Nutrition Research Center: Health Update

Genetically Engineered Sugar Coming to Stores in 2008

2007-09-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

ALERT: GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SUGAR TO HIT STORES IN 2008

Hypocrisy runs rampant in corporate America. Compare these two quotes from American Crystal sugar company only three weeks apart:

May 2007: "American Crystal Sugar Company, has no plans to grow GM sugar beets. Herbicide resistant varieties developed using biotechnology will not be allowed to be sold, given away, distributed, or planted in year 2007."
(Source: Statement released by American Crystal)

August 2007: "Here at American Crystal, we believe biotechnology is the current wave that will help feed the world."
(Source: American Crystal President David Berg)

American Crystal, a large Wyoming-based sugar company, who ironically have launched an "organic" line of their sugar,and several other leading U.S. sugar providers have announced they will be sourcing their sugar from genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets beginning this year and arriving in stores in 2008. Like GE corn and GE soy, products containing GE sugar will not be labeled as such. Since half of the granulated sugar in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, a move towards biotech beets marks a dramatic alteration of the U.S. food supply. These sugars, along with GE corn and soy, are found in many conventional food products, so consumers will be exposed to genetically engineered ingredients in just about every non-organic multiple-ingredient product they purchase.

The GE sugar beet is designed to withstand strong doses of Monsanto's controversial broad spectrum Roundup herbicide. Studies indicate farmers planting "Roundup Ready" corn and soy spray large amounts of the herbicide, contaminating both soil and water. Farmers planting GE sugar beets are told they may be able to apply the herbicide up to five times per year. Sugar beets are grown on 1.4 million acres by 12,000 farmers in the U.S. from Oregon to Minnesota.

Meanwhile candy companies like Hershey's are urging farmers not to plant GE sugar beets, noting that consumer surveys suggest resistance to the product. In addition the European Union has not approved GE sugar beets for human consumption.

Want to get involved in putting a stop to this? CLICK HERE
(source: organic consumers association)

5 Things You Can Do To Prevent Heart Disease

2007-09-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

Heart disease is part of a broader health problem that is commonly called cardiovascular disease. This includes not only the heart itself, but also all the veins, arteries, capillaries and other blood vessels running from your head to your feet. Blocked blood vessels lead to heart attack, stroke, erectile dysfunction, back problems, poor wound healing and more. Why? Because when blood vessels are blocked they cannot bring blood, nutrients or oxygen to the rest of your body. When this happens, the heart and brain, among other areas, cannot function. They become, literally, starved.

Heart disease seems hereditary, but is it? This is an unanswered question because it is more than likely that heart disease continues through generations due to eating and lifestyle habits. Such habits are patterns of behavior, and not genetic traits. This means that if you create new, healthier habits, you'll be better off than your father, mother or grandparents who have suffered from cardiovascular disease. Where's the proof of this?

Harvard Medical School cardiologist Dean Ornish, MD, wrote a groundbreaking, myth-shattering book that continues to sell. It's called Reversing Heart Disease (It's only $8 plus shipping, but it will be the best change you've ever spent). Dr Ornish shows that heart disease, which includes blocked arteries, chest pains, and heart attacks are preventable. This means that visits to the emergency room, bypass surgery and pacemakers can be avoided.

Here are 5 Steps you can take to prevent heart disease:

Get rid of all altered, bad fats from your diet (eat only organic olive oil, organic coconut oil, organic butter)
Exercise
Detoxify your life: avoid air pollution, bug sprays, fumes, smoke
Decrease your stress
Eat mostly vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds; no junk food

More than 60 million people a year suffer with cardiovascular disease. Now we know that this isn't necessary.

If you want to add additional nutrients to your daily regimen, here are the ones:
VasCor Complex
BFood Complex
CalMag Balance

The above whole food supplements contain vitamins, minerals, herbs and nutrients that are valuable for nerve transmission, muscle contraction, electrolytes and blood flow.

School Cafeteria Lunches Serve Up A Big Bowl of Nonsense

2007-09-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

by Hector Diaz, PhD
Food Science Researcher

Parents are scared. Kids are scared. Schools are nervous. What's happening in the cafeteria these days? It's the great food shakeup, if you want to call what school cafeterias serve "food."

They are serving smaller sports drinks, baked "fries" and whatnot. But, according to nutritionists who aren't in cahoots with the major food corporations (namely registered dietitians; read the ADA, eatright.org, website to see who their sponsors are, because it will surprise you, in a bad way. The list includes Pepsico, drug companies, Kellogg's, General Mills, Mars candy, and others of that ilk.), the food shakeup is way off target. It protects corporations such as sugar growers, Coca Cola, Sara Lee, et. al., while it abuses our children. That's right, abuses. What else can you call it when profit comes first and the health of children comes second? Until we face this corporate-dietitian-school triad, then we're just the effect of lip service.

The biggest problem with children's health these days is obesity, diabetes, tooth decay and attention deficit. What is the food connection with these diseases?

Author of Evil Genius in the Garden of Eden, and Man Cannot Live on Vitamins Alone (amazon.com), Dr. Vic Shayne, nutritionresearchcenter.org, says, "Clearly, health professionals and food science researchers whose work and statements are not tainted by corporate influence and paybacks understand that sugars are at the bottom of the major childhood health problems. Sugars. Carbohydrate foods (carbs are sugars) are to blame. So instead of going after the sugars, which are the backbone of the food giants, educators and dietitians are going after fats and quantities. This is all wrong and hardly solves anything. If they really had children's health in mind, they would get rid of the sugars and the artificial ingredients. Cookies, cakes, candy, sodas, flavored drinks, cup cakes, birthday cakes, ice cream, chocolate bars, Jell-O and the like are at the bottom of it all. Reducing the sizes of slices and portions doesn't get rid of the sugar or the cravings, but switching from pudding to sliced almonds does.

"These people are EDUCATORS, for heaven's sake," says Dr. Shayne, "of all people they should understand that we need to revamp the system and educate people. Let them understand the connection between sugars and disease."

Read the following excerpt from a recent article on the subject (The School Cafeteria, on a Diet, New York Times, Andrew Martin):

As students return to school this week, some are finding unusual entries on the list of class rules: fewer fried foods, smaller servings and no cupcakes.

School districts across the country have been taking steps to make food in schools healthier because of new federal guidelines and awareness that a growing number of children are overweight.

In California, deep fryers have been banned, so chicken nuggets and fries are now baked. Sweet tea is off the menu in one Alabama school. In New Jersey, 20-ounce sports drinks have been cut back to 12 ounces.

Food and beverage companies have scrambled to offer healthier alternatives in school cafeterias and vending machines, and some of the changes have been met with a shrug by students. The whole-wheat chocolate-chip cookies? “Surprisingly, the kids have kind of embraced them,” said Laura Jacobo, director of food services at Woodlake Union schools in California.

But some parents say that by cracking down on cupcakes in the classroom to celebrate birthdays and Halloween, school officials have crossed a line.

On top of the practical question of how PTAs and drill teams can raise the money that will no longer be earned with bake sales, there is a matter closer to the heart, where the cupcake holds strong as a symbol of childhood innocence and parental love.

What's wrong with this picture?
Dr. Shayne says,

Any biochemist worth his salt will tell you that sugars, when not metabolized in the human body, will eventually be stored as fat. Also, sugars lead to pancreatic problems, attention deficiency and mineral deficiencies, among other things. People eat sugars and they get fat. Whole wheat pizza is still a carbohydrate food. If you don't want to be fat, then don't eat carbohydrate foods. Instead, eat lots of green vegetables, organically grown foods, lean meats, nuts and seeds. The educators aren't educating. People are more concerned that they will be sacrificing their 'fun' instead of being allowed to understand that today's fun equals tomorrow's heart attack or diabetes.

Surely, no sensible parent wants this for their child. There's no fun in diabetes, diabetic blindness, or the inability to think clearly. In the not too distant past, corporate America resisted getting rid of lead in paint and succeeded in defaming the doctor who fought for our children. Now we are seeing the same type of nonsense that's making cafeterias switch to smaller portions instead of getting rid of the real problem — carbohydrates.

Lip Service, or Bureaucratic Hogwash? School Cafeterias Forced to Make Changes: But They are Missing the Point.

2007-09-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

Parents are scared. Kids are scared. Schools are nervous. What's happening in the cafeteria these days? It's the great food shakeup, if you want to call what school cafeterias serve "food."

They are serving smaller sports drinks, baked "fries" and whatnot. But, according to nutritionists who aren't in cahoots with the major food corporations (namely registered dietitians; read their website to see who their sponsors are, because it will surprise you, in a bad way), the food shakeup is off target.

The biggest problem with children's health these days is obesity, diabetes, tooth decay and attention deficit. What is the food connection with these diseases?

Author of Evil Genius in the Garden of Eden, and Man Cannot Live on Vitamins Alone (amazon.com), Dr. Vic Shayne, nutritionresearchcenter.org, says, "Clearly, health professionals and food science researchers whose work and statements are not tainted by corporate influence and paybacks understand that sugars are at the bottom of the major childhood health problems. Sugars. Carbohydrate foods (carbs are sugars) are to blame. So instead of going after the sugars, which are the backbone of the food giants, educators and dietitians are going after fats and quantities. This is all wrong and hardly solves anything. If they really had children's health in mind, they would get rid of the sugars and the artificial ingredients. Cookies, cakes, candy, sodas, flavored drinks, cup cakes, birthday cakes, ice cream, chocolate bars, Jell-O and the like are at the bottom of it all. Reducing the sizes of slices and portions doesn't get rid of the sugar or the cravings, but switching from pudding to sliced almonds does.

"These people are EDUCATORS, for heaven's sake," says Dr. Shayne, "of all people they should understand that we need to revamp the system and educate people. Let them understand the connection between sugars and disease."

Read the following excerpt from a recent article on the subject:

As students return to school this week, some are finding unusual entries on the list of class rules: fewer fried foods, smaller servings and no cupcakes.
School districts across the country have been taking steps to make food in schools healthier because of new federal guidelines and awareness that a growing number of children are overweight.

In California, deep fryers have been banned, so chicken nuggets and fries are now baked. Sweet tea is off the menu in one Alabama school. In New Jersey, 20-ounce sports drinks have been cut back to 12 ounces.

Food and beverage companies have scrambled to offer healthier alternatives in school cafeterias and vending machines, and some of the changes have been met with a shrug by students. The whole-wheat chocolate-chip cookies? “Surprisingly, the kids have kind of embraced them,” said Laura Jacobo, director of food services at Woodlake Union schools in California.

But some parents say that by cracking down on cupcakes in the classroom to celebrate birthdays and Halloween, school officials have crossed a line.
On top of the practical question of how PTAs and drill teams can raise the money that will no longer be earned with bake sales, there is a matter closer to the heart, where the cupcake holds strong as a symbol of childhood innocence and parental love.

What's wrong with this picture? Dr. Shayne says, "Any biochemist worth his salt will tell you that sugars, when not metabolized in the human body, will eventually be stored as fat. People eat sugars and they get fat. If you don't want to be fat, then don't eat carbohydrate foods. Instead, eat lots of green vegetables, organically grown foods, lean meats, nuts and seeds. The educators aren't educating. People are more concerned that they will be sacrificing their fun instead of being allowed to understand that today's fun equals tomorrow's heart attack or diabetes. Surely, no sensible parent wants this for their child."

In Praise of the Pontiff: The Pope, Going Green & NutriPlex Formulas' 'Think Green' Slogan

2007-09-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the suggestion of Dr Vic Shayne, on the side of each bottle of NutriPlex Formulas' whole food supplements you'll find a little logo that says, simply, "Think Green." This is a subtle, not-so-little statement. We live in a world that is threatened by global warming, pollution and human-made destruction. With this commitment to greener ideas and actions, you can imagine how pleased we at Nutrition Research Center were when the Pope just came out with his bold new Green campaign! With 500,000 cheering people in front of him, the pontiff made a heartfelt statement that we need to take matters into our own hands and save the planet. Talk about stepping up to the plate!

Read the Associated Press article...

Pope Urges Young to Care for Planet
By NICOLE WINFIELD

LORETO, Italy (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI urged hundreds of thousands of young Catholics on Sunday to take better care of the planet, saying the world's water supply needs to be preserved and shared to avoid conflicts.

Benedict offered a very eco-friendly message during an open-air Mass on the final day of a weekend religious youth rally in the pilgrimage town of Loreto that was organized by the Italian bishops' conference.

The Italian Church has designated Sept. 1 as "Save Creation Day," and as a result the Loreto meeting carried a strong environmental message, with each of the participants given biodegradable plates, recycling bags for their trash and a hand-cranked cell-phone recharger.

Benedict told the crowd that it was up to them to urgently save the planet from development that had often ignored "nature's delicate equilibrium."

"Before it's too late, we need to make courageous choices that will recreate a strong alliance between man and Earth," Benedict said in his homily. "We need a decisive 'yes' to care for creation and a strong commitment to reverse those trends that risk making the situation of decay irreversible."

He said water, in particular, was a "precious" resource that needed to be preserved since "it unfortunately becomes a source of strong tensions and conflicts if it isn't shared in an equitable and peaceful manner."

Benedict has been on something of a green campaign of late, lamenting just this past week the environmental impact of recent forest fires in Italy and Greece. During his recent summer vacation in the mountains, he spoke frequently about the importance of nature in rekindling spirituality.

An estimated 500,000 people turned out for Benedict's Mass, the ANSA news agency said, citing police. Most of them spent the night camped out on tarps and tents on the field down the hill from Loreto, Italy's most important shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The meeting was an Italian warm-up for next year's World Youth Day, in Sydney, Australia, which the 80-year-old pope plans to attend.

Are You Losing or Winning? Weight Gain and Obesity Has Reached Epidemic Proportions in America

2007-08-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Loosen the belt buckle another notch: Obesity rates continued to climb in 31 states last year, and no state showed a decline.

Mississippi became the first state to crack the 30 percent barrier for adults considered to be obese. West Virginia and Alabama were just behind, according to the Trust for America's Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention.

Colorado continued its reign as the leanest state in the nation with an obesity rate projected at 17.6 percent.

This year's report, for the first time, looked at rates of overweight children ages 10 to 17. The District of Columbia had the highest percentage — 22.8 percent. Utah had the lowest — 8.5 percent.

Health officials say the latest state rankings provide evidence that the nation has a public health crisis on its hands.

Unfortunately, we're treating it like a mere inconvenience instead of the emergency that it is," said Dr. James Marks, senior vice president at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropy devoted to improving health care.

Officials at the Trust for America's Health want the government to play a larger role in preventing obesity. People who are overweight are at an increased risk for diabetes, heart problems and other chronic diseases that contribute to greater health care costs.

"It's one of those issues where everyone believes this is an epidemic, but it's not getting the level of political and policymaker attention that it ought to," said Jeffrey Levi, the organization's executive director. "As every candidate for president talks about health care reform and controlling health care cost costs, if we don't home in on this issue, none of their proposals are going to be affordable."

At the same time, many believe weight is a personal choice and responsibility. Levi doesn't dispute that notion, but he said society can help people make good choices.

"If we want kids to eat healthier food, we have to invest the money for school nutrition programs so that school lunches are healthier," he said. "If we want people to be more physically active, then there have to be safe places to be active. That's not just a class issue. We've designed suburban communities where there are no sidewalks for anybody to go out and take a walk."

To measure obesity rates, Trust for America's Health compares data from 2003-2005 with 2004-2006. It combines information from three years to improve the accuracy of projections. The data come from a survey of height and weight taken over the telephone. Because the information comes from a personal estimate, some believe it is conservative.

Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study last year noting a national obesity rate of about 32 percent — a higher rate than was cited for any of the states in the Trust for America's Health report. The CDC's estimate came from weighing people rather than relying on telephone interviews, officials explained.

Generally, anyone with a body mass index greater than 30 is considered obese. The index is a ratio that takes into account height and weight. The overweight range is 25 to 29.9. Normal is 18.5 to 24.9. People with a large amount of lean muscle mass, such as athletes, can show a large body mass index without having an unhealthy level of fat.

A lack of exercise is a huge factor in obesity rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found last year that more than 22 percent of Americans did not engage in any physical activity in the past month. The percentage is greater than 30 percent in four states: Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Meanwhile, Minnesotans led the way when it came to exercise. An estimated 15.4 percent of the state's residents did not engage an any physical exercise — the best rate in the nation. Still, the state ranked 28th overall when it came to the percentage of obese adults.

Another factor in obesity rates is poverty. The five poorest states were all in the top 10 when it came to obesity rates. An exception to that rule was the District of Columbia and New Mexico. Both had high poverty rates, but also one of the lower obesity rates among adults.

Poverty can lead to less safe neighborhoods, which deter children from playing. It can lead to fewer grocery stores offering fruits and vegetables, and it can lead to greater reliance on fast food, officials said.

"It seems the cheapest foods are the worst ones for you," Marks said.

Officials said the report is not designed to stigmatize states with high obesity rates but to stir them into action.

"These are the states where the urgency is the greatest. They need not to wait for others to lead. They need to become the leaders," Marks said. "It's the only way that they can restore the health of their children and their families. It's the only way that they can improve their economic competitiveness."
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Editor's Note: See our Weight Loss Program

Pau d'Arco — Wondrous Healing Herb From the Rainforest

2007-07-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

Pau d’arco is a tree found in the rainforests of Central and South America. Its common names include lapacho, taheebo and trumpet tree. The inner bark of pau d’arco is used by native tribes to treat cancer, lupus, infectious diseases, wounds, backache, toothache and sexually transmitted diseases. “The medicinal value of pau d’arco is thought to reside in certain compounds, called naphthaquinones, in the inner bark. Proponents claim that naphthaquinones enhance the immune system, cleanse the body and stimulate the production of red blood cells, which can increase the amount of oxygen the blood can carry contributing to healing.” * The heartwood of Pau d’arco — Tabebuia avellanedae — contains chemical compounds called naphthoquinones such as lapachol, as well as significant amounts of the antioxidant quercetin.

“Pau d'arco, or the inner bark of the Tabebuia avellanedae tree, is native to Brazil, where it is used traditionally to treat a wide range of conditions including pain, arthritis, inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis), fever, dysentery, boils and ulcers, and various cancers. Preliminary laboratory research examining the properties of pau d'arco is beginning to suggest that the traditional uses may have scientific merit. Such laboratory studies have shown that pau d'arco has pain killing, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-infectious, anti-psoriatic, and anti-cancer abilities.” Other uses include for candidiasis (a yeast infection of the vaginal or oral areas), herpes simplex virus, influenza, parasitic diseases such as schistosomiasis, bacterial infections such as brucellosis, and inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis) or the vagina (vaginitis). Pau d'arco may also reduce inflammation of the joints associated with arthritis. (University of Maryland Medical Center; http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/PaudArcoch.html)

Traditional uses also include for cancer, lupus, infectious diseases, wounds, backache, toothache and sexually transmitted diseases. Proponents claim that naphthaquinones enhance the immune system, cleanse the body and stimulate the production of red blood cells, which can increase the amount of oxygen the blood can carry contributing to healing. In large doses, Pau d’arco has killed lung cancer cells grown in the laboratory and reduced the rate of lung tumor growth in mice. The whole bark has no known side effects. The unrefined bark is much safer than taking extracts of the active ingredients. High doses of naphthaquinones can cause uncontrolled bleeding, nausea and vomiting. (University of California Medical Center, San Diego; Moores Cancer Center) For this reason, it is safer to consume the plant in its whole, natural form (as found in Nutriplex Formulas’ Detox Complex) rather than as preparation that infuses isolated naphthaquinones into the formula.

“In addition to its reported antitumor activities, Pau d’arco clearly has demonstrated broad clinical actions against a number of disease-causing organisms, which supports its wide uses in herbal medicine. Antimicrobial properties of many active phytochemicals were demonstrated in several trials, in which they exhibited strong in vitro activity against various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and yeast (including Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, cryptococcus neoformans).

”Lapachol has been stated to be active against certain viral strains including herpes virus types I and II. Naphthoquinones have been documented to show effectiveness against four strains of the flu, polio and vesicular stomatitis virus. The mechanism of action of these quinolones is supposed to be via DNA and RNA polymerase inhibition and retrovirus reveres transcriptase. Further Beta- lapachone is presumed to interfere with the replication of HIV-1 virus via transcriptase inhibition. Pau d’arco and its chemicals also have demonstrated in vitro antiviral properties against various viruses, including Herpes I and II, influenza, poliovirus, and vesicular stomatitis virus. It is reported that lapachol decreases the replication of viruses in human subjects however there is no available clinical data. (Rahel Woldu; Reviewed 5/14/03 Susan Paulsen Pharm D; University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center)

IMPORTANT NOTE ON QUALITY: “Most of the commercially-available pau d’arco contain the inner and outer bark of the tree—which is stripped off at sawmills when the heartwood is milled into lumber for construction materials. At least 10 species of Tabebuia are logged commercially in South America for lumber purposes alone. When these logs arrive at lumber mills, the identifying leaves and flowers (which distinguish the tree species) are long gone—it’s all just “pau d’arco.” This may explain varying species of pau d’arco bark being sold as herbal products—and their resulting (diminished) quality.” FOR THIS REASON, NutriPlex Formulas uses a guaranteed pure source of Pau D’arco from the Costa Rican Rainforest.

* A Cancer Patient's Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2nd Edition; Editor: Kerry Harwood, RN, MSN; Duke University Medical Center

Fish oil may protect preemies' eyesight

2007-07-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Mon Jul 9, 2007

WASHINGTON - Perhaps nowhere in the body is the adage "you are what you eat" so true as in your eyes, a link scientists are banking on in a novel bid to save premature babies' vision.

Doctors are about to begin testing whether fish oils could prevent a disease that can silently attack behind preemies' tiny eyelids, one that strikes about 16,000 U.S. infants a year and blinds hundreds.

It's part of research into a trio of apparently eye-healthy compounds that babies born too early miss absorbing from their mothers — research gaining increasing attention as more and babies are born premature and at risk.

"We're trying to mimic what would happen in utero," explains Dr. Lois Smith, an opthalmologist at Children's Hospital Boston who is leading the work. "Rather than give drugs, we're doing replacement treatment."

Preventing the disease — called retinopathy of prematurity, or ROP — is a major goal, because there's no sure way to save vision once it strikes. Laser therapy decreases but doesn't eliminate the chance of blindness, and many babies who don't go blind still suffer serious damage.

It's not just an issue for preemies. The same abnormal growth of blood vessels behind ROP triggers two leading causes of blindness in adults: diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Already, scientists are studying if these omega-3 fatty acids — the same kind touted for heart health — could protect adult eyes, too.

Why might they? These diseases destroy the retina, the eye's innermost layer, which harbors a higher percentage of certain fats than other organs. Eat lots of salmon, rich in omega-3s, and your retina will show it. Eat mostly hamburgers, and your retina will harbor more of a different fatty acid, omega-6s. The retina's composition actually changes with diet.

Mothers pass omega-3s to their unborn children mostly during the third trimester, when the eyes develop most rapidly. Preemies not only miss out on some or all of that transfer, but omega-3s aren't added to the intravenous feeding that many require, either.

Premature babies have still forming retinas; blood vessels necessary to nourish them haven't finished growing. ROP forms when something spurs those blood vessels to grow abnormally — too many form, and they leak.

But do omega-3s play a role? Smith and colleagues at Harvard and the National Eye Institute first turned to mice to find out.

They harmed the mice retinas in a way that mimics ROP, and then fed them different foods: Half ate the rodent version of a typical Western diet, high in omega-6s and low in omega-3s. Half ate the equivalent of a Japanese diet, with a 2 percent higher omega-3 content.

That simple change cut in half the retinal disease among the omega-3-nibbling mice, Smith reported last month in the journal Nature Medicine.

More intriguing, the omega-3s didn't just block bad blood vessels from forming. They also helped normal, healthy blood vessels grow. They appeared to work by blocking well-known inflammation-causing pathways in the body — while mice fed more of the omega-6s experienced extra inflammation.

Now, Smith is about to begin a study in premature babies at her Boston hospital to see if adding omega-3s to their IV feedings — feedings that today contain omega-6s instead — decreases their risk of eye damage.

"This could be a very simple and safe treatment," says Dr. Rafael Ufret-Vincenty, a retina specialist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Indeed, omega-3s have long been known to be important for newborn brain development; they're in breast milk and are added to some formulas for older babies. When it comes to preemies' IV feeding, a version rich in omega-3s is available in Germany but hasn't spread to North America, says Dr. Sylvain Chemtob, an ROP specialist at Sainte-Justine University Health Centre in Montreal.

"It makes a lot of biological sense," he says.

These are the same fish oils sold as over-the-counter dietary supplements for heart health, and a nationwide study already is recruiting adults with macular degeneration to test if high doses could slow their vision loss.

For preemies, omega-3s aren't the only missing-from-mom player generating attention. A drug combination sold to treat hormone-deficient children grow taller is being studied, too — a growth hormone called IGF-1 and a "binding protein" that helps regulate it.

Smith already knew babies with ROP lacked the growth hormone, but last month she and colleagues at Sweden's University of Goteborg reported they also have less binding protein than healthy babies. Studies in mice suggest that protein helps ROP-stricken retinas develop more normally, the Swedish team and University of Florida researchers reported, apparently by calling on stem cells to help build strong blood vessels.

Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.

Male Problems? What's Going on Down Under (And I Don't Mean Australia)?

2007-07-11T16:33:00.001-07:00

by Dr Vic Shayne & Dr George Siegfried

Statistics show that men are far less likely than women to discuss their sexual problems, visit a doctor for these problems, or seek relief. Why? We can only speculate that it has to do with fear of associating such concerns with lack of strength and virility— a cultural thing. Regardless, many male health problems are not that difficult to resolve.

The most prominent "male problems" include prostate enlargement, inflammation and cancer, impotence, infertility and various diseases of the male anatomy. Ultimately, nutrition remains the least understood and easiest to correct means of improving health and overcoming illness.

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, affects 10-20 million men in the U.S. Men of all ages can experience ED at time, due to many reasons, such as illness, drugs, surgery, injury, depression, or stress. About 85 percent of all cases ED are caused by physical problems. If the cause is psychological, counseling may help. (University of Iowa Health Care Health Reports, 2004)

BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a common condition in which the prostate gland has grown larger than normal. BPH affects mostly older men – it is common in men over age 50, affects more than half the men over age 60, and by age 80, about 80 percent of men have it. It is not cancer, but a condition in which the prostate cells grow, enlarging the gland and causing it to squeeze the urethra. This leads to difficult, frequent or urgent urination because the stream of urine from the bladder is partially blocked.

Men get less sleep than women, which can reduce immune functioning and contributes to accidental death rates. The quality of men's sleep is also poorer than women's.

Men are more likely than women to engage in more substance use and abuse (alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs).

Endocrine Disrupters
Endocrine disrupters are chemicals which keep the hormonal system from working properly. Unfortunately, these chemicals are out of control in our food supply and environment and include certain plastics, artificial ingredients, pesticides and byproducts of industry. When the endocrine (hormonal, glandular) system is interfered with by endocrine disrupters, the results range from cancer to sexual dysfunction. The best thing to do is to live naturally (get rid of household chemicals and eat organic foods).

In 1992, Danish endocrinologist Niels Skakkebaek determined that sperm counts had declined by 50 percent worldwide from 1938 to 1990. He later suggested that PCBs and pesticides, including DDT, may be the cause. (mindfully.org/Pesticide/Hormone-Mimics-In-Food; Hormone Mimics (Endocrine Disruptors): They're in Our Food Should We Worry? Consumer Reports June 98).

Improper NUTRITION
Men's diets are worse than women's, with higher levels of caloric intake (far exceeding what is necessary because of their larger, on average, body mass), more fat intake, more cholesterol, fewer fruits, vegetables, and fiber. Also, men are more likely than women to skip meals (especially breakfast).

Men are less likely than women to alter their diet to prevent health problems, even when they have diagnosed health problems. They are less likely than women to stay in bed to recuperate.

Men are more overweight compared to women. Weight is linked to heart disease, type II diabetes, some cancers, and sleep disorders. An average of 43 percent of overweight men believe themselves to be of normal weight for their height.

Improved NUTRITION & Lifestyle
Improving one's nutrition is the most natural way of resolving any health problem, including conditions particular to male health; and the best way to do this is:

Stop eating non-foods such as processed foods, margarine, commercial cereal, artificial ingredients, MSG, refined sugars, hydrogenated fats, etc. (these substances interrupt hormonal functions)
Start eating real foods: raw, organic vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts. Make these 60-70% of your diet.
Eliminate toxins from your life, as these impair your digestion of real foods, disrupt your endocrine system, burden your glands and organs, make your liver sluggish, cause cancer and disease, and offset otherwise beneficial therapies (including psychological ones).
Adhere to the Nutritional Schedule recommended for Male Health, including MaleSupport (6 tablets a day), Wheat Germ Oil (2 capsules a day), SuperGreens PhytoFood (6 tablets a day)
For erectile problems, follow heart-healthy programs. Add VasCor Complex (4 tablets a day) to your regimen for nutrition, control your cholesterol levels and purchase a copy of Dr Dean Ornish's best seller, Reversing Heart Disease.

Fish oil may protect preemies' eyesight

2007-07-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

Horsetail: An Herbal Remedy With Tradition for Healing Bones & Cartilage

2007-07-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), an herbal remedy dating back to at least ancient Roman and Greek medicine, was used traditionally to stop bleeding, heal ulcers and wounds, and treat tuberculosis and kidney problems. It has also long been used to address the repair of bones and cartilage. “The plant's stems are rich in silica and silicic acids, which help mend broken bones and form collagen, an important protein found in connective tissue, skin, bone, cartilage, and ligaments. Therefore, horsetail is used as a supplement to treat and prevent osteoporosis.” (UMM)

The health of bones, cartilage, muscle, joints and tendons is greatly supported by specific foods and herbs that contain the building blocks not only for new tissue, but also for celluar regeneration. The latter is an important issue because of the great amount of stress placed on the musculoskeletal issue from:
• injury
• aging
• growth
• deterioration
• drug use (including drugs that destroy tissue as negative side effects)
• athletics
• exercise
• strain
• genetic abnormalities
• disease (e.g., arthritis, osteoporosis, rickets)
• hormonal changes (e.g., estrogen in menopausal/postmenopausal women)
• improper nutrition
Regarding the last point, few doctors recognize the role of diet in musculoskeletal health, and focus more on repairing and preventing injuries.

HORSETAIL
Horsetail is an plant that contains chemicals with a mild diuretic action – promoting the loss of water from the body. Taken orally for a few days horsetail may relieve mild swelling caused by excess water in the body. Historically, it has also been used to treat bladder, kidney, and urinary tract infections, but prescription diuretics (“water pills”) and antibiotics used in modern medicine are much more potent (yet cause side effects) for both of these uses.

Horsetail has been studied for its possible usefulness in treating arthritis, osteoporosis, and other conditions of bones and cartilage. Horsetail contains relatively large amounts of silica and smaller amounts of calcium. — components of bones, joints, and connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments. “It is believed that proteins in body tissues need silica to combine properly. Isolated results from early studies of animals show that horsetail may also have some pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects, which could add to its potential as a treatment for arthritis and related conditions. Some case reports relate the use of horsetail to lower incidences of osteoporosis. ..Other chemicals in horsetail have an astringent effect that may lessen bleeding and speed healing of minor skin injuries such as cuts and scrapes. An astringent helps shrink and tighten the top layers of skin or mucous membranes, thereby reducing secretions, relieving irritation, and improving tissue firmness. Oil distilled from horsetail has shown some anti-infective effects in laboratory studies.” (drugdigest.org)

Other benefits
Horsetail is also useful for genito-urinary problems as well as support for the brittle fingernails, gout, frostbite, excessively heavy menstruation, rheumatic disease, skin and hair. (supplementnews.org)

Horsetail is a key ingredient in ProMin Complex, by NutriPlex Formulas.

Fish Oils May Prevent Macular Degneration

2007-07-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

By Maureen Williams, ND

Healthnotes Newswire (July 5, 2007)—Some people call fish “brain food,” but scientists have found that it’s good for much more than that. New research suggests that eating fish might protect the eyes.

Studies have shown that fish oil may well be the closest thing to a cure-all the world of nutrition has to offer. It lowers triglyceride levels and blood pressure, normalizes heart rhythm, prevents heart disease and sudden cardiac death, reduces inflammation and treats chronic inflammatory conditions such as allergies and autoimmune diseases, and prevents some cancers.

The eyes, like other parts of the body, are vulnerable to the effects of chronic inflammation. Age-related degeneration of the macula, an area in the back of the eye that is critical to proper vision, might be one of the results of chronic eye inflammation. Macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

A number of studies have linked macular degeneration to damage caused by harmful free radicals, which are combated by antioxidants such as vitamins C, E, and A, beta carotene, zinc, and selenium. Other research has found that the balance of fatty acids in the eye can influence macular degeneration risk, possibly by affecting the degree of inflammation.

Both saturated fatty acids (from animal fats) and monounsaturated fatty acids (from olive and other oils) have been found to slightly increase macular degeneration risk, while higher amounts of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids from fish, which are anti-inflammatory, appear to slightly decrease risk. The new study, published in Archives of Ophthalmology, included 4,519 people between 60 and 80 years old. After completing eye exams, the people were divided into four groups depending on the severity of macular degeneration. The results of dietary questionnaires were analyzed within each group.

People who reported eating more than one serving of baked or broiled fish per week were 35% less likely to have advanced macular degeneration than those who ate less than one serving of fish per month. The people with the highest intake of omega-3 fatty acids were found to be 40% less likely to be in the advanced macular degeneration group than those with the lowest intake. Of the omega-3 fatty acids, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, one of the primary fatty acids from fish) gave the strongest protection.

While eating fats from fish seemed to protect against macular degeneration, eating high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids from animal fat seemed to increase the likelihood of having macular degeneration. “It is important to consider the balance and composition of dietary [fats] from the omega-3 and omega-6 families,” the study’s authors point out in their conclusion. “These results and those from other [studies] suggest that modifying the diet to include more foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids could results in a reduction in the risk of having [advanced] age-related macular degeneration.”

(Arch Ophthalmol 2007;125:671–9)

Read more on FISH OILS HERE.

McDonalds Uses Their Old Grease to Fuel Their Vehicles & Reduce Emissions

2007-07-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

While I'm no fan of fast food, at least McDonalds is doing some things right. Hats off to their newest move toward saving our children's planet...

McDonald's puts oil to green use

The firm says it is determined to reduce its carbon footprint...

BBC News:
McDonald's is to convert all its UK delivery vehicles to run on biodiesel, using the firm's supply of cooking oil. The fast-food chain has pledged to convert all its 155 vehicles by next year, starting with 45 lorries based at its distribution centre in Hampshire.

By using the fuel - made by combining cooking oil and rapeseed oil - the firm said it would save more than 1,650 tonnes of carbon every year.

The move follows a successful trial last year.

'Environmental example'

McDonald's has long faced criticism over its environmental record.

The firm said it was "delighted" to be putting its large stock of cooking oil to a "practical, efficient use" within its own business.

"This is a great example of how businesses can work together to help the environment," said its senior vice president Matthew Howe.

The retailer added that it was working on a range of other initiatives spanning recycling and packaging to reduce its carbon emissions.

It said it was committed to working with its suppliers to reduce the use of pure rapeseed oil in its manufacturing process.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6259328.stm

Poison Over People: FDA Protects Aspartame, Not Citizens

2007-06-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: The link between aspartame, an artificial ingredient, and poisoning is well established. Aspartame has been blamed for cancer, headaches and other health problems, but government agencies refuse to take it off the market. Why?

FDA says unmoved by aspartame/ cancer report

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor Tue Jun 26, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. consumer group called for an urgent Food and Drug Administration review of the safety of aspartame on Monday, but the FDA said there was no immediate need to do so despite a new study showing the sweetener may cause cancer.

Italian researchers published a new study last week that showed aspartame -- widely used in soft drinks -- might cause leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer in rats.

"This is the second study by the same lab showing that aspartame causes cancer in rats," Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael Jacobson said in a telephone interview.

Aspartame is used mostly in soft drinks but is also sold in packets to use in coffee, tea or on food. "People can easily avoid products using Nutrasweet or Equal and keep these products away from kids," Jacobson added.

Morando Soffritti of the Ramazzini Foundation in Bologna, Italy and colleagues tested aspartame in rats, which they allowed to live until they died naturally.

Their study of more than 4,000 rats showed a lifetime of eating high doses of the sweetener raised the likelihood of several types of cancer.

"On the basis of the present findings, we believe that a review of the current regulations governing the use of aspartame cannot be delayed," Soffritti's team wrote in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, which is published by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

"This review is particularly urgent with regard to aspartame-containing beverages, heavily consumed by children."

FDA spokesman Michael Herndon said the agency had not yet reviewed the study.

"However, the conclusions from this second European Ramazzini Foundation are not consistent with those from the large number of studies on aspartame that have been evaluated by FDA, including five previously conducted negative chronic carcinogenicity studies," Herndon said in an e-mail.

"Therefore, at this time, FDA finds no reason to alter its previous conclusion that aspartame is safe as a general purpose sweetener in food."

LETTING RATS LIVE

Jacobson said researchers in previous studies all killed rats at the age of two years. Allowing the rats to live longer may have been a better way to assess the natural risk of cancer, he said.

The CSPI said the Acceptable Daily Intake of aspartame in the United States is 50 mg per kilogram of body weight, equivalent to a 50-pound (20 kg) child drinking 2.5 cans of diet soda a day, or a 150-pound (68 kilogram) adult drinking about 7.5 cans a day.

The Italian researchers found a cancer risk at the very highest doses -- double the U.S. Acceptable Daily Intake.

A spokesman for Coca-Cola was not immediately available for comment.

Merisant, which makes Equal, has this statement on its Web site: "The safety of aspartame has been confirmed by regulatory authorities in more than 100 countries, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada, and the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food, as well as by experts with the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization."

Jacobson said people should avoid the product for now.

"People shouldn't panic, but they should stop buying beverages and foods containing aspartame," he advised.

Black Cohosh May Prevent Breast Cancer

2007-06-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

By Jeremy Appleton, ND, CNS

Healthnotes Newswire (June 21, 2007)—Women who take the herb black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) are less likely to get breast cancer, according to new research published in the International Journal of Cancer.

“With the serious health concerns that have been raised about the use of estrogen and progestin-containing hormone replacement therapy in recent years, many women have turned to complementary-alternative medicines to alleviate symptoms of menopause,” said Timothy R. Rebbeck, PhD, professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania and lead author of the new study. “The long-range effects of these compounds have not been studied. Ours is the first report that black cohosh confers a degree of protection from breast cancer, which represents a potentially important piece of information for women who take, or who might consider taking, these compounds.”

Many women use hormone-related supplements to manage their menopausal symptoms, which often contain phytoestrogens and other compounds that mimic the effect of the body’s own estrogens. The concentrations and composition of these compounds, which are mainly extracted from herbs, vary widely.

Black cohosh has a long tradition of use in both American and Chinese herbal medicine. In recent years, extracts of this herb have been shown to have beneficial effects on menopausal symptoms in some, but not all, randomized clinical trials. Unlike other phytoestrogens, black cohosh may have slight anti-estrogenic effects. It does not appear to bind to estrogen receptors and has been shown to prevent cellular DNA damage by acting as an antioxidant. These observations led researchers to believe that black cohosh use may be associated with protection from breast cancer.

Rebbeck and colleagues evaluated whether use of black cohosh–containing supplements was associated with breast cancer risk in a retrospective study in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. In all, 949 women with breast cancer and 1,524 women without breast cancer were evaluated.

Use of hormone-related supplements varied significantly by race, with black women being more likely than white women to use herbal preparations, including black cohosh, ginseng, and red clover. Women who had used black cohosh supplements (including the extract called Remifemin) were 47% less likely to have breast cancer at the time of the analysis.

Because the study’s design is preliminary and limits definitive conclusions, additional research is needed before it can be established that black cohosh, or some compound found in black cohosh, helps prevent breast cancer.

“Women may wish to seek guidance from their physician before using these compounds,” cautioned Dr. Rebbeck. “Our data do not suggest that use of black cohosh is an appropriate substitute for standard hormone replacement therapy.”

(Int J Cancer 2007;120:1523–28)
---------------------------------------

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Black cohosh is one of the ingredients in the natural supplement for women called FemPlex

Cataracts & Nutrition

2007-06-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Can cataracts be reversed? This seems to be a matter of debate, with some sources stating that certain eye drop solutions are effective, while other sources state that cataract reversal is only possible with surgery. Yet, many reliable researchers show that prevention is possible. Nutrition is one promising means of preventing or delaying the progression of cataracts. Research shows that there are several risk factors for cataracts that can be controlled by: not smoking, reducing exposure to sunlight by wearing UVA/UVB protective eyewear and wide brimmed hats, controlling other diseases such as diabetes and eating a healthy diet.

Several research studies show that antioxidant properties of vitamins C and E may protect against the development and progression of cataracts. Early evidence also suggests that the carotenoids lutein (pronounced loo-teen) and zeaxanthin (pronounced zee-uh-zan-thin), which are also antioxidants, may also be protective against cataracts. Lutein and zeaxanthin are promising nutrients in the fight against cataracts. Lutein and zeaxanthin are the only carotenoids found in the lens. Several recent studies have examined these two nutrients and their relationship to reducing the risk of developing cataracts:

The Nurses’ Health Study found that high amounts of lutein+zeaxanthin were associated with a reduced need for cataract surgery. On average, people had intakes around 6 milligrams (mg) of lutein+zeaxanthin each day.

The Health Professional’s Follow-Up Study also found that eating foods with high amounts of lutein+zeaxanthin (6.9 mg per day) were correlated with a reduced need for cataract surgery.

The five-year follow-up to the Beaver Dam Eye Study showed that people with the highest intakes of lutein+zeaxanthin had a significantly lower risk for developing new cataracts than those with the lowest intakes.

A recent study in England found that people with the highest amount of lutein in their blood, resulting from regular consumption of good food sources of lutein, had the lowest risk for posterior subcapsular cataracts.

Most fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin C, including oranges, grapefruit, strawberries and papaya, as well as green peppers and tomatoes.

Vitamin E is more difficult to obtain from food sources alone since it is found in very small quantities in foods, such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Good food sources include vegetable oils (including safflower and corn oil), almonds, pecans, wheat germ and sunflower seeds.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are found together in many food sources. Dark green leafy vegetables are the primary source of lutein and zeaxanthin, but they are also present in lesser amounts in other colorful fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, orange peppers, corn, peas, persimmons and tangerines.

According to recent research by Tufts, obese women are two and a half times more likely to get a certain type of cataract than healthy-weight women.

Sources:
American Optometric Association: www.aoa.org
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol 12, Issue 2 138-146, Copyright © 1993 by American College of Nutrition; Cataract: relationship between nutrition and oxidation; A. Taylor
Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University; January 2004 › A Cataract/Body Weight Connection

Adjunctive Nutritional Schedule:
FlavoC: 10 per day
CaroC: 8 per day
WheatGerm Oil: 4 per day
WholeFood Complex: 1T per day
SuperGreens: 1T per day

Give Me ONE GOOD REASON Why Republicans Would VOTE AGAINST Renewable Energy

2007-06-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

It's really sickening. And I mean this literally. John Kerry called for cleaner air by reducing coal plant emissions and moving towards renewable energy in a hurry; and his suggestion was filibustered by members of the GOP (Republicans, that is) in Congress. What good reason can there be for this move?

It's pretty damn obvious that clean air is not of any concern with these Congressional representatives. They must not be human, because everybody knows that human beings need clean air in order to breathe, prevent cancer, prevent lung disease and begin to eliminate the global warming threat.

"Kerry's proposed goal of 15 percent renewable power by 2020 provoked a filibuster threat from Republicans." (gristmill.grist.org)

What is our great nation coming to when our congressional leaders put corporate profits over the health of US citizens? It's unbelievable!!

John Kerry wrote:

It's amazing to me that some people still refuse to see the gravity of the situation staring us in the face, with the best science telling us we may only have a decade to act before the climate crisis reaches a dangerous tipping point. But there are the same interests throwing up the same roadblocks. Take CAFE standards -- I and many others are demanding that the standards be raised to 35 mpg by the end of the next decade, with light trucks and SUVs included in that and other mandatory requirements for medium and heavy trucks. And we want to close the loopholes that allow automakers to miss even those targets. But the Bush administration has written to Congress that they are opposed to any numerical requirement in the statute.

Think about that for a moment. They say they want fuel economy to get better, but they don't want to put any numeric requirements about what that means. And they want medium and heavy trucks exempted from even that!

Another area where I'm pushing is to require that at least 20 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2020. This has been a part of my energy plan since 2002, and I mentioned this over and over (and over) during the campaign in 2004. There has been significant support for this change now in Congress, but there are still powerful interests arrayed against it.

Dogmatic refusal to consider new approaches to this crisis can have such enormous consequences, it boggles the mind how people can do it.

For full context of John Kerry's sentiments, go to:
Source: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/6/14/94059/1612?source=daily

Studies Show Fish Oils Plus Exercise Equals Reduced Body Fat & Improved Cardiovascular Health

2007-06-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Add Fish Oil to Your Workout

By Jeremy Appleton, ND, CNS

Healthnotes Newswire (June 14, 2007)—Fish oil supplements and regular exercise both reduce body fat and improve cardiovascular health. Could combining the two work better than either one alone?

“Only two studies have previously investigated these two interventions in combination,” said Professor Peter R.C. Howe, director of the Nutritional Physiology Research Center, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, and supervising author of the new study. But because of the study design it wasn’t clear whether this combined intervention effectively reduced cardiovascular risk and improved body composition in overweight participants.

In the new study, overweight volunteers with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high triglycerides were randomly assigned to one of the following interventions:

• fish oil,

• fish oil and exercise,

• sunflower oil (placebo), or

• sunflower oil and exercise.

They took 6 grams of tuna fish oil per day (providing 1.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids) or 6 grams of sunflower oil per day. The exercise groups walked three days per week for 45 minutes at 75% of their maximal heart rate.

People who supplemented with fish oil experienced lowered triglycerides, increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and improved blood vessel function. Exercise alone improved some measures of artery health. Both fish oil and exercise independently reduced body fat. Though regular, moderate-intensity exercise, either alone or combined with fish oil supplementation, had no effect on triglycerides or cholesterol, researchers still came away from the study concluding that fish oil plus exercise was a winning combination.

In addition to obesity itself being a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obese people often have other risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes in a condition known as the metabolic syndrome. So it’s helpful when interventions for obesity target multiple cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors.

Several studies have found that taking omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil results in fewer deaths from coronary artery disease. Supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil may lessen several cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure and triglycerides. In addition, some, but not all, clinical studies show that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids can reduce body fat.

Most studies find that physical activity alone leads to relatively minor weight loss. While the lost pounds may be few, it is nevertheless clear that physical activity prevents weight gain. But it can take as much as 60 to 90 minutes per day of moderate-intensity physical exercise to maintain body weight in the absence of other interventions, such as diet modification or supplementation. Exercise, with and without weight loss, independently improves several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including lowering blood pressure, favorably altering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and improving the function of blood vessels.

“Increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids could be a useful adjunct to exercise programs,” concludes Professor Howe, “because both therapies improve body composition and decrease cardiovascular disease risk.”

(Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:1267–74)

Copyright © 2007 Healthnotes, Inc.

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FISH OILS: FOUR A DAY REALLY HELPS.
VASCOR COMPLEX: FOR ADDITIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR SUPPORT DURING EXERCISE

Lee Iacocca Has Had Enough

2007-06-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

You may wonder what this statement by Lee Iacocca has to do with a health website blog. Well, I don't think politics and health care are inseparable. Just look at the atrocious state of our national health care system is in due to the lack of leadership in our country. And look at what's happening to our environment due to politics. This has a great deal to do with people getting sick, dying of cancer and coming down with respiratory illnesses. Lastly, think about the long lasting destruction caused by genetic engineering... it's due to the strength of political lobbying by giant corporations whose tentacles are dug into the current administration. I'll repeat it until I'm blue in the face: this is a matter of biology, not just politics. Whether right or left, we all need pure air, water and soil in order to live in good health. The politics of the day are bringing us down fast.

Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
By Lee Iacocca with Catherine Whitney

"Had Enough? Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out! You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up.

I hardly recognize this country anymore
"I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions.

"That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you? I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention.

"I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests.

"Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us. Who Are These Guys, Anyway? Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them or at least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers.

"Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a dictatorship, not a democracy. And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of factions. We're a people. We share common principles and ideals. And we rise and fall together. Where are the voices of leaders who can inspire us to action and make us stand taller? What happened to the strong and resolute party of Lincoln? What happened to the courageous, populist party of FDR and Truman? There was a time in this country when the voices of great leaders lifted us up and made us want to do better. Where have all the leaders gone?

"The Test of a Leader I've never been Commander in Chief, but I've been a CEO. I understand a few things about leadership at the top. I've figured out nine points not ten (I don't want people accusing me of thinking I'm Moses). I call them the "Nine Cs of Leadership." They're not fancy or complicated. Just clear, obvious qualities that every true leader should have. We should look at how the current administration stacks up. Like it or not, this crew i s going to be around until January 2009. Maybe we can learn something before we go to the polls in 2008. Then let's be sure we use the leadership test to screen the candidates who say they want to run the country. It's up to us to choose wisely.

"So, here's my C list:

"A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the "Yes, sir" crowd in his inner circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world is a big, complicated place. George W. Bush brags about never reading a newspaper. "I just scan the headlines," he says. Am I hearing this right? He's the President of the United States and he never reads a newspaper? Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to pre fer the latter." Bush disagrees. As long as he gets his daily hour in the gym, with Fox News pipe through the sound system, he's ready to go. If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care. Before the 2006 election, George Bush made a big point of saying he didn't listen to the polls. Yeah, that's what they all say when the polls stink. But maybe he should have listened, because 70 percent of the people were saying he was on the wrong track. It took a "thumping" on election day to wake him up, but even then you got the feeling he wasn't listening so much as he was calculating how to do a better job of convincing everyone he was right.

"A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something differen t. You know, think outside the box. George Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him is spinning out of control. God forbid someone shou l'd accuse him of flip-flopping. There's a disturbingly messianic fervor to his certainty. Senator Joe Biden recalled a conversation he had with Bush a few months after our troops marched into Baghdad. Joe was in the Oval Office outlining his concerns to the President the explosive mix of Shiite and Sunni, the disbanded Iraqi army, the problems securing the oil fields. "The President was serene," Joe recalled. "He told me he was sure that we were on the right course and that all would be well. 'Mr. President,' I finally said, 'how can you be so sure when you don't yet know all the facts?'" Bush then reached over and put a steadying hand on Joe's shoulder. "My instincts," he said. "My instincts." Joe was flabbergasted. He told Bush, "Mr. President, your instincts aren't good enough." Joe Biden sure didn't think the matter was settled. And, as we all know now, it wasn't. Leadership is all about managing change?whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things chang e, and you get creative. You adapt. Maybe Bush was absent the day they covered that at Harvard Business School.

"A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Nobody in the current administration seems to know how to talk straight anymore. Instead, they spend most of their time trying to convince us that things are not really as bad as they seem. I don't know if it's denial or dishonesty, but it can start to drive you crazy after a while. Communication has to start with telling the truth, even when it's painful. The war in Iraq has been, among other things, a grand failure of communication. Bush is like the boy who didn't cry wolf when the wolf was at the door. After years of being told that all is well, even as the casualties and chaos mount, we've stopped listening to him.

"A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power." George Bush has a lot of power. What does it say about his character? Bush has shown a willingness to take bold action on the world stage because he has the power, but he shows little regard for the grievous consequences. He has sent our troops (not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens) to their deaths?for what? To build our oil reserves? To avenge his daddy because Saddam Hussein once tried to have him killed? To show his daddy he's tougher? The motivations behind the war in Iraq are questionable, and the execution of the war has been a disaster. A man of character does not ask a single soldier to die for a failed policy.

"A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. George Bush comes from a blue-blooded Connecticut fa mily, but he likes to talk like a cowboy. You know, My gun is bigger than your gun. Courage in the twenty-first century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk. If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. Bush can't even make a public appearance unless the audience has been handpicked and sanitized. He did a series of so-called town hall meetings last year, in auditoriums packed with his most devoted fans. The questions were all softballs.

"To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION?a fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done. How do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President?four hundred and counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer tha t the high point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound perch in his hand-stocked lake. It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now, that's not leadership.

"A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential. Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through the roof.

"A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent? Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters. A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face as a nation seem to be on the back burner.

"You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel. Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites. Youknow?Mr.they'll-welcome-us-as-liberators-no-child-left-behind-heck-of-a-job- Brownie-mission-accomplishe d Bush. Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home. I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world?and I like it here." I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while.

"The Biggest C is Crisis Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can see it for yourself. Then, inst ead of taking the quickest route back to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day and he told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op at Ground Zero. That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road to Iraq, a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father. He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will. A Hell of a Mess

"So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

"But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, competence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point. Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened. Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

"Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "the Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen? and more important, what are we going to do about it? Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying d own the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry. I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain si lent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bobblehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

"Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises; the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, t he 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the horseshit and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough. "

Excerpted from Where Have All the Leaders Gone?.> Copyright ) 2007 by Lee Iacocca. All rights reserved.

Al Gore Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is: Solarize This!

2007-06-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/al_gore_gets_a.php

Tree hugger. What does this phrase mean? Where did it come from? It was invented by CORPORATIONS who destroy the environment. The idea is to make anyone concerned about the environment a wack-job. Clever and manipulative? You bet. And it works. The words tree hugger are used as a defamatory name. Yet when you use them you're simply playing into the hands of companies that are killing us ALL, like Bechtel, Halliburton, Dupont, Monsanto and the rest. No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, you need clean air, water and land in order to survive. And your children and friends and relatives need a clean environment. Otherwise we die of disease. This is a fact of biology, not a political standpoint.

Whether you're republican or democrat, you can appreciate the value of a non-toxic environment.

Al Gore is the front runner, despite a smear campaign by both the extreme right wing and left wing, in trying to save this planet. Since the 1970s, he has been campaigning for a cleaner earth, and he's been working on getting out the message of Global Warming. Now Al Gore has taken things a step further. He fought the powers that be in Tennessee so he could install a SOLAR ENERGY system at his home.

Al Gore's home, which has been undergoing renovations for months, now boasts a solar roof. When his neighborhood in Tennessee changed zoning laws earlier this year, Gore was able to go ahead with the solar panel installation. You can read about the details of the battle to get the solar panels installed here. Gore is now preparing to install a geothermal system that will drastically reduce the cost of heating in his home. Other renovations on the house are aimed at meeting the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council. He is upgrading windows and ductwork, installing more energy-efficient light bulbs and creating a rainwater collection system for irrigation and water management.

"This is an issue about who we are as human beings," Gore has said. "It is about the future of the human species. We are here to use political processes and freedom to communicate the truth of our situation."

Read more here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/al_gore_gets_a.php

Our environment is our lifeline...
Our environment is directly connected to our state of health. The faster we all accept this truth, the faster we'll cut down on disease and death due to poisoning from pesticides, global warming, herbacides, artificial ingredients in foods, toxic personal health care products, bug sprays, offgassing of plastic, using fossil fuels (gasoline, etc) and so forth.

This is why the principals of Nutrition Research Center have taken some very personal steps to do our share. We drive a Honda Civic HYBRID and an all electric motor scooter EMAX, use wind power, use Seventh Generation cleaning products, do not use commercial chemicals on our lawn, eat only organically grown foods and recycle everything we can.