling one per cent of the diet.

Those rats being fed cherry-enriched diets reduced total cholesterol levels by about 11 per cent.

Inflammation marker TNF-alpha was reduced by 40 per cent and interleukin 6 (IL-6) was lowered by 31 per cent. In their genetic analysis, the researchers found the cherry-enriched diets reduced the genes for these two inflammation compounds, suggesting a direct anti-inflammation effect.

“The findings suggest that physiologically tart cherry-enriched diets reduce plasma triglycerides, central adiposity, and systemic inflammation, known risk factors for Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” the researchers wrote.


While inflammation is a normal bodily recuperation process, chronic inflammation can increase the risk for diseases and is thought to be more prevalent in the overweight or obese.

The researchers said the study should prompt further clinical studies in humans to explore the link between diet, weight, inflammation and lowering heart disease risk.

“This research gives us one more support point suggesting that diet changes, such as including cherries, could potentially lower heart disease risk,” said Dr Steven F. Bolling, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center, and head of the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory, where the study was performed.

The LFHC diet significantly increased plasma triglycerides, an effect that was significantly reduced in cherry-fed rats.

Nearly two out of three Americans are overweight, a figure that is replicated in most Western countries.

While the Cherry Marketing Institute funded the study it was not involved in its design, conduct or analysis. Other tart cherry studies conducted at the University of Michigan have highlighted osteoporosis benefits.

Tart cherries are frequently sold in dried, frozen or juice form.


Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Volume 108 , Issue 9 , Pages A14 - A14 E

“The Effect of Tart Cherry-Enriched Diets on Abdominal Fat Gene Expression in Rats”

Authors: EM Seymour, A Lewis, A Kirakosyan, S Bolling.

[SPARK]

Tart cherries could help against metabolic syndrome

By Stephen Daniells, 02-May-2007

Adding powdered tart cherries to the diet may lower cholesterol, lead to less fat storage and improve antioxidant defences, says a rat study from the US with implications for metabolic syndrome.

The results, presented at Experimental Biology 2007 in Washington, D.C., reports that the antioxidant-rich cherries achieved significant improvements in health measures at relatively low levels that could easily be achieved in the diet.


"We are enthusiastic about the findings that tart cherries conferred these beneficial effects at such a modest daily intake," said lead researcher E. Mitchell Seymour from the University of Michigan Health System




Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition characterised by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. The syndrome has been linked to increased risks of both type-2 diabetes and CVD.




Fifteen per cent of adult Europeans are estimated to be affected by MetS, while the US statistic is estimated to be a whopping 32 per cent.




The researchers used 48 six-week old male Dahl Salt-Sensitive rats, a strain of rats susceptible to salt-linked high blood pressure, high cholesterol and impaired glucose tolerance, and fed them a carbohydrate-enriched diet or a diet that, by weight, included one or 10 per cent cherries for 90 days.




Seymour and co-workers told attendees in Washington D.C. that both cherry-supplemented groups had significantly lower levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and insulin than those of the rats that did not receive cherries.




Plasma antioxidant levels also increased, as measured by Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). The rats that received cherries had higher antioxidant capacity, indicating lower oxidative stress in their bodies, than those that did not, said the researchers.




They also report that no toxic effects were seen for either of the cherry doses.




"Rats fed tart cherries as one per cent of their total diet had reduced markers of metabolic syndrome," said Seymour. "Previous research by other groups studied pure anthocyanin compounds rather than anthocyanin-containing whole foods, and they used concentrations of anthocyanins that would be very difficult if not impossible to obtain in the diet."




The work is ongoing, said the researchers with research being carried out in animals prone to both obesity and diabetes. Additionally, a team of researchers from the University of Michigan is reported to be launching a small clinical trial to start to investigate if similar findings are achievable in humans.




The study was supported financially by the Cherry Marketing Institute, a trade association for the cherry industry.




"These data from whole tart cherries join other findings that suggest a correlation between anthocyanin intake and reductions in cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors," said co-researcher Steven Bolling. "But there is still a long way to go before we can advocate any course of action for humans. Still, the growing body of knowledge is encouraging."




Interest in tart cherries has previously focused on sports nutrition. One previous study (Journal of Nutrition, 2006, Vol. 136, pp. 981-986) reported that a daily consumption of 45 cherries could reduce circulating concentrations of inflammatory markers, with the researchers propose that the flavonoids and anthocyanins in the cherries exert an anti-inflammatory effect and may lessen the damage response to exercise.




Source: Experimental Biology 2007, Washington, D.C.


Authors: E.M. Seymour, S. Bolling et al.

[SPARK]

I've been drinking that BLEEP forever!.. Polyphenol-rich cherry juice may boost exercise recovery

By Stephen Daniells, 27-Jan-2011

Juice made from Montmorency cherries may boost the recovery of muscle strength after intensive exercise, says a new study from London.

The benefits of the juice are reportedly related to its antioxidant activity, which may reverse the “oxidative damage induced by the damaging exercise”, report researchers from the Sports and Exercise Science Research Centre at London South Bank University and UK Anti-Doping.

Writing in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the London-based researchers report that seven days of consumption of the CherryActive-branded cherry juice prior to, and after intensive exercise produced a significant increase in recovery for knee extension maximum voluntary contractions, compared to an isoenergetic fruit concentrate control beverage.

“Montmorency cherry juice consumption improved the recovery of isometric muscle strength after intensive exercise perhaps due to attenuation of the oxidative damage induced by the damaging exercise,” wrote the authors, led by Dr Joanna Bowtell.

Sports nutrition market

The study supports a number of other studies reporting the potential benefits of cherry, and tart cherries, in particular. Indeed, a previous study (Journal of Nutrition, 2006, Vol. 136, pp. 981-986) reported that daily consumption of 45 cherries could reduce circulating concentrations of inflammatory markers, with the researchers proposing that the flavonoids and anthocyanins in the cherries exert an anti-inflammatory effect and may lessen the damage response to exercise.

The most recent figures available value the global sports nutrition market at a massive US$4.7bn, with North America ($3.2bn) and western Europe ($713.6m) dominating the podium.

Study details

Dr Botwell and her co-workers recruited 10 well-trained men and assigned them to consume the cherry juice or the isoenergetic fruit concentrate beverage for one week before and for two days after a series of single leg knee extensions.

Results showed that the knee extension maximum voluntary contractions (MVC), a measure of muscle function, recovered significantly faster following consumption of the cherry juice, compared with the fruit control. Specifically, the MVC was 90.9 versus 84.9 24 hours after the exercise, and 92.9 versus 88.5 after 48 hours, respectively.

No differences between the groups were observed for the activity of the enzyme creatine kinase, which is involved in the production of energy.

According to the researchers, the potential benefits may be linked to the antioxidant activity of the juice. During intense exercise the production levels of oxidative stress are reported to increase and this may damage muscles. However, this may be attenuated with consumption of the antioxidant-rich cherry juice.

Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31820e5adc
“Montmorency Cherry Juice Reduces Muscle Damage Caused By Intensive Strength Exercise”
Authors: J.L. Bowtell, D.P. Sumners, A. Dyer, P. Fox, K.N. Mileva

[JUST 10-11-12]

go for it!

[SPARK]

I should get one for my knee..I hurt it enough doing squats in the gym~

[JUST 10-11-12]

most athletes have their own 'portable' hyper-baric oxygen units.

[DD]

Why does China have at least 1/4 of the world's population???

Herbs!

[SPARK]

I've heard some very encouraging things about the healing of new and old injuries through Hyper-baric Oxygen Therapy. It has many other uses as well like the below:

A controversial therapy to help heal diabetic ulcers could bring an end to many of the limb amputations that happen every year in Canada. But governments are reluctant to fund the therapy. So a clinic run on charitable donations is stepping in to fill the void.



Approximately 15 per cent of all people living with diabetes will be affected by a foot ulcer during their lifetime. That's because the extra concentrations of glucose in their blood from their diabetes can damage their blood vessels and nerves -- leading to a loss of circulation and sensation in their feet.



This damage can put their feet at increased risk of infection and ulcers, which if left untreated can lead to serious complications, such as gangrene and sepsis.




Every day in Canada, about two dozen people have a toe, foot or entire leg amputated. Some doctors suspect many of these amputations are unnecessary because a treatment could help heal these wounds.



The treatment is called hyperbaric therapy. Patients lie down inside a chamber that is then filled with 100 per cent pressurized oxygen. The oxygen stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, improving blood flow to areas with reduced circulation. The therapy also boosts white blood cell activity in damaged areas, which should help control infections.


Marvin Thomas has been using the therapy. The 44-year-old former chef developed diabetes 12 years ago. He is now limited to a wheelchair and developed an ulcer on his right foot that refused to heal. It was so large, doctors wanted to cut off his leg.



"I was devastated. I didn't know what to think," he says.



Five days a week, he receives hyperbaric therapy. After 10 weeks of treatment, his foot is healing.



"It's closing in on a miracle," he says, wondering why more diabetics don't use the therapy. "If there is a chance you can actually save a leg... why not? Why go and amputate when there is a better way."



Many of those facing amputation are never offered the option because there are fewer than a dozen recognized hyperbaric therapy clinics in the country. Most of them have long waiting lists.



There are some private clinics but most of them are not licensed and so are technically illegal. Many also offer hyperbaric therapy for conditions that have not been proven effective.



While hyperbaric therapy is an accepted treatment in many countries, most provinces in Canada don't cover it for diabetic ulcers, saying its benefits haven't been scientifically proven. Ontario for example, pays for physician supervision but not for the chambers and the treatments themselves.



So some frustrated doctors have set up a charity-based hyperbaric clinic in north Toronto. The Judy Dan Wound Care Centre was funded by foundations and donations. Treatment is free, attracting desperate patients like Glenn Fontaine.



Fontaine also has had diabetes for 12 years and recently had all the toes on his left foot amputated and now he is desperate to save his foot.



"They've been telling me to have my foot amputated and I've been fighting them every step of the way," he says. "It's part of me. I want to keep it."



Ron Linden has been doing hyperbaric work for 20 years. He is a family physician who, with some other docs, set up the clinic. They raised $600,000 to buy three chambers and some of the operating fees. He says the treatment should be more easily accessible in Canada.



"When I meet colleagues at international conferences, they look at me like I am coming from the Third World," he says. "They don't understand why this isn't accessible in Canada."



Linden believes that amputation is barbaric and only adds to a diabetic's problems.



"It's pretty horrible for the patients, it affects their entire life. Elderly patients have a hard time functioning with a prosthetic device. And we find those who lose one limb generally, within 5 years, lose the other limb. After that most die."



Linden says his clinic has had great success and is now collecting before and after pictures of the limbs they've saved.



"We're aiming for a 75 per cent success rate of avoiding amputations. So far, we have about a 50 per cent rate because we've treated some difficult wounds. We started in January and so far we have treated 50 people."



Linden says his treatment is not only quite successful, it's cost-effective. Amputation costs about $70,000 when the cost of surgery, rehab and prosthetics are included. A full program of hyperbaric therapy is about $3,000 to $4,000.



Now the Judy Dan Wound Care Centre is also becoming a clinical testing site where 120 patients will receive either hyperbaric therapy or a placebo treatment to prove the therapy's value. The study is being monitored by experts at the University of Toronto and McMaster University and is being partially funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health.



"This study was set up because it is essential. The previous data is inadequate," says Dr. Wilf DeMajo, who heads the hyperbaric unit at Toronto General Hospital. "This will be watched. This will be a landmark study, without a doubt."



If the study finds the therapy is effective, expect the number of treatment centres across the country to expand, a prospect that excites Linden.



"We shouldn't have to rely on charity to keep running. Once we show whether this is a better way, hopefully we will get funding."


With a report by CTV's medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CTVNewsAt11/20071005/hyperbaric_071005/

[westeffer]

I have a lot of pain do to whiplash accident and falling 9 ft off a roof to suffer 50% compression of L1 disc.

I have found remarkable relief/help using cold laser therapy I purchased. It is expensive, but well worth the money when 5 minutes treatment relieves the pain. My Chiro was charging me $30 per 10 minute session so it will pay for itself in less than a year.

[SPARK]

7 Pains to never, ever ignore.

1. Chest pain
“If patients were to become well versed in what I think of as the subtle language of the heart, many could avoid needless worry and expense,” notes Arthur Agatston, MD, a preventive cardiologist. "Studies have found that women experience a wider range of heart attack symptoms than men do." In Agatston's experience, there are three good indicators that something isn't right, and they can occur in either gender. They are chest pain that doesn't go away, varied shortness of breath, and any upper body pain that hasn't occurred before. If you experience any of these symptoms, he says, you should call your doctor or 911 immediately.

2. Severe head pain
Chances are, it's a migraine. But if it isn't accompanied by other migraine symptoms (such as a visual aura), sudden, severe head pain can signal a brain aneurysm. "A burst aneurysm can cause brain damage within minutes, so you need to call 911 immediately," advises Elsa-Grace Giardina, MD, a cardiologist and director of the Center for Women's Health at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

3. A throbbing tooth
It's likely that the tooth's nerve has become damaged, probably because the surrounding pearly white enamel is cracked or rotting away. Unless you get it patched up quickly, bacteria in your mouth can invade the nerve. And you definitely don't want that breeding colony to spread throughout your body, says Kimberly Harms, DDS, a dentist outside St. Paul, Minnesota. If your tooth is already infected, you'll require a root canal, in which the tooth's bacteria-laden pulp is removed and replaced with plastic caulking material.


4. Sharp pain in your side
You may just need some Beano. But if you feel as if you're being skewered in your right side, and you're also nauseated and running a fever, you could have appendicitis. For women, another possibility is an ovarian cyst. Typically these fluid-filled sacs are harmless and disappear on their own. But if one twists or ruptures, it can cause terrible pain.

In both cases, you're looking at emergency surgery. “If you don't remove an inflamed appendix, it can burst," says Lin Chang, MD, a gastroenterologist and co-director of the Center for Neurovisceral Sciences and Women's Health at UCLA. A twisted cyst also needs to be removed right away, as it can block blood flow to the ovary within hours.


5. Abdominal discomfort with gas or bloating
For the past month, you've felt gassy and bloated more days than not, and it takes fewer slices of pizza to fill you up than it once did. If the symptoms are new, the worst-case scenario is ovarian cancer. In 2007, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation released the first national consensus on early symptoms of this form of cancer: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, and difficulty eating. If you start experiencing them almost daily for more than two or three weeks, consider it a red flag. Schedule an appointment with your ob-gyn to discuss your symptoms.

6. Back pain with tingling toes
If you've just helped your cousin move into her new fourth-floor apartment, anti-inflammatories should banish the pain. But if they don't work, hobble to an orthopedist. "One of your discs (the spongy rings that cushion the bones in your spine) could be pressing on the spinal nerve," says Letha Griffin, MD, an orthopedist and sports medicine specialist in Atlanta. Without proper attention, you risk permanent nerve damage.

7. Leg pain with swelling
Your calf is extremely tender in one location, noticeably swollen, and red or warm to the touch. You might have deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), commonly known as a blood clot. Resist the urge to massage the area or to try walking off the pain. If the clot breaks free, it can travel through your veins up to your lungs and cut off your oxygen supply. Instead, see your doctor right away. He or she will do a CT scan or ultrasound to check for a DVT. If that's what you have, you'll need to take blood thinners--sometimes for up to a year--to dissolve it, says Suzanne Steinbaum, MD, director of women and heart disease for the Heart and Vascular Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

[SPARK]

The 15 Worst Health & Diet Myths

Here are 15 food fallacies you can forget for good.

Myth #1: Too much protein hurts your kidneys
Reality: Protein helps burn fat, build muscle, and won’t harm your kidneys at all

Way back in 1983, researchers discovered that eating more protein increases the amount of blood your kidneys filter per minute. Many scientists immediately made the leap that a high-protein diet places your kidneys under greater stress. They were proven wrong. Over the past two decades, several studies have found that while protein-rich meals do increase blood flow to the kidneys, this doesn't have an adverse effect on overall kidney function.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Eat your target body weight in grams of protein daily. For example, if you're a chubby 180-pound woman and want to be a lean 160, have 160 grams of protein a day. If you're a 160-pound guy hoping to pack on 20 pounds of muscle, aim for 180 grams each day.

Bonus Tip: Lose weight fast. Build muscle. Get out of debt. Whatever your resolution for 2011, here's your plan.


Myth #2: Sweet potatoes are healthier than white potatoes
Reality: They’re both healthy!

Sweet potatoes have more fiber and vitamin A, but white potatoes are higher in essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, and potassium. As for the glycemic index, sweet potatoes are lower on the scale, but baked white potatoes typically aren't eaten without cheese, sour cream, or butter—all toppings that contain fat, which lowers the glycemic index of a meal.

Put the Truth to Work for You: The form in which you consume a potato—for instance, a whole baked potato versus a processed potato that's used to make chips—is more important than the type of spud.

Myth #3: Red meat causes cancer
Reality: Research says enjoy the steak!

In a 1986 study, Japanese researchers discovered cancer developing in rats that were fed "heterocyclic amines," compounds that are generated from overcooking meat under high heat. Since then, some studies of large populations have suggested a potential link between meat and cancer. Yet no study has ever found a direct cause-and-effect relationship between red-meat consumption and cancer. The population studies are far from conclusive. They relied on broad surveys of people's eating habits and health afflictions—numbers that illuminate trends, not causes.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Don't stop grilling. Meat lovers who are worried about the supposed risks of grilled meat don't need to avoid burgers and steak—just trim off the burned or overcooked sections of the meat before eating.

Myth #4: High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is more fattening than regular sugar
Reality: They’re equally fattening. Beware!

Recent research has show that fructose may cause an increase in weight by interfering with leptin, the hormone that tells us when we’re full. But both HFCS and sucrose—better known as table sugar—contain similar amounts of fructose. There's no evidence to show any differences in these two types of sugar. Both will cause weight gain when consumed in excess. The only particular evil regarding HFCS is that it’s cheaper, and commonly shows up everywhere from bread to ketchup to soda.

Put the Truth to Work for You: HFCS and regular sugar are empty-calorie carbohydrates that should be consumed in limited amounts. How? By keeping soft drinks, sweetened fruit juices, and prepackaged desserts to a minimum.

Myth #5: Too much salt causes high blood pressure
Reality: Perhaps, but too little potassium causes high blood pressure too

Large-scale scientific reviews have determined there's no reason for people with normal blood pressure to restrict their sodium intake. Now, if you already have high blood pressure, you may be "salt sensitive." As a result, reducing the amount of salt you eat could be helpful. However, people with high blood pressure who don't want to lower their salt intake can simply consume more potassium-containing foods—it's really the balance of the two minerals that matters. In fact, Dutch researchers determined that a low potassium intake has the same impact on your blood pressure as high salt consumption does. And it turns out, the average person consumes 3,100 milligrams (mg) of potassium a day—1,600 mg less than recommended.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Strive for a potassium-rich diet—which you can achieve by eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes—and your salt intake won't matter as much. For instance, spinach, broccoli, bananas, white potatoes, and most types of beans each contain more than 400 mg potassium per serving.

Myth #6: Chocolate bars are empty calories
Reality: Dark chocolate is a health food

Cocoa is rich in flavonoids—the same heart-healthy compounds found in red wine and green tea. Its most potent form is dark chocolate. In a recent study, Greek researchers found that consuming dark chocolate containing 100 milligrams (mg) of flavonoids relaxes your blood vessels, improving bloodflow to your heart. And remember: Milk chocolate isn't as rich in flavonoids as dark, so develop a taste for the latter.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Now that you know which "bad" foods aren't actually so awful, you need to know which deceptively dangerous diet-destroying foods to avoid. Check out our must-see slideshow of 25 "Healthy" Foods that Aren’t.

Myth #7: Gas station snacks are nutritional nightmares
Reality: Even at filling stations, you’ll find food that isn’t filling

Beef jerky is high in protein and doesn't raise your level of insulin—a hormone that signals your body to store fat. That makes it an ideal between-meals snack, especially when you're trying to lose weight. And while some beef-jerky brands are packed with high-sodium ingredients such as MSG and sodium nitrate, chemical-free products are available.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Sometimes, the service station is a healthier rest stop than a fast food joint. Heck, even pork rinds are better than you’d think: A 1-ounce serving contains zero carbohydrates, 17 grams (g) of protein, and 9 g fat. That's nine times the protein and less fat than you'll find in a serving of carb-packed potato chips.

Myth #8: Restaurants comply with nutrition disclosure regulations
Reality: Most restaurants would rather load you up with additional cheap calories

Even though many restaurants offer healthy alternatives, you could still be at the whim of the kitchen's cook. A recent E.W. Scripps lab investigation found that "responsible" menu items at chains ranging from Chili's to Taco Bell may have up to twice the calories and eight times the fat published in the restaurants' nutritional information.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Restaurants run from us, but they can't hide. Discover their secrets every day by signing up for our free Eat This, Not That! newsletter or by following me right here on Twitter, and you'll make 2011 the year of your flatter, toner belly!

Myth #9: Sports drinks are ideal after-workout refreshment
Reality: You need more than that to keep your muscles growing

Carb-loaded drinks like Vitaminwater and Gatorade are a great way to rehydrate and reenergize; they help replenish glycogen, your body's stored energy. But they don't always supply the amino acids needed for muscle repair. To maximize post-workout recovery, a protein-carb combination—which those drinks may not offer—can help.

Put the Truth to Work for You: After you suck down that sports drink, eat a bowl of 100 percent whole-grain cereal with nonfat milk, suggests a 2009 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. A glass of low-fat chocolate milk is a good choice as well.

Myth #10: You need 38 grams of fiber a day
Reality: More fiber is better, but 38 is nearly impossible

That's the recommendation from the Institute of Medicine. And it's a lot, equaling nine apples or more than a half dozen bowls of instant oatmeal. (Most people eat about 15 grams of fiber daily.) The studies found a correlation between high fiber intake and lower incidence of heart disease. But none of the high-fiber-eating groups in those studies averaged as high as 38 grams, and, in fact, people saw maximum benefits with a daily gram intake averaging from the high 20s to the low 30s.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Just eat sensibilty. Favor whole, unprocessed foods. Make sure the carbs you eat are fiber-rich—that means produce, legumes, and whole grains—because they'll help slow the aborption of sugar into your bloodstream.

Myth #11: Saturated fat will clog your heart
Reality: Fat has gotten a bum rap

Most people consider turkey, chicken, and fish healthy, yet think they should avoid red meat—or only choose very lean cuts—since they've always been told that it's high in saturated fat. But a closer look at beef reveals the truth: Almost half of its fat is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid—the same heart-healthy fat that's found in olive oil. Second, most of the saturated fat in beef actually decreases your heart-disease risk—either by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, or by reducing your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol.

Put the Truth to Work for You: We're not giving you permission to gorge on butter, bacon, and cheese. No, our point is this: Don't freak out about saturated fat. There's no scientific reason that natural foods containing saturated fat can't, or shouldn't, be part of a healthy diet.

Myth #12: Reduced-fat foods are healthier alternatives
Reality: Less fat often means more sugar

Peanut butter is a representative example for busting this myth. A tub of reduced-fat peanut butter indeed comes with a fraction less fat than the full-fat variety—they’re not lying about that. But what the food companies don’t tell you is that they’ve replaced that healthy fat with maltodextrin, a carbohydrate used as a filler in many processed foods. This means you’re trading the healthy fat from peanuts for empty carbs, double the sugar, and a savings of a meager 10 calories.

Put the Truth to Work for You: When you're shopping, don't just read the nutritional data. Look at the ingredients list as well. Here's a guideline that never fails: The fewer ingredients, the healthier the food.

Myth #13: Diet soda is better for you
Reality: It may lead to even greater weight gain

Just because diet soda is low in calories doesn’t mean it can’t lead to weight gain. It may have only 5 or fewer calories per serving, but emerging research suggests that consuming sugary-tasting beverages—even if they’re artificially sweetened—may lead to a high preference for sweetness overall. That means sweeter (and more caloric) cereal, bread, dessert—everything. In fact, new research found that people who drink diet soda on a daily basis have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Put the Truth to Work for You: These days, the world of food is full of nasty surprises like this one, and knowledge is power. Check out Eat This, Not That! 2011 and Cook This, Not That! for the best food, nutrition and health secrets, and avoid shocking waistline expanders with our slideshow of 20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper.

Myth #14: Skipping meals helps you lose weight
Reality: Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can make you fat

Not eating can mess with your body's ability to control your appetite. And it also destroys willpower, which is just as damaging. If you skip breakfast or a healthy snack, your brain doesn't have the energy to say no to the inevitable chowfest. The consequences can be heavy: In a 2005 study, breakfast eaters were 30 percent less likely to be overweight or obese.

Put the Truth to Work for You: The perfect breakfast? Eggs, bacon, and toast. It's a nice balance of all the nutritional building blocks—protein, fiber, carbs—that will jumpstart your day. The worst? Waffles or pancakes with syrup. All those carbs and sugars are likely to put you into a food coma by 10 a.m.

Myth #15: You should eat three times a day
Reality: Three meals and two or three snacks is ideal

Most diet plans portray snacking as a failure. But by snacking on the right foods at strategic times, you'll keep your energy levels stoked all day. Spreading six smaller meals across your day operates on the simple principle of satisfaction: Frequent meals tame the slavering beast of hunger

[SPARK]

Baldness Breakthrough: Root Cause Discovered

http://news.yahoo.com/video/health-15749655/baldness-breakthrough-root-cause-discovered-23757868#video=23757868

[westeffer]

If anyone is considering giving their daughter the Gardasil vaccination, they may want to look at this site first. It seems to be more than a coincidence to see these horrific medical events take place after vaccination with gardasil in healthy normal children.

http://www.sanevax.org/victims/gardasil-silgard-usa.shtml

[SPARK]

A middle aged, over weight, man discovers he is losing his remaining vision. To help him cope, a natural competitive bodybuilder challenges him to take on a physical transformation and enter the world of competitive bodybuilding.

[SPARK]

Supplements and sunlight give optimal protection from breast cancer:

By Stephen Daniells, 16-Dec-2010

Some sun exposure and vitamin D supplements may be the most effective means of reducing the risk of breast cancer, suggest findings from a French study.

Numerous studies have linked vitamin D levels to a reduction in the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, but much debate has focused on the means to boost vitamin D levels – supplements or sunlight.

According to new findings published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a combination may be the best approach. Data collected over a decade of study from 67,721 women indicated that postmenopausal women living in sunny climes combined with high dietary or supplemental intakes of vitamin D were at a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer compared to women with high sun exposure and low intakes of the vitamin.

On the other hand, no associations were observed for dietary and supplemental intakes of vitamin D alone, report researchers led by Pierre Engel from Inserm (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale).

“Although, our results do not support a linear dose-response relationship of both UVR dose and dietary vitamin D on BC risk, our findings suggest that a threshold of vitamin D exposure is required to prevent BC; this minimal amount is likely to vary with individual ability to metabolize or synthesize vitamin D from both sources,” they said.

D and the big C

The link between vitamin D intake and protection from cancer dates from the 1940s when Frank Apperly demonstrated a link between latitude and deaths from cancer, and suggested that sunlight gave "a relative cancer immunity".

Since then there have been numerous studies suggesting associations between vitamin D and lower risks of certain cancers.

Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors – cholecalciferol (D3) and ergocalciferol (D2).

Both D3 and D2 precursors are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active 'storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.

There is growing evidence that 1,25(OH)2D has anticancer effects, but the discovery that non-kidney cells can also hydroxylate 25(OH)D had profound implications, implying that higher 25(OH)D levels could protect against cancer in the local sites.

The association between vitamin D and breast cancer is still ambiguous, however, according to results of a recent meta-analysis published in the European Journal of Cancer (doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2010.03.037).

New data

According to findings of Dr Engel and his team, such ambiguity may be related to a combination of dietary, supplemental and sunlight exposure as the source of raising vitamin D levels.

The French researchers documented 2,871 cases of breast cancer over the 10 years of their study. While no relationship was observed between dietary and supplemental intakes of the sunshine vitamin, the risk of breast cancer for women residing in regions with the highest average daily UV exposure (living below a latitude of 46°N) combined with high dietary vitamin D intakes was 32 percent lower, while the risk for high UV exposure and high supplemental intakes was reduced by 45 percent.

“Considering that, in France, mean vitamin D dietary intake is low, and 25(OH) vitamin D serum concentrations are mostly below the 30 ng/mL recommended threshold, our results suggest that an increase in overall vitamin D intake should be encouraged by food and health agencies, possibly through fortification of foods,” concluded Dr Engel and his co-workers.

Jury–in or out?

The recent meta-analysis, which reviewed and summarised ten trials investigating the association between serum vitamin D (measured as 25(OH)D levels) and the risk of breast cancer, concluded that the data to date “show ambiguous evidence”.

“Data is still sparse and in depth analyses … especially measuring repeatedly 25(OH)D at different time points before diagnosis, are highly desirable to enable more precise estimates and a better understanding of the role of vitamin D in breast cancer development and prevention,” concluded the authors of the meta-analysis.

Source: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-10-1039
“Joint effects of dietary vitamin D and sun exposure on breast cancer risk: results from the French E3N cohort”
Authors: P. Engel, G. Fagherazzi, S. Mesrine, M-C. Boutron-Ruault, F. Clavel-Chapelon

[Max Power]

so that article say vegans have low brain function? lol j/k...creatine is great...used it during my football playing/weight lifting days all the time..