Family mealLabor Day is now officially over and back-to-school is in full swing. As we pack away our white shorts and unpack our kid’s lunch box leftovers, I thought it was a perfect time to provide you with wellness information to help keep your young Einsteins germ-fighting and sniffle-free ninjas.

So, as the kiddies head back to their enclosed, germ-lurking, and learning quarters, be sure to check out my essential oil blog: Back to School Immune Support- Essential Oils vs. Resistant Bugs. In it, I review how essential oils are a safe, natural tool to keep your young ones healthy and happy all year long.

The end of the month also means it’s time for my review of this month’s top headlines in wellness, nutrition, nutrigenomics, health, and medicine.

So, in the interest of keeping up with all the back to school activities, I will keep this short, sweet, and skim friendly. If you want to dive more into the information, I’ll provide the sources.

Here’s to a wonderful fall for all.

 

NUTRIGENOMICS

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Sugar’s Role in Cancer

A new study’s findings reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation demonstrated that increased glucose uptake in breast cancer cell models induced pathways linked to cancer formation. Interestingly, decreasing glucose uptake in the cells started to reverse these same cellular signaling pathways to malignancy!

The good news is that there are many things we can eat and do to prevent cancer!

Here’s an empowering summary!

Additional Source:Ji, S. Research Reveals How Sugar CAUSES Cancer. (August 2014) http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/research-reveals-how-sugar-causes-cancer

 

Green Tea- A Powerful Cancer Preventative Drink?

A study in the journal Metabolomics reported that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant found in green tea, affected an enzyme involved in the metabolism of pancreatic cancer cells, LDHA.

 

More calcium controversy! Is it safe for heart health in women?

A new meta-analysis was published with an aim to describe the link between cardiovascular risk in elderly women and calcium supplementation. Eighteen reports that included a total of 63,563 participants with validated 3,390 cardiovascular events and 4,157 deaths were used to determine the relative risk. In this analysis, there was no indication that calcium intake, with or without vitamin D, was linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal woman.

Note: All studies have potential design biases including individual variances in health within groups and quality of nutrients provided.

 

Vitamin D News

Click here

 

 

HEALTH

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The Power of the Mind with Asthma

The Journal of Psychosomatic Research reported on the power of the mind in relation to asthma symptoms. Researchers concluded, “Expectations elicited by smelling a perceived harmful odor may affect airway physiology and impact asthma exacerbations.”

 

The Ebola Outbreak- Level 1 by CDC

“US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised its level of emergency alertness to “Level 1” in response to the Ebola virus, following outbreaks in West Africa,” reports Dr. Mercola.

Could natural treatments help? (Also see essential oils links)

 

SLEEP

Sleep and Weight: Decreased sleep duration was linked to insulin resistance, increase in hunger hormones, risk for obesity, and diabetes. (doi: 10.1159/000358858)

Death Risk and Sleep: A longitudinal study following 1,741 men and women randomly selected from Central Pennsylvania for 14 years (men) and 10 years (women) linked an increase in mortality risk for men who slept less than 6 hours. This held after controlling for other factors. Interestingly, there was no connection found in women. (Could time be a factor?) (http://www.journalsleep.org/viewabstract.aspx?pid=27894)

 

More GMO Pesticides to Be Released

According to an August 6th article by Reuters,” U.S. regulators on Tuesday said they are leaning toward approval of a new line of herbicide-tolerant crops developed by Monsanto Co even though they could increase problematic weed resistance for farmers.” (USDA leaning toward approval of Monsanto’s new GMO beans, cotton. August 6, 2014.)

 

 

The “Gluten Free” Truth in Labeling

Earlier this month NPR reported, “If you spot a food package label that says gluten free, you can now be pretty well assured that the label means what it says. As of Aug. 5, all food manufacturers must be in compliance with a set by the Food and Drug Administration.

The rule states that foods may be labeled “gluten free” only if there’s less than 20 parts per million of the protein.” (Truth In Labeling: Celiac Community Cheers FDA Rule For Gluten Free. August 6, 2014.)

 

FDA Says Use of Antibiotics Still OK in Healthy Animals

“The US Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not required to ban the routine feeding of antibiotics to food animals that are not sick. This ruling came despite the FDA’s own existing data that shows this practice is a threat to public safety. The misuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture contributes to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Each year, 23,000 Americans die as a result of antibiotic resistant infections.” (Grove, B. Appeals Court Allows Industry Misuse of Antibiotics in Animals to Continue. Health Care Without Harm. July 24, 2014).

 

 Bugs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The (Gut) Microbiome

My Belly Bug Obsession Continues….

Read about its link to Lupus and the blood pressure effects here.

 

A Little Running Saves Lives

A 15 year study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, included 55 137 participants in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study(ACLS) associated running with a significantly lower risk of morality. There did not appear to be any more benefit in terms of cardiovascular mortality risk reduction in those who ran the most. (Little Running Goes a Long Way: Mortality Benefit at Just Six Miles per Week. Medscape: Heartwire. July 29, 2014.)

 

No Longer an Easy Access To Determine Safety of Hospitals

According to an article in USA Today, “CMS removed data on eight of these avoidable “hospital acquired conditions” (HACs) on its hospital comparison site last summer but kept it on a public spreadsheet that could be accessed by quality researchers, patient-safety advocates and consumers savvy enough to translate it. As of this month, it’s gone. Now researchers have to calculate their own rates using claims data.” (O’Donnell, J. Feds stop public disclosure of many serious hospital errors. August 6, 2014.)

 

The Sweet Spot of the Salt Shaker

There exists a nonlinear relationship between the amount of salt and blood pressure, not too high or too low seems to be the Goldilocks.

(DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1311989, DOI: 10.1038/ajh.2011.210, Controversial studies say lowest sodium intake may pose risks. Reuters.com. August 13, 2014.)

 

Toxic Mouth

Colgate Found to Have Triclosan:

 

Why You Should Care?

  1. Exposure to common quaternary ammonium disinfectants decreases fertility in mice. Reproductive Toxicology. August 14, 2014 (online). DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2014.07.071
  2. Hand Sanitizer does not reduce illness absences in schools (DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001700)
  3. Exposure is being found in fetuses in moms-to-be (doi: 10.1021/es501100w. Epub 2014 Jul 15.)

 

 

DRUGS

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No Numbing Drugs Unsupervised for Teething Baby, FDA Warn

According to CBS news, the FDA now requires a warning on the label of all prescription oral viscous lidocaine for teething babies and children. They also recommend that these products should not be used for children under two years of age due to risk confusion, jitteriness, shaking, seizures, falling asleep too easily, vision problems and vomiting. (HealthDay. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/numbing-medications-can-harm-teething-babies-fda-warns/)

 

An Aspirin a Day May Not Keep the Doctor Away

The FDA website reports on how primary prevention with aspirin is being reconsidered, “However, after carefully examining scientific data from major studies, FDA has concluded that the data do not support the use of aspirin as a preventive medication by people who have not had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular problems, a use that is called “primary prevention.” In such people, the benefit has not been established but risks—such as dangerous bleeding into the brain or stomach—are still present.”

 

Study: Clarithromycin Linked to Greater Heart Risk Compared to Penicillin V

(Clarithromycin Tied to Risk of Cardiac Death in Cohort Study. Medscape: Heartwire. August 19, 2014.)

 

Hormone Therapy

A four year, 9-center randomized placebo-controlled study of 727 women aged 42-58 years old was done to assess the effect of hormonal therapy on atherosclerosis progression. The subjects received oral estrogens or transdermal estradiol with oral micronized progesterone and were compared to a placebo group. According to Medscape, “Compared with placebo, however, it improved CVD factors such as lipid profile and insulin resistance, as well as vasomotor symptoms.” (Menopause: Hormone Therapy Does Not Slow Atherosclerosis. Medscape Medical News. July 30, 2014.)

Read more about considerations for hormonal therapy here.

 

Update in Pain Meds

Dr. Mercola reports, “The FDA has announced its intention to reclassify hydrocodone-containing painkillers from a Schedule III to a Schedule II drug. The reclassification will affect how hydrocodone-containing drugs can be prescribed and refilled. Ironically enough, FDA just approved the first drug containing pure hydrocodone for the US market, aimed at patients who need around-the-clock pain relief.” (FDA Urges Tighter Rein on Hydrocodone Medication While Simultaneously Approving Another Addictive Painkiller. August 06, 2014.)

 

Inhaled Insulin Gets Approved

(Deal With Sanofi Means Inhaled Insulin on US Market in 2015. Medscape Medical News. August 11, 2014.)

 

Increased Risk for Falls with 20 Common Meds

According to Reuter’s Health Information, “Half of the 20 most commonly prescribed medications taken by older adults may raise the risk of falls, according to new research. Painkillers and antidepressants were most strongly tied to a greater likelihood of being injured in a fall, the study of 64,000 Swedes over age 65 found.” (Kennedy, M. Many Meds Taken by Seniors Can Raise Risk of Falls. Medscape: Reuters Health Information. Medscape.com. August 13, 2014.)