Cognitive Impairment and B Vitamins

September 8, 2010 by

Daily tablets of large doses of B vitamins can halve the rate of brain shrinkage in elderly people with memory problems and may slow their progression toward dementia, data from a recent British trial showed.

Scientists from Oxford University said their two-year clinical trial was the largest to date into the effect of B vitamins on so-called “mild cognitive impairment” — a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Experts commenting on the findings said they were important and called for larger, longer full-scale clinical trials to see if the safety and effectiveness of B vitamins in the prevention of neurodegenerative conditions could be confirmed.

“This is a very dramatic and striking result. It’s much more than we could have predicted,” said David Smith of Oxford’s department of pharmacology, who co-led the trial.

“It is our hope that this simple and safe treatment will delay development of Alzheimer’s in many people who suffer from mild memory problems.”

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects around 16 percent of people aged over 70 worldwide and is characterized by slight problems with memory loss, language or other mental functions.

MCI does not usually interfere with daily life, but around 50 percent of people diagnosed with it go on to develop the far more severe Alzheimer’s disease within five years. Alzheimer’s is a mind-wasting disease for which there are few treatments and no cure, and which affects 26 million people around the world.

Smith and colleagues conducted a two-year trial with 168 volunteers with MCI who were given either a vitamin pill containing very high doses of folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, or a placebo dummy pill.

These B vitamins are known to control levels of an amino acid called homocysteine in the blood, and high blood levels of homocysteine are linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Brain scans were taken at the beginning and the end of the trial to monitor the rate of brain shrinkage, or atrophy.

The results, published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) One journal, showed that on average the brains of those taking the vitamin treatment shrank at a rate of 0.76 percent a year, while those taking the dummy pill had an average brain shrinkage of 1.08 percent.

People who had the highest levels of homocysteine at the start of the trial benefited the most from the treatment, with their brains shrinking at half the rate of those on the placebo.

Although the trial was not designed to measure cognitive ability, the researchers found those people who had lowest rates of shrinkage had the highest scores in mental tests.

Filed Under: Alzheimer's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

CT Physicians and Chronic Lyme Disease

September 2, 2010 by

According to a recent UConn survey, only about 2% of physicians in the state of Connecticut treat chronic Lyme disease, while barely 50% even believe that it exists! This is a travesty for patients who have suffered for months or years without the appropriate treatment, and is largely due to the stances taken by the American College of Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases Society of American, and other organizations that dissuade physicians from treating chronic Lyme. Fortunately, a group of physicians who are aware of chronic Lyme disease, and how to treat it effectively, have formed their own organization (ILADS).

If you have a history of Lyme disease, or believe you may be suffering from chronic Lyme, please contact ILADS (www.ilads.org) for a physician referral.
For a more in-depth article regarding this recent survey, please visit http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/22000
Filed Under: Lyme Disease Tagged With: , , , , ,

Blueberries and Insulin

August 25, 2010 by

A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition (August 19, 2010) showed that subjects who consumed blueberries twice/day for 6 weeks had an improvement in insulin sensitivity. The participants were all obese and insulin-resistant, but not diabetic.

Blueberries have long been considered a “super-food” because of their high antioxidant and fiber content, and are often recommended for diabetic or insulin-resistant patients due to their negligible affect on blood sugar (as opposed to other fruits). However, the fact that they are now proven to actually reverse insulin-resistance makes it even more important for doctors to emphasize that all patients who are pre-diabetic and/or obese consume blueberries on a daily basis.
Filed Under: Diet and Nutrition, Metabolic Syndrome, Weight Loss Tagged With: , , , , , ,

ADHD and Pesticides

August 19, 2010 by

More evidence has come about that links pesticide exposure with ADHD. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, adds to evidence that organophosphatepesticides can affect the human brain. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley tested pregnant women for evidence that organophosphate pesticides had actually been absorbed by their bodies, and then followed their children as they grew. Women with more chemical traces of the pesticides in their urine while pregnant had children more likely to have symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, at age 5, the researchers found.

Organophosphates are designed to attack the nervous systems of bugs by affecting message-carrying chemicals called neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, which is important to human brain development.

The researchers tested Mexican-American women living in the Salinas Valley of California, an area of intensive agriculture. They looked for breakdown products or metabolites from pesticides in urine samples from the mothers during pregnancy and from their children as they grew. A tenfold increase in pesticide metabolites in the mother’s urine correlated to a 500 percent increase in the chances of ADHD symptoms by age 5, with the trend stronger in boys.

In May a different team found children with high levels of organophosphate traces in the urine were almost twice as likely to develop ADHD as those with undetectable levels.

There are about 40 organophosphate pesticides such as malathion registered in the United States. Studies have also linked exposure to Parkinson’s, an incurable brain disease.

From a naturopathic perspectives, there are tests that can be performed to evaluate levels of organophosphates. This is not only important for children with ADHD, but also patients with any underlying neurological disease, as well as cancer. If identified, treatment protocols to facilitate pesticide detoxification (using natural substances) can be utilized.

Filed Under: Cancer, Environmental, Pediatric Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Green Tea and Metabolic Syndrome

July 28, 2010 by

Because metabolic syndrome is something I tend to see on a weekly basis, it’s always good to see new information on what can help to control and reverse this condition. The latest research points out the benefits of green tea in treating metabolic syndrome. It’s also well known that green tea contains weight-loss promoting properties, among many other beneficial compounds. 

Here is a summary of the research findings:

Reference: “Green tea minimally affects biomarkers of inflammation in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome,” Basu A, Lyons TJ, et al, Nutrition, 2010 Jun 1; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA).
Summary: In a randomized, controlled study involving 35 obese subjects with metabolic syndrome, results indicate that green tea intake may exert cardioprotective benefits. The subjects were randomized to receive green tea (4 cups/d), green tea extract (2 capsules and 4 cups water/d), or no treatment (4 cups water/d) for 8 weeks. At intervention end, green tea (drink and capsule) intake was associated with significant reduction of plasma serum amyloid alpha, compared with control. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, “green tea significantly reduced plasma serum amyloid alpha, an independent cardiovascular disease risk factor, in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome.”

Filed Under: Type II Diabetes, Weight Loss Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Weight Gain and Fatty Acids-Born Into Obesity?

July 21, 2010 by

For years, the naturopathic profession has emphasized the importance of balancing the ratio between omega 3 and omega 6 intake. The standard American diet is overloaded with omega 6 fatty acids, while being deficient in omega 3, which can lead to a chronic inflammatory state, increasing the risk of cancer and other serious diseases. Now, a new study in the Journal of Lipid Research has found that a high omega 6:omega 3 ratio may not only lead to insulin resistance in individuals, but may actually predispose their offspring to a life-long struggle with obesity.

In addition to high consumption of fast foods and refined carbohydrates, the high omega 6:omega 3 ratio in the American diet is largely due to the shift from grass-fed to grain-fed livestock. For meat eaters, this means seeking out sources of locally raised or grass-fed livestock, along with incorporating more wild game (bison, venison) into the diet. In general, a diet that is well-balanced with fruits, vegetables, fish, and healthy oils should insure a healthy balance of omega fats. Supplementation with fish oil and ground flax seeds is also recommended, to further bolster your omega 3 intake.
Filed Under: Diet and Nutrition, Type II Diabetes, Weight Loss Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dementia and Vitamin E

July 14, 2010 by

The July 2010 edition of Archives of Neurology contains a study that demonstrates an inverse relationship between vitamin E intake and dementia risk, including Alzheimer’s. Participants in the study were followed for roughly a decade, and those who had the highest dietary intake of Vitamin E were shown to have the lowest incidence of dementia. Overall, higher vitamin E intake was linked to a 25% reduction in dementia risk.

Food sources of vitamin E include wheat germ, spinach, broccoli, almonds, and hazelnuts. Although this study didn’t take vitamin E supplementation into consideration, you still may want to consider supplementing with 200 IU of natural, mixed-tocopherol on a daily basis for optimal health benefits.
Filed Under: Alzheimer's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Heart Disease and Anxiety

July 7, 2010 by

The July issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry contains a study that demonstrates a 74% increased risk for adverse cardiovascular events (stroke, heart attack, and sudden death) in patients with general anxiety disorder (GAD). While it’s often been speculated that many patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are also anxious, this study is the first of it’s kind to prove that there is indeed a definitive link between anxiety and heart disease. 

This study is further proof that the mind-body connection cannot be ignored. If your stress level is consistently high, don’t wait until you begin to experience symptoms before taking the necessary steps to address your anxiety. Naturopathic medicine can offer a number of therapies, including botanical, nutritional, acupuncture, and biofeedback, to help you manage stress more effectively. The Heart Math Institute (www.heartmath.org) offers tips and products that help you “retrain” your stress response, making you less prone to the adverse effects of anxiety. MoodGym (http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome) is another online resource that is recommended for this purpose. 
Filed Under: Anxiety, Heart Disease Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Who’s Bad? (Not Fats)

July 1, 2010 by

There continues to be a false assumption in the medical community that increased fat consumption leads to heart disease and other long-term problems. I often find it difficult to reprogram people, after they’ve been brainwashed for so many years to avoid fats, and eat only low-fat foods. This topic warrants much more detail than what I can cover in one blog post, but evidence continues to mount that refutes the low-fat concept. For example, a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2010 May 12) demonstrates that people with higher levels of omega-3s and fats derived from olive oil and nuts had an inverse correlation with coronary artery disease. This further supports the advantages of following a Mediterranean Diet, and disregarding the “Food Pyramid” recommended by the USDA.

Filed Under: Diet and Nutrition, Heart Disease, Type II Diabetes Tagged With: , , , ,

Diabetes Increases Cancer Risk

June 17, 2010 by

Evidence is proving that diabetes may double the risk of pancreatic, liver, and endometrial cancer, while also significantly increasing the risk of colorectal, breast and bladder cancer. It’s still uncertain whether this is due to the disease itself, or the treatments that are being used for diabetes. However, it does strongly suggest that inflammation plays an underlying role, and how important it is to detect and treat diabetic changes as early as possible. Here is an article taken from Medscape that goes into more detail about this discovery:

June 16, 2010 — People with diabetes are at increased risk of certain cancers — but why?

Could it be that some diabetes treatments trigger or promote cancer? Or do the underlying causes of diabetes also underlie cancer?

These are the questions put before an expert panel from the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Their conclusion: We aren’t sure.

Even so, lifestyle changes that prevent or reverse diabetes will certainly cut cancer risk, says panel member Susan M. Gapstur, PhD, ACS vice president of epidemiology.

“The full biologic link between diabetes and cancer has not been completely defined,” Gapstur tells WebMD. “But first of all we should prevent diabetes. Then we can prevent some cancers. And for those who do have diabetes, it should be controlled as much as possible through a healthy lifestyle.”

Diabetes doubles the risk of liver, pancreas, and endometrial cancer. It increases the risk of colorectal, breast, and bladder cancer by 20% to 50%. But it cuts men’s risk of prostate cancer.

People with diabetes tend to have some known risk factors for cancer: older age,obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity. And problems common in diabetes — too-high insulin levels, too-high blood sugar levels, and inflammation — increase cancer risk.

“No matter what science ultimately reveals … we already know what we need to do to lower risk for both cancer and diabetes,” Alice Bender, RD, of the American Institute for Cancer Research, says in a news release. “Eat a healthy, varied, predominantly plant-based diet, be physically active every day, and maintain ahealthy body weight.”

Do Diabetes Treatments Raise Cancer Risk?

There is evidence, but not definitive proof, that diabetes treatments affect cancer risk.

Metformin, the most commonly used diabetes drug, seems to lower cancer risk. But there’s also evidence from some studies — contradicted by others — that insulin, particularly long-acting insulin glargine (Lantus), may increase cancer risk.

Mo
reover, there are at least theoretical concerns that other relatively new diabetesdrugs may affect cancer risk. Unfortunately, the panel found too little data to form an opinion on this question.

Because there is no definitive link between diabetes treatment and cancer, the panel strongly advises people with diabetes — except those at extremely high risk of cancer — not to make treatment decisions based on fear of cancer.

“Clearly those being treated for diabetes need to be talking with their doctors about the importance of regular cancer screenings as recommended by the American Cancer Society,” Gapstur says.

The consensus panel’s report appears in the July/August issue of the ACS journalCA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Filed Under: Cancer, Type II Diabetes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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