Category Archives: Uncategorized

You Must Consider Low-Carb Eating to Suppress Your GERD

Posted on October 13, 2013 | Comments Off on You Must Consider Low-Carb Eating to Suppress Your GERD

Dr. Michael Eades has a new post on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and it’s treatment with carbohydrate-restricted eating versus drugs. A quote: 

Most people who have GERD, have it for the long term. It’s not something that comes and goes. So these folks go on GERD therapy for the long term, and the most prescribed medications for long-term GERD treatment are PPIs, which, you now know, keep stomach acid neutralized for the long term, and, as you might imagine, creates a host of problems.

The scientific literature has shown long-term PPI therapy to be related to the following conditions:

  • Anemia
  • Pneumonia
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Impaired calcium absorption
  • Impaired magnesium absorption
  • Increased rate fractures, especially hip, wrist and spine
  • Osteopenia [thin brittle bones]
  • Rebound effect of extra-heavy gastric acid secretion
  • Heart attacks

Read the rest if you or someone you love has GERD.

Here’s a scientific report supporting Dr. Eades’ clinical experience. Carbs were reduced to 20 grams a day.

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Should You Bank Your Child’s Umbilical Cord Blood?

Posted on October 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Should You Bank Your Child’s Umbilical Cord Blood?

I don’t know. I’ve never seriously considered it. But Clay Jones at Science-Based Medicine has.

A fairly recent addition to the long list of choices that [new] parents are burdened with, thanks to a push from reputable organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as private companies looking to turn a profit, is what to do with the blood in their newborn infant’s umbilical cord.

Currently the most commonly-chosen option remains to simply leave it in there. In that case, it will be discarded along with the mother’s placenta or even occasionally eaten although that is a topic for another post perhaps. Another option is to have blood from the umbilical cord donated to a public cord blood bank. These have been popping up all over the place and public banking is currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics whenever possible. The final option, which is by far the most controversial (and expensive), is paying to have the umbilical cord blood banked privately for personal use by the donating child or a family member.

Read the whole enchilada.

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“Peanut Butter Alzheimer’s Test Not Passing the Sniff Test”

Posted on October 11, 2013 | Comments Off on “Peanut Butter Alzheimer’s Test Not Passing the Sniff Test”

Ivan Oranksy has the details at MedPageToday. Good headline!

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Read This If You Worry About Mercury In Fish

Posted on October 9, 2013 | Comments Off on Read This If You Worry About Mercury In Fish
Ughh

Ughh

An article at ScienceDaily suggests concern about mercury poisoning from fish consumption is overblown. Fish didn’t contribute much at all to blood mercury levels in pregnant UK women. Fatty cold-water fish are good source of omega-3 fatty acids that are linked to health of mom and her spawn. But they also contain mercury. A snippet:

Speaking about the findings, the report’s main author, Professor Jean Golding OBE, said:

‘We were pleasantly surprised to find that fish contributes such a small amount (only seven per cent) to blood mercury levels. We have previously found that eating fish during pregnancy has many health benefits for both mother and child. We hope many more women will now consider eating more fish during pregnancy. It is important to stress, however, that pregnant women need a mixed balanced diet. They should include fish with other dietary components that are beneficial including fruit and vegetables.’

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What About Cancer Treatment Centers of America?

Posted on October 9, 2013 | Comments Off on What About Cancer Treatment Centers of America?

Since watching some of their TV ads, I’ve had doubts about CTCA. Dr. David Gorski took the time to do his own investigation of them. Let’s just say he’s not a raving fan. A quote:

In many ways, CTCA is the very epitome of “integrative medicine,” and I don’t mean that in a good way. (Actually, there is no good way to be the epitome of “integrative medicine,” which “integrates” pseudoscience and quackery with real medicine.) Then, late last year, it was revealed that Richard Stephenson, the founder of CTCA, is also one of the primary funding sources for Freedom Works, a right-wing Tea Party organization that was a major player in the 2012 elections. It was an interesting little tidbit in that it is yet another reminder that the tendency towards medical woo is not limited to the stereotypical crunchy granola-eating left wing fringe.

I have no reason to doubt any of Dr. Gorski’s points.

Read the whole enchilada. You’ll also see mention of PBS’s infomercials for Daniel Amen and Mark Hyman.

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London 2012 Olympic Athletes Had Worse Teeth Than Average, Perhaps Due to High Carbohydrate Consumption

Posted on September 30, 2013 | Comments Off on London 2012 Olympic Athletes Had Worse Teeth Than Average, Perhaps Due to High Carbohydrate Consumption

BBC has the story:

The beaming smiles of gold-medal winners Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah are some of the defining memories of London 2012.

But a team at University College London says many competitors had dental problems.

“Our data and other studies suggest that, for a similar age profile, the oral health of athletes is poor. It’s quite striking,” said lead researcher Prof Ian Needleman.

He said eating large amounts of carbohydrates regularly, including sugary energy drinks, was damaging teeth.

Impaired immune system function associated with hard training may also play a role.

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ACOG Sounds the Alarm: Environmental Chemicals and Reproductive Health

Posted on September 28, 2013 | Comments Off on ACOG Sounds the Alarm: Environmental Chemicals and Reproductive Health

A couple months ago I contemplated whether environmental pollutants cause obesity or type 2 diabetes. One of my conclusions was…

Humans, particularly those anticipating pregnancy and child-rearing, might be well advised to minimize exposure to the aforementioned chemicals. For now, I’ll leave you to your own devices to figure out how to do that. Good luck.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists just published a position paper on pollution risks to babies and pregnant women…

Toxic chemicals in the environment harm our ability to reproduce, negatively affect pregnancies, and are associated with numerous other long-term health problems, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

***

The scientific evidence over the last 15 years shows that exposure to toxic environmental agents before conception and during pregnancy can have significant and long-lasting effects on reproductive health. “For example, pesticide exposure in men is associated with poor semen quality, sterility, and prostate cancer,” said Linda C. Giudice, MD, PhD, president of ASRM. “We also know that exposure to pesticides may interfere with puberty, menstruation and ovulation, fertility, and menopause in women.”

Other reproductive and health problems associated with exposure to toxic environmental agents:

  • Miscarriage and stillbirth
  • Impaired fetal growth and low birth weight
  • Preterm birth
  • Childhood cancers
  • Birth defects
  • Cognitive/intellectual impairment
  • Thyroid problems

Read the rest of the brief article.

Here’s their advice on staying safe from chemicals during pregnancy.

Whether all this will seem reasonable 20 years from now is anybody’s guess.

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Could a Low FODMAPs Diet Help Your Chronic GI Problem?

Posted on September 25, 2013 | Comments Off on Could a Low FODMAPs Diet Help Your Chronic GI Problem?

You won’t know until you try it, suggests dietitian Melanie Thomassian. These are some of the diagnoses that may respond positively: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohns disease, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

I’ve written before about the low FODMAPs diet and irritable bowel syndrome. The low FODMAPs diet essentially involves limiting the delivery of particular carbohydrates to your intestinal bacteria.

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Arsenic Linked to Heart Disease and Stroke

Posted on September 23, 2013 | Comments Off on Arsenic Linked to Heart Disease and Stroke

…according to an article at MedPageToday. What kind of heart disease? Coronary artery disease.

The quote the president-elect of the American Heart Association: 

But, he cautioned, “it’s very important to realize that the absolute level of risk is still far lower than what has been seen with high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking, or cholesterol elevation.”

 

“I would not want folks to say if we simply reduced the arsenic in our drinking water, we’d get rid of coronary heart disease,” he told MedPage Today. “It’s not that simple.”

 

The article is based on a study of 3,500 American Indians in three states. Whether results apply to other ethnic groups is unknown.

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High Protein Weight-Loss Diets Do NOT Cause Bone Damage

Posted on September 22, 2013 | Comments Off on High Protein Weight-Loss Diets Do NOT Cause Bone Damage

…at least in post-menopausal women on the diet for two years. AJCN has the details:

“It has been hypothesized that hip-fracture rates are higher in developed than developing countries because high-protein (HP) Western diets induce metabolic acidosis and hypercalciuria. Confounders include interactions between dietary protein and calcium, sodium, and potassium.”

In conclusion:

“High dietary protein intake [at least 90 grams/day] during weight loss has no clinically significant effect on bone density….”

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