2004 Newsletter Archives
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FRENCH FRIES OK'd AS FRESH VEGETABLE
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and a Texas judge made the decision to add batter-coated French fries to the list of fresh produce. The decision came about after five years of pushing by the French-fry industry for revision changes.
French fries have already been included under the fresh vegetable category since 1996 and now batter-coated French-fries join the fresh produce group.
http://mercola.com/2004/jun/30/french_fries.htm
Click Here for more details or go to http://mercola.com/2004/jun/30/french_fries.htm
Editor’s Note: This is an example of how the lobbying of big corporations can result in information that is not always in the best interest of the consumer. Regular intake of fried food can contribute to the onset of many diseases including heart disease, stroke and eye disease.
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LYME DISEASE AND EYE PROBLEMS
The spreading epidemic of Lyme disease is expected to reach over 250,000 people affected. Eye problems associated with this disease include eyes pain due to inflammation (scleritis uveitis, optic neuritis), dry eyes, sensitivity to light, drooping of eyelid (ptosis), conjunctivitis, blurry or double vision, swelling around eyes/bags below the eyes.
For more information on Lyme disease, Click Here or go to http://www.biosyntrx.com/9442957987/PearlContinued.htm?ArticleID=171
Editor's Note: Our resident nutritionist Bonnie Tartierre is an excellent resource for Lyme Disease. For more information, Click Here or go to http://www.bonniesnutrition.com
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TWO NEW RESEARCH STUDIES SUPPORTING THE BENEFITS OF TAKING LUTEIN FOR MACULAR DEGENERATION
In the first study, researchers at the Department of Veterans'
Affairs, Medical Center Eye Clinic in Chicago, recruited 90
subjects with dry AMD. (There are two varieties of the disorder: dry AMD, and the more debilitating wet AMD in which blood vessels begin to grow in the macula.)
At the end of the trial, the Chicago team found clear improvements in both the lutein and the lutein-plus-nutrients group in in terms of increased macular pigment optical density (MPOD) - (low density of macular pigment is considered a risk
factor for AMD), but no noteworthy changes in the placebo group. Most significantly, even subjects with advanced AMD showed improvement with the additional lutein intake. The researchers stress that larger and longer studies are needed to confirm their findings.
Another lutein study was reported last month in the July issue of the journal Experimental Eye Research. Singapore Polytechnic researchers tested a group of seven older
subjects with early stage AMD, and six subjects of the same age with healthy eyesight. Each subject received 10 mg of lutein supplements daily for 18 to 20 weeks.
Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and plasma
concentrations of lutein were measured before and after the study. The MPOD average increased significantly in both groups as lutein levels rose. Researchers concluded that even a diseased macula may accumulate and synthesize lutein effectively, while people with healthy macula reap benefits from lutein as well.
Editor's Note: This is not new information as we have studies previously confirming these results. We recommend Pure Focus (sublingual lutein) as the most effective way to take and absorb this essential nutrient.
Editor's Note 2: Excellent food sources for lutein include green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collard greens, brussel sprouts, as well as corn and eggs.
Editor's Note 3: Intake of lutein has also been shown in studies to help reduce the likelyhood of developing colon cancer, breast cancer, helps lower the "bad" cholesterol (LDL), and helps maintain healthy lungs. Information excerpted from a USA Weekend article. For more information, Click Here or go to http://www.usaweekend.com/02_issues/020505/020505eatsmart.html
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RESEARCHERS CLAIM RDA FOR VITAMIN C IS FLAWED
A new book by Steve Hickey PhD and Hillary Roberts PhD claim the Institute of Medicine (IM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) used flawed science to develop the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C, a blunder that has likely caused millions of people to prematurely suffer avoidable health problems such as cataracts, strokes, heart attacks and many other maladies.
The main flaw-- the half life for vitamin C is quite short, about 30 minutes in blood plasma, a fact which NIH and IM researchers have failed to recognize. (Half life is the time it takes for half of a substance to be removed from the body.) NIH researchers established the current RDA based upon tests conducted 12 hours (24 half lives) after consumption. "To be blunt," says Hickey, "the NIH gave a dose of vitamin C, waited until it had been excreted, and then measured blood levels."
There are many studies confirming the benefits of taking higher doses of vitamin C than that recommended by the RDA such as those recommended in the studies below.
Regarding eye health, more than a decade ago other researchers found that consumption of high-dose vitamin C (2000 mg per day) increased ascorbic acid levels in the human eye by 22-32 percent compared to when a so-called saturation dose (148 mg) is consumed. [Current Eye Research 8: 751, 1991]
Ascorbic acid levels in other tissues in the body, such as the brain where vitamin C concentration is 10 times greater than in blood plasma [J Clinical Investigation 100: 2842, 1997], make it evident that blood plasma levels used by the NIH may not be the gold standard for measuring vitamin C adequacy in all tissues in the human body.
Editor's Note 2: Vitamin C is much more effective if taken in smaller dosages throughout the day as opposed to at one time since Vitamin C is water soluble, and the body can only use what it needs at the time it is absorbed. The body also uses the vitamin C more slowly and efficiently if the vitamin C formula includes bioflavenoids and/or is buffered by minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.
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AGED-RELATED LOSS OF SENSES MAY BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY DUE TO LACK OF SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS
New science suggests that the age related loss of all five of our senses can be directly related to cumulative cellular mitochondrial DNA damage, which could be dramatically slowed, or in some cases prevented through optimal nutrition. This includes hearing loss due to a deficiency in B vitamins and phytonutrients including presbycusia and tinnitus, and loss of sense of taste and smell due to deficiencies in vitamins A, B,C,D, E, CoQ10 and many phytochemical antioxidants.
For more information and research references Click Here or go to http://www.biosyntrx.com/1421150303/PearlContinued.htm?ArticleID=169
Editor’s Note: We have a patient we recently treated with acupuncture who was able to regain his sense of taste after a series of treatments after having lost his sense of taste for years. If you need an acupuncture referral, please contact us or visit our website.
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DRAMATIC EVIDENCE SHOWS OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS REDUCE THE RISK OF A HEART ATTACK
A growing body of research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids, found in certain types of fish and fish oil supplements, may reduce the risk of heart disease and sudden death due to heart-related causes.
A study published in the April 9, 2002 issue of Circulation found that 1000 mg a day of a fish oil concentrate reduced the risk of sudden death from heart-related causes by 45% in patients who had suffered a heart attack within the previous three months. A second study, published in the April 10, 2002 issue of JAMA, revealed that women who consumed a minimum of five servings of fish per week over a 16-year period lowered their risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by more than a third, and reduced their risk of fatal heart attack by half. Even subjects who consumed fish only one to three times per month lowered their risk by 20%. A third study reported in the April 11, 2002 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine determined that men without heart disease were 81% less likely to experience sudden death due to fatal arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) when their blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were high regardless of their age, smoking habits or amount of other types of fatty acids in their blood.
Editor’s Note 1: Due to the high level of mercury often found in fish now, we recommend taking high quality fish oil directly as opposed eating fish on a regular basis.
Editor’s Note 2: Essential Fatty acids found in fish oil are essential for proper retinal functioning, and therefore is an important nutrient for general prevention or for eye conditions related to the retina.
Editors’s Note 3: CoQ10 is also an excellent nutrient to support the healthy functioning of the heart --
Editor’s Note 4: If you on medication for thinning blood such as coumidan, consult with your physician first before taking fish oil.
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