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“ The effects of nut consumption were dose related, and different types of nuts had similar effects ” Lead researcher Joan SabateThe people involved ate 67g of nuts a day on average, over a period of three to eight weeks.
Walnutsand don't forget that walnuts do have a thyroid lowering effect so perhaps this will aid those with hyperthyroid conditions who aren't sold on slaying their gland with radioactive iodine.
In addition to their omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts are an important source of monounsaturated fats — approximately 15% of the fat found in walnuts is healthful monounsaturated fat. A host of studies have shown that increasing the dietary intake of monounsaturated-dense walnuts has favorable effects on high cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risk factors.
and
Did you know that just one-quarter cup of walnuts contains over 90% of the daily value for those hard-to-find omega-3 essential fatty acids? They are called .essential. because they are a special protective type of fat that cannot be manufactured by our body and therefore must be supplied by the foods we eat. Researchers believe that about 60% of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and about 20% have so little that tests cannot even detect any in their blood. The list of benefits derived from omega-3s is impressive, ranging from improving cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of stroke to acting as anti-inflammatory agents and improving bone density. Enjoying walnuts as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating not only adds wonderful taste and texture to your meals, but it is an easy way to include more omega-3s into your diet. Walnuts also contain ellagic acid a compound that supports the immune system and appears to have anticancer properties.
Selenium, Omega-3s May Stave Off Colorectal Cancer
HealthDay Reporter by Jennifer Thomas
TUESDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Certain dietary supplements appear to affect the development of colorectal cancer or its recurrence, two new studies suggest.
In one study, researchers from the U.S. National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences found that eating a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids cut the risk of developing colorectal cancer by nearly 40 percent. In the other study, from cancer researchers in Italy, consumption of a dietary supplement containing selenium was found to reduce the chances of having polyps recur by a similar amount.
Both studies were to be presented Dec. 7 in Houston at a conference on cancer prevention sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research.
In the selenium study, 411 people, 25 to 75 years old, who'd had one or more colorectal polyps removed took either a supplement or a placebo. The supplement, described as an antioxidant compound, contained 200 micrograms of selenomethionnine (a combination of selenium and methionnine - Our Note: This is the best form of selenium according to the most currant science), 30 milligrams of zinc, 6,000 international units of vitamin A, 180 milligrams of vitamin C and 30 milligrams of vitamin E.
Participants had a colonoscopy one year, three years and five years after starting the regimen.
Polyps recurred in 4.2 percent of those taking the supplement, compared with 7.2 percent of the placebo group. Overall, the study found, people taking the supplement had about a 40 percent reduction in risk for a return of polyps.
The researchers estimated that, after 15 years, about 48 percent of those taking the supplement would still be free of polyps, versus about 30 percent of those not taking the supplement.
Polyps, or adenoma, are benign growths on the large bowel. Though only a small proportion progress to become cancer, about 70 to 80 percent of colorectal cancer cases begin as polyps, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. About one in four people, most older than 60, will have at least one adenoma.
Selenium is found in soil (Our Note: Western US states bordering Canada are known to be severely low in selenium and as such has a negative impact on thyroid function.), and human consumption comes by eating plants that have absorbed the nutrient or fish or animals that have eaten plants as part of their diet. "The content of selenium in the food depends on the soil content of this trace element, and in the same country there are areas at high, adequate or low content of selenium in the soil," said the study's lead author, Dr. Luigina Bonelli, head of the unit of secondary prevention and screening at the National Institute for Cancer Research in Genoa, Italy.
Earlier research had suggested that selenium can inhibit cell proliferation in the colon and rectum, Bonelli said.
Michele Forman, a professor of epidemiology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said that, though the findings are interesting, it's impossible to tell if the benefit was attributable to the selenium or to the other vitamins and minerals included in the supplement.
"You really don't know if it's the selenium or some combination that reduces risk of recurrence," Forman said.
In addition, the daily dosages of vitamins A and E taken by the participants were higher than the recommended daily allowances, Forman added. High levels of such vitamins can be detrimental, she said. (Our note: Not all supplements at high dose levels are harmful.)
In the omega-3 study, U.S. researchers surveyed 1,509 whites and 369 blacks about their dietary habits in the past year. About half of the participants had colorectal cancer.
Among the white participants, those whose diets were in the highest fourth of omega-3 fatty acid consumption were 39 percent less likely to have colorectal cancer than those in the lowest fourth. However, for reasons the authors said they did not know, no association was noted between omega-3s and a reduction of colorectal cancer risk among black participants. The disease occurs at a higher rate among blacks than whites.
"Our finding clearly supports the evidence from previous experimental and clinical studies showing that long-chain omega-3 fatty acids inhibit tumor growth," said the study's lead author, Sangmi Kim, a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
Kim said the research supports boosting omega-3 intake through diet or perhaps by taking an omega-3 supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, especially oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, anchovies, sardines and tuna. Plant-based sources include flax and flaxseed oil, Brussels sprouts, soybeans and (soybean oil, canola oil - NOTE: We suggest you avoide both these oils), spinach, walnuts and kiwi.While I am not an institutionalized thinker, I am in support of those who have tried to help make more people aware of the role of nursing, probably a truly wholistic profession on its own. I would like to see the same support from the organizationally based groups to the work we do.
Previous studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids act as anti-inflammatory agents and help prevent cancer. But in the new study, Forman noted, participants were asked about their diets after they had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer so it's possible that their recollections were not fully accurate.
In addition, she said, it's possible that the benefit was not the result of omega-3s. Those who ate more fish might have had a healthier diet overall, she said.
"Were they eating a salmon-and-broccoli diet or a hamburger-and-french-fry diet?" Forman asked. "We don't know enough to say that it's truly the effect of the omega-3s."
Our Note: We beleive that the dose levels in the supplement mentioned in this areticle is well below therapeutic levels.
The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) has formally requested that US Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) not move to re-name the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) the "National Center for Integrative Medicine." Harkin brought up the idea of the name change in public comments surrounding the Institute of Medicine Summit in February of this year. In a letter co-signed by 23 other nursing organizations, the AHNA wrote:I do not support the use of the terms "integrative" or "complementary" in regard to health care. I believe this promotes more separation from what used to be quite common, the "team" approach. And I believe it further sets up barriers to health and limits access both for providers but for patients.
"There are so many in this country who enthusiastically support a vision to put integrative health care at the heart of national health reform. However, to facilitate this vision; to reinforce a more inclusive, representative, and collaborative partnering of every health and health-related profession and constituency; and to recognize and maximize the valuable contributions of all, we would like to suggest the renaming of the National Center for Complementary and Alterative Medicine to the National Center for Integrative Health and Healthcare. In transforming the health care paradigm, a shift in language can be a critical influence in supporting and adopting that change. The use of Integrative Health and Healthcare focuses on people’s health and well-being, rather than on a specific profession, and broadens the array of disciplines involved in promoting it."
As of this writing, Harkin had not formally responded to the nurses nor had an Integrator query to Harkin's staff elicited a response.
Want to Cut Cancer Risk? Try Munching Pistachios
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Eating pistachios every day might reduce your risk for lung cancer and other malignancies, according to a new study.
Pistachios are a good source of a type of vitamin E called gamma-tocopherol.
"It is known that vitamin E provides a degree of protection against certain forms of cancer. Higher intakes of gamma-tocopherol ... may reduce the risk of lung cancer," Ladia M. Hernandez, a senior research dietitian at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and a doctoral candidate at Texas Women's University, said in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research.
The study included 18 people who ate 68 grams (about 2 ounces or 117 kernels) of pistachios a day for four weeks and 18 people in a control group who did not add pistachios to their normal diet.
As the study progressed, those in the pistachio group showed significantly higher blood levels of gamma-tocopherol.
The findings were to be presented Dec. 8 in Houston at a cancer prevention conference sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research.
"Pistachios are one of those 'good-for-you' nuts, and two ounces per day could be incorporated into dietary strategies designed to reduce the risk of lung cancer without significant changes in body mass index," Hernandez said.
"Other food sources that are a rich source of gamma-tocopherol include peanuts, pecans, walnuts, soybean and corn oils," she added.
Risk of blood clot after surgery higher and lasts longer than previously thought
ScienceDaily (2009-12-05) -- The risk of having a potentially fatal blood clot after surgery is higher and lasts for longer than had previously been thought, concludes new research. ... > read full article
Ginkgo biloba in a dose around 325 milligrams, will thin the blood, improve blood flow, and prevent platelet stickiness very efficiently. It is very safe and has the added advantage of being a powerful antioxidant. It also protects brain cells, improves memory, and prevents heart arrhythmias (such as atrial fibrillation).In addition, other blood thinners are nattokinase, vitamin E, garlic or red clover.
Magnesium also reduces atrial fibrillation and reduces blood coagulation.
There are a few other natural supplements that also reduce blood coagulation, such as
curcumin, quercetin, and grapeseed extract. The anticoagulation for these compounds is mild, but they are powerful antioxidants.
Your doctor may not know that antioxidants also reduce arrhythmias as does another anticoagulant supplement, fish oils (omega-3 oils). Combining fish oil supplements with Ginkgo biloba will thin your blood as efficiently as Coumadin.
I would really like to have someone justify the use of the procedure at a time when it is well known that fibroids are caused by estrogen excess and there are nutritional therapies and herbal therapies that will correct the problem.Fibroids Treatment Warning
UK doctors say a treatment for heavy periods caused by fibroids can seriously harm a subsequent pregnancy.
An Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital study looked at the outcomes of 215 pregnancies following uterine artery embolisation (UAE) treatment.
The researchers found much higher rates of miscarriage, caesareans and heavy bleeding after delivery, and call for caution in recommending the treatment.
The study appears in the journal, The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist.
UAE has been available as a treatment in the UK since 1995.
Pregnancy problems
The doctors pulled together the data from five small studies carried out in the UK, Czech Republic and Canada.
Fibroids are small, benign lumps of smooth muscle in the womb.THE UAE TECHNIQUE
A catheter or thin tube is inserted into the blood vessels in the groin which lead up to the womb
A gel is injected
This sets and blocks some of the blood vessels supplying the womb
Fibroids shrink
Sometimes, because of their number, size and location, they cause heavy period pain or difficulty in getting pregnant and treatment is needed.
Doctors at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital say as many as 40% of women of reproductive age have fibroids.
They found that the risk of miscarriage following UAE was 35% compared with a rate in untreated women of 10 to 15%.
The incidence of caesarean sections was much higher at 67% compared with a normal rate of 20 to 25%.
And bleeding after delivery was more than twice as common at 14% compared with 5%.
The babies tended to be smaller and they were more likely to present in an awkward position.
'Increase awareness'
Ertan Saridogan, who led the research, said although a large number of women had already undergone the procedure, there had been relatively little study of its long-term effects.
He said: "We do not offer it as a first-time treatment, but, for some women, surgery and other treatments do not work.
"We want to increase awareness of the pitfalls of this widespread procedure.
"I hope this will inform women before they make their decisions, so they can make an informed choice - they've been going at it blindly without realising what it might imply for their future pregnancies."
Henry Annan, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said he agreed that care should now be taken in recommending the treatment.
"A proper randomised controlled trial of this procedure would take many years - it's important that patients should have some idea of the pros and cons of all the various treatments for fibroids."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8310263.stm
Published: 2009/10/16 23:01:50 GMT © BBC MMIX
"Coconut oil has been a popular oil treatment for thousands of years where coconuts are plentiful, like Sri Lanka and the Philippines. It keeps hair strong and vitalized against the signs of aging. If you visit India today, it's perhaps why you see women in their 70s who still have healthy black hair," says Blaire Kessler.
Apply coconut oil to hair and allow it to work overnight for best results. (Hint: Cover hair with plastic wrap or a plastic bag before bed). Rinse out in your morning shower.
Hair colour loss 'reversal hope' People whose hair has turned white because of illness or extreme stress are being offered hope that scientists may be able to reverse the process.
Researchers from Manchester University and Lubeck University, in Germany, used a molecule to stimulate the pigment responsible for hair colour.
But they said the technique still had to be tested on humans and would not reverse the natural greying process.
However, experts said the development was an encouraging breakthrough.
The research team recreated a naturally-occurring molecule called K(D)PT, which is very similar to the hormones in the body that stimulate the hair pigment melanin.
The researchers took hair follicles from six women aged between 46 and 65 and mimicked two conditions which can turn hair white - a skin disease known as alopecia areata and stress-related disorder telogen effluvium.
While the research is still at a very early stage, these findings could potentially pave the way for new therapies that restore colour to white hair
Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists
They found that, once treated with K(D)PT, the amount of melanin in the follicle increased significantly.
Lead researcher Dr Ralf Paus said the melanin stimulation suggested the technique could be used as an "anti-greying agent".
But he warned it was still early days and it was not known if it could be used to restore hair to its full colour.
Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: "It's important to note that this is laboratory research and not yet ready for use on patients.
"However, while the research is still at a very early stage, these findings could potentially pave the way for new therapies that restore colour to white hair.
"At the moment, this research only applies to people whose hair has turned white following illness, but this is an important step for such patients."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7727320.stm
Published: 2008/11/14
© BBC MMVIII
What foods are best to promote healthy hair and prevent hair loss?
Unfortunately, no dietary interventions of any kind have been shown to universally guarantee healthy hair or prevent hair loss. Hair quantity and hair quality are whole-health, whole-person, and total-lifestyle issues. They also depend upon genetic tendency and family history. Diet can definitely be important in promotion of healthy hair, but there is no evidence for establishing diet as a primary approach to hair loss prevention.
The factors that can compromise hair health include severe stress, damaging effects of hair treatments, and the use of some types of prescription drugs such as blood thinners and medications for gout, arthritis, depression, heart problems, and high blood pressure. Excessive alcohol intake can also compromise hair health, as can decreased thyroid function. If you are concerned about hair loss that is presently occurring in your own health situation, we recommend a consultation with your healthcare provider to determine all the possible underlying reasons for this occurrence.
Our focus on the World's Healthiest Foods as the basis for a nutrient-rich, whole foods diet is an approach that we recommend for optimal health of all body systems, including the scalp and hair. With respect to the skin of the scalp, however, there would be specific nutrients that we would pay particular attention to as a foundation for health of this body system.
The first would be omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids aren't a part of your hair's composition, but they are a part of the scalp cells that are responsible for generating the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. You can optimize your intake of these important fatty acids by adding cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, or herring to your diet two to three times a week. To increase your omega-3 intake, you can also add about two tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily to cereals or salads. (Since flaxseed is fiber-rich, you may want to start out slowly with the amount you consume, building up to the two tablespoons over time, so that you don't increase your fiber intake too quickly for your digestive tract to readily handle.) You can go to the section on omega-3 fatty acids on the website for a detailed list of foods rich in this important nutrient. We would emphasize the fact that omega-3 fatty acids will not help you grow hair. They can, however, improve the integrity of your skin cells, including the cells of your scalp. The health of your hair depends in part upon the health of these cells.
Optimal hydration is also very important to the health of your skin cells and scalp. For this reason, you'll want to drink optimal amounts of clean, filtered water (or clean spring water) to support the health of your skin and scalp. Mineral waters can also be a good choice in this respect since hair itself is highly mineralized and sometimes used in lab measurements of mineral status.
Although you will need exercise, and possibly massage or other approaches to assure good circulation to your head and scalp, good circulation can also be supported by complete nutrition. A full complement of vitamins and minerals is required for proper functioning of your heart and cardiovascular system. One of your best ways for obtaining a full supply of all vitamins and minerals is to increase your intake of fresh, minimally processed vegetables-trying to stick with organically grown vegetables as much as possible. These foods provide the greatest number of nutrients for the least amount of calories.
Additionally, since hair is made up primarily of protein, adequate protein can be an important factor for healthy hair. Most adults need a minimum of about 45 grams of protein per day, and in some cases where protein needs are particularly high or protein has been chronically deficient, 75-100 grams may be at least temporarily required. Animal-derived foods-such as lean meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs-are typically rich in protein and typically provide a complete array of amino acids. Plant-based food groups-whole grains, legumes/beans, nuts, seeds, and vegetables-can also support your protein needs and can provide a full array of amino acids if chosen properly and consumed in required amounts. If you eat a strictly plant-based diet, you may want to solicit the help of a nutritionist or other licensed healthcare practitioner to develop an optimal plan in the area of protein and amino acid intake. Protein metabolism can sometimes be hampered by low stomach acid, a condition also known as hypochlorhydria. Even though research studies have not shown that low stomach acid is in any way connected to hair loss, some healthcare practitioners have anecdotally reported hair loss as a symptom of low stomach acid in their patients. Any concerns you might have in this area should be expressed directly to your healthcare practitioner for evaluation.
We continue to believe that the full-spectrum of vitamins and minerals are important for scalp and hair health. Much of this research has been reported in the work of Adele Davis. In this context, we recommend that you try to evaluate your own potential dietary deficiencies in all vitamin and mineral areas and take steps to boost up intake of these nutrients in your meal plans.
One non-dietary step that's particularly important to remember is your choice of hair care products. You'll want to select products that are non-damaging to the hair, and you'll also want to use these products appropriately.
References:
Gonzalez-Reimers E, Aleman-Valls MR, Barroso-Guerrero F, et al. Hair zinc and copper in chronic alcoholics. Biol Trace Elem Res 2002 Mar;85(3):269-75.
Lachat CK, Van Camp JH, Mamiro PS, et al. Processing of complementary food does not increase hair zinc levels and growth of infants in Kilosa district, rural Tanzania. Br J Nutr 2006 Jan;95(1):174-80.
Oken E, Wright RO, Kleinman KP, et al. Maternal fish consumption, hair mercury, and infant cognition in a U.S. Cohort. Environ Health Perspect 2005 Oct;113(10):1376-80.
Trost LB, Bergfeld WF, Calogeras E. The diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency and its potential relationship to hair loss. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006 May;54(5):824-44.
SoCal 10-year-old copes with breast cancerWed Jun 3, 5:16 pm ET
LA MIRADA, Calif. – Ten-year-old Hannah Powell-Auslam is trying to remain brave as she copes with a rare form of breast cancer. "I feel like a kid inside but sometimes I feel like an adult, when I'm always at the hospital," Hannah told ABC's "Good Morning America" in an interview that aired Wednesday.
The fifth-grader at Escalona Elementary School in this Los Angeles bedroom community complained of itching in her side in April. Her mother discovered a lump, and that led to a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Her family said she was diagnosed with invasive secretory carcinoma, a type discovered in children in the 1960s.
"Hannah's prognosis is very good and the type of cancer is very slow growing," her father, Jeremy, said in an e-mail Wednesday.
Children still represent only a fraction of a percent of all breast cancer cases.
Hannah had surgery and has begun chemotherapy.
"You feel like you're sick all the time. You just want to go lay in bed," she said.
The show filmed Hannah at home getting her head shaved rather than waiting for chemotherapy to take its toll. Other family members got buzz cuts, too, in solidarity.
"I might be just a little bit afraid. I love my hair. I worked so hard to grow it," Hannah said before the event to take its toll.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090603/ap_on_re_us/us_breast_cancer_child_9
Also consider this -
Vitamins Enhance Chemotherapy
by Erik T. Paterson, M.D., Creston, BC. -
A recent article (National Post of Canada, 6 June 2005) gave an interesting account of problems with the use of supplements with cancer therapy. As far as the antioxidants are concerned, the article is far from as balanced as it would like the readers to believe. In low doses, those usually advocated by conventionally minded professionals, there is little or no value in the use of such substances. In high (remarkably safe) doses they can be highly valuable. For example, high dose vitamin C given experimentally to cultures of any type of cancer cells is lethal to them, but entirely harmless to similar cultures of normal cells. In clinical practice, when prescribed by knowledgeable doctors, high dose vitamin C does not ever interfere with chemotherapy, helps to protect against the adverse (often enough lethal) effects of chemotherapy, enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy, and frequently induces complete remission of cancer (disappearance of all clinical signs of tumour) where chemotherapy cannot. The evidence for this efficacy of high dose vitamin C is voluminous, a good starting point being Hoffer, A. & Pauling, L., Vitamin C and Cancer: Discovery, recovery, controversy, Quarry Health Books, 2000. But similar research shows the value of the other antioxidant supplements, but only when given in high, but safe doses. I am living proof that this works, having fallen ill with a near lethal Acute Mylegenous Leukemia nearly nine years ago. The effects of the chemotherapy nearly killed me. Once in remission (not cure) I have kept myself healthy with vitamin C 8,000 milligrams, niacin 3,000 milligrams, vitamin E 1000 units, vitamins A and D (in Halibut liver oil) and selenium 500 micrograms, along with other supplements all per day. I advocate that people ought to READ, READ, READ but not just journals with a bias against the unconventional use of vitamins.
Another physician comments on natural cancer care -
The first patient I treated for cancer decided not to undergo chemotherapy. He did have surgery to remove the tumor in his colon. Afterward he wanted to stick to natural therapies.
I recommended the basics. We cleaned up his diet and took him off wheat, dairy and sugar – which can drag down the immune system.
Next, I recommended he drink Essiac tea.
For several years, I followed his progress. He saw a full recovery. His post-surgery roommate, who simply went with chemotherapy, died soon after.
Essiac was likely not the sole reason for his recovery. It does, however, have quite a history of success. Yet, even today, it suffers unwarranted suppression and little mainstream investigation.
The herbal formula is named after the Canadian nurse, Rene Caisse (pronounced “reen case”) who formulated it in1920. Essiac is merely Caisse spelt backwards. The recipe is reportedly passed down by an Ojibwa medicine man.
This herbal infusion has recently been highlighted in the news with the case of Daniel Hauser avoiding chemotherapy. Daniel’s situation, likewise, has brought attention back to Billy Best, who used Essiac to help cure his cancer 15 years ago.
Some antidepressants may risk breast cancer return
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. – Breast cancer survivors risk having their disease come back if they use certain antidepressants while also taking the cancer prevention drug tamoxifen, worrisome new research shows.
About 500,000 women in the United States take tamoxifen, which cuts in half the chances of a breast cancer recurrence. Many of them also take antidepressants for hot flashes, because hormone pills aren't considered safe after breast cancer.
Doctors have long known that some antidepressants and other medicines can lower the amount of tamoxifen's active form in the bloodstream. But whether this affects cancer risk is unknown.
The new study, reported Saturday at a cancer conference in Florida, is the largest to look at the issue. It found that using these interfering drugs — including Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft — can virtually wipe out the benefit tamoxifen provides.
Many doctors question the magnitude of harm from combining these medicines, and a second, smaller study suggests it may not be very large.
But the bottom line is the same: Not all antidepressants pose this problem, and women should talk to their doctors about which ones are best.
"There are other alternatives we can consider" that are safer, said Dr. Eric Winer, breast cancer chief at the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston.
He had no role in the study, which was done by Medco Health Solutions Inc., a large insurance benefits manager. Researchers used members' medical records to identify 353 women taking tamoxifen plus other drugs that might interfere with it, and 945 women taking tamoxifen alone. Those taking a drug combo did so for about a year on average.
Next, researchers checked to see how many were treated for second cancers in the following two years. Breast cancer recurred in about 7 percent of women on tamoxifen alone, and in 14 percent of women also taking other drugs that could interfere — mainly the antidepressants Paxil and Prozac, and, to a lesser extent, Zoloft.
If women want to take an antidepressant, "you probably want to stay away from those three," said Medco's chief medical officer, Dr. Robert Epstein.
No greater breast cancer risk was seen in women taking the antidepressants Celexa, Lexapro or Luvox with tamoxifen, and there are reasons to think that other antidepressants may be safe as well, Epstein said.
A second study led by Dr. Vincent Dezentje of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands found little risk from combining tamoxifen and popular antidepressants. However, only 150 women in the study took such combos for more than two months, and they were compared to women taking combos for a shorter time — not to women using tamoxifen alone.
The Dutch and Medco studies were presented at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
The federal Food and Drug Administration has been considering a change to tamoxifen's label to warn about the antidepressants drugs and a gene variation some women have that can make tamoxifen less effective. An advisory panel unanimously recommended a change in 2006, but the agency is still considering it.
"This is a very controversial area," said Dr. Claudine Isaacs, a breast specialist at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Until these data are absolutely clear, I would avoid drugs that impact on tamoxifen metabolism."
Breast cancer is the most common major cancer in American women. More than 182,000 new cases were diagnosed last year, and it caused nearly 41,000 deaths.
My early research was into B3. I met my first bona fide mad professor, who was convinced B3 deficiency was responsible for all neurodegenerative illnesses. He made many good points but as my research progressed I concluded that it was not a B3 deficiency so much as the ability to metabolise B3 in therapeutic quantities that was the problem. I could go on...
I'll update my info and provide a link to this (more recent) research. Thanks for forwarding it to me. All these things help to fill out the big picture!
Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., writes about the JAMA study denouncing the benefit from Vitamins C and E. Fabricant comments concerning flaws in the study which have altered the results and reliability of the study in question:
“On the second page of the study, it references nine pooled studies that when using 700 milligrams per day of vitamin C showed a 25-percent reduction in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD); yet this study only used 500 milligrams per day. Why wasn't the 700 milligrams per day amount used when that has been correlated with a reduction in occurrence in prior studies?
“Additionally, while the study did control for multivitamin intake to prevent overlap, intake of vitamin C and E from food was not controlled. With a population of health care professionals at an increased risk for CVD, these subjects most likely know the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and thus rich in vitamins C and E, and may adjust their intake accordingly. This would most certainly confound the study.
“It is essentially a drug study but one without a positive control, which is necessary to ensure the experimental design can produce a positive result even if the intervention was unable to.”
Taking vitamin C or E does not reduce the risk of prostate cancers - or other forms of the disease, two large US studies suggest.
Vitamin E Shows Possible Promise In Easing Chronic Inflammation
ScienceDaily (2008-12-08) -- With up to half of a person's body mass consisting of skeletal muscle, chronic inflammation of those muscles -- which include those found in the limbs -- can result in significant physical impairment. Researchers have found that vitamin E shows promise in easing inflammation. ... > read full article
but if you want to believe the recent junque science report reiterated from mainstream media in the AARP Bulletin, you are taking your life in your hands.
AARP is doing a grave dis-service to its members by allowing this biased reporting and yet failing to allow for opposing viewpoints that, like one comment on the report on the AARP Bulletin web site. This commenter begins by stating that all participants in the study had a 28.3 BMI and would be considered obese.
And if you read just the last part of this post you'll see AARP has it wrong. All they would have to do is to read the reports on E, C, Selenium and the Jupiter Study on Natural Health News. It's a simple thing to use our search function, and real data. You can even link to our reading site with more about vitamin E.
Or you can read what some other MDs have to say about these faulty studies here: Another push to get cholesterol levels ever lower, but let’s make sure it isn’t killing people first and here.
I'll still side against the cholesterol study and I'll side for vitamin E, C and selenium effectiveness.Health Discoveries: Selenium, Vitamin E Don't Help After All
By Katharine Greider - December 1, 2008 - From the AARP Bulletin Today
Do vitamin E and selenium help prevent prostate cancer? The answer is no, according to findings from a major trial with 35,000 men. The SELECT study, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and begun in 2001, was stopped early, in September, after finding no evidence of any benefit from either supplement.
The news disappointed many cancer experts, says Elise Cook, M.D., a study researcher and a cancer prevention specialist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. But it provides important information about what doesn’t work. Cook says many men had been reluctant to join the study because they were already taking vitamin E for heart as well as prostate health. “Since then, other studies have shown that it really didn’t help their hearts, either,” she says.
and they also ran an instant replay of the much touted Jupiter study, falling for the drug company propaganda.Health Discoveries: By Jupiter! Statins Cut Heart Disease
By Barbara Basler - December 1, 2008 - AARP Bulletin Today
Men and women in their 50s and 60s—with normal cholesterol levels—dramatically cut their risk of heart disease and stroke by taking a statin drug normally used only to lower cholesterol, a new study shows. Published in the Nov. 20 New England Journal of Medicine, the study, dubbed “Jupiter,” could change the basic guidelines for preventing heart disease.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston looked at nearly 18,000 people with no history of heart disease but who did have elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or hs-CRP, as measured in blood tests. Compared with the group taking a placebo, those on the statin reduced their chances of a heart attack by 54 percent, stroke by 48 percent and the need for bypass surgery or angioplasty by 46 percent. Learn more about the study on bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealthThe December, 2008 issue of the journal Experimental Physiology published the discovery of researchers at the University of Illinois of an anti-inflammatory effect for vitamin E in an animal model of inflammation.
Scientists are becoming increasingly aware of the role of inflammation in a number of diseases and conditions. Chronic inflammation of the skeletal muscles in humans is a cause of significant physical impairment. Antioxidants such as vitamin E have been shown to reduce proinflammatory cytokine expression in cell culture studies, but the vitamin's effects had not been tested in the heart and skeletal muscle of mice with induced systemic inflammation.
University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Kimberly Huey and colleagues administered vitamin E or a placebo to mice for three days before injecting the animals with a low dose of E. coli lipopolysaccharide to induce inflammation. A control group received saline injections.
The team found increased levels of the cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in the skeletal and cardiac muscle of mice that received lipopolysaccharide, yet among those that received vitamin E, levels of these cytokines were significantly lower than those of the placebo group. The cytokines function as intercellular communicators which assist in immune response, yet can lead to excessive inflammation. Additionally, the researchers observed decreased activation of nuclear factor kappa-beta (another agent involved in inflammation) in mice that received vitamin E.
“The mice were administered vitamin E for three days prior to giving them what amounts to a minor systemic bacterial infection,” Dr Huey explained. “One thing we did – in addition to (looking at) the cytokines – was to look, in the muscle, at the amount of oxidized proteins. Oxidation can be detrimental, and in muscle has been associated with reduced muscle strength.”
Dr Huey revealed that “there was a significant reduction in the amount of lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidized proteins with vitamin E compared to placebo.”
“So that’s a good thing,” she noted. “Potentially, if you reduce the oxidized proteins, that may correlate to increased muscle strength.”
In previous research conducted by team member Rodney Johnson, an association in mice between vitamin E supplementation and reduced brain inflammation was observed. Inflammation in the brain is associated with Alzheimer’s disease in humans.
Dr Huey concluded that vitamin E “may be beneficial in individuals with chronic inflammation, such as the elderly or patients with type II diabetes or chronic heart failure.”
“This is clearly an animal model so whether it would translate to humans still requires a lot more research,” she remarked. “Vitamin E is a supplement that is already approved, and these results may suggest an additional benefit of taking Vitamin E beyond what’s already been shown.”
In aged people with multiple degenerative diseases, the inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein, is often sharply elevated, indicating the presence of an underlying inflammatory disorder (Invitti 2002; Lee et al. 2002; Santoro et al. 2002; Sitzer et al. 2002). When a cytokine blood profile is conducted on people in a weakened condition, an excess level of one or more of the inflammatory cytokines, e.g., TNF-a, IL-6, IL-1(b), or IL-8, is usually found (Santoro et al. 2002).
Scientists have identified dietary supplements and prescription drugs that can reduce levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines. The docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) fraction of fish oil is the best documented supplement to suppress TNF-a, IL-6, IL-1(b), and IL-8 (Jeyarajah et al. 1999; James et al. 2000; Watanabe et al. 2000; Yano et al. 2000). A study on healthy humans and those with rheumatoid disease shows that fish oil suppresses these dangerous cytokines by up to 90% (James et al. 2000).
Other cytokine-lowering supplements are DHEA (Casson et al. 1993), vitamin K (Reddi et al. 1995; Weber 1997), GLA (gamma linolenic acid) (Purasiri et al. 1994), and nettle leaf extract (Teucher et al. 1996). Antioxidants, such as vitamin E (Devaraj et al. 2000) and N-acetyl-cysteine (Gosset et al. 1999), may also lower proinflammatory cytokines and protect against their toxic effects.
Why treat nutritional deficiency with drugs?
(OMNS, November 13, 2008) A recent study suggested that statins might be used to avoid the effects of nutritional deficiency. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Jupiter group described a study of statin drugs in people with high C-reactive protein and low cholesterol. (1) High C-reactive protein levels are associated with inflammation and heart disease/stroke. The authors concluded that, in apparently healthy persons with elevated C-reactive protein levels, rosuvastatin (Crestor) significantly reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events.
Their much-publicized claim, that this statin lowers the risk of heart attack by approximately one half, is technically correct though highly misleading. The reported annual incidence of coronary events was 37 people in 10,000 (controls) and 17 people in 10,000 (treated). Similar results were reported for risk of stroke. When expressed as a proportion, a 46% improvement (17/37) sounds large. However, an improvement of 20 events (37-17) in 10,000 people known to be at risk is less impressive. Such an improvement means that 500 people (10,000/20) with this increased risk would need to take the tablet daily for a year, to prevent one person suffering an event.
The paper does not explicitly report deaths. One reason for this may be that if a person on statins suffered a heart attack, that person was about three times more likely to die than a control who was not on statins.
The cost of rosuvastatin per person is approximately $1000 per year. So, treating enough people to prevent one heart attack costs $500,000 per year. Since about 70% of the heart attacks were not fatal, prevention of a single death from heart attack would cost even more, approximately $1,700,000. Giving the benefit of the doubt, we may allow for a similar reduction in stroke and say that "only" $250,000 is needed to protect one person from a stroke or heart attack. It is hardly surprising that Astra Zeneca's share price increased by $1.3 billion dollars on release of this paper and the corresponding media hype. (2)
The media suggested millions of healthy people could cut their risk of heart disease by taking statins. (3) They also claimed that statins could cut the risk of heart attack for "everyone". (4) This is inaccurate and incorrect. The study did not include normal healthy people, only a sample of a relatively small number of people, suffering from inflammation (increased C-reactive protein) - a known cause of heart disease and stroke. Out of 89,890 people considered for inclusion, 17,802 people (19.8%) met the specific criteria of poor health for the study. Widespread prescription of statins to healthy people is not supported by these findings.
The fact that statins produce a modest improvement is unsurprising, since they are known to lower inflammation, as do many nutritional supplements. It has pointed out that Crestor lowered C-reactive protein by 37%, but vitamin E lowers it (C Reactive Protein) by 32%, (5) and vitamin C by 25.3%. (6,7) These effects are similar to those of statins and would be expected to provide comparable benefits, without side effects and at a lower cost.
Crestor and other statin drugs have serious side effects. The incidence of established side-effects, such as rhabdomyolysis (0.3 per 10,000 per year), myopathy (1.1 per 10,000) and peripheral neuropathy (1.2 per 10,000 per year) seems low, (8) but may be underestimated as it takes time to establish long-term side-effects. (The depletion of coenzyme Q10 by statins is a particular concern.) The figures imply that for every ten people who avoid a cardiovascular event, at least one previously healthy person will suffer a non-trivial side effect of the statin drug.
The doctors reported a statistically significant increase (270) in diabetes in the statin group compared to the placebo group (216). Over the course of the study, this corresponds to an increased risk of approximately 61 in 10,000 people. So, the number of people on statins reported to become diabetic was greater than the number that avoided a heart attack! These people might have shorter lives and be at greater risk of heart disease in the long term.
Notably, the Jupiter study was stopped early, which the authors admit prevents assessment of how side-effects might outweigh reported benefits in the longer term. The study was to last 3-5 years and the criteria for stopping were not included in the original published design. (9) The paper claims that when the study was stopped "these [diabetic] events were not adjudicated by the end-point committee". The committee either knew about the diabetes in which case it was considered, or it did not and the committee was not doing its job properly.
The Jupiter name stands for Justification for the Use of statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin; the reader might think this "justification" sounds more like a marketing plan than a scientific endeavor. The researchers did not address the underlying cause of the inflammation and increased C-reactive protein: they simply treated the condition with drugs. In many cases, raised C-reactive protein is a result of nutritional deficiency. (10)
It is worth mentioning that several nutritional supplements inhibit inflammation and lower C-reactive protein, without causing known side effects. Deficiency in vitamins A, (11) B6, C, E, A, folate, carotenoids and lycopene, (12) and selenium (for example) is associated with raised C-reactive protein. (13,14,15) We suggest that the $250,000 cost of preventing a single cardiovascular event with rosuvastatin might be better spent funding a study of such inexpensive alternatives the deficiency of which may be the cause of the problem.
The people at risk could be encouraged to supplement their diet and restore their health without using these expensive drugs to conceal their underlying sickness.
Stick with the supplements!
References:
(1) Ridker P.M. Danielson E. Fonseca F.A.H. Genest J. Gotto A.M. Kastelein J.J.P. Koenig W. Libby P. Lorenzatti A.J. MacFadyen J.G. Nordestgaard B.G. Shepherd J. Willerson J.T. Glynn R.J. for the JUPITER Study Group (2008) Rosuvastatin to Prevent Vascular Events in Men and Women with Elevated C-Reactive Protein, NEJM, 359(21), 2195-2207.
(2) Mail Online (2008) Crestor news helps AstraZeneca market value leap by more than £1.3bn, 9:25 PM, 10th Nov.
(3) Smith R. (2008) Millions could cut heart attack risk by taking statins, study finds, telegraph.co.uk, 7:55AM GMT, 10 Nov.
(4) Hope J. (2008) The new statin drug that cuts the risk of heart attacks and strokes for EVERYONE, Daily Mail, 11th Nov.
(5) Devaraj S. Tang R. Adams-Huet B. Harris A. Seenivasan T. de Lemos J.A. Jialal I. (2007) Effect of high-dose alpha-tocopherol supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease, Am J Clin Nutr, 86(5), 1392-1398.
(6) Block G. Jensen C.D. Dalvi T.B. Norkus E.P. Hudes M. Crawford P.B. Holland N. Fung E.B. Schumacher L. Harmatz P. (2008) Vitamin C treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein, Free Radic Biol Med, Oct 10. [Epub]
(7) Sardi B. (2008) The Headline You Should Be Reading: Statin Drugs Don't Save Lives And May Increase Your Risk For Diabetes, Knowledge of Health Report, Nov 11.
(8) Law M. Rudnicka A.R. Statin Safety: A Systematic Review, The American Journal of Cardiology, 97(8), Suppl 1, S52-S60.
(9) Ridker P.M. JUPITER Study Group (2003) Rosuvastatin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease among patients with low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein: rationale and design of the JUPITER trial, Circulation, 108(19), 2292-2297.
(10) Ford E.S. Liu S. Mannino D.M. Giles W.H. Smith S.J. (2003) C-reactive protein concentration and concentrations of blood vitamins, carotenoids, and selenium among United States adults, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57, 1157-1163.
(11) Root M.M. Hu J. Stephenson L.S. Parker R.S. Campbell T.C. (1999) Determinants of plasma retinol concentrations of middle-aged women in rural China. Nutrition 15, 101-107.
(12) Boosalis M.G. Snowdon D.A. Tully C.L. Gross M.D. (1996): Acute phase response and plasma carotenoid concentrations in older women: findings from the nun study, Nutrition, 12, 475-478.
(13) Friso S. Jacques P.F. Wilson P.W. Rosenberg I.H. Selhub J.(2001) Low circulating vitamin B(6) is associated with elevation of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein independently of plasma homocysteine levels, Circulation, 103(23), 2788-2791.
(14) Devaraja S. Jialal I. (2000) Alpha tocopherol supplementation decreases serum C-reactive protein and monocyte interleukin-6 levels in normal volunteers and type 2 diabetic patients, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 29(8), 790-792.
(15) Upritchard J.E. Sutherland W.H. Mann J.I. (2000): Effect of supplementation with tomato juice, vitamin E, and vitamin C on LDL oxidation and products of inflammatory activity in type 2 diabetes, Diabetes Care, 23, 733-738.
Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine
Health News
Studies: Vitamin pills don't prevent heart disease AP - Sun Nov 9, 2008
NEW ORLEANS - Vitamins C and E — pills taken by millions of Americans — do nothing to prevent heart disease in men, one of the largest and longest studies of these supplements has found.
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