By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

Increasing consumption of sugary soft drinks contributed to 130,000 new cases of diabetes, 14,000 new cases of heart disease and 50,000 more life-years burdened with heart disease in the last decade, a new U.S. study finds.

“The finding suggests that any kind of policy that reduces consumption might have a dramatic health benefit,” said senior study author Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who was to present the finding during the upcoming American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention annual conference in San Francisco.

The study used a computer simulation of heart disease that has been applied to other cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity and dietary salt, Bibbins-Domingo explained. “We probably underestimated the incidence, because the rise is greatest among the young, and our model focuses on adults 35 and older,” she said.

One plausible explanation is that the increased incidence of cardiovascular problems is due to a rising incidence of diabetes, Bibbins-Domingo said, while an increase in obesity might also be responsible.

“Whatever the mechanism, large population studies do suggest an effect of drinking large lots of sweetened beverages,” she said. “No one argues that these drinks are not fine in moderation, but over the past decade their consumption has been on the rise, while consumption of other beverages has declined.”

A statement by Maureen Storey, senior vice president for science policy for the American Beverage Association, noted that the study had not yet been published in a scientific journal, and therefore had not undergone review by outside, qualified scientists.

“What we do know is that both heart disease and diabetes are complex conditions with no single cause and no single solution,” Storey said in the statement, which noted that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is not listed as a risk factor by the American Heart Association. “Rather, we need to continue to educate Americans about the importance of balancing the calories from the foods and beverages we eat and drink with regular physical activity.”

But the study does suggest that any kind of policy that reduces consumption might have a health benefit, Bibbins-Domingo noted. One such policy is a proposed tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, she noted. “The reason why there is a current debate about a tax is that scientific evidence in populations has consistently shown that more than one drink a day increases your risk,” she said.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks such as soda pop, while “alternative choices are available,” said Dr. Robert H. Eckel, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado and a past president of the association.

“Juice from fruit itself is nutrient-rich, and its nutritional value goes beyond the carbohydrate content,” Eckel said.

The recommended daily sugar intake amounts to just one can of sugar-sweetened soda a day for a man and slightly less for women, he said.

For more information, the cardiovascular effects of dietary sugar are described by the American Heart Association.

Original URL: http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/increasingsodaconsumptionfuelsriseindiabetesheartdisease

Editor’s Note: Lifestyle choices - including diet, exercise, supplementation, and mental/spiritual health - are your greatest arsenal against the negative impacts of everyday unhealthy exposures. To further support your body toward optimal health, include Poly-MVA in your daily supplement regiment. Studies have shown that alpha lipoic acid, part of the Poly-MVA complex, is of great benefit in supporting the health of heart patients. Click here for more info.

People vow to change their ways, but often not for very long.

By Bill Briggs
msnbc.com
March. 1, 2010

The medical tests are back. The cruel news is delivered: the numbers show trouble inside your body.

Instantly, you rocket from mildly anxious to scared straight. That’s how it feels, anyway. In the exam room, in that raw moment, you firmly renounce your bad health habits. You promise to adopt a low-fat, gym-heavy routine. You’ll live right, you tell the doctor — and yourself. You’ll stick to it. You swear.

Save it. Your doctor has heard it before.

“I think every physician has,” said Dr. Steven Chang, a family practitioner at the University of California Davis Medical Center and a staff physician at RightHealth.com. He recalled diagnosing some patients with diabetes and collaborating with them on a new diet plan. “They will leave my office and I’ll immediately see them in the [hospital] cafeteria — eating a hamburger and French fries … That’s difficult.”

What’s the true shelf life of a health scare? That can depend on individual willpower, the height of the internal emergency and whether someone feels or sees physical symptoms — like chest pain or blood after coughing. Tangible signs of sickness may inject deeper fear and more lasting improvements compared to, say, merely reading ugly stats on a sheet of paper (such as a high cholesterol count).

A text message poll of 100 U.S. family physicians, conducted by Truth On Call for msnbc.com, found that 47 percent of doctors said patients typically stick to their vow to live better for just a matter of weeks after a health scare, 25 percent said the good behavior lasts several months and just 7 percent said patients stick to their resolve for a year or longer. Nineteen percent said the effect of a health scare lasts just a few days and 2 percent said it doesn’t last for even a day.

Chang said he pins the typical duration of fright-induced lifestyle adjustments at three to six months. “Once you start an exercise regimen, if it peters out after a few months and if you don’t feel any different, the impetus to change may not be [as strong] as that initial shock.”

As Lori Hope found, drastic change is tough to maintain no matter how powerful your motivation.

“How long can we go vegan and macrobiotic? How long can we sustain that?” asked the former medical journalist. 

In 2002, after Hope was diagnosed with lung cancer, she stepped up her exercise routine. She already ate an organic diet but also added meditation and yoga to the list of things she tried to boost her health.

“I continued after my treatment, but that went away fairly quickly,” she said, finding it her busy schedule made it impossible to do it all.

Hope, a blogger, public speaker and the author of “Help Me Live: 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know,” said she also became “wholly committed to avoiding anything that would exacerbate my condition.” Earlier, while researching a news documentary, she read about the theoretical links between cancer and electromagnetic fields (EMFs) — invisible areas of energy near power lines, wiring and appliances. Before undergoing surgery to remove the tumor in her chest, Hope noticed the close proximity between her desk and her office building’s bank of buzzing electrical meters. She borrowed a magnetometer, swiped it near the power boxes and saw high EMF readings.

“I walked to the opposite wall, got as far away as possible from the meters. It terrified me,” said Hope, now eight years healthy. “I ended up leaving that office partly because of that … And once I was diagnosed, it was like, there’s no way I’m getting a hair dryer near my head. I totally stopped using a hair dryer.”

How long did her anti-EMF conversion last? “Just a few weeks,” said Hope, 56. “Yes, I use a hair dryer now.” What changed? “I’m embarrassed to say that maybe vanity won out. [Plus] you do go back into a kind of sense of denial.”

Recording every heartbeat

Melanie Nayer, in contrast, can vividly describe her terror upon learning — at age 31 — that she had a heart rhythm disorder. While training for a marathon, Nayer noticed that her resting pulse was racing – sometimes staying above 180 beats per minute. After a month of exams, a doctor determined that she had supraventricular tachycardia, a disorder that causes the heart to beat faster than normal. Some tachycardias can raise the risk of stroke or cause cardiac arrest, while others may have no symptoms.

The diagnosis “scared the living crap out of me,” Nayer said. “I couldn’t understand why I had been dealt this card — I worked out regularly, ate well … I cried for a few hours, felt sorry for myself for a few days, yelled, screamed and probably broke a few things around the house.”

Along with taking pills to level her cardiac pace, Nayer began to “religiously” measure her heart rate and “recorded every beat in a journal.”

“This only made me more anxious and the anxiety only intensified the situation, and that was no way to live,” she said.

After four weeks, she put the journal away and grabbed a fresh attitude. “I stopped worrying about the little things, and the things that were out of my control. I stopped caring that my carpet hadn’t been vacuumed in over a week, or that there were dirty dishes in the sink. I would get to them. And a dirty dish wasn’t putting anyone’s life in danger.”

Always passionate about seeing the world, she became a travel writer, working from Boston. “My health scare turned out to be the best thing for me … Regardless of the severity of any diagnosis, you just never know when life will throw you a curveball. So I decided to start living the life I wanted to live,” Nayer said, “because, as morbid as it sounds, I wasn’t sure when it would end.”

Three years later, Nayer has been cleared for annual cardiologist visits (instead of twice per year) and is on a lower dose of medication. Just eight months after her diagnosis, she also began running again.

But for people who vow to start running and who stop, for those who abandon burgers and fries only to return to a fast-food lifestyle a few months after a bad health episode, the reasons for relapse can include a lack of self discipline and a tendency to “self sabotage,” said Debbie Mandel, who hosts a stress-management radio program, “Turn On Your Inner Light” on AM1240 WGBB in Long Island, N.Y.

Past mistakes also are hard to admit. And “to change, even for the better, makes a statement that one was wrong,” Mandel said. Moreover, life changes made amid a health catastrophe are often a drastic, desperate response to a crisis. “When the crisis is over, so is the motivation. For change to take hold, it is best to start small to reap giant gains. This way one can inventory and tweak along the way. All or nothing is hard to maintain.”

A little help from friends

Upholding healthier habits can require a little handholding, too. Chang noticed that many patients who successfully stuck with leaner diets and longer walks for at least a year were able to rely on friends and family members to accompany them down their new paths. For patients with diagnoses, such as diabetes, that require radical changes in diet and exercise, Chang makes it a point to call his patients one week after he gives them the news — or he asks them to return to his office three weeks later — to “check in” on their improvements and to vocally cheer them on.

Tapping a social support network is precisely how Ellen Snortland shed 50 pounds and kept the weight off, and how she transformed herself from a heart patient into a self-defense teacher in Altadena, Calif. In 2003, after a lifetime of yo-yo dieting — including taking the diet drug Fen-Phen — Snortland was diagnosed with a heart valve problem.

“I asked [my doctor], ‘So what are my alternatives?’ They said, ‘Surgery or, in some cases, if you lost a major amount of weight, it could make a difference.’ I said, ‘Holy moly!’ — although I may have used another word. I walked out of there like I’d been given a death sentence,” Snortland recalled.

She soon entered a 12-step program aimed at weight loss. She began speaking daily to a sponsor, submitting a daily food plan, and attending three meetings a week with her group. “It’s the only way I can see I’ve been successful,” she said, “because we are bombarded with food ads.”

At 56, Snortland described her heart’s current condition as “perfect” and said she feels “completely and utterly vigorous.”

The shelf life of her health scare? She can name it in four words: “Evergreen, perpetual, long-lasting, enduring.”

© 2010 MSNBC.com

Original URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35584798/ns/health-behavior/from/ET/

When you’re dragging from all that multi-tasking, here are proven strategies to fight off fatigue.

By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD FeatureReviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

It’s 3 p.m., and you’re definitely dragging. Your body feels like a car that’s run out of gas. And while your official workday may soon be over, your day probably isn’t.

If you’re like most women, your to do list probably still includes some or all of the following tasks: pick up the kids, cook dinner, get in a workout, supervise homework, tend to aging parents, walk and feed the dog, feed the cat, catch up on bills, and take care of housework.

Whew. Reading the list alone can make you feel exhausted.

But here’s a solution - our six proven fatigue-fighting strategies. Some of these strategies offer an instant energy boost - just in time to shine for the 4 o’clock meeting. Other strategies are longer-term remedies. They require a bit more patience, but they’ll pay off big-time in the long run. Once you’ve mastered these energy-boosting strategies, any one of them can make you feel like you’ve just had a tune-up.

Energy Boost #1: Reach for energy food

You may be thinking “candy bar!” but a sugar boost will just leave you lagging again in an hour. For a nearly instant energy boost that lasts, eat a healthy snack containing protein and a complex carbohydrate, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, MPH, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and a weight control researcher at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

One place to find complex carbs is in whole grain bread products. “Try a whole grain cracker with low-fat cheese,” Gerbstadt says. “Or a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread.”

The secret? “That combination of protein and a complex carbohydrate (digested more slowly than simple carbs) increases your blood glucose in a sustained way,” she says. “It boosts energy longer than if you eat gum drops, for instance.”

Energy Boost #2: Eat a high-carb, high-fiber breakfast

For short-term and long-term energy boosts, make a habit of eating a high-fiber, carbohydrate-rich breakfast, says Jaimie Davis, PhD, RD, research associate at the Institute for Prevention Research at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

As proof it works, Davis points to a study that compared the effects of two carbohydrate-rich breakfasts - one high-fiber, one low-fiber - with two high-fat breakfasts. The high-fiber, high-carb meal was associated with the highest level of alertness between breakfast and lunch. The study was published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.

To boost the fiber and carbs in your first meal of the day, select such foods as whole wheat toast or high-fiber cereal. A half cup of high-fiber cereal can contain as much as 14 grams of fiber, and some high-fiber breads have 6 grams per slice. Aim for 25 to 30 grams of total fiber daily, Davis says, noting that most Americans get perhaps 10 to 15 grams.

Energy Boost #3: Take breaks

Multi-tasking is viewed as the way to get a lot done quickly. But taking a short break and doing absolutely nothing for a few minutes can help you overcome fatigue and actually get more done in the course of a day, says Jon Gordon, a Florida-based consultant who advises corporations and athletes on how to stay energized. One short break of 5 or 10 minutes or even less can boost your energy immediately, and making break time a habit can keep your energy up long-term, he says.

“If you take short breaks throughout the day, you will have more overall accomplishments,” says Gordon, author of The Energy Bus.

Human performance studies show he’s right. In one conducted at Louisiana State University and published in Computers and Industrial Engineering, researchers compared three different work-rest schedules for workers who used the computer. The schedule that allowed for briefer, more frequent breaks was best in terms of fighting fatigue and increasing productivity.

The researchers found that workers who took four breaks per hour, usually just 30 seconds each, followed by a 14-minute break after two hours of sitting at the computer, reported higher performance and worked faster and more accurately than their coworkers.

Energy Boost #4: Get moving

For an instant energy boost, drop out of your busy life for 10 minutes and hit the road - or the hallways of your office. “Walking is an energizer,” says Gordon. Even a 10-minute walk can help you overcome feelings of fatigue.

And yes, it works better than a sugar infusion. In a study published two decades ago but still often-quoted, Robert Thayer, PhD, a professor at California State University, Long Beach, compared the energizing effects on 12 different days when 18 subjects either ate a candy bar or walked briskly for 10 minutes. Walking was the better bet. Walking increased energy for two hours. The sugar snack initially boosted energy, but after an hour, participants were more tired and had less energy.

Energy Boost #5: Take 5 and Meditate

Numerous studies have demonstrated the fatigue-fighting effects of meditation, but there’s no need to light candles, sit cross-legged, or learn a mantra. Mini-meditation can work wonders, says Judith Orloff, MD, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California Los Angeles and author of Positive Energy.

“A three-minute meditation is a way to calm yourself down and stop rushing,” she says. “You can replenish yourself. You can take control of your energy.”

Orloff suggests getting the day off to a positive start with a mini-meditation while you’re still in bed, then continuing with short meditation breaks throughout the day. Any quiet place in your home or office will do, Orloff says. You can even use the office bathroom for an instant energy boost.

“Close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths,” Orloff says. “Begin to relax your body. When thoughts come, think of them like clouds in the sky. Let them float by. Visualize a positive thing - a sunset, the beach in Hawaii.”

Energy Boost #6: Ditch the Energy Vampires

To increase the amount of energy in your life long-term, experts suggest surrounding yourself with positive people whenever possible. Of course, you can’t always avoid some negative people, like a moody boss or that complaining grocery clerk who always seems to be the one who checks you out.

But negative people can do more than bring down your mood, says Orloff. Some people can make you feel so stressed in their presence that they cause a stress reaction in your body. Orloff terms them “energy vampires.” And stress is the biggest energy drain of all. “Stress like that burns out the adrenals,” Orloff says, “and when the adrenals are burned out you have no energy.”

Not sure if someone’s negative enough to affect your energy levels? Analyze how you feel in their presence, Orloff says. If, after a few minutes together, you feel like you want to take a nap, or if your energy suddenly bottoms out, that’s a telling sign. If someone really makes you tense, you may even find yourself feeling nauseous or dizzy or notice a headache coming on. “Emotions are catching,” she says.

Original URL: http://women.webmd.com/features/fatigue-fighters-six-quick-ways-boost-energy?ecd=wnl_can_030210

Editor’s Note: Energy is such a buzz topic of discussion these days that it has become almost deafening.  Can we really have an effect on our energy level? What can we really do about it?  The truth is a whole lot, and the best way to do it is in concert with a complete approach to health and life. Many of us talk about balancing what we eat and how we live. Well, this approach is the key to our energy levels. By complementing our lives with the right food, exercise, mindset and supplementation, we can not only improve our lives but transform our state of mind. The unique characteristics of Poly-MVA provide optimal nutritional support that works hand-in-hand with a proper diet and lifestyle. The combination and complex of alpha lipoic acid, vitamins and minerals support our bodies to make energy - they are so unique they can actually create energy for your body while protecting your health at the same time. By adding Poly-MVA to your daily regiment, you will be giving your body the best it can have to live long and stay healthy. Click here to read more.

Did you make New Year’s resolutions this year? Like most folks, will yours have one about losing weight?  Here are some tips for writing healthy new years’ resolutions that have a better likelihood of being achieved.  For starters, focus on the “Thou shalt” resolutions, rather than the “Thou shalt nots.”

Writing New Year’s resolutions is a time-honored American tradition. For many of us, these resolutions focus on what we want to improve in our health-related behaviors. We tend to focus on things we want to lose (generally weight), give up or cut down on(watching TV, drinking alcohol), or stop (smoking).  While many of us do say we want to start or increase our exercise time, we often view that as a punishment instead of as a gift.

This year let’s try a different approach.  Try writing 10 healthy resolutions that you can and will achieve; write resolutions that are not only specific and achievable, but which you can view as GIFTS to yourself and to your family. Too often we fail to focus on our own health because we feel a need to focus on other family members first. The best gift we can give to our loved ones is to take care of ourselves. 

I suggest starting the process with a positive and healthy attitude.  Make as many of the resolutions “Thou shalt” commitments, as opposed to “Thou shalt nots.”  The first priorities are to focus on overcoming dangerous behaviors.  If you smoke, drink too much alcohol, or practice reckless sexual behaviors (those that increase your risk of unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases), just stop.  If you need help, see your physician or a trained psychologist.  Enlist the support of your friends and family members.

If you need to lose weight, you know it and your body knows it. This year, try something new and leave off the “I will lose 15 pounds” resolution.  Instead, try positive and specific resolutions that will enable you to achieve the desired weight loss without focusing on the “losing” concept.  For example, try “I will eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day” or “I will start each day with a healthy breakfast sitting down.”  No - coffee and a doughnut is not a healthy breakfast!  You don’t need to have a four-course meal, but ideally you should have 4 food groups represented, and protein should be one of them.

Increasing water consumption often helps dieters and most Americans are not getting enough water daily.  Do you really need 8 glasses per day?  At least.  To calculate exactly how much you should be drinking, divide your weight in pounds by 2.  This is how many ounces per day you need before exercising.  With exercise, add an additional 8 ounces per 20 minutes of aerobic exercise.

Go through each resolution and write a paragraph about it.  Add something about sleep. Add something about fun!

Suggested Healthy New Year’s Resolutions:

• I will give myself and my family the gift of a healthier lifestyle this year.
• I will give myself the gift of a healthy breakfast each day.
• I will give myself the gift of stopping my unhealthy behaviors (e.g. smoking, drinking too much alcohol, etc.).
• I will take my necessary vitamins and supplements.
• I will wear my seat belt religiously.
• I will increase my water intake.
• I will practice proper dental hygiene.
• I will get my annual physical exam(s).
• I will keep myself mentally and spiritually healthy.
• I will increase my daily activity and enjoy it!

This article comes with my best wishes to all for a happy and healthy New Year!

Original article by Donnica Moore, M.D.

I just finished reading a recently-released article on the “ineffectiveness” of dietary supplements. It is amazing to me that this subject and its exaggerated conclusions keeps coming up. The media is so quick to put out information that dietary supplements are not helping thousands - if not possibly millions - of people, and have a serious place in our daily lives supporting and protecting our health. Dietary supplements are an inexpensive, convenient, and reliable way to deliver specific quantities of particular nutrients to a person or an entire population. That is why so many people take multivitamins and other dietary supplements to improve or optimize their nutrient intake. That is also why dietary supplements are often used in clinical trials, to test whether certain nutrients or other substances can help fight against diseases such as cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.

However, there are some common myths about dietary supplements that may keep some people from making supplements a part of their everyday routine. Let’s take a look at some of these common myths and consider whether they are true or false.

Using supplements may cause people to pay less attention to improving their diets. FALSE.

Many nutrition surveys show that people who use supplements also tend to pay attention to their diets, in fact supplement users have slightly better diets than other people — not perfect diets by any means, but still better. Dietary improvement and supplement use are complementary aspects of the effort to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

People who use supplements tend to go overboard, believing that if one is good, more is better. FALSE.

Most people use dietary supplements in a reasonable way. National surveys show that more than 80% of supplement users take only one to three products on a regular basis, and in most cases one of those is a multivitamin. But taking more than this is by no means unreasonable. Regardless of the number of supplements you are taking, always be sure to read and heed label directions.

Taking vitamins and minerals in quantities greater than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is unsafe. FALSE.

Most vitamins and some minerals are safe at levels many times greater than the RDA. The RDA is the level of intake recommended to maintain health, and is not in any way a safety limit. In fact, for many nutrients, for example vitamins D and E, scientific research suggests potential benefits can be gained by intakes beyond the RDA. The same experts that establish the RDA also set Upper Levels of Tolerable Intake (UL). The UL is also not a safety limit, but simply identifies a level of daily intake at which there is no known toxicity, and at which there is sufficient evidence of safety for the nutrient. The UL neither suggests that intakes above that level are unsafe, nor does it constitute a recommended intake. For some vitamins, like C and E, the UL is more than 10 times higher than the RDA. In some cases there is no UL as is the case for some B vitamins. This is because no study has ever identified an unsafe level, even when large amounts have been given.

Recent clinical studies show that supplements don’t work. FALSE.

Science moves in a stepwise fashion, and the steps are not always in a forward direction. Each new study adds to our total knowledge, even though it may sometimes seem that the results go back and forth, with positive news one week and negative news the next. What is important is the overall picture, and for dietary supplements the overall picture is pretty good. Calcium and vitamin D supplements help protect against osteoporosis, antioxidant supplements protect the eyes and the brain, omega-3 fatty acids are good for heart health, selenium may reduce the risk of getting prostate cancer, vitamin E and other vitamins reduce the risk of heart disease in some studies but not others and folic acid (a B vitamin) even helps protect against birth defects such as spinal bifida. Perhaps the strongest testimony to the fact that supplements work is the fact that the National Institutes of Health and other research organizations are pouring millions of dollars into more studies using various supplements for health promotion and disease prevention. The results are good enough to justify that kind of investment, and they are good enough to provide a reason for people to add supplements to their healthy lifestyle choices.

Clinical trials are the most reliable tool for evaluating the benefits of specific nutrients or dietary habits. NOT NECESSARILY.

Clinical trials are a valuable and reliable tool for assessing the effectiveness of pharmaceutical products (drugs). The drug can be given to one group of patients and not to another group, and the difference in response can be observed. The patients are not already being exposed to the drug from their diet or any other sources — they are getting it in the study or they are not getting it at all. Studying nutrients—both in nutritional supplements and food—is different. People are likely already getting these nutrients from their regular diets, and if participating in a nutritional study should not be asked to eliminate these foods—so it becomes very difficult to evaluate the effects of the added amounts. Additionally, the benefits of specific nutrients or dietary patterns are related to disease prevention, not disease treatment. Such benefits may take years to develop — much longer than most clinical trials. Finally, most clinical trials are conducted in people who already have a disease, or very high risk factors for the disease, so these trials are not really testing preventive effects, but are essentially testing treatment effects. When it comes to dietary patterns and nutrient intake, large observational studies should be strongly considered in identifying those factors that make people healthy. For example, everything we know about the benefits of diets high in fruits and vegetables is based on observing what people ordinarily eat and analyzing the health benefits of certain patterns of intake — it is not based on clinical trials showing those benefits. The same may apply to long term supplement use. If an observational study in tens of thousands of nurses shows that women who take vitamin E for at least 2 years have a 40% lower risk of heart disease, that is good information, even if it does not come from a controlled clinical trial. When it comes to diet and nutrition, the best advice is : Do what healthy people do and look at outcome based studies and Quality of Life Studies. Drug studies do not take into consideration the protection QOL of life that many supplements give people, they simply look at disease or no disease and the fact of the matter is that health does not work that simply.

I encourage you to spend some time doing your own research, whether it be online, talking to your practitioner, talking to family and friends, or through other resources. Above all else, making informed decisions is the best thing you can do for your and your loved ones’ health. Additionally, if you’d like to talk to one of our consultants about the benefits of any of the supplements AMARC provides, and how they can work synergystically to improve your health and well-being along with god lifestyle choices, please give us a call at 866-765-9682.

Daily assault is part of your liver’s job description. After all, it’s your personal purification system—responsible for removing harmful compounds from your blood, and for metabolizing critical hormones and drugs. But for all the abuse it’s built to take, it’s not invincible… and it’s not nearly as difficult as you might think to push this vital organ over the edge.

Toxic overload, an autoimmune misfire, or a common viral infection could be the cause of a variety of liver problems. Acute hepatitis can be caused by everything from a viral infection to certain types of drugs, alcohol or autoimmune conditions such as lupus. Viral infection of the liver is called infectious or viral hepatitis—that is, inflammation of the liver—and it’s serious business.

The good news? Acute hepatitis—unlike its more destructive chronic counterpart—usually resolves itself in a matter of months. The bad news is that there’s no treatment available in most of these cases… and while only a small number of acute infections will actually result in death, the risk is still very much there.

Of course, even without that risk, acute hepatitis is a hard pill to swallow. When you’re faced with symptoms like persistent fatigue, nausea, and headache—not to mention a few extras, including jaundice and anorexia—simply “waiting it out” is no walk in the park.

Luckily, a recently published clinical trial offers some compelling modern-day support for the historical use of milk thistle—and more specifically, its main constituent silymarin. The study enrolled 105 subjects, each with symptoms of acute hepatitis—including levels of the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT) that were more than double the normal upper limits.

Participants were treated with either 140 mg of silymarin or placebo three times per day, for a period of four weeks—followed by an additional four-week follow up. Liver tests were run at regular intervals throughout the eight-week trial… with some very promising results.

Researchers found that subjects taking silymarin experienced a significantly quicker recovery from acute hepatitis symptoms—including jaundice, dark urine, and yellowing eyes—when compared to the placebo group. Liver function tests also revealed a decrease in this group’s levels of indirect bilirubin—a hemoglobin byproduct that’s excreted in bile, and which naturally rises in cases of hepatitis, cirrhosis, and other forms of liver disease. Even better, no adverse events were reported. (1)

You can find silymarin as a stand-alone supplement or as part of a comprehensive liver support formula. AMARC offers a superb liver support product which contains silymarin - read more here!

Reference:

1. El-Kamary SS, Shardell MD, Abdel-Hamid M, Ismail S, El-Ateek M, Metwally M, Mikhail N, Hashem M, Mousa A, Aboul-Fotouh A, El-Kassas M, Esmat G, Strickland GT. A randomized controlled trial to assess the safety and efficacy of silymarin on symptoms, signs and biomarkers of acute hepatitis. Phytomedicine. 2009 May;16(5):391-400.

Original source: Health News, VRP Staff

Prescription drugs often become a necessary component of patients’ health. And that presents a new need — the need for physicians and pharmacists to discuss the possible ramifications of taking a prescription, including nutrient depletion in the body.

Most people are well-versed in the importance of vitamins, minerals, and herbs to their health. Stress, environmental pollutants, and poor diet all contribute to the depletion of nutrient levels in the body. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of how prescription drugs create drug-induced nutrient depletion. This is an important issue that becomes even more important when a patient must take a prescription for a chronic condition.

As America ages, it’s inevitable that more of the population will need prescription drugs for chronic conditions. There’s already an influx of prescriptions for Americans’ high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, and other health concerns. This is a prime opportunity to educate your patients about the need for nutritional therapy as an adjunct to taking prescription medications. Not only does this benefit the patient, but also enables you to integrate natural medicines into your clinic or pharmacy.

Consider that anti-hypertensive medications for blood pressure, drugs that comprise the sixth largest dollar-volume category of prescription drugs in the U.S. in 1998, will deplete zinc in the body. This mineral is crucial to the immune system and its many functions including wound healing and infection fighting. A zinc deficiency can also cause insulin resistance and sexual dysfunction.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs such as LipitorR and ZocorR comprise the third largest category of prescription drugs in the United States in 1998 and can easily deplete Coenzyme Q10(CoQ10). On the flip side, magnesium may inhibit the absorption of these drugs. And even commonplace NSAIDs deplete nutrients like folic acid And it’s this deficiency that poses greater risk for women because of the link to cervical dysplasia and birth defects in their children. Other problems associated with a lack of adequate folic acid include anemia, depression, elevated homocysteine levels (and corresponding risk of cardiovascular disease), and increased risks for developing breast and colorectal cancers.

Natural Medicine Online offers a chart of the most commonly prescribed drugs and their corresponding effects on body nutrient levels. Please use this chart to educate yourself about the added importance of nutritional supplements and natural medicines when taking prescription medications.

Top Prescription Drugs

NorvascR, ProcardiaR, and AdalatR
Description: Types of anti-anginal drugs used for heart disease. 
Depletion: Procardia and Adalat can cause potassium depletion (hypokalemia)
Interactions: Ingestion of grapefruit or grapefruit juice has been shown to increase the blood levels of these drugs and may increase side effects.
Nutritional Support: Krebs Magnesium- Potassium Chelates.
 
NSAIDS including AleveR, aspirin, ibuprofen, FeldeneR, IndocinR, RelafenR, NaprelanR, Naprosyn, etc.
Description: Types of anti-inflammatory drugs.
Depletion: Iron, folic acid, zinc, vitamin C, and possibly vitamin B12.
Interactions: High dosages of vitamin E (i.e.,>400 IU/day) can decrease platelet aggregation. This may result in additive blood thinning effects already present in NSAIDs.
Nutritional Support: Glucosamine Sulfate, a high potency daily multiple vitamin for women or men, and MSM.

PremarinR, PremproR, and other estrogen hormones
Description: Types of estrogen replacement (HRT) used for menopause. 
Depletion: Vitamin B6, folic acid, niacin, and vitamin C. 
Interactions: Red clover extracts and soy isoflavones may interfere with absorption.Vitamin D, calcium, zinc, magnesium, and ipriflavone may increase absorption.
Nutritional Support: A high potency daily mutiple vitamin for women or women 45+ and standardized black cohosh. Standardized black cohosh is effective for relief of menopause symptoms.

PrilosecR and other proton pump inhibitors
Description: Types of ulcer/gastric reflux medications (GERD)
Depletion: Vitamin B12.
Interactions: May decrease the absorption of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals by blocking the release of stomach acid.
Nutritional Support: Vitamin B12(Methylcobalamin) and a high potency daily multiple vitamin for women or men. Gastro-ReliefT helps relieve acid indigestion.

ProzacR, ZoloftR, and other SSRIs
Description: Types of anti-depressants. 
Depletion: Melatonin.
Interactions: Low levels of B vitamins may reduce the effectiveness of these drugs.
Nutritional Support: St. John’s Wort and 5-HTP should not be taken with any SSRI unless under a physician’s supervision. Melatonin and a complete daily multiple vitamin for women or men.

SynthroidR and other thyroid hormone medications (EltroxinR, Levo-TR, LevothroidR, LevoxylR, EuthroidR, ThyrolarR, etc.)
Description: Types of thyroid hormone replacement.
Depletion: Calcium. 
Interactions: Iron supplements and soy products taken at the same time as SynthroidR may interfere with absorption.
Nutritional Support: Milk thistle extract standardized to contain 70% silymarin. Thyroid preparations are best taken on an empty stomach at the same time every day.

VasotecR, CapotenR, (Captopril), PrinivilR, ZestrilR
Description: Types of (anti-hypertensives) medications for blood pressure.
Depletion: Zinc.
Interactions: These drugs may increase blood levels of potassium above normal or reduce potassium excretion in urine.
Nutritional Support: A high potency daily multiple vitamin for women or men.

Albuterol (ProventilR, VentolinR)
Description: Types of bronchodilator (asthma).
Depletion: Magnesium and calcium.
Nutritional Support: A high potency daily multiple vitamin for men or women and Krebs Magnesium-Potassium Chelates. BronchorilT can help keep airways free of mucus.

Amoxicillin preparations including AugmentinR, AmoxilR, PolymoxR, TrimoxR, and others
Description: Types of antibiotics.
Depletion: Biotin, vitamin K, and possibly other B vitamins.
Interaction: The enzyme bromelain increases the absorption of amoxicillin and other antibiotics.
Nutritional Support: Acidophilus and bromelain. Lactobacillus acidophilus preparations can be taken with antibiotics. 

ClaritinR, ClaritinR-D
Description: Types of allergy medications.
Depletion: None known
Interactions: None known
Nutritional Support: A high potency daily multiple vitamin for women or men.

CoumadinR (warfarin)
Description: Types of anticoagulant therapy used for heart disease (blood thinner).
Depletion: None known.
Interactions: Vitamin K may decrease the effect of CoumadinR.
Nutritional Support: Ginkgo biloba extract, vitamin E, and aspirin may increase the effect of Coumadin. A high potency, standardized grape seed extract helps to maintain healthy blood vessels. Iron, magnesium, and zinc may bind with CoumadinR and decrease its absorption. Take any supplement containing these compounds at least two hours before or after taking CoumadinR. 

Diuretics including LasixR, AldactoneR, EsidrixR, HydrodiurilR, EdecrinR
Description: Types of blood pressure medications also used for fluid retention.
Depletion: Potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins (especially thiamin). 
Interactions: Diuretics cause the body to excrete higher levels of potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins. However, calcium levels tend to be preserved.
Nutritional Support: A high potency daily multiple vitamins for women or men. Potassium supplementation is routinely provided by medical doctors when they prescribe diuretics

GlucophageR, also DiaBetaR, MicronaseR, GlucotrolR
Description: Types of oral anti-diabetic agents.
Depletion: Folic acid and vitamin B12. 
Interactions: These drugs should be taken on an empty stomach.
Nutritional Support: Magnesium, chromium, and a high potency daily multiple for diabetics. Diabetics have higher needs for virtually all nutrients, especially vitamins C, E, and B, magnesium, and chromium. 

LanoxinR (digoxin) 
Description: Type of inotropic heart medication.
Depletion: Magnesium, potassium, and thiamine.
Interactions: Low levels of potassium increase the risk of digoxin toxicity. Siberian ginseng should not be used with Lanoxin.
Nutritional Support: Krebs Magnesium-Potassium Chelates, and high potency daily multiple vitamin for women or men. Avoid licorice extract unless it is deglycyrrhizinated.

LipitorR, MevacorR, ZocorR, PravacholR, and other HMG CoA Reductase Inhibitors.
Description: Types of anti-cholesterol medications.
Depletion: Coenzyme Q10.
Interactions: Magnesium may inhibit the absorption of these drugs. High doses of niacin will increase risk for adverse liver effects and myopathies.
Nutritional Support: Coenzyme Q10 (softgel). Do not use concomitantly with red yeast rice products unless under the supervision of a physician.

Editor’s Note: Medical science has known for decades that even the most wonderful drugs of our time have a certain time and place for use. LONG TERM USE OF ANY DRUG HARMS THE BODY IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. That is not to discount that some medications are keeping people healthy, rater that there is damaging being done elsewhere. The recent explosion of the pharmaceutical companies wanting people to stay on medication for the long term is primarily financially-driven. Our medical system is designed not around developing good health through good habits but what magic pill can we take to fix our problem. We all know what type of situations this short-term thinking can mean for our long-term health. It only hurts our health! The good news is that more research and more people are changing their lives through proper nutrition, exercise and supplementation. The top 4 supplements that are showing a great synergistic effect are CoQ10, Vitamin D, Fish Oils, and POLY-MVA.  The most exciting of these supplements is POLY-MVA. It’s a revolutionary, complexed supplement which can protect our cells and provide cellular energy support at the same time. The combination of these supplements not only protects and supports our cells but work across the basic fundamentals of good health and for many different situations - diabetic patients, stroke, cardiac situations and cancer cases, to name a few. By specifically targeting metabolic therapy, protection and support you really give your body the best chance of being healthy.

by Christopher Wanjek (LiveScience’s Bad Medicine Columnist)

Scientists are now reporting a breakthrough therapy to lower the risk of developing the most common and deadly chronic diseases - diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer - by about 80 percent.

In some ways, this might sound like old news. The therapy is called taking care of yourself: not smoking, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight.

True, you’d have to be smoking something hallucinogenic to not understand that cigarettes are unhealthy. Take away cigarettes, and you take away lung cancer and a good deal of heart disease. Similarly, the mantra of eating right and exercising has been drilled into us. Pork rinds and videogame expertise does not a healthy body make.

What’s new, though, is evidence of the cumulative protective effect provided by all four healthy factors. The research, published in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, involves over 23,000 Germans and is part of a larger, ongoing European study on lifestyle choices and disease.

Action cheaper than reaction

Americans, an ever ingenious and resourceful lot, are now debating how to have a world-class healthcare system without paying for it through higher taxes or taking steps to improve their health. Maybe we’ll succeed; we’ve defied gravity before. But this radical idea of taking care of yourself could help.

Chronic diseases are expensive because, as the name implies, they stay around usually for the rest of your life. This adds up in terms of drug costs, surgery, hospital stays, missed work and lower productivity.

Obesity is costing the American healthcare system more than $100 million annually. And while there’s some overlap, diabetes costs nearly $150 billion, cancer care costs more than $200 billion, and heart disease costs more than $300 billion annually, according to studies by the National Institutes of Health.

The way it was

Cancer is difficult to cure simply with lifestyle changes. Lung cancer would go away, but the four aforementioned health factors contributed to “only” a 36-percent reduced risk of all cancers on average.

Diabetes, on the other hand, doesn’t need to exist. And it hardly did exist until the 20th century. The researchers found that four health factors contributed to a 93-percent reduced risk in developing diabetes among the people in the study.

Heart disease, too, is largely preventable. Here the risk of a heart attack was lowered by 81 percent. In fact an unrelated study, also published this week, in PLoS ONE, suggests that heart attacks and strokes may have been rare for the vast majority of human history.

For this PLoS One study, team led by Michael Gurven of University of California, Santa Barbara, studied a remote Amazonian tribe in Bolivia known as the Tsimane. They found that peripheral arterial disease does not increase with age in this population despite risk factors found in industrialize countries, such as chronic inflammation and tobacco use. The implication is that these risk factors become deadly only in the context of an unhealthy diet and an inactive lifestyle.

Of course, life isn’t a paradise in the Amazon. Life expectancy is around 50 years, and half the Tsimane die from infectious or parasitic disease. Other leading causes of death are accidents and violence. Yet they remain mostly remarkably fit throughout life. This is the natural state for humans.

Genetic connection

Genetics do play some role in chronic disease.

For example, some people pack on extra pounds easily. Yet as the German study and other large studies are revealing, the obesity epidemic is mostly driven by lifestyle choices. The genetic predisposition, if any, is not the ease in gaining weight but the difficulty in losing it.

And so…

More certain is American’s genetic predisposition to rely on liposuction, stomach stapling, angioplasty, bypass surgery, dialysis and lots and lots of prescription drugs to fight disease. But the key to affordable healthcare, according to these two studies, is to pay for disease prevention, not treatment - and, perhaps, to avoid poisonous blow darts.
Christopher Wanjek is the author of the books “Bad Medicine” and “Food At Work.” His column, Bad Medicine, appears each Tuesday on LiveScience.

Poor eating habits precipitate more than just an enlarging waistline. They affect every aspect of your health, and although you may not notice it right away, your hormone levels suffer dramatically from sugary, fatty, and nutritionally-deficient foods. Many of your beneficial hormones will nose-dive, while the other more dangerous hormones - like insulin - skyrocket.

Insulin Resistance Syndrome

Our bodies do need sugar (glucose) as a fuel for our cells to perform their daily cellular functions. When we eat sugar or foods that are broken down into glucose such as high-glycemic carbohydrates, our body’s digestive process puts that glucose into the blood stream for the cells to collect and utilize. The cells rely on the pancreas to monitor the blood levels and to alert them when glucose is abundant. The pancreas does this by secreting insulin which circulates through our bodies delivering the message to the cells of glucose’s presence.

In perfect balance, when we eat carbohydrates and produce glucose, the cells use it up as energy and there is little left over.

When our cells ignore insulin and become resistant

Over the course of years as we get older, become more sedentary, and our diets become “sugar loaded,” we process more glucose than our cells can use and the excess floats around in our blood, or is turned into fat in the cells.

Insulin Resistance also increases the symptoms and/or risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome, contributing to:

1. Accumulation of body fat
2. Obesity
3. Elevated triglycerides
4. High blood pressure.
5. Acceleration of the aging process.

Diet

It is commonly accepted that eating large amounts of simple carbohydrates (pastas, breads, and sugar filled foods) could lead to Insulin Resistance, elevated cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and obesity. For this reason, as part of our program, we recommend that our patients change to a low-glycemic index diet.

The Glycemic Index is the rate that carbohydrates break down into sugar in the blood. The best source of low-glycemic carbohydrates are vegetables. Vegetables are slow burning carbohydrates and help keep insulin levels steady.

A diet rich in vegetables, proteins, good fats in the form of omega-3, and water is optimal for a long health span.

It is important to point out that a single diet will not work for everyone. To optimize your nutritional needs you should visit with an experienced health care professional well versed in the issues of metabolic syndrome and nutrition.

Editor’s Note: Targeting cellular health and energy support is key to helping your body regulate its hormones and get the most benefit from a healthy diet. A key supplement in metabolic support, cellular energy production and protection is POLY-MVA. Its unique complex of alpha lipoic acid, B-1 and the mineral palladium make it ideal for these types of situtiaons. Only ¼-1/2 tsp per day and you have the added benefit of a superior antioxidant while at the same time supporting energy production for you cells. Read more…

by Sarah Baldauf

Added sugars, which are sprinkled on and processed into packaged foods and beverages, have become all too common in the American diet, says the American Heart Association. The group argues that sugar bingeing is helping drive the uptick in metabolic changes in the American population, including the exploding obesity rate, and has now recommended an upper limit on daily consumption. (Sugar intake and cancer: What’s the link?) Women should consume no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars, and men should not top 150 calories per day. There goes the soda habit: One 12-ounce can contains about 8 teaspoons or about 33 grams of added sugar, which equals approximately 130 calories, notes the AHA. One gram of sugar serves up 4 calories, according to the American Dietetic Association.

With math like that, it’s not surprising that the average American rings up an average of 22.2 teaspoons, or 355 calories per day, of added sugars, mostly from sugar-sweetened beverages. But those who shun sweet-tasting drinks are not off the hook. Part of the challenge of avoiding added sugars, argues the AHA, is that they have become far more prevalent over time; the amount of added sugars in Americans’ food options increased 19 percent between 1970 and 2005.

Here are 11 sneaky dietary sources that are surprisingly high in added sugars based on serving sizes from non-brand name nutrition labels at www.nutritiondata.com. The per-serving figures allow you to calculate your own added sugar intake, both in grams and calories, if you use more or less.

1. Fortune cookies. Just one fortune cookie packs about 3.6 grams of added sugar.

2. Flavored booze. Exercise good judgment when you drink: One ounce of crème de menthe has 14 grams of added sugar; 53-proof coffee-flavored liqueur has 16 grams of added sugar per ounce.

3. Baked beans. A one-cup serving of canned baked beans with no salt added will cost you nearly 15 grams of added sugar.

4. Dried, sweetened cranberries. Without the sweetener, this fruit can be incredibly tart. But one serving-a third of a cup-of this treat will hit you with 25 grams of added sugar.

5. Ketchup. A favorite condiment, a single one-cup serving of regular-or low sodium-ketchup racks up nearly 40 grams of added sugar.

6. Cream substitutes. A one-cup serving of a liquid “light” cream substitute packs 22 grams of added sugar, while a one-cup serving of a powdered “light” cream substitute adds a whopping 69 grams.

7. BBQ sauce. A one-cup serving of this summertime favorite adds 9 grams of added sugar onto those ribs and chicken.

8. “Reduced” salad dressings. A one-cup serving of reduced-calorie French dressing heaps 58 grams of added sugar, and a one-cup serving of reduced-fat coleslaw dressing hits a home run with 103 grams of added sugar.

9. Lemonade. A cup of lemonade powder has a massive 200 grams of added sugar. A single serving of the drink has almost 17 grams of added sugar.

10. Flavored popcorn. Think the added sweetener can’t be that bad here? Fat-free-syrup caramel popcorn has 18 grams of added sugar per ounce serving.

11. Granola bars. Often deemed a healthful snack, some are tricky-a 1-ounce serving of a granola bar with oats, fruit, and nuts has 11 grams of added sugar.

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/featured/35/foods-surprisingly-high-in-added-sugar/