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Category: Vitamins and Supplements

When Food Interacts with Medication

I’ll bet a million dollars that you eat food, because who doesn’t!  And, according to the latest government reports, there is a 50/50 chance that you are on at least one prescription medication.  What you may not realize is that the foods that you eat may adversely interact with the medications you are taking.  Read the following article from the Wall Street Journal to protect yourself from unintended consequences of food/drug interactions.
Americans increasingly view the food they eat as medicine to help lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure and control blood sugar. But as with prescribed drugs, the health-improving qualities of foods such as olive oil, nuts and fruit can interact with other medications, causing possible problems.

Pharmacists often warn people not to mix anti-cholesterol drugs known as statins with grapefruit juice. Newer research suggests that other fruit juices, including cranberry and pomegranate, as well as olive oil may also interfere with how statins work in the body. Other laboratory studies show that certain popular teas can block the effect of some medications, including the flu drug Tamiflu. And switching to a low-fat diet, itself a healthy lifestyle change, could reduce the potency of some medications.

Diet can interact with medicine in two main ways. Some foods block the body’s ability to absorb certain medications, effectively reducing the dose a person receives. Other foods enhance the absorption of some drugs, which can lead to a possible overdose.

In general, diet will only interact with medications when a person is consuming exceptionally large portions of certain foods, pharmacology and medical experts say. A few teaspoons of olive oil on pasta typically doesn’t pose any problems, for instance.

Still, as Americans increasingly select foods based on their health benefits, or take supplements with high doses of nutrients, the likelihood of adverse interactions with medications rises. U.S. sales of supplements, natural and organic foods and functional foods, or foods enhanced beyond normal use like calcium-fortified orange juice, grew to $93.5 billion in 2008 from $47.9 billion in 2000, according to Nutrition Business Journal, a nutrition-industry trade publication.

“For every drug there is, there are unintended side effects. You should expect the same thing when taking nutrients at drug levels,” says Patrick Stover, director of the division of nutritional sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

Other factors also can affect how medicines are absorbed in the body, including a person’s age, weight and gender. Such variations, combined with possible interactions with the food we eat, can increase or reduce the effective dose of a medication by as much as 5- to 10-fold, which are “huge effects,” Dr. Stover says.

Grapefruit is one of the most extensively studied foods for its impact on medication. Compounds in the fruit can increase the potency of statins and other medications to potentially dangerous levels by inhibiting cytochrome P450, a family of enzymes that break down the drug. Research indicates that drinking just one eight-ounce cup of grapefruit juice a day increases the strength of the drug.

Recently, animal and laboratory studies have suggested that other fruits, including pomegranates, oranges (especially those from Seville), cranberries, grapes and black mulberries, could have a similar, although less robust, effect on statins in the body. Pomegranates and cranberries are frequently touted as healthy foods because of their high quantities of antioxidants, which supposedly remove free radicals from the body and slow the onset of disease and aging.

In the lab, some scientists’ work raises similar concern about olive oil and some statins. The oil, a principal part of the Mediterranean diet and believed to lower the risk of heart disease, also appears to contain compounds that inhibit the drug’s breakdown, according to researchers in Spain. The effects of olive oil likely aren’t as strong as that of grapefruit, but more studies are needed to figure out what quantities might actually impact humans, say experts.

John Thor Arnason, a biologist at the University of Ottawa, and his colleague Brian Foster of Health Canada, a government ministry, have investigated the effect on drugs of more than 450 food products, mainly in animal and laboratory studies.

The scientists continue to study potential food-drug interactions, as do other researchers world-wide.

In one recent study, Dr. Arnason’s team examined dozens of different kinds of beers. They found that the “hoppier” or more bitter beers reduced the effect of the cancer drug Tamoxifen, when compared with beers that were less hopped. The study was published this year in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Another popular compound, the anti-oxidant resveratrol found in red wine, nuts and dark chocolate, is touted for its anti-aging benefits. But resveratrol in large quantities appears to potentially enhance the potency of drugs, other laboratory studies show.

People, especially older adults taking multiple medications, should tell their doctor about dietary supplements, if they are using high-potency juices and teas and drinking lots of wine, Dr. Arnason says. He says that drugs whose labels contain lots of conditions and warnings about possible interactions with other medications are probably more likely also to interact with foods. If a food-drug interaction is suspected, patients should stop taking the food and talk to their doctor immediately.

In work published this year, Drs. Arnason and Foster showed that various herbs including chai hu, Labrador tea, echinacea and goldenseal, can reduce the potency of Tamiflu. The researchers incubated Tamiflu by itself or along with herbs, together with human liver tissue, which is responsible for processing the medication in the body. They found that the drug was less activated in the presence of the herbs.

The herbs are believed to proffer different health benefits. Labrador tea is thought to benefit the nervous system, Chai Hu to treat common cold and fever, and Echinacea is thought to prevent colds and have anti-tumor benefits. Goldenseal is an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory product.

The researchers also have studied black tea, which is touted for lowering blood pressure, and found that it appears to inhibit an enzyme responsible for the body’s processing of many drugs. The result, the researchers found, is that consuming large quantities of black tea could potentially increase the potency of a wide range of medications.

Others researchers have investigated spices. In one study, piperine, one of the main components of black pepper, increased the potency of the antihistamine Allegra in rats by two-fold compared with animals that took the medicine alone, according to a report in April’s Journal of Food Sciences.

Much of the research on teas and other foodstuffs—with the exception of grapefruit—haven’t been well-studied in humans, so the exact amount that may cause a harmful effect isn’t yet known, say researchers.

Whether the alcohol from beer or wine affects the processing of other drugs isn’t clear, says Cynthia Kuhn, a professor of pharmacology at Duke University Medical Center. It is dangerous to use alcohol in combination with sedating drugs like antihistamines, or narcotic pain medicines, because of the additive effect in the brain.

But despite strong warnings on some other drug labels that alcohol can interact in the liver to inhibit metabolism of other medications, the evidence “is not strong,” says Dr. Kuhn. Alcohol is mainly metabolized by an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, which “has nothing to do with the metabolism of most drugs,” she says.

Some drugs, like dilantin, an epilepsy medication, appear to be affected by the amount of fat in the diet, according to a 2004 study.

Such medicines are dissolved only in fats and could therefore become less effective by a significant reduction in fat consumption.

Experts suggest that patients considering major dietary changes, such as switching to a much lower fat diet from a high-fat one, should discuss the move with their doctor.

There is still much that is unknown in food-drug interactions, but the recommendation here is to be aware of side effects or complications that may arise, and to use common sense in the consumption of foods that may interact with your medications.  As Hippocrates said more than 2,500 years ago, “Let food be thy medicine.”  Perhaps, then, the answer is better food choices and less medication?  Discuss these options with your physician.

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center – a full service chiropractic and wellness facility in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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No Comments by Laurie Puckett on July 14, 2010
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Eliminate Belly Bloat with Food

My round belly and my navel.
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OK, ladies – I know you can all relate.  I did everything right this weekend.   I didn’t go overboard on the food, I drank tons of water, I had no alcohol and I exercised – and I woke up this morning bloated and feeling fat. I’m sure part of it has to do with monthly hormonal changes, but still – wouldn’t it be nice to prevent it from happening at all?  Ugh …what an aweful way to start a Monday.  Then I checked my emails and saw a message from Prevention Magazine on how to shrink your belly with food.  The timing of this message couldn’t have been more appropriate for me. 

There are things we can all do (women and men alike) to shrink our belly and get rid of the bloat.  The reason for our puffy midsections may well be bloat, not fat.  That’s because one of the worst culprits for this problem–a slow digestive system–is common among women over age 40.  I’m positive that is what is going on with me!  However, exciting research now suggests we can get our digestion moving and beat bloat with a few easy menu and lifestyle tweaks. Put all of these ideas into effect right now, and we should be flatter, sexier, and fitting comfortably into our clothes in less than a week.  I’m gonna try it, and I hope you do to.  Then, come back here and comment on how these tips worked for you.

1.  Add: 2 Kinds of Fiber – Start the day with a better breakfast
 
Why It Beats Bloat: Constipation distends your belly, and one easy way to get rid of it is by starting each morning with a breakfast cereal that guarantees your body a daily dose of fiber. This gets the digestive system moving within a day or so and keeps it that way. Based on a recent study of breakfast cereals, University of Toronto researchers say that consuming two kinds of fiber at once is most effective. The scientists found that participants had an easier time staying regular with a cereal that contained both insoluble fiber (from bran) and gel-like soluble fiber (from psyllium). The two types work together to pull water into your colon and speed up elimination, explains Joanne Slavin, PhD, a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota. The result? You look and feel lighter.   Good Food Fix: Eat 1/3 cup Kellogg’s All-Bran Bran Buds each day.

2. Subtract: Sodium 

Why It Beats Bloat: Sodium makes you retain water, puffing up your belly. Most of us eat more than twice as much sodium as we should–topping 3,400 mg a day, rather than the recommended 1,500, according to the CDC.  Good Strategies: Stop salting your food at the table, and check for sodium on the labels of packaged foods, which provide about three-quarters of the daily intake for most women.

3. Add: Potassium-Rich Foods - Banish bloat with bananas!
 
Why It Beats Bloat: Foods such as bananas and potatoes help your body get rid of excess water weight, minimizing your middle. The extra fluid is typically present because the two main minerals that control the amount of water in your body—potassium and sodium—have gotten out of balance. When your sodium level is too high, your tissues hold on to fluid. You can restore your sodium-potassium equilibrium by increasing your potassium intake to an optimum 4,700 mg per day. To do this, you need to eat about 4 1/2 cups of produce daily, including the especially rich sources that are mentioned below. As you rebalance your system, you’ll flush out the extra sodium along with the water. Presto: less puffiness.

Watch out, though. Food is a safe source of potassium, but supplements are not. They can cause potassium to build up in your body and potentially lead to abnormal heart rhythms and even heart attack, especially in people with kidney or heart problems, says Leslie Bonci, RD, MPH, director of sports medicine nutrition for the Center for Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Good Food Fixes: 1 medium baked potato with skin, 1 medium banana, 1 medium papaya, 1/2 cup steamed edamame, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 cup cooked spinach, 1 medium orange

4. Subtract: Sugar Alcohols – Watch out for these “diet food” belly busters!
 
Why It Beats Bloat: We don’t completely digest these low-cal sweeteners (found in flavored waters and low-carb, diabetic, and sugar-free foods). Bacteria in the large intestine ferment them, causing gas and even diarrhea.  Good Strategy: Check food labels to help avoid them; common ones are sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and lacitol.

5. Add: More Fluids – Guzzle more liquids throughout the day.
 
Why It Beats Bloat: Drinking enough liquid supports the other ways you’re trying to flatten your tummy, says Bonci. For example, she explains, when there’s enough fluid present in your system, the dual-fiber cereal you have eaten is better able to pull liquid into your lower intestine and ease constipation. “Women who don’t drink sufficient fluids can get that blown-up belly feeling, despite all their other efforts to get rid of it,” warns Bonci.

How much fluid do you need? Getting rid of bloat means being well hydrated, so aim for at least 8 glasses of liquid each day, plus plenty of fluid-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables. You can meet your quota with any liquid, including water, milk, juice, coffee, and tea–though not alcohol, which has a dehydrating effect on your system.  Good Fluid Fix: Tap water is an excellent option because it has no calories, salt, sugar, or additives. And it’s free!

6. Subtract: Candy, Soda, Gum – Avoid these bubble-inducing belly bloaters:
 
Why It Beats Bloat: Once air from any source reaches your digestive system, you experience it as gas and a distended belly. Eating or drinking quickly, sipping through a straw, sucking on hard candy, and chewing gum can make you swallow air.  Good Strategies: “When eating, chew slowly with your mouth closed,” says Bonci. Trade carbonated drinks for flat ones, such as juice or water, and lose the gum and candies.

7. Add: Yogurt with Probiotics – Enjoy this cool, creamy treat for better digestion :-)
 
Why It Beats Bloat: Research published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics reveals that an imbalance of bacteria in your gut can cause your digestive system to slow down and your belly to puff up. However, yogurts that contain live bacteria, otherwise known as probiotics, can help. Though researchers don’t fully understand the mechanism, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that the bacteria seem to tame tummy bloat by causing an improvement in intestinal mobility, thereby relieving constipation.  Good Food Fix: Eat a daily 4-ounce container of low-fat or fat-free yogurt containing live, active cultures.

8. Subtract: Raw Produce – Cook these foods to shrink your stomach
 
Why It Beats Bloat: Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy, but they’re also high-volume foods that take up room in your stomach, distending it.  Good Strategies: Spread fresh produce consumption over the day, so at any sitting you’re not eating more than one-third of the recommended daily total of 4 1/2 cups. You can also shrink produce by cooking it, creating a more compact serving, Bonci says.

 There is nothing on this list that is difficult to do, yet they will all help elminate belly bloat.  Sorry, but it won’t make much of an impact on a beer belly :-(

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center – a full service chiropractic and wellness facility in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Don’t You Just Love to Hate Cellulite?

Larger scale uneveness of the skin of a young ...
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Uuuggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Cellulite – yuck!!  (And no, that is NOT me in the picture!)

So, what is it and how can you get rid of it?  This is a topic we all love, because we hate the appearance of cellulite so much that all sorts of wacky, crazy remedies pop up on a regular basis.  Let’s hear from the experts as to what cellulite is, who has it :-( and how you can minimize its appearance.

Cellulite is a nasty reality for nearly all women. But most don’t really understand what causes the ripples and bumps that invade their thighs, buttocks and even the mid-section.  Comparing cellulite to a skinless chicken breast is a good way to help understand it. The filmy fiber around the meat is like the human collagen fiber net that connects skin and muscle. Excess fat on those cords adds pressure, the gooey mess oozes through the net, and – voila! – visible dimples appear.

Genetics is the top reason that 80 percent of all women have cellulite, according to the National Institutes of Health, which means there is little anyone can do to completely avoid it.

“Cellulite is more of a skin problem than a fat problem,” says dermatologist Howard Murad, CEO and founder of Murad Skincare and author of “The Cellulite Solution: A Doctor’s Program for Losing Lumps, Bumps, Dimples and Stretch Marks.”  “You can keep it under control, but it’s not going away.”  According to Dr. Murad’s colleague, “It does not matter if that woman is black, white, Asian,” said dermatologist Dr. Howard Brooks. “It doesn’t matter if that woman eats right, does everything right. Cellulite can still develop, unfortunately.”

Geez … so cellulite is heredity and it’s not going away.  Isn’t there any good news for us???

Brooks said there are a few things you can do to curb the dimples.  First, quit smoking.  Lighting up damages connective tissues that cause wrinkling.

Experts at the Mayo Clinic say losing pounds and strengthening muscles in your legs, thighs and buttocks can improve the appearance of the dimpled skin. “The benefits of weight loss alone are limited, however,” they warn. “Though the cellulite may be less noticeable after weight loss, it won’t go away completely.”

It’s not all gloom and dimply doom, though. Kent says with a proper diet, exercise and a few tricks, the damage can be minimized. His top solutions include:

Hydration. Bodybuilders are famous for dehydrating themselves to show off every muscle contour. The same idea also applies to cellulite ripples. “Anything that makes that net tighter is a not a good thing,” Kent says. Hydrate your body to help smooth your bumps.

Roll it. A number of popular treatments involve deep tissue massage, something Kent says can work with foam rollers. It’s painful, but breaking up the subcutaneous fat can help smooth out the lumps. “You’ve got all this unused fat oozing out, and you need to roll it out,” he says.

Work out.Key exercises include a balance of cardio, flexibility and strength training, Kent says. That includes boot camp classics such as squats, lunges and straight-leg dead lifts. Kent says many women think they need to exercise at warp speed to get results. Instead, he says to attack cellulite by increasing your workout gradually. Change will come, if you stick with it. “You don’t have to be perfect. You just need to do a little more than you’re used to doing,” he says.

And, for the lotion and potion crowd out there:

Murad says there are certain ingredients to look for when combating cellulite. Topping the list is cayenne pepper, which he says encourages better circulation and helps build collagen.

Look for a cream or lotion that contains cayenne pepper and massage it daily into the affected areas, he says.

Caffeine-based cellulite creams also can temporarily lessen the look of cellulite by enhancing fat metabolism and reducing some of the swelling around the fat so the skin appears smoother.

Murad also recommends creams containing alpha hydroxy acids and retinol, which have been shown to improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Sipping extra water and eating water-rich fruits and vegetables, as well as antioxidant-packed foods such as eggs, nuts, beans, asparagus and avocado, also can help. And cut down on sodium and salt, he says.

Taking 1,200 milligrams of glucosamine and 200 milligrams of vitamin C daily also can help improve the orange peel appearance by helping build collagen and boosting fat burning, Murad says.

Laser treatments also have shown some promise.

Velashape, a nonsurgical treatment that combines infrared light, vacuum suction and radio frequency energy, can temporarily reduce the look of cellulite.

But forget about liposuction for cellulite. The treatment goes deep into the fat deposits and can actually make cellulite look worse, he says.

One surefire way to lessen the appearance of puckering: a good self tanner. When your skin is tanned, it gives the appearance of fewer dimples.

“The cellulite is going to be less noticeable as long as you work at it,” Murad says. “But once you stop, it’s right back again.” 

…. Sigh

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center ~ a full service chiropractic and wellness facility in St. Petersburg, Florida

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Get your Vitamin D Here!

A glass of Orange juice.
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After taking that quiz yesterday, you may suspect that you are not getting as much vitamin D as you probably need.  So, that leads to the question of how are you going to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D?  You can take a good quality supplement, but it is always better to get your vitamins and minerals naturally when ever possible.  I try to eat right, and I combine that with a supplement to maintain good health. 

Here are some additional reminder tips I found in tbo.com:

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends 400 to 800 IU (international units) of vitamin D daily for adults under 50, and 800 to 1,000 IU for adults 50 and older. But many experts say most people need more — up to 2,000 IU a day — to raise our levels high enough to fight disease.

How do you know where you stand? First, talk to your doctor about a “serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D” test, the only test that accurately measures blood levels for vitamin D.

If you need more vitamin D, here are a few ways to get it.

Eat naturally D-rich foods that include oily, wild-caught fish such as salmon, Atlantic mackerel, sardines, shrimp and tuna a few times a week. Cod liver oil and Shitake mushrooms are also a good source of vitamin D.

Go for fortified vitamin D beverages and foods, including milk and soy milk, orange juice and other fruit juices, butter substitutes, some cereals, yogurt, egg yolks and liver.

Take a supplement. Add a calcium and vitamin D supplement containing at least 400 IU of D daily. (Don’t overdo it, though. Very high amounts of vitamin D can be harmful and may result in kidney stones and other kidney problems. Some kidney problems can cause bone loss.)

If you are not at risk of skin cancer, enjoy a little sun. You don’t have to burn or overexpose your skin. Experts say about 15 minutes — before sunscreen — is usually enough. Use sunscreen after this initial sun exposure.

Now you know just about all you need to know about vitamin D to maintain good health!  Food, sunlight and a supplement!

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center – a full service chiropractic and wellness facility in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Do you get Enough Vitamin D? Take this Quiz

Orange juice.
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We’ve been touting the benefits of vitamin D for quite a while now, and we will continue to revisit this topic, since it is so important to our overall health.  TBO.com did a series on vitamin D recently and put together a pretty comprehensive list of questions to help you determine whether you suffer from vitamin D deficiency.  This is eye-opening … read on:

How many of these statements apply to you?

  • I rarely go out in the sun.
  • I wear sun block and cover up my skin when I go out in the sun, especially during the summer months or when I’m outside in the middle of the day.
  • My wardrobe typically covers most of my skin, including my arms and legs.
  • I do not take a multivitamin along with a vitamin D supplement every day.
  • I do not take a separate vitamin D supplement every day.
  • I do not eat wild, oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, etc.) two to three days a week.
  • I do not eat a lot of mushrooms.
  • I drink fewer than 10 glasses of fortified milk or orange juice a day.
  • I am naturally dark skinned or am of African or Hispanic descent.
  • I am older than 60.
  • I am younger than 20.
  • I am overweight and carry a considerable amount of extra fat.
  • When I press firmly on my sternum (breastbone) with my thumb or forefinger, it hurts.
  • When I press firmly on my shins, I feel pain.
  • I feel like I have less energy and muscle strength than I should.
  • I take anti-seizure or AIDS medication.
  • I take glucocorticoids (e.g., prednisone).
  • I have celiac disease.
  • I have intestinal disease.
  • I have had gastric bypass surgery.

If you agree with any of the above statements— yes, any — there’s a good chance you suffer from vitamin D deficiency. But the only sure way to know is to ask for a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test, also called a 25 (OH) D test. 

Contact your primary care physician or schedule an appointment at Remmel Wellness Center to discuss vitamin D levels and perhaps have a the blood test done.  As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center – a full service chiropractic and wellness facility in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Prevention is the Best Medicine

tropical fruit world
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I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t really surprised when the AP reported that the cost of treating cancer has almost doubled in the past two decades. 

Americans (and their insurance companies) spend a ridiculous amount of money each year on cancer treatment.  The numbers are reported by the AP state that the total cost of cancer treatments rose from nearly $25 billion in 1987 to more than $48 billion by the end of 2005.   I doubt that these numbers have been adjusted for inflation, but whether they have or they haven’t — WOW!  That is a LOT  of money! 

Sometimes you can do everything right, and you still get cancer.  But for the vast majority of us, there are things we can do to reduce our risk of being diagnosed with cancer.  Take a look at the foods you eat, the beverages you drink, the air you breathe, your exercise levels, your nutritional intake, your environment – and then talk to a healthcare practitioner about what you can do to reduce your risk factors. 

We strongly encourge a body detoxification program to remove toxins and heavy metals from your system.  A detox program will help you boost your immune system because your body won’t be busy fighting toxins and will be better prepared to fight disease.  Many illnesses and diseases can also be tied directly to toxins in your system.  Get rid of the toxins, and your health improves.  Get more info on the body detoxification system we use in our office and what it can do for you:  http://www.remmelwellness.com/Wellness_Services.html 

Tie that in with a good nutritional program (remember my posts on vitamin D? http://blog.remmelwellness.com/wellness/vitamin-d-cures-cancer/) and diet and exercise, and watch your health improve, your disease risk factors decrease and your projected lifetime medical costs to decrease. 

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center, a full service chiropractic and wellness facility in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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No Comments by Laurie Puckett on May 11, 2010
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Sunshine On My Shoulders …

Aahhhh … it is a beautiful, hot and sunny day here in Florida … we aren’t called the Sunshine State for nothing :-)  

And that brings to mind a spate of sunny songs, like the one in the title of this post; or “you are my sunshine, my only sunshine.”  Or, how about “Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it’s alright.”  

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the sun!  But is it alright?  The Beatles say it is.  My vitamin D posts on getting good quality vitamin D from the sun say it is.  But what about the negative effects of sunlight?  As with most things in life, moderation is the key.  Use common sense and decide for yourself how much sun to get.  But I’ll give you a hint – spending hours and hours outside every day without sunscreen is bad :-)  

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center, a full service chiropractic and and wellness facility in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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1 Comment by ben on May 5, 2010
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Your Health is Under Attack by Congress

{{w|Henry Waxman}}, U.S. Congressman.
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You may have heard the news by now, and if you haven’t, keep reading!!   Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., slipped a provision into H.R. 4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 that has nothing to do with financial reform, granting the FTC (the Federal Trade Commission) authority to regulate supplements and legitimate claims about the health benefits of nutrients, an authority that doesn’t even belong within the FTC’s jurisdiction.

Henry Waxman has been a long time opponent of the health food and OTC supplement industry and the provisions he snuck into legislation designed to reform Wall Street may used for an another attack on the e industry, enabling an end run around the Dietary Supplement Health and Safety Act (DSHEA).  Just wait.  If this becomes law, we will see times reminiscent of the early 1990s when the FDA engaged in a series of raids on health food stores and alternative medicine clinics.  This abusive activity spurred the enactment of the DSHEA, which was passed by Congress in 1994 to protect access to dietary supplements and information on them.

Why is this happening, and why is it happening now?  Hmmm… do you ever stop to think about access to government?  Waxman receives huge sums of money from pharmaceutical companies.  Then, legislation appears that is designed to hurt big pharma’s “competition.”  Do you think it is a coincidence, when the companies that stand to benefit most from the federal health care legislation are the pharmaceutical companies?

Why hasn’t this story been splashed all over the mainstream media?  Perhaps it has something to do with $$$.  You can’t turn on the TV or radio or open a newspaper any more without being bombarded by advertisements for drugs.  They are the ones with the money that keeps the news outlets in business, so it isn’t surprising that stories that are unfavorable to their biggest advertisers are suppressed or glossed over. 

What can you do?   Unfortunately, the bill has already passed the House, but this provision can be kept out of the Senate version if enough of us mobilize against it. You must call or e-mail your Senators as soon as possible, objecting to the secretive, improper inclusion of a provision to give the FTC enormous power over supplements in a finance reform bill.

You can find your Senators easily enough by going to www.senate.gov.

It’s a shame but they never give up.

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center, a full service chiropractic and wellness facility in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Health Benefits of Tea, Part 2

HARROGATE, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 12: Tea waits t...
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Yesterday we took a broad view of the various health benefits of tea.  Today’s post will focus more on specific health benefits, based on scientific research.  Most of the information here has come from wikipedia.  So, brew yourself a cup of tea, and read on to discover just how good that cup of tea is for you!

Anti-cancer properties
An article in New Scientist magazine mentions that numerous studies suggest that green tea protects against a range of cancers, including lung, prostate and breast cancer.  The reason cited is the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), according to Hirofumi Tachibana’s team at Kyushu University. Their research showed that growth of human lung cancer cells with a cell receptor called 67 LR is slowed significantly after drinking just two or three cups of green tea, which contains EGCG.  There is some evidence that suggests that white tea is even more effective than green tea in this regard.

Another study from the Life Science journal Carcinogenesis showed that green tea, in combination with tamoxifen, is effective in suppressing breast cancer growth in vitro human breast cancer tumors and in vivo animal experiments in mice.  A study at Taiwan’s Chung Shan Medical University found that people who drank at least one cup of green tea per day were five times less likely to develop lung cancer than those who did not.

Topical applications of green tea extracts (EGCG) have protective effects on UVA- and UVB-induced skin damage (photoaging and carcinogenesis).

Increases metabolic rate
Clinical trials conducted by the University of Geneva and the University of Birmingham indicate that green tea raises metabolic rates, speeds up fat oxidation and improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.  In addition to caffeine, green tea contains catechin polyphenols that raise thermogenesis (the production of heat by the body), and hence increases energy expenditure.

There is also a suggestion that it can increase endurance in exercise by improving fat metabolism (yea!!).

Possible anti-diabetes effect
There is also epidemiological evidence that drinking green tea and black tea may help prevent diabetes, although it is worth noting that this is evidence of an association, and that future studies are needed to confirm the effect.

Boosts mental alertness
The amino acid L-theanine, found almost exclusively in the tea plant, actively alters the attention networks of the brain, according to results of human trials announced in September 2007. It has been proposed that theanine is absorbed by the small intestine and crosses the blood-brain barrier, where it affects the brain’s neurotransmitters and increases alpha brain-wave activity. The result is a calmer, yet more alert, state of mind. Sounds good to me!

Boosts immune system
On 21 April 2003 the Brigham and Women’s Hospital released details of a research project which indicated that theanine may help the body’s immune system response when fighting infection, by boosting the disease-fighting capacity of gamma delta T cells. The study included a four-week trial with 11 coffee drinkers and 10 tea drinkers, who consumed 600ml of coffee or black tea daily. Blood sample analysis found that the production of anti-bacterial proteins was up to five times higher in the tea-drinkers, an indicator of a stronger immune response.

Lowers chances of cognitive impairment
A 2006 study showed that elderly Japanese people who consumed more than 2 cups of green tea a day had a 50 percent lower chance of having cognitive impairment (dementia, alzhemier’s), in comparison to those who drank fewer than 2 cups a day, or who consumed other tested beverages.  This is probably due to the effect of EGCG, which passes through the blood-brain barrier.

Lowers stress hormone levels
According to a study by researchers at University College London, drinking black tea can lead to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol after a stressful event.  Fifty minutes after being subjected to challenging tasks, subjects who had been drinking 4 cups of black tea daily for 6 weeks, had a 20% greater drop in cortisol than the placebo group. Blood platelet activation, which is linked to blood clotting and the risk of heart attacks was also lower for tea drinkers. And that is a good thing, don’t you think?  — Actually, I kinda feel sorry for those in the placebo group (though I do believe in the power of the mind to heal).

Effects on HIV
A recent study appearing in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology was the subject of an article on BBC News. It stated that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) found in green tea can lead to the inhibition of HIV virus binding and may be used as a complementary therapy for HIV patients, but qualified it by noting that “It is not a cure, and nor is it a safe way to avoid infection, however, we suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected.” It was an in vitro (test tube) study, not an in vivo study, which only tested effects of a chemical in green tea. “Many substances shown to prevent HIV infection in the test tube turn out to have little or no effect in real life, so I think there’s a long way to go before anyone should rely on green tea to protect against HIV infection.”

Effects on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
The polyphenols in green tea have been shown to reduce intestinal inflammation in mouse models of IBD. This effect seems to be related to tea’s ability to interrupt the cascade of inflammatory reactions that are the cause of IBD.

Effects on bad breath
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago stated that polyphenols help inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath.

Iron overload disorders
Researchers in Germany have found that a daily cup of black tea can help stop excess iron damaging the bodies of people who suffer from hemochromatosis due to its high content of flavonoids (commonly mistaken for tannins), which limit iron absorption.  However, because tea can block the absorption of iron, tea drinkers should be aware of the possiblity of becoming anemic (iron deficient).

Effects associated with caffeine
A cup of green tea contains between 15 and 50 mg of caffeine. Certain cognitive benefits are associated with caffeine consumption, such as a reduction in the likelihood of Parkinson’s disease and a temporary increase in short term memory. Further, caffeine consumption has been linked with greater athletic performance, healthy weight loss, reduction in duration and severity of headaches and is effective in treating the symptoms of asthma.

Effects on obstructive sleep apnea-related brain deficits
University of Louisville researchers report that green tea polyphenols may stave off the cognitive deficits that occur with obstructive sleep apnea, in the second issue for May, 2008 of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.  Researchers examined the effects of green tea polyphenols administered through drinking water, on rats that were intermittently deprived of oxygen during 12-hour “night” cycles, mimicking the intermittent hypoxia that humans with OSA experience.

Effects on bacterial and fungal infections
A study at Pace University reported in American Society For Microbiology (May 2008) found white tea extracts effective at treating bacterial infections, such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, pneumonia and tooth decay. White tea was also found to be effective in treating fungal infections.  Researchers also reported that white tea extracts showed a greater effect than green tea extracts.

Anti-venom effects
Antivenom activity of melanin extracted from black tea (MEBT) was reported for the first time in 2004.  Low toxicity of MEBT in combination with its antagonistic activity against different venoms may allow effective life-saving treatment against snakebites. Such application of MEBT is important when identification of the snake is impossible or if specific treatment is unavailable.

Stroke
Research presented at the International Stroke Conference in February 2009 found that drinking three or more cups of tea per day can reduce the risk of suffering a stroke by as much as 21%. The research, conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), found that drinking green and black varieties of teas has a significant impact on the risk of stroke.

Cardiovascular health
Research published in April 2009 by the University of L’Aquila and funded by the Unilever-owned Lipton Institute of Tea suggests that drinking just one cup of regular, black tea per day may help to protect against cardiovascular disease.The research showed that black tea consumption does – depending on dose – improve blood vessel reactivity, reduce both blood pressure and arterial stiffness, indicating a notably better cardiovascular health profile.

Antidepressant properties
Two separate Japanese studies show the antidepressant benefits of green tea consumption.  One showed a reduction in psychological distress, and the other showed a reduction in depression sypmptoms in elderly Japanese living in assisted living and nursing homes, which showed a reduction in the severity of depression symptoms with increased green tea consumption.

So why drink green tea, white tea, black tea or oolong tea?  For the Health of it!  Be sure to make yourself a complimentary cup of tea when you come into our office.

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center, a full service chiropractic and wellness center in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Health Benefits of Tea, Part 1

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In our last post, we explored the differences between different types of tea, the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water.  If you walk into a grocery story or health food store, the large number of tea selections on the shelf can be overwhelming.  Have you ever just stood there, scratching your head, wondering which, among all varieties of tea – black, green, white, oolong, red, herbal - offers the most health benefits?

Benefits of Tea

Numerous studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of antioxidant polyphenols.  Some studies have suggested that tea’s polyphenols may reduce the risk of gastric, esophageal and skin cancers, if one consumes 4 to 6 cups daily.  Another study showed that just 2 cups of tea may lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women.  Other studies have found that polyphenols help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels.  One Japanese study found that green tea lowers death rates from heart disease.

Recent research shows that any tea derived from camellia sinensis has cancer-fighting properties. The leaves of this plant contain chemicals called polyphenols, which give tea its antioxidant properties.

Polyphenols in tea have been known to (1) Help protect cells from the normal, but damaging, physiological process known as “oxidative stress.” Although oxygen is vital to life, it’s also incorporated into reactive substances called free radicals. These can damage the cells in our body and have been implicated in the slow chain reaction of damage leading to heart disease and cancer; (2) Help prevent blood clotting; (3) Help lower cholesterol levels; (4) Help neutralize enzymes that aid in the growth of tumors; (5) Help deactivate cancer promoters; and (6) Help stimulate the immune system.

Tea also has fluoride for strong teeth, virtually no calories, and half the amount of caffeine found in an equally-sized cup of coffee. Whether decaffeinated tea has the same level of polyphenols, and thus the same health benefits, as regular tea has not yet been studied. Caffeine is a natural component of tea leaves. It is not yet known if removing caffeine also removes polyphenols.

Apart from polyphenols, tea also contains a variety of ingredients that are beneficial to one’s health. These include theanine (an amino acid unique to tea), vitamins, minerals, and methylxanthines. These are the components that are the source of the healthful properties of tea. These are known to (1) Help fight against mutagenic agents; (2) Delay aging; (3) Help fight high blood pressure; (4) Help fight against viral and bacterial infection; and (5) Help improve the functions of the digestive and excretory systems.

By drinking 2-4 cups a day of tea, you can receive the numerous curative and preventive tea benefits.  You can get one of those daily cups of health boosting tea at Remmel Wellness Center, where we provide complimentary cups of Tazo tea to our patients!  In tomorrow’s post, we will examine in more detail some of the health benefits of drinking tea. 

Posted by Laurie Puckett, Remmel Wellness Center, a full service chiropractic and wellness center in St. Petersburg, Florida.
 

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