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Thursday, August 08, 2002
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By Matt Brignall, ND
Healthnotes Newswire (August 8, 2002)—According to a new study published in Epidemiology (2002;13:409-16), vitamin C may be important for the prevention of preeclampsia (also called toxemia of pregnancy), a common and dangerous syndrome that occurs in some women during pregnancy.
In this study, the authors compared both the dietary intake and blood concentrations of vitamin C in 100 women with preeclampsia and in a group of healthy pregnant women. Women with preeclampsia were found to be significantly more likely to have low dietary intake or blood concentrations of vitamin C, or both, than were the healthy women.
What is not clear from this study is whether low vitamin C levels actually caused the preeclampsia. It is possible, for instance, that diets low in vitamin C could also be low in another nutrient that is important for the prevention of preeclampsia.
Other published studies, however, also support the preventative role of vitamin C. A clinical trial published in 1999 found that supplementation with 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin E per day beginning in the 20th week of pregnancy reduced the incidence of preeclampsia by 76%.
Preeclampsia is a syndrome occurring in pregnant women that is marked by high blood pressure, fluid retention, and protein in the urine. Preeclampsia can progress to eclampsia, causing blood pressure so high it can induce seizures. The exact cause of preeclampsia is unknown, although it is thought to be caused by a malfunction of the blood vessels.
The incidence of preeclampsia has increased by 40% in the last decade. It is currently the second leading cause of maternal death in the United States.
Calcium supplementation remains the best-studied preventative measure for preeclampsia. Most, but not all, clinical trials have found that calcium supplementation (usually 2,000 mg per day) brings about a reduction in the preeclampsia risk in women known to be at high risk of the disease. Other nutritional supplements, including vitamin B6, fish oil, and magnesium have also been shown to reduce incidence of preeclampsia in preliminary trials.
Matt Brignall, ND, is in practice at the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center and at the Evergreen Integrative Medicine Clinic in Kirkland, WA. He specializes in integrative treatment of cancer. He is a contributor to Healthnotes and Healthnotes Newswire.
Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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11:03:14 PM 
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By Darin Ingels, ND
Healthnotes Newswire (August 8, 2002)—Consumption of strawberries, garlic, and kale may reduce the formation of a group of potential cancer-causing compounds called nitrosamines, according to a study in Cancer Letters (2002;182:1–10). This is encouraging news since it means people may be able to prevent some cancers by making relatively minor alterations to their diet.
Concerns have been raised by physicians that consuming certain food additives may play a role in the development of some types of cancer. Nitrites, which are used as preservatives in foods such as hot dogs, processed deli meats, and some pickled foods, can be converted into nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancer of the stomach, esophagus, throat, and bladder. Because strawberries, garlic, and kale appear to inhibit the formation of nitrosamines, eating these foods may help to prevent these types of cancer.
In this new study, forty healthy people between 17 and 30 years old were fed a meal designed to produce high levels of nitrosamines in the body, and were also given either 300 grams of whole strawberries, 75 grams of garlic juice (just over 2 ounces), 200 grams of kale juice (about 7 ounces), or no supplementation (control group). Nitrosamine levels in the urine and saliva were then measured.
Strawberries, garlic, and kale each inhibited the formation of nitrosamine compounds, but the effect was much greater with garlic than with the other two compounds. Nitrosamine production in those consuming garlic, strawberries, and kale was reduced by 96%, 72%, and 44%, respectively, compared with that in the control group. It is important to point out that the garlic and kale extracts were provided as juices, instead of the whole vegetables. Since juices generally have higher concentrations of various nutrients than whole plants, it is likely that larger amounts of the whole food would have been needed to produce a similar effect.
The capacity of these foods to reduce the formation of nitrosamines may be due to their high content of vitamin C, which is known to inhibit nitrosamine formation. However, even if one is not eating foods such as hot dogs and lunch meats, eating strawberries, garlic, and kale may still be worthwhile. In addition to vitamin C, these foods are rich in other substances that may have anti-cancer activity, such as fiber, folic acid, carotenoids, and other vitamins. Including these foods in your diet may be an easy, inexpensive way to prevent several serious forms of cancer.
Darin Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP), received his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. Dr. Ingels is the author of The Natural Pharmacist: Lowering Cholesterol (Prima, 1999) and Natural Treatments for High Cholesterol (Prima, 2000). He currently is in private practice at New England Family Health Associates located in Southport, CT, where he specializes in environmental medicine and allergies. Dr. Ingels is a regular contributor to Healthnotes and Healthnotes Newswire.
Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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11:02:39 PM
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I left my CURRY-FM Peercast running in belgium when I left yesterday. Somehow the signal had degraded and I was actually getting emails requesting I fix it, because folks were enjoying my playlist! Peercast lets you steam audio to unlimited listeners without a centralized server. Your only cost in your [1] upstream, which can be any quality you prefer and can afford. Once the technology is solid, which I must say is pretty close, then it will become commonplace for your mp3 player to 'upstream' into the network, so anyone can listen in on your 'personal' radio signal. Ofcourse there are much more powerful applications of this chaining technology. Certainly more interesting and compelling to me than the 'technology' Clear Channel is using in their radio-station rollup strategy. [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]
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4:40:29 PM
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By Matt Brignall, ND
Healthnotes Newswire (August 8, 2002)—A combination of natural products effectively relieves the symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate gland, according to a clinical trial published in International Urology and Nephrology (2001;33:217–25).
In the new study, 70 men with a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) took a combination of four different natural products: cernitin (a mixture of rye, timothy, and corn pollens), saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol, and vitamin E. Another 57 men took a placebo, serving as the control group.
After three months, the men taking the natural products improved to a significantly greater extent than the control group with respect to a number of different measures, including frequency of urination, nighttime urination, and total urinary symptoms. However, there was no improvement in objective measures like urinary flow rate or the amount of urine remaining in the bladder after voiding (residual bladder volume) in participants taking either medication.
With the exception of vitamin E, each of these natural substances has separately been shown to improve the symptoms of BPH. The magnitude of self-reported improvement seen in this trial was not significantly greater with the combination of products than typically reported with any of these products by themselves.
It is not clear why participants reported an improvement in their symptoms, but had no measurable improvement when examined by physicians. The authors do note that previous clinical trials of drugs and natural products have found similar incongruity between participant reporting and objective results.
BPH is a common condition seen in men above the age of 50 years. In BPH, the enlarged prostate impairs a person's ability to empty the bladder, causing frequent urination, difficulty getting the stream started, and nighttime awakenings to urinate.
BPH can often be effectively treated with prescription medications or surgery. However, as conventional treatments sometimes cause difficulty with sexual function or other side effects, safer alternatives are desirable. Prior clinical trials have shown saw palmetto to be as effective as the most common drug treatment for BPH (generic name: finasteride; brand: Proscar®).
Given the documented safety and efficacy of natural treatments, they can be considered as a first line treatment option for BPH. Men experiencing the urinary symptoms suggesting BPH should see their doctor.
Matt Brignall, ND, is in practice at the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center and at the Evergreen Integrative Medicine Clinic in Kirkland, WA. He specializes in integrative treatment of cancer. He is a contributor to Healthnotes and Healthnotes Newswire.
Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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1:54:00 PM
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Corky Siegel. "Life is too important to take seriously."
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11:16:08 AM
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“We are not dealing with a conventional war. We cannot respond in a conventional manner. I do not want to see this spiral out of control. This crisis involves issues of national security, foreign policy, public safety, intelligence gathering, economics and murder. Our response must be equally multifaceted.”
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), September 14, 2001
“WAR IN AFGHANISTAN FAILED TO DIMINISH RISKS OF ATTACKS, FBI AND CIA FIND"
"Classified investigations of the Qaeda threat now underway at the FBI and CIA have concluded that the war in Afghanistan failed to diminish the threat to the United States...Instead, the war might have complicated counterterrorism efforts by dispersing potential attackers across a wider geographic area.”
New York Times, June 16, 2002
“Force without wisdom falls of its own weight.”
Horace, Roman poet
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10:47:17 AM
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Ronald Reagan. "The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away."
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10:27:05 AM
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George Bernard Shaw. "I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live."
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10:12:50 AM
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© Copyright
2002
Rick@Leaders.net.
Last update:
11/18/2002; 10:51:38 PM.
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