Can you believe that this is the last full week of March! My fellow New Yorkers, as well as those in other areas of the country, have experienced the validity of the saying, “March comes in like a lion.” Let’s hope the old adage will live up to its validity in the final stretch and this month will “go out like a lamb.”
Fortunately, those of us who are interested in wellness had plenty to keep our minds occupied. Although the bursting forth of spring with fresh, green foliage is a little behind schedule, the headlines and articles on health continue to fly into my inbox, and at an accelerated momentum.
As I wrote about in my blog last week, some of the biggest chatter in the medical community has been around the scurry to keep up with the changes that are being enacted by the Affordable Care Act and updating diagnostic codes. It seems the politics behind medicine is starting to affect everyone in different ways.
Other important topics this month include:
- the impact of choosing a healthy diet and lifestyle on disease outcomes
- the upcoming changes in nutritional labels
- supplement support for various health outcomes (despite some attacks)
- updates on some unknown side effects and downfalls of common medications
As usual, I’ve given you the whole buffet and a good taste of the summary. The links are provided when available for you to dig in more if you desire.
Before you begin your skimming, here are some…
BreakFree Medicine Updates:
1. With editing still in play with my upcoming book and my publisher looking at my marketing status, I need your help. If you haven’t already “liked” me on my BreakFree Medicine Facebook page, please do. This will show my publishers that the world is ready to empower their own wellness.
2. More training for me!
Yup, I’m excited. This time the focus is extensively on using therapeutic essential oils in my practice. Gary Young himself will be the speaker! This means I’ll be in geek heaven yet again. It also means the office will be closed April 11th-April 15th.
MORE ESSENTIAL OILS RESOURCES AND UPDATES
3. I’ve uploaded more learning resources and handouts to supplement information on the essential oils teleseminars. Many of you have provided feedback that you enjoyed learning about the application of essential oils and have shared the recordings with loved ones. Thank you for spreading the word! Let me know what other topics you’d like covered.
Workshop information has also been updated.
HEALTH
5% of Calories from Sugar, Says WHO
Sugar doesn’t have a sweet effect on our health. Early in March, The World Health Organization officially stated that they want us to decrease our sugar intake even more than they recommended in the past. According to the Associated Press:
The World Health Organization says your daily sugar intake should be just 5 percent of your total calories — half of what the agency previously recommended, according to new draft guidelines published Wednesday.
Cheng, M. WHO: Only 5% of calories should be from sugar. Associated Press. March 5, 2014.
Nutritional Label Makeover Update
The first change to the nutritional label on our foods is about to get an overhaul after over 20 years. Late in February, the Obama administration reported its intention to keep up with the science of nutrition and clarify what is healthy.
The Washington Post reports:
The new label, which could take a year or more to appear on store shelves, includes more than half a dozen significant changes — such as more prominent calorie counts and more realistic serving sizes — that advocates see as key in fighting the country’s obesity epidemic. Years of research show that tracking calories may be more important than tracking fat consumption when it comes to your health.
Cha, A, Thompson, K. Food labels to get first makeover in 20 years with new emphasis on calories, sugar. Washington Post. February 26, 2014.
Brush Your Teeth-Prevent Cancer?
Did you know your spouse’s smelly breath or your recent root canal could be affecting your lifespan? Dr. Mercola reported on some scary studies that demonstrate that there are links between oral health and wellness. These include:
- Two independent new studies connecting a common oral bacterium (F. nucleatum) to colorectal cancer
- F. nucleatum’s role to cause stillbirths in mice and its recent link to one woman’s baby’s tragic stillbirth
- Although long-term human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is commonly associated with cervical cancer, an estimated 60 to 80 percent of all oropharyngeal cancers are related to this infection
Mercola, J. Pathogens in Your Mouth Can Lead to Cancer in Other Parts of Your Body. mercola.com. March 5, 2014.
The Aging Dad and Babies Outcomes
According to Reuters, men have a biological clock too:
Based on millions of children born in Sweden since the 1970s, researchers say those born to fathers older than 45 were significantly more likely to develop autism, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia than those born to much younger fathers.
Cohen, R. Children of older fathers may be at higher risk for mental illness. Reuters.com. March 4, 2014.
Depression is Now Officially a Risk Factor for Heart Health
An expert panel convened by the American Heart Association (AHA) has updated their risks for heart disease to include depression. According to Medscape:
The AHA Scientific Statement notes that the combined findings support the call to formally “elevate depression to the status of a risk factor” for adverse outcomes, such as all-cause and cardiac mortality, in patients who have acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
Brauser, D. List Depression as Official Heart Disease Risk Factor, AHA Panel Says. Medscape Medical News > Psychiatry. February 28, 2014
Acupuncture Decreases Inflammation
New research using a mice model of sepsis demonstrated that acupuncture may help decrease inflammation. The mechanism was linked to modulating levels of the feel good brain chemical dopamine in the brain, rather than affecting adrenal function.
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Acupuncture holds promise for treating inflammatory disease, study shows. ScienceDaily. February 23, 2014.
NUTRIGENOMICS
Heart Healthy Lifestyle Affects Genes
A study matching 63 participants and 63 controls with two or more risk factors for heart disease demonstrated the power of lifestyle changes on heart health. The participants of the lifestyle program had a significant drop in blood pressure, weight, and lipid markers. According to Vital Choice Newsletter:
The lifestyle-change program consisted of:
- A very low-fat vegetarian diet (<10% of calories from fat).
- 180 minutes/week of moderate aerobic exercise.
- One hour of stress management each day.
- Weekly group support sessions.
Specifically, there was a 9% improvement in BMI, a 7% drop in triglycerides, and a 7% drop in blood pressure.
Wetherby, C. Major Study Exonerates Saturated Fat. VitalChoice Newsletter.March 20, 2014.
Saturated Fats Not Necessarily Bad and Other Fats Not Necessarily Good-Meta-analysis
An analysis in the Annals of Internal Medicine that consisted of prospective, observational studies and randomized, controlled trials of fatty acids from dietary intake, fatty acid biomarkers, and randomized, controlled trials of fatty acid supplementation, the following conclusion was made:
Conclusion: Current evidence does not clearly support cardiovascular guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats.
Chowdhury R et al. Association of Dietary, Circulating, and Supplement Fatty Acids With Coronary Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):398-406-406. doi:10.7326/M13-1788
Beneficial Effects of Lifestyle on Genes Affecting the Vascular System
An article in Medscape reported on a study that analyzed how lifestyle changes affected vascular inflammation. The researchers did this by using a Gene Chip which showed how genes were turned on and off. The article states:
The researchers obtained peripheral blood samples from the participants and controls, isolated the RNA, and then used Gene Chip (Affymetrix) human genome arrays to analyze which genes were being turned on or off. They profiled about 22 000 genes.
“After a year of this lifestyle program, we saw 143 genes that really showed a significant change in their expression,” Ellsworth said. “A lot of these genes were involved in the immune response. Most of these genes [99] were being downregulated, which is a sign that the amount of vascular inflammation was decreasing with this program.”
Busko, M. Heart-Healthy Lifestyle Changes Also Alter Gene Expression. Heartwire:Medscape.com. March 5, 2014.
A Fun Video on The Most Powerful Detox Vegetable from GreenMed TV:
Click here to read The Power of Supplementation on Wellness
DRUGS
The Sweetest Antibiotic
Honey could be the next natural antibiotic. It seems that honey can fight infections in multiple ways. Honey’s strength to kill bugs includes its high phenol content, an osmotic effect that dehydrates bacterial cells, and inhibiting biofilms.
American Chemical Society (ACS). Honey offers new approach to fighting antibiotic resistance. ScienceDaily.com.March 16, 2014.
Blood Pressure Meds Increase Risk for Falls
According to Medscape:
Taking antihypertensive medications may lead to a significantly increased risk for serious fall injuries among older adults with hypertension and multiple comorbidities, according to an article published online February 24 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Hand, L. BP Meds Linked to Serious Fall Injuries in Elderly. Medscape Medical News. February 28, 2014.
OTC Statins?
Pfizer, the maker of Lipitor, is currently undertaking a 1200 patient study to investigate if atorvastatin could be taken effectively over-the-counter to lower LDL-cholesterol levels.
O’Riordan, M. Lipitor without a Rx? Pfizer Pushes Ahead With OTC Plans. Heartwire: Medscape.com. March 4, 2014.
The Generic Drug Scare
After many recalls and import bans by the Food and Drug Administration to generic drugs supplied by India, doctors grow weary of recommending certain generic medications.
Clarke, T & Berkrot, B. Unease Grows Among U.S. Doctors Over Indian Drug Quality. Medscape.com: Reuters Health Information. March 19, 2014.
SSRIs and Male Infertility Linked
Medscape recently reported on a study in Urology linking the SSRI antidepressant drug serataline to male infertility markers:
A randomized, single-blind study in men being treated with the drug for premature ejaculation (PE) showed that the drug significantly reduced sperm concentration and percentage of normal morphology and significantly increased percentage of sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation compared with behavioral therapy (BT).
Lowry, F. SSRI May Negatively Affect Male Fertility. Medscape Medical News > Psychiatry. March 20, 2014
Study Shows History of HPV Infection May Pose Risk Reduction, Bad News for Vaccine
According to a recent study, those who have naturally acquired antibodies to human papilloma virus (HPV) may have less risk of developing HPV associated cervical abnormalities then those who had the vaccine.
Xavier Castellsagué, et al. Risk of newly detected infections and cervical abnormalities in women seropositive for naturally-acquired HPV-16/18 antibodies: analysis of the control arm of PATRICIA. J Infect Dis. (2014) doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiu139.
