Oral birch allergy syndrome is an extreme and severe allergic reaction to some common foods such as apples (Eflon/Flickr)

For most of us, having to be careful about what we eat might just mean eating more greens—or trying to avoid sugary drinks. But for Glaswegian Katy Levine, living in London with her two young children, who all suffer from various food allergies, being careful about food has become a way of life through necessity. Eating the “wrong” foods might well result in an Epi-pen (auto injector for sever reactions) being used, an ambulance called, and a trip to the hospital. 

Katy suffers from oral birch allergy syndrome. This is a complicated allergy to certain fresh fruits and vegetables, which has only become understood properly fairly recently. It is believed that people first become sensitised to the pollen of the Silver Birch tree. Then, they start to react (with oral swelling or itching) to a number of fruit and vegetables that have a similar pollen structure to the Birch—including apples, pears, almonds, and hazelnuts. 

Katy’s 5-year-old daughter Lucie suffers from egg, mustard seed, sesame seed, pineapple, and kiwi allergies, while 22-month-old Orli has serious milk and peanut allergies, including being touch allergic. Katy speaks about some of the difficulties of family life, living with serious allergies.

“Over the years we have been in and out of the GP surgery, allergy specialists, dieticians, and chemists. When you go to the doctors/specialist, you have your skin prick and blood tests, receive your results and told what you are allergic to. Then, you leave the appointment—and that is it!

“If you’re lucky you may be referred to a dietician. It’s even a struggle getting the special formula, Neocate, from the GP as it’s very costly and you find yourself almost begging every month for a repeat prescription. 

“I feel there really needs to be more support for families living with allergies. When you have serious food allergies, it affects every single aspect of your life from attending nursery, going to school, food shopping, holidays—and that’s without even mentioning eating out or socialising.

“I get a lot of support/direction from the Anaphylaxis Campaign, which raises awareness about living with allergies. Over the years I have noticed that the Allergy & Free Show at Olympia has been getting more and more popular—for the three days it runs for it is packed! I can spend the whole day there hoping to find something new and I have discovered the most amazing things. 

“For instance, I discovered ‘nut-free’ manufacturers, which makes such a difference because it can be hard for us to treat ourselves to nice things to eat. I discovered one dairy-free chocolate being sold in Tesco, but unfortunately they have stopped selling it now. Waitrose sell one that is dairy-free, but unfortunately the others have the ‘may contain nuts’ warning. Whilst I suspect that the chances that the products do contain nuts are small, companies want to cover themselves and do I really want to take a risk no matter how small?

“It is such a shame, but even at parties, I have to take food with us. Lucie is 5 years old and she is just at that age where she is starting to go to parties or friends’ houses on her own, without me. I feel for her that she is not able just to tuck into what everyone else is eating. Every single packet of Walkers crisps ‘may contain’ mustard and milk, amongst other things! 

“You cannot buy things from a bakery due to the cross-contamination risk, eat cakes and biscuits at parties (just in case) or totally relax when you are invited to friends’ houses for tea. I am just so lucky that Lucie is very happy at school and they are extremely supportive and work closely with parents in the same situation. 

Continued on next page     “You have got to start training your children at a very early age … “

When mothers are healthy, their babies will be healthier and happier. (Tao Ty/The Epoch Times)

Gone are the days of having your baby while unconscious under anesthesia in a hospital and then having the baby taken away to be fed formula on schedule every four hours by a nurse.

The crying of a newborn who has only been able to ingest enough milk for a three-hour stay would be enough to drive any new mother to distraction.

No baby seemed to fit the descriptions in the literature, and feeding on demand could spoil a baby. This attitude was prevalent among intellectual moms like mine.

In her day, there were many unknowns about the new being. Modern medicine declared that babies don’t feel pain or have sensitivity until much older, contrary to the observations of parents and those less educated than physicians and researchers.

Now midwives have returned with doulas (birthing assistants). Birthing is looked on as a sacred event. Mother and baby are considered as a unit, sharing life together. Under ideal circumstances, bonding starts right after birth with a feed from the breast and continues from there.

What would help Mom to heal and adjust during the weeks after birth? The first thing to do for the birth trauma would be to take a dose of Arnica 200C (200C indicates the potency). This homeopathic remedy reduces swelling and relieves pain.

If one feels better after taking Arnica, one takes it again upon feeling worse. The baby will get Arnica through the mother’s milk.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding a baby even for just a few days when one only has colostrum but no milk can give the baby’s digestive and immune systems a good start. A longer course of breastfeeding, as my grandmother told my mother, is very cozy.

For mothers who have questions about breastfeeding, there is a breastfeeding hotline run by La Leche League (877-452-5324). Ask the doctor about lactation consultants who come to the home to give on-the-spot advice and encouragement.

The advantages of breastfeeding are uncountable. For the mother, breastfeeding helps her lose some extra pounds accumulated during pregnancy. And the release of oxytocin brings the uterus back to normal size. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer and osteoporosis. It is also an easy way to bond and saves all the time that bottle washing would require.

Breast milk is digested faster than formula, so there will be more-frequent feedings, at least every three hours. Formula takes about an hour longer to digest, so there may be fewer feedings.

If formula is used at all, care must be taken that it does not contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which has caused metabolic syndrome in babies. Moreover, some HFCS is adulterated with mercury. Also avoid organic brown rice syrup, which has been found to have unacceptable levels of arsenic.

When the baby can take a bottle, whether of breast milk or formula, someone else, like Dad, can give the bottle, giving Mom a much-needed rest.

Nourishment

A mother’s diet, whether breastfeeding or not, requires wholesome food for rebuilding her strength and health. One of the most important nutrients a mother needs after birth is omega-3 fats. A primary source of omega-3s is wild-caught salmon, which has the lowest mercury levels of the larger fish.

Other good fish sources are albacore tuna, mackerel, and halibut. Vegetarian sources of omega-3 fats are walnuts, flax seeds, and hemp products. Omega-3 fats stabilize moods and keep the brain and heart in good shape.

B vitamins are also very important. The modern American diet tends to be deficient in B vitamins because our current diets are not high in liver or other organ meats.

Our love of sugar and alcoholic beverages deplete the B vitamins. Everyone needs B vitamins for the nervous system, brain, skin, conversion of food and fat to energy, and maintenance of a tranquil mood.

With the exception of B12, brewer’s yeast is a very good source of all the B vitamins. It can be added to soups or savory dishes. Start with a teaspoon a day if one isn’t used to it, and work up to 3 tablespoons a day.

Brewer’s yeast is also a great source of protein. One rounded teaspoon contains 5 grams of protein. Breastfeeding mothers need about five times the amount of B vitamins than if they were not breastfeeding. Vitamin B12 can be obtained from eggs, cheese, milk, shellfish, and special supplements.

A very pleasant way to increase milk flow and get more B vitamins is to drink unpasteurized beer. This should be done at the end of the day since hops bring on sleep. One should drink only one beer a day.

Mothers with candida or who are taking medication should consult their doctors before drinking beer or taking brewer’s yeast. Wheat germ and lentils are other good sources of B vitamins.

The healthy mother will be resilient, tranquil, and able to enjoy her new experience.

The British have the highest rates of obesity in Europe. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

British health professionals from all disciplines have collaborated to launch a campaign to tackle an obesity epidemic.

The organisation representing all medical practitioners, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), says that urgent action is needed to stem the tide of Britain’s “single greatest public health threat”.

The AoMRC has criticised the government’s current strategy for having little effect. The “Call to Action” strategy urges the food industry to voluntarily encourage the reduction of people’s calorie consumption. 

Lead campaigner professor Terence Stephenson, vice chair of the academy and president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said in a statement, “We recognise the huge crisis waiting to happen and believe that current strategies to reduce obesity are failing to have a significant impact.”

In an unprecedented move, doctors from all 21 royal medical colleges and faculties will in the next three months examine best practices and research to determine practical recommendations for an effective anti-obesity approach and produce a report with the academy’s proposals in the autumn.

The academy is calling for the public and health professionals to submit successful experiences and clinical research to its inquiry. The focus will be on five major areas: individual action; society, such as advertising and location of food outlets; health professional interventions; financial measures, such as taxation on unhealthy food; and education.

Professor Sir Neil Douglas, chair of the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges, said in a statement: “We are absolutely determined to push for whatever changes need to happen to make real progress in tackling obesity—which is why we’re casting the net wide to get input from a range of organisations and individuals.”

Alarming figures from the academy show that the UK has the highest rate of obesity in Europe: almost a quarter of women and just over a fifth of men in the UK are overweight or obese. By the age of nine, one in three children is overweight, and it is predicted that half of children will be obese or overweight by 2020.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) recognises that the issue needs a collective effort from parents, children, health professionals, government, and the food manufacturing industry. Educating families and health professionals is needed to instigate change in eating habits. “This has the objective of achieving the cultural shift in improved nutrition and increased exercise to achieve a sustained decrease in the numbers of children that are overweight or obese,” the RCPCH said in a position statement available on its website.

The Observer reported that the academy is calling for food giants like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola to be banned from sponsoring the Olympics and having fast-food outlets near schools. It also wants controls to prevent celebrities and popular animation characters from advertising junk food and drinks.

The direct cost of obesity to the NHS is estimated to be £4.2 billion a year, according to government statistics.

Barbara Gallani, director of Food Safety and Science at the Food and Drink Federation, agrees that obesity is a major problem and needs to be tackled but denied that the food industry has been ignoring the issue.

“Food manufacturers have a good track record of making positive contributions to improving public health through a wide range of actions,” she said in a statement.

Consumption of sweet drinks such as soda is one of the major causes of obesity and obesity-related diseases. (David McNew/Getty Images)

The great rise of annual sugar consumption from five pounds per person in the 1800s to the present 132 pounds per person is having grave effects on our health.

Sugar has no nutritive value unless you eat it from sugar cane. Sugar replaces vitamin C in one’s white blood cells, immediately weakening the immune system and causing one to gain weight.

The effects of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on triglycerides, obesity, and blood sugar are greater than the effects of ordinary sugar, or sucrose. As a result, the introduction of HFCS has led to the present epidemic of chronic disease among all ages, including children and babies.

Dr. Robert Lustig’s video “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” (which went from 500,000 hits to more than 2 million hits in two weeks) includes his treatment for obese children. It consists of four steps:

• Eliminate all sweetened drinks, including fruit juices, from the household. Replace them with water and milk.
• Eat carbohydrates with fiber.
• Wait 20 minutes for second helpings.
• Balance screen time and play time (screen time should not exceed playtime).

It is better to eat fruits whole than to drink them. Eating the whole fruit, ideally organic, provides fiber, which slows the uptake of fructose into the system. Often, the parts just under the skin have the most nutrients, such as the anti-oxidants in apples. The white part of an orange skin has bioflavonoids, which complement vitamin C.

Presently even water has additives. Tap water is usually laden with chlorine, which can be filtered out with charcoal filters. Fluorine, a poison, needs a more complex filter. Bottled water is often fluoridated tap water unless it has been through the process of reverse osmosis. Bottled spring or well water is often sold in glass bottles, which is expensive, but one then can avoid drinking plastic.

Dr. Lustig suggests diet soda although without enthusiasm. Diet sodas usually have aspartame. Although deemed by the FDA as being safe, this sweetener can have very adverse neurological effects.

Joseph Mercola, D.O., in his book “Sweet Deception,” tells of one man who experienced altered vision while driving on a highway. He felt he was driving in the sky while the other cars were driving above him on the road.

He managed to pull over and call an ambulance. The ER doctor recognized the symptoms of aspartame poisoning and asked if he drank diet soda. He was drinking two diet sodas a day. He immediately gave this habit up.

There are some sodas that use stevia as a sweetener. Stevia powder comes from a very sweet leaf used for hundreds of years by South Americans to sweeten their maté drinks. So far, no adverse effects have been noted for stevia.

Any beverage, including lemonade and hot or iced tea, can be sweetened with stevia. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar, so be sure not to use too much.

If one prefers flavor to straight water, there are herb teas such as mint, clover, ginger, and many more that could be explored as alternatives to fruit juices and sodas. Teas should be varied to avoid medicinal effects, such as irritability from frequent use of chamomile.

HFCS is not only in fruit drinks, but also in almost all processed foods. Just read the labels.

Dr. Lustig sees sugar as addictive and explains clearly that HFCS has similar physiological effects to ethanol. He suggests draconian measures to keep HFCS-laden drinks out of the hands of our youth.

This is Part 2 of a series on fructose. Read Part 1: Fructose, the Low-Fat Fattener.

British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver with Premier of Victoria Ted Baillieu after announcing a partnership to attack state-wide obesity on March 6 in Melbourne, Australia. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Obesity is now the leading cause of preventable death in Australia, overtaking smoking. Findings published this month in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health have revealed the seriousness of obesity in this country.

The study from Western Australia revealed that more than 60 percent of adults and one in four children are overweight or obese. These results are expected to reflect the population across the nation.

The World Health Organization defines adults with a body mass index (BMI) over 25 as overweight and those with a BMI over 30 as obese. While policy makers are now scrambling to find ways to combat this alarming problem, there are plenty of ways we can take responsibility for our health and control our weight through diet and lifestyle.

What to Do

When some people realize that they need to lose weight, they go into panic mode and start skipping meals. Starving themselves absolutely won’t help. Not only does it slow down your metabolism (which is the fire for burning calories), but skipping meals also leads to low blood sugar and increases cravings for the wrong types of foods.

Ideally we should never go more than five hours without a small meal to keep energy levels stable. Additionally, eating during the day burns more calories than eating in the afternoon or evening.

Long-term health maintenance has to be realistic and is about a balance between eating what’s necessary for the body most of the time and what’s pleasurable only some of the time. A willingness to take some steps toward change can really produce results.

Eating a wide variety of foods of different colors is a great way to start (this doesn’t include the wrapping!). Green foods are always a good choice for people trying to lose weight.

Carbohydrate foods don’t just mean breads, pasta, and rice. Vegetables are also carbohydrates and supply energy. An added bonus is that you can fill up on raw salads and steamed greens virtually without limit.

Flaxseed oil mixed with balsamic vinegar makes a healthy and delicious dressing. It is high in essential fats and improves the body’s insulin response. The essential fats in avocado and nuts are necessary for healthy cell membranes and help the body let go of the bad fats that may be sitting on the hips or tummy.

Avoid margarines and trans-fats in cakes and biscuits, as they contain lots of empty calories.

At each meal, always include a small amount of protein. If you eat the protein first, it helps to suppress your appetite and stabilize blood sugar. This is because proteins are digested slower than carbohydrates, so eat the fish, chicken, or eggs in a meal first and then the rest.

Other good protein foods include pumpkin seeds, nuts (no more than 30 at a time), lentils, beans, and miso soup.

Save the fresh fruit as a dessert at the end of the meal. This prevents the blood sugar spikes that cause insulin release and lead to fat storage.

Lifestyle Tips

These are some key lifestyle tips for losing weight:
• Stay well-hydrated.
• Eat when relaxed and free of distractions.
• Learn how to control stress.
• Follow a daily exercise plan.

A good exercise regimen should work up a sweat for at least 30 minutes. Without exercise, progress will be very slow.

Sleep is also vitally important for weight loss, and studies show that a lack of sleep can decrease metabolism as well as cause problems with insulin levels.

Alcohol intake must be kept to a minimum because it turns into sugar in the body and not only increases calorie intake, but also burdens the liver. It’s best to avoid alcohol or limit your consumption to one glass of wine a day if you are trying to lose weight.

Finally, weight loss is not just about making sacrifices. It involves discovering other sources of pleasure or emotional satisfaction. This may include taking baths, reading, meditation, massage, phoning a good friend, listening to music, or doing something creative and positive. Finding new ways to create delicious, healthy food is also part of the fun.

Sheridan Harvey is a nutritionist in Sydney, Australia.

Robert Lustig, M.D., has concluded that consuming products with high fructose corn syrup, especially in soft drinks, is the major cause of chronic illness and death. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

Among the many battles now going on in the world is the battle of the bulge. However, the FDA, the USDA, and the AMA do not officially recognize the true enemy.

Robert Lustig, M.D., professor of clinical pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at U.C. San Francisco, has studied the metabolism of sugars and treated obese children. He concludes that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), especially in sodas, is the major undercover agent causing chronic illness and death from the unborn to the elderly.

Dr. Lustig has made his findings public in a 90-minute video, “Sugar and Its Bitter Truths,” which is available on YouTube.com. In the video, he demonstrates that fructose in the quantities that we imbibe, especially for the younger generation, is equivalent to poison.

Our bodies perceive HFCS and sucrose (cane or beet sugar) as two different substances, even though the Corn Refiners Association keeps saying that their molecules are the same—one fructose and one glucose.

Tell that to a liver cell or a digestive enzyme. HFCS is sent directly to the liver—the organ that takes care of toxic substances we ingest.

Before processed foods, sugar consumption was about 15 grams per day per person. In whole foods, the fruit and vegetable sugars are naturally packaged with fiber and micronutrients, both of which mitigate the bad effects of sugar.

Little by little, our consumption of refined sugar has increased over the years. Sugar is already bad. Too much sugar of any kind disposes one to weight gain, cancer, and diabetes. We were already being set up to become sugarholics when sugar was derationed after World War II.

With the advent of HFCS in the 1970s and the creation of HFCS from enzymes and cornstarch by the Japanese, the sweetener became cheaper, and corn growers were happy.

Below is a table showing the increase in the amount and proportion of sugar in everyone’s diet since the 1950s, according to Dr. Lustig’s video.

For adolescents, the figures are even more dramatic. In 2009, adolescents alone consumed 73 grams of sugar per day, or 12 percent of their daily calories. And 25 percent of adolescents consumed at least 15 percent of their calories from fructose—a huge amount.

The two different processes of sugar metabolism illustrate why one sugar is slightly better than the other and why fructose in HFCS, fruit juices, and baby formula is causing metabolic syndrome in kids as young as 6 months old.

Sucrose meets sucrase, an enzyme, in the small intestine, where the sucrose is transferred to the bloodstream. Sucrose is a double sugar composed of about half glucose and half fructose.

High sucrose levels in the blood tell the liver to notify the beta cells in the pancreas to secrete insulin, which enables glucose to be taken in by all the cells for energy production.

Some glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen for future energy, and some is stored as fat if it is not burned for energy. Leptin is called forth by insulin and informs the brain that one is no longer hungry.

Fructose is processed differently. It arrives at the liver intact, as the sucrase couldn’t deal with it. HFCS in soda is 55 percent fructose. The liver has an enzyme to process fructose, but it needs a phosphate that the liver gets from ATP, its source of energy made by mitochondria.

The result of this robbery—caused by the large volume of fructose—is the formation of uric acid and the elimination of an important enzyme that keeps blood pressure down. Uric acid is a waste product that predisposes one to gout.

As the process continues, various enzymes come into play, forming fat not only in the liver but also in organs and muscles. VLDL, the fat that lines the arteries, and triglycerides rise precipitously.

Although the liver is calling for insulin, and a large amount is sent over, the excess fatty acids formed in the liver go through a complex sequence that results in damage to the insulin-receptor sites, which causes insulin resistance.

Meanwhile, at the liver’s behest, the pancreas is pumping out insulin. This overproduction of insulin causes insulin resistance, turns off the receptors for leptin in the brain, and makes the victim unsatisfied and still hungry.

Having a soda before a meal won’t spoil one’s appetite because ghrelin, which is from the stomach and makes the sensation of hunger, will not be suppressed. The calories in the soda will not be registered by the body and will be turned into fat by the extra insulin.

This is Part 1 of a series on fructose. Read Part 2: A Cure for Addiction to Sweet Drinks. 

Squash is one of the five major vegetables that help the skin maintain a youthful appearance. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)

Most people know that there are lots of delicious vegetables that are good for health. It’s less well-known that some vegetables can also help us stay young.

Brussels Sprouts. This vegetable is known for its cancer- and cholesterol-fighting properties. Brussels sprouts are a good source of vitamins A, C, E, and lutein, which contribute to the vegetable’s anti-aging and anti-cancer properties.

Brussels sprouts also contain a substance called sinigrin, which works as a powerful antioxidant in the liver, detoxifying and eliminating harmful aging substances.

The vegetable is very effective in keeping the skin and bones young and rejuvenating us because 31 percent of its calories are from protein.

Carrots. A newly discovered substance in carrots, falcarinol, has been shown to a have a strong skin-protecting, antioxidant effect. The fiber in carrots, pectin, detoxifies heavy metals such as lead and cadmium and other toxins.

Carrots’ bright orange color signifies their high beta- and alpha-carotene levels. This gives them the ability to rejuvenate skin and other organs.

Squash. There are many wonderful nutrients in squash, which is available in many varieties. Squash is sweet and starchy, making it an easy way to complement a light meal with bitter greens.

Squash contains properties that prevent damage to the skin, joints, brain, and heart, such as coumarin, with its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties.

Squash also contains vitamins A and C, antioxidants that destroy harmful free radical molecules, thus protecting us from heat and light damage, helping the skin maintain a youthful appearance.

Shiitake Mushrooms. These mushrooms are a traditional remedy in their native China, Japan, and Korea, where they are prized for their ability to improve vitality and immunity. Because shiitake mushrooms contain rich sources of beta-glucan, they help the liver recover from toxins, such as alcohol.

If you want to stop weight gain or help yourself lose weight, eat shiitake mushrooms regularly.

If you want to stop weight gain or help yourself lose weight, eat shiitake mushrooms regularly. They contain vitamin B3 and thus help the body metabolize sugar and keep weight from creeping up on us as we get older.

Shiitake mushrooms help keep us young because they contain the minerals zinc and selenium and anti-oxidant enzymes.

Watercress. Carotenoids are antioxidants that help prevent UV damage, protecting us against premature aging and skin damage. Watercress is high in carotenoids.

It is also iodine-rich, thus it helps regulate metabolism and helps maintain a healthy, youthful weight. Watercress is also high in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and E, which help prevent wrinkles, age spots, and skin damage.

Source: Kan Zhong Guo

A shopper browses through an array of vitamin supplements at a GNC vitamin store. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images )

I often receive questions about vitamin therapy. Some wonder if they should take vitamin supplements to prevent illness. Others ask if they still need vitamins if they are eating a well-balanced diet, and some simply want to know the best dosage of vitamin D or vitamin C.

So are vitamins worth it or a waste of money? Scottish heritage forbids me from spending money foolishly. Neither should you.

When patients question the value of vitamins, I always ask them, “What do you eat for breakfast?”

The typical reply is, “I skip breakfast, as I’m rushing to the office,” or “I get a muffin and coffee on my way to work.”

So they start their day with one nutritional strike against them. Their breakfast lacks fiber, vitamins, and minerals such as magnesium. This routine is also a great way to develop constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.

The second strike comes when they grab a hamburger for lunch. And later in the day, they strike out for the third time when it’s too convenient to pick up a packaged dinner loaded with calories, sugar, and salt. Reheating also destroys many of the vitamins that are present.

Some of my friends are strict vegetarians. But in their enthusiasm for avoiding animal products, they may not be getting enough vitamin B12, zinc, or calcium.

Readers of this column know I enjoy an alcoholic drink before dinner. I’ve always believed that Sir William Osler was right when he said, “Alcohol is for the elderly what milk is for the young.” But drink only in moderation, as those who imbibe too much are usually vitamin-deficient.

As our bodies age, they undergo changes. For instance, the stomach produces less acid, making it more difficult to absorb vitamin B12. I recall a patient who was believed to be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease who slowly regained normal mental function after receiving this vitamin.

Vitamins are not just for the elderly. There are over 70 million North American women in their reproductive years. They should all be taking folic acid every day, not just after they become pregnant. It’s vital to be on this vitamin before they become pregnant to prevent a defect in their baby’s spinal cord. Still, not enough women are hearing this message.

Current evidence shows that folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 help to decrease the risk of heart disease by decreasing the blood level of homocysteine.

But I believe that vitamin C plays an even greater role in preventing heart disease. In fact, studies by Dr. Sydney Bush, an English researcher, prove that high doses of vitamin C plus the amino acid lysine can open up blocked coronary arteries.

I believe there are now several reasons why it’s prudent to consider vitamin therapy. We must first rid ourselves of the misconception that the majority of North Americans eat a balanced diet. A significant portion of this diet is junk food and does not contain sufficient amounts of fruit, vegetables, fiber, minerals, and other vital ingredients.

As a prudent Scot, I first try to eat a balanced diet. I also take a variety of vitamins and minerals every day. This routine is not cheap but relative to the high cost of ill health, I look on these purchases as an inexpensive insurance policy.

A recent report contained disturbing news. Some North American pharmaceutical companies are importing billions of dollars of drugs and vitamin ingredients from foreign countries. A report from the University of California says, “Your vitamin pill may as well be labeled Vitamin China.”

It’s ironic that although manufacturers must state where your socks or TV sets were made, this is not true of vitamins. And studies have shown that just as household appliances can differ in quality, so can vitamin products. So it’s important to be careful and find out where your vitamins come from.

You can read more about what vitamins and minerals I take every day and why I choose them on DocGiff.com

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. He may be contacted at Info@docgiff.com.

Europe doesn't want GM foods. Do we? (Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images)

Based on a recent Chinese study, we are all probably partly rice, but are we also partly insecticide or herbicide from genetically modified plants?

Mike Adams, the “Health Ranger,” brought this possibility to the public eye in his video “How GMO Foods Alter Organ Function and Pose a Very Real Health Threat to Humans.” TV.naturalnews.com.

Chinese cell researchers have found that plant microRNA from rice and other vegetables are directly absorbed into the bloodstream of mammals without being broken down by digestion. RNA, like DNA, carries genetic information. MicroRNA or miRNA is a short RNA molecule that can suppress gene activity.

Through a series of trials, it was found that a certain plant miRNA from rice arrives intact to the liver cells of mammals, where it inhibits the removal of LDL from the blood.

Those mice eating the rice diet had their blood LDL rise significantly within a few hours. After three days of the rice diet, LDL was raised but HDL and triglyceride levels were unchanged.

Healthy Chinese people were also part of the study. When their blood was analyzed, it also contained rice miRNA.

Ten plant miRNAs were found in the blood of Chinese subjects, mice, rats, horses, sheep, and calves. Rice miRNA was found not only in the liver, but the lungs, spleen, kidneys, stomach, and brain. However, the effects, if any, on these other organs was not addressed.

The researchers wrote: “To our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that nucleotides, miRNAs, with complete functional structure are resistant to digestion in the GI tract and can be delivered intact to other tissues.

“In this sense, miRNAs may represent a novel class of universal modulators that play an important role in mediating animal-plant interactions at the molecular level.” The study appeared online in Cell Research, September 2011.

The question arises: Could miRNAs also make a critical contribution to destroying the body’s structure and function? In the case of genetically modified plants that have only been with us since the 1990s, the effects of the new miRNAs that could attach to our organs are unknown.

According to the study’s introduction, miRNAs have the ability “to modulate various critical biological processes, including differentiation, apoptosis, [cell destruction] proliferation, the immune response, and the maintenance of cell and tissue identity.”

Adams pointed out that Monsanto states on its website: “There is no need for, or value in testing the safety of GM foods in humans. So long as the introduced protein is determined safe, food from GM crops determined to be substantially equivalent is not expected to pose any health risks.”

“So long as the introduced protein is determined safe” is contradicted by the research of Dr. Arpad Putzai, of the Rowlett Institute, who was given a grant by the U.K. to devise a protocol to investigate the safety of GM foods.

Dr. Putzai chose the foreign gene in a GM potato that he had worked with before and which produces an insecticidal protein that is harmless to mammals.

Three variations of potato were fed to three groups of rats: the plain potato, a potato injected with the insecticide, and a GM potato injected with the gene from the insecticide. The rats given the first two types of potato were fine. The rats given the GM potatoes had almost all their organs and their immune systems adversely affected after only 10 days.

Previously, rats that had been given 700 times the amount of insecticide found in the GM potatoes had not been affected, so Dr. Putzai concluded that GM foods need more safety studies.

Dr. Putzai had a brief moment of being in the spotlight after an interview on the air Aug. 10, 1998, but on Aug. 12, 1998, he was fired from his 35-year position and his team was disbanded.

Seven months later, Parliament invited Dr. Putzai to testify, whereupon the media again reported the dangers of untested GM foods. This time, the biotech industry could not squelch public sentiment. As a result, major food companies in Europe eliminated GM foods from their products because they did not want their foods labeled as GM.

An Amish girl pours raw milk after a milking. Raw milk has been found to be especially healthful. Chris Hondros/Getty Images

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Feb. 21 that most dairy-related disease outbreaks are linked to raw (unpasteurized) milk.

The CDC, after releasing a 13-year review (1993—2006) on the issue, said that raw milk causes 150 times more instances of dairy-related disease than the pasteurized variety.

“Restricting the sale of raw milk products is likely to reduce the number of outbreaks and can help keep people healthier. The states that allow sale of raw milk will probably continue to see outbreaks in the future,” Robert Tauxe, the head of the CDC’s food borne, waterborne and environmental diseases, said in a news release.

Specifically, raw milk products, including yogurt and cheese caused 60 percent of dairy-related outbreaks, the CDC said. The study included 121 outbreaks, which caused 4,413 illnesses, 239 hospitalizations, and 3 deaths.

The CDC’s handling of statistics has been questioned.

The following are excerpts from a Weston A. Price Foundation press release on March 12, 2007.

“The FDA and CDC provided no facts to back up claims of widespread illness from raw milk in a recent press release, ‘FDA and CDC Remind Consumers of the Dangers of Drinking Raw Milk.’

“The joint FDA/CDC reminder claims that between 1998 and 2005, raw milk was implicated in 45 outbreaks, 1007 cases, 104 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. Yet the reference cited, the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for the week of March 2, 2006 (MMWR for 03-02-07), provides no such information. Nor is any such information found in any other FDA or CDC document. Numerous requests to the FDA for clarification have not been answered.” …

“’Reports of individuals becoming ill after drinking raw milk do exist, although none were cited in the recent CDC and FDA Reminder. But even these reports do not usually provide proof that raw milk caused illness. When someone who drinks raw milk becomes ill, these agencies immediately report an “association” with raw milk, ignoring other vectors of disease and subsequent tests showing the milk to be clean,’ reports Fallon. ‘FDA and CDC definitely have a double standard when it comes to raw milk.’

“Fallon cites the example of a May 1983 outbreak of illness from Campylobacter in Pennsylvania, reported to be ‘associated’ with raw milk in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Yet the report admits that cultures of the raw milk from the farm did not yield Campylobacter. Members of the farm family routinely drank raw milk and none reported illness.”

The foundation also provides the dangers of pasteurized milk: “Pasteurized milk has been the source of many widespread outbreaks. A total for some of the documented outbreaks due to pasteurized milk over the past few decades is 239,884 cases and 620 deaths.”

In light of the above, can the CDC-supplied statistics be trusted?

Price Foundation information reproduced with permission:

WestonAPrice.org/press/press-release-2007mar12

An apple will stay fresh for at least 20 minutes with some vitamin C on it. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)

It’s been said that “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” But wherever you are, good eyes are a priceless possession. Today, tens of thousands of North Americans are struggling to read fine print, worrying about driving at night, or suffering from dry eyes or eye fatigue.

Growing older is inevitable, but many of the adverse effects of aging are preventable. Dr. Denham Harman, at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, believes that free radicals are responsible for aging. Free radicals are formed when oxygen is burned in our cells for energy.

To understand the importance of free radicals, Dr. Julian Whitaker, one of the early pioneers of natural remedies, suggests this kitchen experiment. Cut an apple in half, crush a vitamin C tablet, and spread the powder on the cut side of one half.

Twenty minutes later, the side protected by vitamin C will remain white and fresh. The unprotected side will turn dark brown due to the oxidation process and production of free radicals.

We would die without burning oxygen for energy. But this oxidative process has the same effect on eyes as it has on the unprotected sliced apple. To help counteract this browning effect on ocular tissues, we need ample amounts of antioxidants, such as vitamin C and other nutrients.

Lutein is one of the prime antioxidants essential for visual acuity and for helping the eye recover from nighttime glare. Zeaxanthin, another major antioxidant, helps to maintain the health of the retina, the back part the eye that sends pictures to the brain. It also helps to improve vision by filtering out damaging light.

Studies show that most people do not consume enough antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables to protect their eyes, particularly central vision.

“Don’t fire until you see the white’s of their eyes” was the famous command given to British soldiers. But if these soldiers had lost their central vision (for example, from age-related macular degeneration), they wouldn’t have been able to fire a single shot.

The macula is a tiny spot in the retina responsible for central vision. Stare someone in the eye at a distance of 20 feet, and you’re looking from the macula. Without a healthy macula, it’s impossible to read or watch TV. Today, macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness for those over 50 years of age and affects 7 million North Americans.

Dr. John Landrum, at Florida International University, Miami, Fla., is a world authority on macular antioxidants. He studied the concentration of antioxidants in the eyes of those with and without macular disease. This revealed that people with the highest intake of antioxidants had 43 percent less risk of macular disease.

To have healthy eyes, you need antioxidants and good circulation. Dr. Sydney Bush, a renowned British researcher, showed several years ago that vitamin C could reverse hardening of retinal arteries and improve blood supply to all parts of the eye. This was a huge discovery that has largely gone unnoticed.

His studies also show that high doses of vitamin C can have a beneficial effect on the macula.

It’s possible to take a number of individual vitamins and minerals to protect aging eyes. Other important nutrients for the eyes include lycopene, vitamin A, zinc, copper, alpha lipoic acid, taurine, N-acetyl cysteine, glycine, and bilberry, closely related to blueberries.

Just as apples turn brown without antioxidants, so the eyes age without them. Try the kitchen experiment.

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website is DocGiff.com. He may be contacted at Info@docgiff.com.

We stand a better chance of losing weight and keeping it off if our leptin is functioning as it should. (Photos.com)

This time of year will see a lot of people trying to shed excess weight. Although many people will lose weight successfully, almost as many will regain that weight.

Why? A big part of the answer is that when we lose weight, the body brings into play mechanisms that help the body preserve its weight. One of these is a slowing of the metabolism.

Here’s how the authors of a paper published online on Jan. 11 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition describe it: “After weight loss, there is a decline in energy expenditure that reflects both the loss of metabolically active tissue plus an additional 300–400 kilocalories per day, which may be termed ‘adaptive thermogenesis.’”

In other words, metabolism reduces to an extent greater than is expected solely as a result of weight loss. For example, while body weight declines by 10 percent, say, metabolism may fall by 15 percent or more.

The authors go on to add: “Decreased energy expenditure after weight loss would have little consequence if it were easy to sustain a corresponding reduction in energy intake to maintain a reduced body weight. As anyone who has attempted to sustain weight loss can attest, this is not the case.”

Some of the mechanisms include reduced activity in the sympathetic nervous system and changes in hormones that affect metabolism, including thyroxin and leptin.

Leptin is secreted by fat cells and acts on the hypothalamus to speed the metabolism and suppress appetite. I first became aware of the importance of this hormone by reading Stephan Guyenet’s blog: WholeHealthSource.blogspot.com.

As we gain weight and accumulate fat, more leptin is made to help keep things in check. When we lose weight, leptin levels fall, which can stifle the metabolism. The drop can also make people hungrier.

One of the ways this can manifest is a reduced satisfaction from food. In other words, for a given amount and type of food, people tend to feel less satisfied once they’ve lost weight than they were when they were heavier. The risk is that people may then be driven to eat more.

The paper published on the Jan. 11 featured an experiment designed to assess the effects of leptin on people who had lost weight. Ten obese individuals were fed a liquid diet of 800 calories a day until they had lost about 10 percent of their weight. This took from 36 to 62 days.

Metabolism was measured before and after weight loss. Also, individuals were tested in terms of their response to eating, including how satisfied they felt after food.

After weight loss, on separate occasions, individuals were injected with leptin or placebo (five weeks each).

• Total calorie burn fell by about 700 calories a day due to weight loss when individuals were injected with placebo. But with leptin, the reduction was much less, about 400 calories a day.
• Calorie metabolism per kilogram of lean mass (muscle) also fell as a result of weight loss, but this was not the case when leptin was being administered.

In short, leptin helped individuals maintain their metabolism after weight loss just as we’d expect. Plus, when the individuals were on leptin, they derived more satisfaction for a given amount of food.

We stand a better chance of losing weight and keeping it off if we have good-functioning leptin. Problems with leptin functioning, also known as leptin resistance, are now emerging as a major factor in weight-control issues.

Inflammation of the hypothalamus appears to be one cause of leptin resistance. One thing we can do is to avoid foods that are inflammatory. Spikes in blood sugar promote inflammation, so this is another reason for not eating a diet based on blood-sugar-disruptive carbohydrates, including many starchy foods.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com.

Rice is considered a safe starch according to the Jaminets, a husband and wife team that recently published "The Perfect Health Diet." (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)

Every so often, the nutrition blogosphere explodes with interest and much-fevered writing about a topic for debate. One recent topic was regarding whether a low-carb diet or a diet of low food reward was more valid for weight loss and enhanced health.

Both these approaches appear to have merit. However, the academic debate is not as important as what works.

The latest topic is “safe starches.” I believe the term was coined by Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet in their book “The Perfect Health Diet.”

I have not read this book, though reading about it leads me to conclude that the dietary principles in it are essentially sound. One recommendation that the Jaminets make in their book is that the diet should contain a certain amount of safe starches such as potato and white rice. The idea is that eating a very low carbohydrate diet can make it difficult for the body to thrive.

Even though we can make glucose from protein, we have a limited capacity to do this and can end up deficient in glucose, which can impair health and well-being.

For example, according to the Jaminets, a lack of carbohydrate can lead to deficiency in the mucus in the gut, leading to digestive and other problems. A bit of starch (which supplies glucose to the body) can make up any shortfall and optimizes health, according to the Jaminets.

The Jaminets rate white rice and potato as safe starches but do not recommend wheat. This makes sense to me as many grains (especially wheat) are common causes of food sensitivity, which can manifest in many ways, including irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and fatigue. Many grains (especially whole grains) are also rich in substances that block or impair the absorption of nutrients.

I’d like to say up front that I am an advocate of low-carb eating. I think way too much emphasis has been placed on carbohydrate in the diet by our governments, health agencies, and health professionals, and this is particularly the case for starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, and breakfast cereals.

There is little doubt in my mind that the glut of such foods in the diet contributes significantly to weight and health issues, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

On the other hand, I have come to recognize that people vary in their ability to tolerate carbohydrate. Some healthy, physically active individuals can tolerate quite a lot of starchy carbohydrate without any obvious ill effects in terms of their health or disease markers.

Others, on the other hand, seem not to tolerate carbohydrate at all well. This is generally true for those with a weight issue as well as those who have diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

As a result, the dietary advice I’d give a slim, fit, very active 30-year-old is likely to be different to the advice I’d give a sedentary 55-year-old Type 2 diabetic who weighs 240 pounds. In my view, the latter needs to be much more careful with his carbohydrate intake than the former. I’d even go so far as to say the latter should probably limit his starchy carbohydrate intake to as little as possible.

As I’ve alluded to above, I do regard some forms of starch as better than others. So, even when I am recommending a more liberal approach, I favor rice over other grains as well as potato (white and sweet).

For people who can tolerate carbs, a modest portion of potato or rice alongside their meat or fish and veggies seems like a reasonable addition. But I believe it’s still important to ensure that the overall emphasis is on those other, nutrient-dense and blood sugar-stabilizing foods.

In short, my answer to the question about the appropriateness of safe starches in the diet is, it depends.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com.

Following a low-calorie diet may not be the best solution for long-term weight loss. (Amal Chen/The Epoch Times)

This time of year we see an upsurge in the number of people wanting to lose weight, often because of the extra body baggage they’ve accumulated over the festive season.

Many people will be tempted to take the oft-touted approach of “eating less and exercising more.” Here’s what we know from the science about these approaches:

• Calorie-controlled diets rarely lead to significant, sustained weight loss.
• Adding aerobic exercise to a diet generally does little to improve the results.

These facts appear to defy logic and common sense. But as I describe in my new book “Escape the Diet Trap,” published on Jan. 6, there are several well-understood mechanisms through which eating less and exercising more destines the majority of us to weight-loss failure.

One thing calorie-controlled diets have been shown to do is to stifle the metabolism, which can be profound. In a seminal study known as the Minnesota Experiment (conducted shortly after World War II), which I describe in my book, a 1,600 calorie-a-day diet led to weight loss of 20 to 26 percent in a group of men over a 24-week period, but their total energy expenditure fell by almost 40 percent.

Many men also became so hungry they obsessed about food and had little interest in anything else. Some of them experienced debilitating physical and mental symptoms.

This was on a diet containing more calories than many weight-loss diets advocate. The diet was also rich in carbohydrate and low in fat—precisely the sort of diet health professionals and our governments usually advocate for weight loss.

Calorie-controlled diets rarely lead to significant, sustained weight loss.

When the men were allowed to eat in an unrestricted manner again, they consumed huge quantities of food. By the time their eating naturally returned to normal levels, their fat levels were, on average, 75 percent higher than when they started.

The Minnesota experiment is just one study, but its findings reflect the experiences of countless individuals:

• Eating less (going on a diet) and losing weight
• Getting hungry and toughing it out
• Having a weight-loss plateau
• Failing and then eating almost uncontrollably
• Regaining weight quite rapidly
• Ending up heavier than they were before dieting

It is the crashing failure of calorie-based approaches to weight loss that cause me to rail against articles such as one in the U.K. NHS online news on Jan. 3: “Many ‘Healthy Snacks’ Are High in Calories.”

The article raises our awareness of the fact that many people are unaware of the calorific nature of foods, including hummus (a blend of chick peas, or garbanzo beans, sesame-seed paste, olive oil, and lemon juice).

Hummus might indeed be calorific, but one could argue that the quality of those calories is decent. All the constituents of this food are essentially whole and minimally processed. It contains a reasonable blend of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. It’s a food that is likely to sustain us quite well.

Could we say that for a not-so-calorific food like spinach or broccoli? I do have reservations about hummus, but this has nothing to do with its calorific nature and is related to the fact that beans and other legumes are relatively rich in lectins, which can be toxic to the body.

Judging a food by its calorific content is misguided at best. Not only does calorie control rarely lead us to lasting weight loss, it can cause us to eschew nutritious, healthy foods in favor of nutrient-

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com.

Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, which may help one reduce weight. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)

I am a big believer in keeping our diet based on foods that are as natural and unprocessed as possible. For me, the core foods should be meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.

I’m not a huge fan of milk since I find it to be a very common cause of problems related to food sensitivity. Either lactose or protein, such as casein, can cause problems, and the protein seems to be a particular problem after pasteurization.

I was talking to a receptionist yesterday who told me how her longstanding itchy rash disappeared on the elimination of milk from her diet but returned when she resumed milk.

While I’m not thrilled about pasteurized milk as a food, I’m much warmer to yogurt. This is primarily because it’s fermented, which makes it more digestible and less problematic. Also, there is some evidence that links eating yogurt with weight control.

It’s been theorized that this might have something to do with calcium. Consumption of calcium has been shown in research published in the FASEB Journal in June 2000 to paradoxically lower calcium level within fat cells, and this accelerates the process of lipolysis (breakdown of fat).

There is considerable evidence published in the January 2003 issue of the Journal of Nutrition linking higher intake of calcium with reduced body fat.

Vitamin D has also been associated with body-weight regulation. Several studies have linked low vitamin D levels with increased risk of excess weight. Some suggested that this might be because the more fat someone carries, the more vitamin D can end up being stored in fat cells.

A study found that women on a reduced-calorie diet with higher levels of vitamin D lost more weight than those on the same diet with lower D levels.

This information may help provide some explanation of the results of a study published online on Dec. 14 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In this study, men and women were given one of two orange juices to drink on a daily basis.

One group received regular orange juice containing 110 calories per serving (1 cup), and they were to consume three servings a day. The other group consumed lite orange juice (with artificial sweetener) containing 50 calories per serving (three servings a day).

However, the study designed was actually more complex in that in each group, half of the people drank orange juice fortified with 350 milligrams of calcium and 100 IU of vitamin D, while the other half did not. In summary, therefore, there were four groups in this study:

• Group 1: regular orange juice, no fortification
• Group 2: regular orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D
• Group 3: lite orange juice, no fortification
• Group 4: lite orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D

The trial went on for 16 weeks. Each of the study participants was assessed for a range of body measurements, including body weight and waist circumference, and there were no significant differences between the groups.

However, another assessment measured the amount of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) fat found in the abdomen and strongly linked with chronic diseases such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Changes in VAT were not different between the regular and lite orange juice drinking groups.

However, there were differences between the results obtained by those drinking fortified and non-fortified drinks. Group 2 lost more VAT than group 1, and group 4 lost more VAT than group 3.

It’s only one study, and it was funded by The Beverage Institute for Health and Wellness, part of the Coca Cola Company, which supplied the product (Minute Maid).

Shaving calories off your holiday consumption won’t make you a killjoy this year. (Photos.com)

How many readers can answer this question: What kills more North Americans than anything else? I’d bet many would answer heart disease or cancer. 

Authorities claim heart disease is the No. 1 killer. But I’m convinced that calories are the main culprit killing millions of overweight North Americans. 

Today, let’s see if the following clues help you name a recent low-carb product that will help combat the high-calorie diet. The answer may surprise you.

The first clue: This product contains no hidden sugar, a huge benefit for our sweet-loving society. Today, it’s easy to consume sugar without knowing it. For instance, how many realize the amount of sugar in packaged foods or are aware that a 10-ounce cola drink contains 8 teaspoons of sugar?

Excess calories of all kinds are triggering the epidemic of obesity and diabetes in North America. Tragically, the World Health Organization reports that every 30 seconds, a new case of diabetes is diagnosed in North America. Can you imagine the hue and cry if every 30 seconds a new case of meningitis, polio, or measles developed in Canada or the United States?

This product contains important minerals such as magnesium, which helps to regulate the normal beat of the heart. Potassium and magnesium help fight high blood pressure by relaxing arteries. This product also contains calcium, which helps keep bones strong.

In case you lack vitamins, the product contains a number of essential vitamins such as folic acid, niacin, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and vitamin B6.

Another clue: This product is 93 percent water. Over the centuries, contaminated water has killed more people than anything else. 

So what is it? It’s a bottle of low-calorie beer. In fact, one brand contains only 60 calories.

This column is not intended to suggest that drinking low-calorie beer is the ideal way to lose weight. Nor should non-drinkers start consuming alcohol. 

The obvious and well-tested way is to decrease the number of daily calories along with regular exercise. But for those who already enjoy drinking beer and who do so moderately, this product contains fewer calories—a big step toward better health. 

The longer I practice medicine, the more I’m convinced that, taken in moderation, alcohol is one of the best therapies ever created. If used temperately, it is not associated with the many complications associated with prescription drugs. 

Moreover, 20 world studies show that those who use alcohol moderately live longer than teetotalers and those who abuse alcohol. There are scientific reasons for this.

Alcohol increases the good cholesterol and removes bad cholesterol from the blood. It also helps to lubricate blood circulation, decreasing the risk of coronary attack. And never forget the relaxing effects of alcohol.

The consumption of fewer calories, whether by low-calorie beer or with other low-calorie products, will help to decrease the devastating complications associated with obesity, our No. 1 killer in my book.

I always enjoy passing along good news about the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption—particularly during this season, when one of the pleasures is sitting with family and friends and enjoying whatever drink is preferred.

My best wishes for a safe, healthy, and temperate holiday.

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website is DocGiff.com. He may be contacted at Info@docgiff.com.

Root vegetables are a great choice to help keep the body warm. You can steam, roast, or boil them. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)

According to traditional Chinese medicine, there is a close relationship between having nutritious food in the winter season and finding balance between yin and yang.

What we eat will create or remove blockages in our energy channels, as well as change our qi (energy) and blood circulation. During the cold winter season, having nutritious food is especially effective in improving our overall health and strengthening our immune system.

“Supplement the body when it is weak; warm the body when it is cold.” This is an important principle in traditional Chinese medicine. In winter, when it is cold, the key in eating well is to follow the course of nature (eat seasonally) and pay attention to cultivating “yang” energy in the body.

One should eat more food that is “warm” or “hot” in its energetic nature, especially the type of food that can strengthen the kidney energy. These types of food help improve the body’s ability to resist cold.

One may choose from grains like wheat or a variety of hearty whole grains, soybeans, peas, and vegetables like chives, garlic, turnips, or cauliflower. Eating warm, rich soups and roasted nuts also helps heat the body’s core and keep us well-nourished.

Avoid raw foods during the winter as much as possible, as these tend to cool the body.

Having food high in protein and fiber also helps. One of my favorite protein sources in the winter is duck. Duck meat is good to have with ginger to help with digestion. Chicken is good as well. It is “warm” and energetic, rich in protein, and the nutrients in chicken help prevent of colds.

Avoid ‘Cold’ Food

According to the theory of Chinese food energetics, there are five different categories of food: hot, warm, cool, cold, and neutral. In different seasons, we should eat different foods, including different fruits.

When the weather starts to turn cold in the fall, we should eat fewer melons such as watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and cucumber, which is referred to as “green melon” in Chinese. Because they are “cool” in nature, eating a lot of melons in the winter can cause diarrhea.

Eating according to the seasons is especially important for older people because their organ functions are weaker, and they tend to have a cold stomach.

Ellen Wang is a certified holistic health counselor at Tao Institute of Mind & Body Medicine. She can be reached at ewang@taoinstitute.com.

FRESH PRODUCE: Eating fruit and vegetables is a good way to get your daily magnesium dosage. (Phil Walter/Getty Images)

“Doctor, am I taking enough or too much calcium?” It’s a question I’m often asked by patients. But I can’t recall a single instance when a patient has asked the same question about magnesium.

It’s ironic, as studies show that many North Americans are not obtaining sufficient amounts of this important mineral. In some cases this can be a fatal error. Now there’s a simple, natural way to prevent this.

Calcium has always enjoyed star status for good reason. Without sufficient calcium, bones develop osteoporosis, and a minor fall, or a big hug, can snap a bone. But few realize that magnesium is required for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body.

For instance, a magnesium deficiency can result in hypertension, muscle cramps, restless leg syndrome, diabetes, migraine attacks, emotional trouble, fatigue, and an irregular heart rate.

Magnesium is nature’s natural muscle relaxant, but this fact went unnoticed for years.

This important finding helps to prevent heart disease, man’s No. 1 killer. But in addition to expanding coronary arteries, magnesium adds oil to the circulation, preventing platelets (small particles in the blood) from clotting, and sudden death.

Magnesium plays another vital role. Each beat of the heart is controlled by an extremely complex electrical system. Low blood magnesium can toss a monkey wrench into this process, triggering an irregular heart rate called atrial fibrillation. In extreme cases, this can result in ventricular fibrillation and death.

Whether or not you die from a heart attack depends on several factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and blood cholesterol. But one dilemma, which has been difficult to explain, is why 50 percent of people who die from coronary attack have normal blood cholesterol. Low blood magnesium may be a factor.

The DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) showed that this major killer could also be calmed by a diet high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium. In another study of 30,000 male health professionals, it was found that the incidence of hypertension was less in those who had a greater intake of magnesium.

A deficiency of magnesium is also fueling the epidemic of diabetes. A report from the University of Virginia showed that a low dietary intake of magnesium is associated with increased insulin resistance.

In this study, patients were placed on a diet deficient in magnesium for a mere three weeks. Researchers found that, not only did the cells become lacking in magnesium, but also insulin became less efficient in transporting sugar (glucose) from the blood into cells.

Since 1976, Harvard University has carried out a huge study called the “The Nurses Health Study.” During this time, researchers followed 85,000 nurses and 43,000 men. They discovered that nurses who consumed 220 milligrams (mg) of magnesium daily were 33 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those consuming 340 mg of magnesium each day.

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website is DocGiff.com. He may be contacted at Info@docgiff.com.

March 24, 2010 in New York City. Health care legislation requires every large restaurant chain in the country to provide caloric data on their menus. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

I have a friend who until recently managed a hotel in the west of England. The restaurant at the hotel is Michelin-starred. My friend talked with me some months ago about calls for restaurants to post the calorie-counts of meals on the menu.

He’s not keen on the idea, telling me (I paraphrase): People don’t eat in Michelin-starred restaurants to count calories.

He’s right, of course, but there are other reasons why this practice, all the rage now in New York, is unlikely to do much good. Paradoxically, there is some evidence that it might actually cause harm.

The issues regarding calorie posting in restaurants and fast food joints was well-discussed in an article that appeared online on Feb. 23 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The article describes how the introduction of calorie posting in New York was preceded by a study that found that individuals who noticed the calorie counts of food at Subway ate about 50 calories less than those who had not noticed the calorie postings.

But, as the article points out, this does not necessarily mean that posting calories leads to lower consumption. It might be, for example, that “calorie-conscious” people looked for calorie counts and were going to choose lower calorie options anyway.

Making calorie posting compulsory in New York has allowed many more studies to be done on the effect of this practice. The result? Most studies show no effect, and when calorie intakes have fallen, the effect has generally been “miniscule.”

More worrying yet, is the fact that some studies have found that posting calorie counts has led to an increase in consumption. In one study published in the American Economic Review in May 2009, for instance, labeling led to an increase in calorie consumption in those reporting that they were on a diet!

The author of the piece in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition speculates on how posting calorie contents of food might actually increase caloric intake. For example, some individual might over-estimate the calorie contents of foods. Knowing the real (and lower) calorie content might therefore cause the person to eat more.

Also, some individuals may see similarly priced but higher-calorie options as providing better value for the money.

The author draws our attention to the fact that obsessiveness regarding calories might add to the tendency for some to exhibit “irrational, even neurotic, patterns of [eating] behavior.” “Calorie labeling can potentially amplify such neuroticism, converting eating from a necessary and pleasurable activity to one fraught with anxiety and internal conflict.”

Calorie labeling is a huge retrograde step in that it puts the emphasis on the calorie count of food rather than its quality.

One disastrous consequence of this obsession with calories has been a general eschewing of fat in favor of carbohydrates. But carbohydrates drive insulin secretion, which, among other things, drives deposition of fat in the fat cells.

By promoting inflammation and perhaps other mechanisms, carbohydrates can also disrupt the function of the hormone leptin, leading to suppression of the metabolism and heightened hunger.

The focus on calories is, if anything, counter-productive for weight control. It’s clearly not part of the solution to the obesity epidemic, despite what some policy-makers like to think.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com.

An Inuit Fisherman Still Partially Following a Primal Diet. (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

I’m a believer in the concept that our diets should, for the most part, emulate those of our ancient ancestors. The diet we ate for long periods of our evolution is likely the diet we are best adapted to and is the best for us. There is abundant scientific evidence to support this concept.

Do we actually know what our ancient ancestors ate? There is evidence that prior to 10,000 years ago, our ancestors were hunter-gatherers. For the vast majority of our evolution, our diet was devoid of many modern-day foods, including bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, milk, refined vegetable oils, and refined sugar.

“New” foods eaten in the last 10,000 years make up about 75 percent of the typical calories consumed in a standard Western diet.

Until recently, in evolutionary terms, the human diet was ostensibly made up of primal foods such as meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. However, it stands to reason that the relative proportions of these foods in the diet would have varied considerably as a result of availability and necessity.

Our ancestors evolving near the equator would have decent access to plant-based foods, including fruits and vegetables. But the further away from the equator, our ancestors would have been more reliant on hunting for meat and fish.

One way of getting insight into our evolutionary diet is to examine the diet of modern hunter-gatherers. Probably the best source of relevant data is the Ethnographic Atlas. Within it can be found dietary information from 229 contemporary hunter-gatherer societies.

The percentage of calories contributed by carbohydrate varied from about 3 percent to about 50 percent. It will come as no surprise that they discovered that the percentage of the diet coming from carbohydrate was higher in populations close to the equator than those further away. The most common percentage among all the groups was about 20 percent.

Official recommendations are that about 60 percent of the calories we consume should come from carbohydrate. That’s actually higher than the most carbohydrate-rich hunter-gatherer diet of all, and about three times the average carbohydrate percentage in such diets.

The authors of this study conclude, “The range of energy intake from carbohydrates in the diets of most hunter-gatherer societies was markedly different (lower) from the amounts currently recommended for healthy humans.”

Not only has the quantity of carbohydrate changed in percentage terms but also its quality. Long gone are the days when our carbohydrate mainly came from fruits and vegetables, including tubers. Now, we consume much more grain-based products, many of which have been refined, and refined sugar and fruit that has been cultivated to be sweeter than fruit found in the wild.

There are many problems with such a diet. We can have the blood sugar disruptions and surges of insulin. Blood sugar peaks damage the body through a variety of processes, including inflammation and glycation (binding of sugar to tissues).

Highs of blood sugar can lead to low blood sugar, which can trigger symptoms such as hunger, food cravings, mental fatigue, mood changes, and insomnia.

The surges of insulin that come in response to high blood sugar can predispose to problems such as weight gain, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.

Of course, one way out of this would be to reject conventional nutritional advice on carbohydrate consumption and keep the diet as primal as possible.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

Vitamin D plays a critical role in fighting infection, and now scientists say that it may be a powerful weapon against tuberculosis. (Louise McCoy/The Epoch Times)

Vitamin D plays a critical role in fighting infection, and now scientists say that it may be a powerful weapon against tuberculosis.

In a study reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers studied how T-cells—a kind of white blood cell—are especially effective against the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. 


It’s known that people with low vitamin D levels are more susceptible to infection. It’s also known that people with weakened immunity—like those with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS—are more susceptible to tuberculosis.

Robert Modlin, chief of dermatology at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine and study co-author, says the researchers examined that connection.

“And through that, we discovered that one particular type of T-cell, the one that secreted a protein called interferon-gamma, was able to activate white blood cells that were infected with the tuberculosis bacteria to then kill the bacteria.”

But Modlin says it required vitamin D. “People that had low levels of vitamin D in their blood were unable to mount this mechanism and kill the bacteria.”

In lab experiments, scientists supplemented blood samples that were deficient in vitamin D. The supplementation activated the T-cells to destroy the TB bacteria.

Modlin says the findings could lead to new therapies using supplements to prevent TB or help in its treatment. “I think it could change how we think about vitamin D supplementation.”

But too much sun can lead to skin cancer. So Modlin recommends supplements over sun exposure, while cautioning that high doses can be toxic.

“I recommend that people consult with their internal medicine doctor and perhaps have their vitamin D levels measured if they think that’s appropriate and institute the right supplementation for them.”

Modlin says the next step is to initiate clinical trials to learn whether vitamin D supplements can augment resistance to tuberculosis or other infections.

It’s hard not to be caustic with the continuing examples of political correctness that pass for science in our universities and in the media.

“Fats stimulate binge eating” was the title of a report in Science News on a study with rats carried out at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, Italy. Researchers fed rats one of four liquid diets: “fat” in the form of corn oil (technically an oil, but the article calls it a “fat”), protein, sugar, or a “nutrition” shake combination of fat and protein.

A surgically implanted valve in the rat’s upper stomach drained the food once eaten. Then the team measured endocannabinoid activity in the brain and other tissues.

Endocannabinoids are chemicals produced in the body identical to those found in marijuana. The rats given corn oil had a surge of endocannabinoid activity in the gut and wouldn’t stop eating the corn oil until given a compound that blocked the cellular receptors for the drug-like compounds. Then the rats stopped eating immediately.

The study is interesting for several reasons. First, it shows that feel-good chemicals can be produced in the gut in response to certain foods. Second, it shows how the main conclusion of a study can be twisted by less-than-honest reporting. It was not fats like butter and lard that caused the binge eating, but corn oil!

Rather than state the obvious conclusion—that corn oil could make you overeat, so you shouldn’t eat it at all—the researchers are now looking for a drug to interfere with endocannabinoid activity in the gut (sfn.org/index.aspx?pagename=brainBriefings_endocannabinoids).

Drugs that interfere with endocannabinoid activity in the brain make people anxious and irritable, so why should researchers expect different results with drugs that target gut endocannabinoid receptors?

High-Fat Diet Reverses Kidney Failure. The tragic epidemic of kidney failure, so common in diabetics, puts a huge burden on our health care system, by some estimates accounting for half of all medical costs.

What if a simple diet could reverse kidney failure? A recent study on mice indicates the possibility. Researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York used mice with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Once kidney damage had developed, half the mice were put on a ketogenic diet, low in carbohydrates and very high in fat. After eight weeks, the researchers noted that kidney damage was reversed in those on the high-fat diet.

Such exciting results should be shouted to the skies, but health officials are administering a large dose of cold water. “This research was carried out in mice so it is difficult to see how these results would translate into any real benefits for people with diabetes at this stage,” said Dr. Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK.

“It is too simple to say that kidney failure could be prevented by diet alone and it is also questionable whether the diet used in this model would be sustainable for humans, even in the short term” (PLoS ONE 2011;6(4): e18604).

Of course, Diabetes UK and its counterparts in the United States have been pushing low-fat, high-carb diets for diabetics for decades. This study suggests that this disastrous advice may hasten kidney failure in these patients.

Source: WestonAPrice.org/caustic-commentary/caustic-commentary-fall-2011

Low cholesterol levels can increase one's risk for depression. (Photos.com)

Low Cholesterol and Impulsivity. Low cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk for attentional impulsivity in patients with mood symptoms, according to a recent study carried out at the University of Rome.

“Impulsivity is directly mentioned in the … diagnostic criteria for several disorders and is implied in the criteria for others, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, personality disorders, mania, and substance abuse/dependence,” writes study author Alfonso Troisi in the journal Psychiatry Research.

Troisi notes, “Evidence linking impulsivity and cholesterol levels to suicide risk attests to the clinical relevance of studying the relationship between cholesterol levels and impulsivity.”

In the study of 301 patients in psychiatric institutions, after accounting for factors such as age, gender, diagnosis, and current mood symptoms, the researchers found that lower total cholesterol levels were significantly associated with increased attentional impulsivity, particularly among patients with levels below 165 mg/dl.

Troisi concludes: “The current study adds to the growing body of evidence pointing to the association between serum cholesterol and mental health. … Considering that attentional/cognitive impulsivity is a demonstrated risk factor for suicide, patients presenting with low cholesterol and mood symptoms may warrant increased clinical attention and surveillance” (MedWire-News.md, June 9, 2011).

Who is telling patients that lowering cholesterol by diet or drugs may have these dire consequences?

Low Vitamin D. Another mental illness linked with modern dietary advice is schizophrenia, a disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and paranoid behavior.

Schizophrenics may have trouble maintaining jobs and social relationships. Researchers in Australia have found that newborn babies with low levels of vitamin D—due most likely to mom avoiding animal fats and sunlight—are more likely to develop schizophrenia later in life.

Following previous research showing that people with schizophrenia are more likely to be born in the winter or spring, a team of scientists and doctors at the Queensland Brain Institute looked at routine blood samples from Danish babies.

The study found that babies with low levels of vitamin D had twice the risk of developing schizophrenia as did babies in the healthy control group (Archives of General Psychiatry 2010; 67(9): 889–894).

The study reminds us of the Inuit condition called “pibloktoq.” Occurring in late winter or early spring, the disorder involves several days of irritability or withdrawal, a sudden excitation wherein the victim flees the camp and engages in irrational and dangerous behavior, convulsive seizures, a 12-hour period of coma or stuporous sleep, and a return to normal.

The best explanation for this schizophrenic behavior is vitamin D deficiency (WestonAPrice.org/mental/emotional-health/the-pursuit-ofhappiness).

Source: WestonAPrice.org/caustic-commentary/caustic-commentary-fall-2011

High consumption of non-diet fizzy drinks is associated with a significant increase in aggressive behavior. (Stephanie Lam/The Epoch Times)

Adolescents who drink over five cans of regular fizzy drinks weekly may be more likely to behave aggressively, including carrying a weapon and behaving violently towards peers and siblings, according to a new U.S. study.

The research was based on a biennial survey of 1,878 teenagers aged 14 to 18 at schools in Boston, Mass.

The number of carbonated non-diet soft drinks that each youth had drunk in the past week was measured to create two groups—low consumption (up to four cans), and high consumption (five or more cans).

Just under 30 percent of the participants were found to be in the high consumption group. The researchers found that people in this group were more likely to have drunk alcohol and smoked at least once during the last month.

They were also more likely to carry a gun or knife, and perpetrate violence towards friends and family members.

"There was a significant and strong association between soft drinks and violence," wrote the researchers in their paper. "There may be a direct cause-and-effect relationship, perhaps due to the sugar or caffeine content of soft drinks, or there may be other factors, unaccounted for in our analyses, that cause both high soft drink consumption and aggression."

A dose-response relationship was discovered when these results were split into four consumption categories, despite controlling for factors like drinking alcohol and smoking.

"We thought that when we controlled for cigarettes and tobacco, the effect would disappear. But instead, soft drink consumption was still what mattered," said study co-author Sara Solnick at the University of Vermont, according to CTV News. "Even if kids used tobacco or alcohol, or they did not, it still boosted the risk."

The number of people carrying a weapon rose from just over 23 percent in those who drank one or no cans of soft drink to just under 43 percent in those drinking 14 or more cans. Similarly, violent behavior rose as follows:

• From 15 percent to 27 percent towards a partner;
• From 35 percent to 58 percent towards peers;
• From 25 percent to more than 43 percent towards siblings.

"We can’t explain why this is happening," Solnick added. "What we have now is just an association. People who are involved in a lot of aggression also drink more soda and we don’t know why."

Cocoa has a substantial amount of magnesium. Drinking hot chocolate has the potential to diminish restless leg syndrome and reduce high blood pressure. Sweeten with stevia instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners. (Louise McCoy/The Epoch Times)

Restless leg syndrome is a condition characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the legs, usually when individuals are sitting or lying in bed. The sensations tend to make sufferers want to move their legs and body in an effort to ease the discomfort or find a more comfortable position.

The condition can cause sufferers to lose sleep. A recent study published online on Oct. 10 in the journal Hypertension looked at the relationship between women with restless legs and high blood pressure. Overall, women with restless legs were 20 percent more likely to have high blood pressure compared to women without restless legs.

Also, the more frequent the episodes of restless legs, the higher the blood pressure tended to be. Individuals suffering from 15 or more episodes of restless legs in a month were found to be at 41 percent increased risk of high blood pressure compared to those without the condition.

If I were to think of one cause to explain the association between restless legs and high blood pressure it would be magnesium deficiency.

It’s no panacea, but I have found magnesium to be generally very effective in reducing and controlling the symptoms of restless legs. Magnesium is one nutrient that is essential for proper muscle function, and a lack of it can cause symptoms ranging from restless legs, to tight muscles, muscle fatigue, and a tendency to cramping.

There is also muscle in the arteries. In theory, magnesium deficiency could cause tightness here too, which might push blood pressure up. In fact, there is evidence published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in July 1984 of low magnesium levels in individuals suffering from high blood pressure and evidence that magnesium therapy can be effective for lowering blood pressure.

The fact that restless legs and high blood pressure are commonly found together suggests that they often have the same cause. My experience and some science indicate that a common cause may be magnesium deficiency.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

Meat, eggs, and fish are major sources of vitamin B12. For vegans, Red Star Nutritional Yeast is an important source of vitamin B12. (Louise McCoy/The Epoch Times)

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient found naturally in animal products such as meat, fish, and eggs. The nutrient is perhaps best known for its relationship with pernicious anemia, a form of anemia caused by B12 deficiency, which is caused by impaired absorption of B12 from the gut.

For some time, there has been specific interest in the role B12 plays in brain function. In particular, B12 deficiency is believed to play a potential role in declining brain function (cognitive impairment) often seen in aging.

One of the proposed mechanisms concerns homocysteine, an amino acid that is linked with adverse effects on health, including cardiovascular issues such as heart disease and stroke. Low levels of B12 can cause raised levels of homocysteine (as can low levels of other nutrients, including folic acid and vitamin B6). Measuring homocysteine levels is sometimes used as a proxy for B12 status.

In a study published in the September issue of journal Neurology, vitamin B12 levels and brain structure and function were assessed in a group of individuals aged 65 or older. B12 status was assessed with five tests, including homocysteine levels and serum B12 levels. Four and a half years later, the individuals were assessed via tests for cognitive function and brain MRIs.

In general, tests that indicated low B12 status (for example, raised homocysteine levels) were associated with lower cognitive function test scores and smaller brain volume. This was true for all of the five markers for B12 except serum B12 levels.

What this evidence suggests is that B12 may have an important role to play in the aging brain and that assessing levels via the standard blood test is not particularly useful.

This situation is reminiscent of tests for iron levels in the body. Serum iron is a generally useless test of actual iron levels in the body, while other tests (notably ferritin) are much more useful in practice.

The absorption of B12 is a quite complex process, and aging may lead to an impairment of B12 absorption and increase the risk of deficiency. There is a risk, of course, that using the most common test for B12 levels (serum B12) runs the risk of missing genuine B12 deficiency.

The end result might be someone languishing in a B12-deficient state, which may have profound implications for the individual’s health and well-being.

For more information about B12 deficiency and how to assess this, you might like to listen to a podcast featuring Sally Pacholok, author of the book “Could It Be B12?”: thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/2899/sally-pacholok-says-b12-deficiency-dangerously-under-diagnosed-episode-411/

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

A protein smoothie makes a delicious breakfast beverage as well as a great after-school, post-exercise, or post-sports snack. (Photos.com)

Good nutrition fuels children for school and play, as well as parents juggling hectic schedules. Simple, healthy solutions can help ensure that each family member can keep the pace.

Remember that it is important to lead by example, so make sure you also follow your own advice. Here is a simple checklist to help the whole family excel in nutritional basics:

Breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But who has the time or the inclination with everything that needs to get done to stay on schedule?

Simple solution: A whey protein smoothie for breakfast. It’s great for the whole family, quick to prepare, and tastes good. Even picky, breakfast-haters will enjoy a delicious, tasty beverage, especially when they see their parents opt for one too.

Whey protein is an exceptional dietary protein rich in calcium that contains immune-enhancing constituents. Combine a scoop of whey protein with milk, add some fresh or frozen fruit, and blend together for a nutritious breakfast smoothie for the whole family.

A protein smoothie also makes a great after-school, post-exercise or post-sports snack.

Fuel the brain with omega-3 fish oils. Increasing research highlights the need for fish and fish oils rich in omega-3 EPA and DHA, physiologically essential nutrients required for infancy, childhood, adulthood, pregnancy, lactation, and aging.

DHA helps support the development of the brain, eyes, and nerves. It is required in high concentration for optimal mental performance. Omega-3 fish oil helps support cardiovascular health and promotes emotional balance. It is available in flavored liquids, chewable forms, and high-potency capsules.

Fill the nutritional gap. Eating well every day is difficult. And consuming enough fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean protein regularly is a challenge. The easiest way to ensure the optimal intake of vitamins and minerals every day is with a daily multivitamin supplement.

A multivitamin helps you fill the nutritional gaps often found in the majority of diets, regardless of one’s age. Like fish oils, multivitamin formulations come in a variety of forms including chewable, gummy, capsule, tablets, and liquids.

A nutritionally sound diet is the foundation for healthy development, learning, and functioning. But with the hustle and bustle of busy lifestyles, it’s sometimes difficult to find simple, choice solutions. Regardless of life stage, investing in your family’s well-being with these three easy steps will support optimal health.

Michele Sevier, DNM, DAc, is an educator and advocate of natural health and healing. She is an independent advisor to Nutrition House, nutritionhouse.com

Curcumin, a natural substance used to make turmeric, a chief ingredient in curry sauces, has been shown to be effective in reducing cancerous tumors. (Photos.com)

While researchers around the world continue searching for new and better treatments for various forms of cancer, they are also finding more evidence that simple changes in diet and lifestyle can, in many cases, prevent the disease.

The effects of smoking are well established, but many doctors now say bad eating habits, lack of exercise, obesity, and stressful living can also be big risk factors. One researcher thinks adding a little spice to your diet could also help.

In a research laboratory at Houston’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Clinic, Bharat Aggarwal has been studying the medicinal use of spices, like the turmeric he grew up eating in his native India.

Spice of Life

“These spices have been used day in and day out as a meat preservative, and these spices are anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-virus,” said Aggarwal. 



Much of his research focuses on curcumin, a natural substance used to make turmeric, a chief ingredient in curry sauces, which has been shown to be effective in reducing cancerous tumors. 



While some doctors scoffed at the notion of using a spice to treat cancer, Aggarwal persisted. And now, he says, other researchers are also showing good results. 



“There were at least half a dozen clinical trials that appeared last year alone on curcumin, where as little as 100 milligrams is enough to down modulate all the inflammatory bio-markers in people. We are not talking about rats or mice or anything,” Aggarwal added. 



But Aggarwal is the first to say that neither curcumin nor any other food provides a magic bullet to stop cancer. He advocates moderation in diet and lifestyle and the consumption of a variety of natural foods. 



“There are 800 different kinds of food items out there—800! An average American eats no more than 10, so variety is the name of the game,” Aggarwal said. 



That is the same approach being taken by Atlanta chef Hans Rueffert, who demonstrated his salad-making skills at a recent Cancer Survivorship Conference in Houston. 



Rueffert is a big believer in using fresh ingredients and borrowing from every type of cuisine. 



“I think any good chef is constantly learning about different cultures, different cuisines, and you sort of take the best of each one,” Rueffert explained. 



But Rueffert is especially interested in healthy eating because he, too, is a cancer survivor, having lost his stomach and part of his esophagus to the disease. He acknowledges the irony, but he says that also gives his message more impact. 



“I know what radiation is like. I know what chemo is like. I know what surgeries are like. So when I am up there and talking about how these foods benefit you, I am not reading from some book. … I have lived that,” Rueffert said.

Diet Versus Gene Therapy

Bharat Aggarwal thinks investigating the chemicals in foods and spices will do more to prevent cancer than expensive research on genetic links. 



“These genes are going to be with us no matter what, so we are not going to be able to fix those, but that is where all the money is going,” Aggarwal said.

Aggarwal notes that spices like curcumin have long been known to promote health. “The natural compound is working very well, and it has been used for thousands of years, and it is very inexpensive,” Aggarwal added. 



Expense is an important consideration as the United States faces budgetary struggles and an aging population of baby boomers who are going to need more medical care in the years ahead.

Cheese making in a large dairy in Germany, Alpe Oberberg. Researchers have found that people with the highest levels of milk-fat biomarkers were actually at lower risk of heart attack. (Miguel Villagran/Getty Images)

Misinformation about vitamin A abounds, but one thing is certain: Vitamin A saves lives in Third World countries.

A recent Cochrane review estimated that vitamin A supplementation programs for children under age 5 could save 1 million lives per year. The researchers reviewed data from 43 randomized trials, representing more than 200,000 children. They concluded that vitamin A supplementation is effective in reducing all-cause mortality by 24 percent, mainly via a reduced occurrence of measles and diarrhea.

Head researcher Butta noted that vitamin A deficiency is a major public health problem in low- and middle-income countries (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 12 doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008524.pub2). Meanwhile, signs of vitamin A deficiency in rich countries like the United States are ignored in favor of pharmaceutical interventions.

Establishment nutritionists continue to insist that vitamin A is toxic or that we can get sufficient vitamin A from plant foods like orange fruits and leafy green vegetables. Plus many vitamin A supplements use beta-carotene rather than true vitamin A.

Dietary Fats and Heart Disease. An excellent source of vitamin A is butterfat, found in whole dairy products, cheese and, of course, butter, which many people avoid in the belief that dairy foods cause heart disease.

Recent evidence indicates that these dairy foods could actually benefit the heart. A team of researchers from Sweden measured blood levels of two biomarkers of milk fat in over 400 heart-attack patients and over 500 healthy controls. The markers, pentadecanoic acid and heptadecanoic acid, provide a good indication of how much dairy fat a person has been eating.

The researchers found that people with the highest levels of milk-fat biomarkers were actually at lower risk of heart attack. For women, the risk was reduced by 26 percent and for men the risk was 9 percent lower. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2010 92(1):194–202)

Sally Fallon Morell and Mary G. Enig are board members of the Weston A. Price Foundation

Source: WestonAPrice.org/caustic-commentary/caustic-commentary-summer-2011

Taking vitamin C protects cartilage, preventing arthritis. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Millions of North Americans are suffering from osteoarthritis, the wear and tear type of arthritis that is associated with aging. Why does this happen and why does one remedy never hit the headlines?

A French professor started his class by saying, “This has been said before but must be said again because no one listened.” So it must be said again about osteoarthritis because not enough people listened!

An aphorism states, “If you keep going to hell, you’ll eventually get there.” Millions of people eventually get to an arthritic hell because they’re obese.

How can anyone not expect to develop painful hips and knees when they are subjected day after day to 50 or more extra pounds of stress? Remember what happens when you keep adding weight to the camel’s back.

President Abraham Lincoln gave sound advice when he said, “You have the best two doctors in your own body: your left leg and your right leg.” Walking pumps nutrients into cartilage and is the safest way to exercise and burn calories.

Eat a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants. They help to keep joints healthy. Take vitamin D to push calcium into bones. All this has been said before.

So what haven’t you heard before? It’s the vital role of large doses of vitamin C. Vitamin C protects cartilage, the shock absorber between bones. You may think this is a wild idea. But let’s look at the best way to evaluate problems by using some irrefutable scientific facts.

Linus Pauling, the only two-time solo Nobel Prize winner, told me years ago what I never learned at Harvard Medical School: Animals make their own vitamin C while humans do not.

For instance, guinea pigs produce 13,000 milligrams of C daily and increase it to 100,000 milligrams a day if they develop an infection. The recommended daily amount for humans is 60 to 95 milligrams!

The next indisputable fact is that vitamin C is needed to manufacture collagen, the main ingredient of cartilage, which prevents bones from grinding together. I practice what I preach and take at least 10,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily.

Vitamin C is also a great antioxidant. It helps to rid the joints of free radicals, the end products of metabolism, believed to be associated with aging.

Will this remedy stop everyone from suffering the pain of arthritis? The quick answer is no. After all, regardless of how well we care for our car, it gets older and eventually wears out. But by taking large doses of vitamin C, chances are better that arthritis will occur in the 80s rather than at 50 years of age.

You may argue that all this doesn’t apply to you because you drink orange juice. Sorry, it’s not so. Pauling believed this small amount does prevent developing scurvy that used to kill sailors on long sea voyages. Sailors didn’t get orange juice and neither did the ship’s cat, but the cat had the last laugh. It didn’t die of scurvy because it produced its own vitamin C.

Can I or anyone else prove that vitamin C is a cheap way to decrease the risk of osteoarthritis? Unfortunately, it’s not possible. A large scientific study is unlikely because no money can be made from doing it. Vitamin C cannot be patented.

Remember, I’m not your doctor. But I believe a huge amount of arthritis (and coronary attacks) could be eliminated by large doses of vitamin C along with a sound lifestyle.

Remember, previous columns have told you all this before!

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website is DocGiff.com He may be contacted at Info@docgiff.com

For every glass of wine, drink at least one glass of water. This helps the body from becoming dehydrated from the effects of alcohol. (Photos.com)

Recently, I was talking with someone who is generally fit and well but has a sleep issue. He sometimes fails to get to sleep easily. Even when he does, he tends to wake up several times during the night and can often have difficulty getting back to sleep.

It’s sometimes not obvious why someone has problems sleeping. One quite-common factor is alcohol. If someone has sleep issues and usually drinks alcohol in the evening, drinking less or nothing invariably helps.

Of course, it’s possible for someone to have sleep issues that have nothing to do with alcohol. Indeed, teetotalers can have problems sleeping. However, if someone has sleep issues and drinks alcohol, drinking less almost always helps.

A study published online on Aug. 16 in Clinical and Experimental Research reminded me of the insomniac man I had met. The study tested the effects of alcohol on sleep. Subjects were assessed through sleep with a measure known as heart rate variability. This can give information about the activity of the autonomic nervous system.

This is the part of the nervous system that influences everything from breathing and heart rate to the stress response and sleep. The autonomic nervous system has two main parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic part is activated when we are alert and stressed. The parasympathetic part is more dominant when we are relaxed and at rest.

When we sleep, it’s important for the balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to be weighted on the parasympathetic side. It is partly this that allows sleep to be deep and restful.

This study found that alcohol disrupts parasympathetic activity, and more alcohol generally meant more disruption. In other words, there is evidence that alcohol can disrupt our ability to get deep, restorative sleep.

These are three things I have found can help individuals drink less without feeling deprived:

1. Do not start drinking when you’re thirsty. The thirstier we are, the more we will tend to drink. The less thirsty we are, the less alcohol we will tend to drink.

It makes sense to ensure we’re properly hydrated prior to starting drinking. The aim should be to drink enough water to keep our urine pale yellow, and there should be no sense of thirst prior to drinking any alcohol.

2. Do not start drinking when you’re hungry. Alcohol can provide ready fuel for the body, and some people will find that hunger can stimulate the desire to drink. Some people will crave alcohol if their blood sugar level drops below normal.

One common manifestation of this phenomenon is a tendency to drink a glass of wine, beer, or a mixer prior to food in the evening. Individuals coming home or entering a restaurant in a hungry state will often reach for the alcohol before anything else. When individuals manage their appetites better, they almost always drink less.

One simple tactic here is to eat something such as some nuts in the late afternoon or early evening.

3. Match each alcoholic drink with one of water. This tactic generally works wonders to quell alcohol intake. For example, matching each glass of wine with a glass of water usually leads to less wine being drunk and also dilutes any negative effects the alcohol may have.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

MARKETING: You can get an increase in sales by changing 'chocolate cake' to 'Belgium Black Forest cake.' (Gabrielle Grenz/AFP/Getty Images)

Why do people eat more than they should? You say you’ve heard all the reasons? But I bet you’re dead wrong. Why? It’s because a report in The Nutrition Action Health Letter is written by a marketing expert, not a doctor. Also, there’s a way to get rid of unwelcome dinner guests and trick a bartender.

Brian Wansink, professor of marketing at Cornell University in Ithaca, N. Y., directs the Food and Brand Lab. He asks people, “When was the last time you ate to the point of regretting it?” He follows that with, “Why did you do it?”

He receives the usual answers: “It was a tough day,” “I was depressed,” or other reasons. But most replied they were hungry and the food looked good.

Wansink decided to find out what happens if the person isn’t hungry and the food is terrible. In one experiment, researchers gave free popcorn to theatergoers who had had dinner 20 minutes earlier.

The popcorn was five days old and tasted like Styrofoam. It was given in medium or large bags. They discovered that even people who were not hungry and given lousy food ate 34 percent more popcorn from the larger bag.

Several external cues make us overeat. We may think we’re smart and can use our brain to overcome such cues, but even intelligent people fail the test due to what Wansink calls “mindless eating” and “the intelligence trap.”

Wansink told highly motivated, intelligent students, “If I give you a big bowl, you will eat more than from a slightly smaller bowl.” He then showed them video lectures on how to avoid this trap, and they subsequently left for a holiday vacation.

After they returned, he invited them to a Super Bowl party at a sports bar. One room had enormous bowls of Chex Mix, another identical room slightly smaller bowls of Chex Mix. Wansink discovered that those serving themselves from the larger bowl consumed 53 percent more food. All the earlier lectures had no effect, even though it was the same food as shown in the videos.

So you want to get more scotch for your money from a bartender? It’s quite easy. Wansink told bartenders with six years experience to put the same amount of alcohol into either short, wide glasses or high thin ones. But even with their experience, they poured 20 percent more alcohol into the short, wide glasses.

Why does this happen? Wansink says that smart people believe they’re smarter than the bowl or the glass, even if they’re Harvard graduates.

So you own an Italian restaurant and want to sell more pasta? Just change the name from “Italian Pasta” to “Succulent Tuscany Pasta.” This increases sales by 27 percent. Patrons also rate the restaurant better and the chef more competent. You can get the same increase by changing “chocolate cake” to “Belgium Black Forest cake.” Names can make you eat more.

So can expectation. If you have guests who drink too much of your good wine, and you want to get rid of them, try this restaurant experiment. Wansink bought cheap $2.00 Cabernet wine and soaked off the labels. He replaced them with labels from California and North Dakota. (North Dakota doesn’t even make wine!)

Those who drank California wine rated it better and made reservations to return. The North Dakota wine poisoned the entire meal. These participants did not rate the food good, left early, and made no further reservations.

So what does work to fight obesity? Wansink advises the use of smaller bowls, rather than believing education makes a difference. Make sure the first thing seen on the table is the healthiest food. And cover the clear window of the ice cream freezer with butcher paper to decrease the urge for ice cream.

If you buy in bulk, break it down into small packages to decrease the amount you eat. Seventy percent eat less candy when it is in small minipacks.

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website is DocGiff.com.

BLOOD SUGAR BLUES: One consequence of eating pastries is blood sugar fluctuation, which can trigger depression. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Psychiatry is a profession supposedly there to help people with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. That’s the idea anyway.

I say this because psychiatry is not the most effective of disciplines. The drugs often don’t work too well and usually come with significant side effects. There’s no way I would choose to be a conventionally practicing psychiatrist.

One of the major deficiencies of psychiatry is how it views almost all mental illness as a problem that originates in the brain. The psychiatric model of illness is generally based on the idea that brain function goes awry when brain chemicals (neurochemicals) become imbalanced.

For example, depression is seen very often as a result of not having enough serotonin. Drugs that elevate levels of serotonin then become the mainstay treatment for depression.

• Mood swings caused by fluctuation in blood sugar levels
• Depression along with low thyroid function
• Depression along with iron deficiency or anemia
• Low-level depression coupled with weakened adrenal gland function
• Depression as a result of food sensitivity issues (often wheat)
• Symptoms of bulimia nervosa (binging and purging) as a result of blood sugar fluctuation
• Anxiety-depression as a result of a deficiency in omega-3 fats
• Anxiety-insomnia as a result of low levels of magnesium

The important thing is that when the underlying nature of these issues is rectified, the mental state of individuals usually takes on a completely different complexion.

Most psychiatrists will generally not entertain such thoughts. This is a product of their schooling. If every psychiatric journal and psychiatry conference bangs on about the neurochemical basis of mental illness, it’s perhaps no surprise that many psychiatrists will not look further and deeper than this. However, not all psychiatrists are of this persuasion.

“Confusing Medical Ailments With Mental Illness” was published online in the Wall Street Journal on Aug. 9. The article is about the book “Unmasking Psychological Symptoms: How Therapists Can Learn to Recognize the Psychological Presentation of Medical Disorders,” by U.S. psychiatrist Barbara Schildkrout.

The book is not out yet, so I haven’t read it. But even without the detail, I wholeheartedly support the sentiment of the book. It’s essentially urging psychological therapists to be aware of the fact that their patients may have mental symptoms as a result of pathology, the origin of which is not the brain but the body.

I think it should be compulsory reading for all psychiatrists who wish to do the best for their patients.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

FIBROMYALGIA DANGER: Equal is a brand name for aspartame, which has been linked with muscle problems. (Louise McCoy/The Epoch Times)

I’m no fan of the artificial sweetener aspartame. Not only is there no good evidence that artificial sweeteners aid weight control, but also there is evidence linking aspartame to adverse effects on health.

In the body, aspartame releases methanol (wood alcohol), which can be converted to formaldehyde. In the United States, formaldehyde has recently been added to the official list of cancer-causing chemicals. Animal studies show that aspartame at permitted levels increases the risk of several types of cancer.

I recently came across an article in the Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology journal published in December 2010 that describes aspartame’s ability to induce fibromyalgia. This condition is characterized by pain and tenderness in the muscles. The paper describes two case studies in which fibromyalgia appears to be caused by ingestion of aspartame.

The first of these concerns a 50-year-old woman whose symptoms of fibromyalgia of more than 10 years went away when she was on vacation and not consuming aspartame. The symptoms returned when she came home and resumed aspartame use but resolved again once the aspartame was stopped.

It is possible that in this woman’s case, sunlight and other factors had something to do with the resolution of her symptoms while abroad. However, the fact that her symptoms resolved on exclusion of aspartame strongly suggests this substance was the primary cause of her symptoms.

The second case described in the article was a 43-year-old man who had suffered with pain in his neck, forearms, wrists, and hands for three years. Removing aspartame from his diet resolved his symptoms.

Case studies such as these don’t prove that these individuals’ symptoms were due to aspartame. It is possible that their improvement was due to the placebo response and the recurrence of symptoms due to what is called the nocebo response (like the placebo response, but the response is negative rather than positive). However, observations such as these can be the start of advancement in our understanding of the effect of treatments and should not be dismissed.

Certainly, should I see an individual suffering from generalized pain and fibromyalgia in the future, I’ll be making doubly sure I ask about their consumption of aspartame and will be advising them to stop it as a matter of course.

Since there is no good evidence that aspartame has health benefits, such individuals will have nothing to lose by eliminating it other than perhaps being left with some unexplained symptoms.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

EGG YOLK: A source of choline. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images.jpg)

Choline is an essential nutrient found in cholesterol-rich foods like liver and egg yolks. Among many other roles, it supports neurological development and mental health and protects against fatty liver disease. So it will be no surprise to our readers that establishment nutritionists have choline in the crosshairs.

For example, a recent paper published in Nature suggests that dietary choline may contribute to heart disease (Nature 2011; 472(7341): 57–63). The authors argue that dietary choline, found mostly in a form called phosphatidylcholine, enters the intestine where our gut bacteria convert it to free choline and then to trimethylamine, a gas that smells like rotting fish.

Then our livers detoxify the trimethylamine to an odorless product called trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), and TMAO, the authors argue, fills our arteries with plaque.

They also showed that feeding mice phosphatidylcholine did in fact produce TMAO but only in the presence of gut bacteria. Further, feeding mice five-fold or ten-fold higher concentrations of choline chloride than they would ordinarily receive, or simply feeding them TMAO itself, increased atherosclerotic lesion size, and atherosclerotic lesion size correlated with blood levels of TMAO.

There’s just one major problem with this hypothesis. Studies in humans have shown that neither phosphatidylcholine nor choline-rich foods produce detectable increases in trimethylamine.

For example, in a 1999 study, researchers fed 46 different foods to humans and looked at the subsequent excretion of trimethylamine and TMAO. Choline-rich foods like liver and eggs did not produce any increase in urinary trimethylamine or TMAO over control levels.

How should we interpret the correlation between heart-disease risk and plasma concentrations of choline, betaine, and TMAO in humans? Blood levels of choline are currently considered an emerging marker for destabilization of coronary plaques or ischemia in acute coronary syndrome, as reviewed here.

During the process of blood clotting, inflammatory enzymes release choline from membrane phospholipids in order to also generate phosphatidic acid, which is used as an important signaling molecule. Elevated blood levels of choline, then, and perhaps its metabolite betaine, could simply reflect an inflammatory or pro-clotting environment—they are an indicator, not a cause.

Elevated TMAO could reflect dietary trimethylamine or TMAO from seafood, but it could also reflect impaired excretion into the urine or enhanced conversion of trimethylamine to TMAO in the liver.

So you can continue to enjoy egg yolks and liver, as we have no evidence that eating choline-rich animal foods increases TMAO at all. For further information, see Chris Masterjohn’s blog “Does Dietary Choline Contribute to Heart Disease?” at WestonAPrice.org.

Source: WestonAPrice.org/caustic-commentary/2240-caustic-commentary-summer-2011

Sally Fallon Morell and Mary G. Enig are board members of The Weston A. Price Foundation.

SWILLING SUGAR: These young people are setting themselves up for obesity, diabetes, and blood-fat disturbances. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Think you know everything about how to lower blood cholesterol? I’m sure it’s no news that excessive amounts of sugar can cause obesity, diabetes, and more visits to the dentist.

A report from Tufts University School of Nutrition says this is the first study to show that too much sugar is also bad news for blood cholesterol. It appears they’ve forgotten the work of Dr. John Yudkin.

North Americans love sugar because it tastes good. Studies show that they get 16 percent of their total calories from sugar added to foods during manufacturing. Thirty-five years ago, it was 10.6 percent. It’s the “silent sugar” hidden in a variety of everyday foods such as bread. This means that most adults consume 3 ounces (90 grams) or 21.4 teaspoons of sugar daily.
It’s easy to get this amount. Years ago I warned parents that their children were getting eight teaspoons of sugar in each cola drink. And people wonder why we have an obesity epidemic! Obesity is starting early in life.

Researchers found that with increasing amounts of sugar, the good cholesterol, HDL, decreased, and triglycerides were higher. They concluded that the increased use of sugar and the adverse changes in cholesterol levels were not a healthy situation.

But this wasn’t the first report linking sugar and bad news. Dr. John Yudkin, professor of physiology at London University, an expert on sugar, claimed 40 years ago that 2 pounds of sugar a week is not necessary and is dangerous.

Yudkin reported in his book “Sweet and Dangerous” that studies confirmed that in Great Britain there was a direct association between the increase in sugar consumption and the rise of coronary heart disease. Moreover, this association had been seen in 20 other nations.

The results of this study did not surprise me. Several years ago, I interviewed Linus Pauling, a biochemist and Nobel Prize winner. He told me that when sugar breaks down in the body, part of it produces acetate, which is the forerunner of cholesterol, which we produce in our liver.

Pauling cited an experiment on prisoners who could not cheat on their diet. This study showed that increasing the amount of sugar also caused an increase in blood cholesterol.

Population studies also associate sugar with cardiovascular disease. Yemenite Jews normally have a diet high in fat but low in sugar and little heart disease. But when they move to Israel and adopt the high-sugar diet, the incidence of heart disease increases.

In the past, the black populations of South Africa had almost no coronary disease. But when they too increased their consumption of sugar, there was also an increase in heart disease.

So what is a prudent move? Primarily, remember that sugar is sweet and dangerous. Moreover, you don’t need much sugar as there is no food value in sugar apart from calories.

Don’t be fooled by packaging labels. And you don’t require a degree in food chemistry to read them. If sugar is labeled at the top of the list of ingredients, you know you’re getting packaged food loaded with sugar.

It’s also easy to forget that sugar has many cousins such as fructose, corn syrup, honey, raw sugar, maple syrup, and molasses. Also, be careful of energy drinks that may contain 36 percent added sugar. And go easy on desserts and candy.

I admit that these studies linking sugar to increased blood cholesterol are just associations, but I believe it is foolhardy to simply ignore this evidence. The real message is that too many calories, not just sugar, are increasing blood cholesterol, resulting in needless deaths.

Unfortunately, unless dramatic measures are taken, too many calories will also kill our health care system.

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website is DocGiff.com He may be contacted at Info@docgiff.com

VITAMIN C: The growth of arterial blockages was reversed with extra vitamin C, according to a study. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Noted research Cardiologist Dr. Matthias Rath has shown by ultrafast computed X-ray angiography that blocked coronary heart arteries can be unblocked. He has published photographs in “Why Animals Don’t Get Heart Attacks But People Do.”

It seems totally absurd that official medicine will continue denying that vitamin C cures arterial disease. In some people, other antioxidants speed cure. Dr. Rath says, “Any therapy that stops coronary heart disease in its early stages prevents heart attacks later on.”

The following is from page 40 of his book: “These pictures document a milestone in medicine—the complete natural disappearance of coronary heart disease.”

When Hull University student Paul Francis worked with me to write his thesis “Analysis of Retinal Images for Healthcare,” we found that his arteries were suffering, showing the considerable stress of the study, and that the growth of his arterial blockages was reversed with extra vitamin C as he describes in the paper.

In his thesis, confirming my observations, Francis states: “This finding is in line with the theory suggested by Dr. Bush that over a period of time and with an increased daily intake of vitamin C, the brighter deposits of cholesterol are seen to gradually disappear.”

He knew that he could only ascribe the increase of his own heart disease (corresponding precisely with the retinal arteries) to his own stress and the disease’s subsequent reduction to his vitamin C. This occurred exactly the same way in 200 patients who signed testimonials to having witnessed the decrease of their own arterial disease.

So impressed was W. Gifford-Jones, M.D., that he, perhaps unwisely, stated several times that my “historic discovery is worthy of the Nobel Prize.”

Now we have a problem. Seven hundred new U.K. cancers are started annually by ordinary X-ray angiography. Ultrafast angiography uses even more radiation. It cannot be repeated often. However, even daily retinal photography carries no risk. It is cheaper, much faster, safer, and it more easily allows microscopic changes to be measured.

Optometrists should be falling over themselves to offer the public this lifesaving service, but they aren’t.

To shake them into action, I wrote the book innocently titled “700 Vitamin C Secrets (and 1,000 Not So Secret For Doctors!)” because conventional medicine has contributed to heart disease by deterring people from taking vitamin C.

When offering a new professional doctorate in CardioRetinometry in the U.K., I met with opposition from the Association of Optometrists and colleagues.

This can only be overcome by your insisting on optometrists taking proper care of your heart and sending your images to the World Institute of Optometry and CardioRetinometry (CardiOptometry.org) for evaluation!

In 1979, the BBC reported on my work that resulted in U.K. optometrists being compelled to perform eye-pressure testing. Today, the BBC refuses to interview me.

Consult physicians for medical advice.

Dr. Bush practices optometry in the U.K. His website is LifeExtensionOptometry.org

RAW MILK: An Amish girl pours raw milk after a milking. Raw milk has been found to be especially healthful. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

The last time the right of the people of Connecticut to purchase raw milk was seriously threatened was in 1994 when the state Environmental Committee held public hearings on the certification of raw milk. It subsequently voted almost unanimously to continue licensing new farms and allowing raw milk to be sold.

I testified at those hearings. My testimony was framed to respond to objections to raw milk raised by the state health department and to document the benefits of raw milk. I quote from that testimony:

“The state epidemiologist writes that ‘It has yet to be demonstrated that raw milk has any beneficial health effects. …’ He cites articles attached to his letter.

“In one article, ‘Unpasteurized Milk, the Hazards of a Health Fetish’ (Journal of the American Medical Association, 10-19-84), the authors make a series of misstatements about the research of Francis Pottenger before concluding that raw milk has no health benefits.

“I detail these charges as follows in the paper I’ve given the members of the committee.

“Now what Pottenger actually did in some of his experiments is this. He used four groups of cats. All received for one-third of the diet raw meat. The other two-thirds of the diet consisted in either raw milk or various heat-treated milks.

“The raw milk [and] raw meat diet produced many generations of healthy cats. Those fed pasteurized milk showed skeletal changes, decreased reproductive capacity, and infectious and degenerative diseases. …

“Pottenger’s experiments met the most rigorous scientific standards. His outstanding credentials earned him the support of prominent physicians. Alvin Ford, M.D., professor of pathology at the University of Southern California and pathologist at the Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, co-supervised with Pottenger all pathological and chemical findings of the study.

“One particular question that Pottenger addressed in his study is one that modern science has largely ignored. It has to do with the nutritive value of heat-labile elements—nutrients destroyed by heat and available only in raw foods.

“In his article ‘Clinical Evidences of the Value of Raw Milk,’ Pottenger writes: ‘Some of the factors transmitted by milk are thermo-labile [sensitive to heat]. Though their destruction may not produce death, their deficiency may prevent proper development of the child.

“This may show in the development of an inadequate skeleton or a decrease in resistance. … Delay in development of osseous centers is noted more frequently in those children … receiving heat-treated milk.

“It is particularly absent from the raw-milk fed children. … I am basing this discussion on analysis of 150 children whose parents have consulted me because of respiratory allergies.

“Many other workers … have also shown that treating milk by heating interferes with its proper assimilation and nutritional qualities. … The best milk from a nutritional standpoint is raw milk. …

“Heat-treating milk interferes with calcium metabolism causing … delay in bone age and small bones. … The interference with calcium metabolism as shown in the bones is only a physiological index of disturbed metabolism throughout the body.’

“I have prescribed raw milk from grass-fed animals to my patients for nearly 15 years. Time and again I have seen allergies clear up and dramatically improved health. Particularly in children, middle ear infections usually disappear and do not recur on raw milk.

“Both children and adults unable to drink pasteurized milk … have thrived on raw milk. In hundreds—perhaps thousands—of my patients using raw milk, not one has ever developed salmonella, campylobacter, or other raw-milk-related infection.
“In the letter cited above, the state epidemiologist states that ‘The processes of certification and/or inspection do not guarantee that raw milk will not be contaminated with pathogenic organisms.’

“He also lists a host of microorganisms that are alleged to be transmitted by raw milk, not mentioning that, as the literature accompanying his letter makes clear, the only organisms even potentially associated with the consumption of certified raw milk are salmonella and campylobacter.

“And in one of the articles he cites, ‘The Hazard in Consuming Raw Milk’ (in The Western Journal of Medicine), the authors actually state that ‘Salmonella and campylobacter diseases in humans are generally not serious. But in persons with compromised health (particularly those with malignant conditions and immunosuppressed by disease or therapy), these infections may be serious.’

“So the gist of the state’s argument against certified raw milk is that it might possibly, on isolated occasions, cause serious disease in some people whose immune systems have been compromised by the toxic effects of chemotherapy.

“And because of this very slight risk, those of us who might choose to drink certified raw milk for the benefits I have catalogued should be denied that right.”

Fortunately, the members of the Environmental Committee saw through the shallowness of the state’s argument and voted in favor of raw milk.

Dr. Schmid is a licensed naturopathic physician who practices in Connecticut.

Source: RealMilk.com/healthbenefits.html

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: The digestion of aspartame found in NutraSweet, Equal, and Canderel produces formaldehyde, which accumulates in organs and tissues and damages DNA. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Reuters reported on June 11 that the U.S. government has added the chemical formaldehyde to its official list of cancer-causing agents. Formaldehyde is found in things like some plastics and embalming fluid. What you won’t learn from the article is that formaldehyde can be produced from our diet.

Once source of formaldehyde is methanol (also known as wood alcohol), which the body can produce from the digestion of the artificial sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Canderel).

Research published in June 1998 in Life Sciences demonstrated in animals that low-level ingestion of aspartame could lead to formaldehyde accumulation in the various parts of the body, including the liver and brain.

In addition, several human studies published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine in December 1983, in the American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal in 1982, and in Fortschritte der Medizin journal in 1980 have found that chronic, low-level formaldehyde exposure has been linked with a variety of health issues, including headaches, fatigue, chest tightness, nausea, lack of concentration, seizures, and behavioral impairment.

Rats consuming aspartame were found to be at significantly increased risk of several forms of cancer, including lymphoma and leukemia. An increased risk of these conditions was found even at levels of aspartame intake lower than the official upper limit for humans.

While in Europe intakes of 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight per day are considered safe, an increased risk in cancer was seen in rats consuming just half this amount.

In Europe, the body entrusted with assessing the safety of aspartame is the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Recently, two European members of parliament (MEPs) accused the EFSA of not assessing scientific data on aspartame properly and even losing crucial information.

Here are a couple of things we can be quite confident about:

• Consuming aspartame increases formaldehyde exposure.
• Formaldehyde causes cancer.

My advice would be to avoid aspartame (unless, of course, you don’t care whether you get cancer or not).

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

MSG MISCHEF: The glutamate in MSG can damage the hypothalamus and make it resistant to leptin, which suppresses appetite. (Louise McCoy/The Epoch Times)

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer used liberally in processed foods and Asian cuisine. While MSG is a permitted ingredient in the food supply, there have in the past been questions asked about its potential role in weight gain and obesity.

In 2008, I wrote the article “Can MSG Cause Obesity?” about research published in August of that year in the journal Obesity linking MSG with increased body weight. This association was found even when confounders such as food intake and activity levels were taken into account.

A similar article was published in the June edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The relationship between MSG intake and body mass index (BMI) was assessed in more than 10,000 Chinese adults during an average of 5.5 years.

The results showed that higher MSG levels were associated with higher BMI. The association remained even after factors such as food intake and activity levels were taken into consideration.

They focus on the impact glutamate can have on a part of the brain known as the hypothalamus. Although small in size, the hypothalamus has a regulatory role in key processes including metabolism and hunger.

It is also worth noting the role that the hormone leptin has in body-weight regulation through its impact on the hypothalamus. Leptin suppresses appetite and stimulates the metabolism. However, if the hypothalamus is not sensitive to leptin (leptin resistance), this does not bode well for maintenance of a healthy body weight.

As the authors of the MSG paper point out, glutamate has the ability to damage the hypothalamus and cause leptin resistance. This mechanism and its potential impact on metabolism could explain how MSG might predispose to obesity, even when food intake and activity levels are taken into account.

If you want to avoid MSG, ensure your diet is made from natural, unprocessed foods. And avoid soy sauce and other condiments likely to be laced with MSG, including gravy mixes and concentrates.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

DELICIOUS TREAT: This yogurt made from raw milk has not only great taste but also health benefits. (Louise McCoy/The Epoch Times)

In 1970, I went to live on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. I was quite ill with gastrointestinal problems.

I began living mostly on seafood, fresh vegetables, salads, and raw milk and eggs purchased from a local farmer, with a little meat and whole grain bread. My health problems, which had been intractable for years, disappeared.

Raw milk remained a mainstay of my diet. Since 1981, I have strongly recommended raw milk to thousands of people who have seen me in my practice as a naturopathic physician.

I practice in Connecticut, where we enjoy the right to purchase certified raw milk throughout the state, with the exception of the town of Fairfield, where a local health board has instituted an unchallenged (for lack of funds) town ordinance prohibiting the sale of raw milk.

Debra has Jersey cows. Most farms have Holsteins, which provide large quantities of milk, but milk that is lower in protein, fat, and calcium. Jerseys were originally bred by the French to produce milk for cheese making. The fat content of Debra’s cow’s milk during the warm months is about 4.8 percent, well above the normal 3.5 percent for whole milk.

Debra’s cows eat mostly grass in the spring, summer, and fall and mostly hay in the winter (each cow consumes a 40-pound bale a day!) with a few pounds a day of ground corn and roasted soybeans (5 to 1 corn to soybeans ratio).

Local Farm milk is certified organic. Certification costs several hundred dollars a year in fees and considerable paperwork. It also means that Debra must sometimes pay more for certified feed from faraway places than for locally produced feed she knows to be organic but is not certified.

This raises the question: If you know and trust the local farmers who produce your food, does it really have to be certified?

Next week: Dr. Schmid’s testimony to the Connecticut Environmental Committee regarding the safety and efficacy of raw-milk consumption.

Reproduced with permission from Real Milk Articles, a project of the Weston A. Price Foundation, RealMilk.com/healthbenefits.html

CARB LOADING: This form of carb loading is strongly associated with insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes. (Louise McCoy/The Epoch Times)

The caveman had no sugar bowl, bread, cake, cookies, or spaghetti. He seemed to get along quite well without them. Today the average American gets the equivalent of 1.5 teaspoons of sugar every 30 minutes.

This works out to an annual consumption of 200 pounds of bread, cereals, and other starches. Such a diet has a deleterious effect on liver function and contributes to obesity, diabetes, hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, and cancer.

The American consumer himself is at fault for the lack of nutrition in his diet. By his very patronage, he tolerates and encourages the marketing of carbohydrate foods that have lost most of the B complex and 97 percent of the vitamin E.

Eat intelligently with an emphasis on protein and foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals.

The Food and Drug administration (FDA) does little to promote good nutrition. It regards any criticism of the American food supply as a direct attack on its own competence and an insult to the giant food industry, which it defends rather than regulates.

The FDA has led the country in developing a prejudice against health food stores and their patrons. It has tried to regulate vitamin supplements out of existence and has harassed health food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. It has also discredited nutritionists whose judgments differ from those of the agency.

Good health means a positive well-being that brings a zest for living. It is the enjoyment of good food, with good digestion, proper utilization, and adequate elimination. It results in a prolonged prime of life. It is living up to one’s full potential.

The American population is having a love affair with “gastronomic suicide.” People are merely deluding themselves by proclaiming they are truly healthy. We aren’t really living longer—it only seems longer.

The case for good nutrition is clear. Nutrition cures and prevents while the side effects of today’s powerful medicines fill cemeteries. The nutritionists’ mistakes rarely result in anything more severe than a bellyache.

The reader should consult a physician for all medical advice.

Sheldon Zerden is an award-winning author. Questions and comments can be sent to Axnoon@yahoo.com. 

CREATIVE ADVANTAGE: An engineer holds a bottom bracket bearing for an electric-motor-assisted bike. Some prominent nutritionists have a background in engineering. (Patrick Bernard/AFP/Getty Images)

I came across an interesting story titled “Man Celebrates 85 years of Living With Diabetes” on kaaltv.com, June 30. It concerns American Bob Krause, who has just turned 90—nothing too extraordinary in these days of enhanced longevity.

What makes the story interesting is that when he was 5 years old, Bob was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

This condition is characterized by insufficient insulin secretion from the pancreas. As a result, blood sugar levels tend to be higher than normal. The conventional medical treatment for Type 1 diabetes is insulin injections.

However, despite treatment, many Type 1 diabetics die prematurely, often having suffered adverse effects from their diabetes, including blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, skin ulcers, and amputations. Bob Krause, on the other hand, appears to be in great shape (especially bearing in mind his advanced years).

What is clear is that Bob has managed his diabetes with meticulous care. What is especially noteworthy is that his eating regime contrasts sharply with the standard advice given to diabetics: Eat three meals a day and include starchy carbohydrates with every meal.

Actually Bob normally eats twice a day. His breakfast is usually made up of nuts with some prunes. His dinner is protein plus salad. He doesn’t eat much. And critically, he doesn’t eat much carbohydrate.

Back in the day before insulin was discovered and made available as a medication, diabetes was treated with a diet low in carbohydrate. Doctors back then took the view that if diabetics couldn’t handle sugar, then the best thing was for them not to eat it (in the form of sugar and starch).

That makes sense, and even a 6-year-old understands this concept. What a shame that many health professionals seem to be blind to what is obvious. And it’s a shame that leading diabetes charities continue to promote a diet that is, by virtue of its high-carb content, actually contraindicated in diabetics.

I’ve recently been told that Diabetes U.K. is changing its policy regarding carbohydrate consumption, though if it has, their dietary recommendations are yet to reflect this.

Reading about Bob reminded me of someone I met a few years ago after a presentation I delivered. She was a middle-aged woman who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes early in life. I asked her what her HbA1c level was (this is a measure of blood sugar control over the preceding three months or so).

Non-diabetics will usually have an HbA1c level of 5 percent or below. This lady’s HbA1c was normal—a highly unusual situation with a Type 1 diabetic of several decades standing.

How had she done it? Not by following standard dietary advice, that’s for sure. Her main meals were generally made up of meat or fish, accompanied by non-starchy vegetables. Not only was her blood sugar control good, but also she took tiny doses of insulin in comparison to most type 1 diabetics.

One of the pioneers of effective (low-carbohydrate) nutritional therapy for diabetes is Richard K. Bernstein, M.D., himself a Type 1 diabetic and author of “Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution.” You can learn more about Dr. Bernstein and his work on Diabetes-Solution.net.

Earlier in life, Dr. Bernstein was an engineer. Bob Krause was an engineer too. Is this just a coincidence? Perhaps not.

This is purely anecdotal, but I have found that many of the most creative thinkers in the area of health and nutrition have a background in engineering.

What is it about engineering that might make these people great nutrition and health commentators?

Here is the opening description of engineering to be found on Wikipedia: “Engineering is the discipline, art, skill, and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials, and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of people.”

I think we doctors and other health professionals often have a lot to learn from engineers.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

Over the weekend, I spent some time looking at the evidence in the area of primal or Paleolithic eating. I was aware of much of the evidence in this area, but it seems I missed a very important study that I am going to report here.

The study was published in July 2009 in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology. In this study, 13 men and women with Type 2 diabetes ate two different diets, each for three months.

Diabetes Diet

The information on the diabetes diet stated that it should aim at evenly distributed meals with increased intake of vegetables, root vegetables, dietary fiber, whole-grain bread, and other whole-grain cereal products, fruits and berries, and decreased intake of total fat with more unsaturated fat.

The majority of dietary energy comes from carbohydrates from foods naturally rich in carbohydrate and dietary fiber. The concepts of glycemic index and varied meals through meal planning by the Plate Model (NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov/pubmed/9787722) were explained. It was recommended that salt intake be kept below 6 grams per day.

Paleolithic Diet

The information on the Paleolithic diet stated that it should be based on lean meat, fish, fruit, leafy and cruciferous vegetables, root vegetables, eggs, and nuts while excluding dairy products, cereal grains, beans, refined fats, sugar, candy, soft drinks, beer, and extra addition of salt.

The following items were recommended in limited amounts for the Paleolithic diet: eggs (≤2 per day), nuts (preferentially walnuts), dried fruit, potatoes (≤1 medium-sized per day), rapeseed or olive oil (≤1 tablespoon per day), and wine (≤1 glass per day).

The intake of other foods was not restricted and no advice was given with regard to proportions of food categories (for example, animal versus plant foods). The evolutionary rationale for a Paleolithic diet and potential benefits were explained.

Compared to the diabetes diet, the Paleolithic diet led to individuals eating an average of about 300 calories less each day. This was probably due to the ability of primal, lower-carb diets to sate the appetite more effectively than supposedly healthy diets richer in carbohydrate.

Overall, the Paleolithic diet brought improvements in a range of health measures and markers compared to the diabetes diet:

•  An additional 6.5-pound reduction in weight
•  A reduction in triglyceride levels (high levels of triglyceride are linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease)
•  Reduced diastolic blood pressure (the lower of the two blood pressure readings)
•  A 1.5 inch reduction in waist circumference
•  Lower levels of HbA1c (measure of blood sugar control over the preceding 3 months or so)
•  Increased levels of HDL cholesterol (the form of cholesterol associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease)

In other words, compared to standard dietetic advice for diabetes, the Paleolithic diet led to significant improvements in markers for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Some of these benefits might be related to the fact that, on the Paleo diet, individuals ate less. But ate less of what? Daily consumption of protein, carbohydrate, and fat in the Paleo diet and carbohydrate diet, respectively, were as follows:

Protein: 94 (Paleo diet) and 90 (carb diet)
Carbohydrate: 125 and 196
Fat: 68 and 72

In other words, the Paleo diet contained a little more protein and a little less fat, but the major difference was a lot less carbohydrate.

There is a common notion that when individuals go low-carb, they end up eating a lot of protein and fat. This study actually reflects what really tends to happen: Individuals don’t end up doing that at all. They just eat less carbohydrate. And the typical results of this are, in this study, here for all to see.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

Satchel Paige, the great black pitcher, has been quoted as saying, “avoid running at all times.” Most people seem to exercise less as they grow older. Until recently, most older persons were expected to “act their age.”

Now everyone is encouraged to exercise. The reason given for exercising is that it will increase longevity. This is only true in a limited way because it modifies disease processes, notably that of cardiovascular disease.

There is simply no evidence that exercise is capable of influencing the fundamental aging processes or to increase lifespan.

If you exercise because it makes you feel good or because you believe that it might prevent, slow, or reverse the effects of a disease, then by all means continue. However, if you expect to reverse aging by exercising, you should understand that there is no data to suggest you will succeed.

Scientists have discovered no more-effective way to slow the rate of aging than undernutrition without malnutrition. Nor do we know of a more effective means of postponing or eliminating so many kinds of cancers and other diseases.

Despite overwhelming evidence that undernutrition will postpone disease and prolong life, few people have been motivated to opt for such a Spartan regimen. For most people, the quality of their lives is more important than the quantity.

Furthermore, we do not know what the long-term effects of caloric restriction might be on cognition. Many gerontologists worry that some mental processes might be impaired. The present human lifespan, which developed over several million years, probably did so under conditions of under-, rather than over-nutrition.

“If Mother Nature doesn’t get you, Father Time will.” Time seems to pass more rapidly as we grow older. No one has ever shown that any medical intervention, nutritional factor, or other lifestyle change will stop or reverse the aging process.

Even so, there are frequent claims that an anti-aging substance has been found. Testing the efficiency of an anti-aging compound is difficult. We simply do not know what the fundamental causes of aging are or what exactly determines longevity.

Because immortality and the complete elimination of aging are both undesirable, some believe that just slowing the aging process might be the best compromise. We still do not know how to slow the aging process in humans, but we do know how to increase our life expectancy by eliminating or reducing the causes of death.

This approach has been remarkably successful throughout most of this century. Nevertheless, the “success” has come at a great cost.

Increased life expectancy and birth rates have resulted in an explosive increase in the world’s population. Unless the number of humans populating this planet is soon reduced, there will be little purpose in considering the question of slowing the aging process or increasing the human lifespan. The planet will not be a place on which it is worth spending more time.

There is only one objective that is both practical and desirable. That is to strive for the maximum human life expectation by eliminating the present leading causes of death. There is no value to society or to the individual in seeking to slow or stop the aging process or to achieve immortality.

The scenario that provokes the least concern is the one in which all humans reach the maximum lifespan, still in possession of full mental and physical abilities, with death occurring quickly as we approach our 115th birthday.

If we are successful, our life expectation will be increased, but we will eventually die from the basic aging processes that lead to failure in some vital system.

Sheldon Zerden is an award-winning author. Questions and comments can be sent to axnoon@yahoo.com.

OVERFED: Camps and schools for overweight children now thrive. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

If you look around in any city in the United States, it is not hard to come to the conclusion that Americans are overfed. Obesity is rampant. It is our No. 1 disease.

Excessive weight leads to all of our major degenerative diseases. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis are most likely to be the result of years of accumulating unwanted pounds.

How can we expect anything else when Americans are drinking oceans of cola drinks and other sugared soft drinks? More than $60 billion are spent every year on soda pop. The late Dr. Robert C. Atkins believed that the heart disease epidemic started after Coca Cola was invented.

With the consumption of all these foods, there is little room for a diet that can adequately nourish our bodies. In addition, the excess carbohydrates inevitably lead to overweight and obesity.

We help ourselves by making sure that our thyroid hormone is keeping our metabolism in an optimal state. This is the first prerequisite for maintaining an ideal weight.

Next, one must eat a well-balanced diet. You must have protein: eggs, milk, meat, chicken, and fish. Carbohydrates should be in the form of whole grains, vegetables, salad greens, berries, and fruits. Needed fats are essential fatty acids and monounsaturated oils, like olive oil and fish oils. Round out the diet with nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Americans must be more active. Television, computers, movies, automobiles, audio players, cell phones, and TV games lead to a sedentary lifestyle that has created many of our problems.

As an advocate of a healthy regimen, I feel that the best diet does not deliver all the nutrition that is needed for the best of health. You have to augment the optimal diet with high levels of antioxidant supplements, including vitamins A, D, E, and K. Large amounts of vitamin C and brewer’s yeast for the benefits of the B complex vitamins and minerals are also necessary.

The reader should consult a physician for all medical advice.

Sheldon Zerden is an award-winning author. Questions and comments can be sent to Axnoon@yahoo.com

KELP: One of the many seaweeds that are natural sources of iodine. (Photos.com)

The conventional view is that obesity is the result of eating too much or not being active enough. I don’t subscribe to this view myself, as I see body weight as the result of a complex interplay between a variety of factors, including the source of dietary calories and hormonal factors.

One key hormone is insulin, the chief hormone responsible for the accumulation of fat in the fat cells. Get insulin levels down and you have a pretty decent chance of losing weight.

Other key hormones that play a part in body weight maintenance include the hormones secreted by the thyroid gland. The most plentiful thyroid hormone is thyroxine (also known as T4). Thyroxine stimulates the metabolism.

Some thyroxine is converted into a related hormone known as triiodothyronine (T3), which is more metabolically active. If the body is deficient in thyroid hormone or if the tissues are resistant to thyroid hormone (this latter idea is controversial), then hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) is the result.

I’ve found excess weight in individuals with low thyroid function often to be quite resistant to eating right. Many individuals with low thyroid function feel as though their weight is stuck.

I was thinking about this while reading an article on the BBC website on April 12: “Worrying levels of iodine deficiency in the U.K.,” which informs us that the majority (almost 70 percent) of teenage girls in the U.K. are deficient in iodine.

The relevance of this to thyroid function is that iodine is a critical nutrient for proper functioning of the thyroid and production of thyroid hormones. Iodine deficiency is well-known to cause enlargement of the thyroid, known as a goiter.

I remember learning in medical school that goiters were common in places far from the sea, where little iodine-rich food (such as fish and seafood) is consumed.

This concept came flooding back to me some years ago when I was lecturing in the United States and was staying in a hotel that was also inhabited by teenage girls from an organization based somewhere in the Midwest. I remember remarking to a colleague that every single one of these girls appeared to have a goiter.

If iodine deficiency is so common, could it be contributing to the obesity epidemic? While we may not know the answer for sure, I think it’s fair to say that iodine deficiency is not helping.

Anything that impacts thyroid function won’t just impact weight. The BBC report makes the point that iodine deficiency can impair brain development in the fetus too.

Ensuring adequate iodine intake does appear to be a matter of considerable importance, particularly for women of childbearing age. I found a useful resource online from the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (Iccidd.org).

This website has a useful FAQs (frequently asked questions) section that gives advice on several relevant issues, including recommended daily intakes and potential iodine sources.

It should be borne in mind that vegetarians and vegans are at a significantly increased risk of eating a diet deficient in iodine, according to research published in the British Journal of Nutrition in January 1999 and in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism in September 2003.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

(Martha Rosenberg)

In a report released last fall by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), the United States is the fattest of 33 countries. Mexico and New Zealand are runners-up. India and Indonesia are the thinnest.

Luckily the report didn’t break U.S. obesity down state by state, or we would have further shame.

Seventy percent of Americans are now overweight says the report, a number that will balloon to 75 percent by 2020—pun intended.

And 10 years after that? By 2030, 86 percent of Americans could be overweight, says an article in the journal Obesity.

Food researchers indict the couch-and-mouse lifestyle, with its ubiquitous commercials for high-calorie foods, for expanding haunches, especially in kids. After all, it has been decades since moms locked kids outside with a bottle of water and the instructions “Don't come back until dinner.”

Nor did kids have cell phones. One grandmother says she took the grandkids to the seashore only to find they wouldn’t leave the motel room because of their attachments to electronic gadgets.

But the demise of the family dinner is also a factor says the Star-Tribune. Structured, please-pass-the peas family meals gave a sense of safety and security to children at the same time they modeled normal eating. When people’s dinner date is the TV, they often scarf down the wrong food because they lose track or are not watching.

In fact, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that substance abuse itself is lower in families that eat together three times a week, food being many people’s preferred substance.

Of course, there are other reasons for the national binge.

Food deserts (not “desserts,” though related) make it hard for people to stay thin. A 2010 study by the University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University found ninth graders are fatter when their schools are close to fast-food restaurants.

And The New York Times found that both adults and children who ride public transit are thinner. Walk a lot seems to be the message.

Size inflation also contributes to obesity and its denial. Women’s size five is now size zero, and stretchy leggings always fit. And how about hip-hop clothes, which aren’t supposed to fit anyway?

More food is available today with snacks in banks, bookstores, body shops, and hospitals. Of course, there are the legions of smokers who are eating more food as they are trying to quit the cigarette habit.

They may be trading one habit for another.

Martha Rosenberg is a freelance writer who lives in Chicago.

BRAIN: A human brain in the Real Brain Exhibit in Bristol, England. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the buildup in the brain of a protein known as beta-amyloid. Not surprisingly, beta-amyloid has been targeted by drug companies. Eli Lilly produced the drug Semagacestat, which did a nice job of retarding beta-amyloid synthesis.

However, in trials, Semagacestat accelerated decline in brain function in those who took it. I learned this fact when reading a review from the April edition of the European Journal of Internal Medicine titled “Nutrition and Alzheimer’s disease: The detrimental role of a high-carbohydrate diet.”

One of the major points made in the paper is this: Cholesterol and fat are really important to the brain. It points out that although the brain is only about 2 percent of body weight, it contains about a quarter of the total cholesterol in the body.

The authors point out several roles for cholesterol in the brain, including its function at the synapse—the gap where one cell can communicate with another. Communication here is via neurotransmitters, which are released by one nerve cell and float across the synaptic gap to exert the effect on the nerve adjacent to it.

The authors summarize the importance of cholesterol in the brain: Cholesterol is required everywhere in the brain as an antioxidant, an electrical insulator (in order to prevent ion leakage); as a structural scaffold for the neural network; and a functional component of all membranes.

Cholesterol is also utilized in the wrapping and synaptic delivery of the neurotransmitters. It also plays an important role in the formation and function of synapses in the brain.

It is also true that the brain actively uses LDL cholesterol. This suggests that cholesterol is desired in the brain and does something useful. Interestingly, a gene defect that leads to impaired cholesterol uptake by the brain is also associated with an enhanced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The authors of this review also point out that the fluid that circulates in and around the brain and spinal column (the cerebrospinal fluid) in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease is low in cholesterol and other fats compared to individuals without this disease. Also, those who have low cholesterol levels are found to be at increased risk of dementia.

The reviewers point out that carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels, and sugar, either in the form of glucose or fructose, can damage tissues through the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGE damage can affect LDL cholesterol and impair its uptake into the brain.

The authors of the review note also that individuals with Type 2 diabetes (who tend to have raised blood sugar levels) have a 2- to 5-fold enhanced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s been suggested that the fundamental problem here is impaired cholesterol availability by the brain.

• Our brains need cholesterol.

• A high-carbohydrate diet is likely to stop our brains from getting enough cholesterol.

Now do we have any takers for a low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-carbohydrate diet?

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

Foods containing plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, such as oily fish, could help prevent postnatal depression if consumed during pregnancy, according to the results of a new study presented at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting in Washington, DC on April 12.

Omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are beneficial to the brain, nerves, and cardiovascular system, and can be found in foods such as salmon, herring, walnuts, and flaxseeds, according to WebMD.com.

Led by Dr. Michelle Price Judge of the University of Connecticut School of Nursing, a team of researchers gave 52 pregnant women either a fish oil capsule containing 300 milligrams of DHA or a placebo five days a week from weeks 24 to 40 of their pregnancies. Using a postpartum depression screening scale, depression levels were ascertained at two and six weeks, and then three months and six months after birth.

The team found that those women who took fish oil capsules had lower scores on the depression scale and significantly fewer symptoms. They concluded that "DHA consumption during pregnancy—at levels that are reasonably attained from foods—has the potential to decrease symptoms of postpartum depression," according to a press statement.

Registered dietitian Cassie Vanderwall at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago routinely provides nutritional advice to pregnant women.

“I don't say this will prevent postpartum depression, but fatty fish and other omega-3-rich foods will benefit them and their child’s development,” she told WebMD. “It is a good idea to discuss your diet during pregnancy with your obstetrician.”