by Candace McNaughton, ND
Those of you on an Albuterol inhaler should check the dose and lot number marked on your medicine. There has been a recall due to mislabeling where the vials are actually five times the strength of what they are marked. Read details below and at the FDA site.
“Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution 0.083%, 3 mL Unit Dose Vials: Recall – Mislabeled Unit Dose Vials
[Posted 01/03/2011]
ISSUE: The Ritedose Corporation is conducting a voluntary recall of 0.083% Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution, 3 mL in 25, 30, and 60 unit dose vials. This product is being recalled because the 2.5 mg/3 mL single use vials are embossed with the wrong concentration of 0.5 mg/ 3 mL and therefore, represents a potential significant health hazard. Only the unit dose vials are incorrectly embossed as containing 0.5 mg/3 mL. The correct concentration of 2.5 mg/3 mL is labeled on the primary foil overwrap pouches and shelf cartons. Administration of this defective product could result in a range of potential health effects that spans from temporary and medically reversible to life threatening and death.
There is significant concern that health professionals who read the incorrect embossed concentration may upwardly adjust the volume of product used resulting in an administered amount that is 5 times the recommended dose. Significant overdosing of a patient could lead to signs and symptoms of albuterol toxicity, which includes tremors, dizziness, nervousness, headache, seizures, angina, high blood pressure, low potassium levels, and rapid heart rates up to 200 beats/minute.
BACKGROUND: The following lot numbers manufactured by The Ritedose Corporation under NDC: 0591-3797-83, 0591-3797-30, and 0591-3797-60 are included in the recall:
0N81, 0N82, 0N83, 0N84, 0NE7, 0NE8, 0NE9, 0NF0, 0P12, 0P13, 0P46, 0P47, 0PF0, and 0S15.
No other Albuterol formulations or products are included in this recall. This product was distributed nationwide and Puerto Rico.
RECOMMENDATION: Consumers should immediately return the affected product to the place it was obtained (i.e. doctor’s office, pharmacy, etc.).”
Filed under: Commentary, Research | Tags: exercise, fat, sitting, weight gain, weight loss
by Tom Ballard RN, ND
Turns out excessive sitting is not only bad for our backs but makes us fat.
The British Journal of Sports Medicine, among others, has reported that after four hours of sitting the body begins shutting down genes regulating glucose and fat. This seems to be the human equivalent of the computer’s “power down” mode. Chemical messengers send out the message to reduce energy expenditure and store fat.
Tim Armstrong, a physical-activity expert with the World Health Organization said that people who exercise every day, but spend a lot of time sitting, may not do as well as those who spread the exercise throughout the day.
A 2003-4 study found that Americans spend more than half their time sitting. This is certainly contributing to diabetes and obesity rates.
Another important lesson from these studies, in addition to “get off your … chair” is that this is another example of how genes are not “set”, as many would have us believe, but are substantially influenced by environmental factors such as time sitting.
Filed under: Commentary, Research | Tags: bone thinning, fat-soluble vitamins, fractures, osteoporosis, vitamin A, Vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K
by Tom Ballard RN, ND
Allopathic medicine is now catching up to the value of vitamin D, something natural doctors have known about for hundreds of years. Drs. Oz and Weil and the popular press have made vitamin D so mainstream that it may be one the few points of nutrition that your MD pays attention to. Unfortunately, their limited knowledge may be causing you harm.
All of the fat-soluble vitamins act together to keep your body well oiled, so to speak. Too much vitamin D has a negative effect on vitamin A and vice versa. Microscopic amounts of vitamin K help vitamin D and calcium form bone. Vitamin E has a synergistic effect on all the others.
There are three common problems you may have been subjected to regarding your fat-soluble vitamins:
1. No pre- and post-supplement testing: Vitamin D is one of the few vitamins that can be tested accurately. Why guess? Before starting a supplement, have your blood tested by your doctor. Then retest 2-3 months later to see how you’re doing.
2. Extremely high doses (500,000) of vitamin D prescribed annually: This is not how the body usually takes in vitamin D. Research shows this dosing is associated with increased hip fractures. Better to supplement with a more normal dose of 400 to 2000/day taken with a fat-containing meal for best absorption. It will take longer to pull your blood levels up into the normal range, but it’s far safer and more effective.
3. Failure to balance vitamin D with the other fat-soluble vitamins: Yes, vitamin D is important for your bones and immune function, but so are the others. The safest avenue is to take a multivitamin containing all of these important vitamins.
I do not recommend that anyone take single-vitamin supplements unless under the care of a health professional with nutritional training.
Filed under: Research | Tags: diet, keep weight off, long-term, weight loss
by Tom Ballard RN, ND
A two-year study on 140 overweight individuals has again shown that small changes in diet go a long way in reducing disease. (Circulation 2010)
The study asked participants to reduce, not eliminate, red meat, processed foods, trans-fats, and sugar, including alcohol and fruit juices. They also encouraged eating more fruits and vegetables.
The results: weight and blood pressure reduction, blood sugar improvement in diabetics, and reduction in the thickness and volume of the carotid artery (a common site for strokes to originate).
This study joins a long list of others in proving that one does not need to become a vegetarian, or even severely change their diet, to see measurable improvements in health.
Filed under: Research | Tags: ADHD, diet, junk food, Telethon Institute, Western diet
by Tom Ballard RN, ND
A 2010 study by the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Australia conducted an interesting study looking at Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and diet. It was a big project involving 1,800 teenagers. They did a remarkably straight-forward study comparing kids who ate a predominantly “Western Diet” (lots of processed food, carbohydrates, sugar, salt, and additives) to a “Healthy Diet” (high in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fish).
The conclusion: “We found a diet high in the Western pattern of foods was associated with more than double the risk of having an ADHD diagnosis compared with a diet low in the Western pattern, after adjusting for numerous other social and family influences… having an ADHD diagnosis was associated with a diet high in takeaway foods, processed meats, red meat, high fat dairy products, and confectionery.” They suggested that one reason for the higher incidence of ADHD may be a lack of omega-3 oils.
Teenage brains are still in the process of development. Nerve cells are hooking up, making connections, developing patterns. The brain is 70% fat, so good quality fats are important. Neurotransmitters are made from protein. Antioxidants protect the brain from oxidative damage. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for its energy. It is a shame that more research is not going into the effects of diet on brain function.
Filed under: News, Research | Tags: flu, H1N1, influenza, vaccine, Vitamin D
by Tom Ballard RN, ND
A Japanese study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that children taking 1,200 IU of vitamin D suffered half as many bouts of influenza as those taking a placebo.
Vitamin D levels tend to go down during the winter making us all more susceptible to respiratory and other infections. I recommend that everyone get blood testing to make sure their levels are in the higher range of normal.
Side note: There have been no placebo-controlled studies (considered to be the gold-standard in medical research) on H1N1 flu vaccines. Including no safety studies.
Vitamin D more effective than vaccines at preventing flu infections
(NaturalNews) A vitamin D supplement is more effective at reducing the risk of flu infection than vaccines or antiviral drugs, according to a study conducted by researchers from Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (more…)
Filed under: News | Tags: cancer, chemicals, environment, President's Cancer Panel
by Tom Ballard RN, ND
Early in 2010 the President’s Cancer Panel, a group of scientific experts, warned that Americans are facing “grievous harm” from chemicals in our air, water, and food. They further stated that there is an “unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposure that could be prevented.”
Children are particularly vulnerable to chemical toxins because of their size and metabolic activity. Recent studies found industrial chemicals in umbilical-cord blood. “To a disturbing extent, babies are born ‘pre-polluted,’” the panel wrote.
About 80,000 chemicals are in commercial use in the U.S., of which only about 200 have been assessed for safety. There is virtually no testing of mixtures of chemicals.
In my opinion, synthetic chemicals are no longer a ticking time bomb. The bomb has exploded. The blast will be felt over the next few decades.
by Tom Ballard RN, ND
Researchers at the University of Birmingham wanted to find out why drinking carbohydrate beverages during athletic competition helped performance.
The quick response to these drinks didn’t fit with what is known of digestion, assimilation, and burning of calories. It happened too fast.
What they discovered was that all it takes is holding carbohydrates in the mouth to boost performance. In the study, runners only swished a carbohydrate beverage and their times improved. And, this happened whether the drink tasted sweet or not. Apparently the brain reads the message from the mouth “carbohydrates on the way” and turns up metabolism.
Perhaps this is why people who eat slower (more time for message transfer to the brain) and smaller meals (more message and fewer calories) tend to be leaner.
I’m looking for volunteers for a weight loss program involving swishing calories instead of swallowing.
Filed under: Research | Tags: cholesterol, heart disease, NaturalNews, sugar, triglyceride
(NaturalNews) A diet lower in sugar corresponds directly to lower cholesterol and other markers of improved heart health, according to a study conducted by researchers from Emory University and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
“We found that the lower the amount of added sugar people ate, the better their good cholesterol and their blood triglyceride levels,” said researcher Miriam B. Vos, author of The No-Diet Obesity Solution for Kids.
Researchers questioned 6,113 adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Survey about what they had eaten the prior day, then used this information to calculate how much added sugar was included in each person’s diet. Blood samples were also taken from each participant and evaluated for a number of cardiovascular risk factors.
(more…)
by Tom Ballard RN, ND
Research out of Norway supports the idea that short bursts of intense exercise, as used by Olympic athletes, can be used by non-athletes. The study recommended four sessions of four minutes with three minutes of rest between. The sessions should not be all-out unless you’re already in great condition.
This study joins others in convincing us that we all don’t have to go to the gym for an hour five times a week. Brisk walking, taking the stairs, interval training, and even not sitting for more than four hours have all been shown to help with fitness.
We have fewer excuses not to be active. Keep moving!
