A Gut Check for Many Ailments

What you think is going on in your head may be caused in part by what's happening in your gut.

A growing body of research shows the gut affects bodily functions far beyond digestion. Studies have shown intriguing links from the gut's health to bone formation, learning and memory and even conditions including Parkinson's disease. Recent research found disruptions to the stomach or intestinal bacteria can prompt depression and anxiety—at least in lab rats.

Better understanding the communication between the gut and the brain could help reveal the causes of and treatments for a range of ailments, and provide diagnostic clues for doctors.

Exercise puts teens to a peaceful sleep

A new study has revealed that daily exercise improves a teenager's chances of a good night's sleep, while using the computer for more than two hours a day has the opposite effect.

The study of nearly 15,000 high school students found that those who spent at least an hour engaging in physical activity daily were significantly more likely to report "sufficient" sleep-eight hours or more per night-than students who were inactive.

Is this Better than Drugs for Neck Pain?

A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that when it comes to neck pain, the best medicine is no medicine.  The study tracked patients with recent-onset neck pain who were treated using either medication, exercise, or a chiropractor.  After 12 weeks, the patients who used a chiropractor or exercised were more than twice as likely to be pain free.

The patients treated by a chiropractor experienced a 32 percent success rate, while exercise resulted in a 30 percent success rate.  Patients treated with medication exhibited only a 13 percent success rate.

According to ABC News:

“The exercises prescribed to patients in the study were simple and designed to be performed at home with the help of instructional photos.”

Sources:

  ABC News January 4, 2012 

Dr. Oz Proves This Fruit Juice Can be Toxic

Inorganic arsenic, the form most likely to cause cancer, occurs naturally in the earth and is released into ground water that travels through rocks and soil. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits the amount of trace arsenic allowable in drinking water to 10 parts per billion (ppb).

However, arsenic has also been found in other drinks and foods, for which no safety limit has been set, raising concerns about overexposure through the diet.

Juices and Foods Tainted with Arsenic

This past summer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a "voluntary suspension" of the arsenic-laced drug Roxarsone, which has been widely used on chickens raised in CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) to control an intestinal parasite.

More recently, an investigation into arsenic and lead levels in apple- and grape juice prompted Consumer Reports to call for government standards to limit consumer exposure.

Ten percent of the 88 juice samples tested by Consumer Reports had arsenic levels exceeding the U.S. federal drinking-water standard. A quarter of them also had lead levels higher than the 5 ppb limit set for bottled water.

According to Consumer Reports:

"The investigation included an analysis of the National Center for Health Statistics' National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database from 2003 to 2008.

The results of that analysis suggest that these juices may be an important contributor to dietary arsenic exposure.

Through interviews with physicians and authors of peer-reviewed studies, Consumer Reports also found mounting scientific evidence suggesting that chronic exposure to arsenic and lead even at levels below federal standards for water can result in serious health problems, especially for those who are exposed in the womb or during early childhood. FDA data and other research reveal that arsenic has been detected at disturbing levels in other foods as well.

… In addition to juice, foods including chicken, rice, and even baby food have been found to contain arsenic -- sometimes at higher levels than the amounts found in juice ..."

Vitamin D rejuvenates aging eyes in laboratory study

Friday, January 20, 2012. An article published online on January 2, 2012 in the journal Neurobiology of Aging reports an eye-rejuvenating benefit for a short course of vitamin D supplementation in aged mice.

Professor Glen Jeffery and his associates at the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London supplemented old mice with vitamin D3 for six weeks while an untreated group served as controls. In addition to improved vision, the team found a reduction in number and changes in the configuration of retinal macrophages—immune cells that can sometimes cause excessive inflammatory damage—in animals that received the vitamin, as well as a decrease in retinal amyloid beta accumulation, which is a marker of aging. In humans, inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation are associated with an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness.

"In the back of the eyes of mammals, like mice and humans, is a layer of tissue called the retina," explained Dr Jeffery. "Cells in the retina detect light as it comes into the eyes and then send messages to the brain, which is how we see. This is a demanding job, and the retina actually requires proportionally more energy than any other tissue in the body, so it has to have a good supply of blood. However, with aging the high energy demand produces debris and there is progressive inflammation even in normal animals. In humans this can result in a decline of up to 30% in the numbers of light receptive cells in the eye by the time we are 70 and so lead to poorer vision."

Scoliosis Exercises - New Concepts Involving Training The Brain May Have Impact

Scoliosis exercises come in many shapes and sizes, however very few of them are worth the time and effort when it comes to this complicated spinal condition. Many attempts to treat an "idiopathic" (unknown cause) condition would be a frustrating experience for the patient and physician alike and treatment for Idiopathic scoliosis is no exception. For literally thousands of years, doctors, religious leaders, and the various "wise men" of the day have attempted to "crack the scoliosis treatment code" without success.

Devices that provide artificial correction of the spine have been developed and used since the beginning of recorded history and the first metal scoliosis brace was developed in 1575. To date, none of these devices have been able to reduce the steadily increasing rate of scoliosis surgery, nor alter the natural course of the condition.

Attempts to surgically "correct" idiopathic scoliosis have been utilized since 1865 and, while having improved dramatically since that time, still remain a highly invasive procedure with many complications and a poor long-term success rate.

10 Diets That May Do More Harm Than Good

Trying to shed that beer gut? Want to fit in to that little black dress? Be it hundreds of pounds or just a few ounces, most people are trying, in some form or fashion, to shed some extra weight. The formula is simple: the number of calories taken in should be less than the calories out. Couple that with a healthy lifestyle that includes plenty of water and some exercise, and almost anyone can look and feel great. Unfortunately, some people are willing to try anything. Whether it's gorging on Twinkies or swallowing sleeping pills, dangerous diets abound. Often nutrition deficient — or just plain weird — these weight-loss plans can do much more harm to the body than good. These ten diets are ones you shouldn't try, and after reading this list, probably won't want to.

1. THE CIGARETTE-POPCORN-WHISKEY DIET

   In his 2006 autobiography, My Life In and Out of the Rough, be-gutted PGA golfer John Daly lost 65 pounds in less than a year on a diet of cigarettes, popcorn, and whiskey.
   Why It Works: Dieters, rejoice! Drunkenly smoking and snacking on the golf course for ten hours a day is exactly the cure for the woes of your weight! Completely deficient in nutrients of any sort, this diet of corn, air, and potentially deadly toxins could be just the ticket to a sexy new you.
   Drawbacks: Cancer. Life-wrecking addiction problems. Decreased golf course prowess. DWIs. Jail. Probable death.

2. THE TWINKIE DIET

   Sounds too good to be true, right? Believe it or not, this diet has gained some widespread media attention. After a nutrition professor ate nothing but processed, sugary foods for ten weeks and lost 27 pounds, eyebrows raised worldwide about the Twinkie diet.
   Why It Works: The diet was originally performed as an experiment in basic mathematics. If the number of calories burned is higher than the number of calories consumed, weight loss is possible and will occur.
   Drawbacks: Processed foods are fake foods; they contain many preservatives and chemical elements that do not occur naturally in fresh foods and, in large quantities, could be harmful to the body. Plus, Twinkies taste good, powdered donuts even better. Limiting yourself to a net caloric deficiency could be nearly impossible, especially for those with a sweet tooth.

3. THE CABBAGE SOUP DIET

   An extremely popular liquid diet, the cabbage soup diet has been around for decades. Every soccer mom and potential supermodel you know has likely gone through a "cabbage soup" phase. On this plan, dieters eat mostly cabbage soup (obviously), and are promised to shed several pounds quickly.
   Why It Works: This diet is essentially a liquid diet, and is highly restrictive in terms of calorie intake. This diet is only designed for short term weight loss goals, and usually only lasts for about a week.
   Drawbacks: All you eat is cabbage soup. Dieters essentially lose only water weight, and usually gain back their losses shortly after ditching the plan. Theyalways ditch the plan.

4. THE MASTER CLEANSE

   This diet is perceived to be highly popular with celebrities as a means of detoxing their bodies and shedding those few extra pounds that they probably didn't have in the first place. As such, the Master Cleanse diet has received lots of press, both good and bad. Essentially, the dieter drinks a concoction of lemonade, cayenne pepper, and maple sugar, and foregoes most other forms of sustenance.
   Why It Works: This diet is a liquid-only diet that creates a calorie deficit in its adopter, as well as spurring loss of water weight. If it worked for Beyonce, it'll work for you, right?
   Drawbacks: Doing a Master Cleanse usually involves lots of talking about doing a Master Cleanse. Be prepared to annoy your friends and loved ones, and be reliant on celebrity news outlets for tips and tricks on how to starve yourself with spicy lemonade.

BACK PAIN RELIEVERS

When is Scoliosis Surgery Necessary?

To date, the bulk of the information you will find related to Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) on the Internet supports the use of back bracing and scoliosis surgery. Initially, treatment from a medical doctor consists of "observation only", until the Cobb angle progresses to 25 degrees, at which point the patient is placed in a scoliosis brace. When back bracing is unsuccessful in stabilizing the progression of the disease, which is frequently the case, scoliosis surgery is the only other option that the medical community has to offer.

Due to the complicated nature of idiopathic scoliosis and the difficulty in understanding and treating this condition, the development of a surgical method of treating idiopathic scoliosis by Dr. Harrington was understandable. However, science, & long term research agree that this procedure does not cure idiopathic scoliosis, but rather replaces one deformity (a flexible, curved spine) with another (a straighter, fused spine).

A majority of people we see, who have been treated with scoliosis surgery, report after the operation that their pain levels either stayed the same or worsened, leading to long term use of stronger and stronger pain medication. "On average, 16 years after surgery, 40% of surgery patient are permanently handicapped for the rest of their lives" (Long-term results of quality of life in patients with idiopathic scoliosis after Harrington instrumentation and their relevance for expert evidence. Gotze C, Slomka A, Gotze HG, Potsl W, Liljenqvist U, Stienbeck J. Z Orthop Ihre Grensgeb 2002 Sep-Oct, 140(5): 492-8).

Surgical Techniques Affect Outcome in Scoliosis Surgery

For patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, eight factors correlate significantly with maintenance of kyphosis, according to a study published online Jan. 5 in Spine.

(HealthDay News) — For patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), eight factors correlate significantly with maintenance of kyphosis, according to a study published online Jan. 5 in Spine.

Baron S. Lonner, M.D., from the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City, and colleagues investigated the surgical and radiographic factors in AIS surgery that affect kyphosis maintenance, in a retrospective multicenter study of 269 patients. Participants had kyphosis of less than 22 degrees. Operative data were recorded, and a complete radiographic series was obtained for each patient before surgery, immediately after surgery, and at two years after surgery.

In multivariate analysis, the investigators found that maintenance of kyphosis at two years post-surgery was significantly associated with eight variables. Increased kyphosis at follow-up correlated significantly with anterior approach, elevated thoracic coronal curve, and a greater percentage of hooks in the construct. Hypokyphosis correlated with a larger number of levels fused, preoperative kyphosis, the percentage of screws in the construct, use of stainless steel rods, and percent decrease in the thoracic curve.

"Our multivariate analysis demonstrates that in patients with AIS who have thoracic hypokyphosis as part of their deformity, anterior approach, fusing as few levels as possible, and using a hybrid construct are associated with improved thoracic sagittal contour," the authors conclude.

The study was supported by corporate/industry funding; one or more authors disclosed financial ties to a commercial entity related directly or indirectly to the study.

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