Tom Ballard, RN, ND
While the cause of Parkinson’s disease is officially “unknown”, research has shown that people with known pesticide exposure through their work are twice as likely to suffer from the disease. Brought to the public’s awareness by Michael J. Fox, symptoms of Parkinson’s include shaking, tremors, poor balance, and difficulty walking. These symptoms are exactly what happen when pesticides, which are known nerve poisons, are fed to laboratory rats.
What can you do? Keep away from garden pesticides and eat organic.
Filed under: Research | Tags: cancer, children, leukemia, organic, pesticides
Tom Ballard, RN, ND
A new research study published in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring reports a 200% increase in acute leukemia associated with exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OP). Acute leukemia is the most common childhood cancer.
A few years ago the University of Washington conducted a study comparing organic and non-organic fruit juice consumption in kids. Calorie-hungry growing kids love their juice. When the juice is not organic, OP pesticide levels were shown to rise dramatically, while organic juice lowered their levels.
Nursing mothers will secrete OPs through their breast milk, so even the unborn child is not safe from pesticides.
Support your local organic farmers and protect your child’s health – buy organic.
Tom Ballard, RN, ND
Vitamin D has come a long way since it was only seen as the “bone vitamin.” In the last decade volumes of research have revealed its importance in preventing cancer, winter blues, and thyroid dysfunction, to name only a few. Now come reports that low vitamin D increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Fortunately vitamin D is easily measured with routine blood testing. Everyone should have this test, especially those living in the north, although southerners who spend most of their time indoors and use sun screen are also vulnerable to this deficiency.
What can you do? TTS = test, tan, supplement. Tanning should be done gradually, starting with pink, avoiding burning. Supplementation is based on blood levels. Keep in the pink with sunlight.
Filed under: Research | Tags: acid, acidic, acidosis, alkaline, diet, inflammation, interstitial cystitis, kidney stones, muscle, muscle wasting, osteoporosis
Candace McNaughton, N.D.
Foods can be categorized as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but they also can be classified by how we process them. Our bodies transform nearly all foods into acids or alkaline bases, and we need a balance to be healthy.
Too many acid-producing foods cause a chronic condition called acidosis — meaning the body becomes too acidic, which can lead to osteoporosis, muscle deterioration, kidney stones, and inflammation.
Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk and grains generally produce acids, while fruit, vegetables, tubers and nuts generally cause blood to be more alkaline. For good health, your body should be slightly alkaline. This is easy to achieve by consuming more alkaline-producing foods and dietary supplements.
Not surprisingly, the typical Western diet, heavy with acid-producing meat and refined foods, is highly acidic.
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Read the rest of this article at the PCC Sound Consumer
Filed under: Research | Tags: brain, breakfast, diet, grains, memory, oat, oatmeal, sugar
Tom Ballard RN, ND
Breakfast eaters have better attention and memory than those who skip breakfast. This has been shown in dozens of studies dating back to the 1950s. Complex carbohydrates and protein are more effective than sweetened cereals. Oatmeal eaters outperformed Cap’n Crunch by 20%! (Tufts University) Most of these studies were done on children, but there is no reason to believe the same isn’t true for mature brains, maybe more so.
Candace McNaughton, ND
A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that phone contact is almost as effective as office visits in a weight loss plan. The study looked at percent of weight loss of about 400 people who were also on a weight loss drug. There was only a one percent difference in weight lost between those who had frequent face-to-face counseling and those who had frequent telephone contact during the program. The results were not as good with occasional face-to-face counseling, email counseling, or no support.
With our Pure Weight Loss program, we offer office visits, email support, and, with the Intensive program, telephone support as well. We want to do everything we can to help you reach your goals!
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/150/4/255
See for more details on our program, see our site:
Filed under: Research | Tags: antioxidants, BMI, diabetes, free radicals, heart disease, obesity, oxidation, testing
Candace McNaughton, ND
Toxins in our food, air, and water cause free radicals to do damage (oxidative damage) in our bodies. This is why we eat fresh, antioxidant-rich foods and take antioxidants. The levels of free radicals and oxidative stress in our bodies can be measured with a simple urine test. This is also a wonderful way to track the progress of your treatment plan here at Pure Wellness Centers. Research has backed up the urine testing of free radicals as well as their connection with chronic disease. There are markers that we measure (one group is called isoprostanes) that increase during stress and chronic disease and decrease with antioxidant treatment. Isoprostanes increase with worsening clogged arteries (coronary artery disease) or congestive heart failure. People who have diabetes, people with a high body mass index, and smokers all clearly show higher levels of these markers. Even people with pre-diabetes (metabolic syndrome) show significant elevations of isoprostanes. Contact Pure Wellness Centers to get your levels measured and see how you can optimize your health and prevent chronic disease!
Filed under: Research | Tags: boys, breast, gynecomastia, lavender, tea tree
A February 2007 article in the New England Journal of Medicine received a lot of attention in the popular press as it concluded that lavender and tea tree oils may have feminizing effects. Three cases of growth of breast tissue were reported in young boys using lavender or tea tree oil products. Later lab studies showed female hormone-stimulating effects on cancer cells. The EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Products may decide to ban the oils, as they can be irritating to the skin.
While this study reports important case studies, it does not conclusively say that tea tree leads to growth of breasts in young boys. Many mainstream articles on this study refer only to tea tree oil, but only one of the three boys was using tea tree. There are no other such reports among the millions of users of tea tree oil or lavender. The researchers used breast cancer cell lines to test the straight oil and found estrogenic (female hormone) and anti-androgenic (male hormone) effects. This study warrants repeat, and should perhaps be performed on healthy cell lines. A study has also found that a component from tea tree inhibits skin cancer cells. This study holds no more or less weight than the one currently in question. The boys are exposed to hormones in meats and dairy products as well as estrogen-like compounds in plastics and this may be a consideration. It is important to note that while the symptoms did resolve after discontinuing the products, months passed before symptoms fully resolved. Blood hormone levels were not affected.
Herbs and their oils can cause allergic and skin reactions. Essential oils can be toxic in high doses. I do not think that these facts alone warrant a banning of the oils or the products. We use toxic products daily- with caution and advice. Tea tree is antimicrobial. Like almost all of our antibiotics, it can lead to bacterial resistance when used repeatedly. This is not a reason to stop using antibiotics altogether.
As always, I caution against ever drawing a conclusion based on one study. In order to form a conclusion, one should look at all the research done thus far (or at reviews of the literature) and take into account areas which call for further study.
Guardian UK article
The original New England Journal of Medicine article
A reprint from the British Medical Journal, different abstract
Candace McNaughton, ND
You may remember talk of a study back in 2005 which found Echinacea not effective against induced colds. Is it time to put echinacea aside as an aid to reducing severity and duration of colds?
I don’t believe so. The researchers tried to design the study well, but there were a few flaws.
First, the dose was much lower than is normally used for cold relief. Most who take Echinacea effectively take three to six times the dose subjects were given in the study. This study used 1.5 ml three times per day of a 1:5 tincture. 1:5 is about as weak as tinctures get, meaning there was one part plant to five parts liquid.
Second, the preparation is questionable at best. The researchers used three types of extraction, one of which tends to have good results but may not get all active constituents out, and the other two were relatively low alcohol. Herbalists use alcohol as close to 100% as possible to extract plant constituents, not the 20% and 60% they used. This should not be confused with the percentages you often see on tincture bottles, which represents the percentage alcohol in the product used to preserve.
Third, the species used, Echinacea angustifolia, is one which has poorer results in trials. Echinacea purpurea has shown much stronger results. In fact, in some studies, Echinacea angustifolia has been shown to DECREASE immune function and it is used in some autoimmune diseases like lupus, MS, and alopecia areata for this purpose.
Fourth, the infections were artificially induced using one type of virus in young healthy people in a closed situation. This does not mimic real life. Drs. Turner and Gangemi, authors in this study, also found negative results with artificially induced colds in a previous study. Turner RB, Riker DK, Gangemi JD. Ineffectiveness of Echinacea for prevention of experimental rhinovirus colds. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2000;44(6):1708-9
Fifth, the researchers studied the preventive effects of Echinacea (taking it before a cold), which is fine, but it has already been shown that Echinacea is not very effective at preventing colds. It seems to be much more effective when taken during a cold to reduce symptoms and duration. (more…)
“I am getting my RDAs of nutrients!” I hope you are. But the two most comprehensive studies ever conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — HANES I and II — reveal that marginal nutrient deficiencies exist in almost 50 percent of the population and that selected nutrient deficiencies exist in up to 90 percent of the population. In addition, it’s important to remember that the RDAs are recommendations for healthy people. If you have a health problem, poor digestion or take prescription medications, you have higher requirements. Smokers and heavy drinkers also have increased needs. Air and water pollution drain your nutrients. Those that consume sugar and simple carbohydrates need more minerals and B vitamins. I could go on, the point being that there are a lot of odds against us consuming just RDA levels, much less optimal levels of nutrients.
Tom Ballard RN, ND
