http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/ Copyright 2011 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/study_reveals_current_vitamin_d_recommendations_are_inadequate_for_afr/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/study_reveals_current_vitamin_d_recommendations_are_inadequate_for_afr/#When:14:33:01Z The results of a study reported at the American Association of Cancer Research's Fourth Annual Health Disparities Conference reveal a need for vitamin D among African-Americans that is far greater than the current recommendation of 600 international units (IU) per day. In research funded by the United States Department of Defense and the National Cancer Institute, Adam Murphy, MD, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, along with Rick Kittles, MD of the University of Illinois, analyzed serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of 492 men aged 40 to 79 who resided in the Chicago area. Skin melanin levels, sun exposure and vitamin D intake were determined, and body mass index was calculated. Sixty-three percent of African-American men were found to be deficient in vitamin D with levels of less than 20 nanograms per milliliter, in contrast with 18 percent of the Caucasian participants. In addition to African heritage, having a high body mass index and failing to supplement with the vitamin were associated with deficiency. When 30 nanograms per milliliter was used as the cutoff point, the incidence of deficiency rose to 93 percent for African-Americans and 69.7 percent of Caucasian subjects. "This study shows that the current one-size fits all recommendations for 600 International Units (IU) of vitamin D don't work," stated Dr Murphy, who is a clinical instructor in urology at the Feinberg School of Medicine. "Skin color and sunlight exposure need to be considered for recommended daily allowances of vitamin D." "It takes a dark-skinned male like myself 90 minutes three times a week to absorb enough sunlight to produce the recommended amount of vitamin D compared to just 15 minutes three times a week for a Caucasian male," he noted. He recommended that men increase their level of vitamin D supplementation if they live in the northern third of the United States "from Northern California all the way to Virginia," and remarked that African-American men residing in Chicago would need to consume 2,500 IU of the vitamin per day to attain normal levels. "When vitamin D levels in the bloodstream are less than 20 nanograms per milliliter the bone starts to become brittle in adults and in kids it causes rickets," he observed. "This study shows that across the board vitamin D recommendations just won't work for everybody . . . With so many diseases linked to low levels of vitamin D, we should have more stratified recommendations to consider groups within the population instead of making monolithic suggestions." "Because we have a lot of special populations in the United States – people who have darker skin, people who cover their skin for religious reasons and people who live in poor sunlight environments – there shouldn't be uniform vitamin D recommendations for the entire population," he concluded. __________________ Lef.org 2011-09-23T14:33:01+00:00 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/take_your_fish_oil_-_omega-3_users_are_different/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/take_your_fish_oil_-_omega-3_users_are_different/#When:14:33:41Z The International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, held this year in Paris, was the site of a presentation by Lori Daiello, PharmD of the finding of differences in brain structure between individuals who supplement with fish oil and those who do not. Fish oil contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which have been associated with improved cognitive function. The current study included 819 participants in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), which conducted periodic brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and memory testing on older adults with normal cognitive function, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease over a three year period. Dr Daiello and her colleagues compared data obtained from 117 men and women who reported regular fish oil supplement use with data from 702 nonusers. The team found greater brain volume and better cognitive function over follow-up in fish oil users who did not test positive for the APOE4 gene, which is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. "In the imaging analyses for the entire study population, we found a significant positive association between fish oil supplement use and average brain volumes in two critical areas utilized in memory and thinking (cerebral cortex and hippocampus), as well as smaller brain ventricular volumes compared to non-users at any given time in the study," commented Dr Daiello, who is a research scientist at the Rhode Island Hospital Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center. "In other words, fish oil use was associated with less brain shrinkage in patients taking these supplements during the ADNI study compared to those who didn't report using them." "These observations should motivate further study of the possible effects of long-term fish oil supplementation on important markers of cognitive decline and the potential influence of genetics on these outcomes," she added. "The association between fish oil supplements and brain structural differences between users and nonusers in all three groups is novel and deserves further investigation," the authors conclude. "While a causal effect of fish oil supplements on these outcomes cannot be concluded from the results of this observational study, the findings suggest possible benefits of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on brain health and aging." _______________ Lef.org 2011-08-23T14:33:41+00:00 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/common_pain_killers_linked_to_irregular_heart_rhythm/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/common_pain_killers_linked_to_irregular_heart_rhythm/#When:23:35:11Z Yet another research study has uncovered potentially fatal side effects of commonly used painkillers. Many pills used to treat inflammation (including non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDS] as well as new generation anti-inflammatory drugs, known as selective COX-2 inhibitors) were linked to an increased risk of irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation or flutter), concluded a study published on bmj.com July 5, 2011. These drugs had already been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, but no study had examined whether they increase the risk of atrial fibrillation – a condition which is associated with an increased long term risk of stroke, heart failure, and death. So a team of researchers, led by Professor Henrik Toft Sørensen at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, used the Danish National Registry of Patients to identify 32,602 patients with a first diagnosis of atrial fibrillation or flutter between 1999 and 2008. Each case was compared with 10 age and sex-matched control patients randomly selected from the Danish population. Patients were classified as current or recent NSAID users. Current users were further classified as new users (first-ever prescription within 60 days of diagnosis date) or long-term users. The researchers found that use of NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors was associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter. Compared with non-users, the association was strongest for new users, with around 40% increased risk for non-selective NSAIDS and around 70% increased risk for COX-2 inhibitors. This is equivalent to approximately four extra cases of atrial fibrillation per year per 1,000 new users of non-selective NSAIDS and seven extra cases of atrial fibrillation per 1,000 new users of COX-2 inhibitors. The risk appeared highest in older people, and patients with chronic kidney disease or rheumatoid arthritis were at particular risk when starting treatment with COX-2 inhibitors. The authors concluded: “Our study thus adds evidence that atrial fibrillation or flutter need to be added to the cardiovascular risks under consideration when prescribing NSAIDs.” This view is supported by an accompanying editorial by Prof. Jerry Gurwitz from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He believes that NSAIDS should continue to be used very cautiously in older patients with a history of hypertension or heart failure …. regardless of whether an association between NSAIDs and atrial fibrillation actually exists. SOURCE: “Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter: population based case-control study,” BMJ, July 5, 2011. Abstract From:  The Chiropractic Journal 2011-08-18T23:35:11+00:00 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/giant_government_and_spending/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/giant_government_and_spending/#When:21:04:49Z No matter your political affiliation - you need to watch this video.  We're heading down a slippery slope with no sign of stopping. Watch Video 2011-08-06T21:04:49+00:00 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/zinc_lozenges_and_the_common_cold/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/zinc_lozenges_and_the_common_cold/#When:23:28:30Z From LEF.org The outcome of a meta-analysis published online on June 23, 2001 in the Open Respiratory Medicine Journal concludes that zinc lozenges are beneficial in reducing the length of the common cold if the mineral is available in sufficient quantities. For the review, Dr Harri Hemilä of the University of Helsinki selected thirteen placebo-controlled trials examining the effects of zinc lozenges on cold duration. Three trials tested zinc acetate and five trials tested other forms of zinc in daily doses of greater than 75 milligrams. The remaining five trials evaluated the use of lozenges that contained lower doses of the mineral. While pooled analysis of the five trials that analyzed the effects of less than 75 milligrams zinc found no benefit, zinc acetate consumed in doses higher than 75 milligrams per day was associated with a 42 percent reduction in cold duration. Consuming more than 75 milligrams per day of other forms of zinc was associated with a 20 percent decrease in the length of colds. Dr Hemilä notes that consideration of dosage alone may be a simplified approach to supplementation, because some types of zinc lozenges, including those that contain zinc tartrate or citrate, bind zinc ions tightly, thereby decreasing the level of free zinc ions. Additionally, some brands of lozenges may contain ingredients such as cotton seed oil that can react with zinc ions to create insoluble compounds. "New trials should be carried out to confirm the benefit of zinc acetate lozenges at a dosage of about 80 mg per day, and to examine whether even lower daily doses in appropriately formulated lozenges might be effective," Dr Hemilä writes. Although no long term adverse effects were observed, high doses of zinc consumed for extended periods of time are not recommended. Nevertheless, Dr Hemilä remarks that 150 milligrams per day zinc has been administered for therapeutic uses for months or years in specific patients, and that a trial involving six weeks of supplementation at this level failed to result in a deficiency of copper (a potential side effect of prolonged intake of high amounts of zinc). "Since a large proportion of trial participants have remained without adverse effects, zinc lozenges might be useful for them as a treatment option for the common cold," Dr Hemilä writes. "More research is needed on zinc lozenges to find optimal lozenge compositions and treatment strategies." 2011-08-04T23:28:30+00:00 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/decreased_vitamin_d_leads_to_increased_fat/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/decreased_vitamin_d_leads_to_increased_fat/#When:00:13:57Z By Dr. Allen S. Josephs 3/11/2010 I'm still reeling from the results of the latest research on vitamin D. A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism involved 90 healthy young Californian women between the ages of 16 to 22(1). Incredibly, 59% of these women had vitamin D insufficiency (blood levels less than 29 ng/ml) and nearly 25% were actually vitamin D deficient. Researchers also found that there was a strong relationship between low blood levels of vitamin D and the likelihood of increased body fat, as well as decreased muscle strength. According to lead researcher Dr. Kremer, this study was the first to show a clear link between vitamin D levels and the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue, a major factor of overall health. A surprising element of this study is that it involved healthy young women who would be expected to benefit from their youth, along with a good diet and ample sun exposure. In the past, vitamin D deficiency was thought to only be a concern for the elderly and those living in the north. Researchers now believe, however, that vitamin D insufficiency has reached epidemic proportions. Now you may understand why I am constantly stressing the importance of this nutrient. If you have not had your vitamin D level checked, I urge you do so. The data regarding the benefits of vitamin D is overwhelming and adequate levels are essential to support good health. Although the typical recommendation for adults is 400 IU per day, I recommend taking 2,000 to 4,000 IU of vitamin D3, the most potent form of the nutrient. 1. Gilsanz V, Kremer A, Mo A, Wren T, Kremer R. Vitamin D status and its relation to muscle mass and muscle fat in young women. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. February 17, 2010. [Epub ahead of print] 2010-03-12T00:13:57+00:00 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/vitamin_d_continues_to_dominate/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/vitamin_d_continues_to_dominate/#When:18:39:56Z There's more good news for my favorite nutrient. In a recent meta-analysis, middle aged and elderly people who had high levels of vitamin D cut their risk of developing heart disease or elevated blood sugar nearly in half(1). Researchers from the University of Warwick evaluated 28 studies involving almost 100,000 men and women across different ethnic groups. The data revealed a significant association between high levels of vitamin D and dramatically decreased risk of both cardiac and metabolic disorders. Compared to those with low levels, men and women who had high levels of vitamin D had a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease by about 33%, elevated blood sugar by 55% and metabolic syndrome by over 50%. Cardiovascular disease is currently the leading cause of death, worldwide. But according to lead author Dr. Oscar Franco, "Targeting vitamin D deficiency in adult populations could potentially slow the current epidemics of cardiometabolic disorders." As I've said before, I believe vitamin D is the single most important nutrient we can consume. Although the recommendation for adults is only 400 to 800 IU per day, I suggest that most adults consume between 2,000 to 4,000 IU. I personally take 5,000 to 6,000 IU daily and have optimal blood levels of this vital nutrient. Now's the time to get on board with vitamin D! (1) Parker J, Hashmi O, Dutton D, Mavrodaris A, Stranges S, Kandala NB, Clarke A, Franco OH. Levels of vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Maturitas. March 2010 65(3):225-236. By Dr. Allen S. Josephs Co-Founder & Director, Vitacost.com     2/24/2010 2010-02-25T18:39:56+00:00 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/andrew_wakefield_scientific_censorship_and_fourteen_monkeys/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/andrew_wakefield_scientific_censorship_and_fourteen_monkeys/#When:05:02:15Z A statement from Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey - Los Angeles, February 5, 2010 Dr. Andrew Wakefield is being discredited to prevent an historic study from being published that for the first time looks at vaccinated versus unvaccinated primates and compares health outcomes, with potentially devastating consequences for vaccine makers and public health officials. It is our most sincere belief that Dr. Wakefield and parents of children with autism around the world are being subjected to a remarkable media campaign engineered by vaccine manufacturers reporting on the retraction of a paper published in The Lancet in 1998 by Dr. Wakefield and his colleagues. The retraction from The Lancet was a response to a ruling from England's General Medical Council, a kangaroo court where public health officials in the pocket of vaccine makers served as judge and jury. Dr. Wakefield strenuously denies all the findings of the GMC and plans a vigorous appeal. Despite rampant misreporting, Dr. Wakefield's original paper regarding 12 children with severe bowel disease and autism never rendered any judgment whatsoever on whether or not vaccines cause autism, and The Lancet's retraction gets us no closer to understanding this complex issue. Dr. Wakefield is one of the world's most respected and well-published gastroenterologists. He has published dozens of papers since 1998 in well-regarded peer-reviewed journals all over the world. His work documenting the bowel disease of children with autism and his exploration of novel ways to treat bowel disease has helped relieve the pain and suffering of thousands of children with autism. For the past decade, parents in our community have been clamoring for a relatively simple scientific study that could settle the debate over the possible role of vaccines in the autism epidemic once and for all: compare children who have been vaccinated with children who have never received any vaccines and see if the rate of autism is different or the same. Few people are aware that this extremely important work has not only begun, but that a study using an animal model has already been completed exploring this topic in great detail. Dr. Wakefield is the co-author, along with eight other distinguished scientists from institutions like the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Washington, of a set of studies that explore the topic of vaccinated versus unvaccinated neurological outcomes using monkeys. The first phase of this monkey study was published three months ago in the prestigious medical journal Neurotoxicology, and focused on the first two weeks of life when the vaccinated monkeys received a single vaccine for Hepatitis B, mimicking the U.S. vaccine schedule. The results, which you can read for yourself here, were disturbing. Vaccinated monkeys, unlike their unvaccinated peers, suffered the loss of many reflexes that are critical for survival. Dr. Wakefield and his scientific colleagues are on the brink of publishing their entire study, which followed the monkeys through the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule over a multi-year period. It is our understanding that the difference in outcome for the vaccinated monkeys versus the unvaccinated controls is both stark and devastating. There is no question that the publication of the monkey study will lend substantial credibility to the theory that over-vaccination of young children is leading to neurological damage, including autism. The fallout from the study for vaccine makers and public health officials could be severe. Having denied the possibility of the vaccine-autism connection for so long while profiting immensely from a recent boom in vaccine sales around the world, it's no surprise that they would seek to repress this important work. Behind the scenes, the pressure to keep the work of Dr. Wakefield and his colleagues from being published is immense, and growing every day. Medical journals take extreme risk of backlash in publishing any studies that question the safety of the vaccination program, no matter how well-designed and thorough the research might be. Neurotoxicology, a highly-respected medical journal, deserves great credit for courageously publishing the first phase of this vaccinated monkey study. The press has been deeply misled in the way The Lancet retraction, and Dr. Wakefield's mock trial, have been characterized. Led by the pharmaceutical companies and their well-compensated spokespeople, Dr. Wakefield is being vilified through a well-orchestrated smear campaign designed to prevent this important new work from seeing the light of day. What medical journal would want to step in front of this freight train? Moreover, why now, after 12 years of inaction, did The Lancet and GMC suddenly act? Is it coincidence that the monkey study is currently being submitted to medical journals for review and publication? We urge the media to take a close look at the first phase of the monkey study discussed above and to start asking a very simple question: What was the final outcome of the 14 primates that were vaccinated using the U.S. vaccine schedule and how did that compare to the unvaccinated controls? The U.S. vaccine schedule has grown from 10 vaccines given to our children in the 1980s to 36 today, perfectly matching the dramatic rise in autism. The work of Dr. Wakefield and his colleagues deserves to be shared with the world to further, rather than censor, scientific progress. Original posting: http://www.generationrescue.org/wakefield_statement2.html 2010-02-08T05:02:15+00:00 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/surgery_and_blood_clots/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/surgery_and_blood_clots/#When:08:05:42Z Reported in the British Medical Journal's Online First by Jane Green, M.D., Ph.D., of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford following a study involving thromboses in a sample of nearly 1 million women is a warning for all who have had surgery within the past 12 weeks to be alert to the development of thromboses (blood clots) that have the potential to be fatal. Persons who have had surgery within the past 12 weeks are 110 times more likely to experience a thrombosis than their non-surged-upon counterparts. That is not a typo, 110 times is the correct data! Best defense: A good offense involving activity, use of compression garments, lots of fluids and common sense. The less you move, the more you clot--pure and simple. Patients are also encouraged to be alert to the signs and symptoms of thrombus formation following surgery. 2010-02-02T08:05:42+00:00 http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/fish_oil_supplements_beat_psychotic_mental_illness/ http://atlaschiro.com/our_blog/fish_oil_supplements_beat_psychotic_mental_illness/#When:07:41:39Z Taking a daily fish oil capsule can stave off mental illness in those at highest risk, trial findings suggest. A three-month course of the supplement appeared to be as effective as drugs, cutting the rate of psychotic illness like schizophrenia by a quarter. The researchers believe it is the omega-3 in fish oil - already hailed for promoting healthy hearts - that has beneficial effects in the brain. A "natural" remedy would be welcomed, Archives of General Psychiatry says. "The finding that treatment with a natural substance may prevent, or at least delay, the onset of psychotic disorder gives hope that there may be alternatives to antipsychotic drugs," the study authors said.     Antipsychotic drugs are potent and can have serious side effects, which puts some people off taking them. Fish oil supplements, on the other hand, are generally well tolerated and easy to take, say the scientists. The international team from Austria, Australia and Switzerland tested the treatment in 81 people deemed to be at particularly high risk of developing psychosis. Natural choice Their high risk was down to a strong family history of schizophrenia, or similar disorders, or them already showing mild symptoms of these conditions themselves. For the test, half of the individuals took fish oil supplements (1.2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids) for 12 weeks, while the other half took only a dummy pill. Neither group knew which treatment they were receiving. Dr Paul Amminger and his team followed the groups for a year to see how many, if any, went on to develop illness. Two in the fish oil group developed a psychotic disorder compared to 11 in the placebo group. Based on the results, the investigators estimate that one high-risk adult could be protected from developing psychosis for every four treated over a year. They believe the omega-3 fatty acids found in the supplements may alter brain signalling in the brain with beneficial effects. Alison Cobb, of the mental health charity Mind, said: "If young people can be treated successfully with fish oils, this is hugely preferable to treating them with antipsychotics, which come with a range of problems from weight gain to sexual dysfunction, whereas omega-3s are actually beneficial to their general state of health. "These are promising results and more research is needed to show if omega-3s could be an alternative to antipsychotics in the long term." View article here:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8490937.stm 2010-02-02T07:41:39+00:00