Hairdressers and barbers are at increased risk of developing cancer as a result of their use of hair dyes. These risks could also extend to personal use of the dyes.
A review of the evidence found a consistent risk of bladder cancer in male hairdressers and barbers. A second review of the evidence on personal hair dye use found some studies suggesting a possible association with bladder cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia.
However, the panel found that the evidence was inadequate to classify the carcinogenicity of personal hair dye use.
Sources:
* The Independent March 26, 2008
7 May 2008
6 May 2008
Grainless Diet Works Better than Mediterranean Diet
A study at Lund University in Sweden asked 29 patients to follow either a Paleolithic-style diet, which includes lean meat, fish, fruts, vegetables, eggs and nuts--but no grain products, OR a Mediterranean diet which includes whole grain breads. By the end of the 12-week study, people eating a Paleo diet had an average
26 percent decrease in blood sugar, while those eating the Mediterranean diet had only a 7 percent decrease. Also, the Paleo diet eaters had an average 2.2 percent decrease in waist circumference compared with 1.1 percent in the Mediterranean group, and the Paleo eaters had lower insulin levels. Both diets avoided dairy products, refined fat, sugar and salt.
Diabetologia, 2007;50:1795-1807.
26 percent decrease in blood sugar, while those eating the Mediterranean diet had only a 7 percent decrease. Also, the Paleo diet eaters had an average 2.2 percent decrease in waist circumference compared with 1.1 percent in the Mediterranean group, and the Paleo eaters had lower insulin levels. Both diets avoided dairy products, refined fat, sugar and salt.
Diabetologia, 2007;50:1795-1807.
(NaturalNews) Patients who take the cholesterol drug torcetrapid, intended to increase levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol and lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, have a 58 percent higher risk of death than similar patients who do not take the drug, according to a study led by researchers at the Heart Research Institute in Sydney and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers studied 15,067 participants, all considered to be at high risk of cardiovascular disease. All the patients were treated with the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin, while half were also treated with torcetrapid.
Torcetrapid is marketed by Pfizer, as is atorvastatin (under the brand name Lipitor).
Patients receiving both drugs had a 58 percent higher chance of dying and a 25 percent higher chance of experiencing cardiovascular events such as heart attacks than those who were treated only with atorvastatin.
Torcetrapid is one of a new class of drugs called cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors. Unlike older cholesterol drugs, which only lower LDL levels, CETP inhibitors are intended to raise HDL levels at the same time. The drugs function by blocking the action of a protein that transfers cholesterol from HDL to LDL, thus forcing the cholesterol to remain in HDL form.
In the recent study, torcetrapid was found to raise HDL levels by an average of 72.1 percent, and lower LDL levels by an average of 24.9 percent.
Scientists are still unclear why torcetrapid appears to increase patient death rates and heart attack risk. While the drug is known to raise blood pressure, many of the patients who died in the recent study actually had blood pressure levels below normal.
Researchers have hypothesized that the drug may increase the levels of a hormone involved in regulating blood pressure, and that this may lead to stress on the cardiovascular system.
Merck and Roche Holding have placed the development of their own CETP inhibitors on hold, pending the results of further trials on torcetrapid.
Researchers studied 15,067 participants, all considered to be at high risk of cardiovascular disease. All the patients were treated with the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin, while half were also treated with torcetrapid.
Torcetrapid is marketed by Pfizer, as is atorvastatin (under the brand name Lipitor).
Patients receiving both drugs had a 58 percent higher chance of dying and a 25 percent higher chance of experiencing cardiovascular events such as heart attacks than those who were treated only with atorvastatin.
Torcetrapid is one of a new class of drugs called cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors. Unlike older cholesterol drugs, which only lower LDL levels, CETP inhibitors are intended to raise HDL levels at the same time. The drugs function by blocking the action of a protein that transfers cholesterol from HDL to LDL, thus forcing the cholesterol to remain in HDL form.
In the recent study, torcetrapid was found to raise HDL levels by an average of 72.1 percent, and lower LDL levels by an average of 24.9 percent.
Scientists are still unclear why torcetrapid appears to increase patient death rates and heart attack risk. While the drug is known to raise blood pressure, many of the patients who died in the recent study actually had blood pressure levels below normal.
Researchers have hypothesized that the drug may increase the levels of a hormone involved in regulating blood pressure, and that this may lead to stress on the cardiovascular system.
Merck and Roche Holding have placed the development of their own CETP inhibitors on hold, pending the results of further trials on torcetrapid.
Walgreens Mistakenly Replaced Prenatal Vitamins with Chemotherapy Drugs, Lawsuit Alleges
(NaturalNews) A couple from St. Louis has filed a wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit against Walgreen Co. after Chanda Givens had her prescription for prenatal vitamins filled instead with a chemotherapy drug that caused her to miscarry.
Givens became pregnant in February and was given a prescription for prenatal vitamins under the brand name Materna in early March. According to the lawsuit, her prescription was instead filled with Matulane, a chemotherapy drug used to treat Hodgkin's disease. The drug functions by interfering with DNA development, cell growth and cell reproduction.
Soon after beginning the drug regimen, Givens began feeling nauseous and vomiting, but she assumed that she was just suffering from morning sickness. She miscarried in April. Because she hoped to become pregnant again, Givens continued taking the drug and phoned in for a refill when she ran out. At this point, the pharmacy discovered and informed her of the error.
The Givens' lawsuit accuses Walgreens of failing to properly supervise pharmacy staff, failing to check the prescription with Givens' doctor and failure to follow proper protocol.
Walgreens has, to date, refused to admit even that the prescription error occurred.
"We're just very sorry this miscarriage occurred," company spokesperson Carol Hively said.
"I think it has really taken an emotional toll on Chanda especially," said Dawn Mefford, the Givens' attorney. "She describes it as a nightmare."
Mefford also expressed concern over the Matulane's long-term effects on not only Givens' ability to have another child in the future, but also on her own health. An oncologist warned Givens that having taken the chemotherapy drug inappropriately may increase her risk of developing solid tumors, such as lung cancer, in the future.
"If true, this demonstrates part of what's wrong with our pharmaceutical-based medical system today," said consumer health advocate Mike Adams, founder of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center (www.ConsumerWellness.org). "The very fact that toxic poisons like chemotherapy drugs are even considered medicine is nothing short of astonishing," Adams said.
Givens became pregnant in February and was given a prescription for prenatal vitamins under the brand name Materna in early March. According to the lawsuit, her prescription was instead filled with Matulane, a chemotherapy drug used to treat Hodgkin's disease. The drug functions by interfering with DNA development, cell growth and cell reproduction.
Soon after beginning the drug regimen, Givens began feeling nauseous and vomiting, but she assumed that she was just suffering from morning sickness. She miscarried in April. Because she hoped to become pregnant again, Givens continued taking the drug and phoned in for a refill when she ran out. At this point, the pharmacy discovered and informed her of the error.
The Givens' lawsuit accuses Walgreens of failing to properly supervise pharmacy staff, failing to check the prescription with Givens' doctor and failure to follow proper protocol.
Walgreens has, to date, refused to admit even that the prescription error occurred.
"We're just very sorry this miscarriage occurred," company spokesperson Carol Hively said.
"I think it has really taken an emotional toll on Chanda especially," said Dawn Mefford, the Givens' attorney. "She describes it as a nightmare."
Mefford also expressed concern over the Matulane's long-term effects on not only Givens' ability to have another child in the future, but also on her own health. An oncologist warned Givens that having taken the chemotherapy drug inappropriately may increase her risk of developing solid tumors, such as lung cancer, in the future.
"If true, this demonstrates part of what's wrong with our pharmaceutical-based medical system today," said consumer health advocate Mike Adams, founder of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center (www.ConsumerWellness.org). "The very fact that toxic poisons like chemotherapy drugs are even considered medicine is nothing short of astonishing," Adams said.
2 May 2008
Memory Training Can Turn Up Your Brainpower
New research has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent, increasing the brainpower they had at birth.
Until now, it had been widely assumed that fluid intelligence, the ability to solve new problems without relevant previous experience, is innate and cannot be taught. In a new study, however, researchers described a method for improving this skill, along with experiments to prove it works.
The key was carefully structured training in working memory -- the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number long enough to dial it. This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence, and appears to rely on the same brain circuitry.
It is currently unknown how long intelligence gains will last after training stops, and the experiment’s design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains.
Sources:
* New York Times April 29, 2008
Until now, it had been widely assumed that fluid intelligence, the ability to solve new problems without relevant previous experience, is innate and cannot be taught. In a new study, however, researchers described a method for improving this skill, along with experiments to prove it works.
The key was carefully structured training in working memory -- the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number long enough to dial it. This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence, and appears to rely on the same brain circuitry.
It is currently unknown how long intelligence gains will last after training stops, and the experiment’s design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains.
Sources:
* New York Times April 29, 2008
There's No Such Thing as "Fit But Fat"
New research challenges the notion that you can be both fat and fit. Although simply being active can lower heart risks faced by heavy women, they cannot eliminate them.
A new study involving nearly 39,000 women helped sort out the combined effects of physical activity and body mass. Compared with normal-weight active women, the risk for developing heart disease was 54 percent higher in overweight active women and 87 percent higher in obese active women. By contrast, the risks were 88 percent higher in overweight inactive women, and about 250 percent higher in obese inactive women.
About two in five U.S. women will eventually develop heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems by the age of 50.
Sources:
* Yahoo News April 29, 2008
A new study involving nearly 39,000 women helped sort out the combined effects of physical activity and body mass. Compared with normal-weight active women, the risk for developing heart disease was 54 percent higher in overweight active women and 87 percent higher in obese active women. By contrast, the risks were 88 percent higher in overweight inactive women, and about 250 percent higher in obese inactive women.
About two in five U.S. women will eventually develop heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems by the age of 50.
Sources:
* Yahoo News April 29, 2008
29 April 2008
Recipe: Joint and Digestive Health Soup
This is a soup that I recommend to all my scoliosis and anyone with joint problems. The rich gelatin and mineral broth is very nourishing for your digestive system and cartilage. This is only a basic recipe so feel free to be creative with it.
1 medium whole chicken—organic, free range or kosher chicken
3 quarts of filtered water
1/2 ounce filtered water
4-6 tablespoons of moist high mineral salt
4-6 tablespoons of coconut oil
2-4 chicken feet (Optional)
8 organic carrots
6 stalks of organic celery
2-4 organic zucchini
3 medium-sized organic white or yellow onions
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
4 inches of grated ginger
5 cloves of garlic
1 large bunch of parsley (added 30 minutes before the soup is finished)
Directions
Take the largest stainless steel pot you can find and fill it with 3 quarts of purified water. Add 1 ounce of structured water concentrate (see below) and 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and let stand for 10 minutes. Fill pot with chicken, vegetables, sea salt and other ingredients and bring to a boil. Let boil for 60 seconds and lower heat. Simmer soup for 12-24 hours. Add parsley 30 minutes before soup is finished. Remove chicken from the bones and add chicken meat back to the soup. Remove chicken feet and discard.
For anyone suffering acute situations with high inflammation, it may be best to allow the soup to cool and blend or puree all ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor.
1 medium whole chicken—organic, free range or kosher chicken
3 quarts of filtered water
1/2 ounce filtered water
4-6 tablespoons of moist high mineral salt
4-6 tablespoons of coconut oil
2-4 chicken feet (Optional)
8 organic carrots
6 stalks of organic celery
2-4 organic zucchini
3 medium-sized organic white or yellow onions
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
4 inches of grated ginger
5 cloves of garlic
1 large bunch of parsley (added 30 minutes before the soup is finished)
Directions
Take the largest stainless steel pot you can find and fill it with 3 quarts of purified water. Add 1 ounce of structured water concentrate (see below) and 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and let stand for 10 minutes. Fill pot with chicken, vegetables, sea salt and other ingredients and bring to a boil. Let boil for 60 seconds and lower heat. Simmer soup for 12-24 hours. Add parsley 30 minutes before soup is finished. Remove chicken from the bones and add chicken meat back to the soup. Remove chicken feet and discard.
For anyone suffering acute situations with high inflammation, it may be best to allow the soup to cool and blend or puree all ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor.
Boost Your IQ by Choosing Your Exercise Wisely
Can exercise make you think better? In some cases, yes.
Here's what works best.
Aerobic Training
In 2006, Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois used MRIs to prove that aerobic exercise builds gray and white matter in the brains of older adults. Later studies found that more aerobically fit grade-schoolers also perform better on cognitive tests.
Impact on intelligence: Strong
Lifting Weights
When weight lifters talk about getting huge, they aren't referring to their hippocampus. Researchers have found only the most tenuous link between heavy resistance training and improved cognitive function.
Impact on intelligence: Negligible
Yoga
When facing a stressful situation or even a scary email, people often hold their breath. Yoga can break that habit. Under pressure, "most people breathe incorrectly," says Frank Lawlis, a fellow of the American Psychological Association and author of The IQ Answer. The result: more stress and less oxygen to your brain. "So the first thing that goes is your memory."
Impact on intelligence: Possibly strong
Studying on the StairMaster
A spinning class may rev up your mental muscle, but that doesn't mean you should study while huffing and puffing on the StairMaster. Research shows you'll just confuse yourself. "It's like doing something while you're driving," says Charles Hillman, a kinesiology professor at the University of Illinois. In other words, you won't do either task well.
Impact on intelligence: Negligible
Sources:
* Wired Magazine April 21, 2008
Here's what works best.
Aerobic Training
In 2006, Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois used MRIs to prove that aerobic exercise builds gray and white matter in the brains of older adults. Later studies found that more aerobically fit grade-schoolers also perform better on cognitive tests.
Impact on intelligence: Strong
Lifting Weights
When weight lifters talk about getting huge, they aren't referring to their hippocampus. Researchers have found only the most tenuous link between heavy resistance training and improved cognitive function.
Impact on intelligence: Negligible
Yoga
When facing a stressful situation or even a scary email, people often hold their breath. Yoga can break that habit. Under pressure, "most people breathe incorrectly," says Frank Lawlis, a fellow of the American Psychological Association and author of The IQ Answer. The result: more stress and less oxygen to your brain. "So the first thing that goes is your memory."
Impact on intelligence: Possibly strong
Studying on the StairMaster
A spinning class may rev up your mental muscle, but that doesn't mean you should study while huffing and puffing on the StairMaster. Research shows you'll just confuse yourself. "It's like doing something while you're driving," says Charles Hillman, a kinesiology professor at the University of Illinois. In other words, you won't do either task well.
Impact on intelligence: Negligible
Sources:
* Wired Magazine April 21, 2008
Great Example of How Drug Companies Fool You With "New" Drugs
FDA just approved GlaxoSmithKline’s new drug Treximet for acute treatment of migraines in adults. So does that mean Treximet is a fabulous new breakthrough treatment for migraines?
No.
It is a combination of Imitrex (soon to be available as a generic) and naproxen sodium (commonly known as Aleve, available Over the Counter).
How much would it cost a patient to take these 2 drugs separately?
* Naproxen sodium can be had for about 8 cents a pill. A single Aleve pill has 220 mg of naproxen sodium. There’s 500 mg of naproxen sodium in Treximet, so a patient would have to take about 2 1/4 Aleve pills to get to 500 mg. Since you can’t really take 1/4 of a pill, let’s assume most patients would take 2. 2 pills would give you 440 mg, so that’s pretty close to the 500 mg.
Cost: 16 cents.
* We don’t yet know how much generic Imitrex will cost. But the price of a generic typically drops to about 30 percent of the brand-name’s price within 6 months of the drug’s patent expiring and more generic companies introducing their own versions. So it’s safe to assume that generic Imitrex will cost about $7.50 by middle of 2009. (Even before then, the price of generic Imitrex will begin dropping from the current price of $25 a pill.)
Cost: $7.50
So, by spending $7.50 on generic Imitrex and 16 cents on over-the-counter Aleve, you can get the same thing you’d get in a Treximet — which is very likely to cost $25 or more.
Sources:
* PAL April 24, 2008
No.
It is a combination of Imitrex (soon to be available as a generic) and naproxen sodium (commonly known as Aleve, available Over the Counter).
How much would it cost a patient to take these 2 drugs separately?
* Naproxen sodium can be had for about 8 cents a pill. A single Aleve pill has 220 mg of naproxen sodium. There’s 500 mg of naproxen sodium in Treximet, so a patient would have to take about 2 1/4 Aleve pills to get to 500 mg. Since you can’t really take 1/4 of a pill, let’s assume most patients would take 2. 2 pills would give you 440 mg, so that’s pretty close to the 500 mg.
Cost: 16 cents.
* We don’t yet know how much generic Imitrex will cost. But the price of a generic typically drops to about 30 percent of the brand-name’s price within 6 months of the drug’s patent expiring and more generic companies introducing their own versions. So it’s safe to assume that generic Imitrex will cost about $7.50 by middle of 2009. (Even before then, the price of generic Imitrex will begin dropping from the current price of $25 a pill.)
Cost: $7.50
So, by spending $7.50 on generic Imitrex and 16 cents on over-the-counter Aleve, you can get the same thing you’d get in a Treximet — which is very likely to cost $25 or more.
Sources:
* PAL April 24, 2008
26 April 2008
The Bold Taste of Kimchi Blasted into Orbit
I bet you didn’t know that South Koreans were dancing in the streets after one of their own became the first Korean astronaut in early April. Yi So-Yeon blasted into space aboard a Russian Soyuz spaceship bound for the International Space Station. While in space, Yi will be eating plenty of kimchi.
Kimchi? Most Westerners have never heard of this type of fermented cabbage, which has been a staple of the Korean diet for centuries. The South Koreans, who eat 1.6 tons of this side dish each year, like to spice up their banchan with other vegetables like onions, garlic, and red hot chili peppers. It’s the spicy peppers that have gotten me when I’ve tried kimchi because I’m not a spicy-food kind of guy. I prefer the less-spicy sauerkraut, but kimchi is definitely one of the healthiest foods you can eat. And it’ll clear your sinuses in a hurry.
Low in calories, high in dietary fiber, kimchi is rich in vitamin A, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), calcium, and iron and is an excellent resource for lactic acid bacteria that aids in digestion. Kimchi, along with sauerkraut, are prime examples of fermented foods that rarely find their way onto American plates. About the only non-dairy fermented foods that Americans eat these days are pickles.
The first time I ate kimchi was after my health troubles in the mid-1990s. I was living with my parents, and they liked to try new, exotic foods, so I gave it a go, but like I said, it’s too spicy for my taste. Another Korean dish I didn’t particularly care for was fish eyeballs. I attended a conference on probiotics one time, and the person putting on the conference—a Korean—planned the banquet menu for the conferees. We were served a traditional Korean meal including a dish with fish eyeballs. All I can remember is that they were all white—and you couldn’t see any sort of pupil.
I prefer food without eyeballs, and even though I’m not a big kimchi fan, I still seek out some type of fermented cabbage regularly, like sauerkraut. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors fermented their foods—a process that made the food healthier and easier to digest, as opposed to today’s preservatives, which rely on chemical compounds to keep the food from spoiling.
So, if you’re feeling adventurous the next time you’re in an Asian restaurant, skip the fish eyeballs but ask your wait person if they serve kimchi as a side dish. You may have a greater affinity for the spicy food than I do, and if so, you’ve discovered an incredibly healthy food to eat.
Kimchi? Most Westerners have never heard of this type of fermented cabbage, which has been a staple of the Korean diet for centuries. The South Koreans, who eat 1.6 tons of this side dish each year, like to spice up their banchan with other vegetables like onions, garlic, and red hot chili peppers. It’s the spicy peppers that have gotten me when I’ve tried kimchi because I’m not a spicy-food kind of guy. I prefer the less-spicy sauerkraut, but kimchi is definitely one of the healthiest foods you can eat. And it’ll clear your sinuses in a hurry.
Low in calories, high in dietary fiber, kimchi is rich in vitamin A, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), calcium, and iron and is an excellent resource for lactic acid bacteria that aids in digestion. Kimchi, along with sauerkraut, are prime examples of fermented foods that rarely find their way onto American plates. About the only non-dairy fermented foods that Americans eat these days are pickles.
The first time I ate kimchi was after my health troubles in the mid-1990s. I was living with my parents, and they liked to try new, exotic foods, so I gave it a go, but like I said, it’s too spicy for my taste. Another Korean dish I didn’t particularly care for was fish eyeballs. I attended a conference on probiotics one time, and the person putting on the conference—a Korean—planned the banquet menu for the conferees. We were served a traditional Korean meal including a dish with fish eyeballs. All I can remember is that they were all white—and you couldn’t see any sort of pupil.
I prefer food without eyeballs, and even though I’m not a big kimchi fan, I still seek out some type of fermented cabbage regularly, like sauerkraut. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors fermented their foods—a process that made the food healthier and easier to digest, as opposed to today’s preservatives, which rely on chemical compounds to keep the food from spoiling.
So, if you’re feeling adventurous the next time you’re in an Asian restaurant, skip the fish eyeballs but ask your wait person if they serve kimchi as a side dish. You may have a greater affinity for the spicy food than I do, and if so, you’ve discovered an incredibly healthy food to eat.
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