Vitamin D better than vaccines at preventing flu, report claims

Oliver Gillie
The risk of children suffering from flu can be halved if they take vitamin D, doctors in Japan have found. The finding has implications for flu epidemics since vitamin D, which is naturally produced by the human body when exposed to direct sunlight, has no significant side effects, costs little and can be several times more effective than anti-viral drugs or vaccine.

Only one in ten children, aged six to 15 years, taking the sunshine vitamin in a clinical trial came down with flu compared with one in five given a dummy tablet. Mitsuyoshi Urashima, the Japanese doctor who led the trial, told The Times that vitamin D was more effective than vaccines in preventing flu.

Vitamin D was found to be even more effective when the comparison left out children who were already given extra vitamin D by their parents, outside the trial. Taking the sunshine vitamin was then shown to reduce the risk of flu to a third of what it would otherwise be.

Altogether 354 children took part in the trial, which took place during the winter of 2008-09, before the swine flu epidemic. Vitamin D was found to protect against influenza A, which caused last year’s epidemic, but not against the less common influenza B.

The trial, which was double blind, randomised, and fully controlled scientifically, was conducted by doctors and scientists from Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan.

The children were given a daily dose of 1200 IUs (international units) of vitamin D over a period of three months. In the first month children in the group taking the vitamin became ill just as often as those taking the dummy tablet. But by the second month, when the vitamin level in the children’s blood was higher, the advantage of the vitamin was clear.

The Japanese scientists, writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, say that the anti-viral drugs zanamivir and oseltamivir reduce risk of flu infection by 8 per cent in children who have been exposed to infection, compared with a 50 per cent or greater reduction with vitamin D.

Anti-virals are also too expensive, and possibly too toxic, to be given to the population as a whole whereas vitamin D has additional benefits. The sunshine vitamin not only prevents bone fractures but is also believed to reduce risks of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other illness, including various bacterial as well as viral infections.

The Japanese finding supports a theory that low blood levels of the sunshine vitamin occurring in winter explain why flu epidemics generally peak between December and March.

Vitamin D activates the innate immune system, enabling the body to produce several proteins such as defensin and cathelicidin which trigger cell activity and disable viruses.

Dr Urashima said: “Vitamin D and vaccine work by quite different mechanisms. Vitamin D enhances innate immunity while vaccine enhances acquired immunity. So we do not have to select only one way of prevention, rather we should do both ways, I think.”

Dr John Oxford, professor of virology at Queen Mary School of Medicine, London, said: “This is a timely study. It will be noticed by scientists. It fits in with the seasonal pattern of flu. There is an increasing background of solid science that makes the vitamin D story credible. But this study needs to be replicated. If it is confirmed we might think of giving vitamin D at the same time as we vaccinate.”

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Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Olive oil’s anti-inflammatory benefits linked to gene expression

By Lorraine Heller, 30-Jun-2010

Phenolic compounds in olive oil could help repress genes linked to inflammation, thereby providing a molecular basis for the reduction of heart disease risk already linked to the consumption of olive oil.


The study, published in Biomed Central (BMC) Genomics, tested the impact of consuming an olive-oil rich breakfast in people suffering from metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions linked to heart disease and diabetes.

“This study shows that intake of virgin olive oil based breakfast, which is rich in phenol compounds is able to repress in vivo expression of several pro-inflammatory genes, thereby switching activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to a less deleterious inflammatory profile,” wrote the researchers.

“These results provide at least a partial molecular basis for reduced risk of cardiovascular disease observed in Mediterranean countries, where virgin olive oil represents a main source of dietary fat.”


Previous studies had shown that the consumption of olive oil with a high phenolic content could help reduce pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant and pro-thrombotic markers compared with the consumption of low phenols virgin olive oil.

The researchers of the current study set out to investigate whether the beneficial effects of olive oil could be linked to gene activity. Their approach was to identify expression changes in genes which could be mediated by olive oil phenol compounds.

Study details

The study, which followed a double-blinded, randomized, crossover design, involved 20 patients suffering from metabolic syndrome. After an initial six-week wash-out period during which participants did not take supplements, vitamins or drugs, they were fed two virgin olive oil-based breakfasts with high (398 ppm) and low (70 ppm) content of phenolic compounds.

All participants consumed a similar low-fat, carbohydrate rich diet during the study period to eliminate potential impacts resulting from their usual dietary habits.

After tracking the expression of over 15,000 human genes in blood cells during the after-meal period, the researchers identified 79 genes that were underexpressed (or turned down) by the high phenol olive oil, and 19 genes that were overexpressed (or turned up).

“Many of those genes have been linked to obesity, high blood-fat levels, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Importantly, several of the turned-down genes are known promoters of inflammation, so those genes may be involved in ‘cooling off’ inflammation that often accompanies metabolic syndrome,” writes the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), which was involved in the study.

The researchers concluded that their findings strengthen the relationship between inflammation, obesity and diet, and provide evidence at transcription level of control of healthy effects derived from virgin olive oil consumption in humans.

However, they added that “it would be interesting to evaluate whether these beneficial effects are maintained after prolonged feeding and if these effects are carried out by one or several olive oil phenolic compounds, or if they are consequence of a synergic effect of the total phenolic fraction.”

Remember you can get some great tasting local olive oil right down Balfour Rd at the McCauly Bros. store. This is the xxtra-virgin oil, single press which has the most loaded with polyphenols, the most important component of olive oil. By the way ask for the REMAJO brand grown on the Giessman property.


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Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

The natural wine and tea components appear to stop or slow the initiation, promotion, and progression of prostate cancer.

(NaturalNews) A major new discovery just reported in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) journal could be a major advance in the treatment of prostate cancer. Not only have the phytonutrients in red wine and green tea been found to halt prostate cancer growth, a team of French and Japanese scientists are reporting they know exactly why this occurs.

Antioxidants known as polyphenols in red wine and green tea produce a combined effect that disrupts an important cell signaling pathway necessary for prostate cancer to thrive. The result? The natural wine and tea components appear to stop or slow the initiation, promotion, and progression of prostate cancer.
Dr. Dale's comment:

Mother nature continues to show profound effects on our health as is described in this new study on polyphenols from red wine and green tea. Not only does this show the protective qualities but also the halting and normalizing after cancer cells have established themselves. So drink to your health, feel free to consume green tea irresponsibly but your red wine responsibly.

The research team conducted lab experiments which showed green tea and wine polyphenols killed prostate cancer cells by inhibiting sphingosine kinase-1/sphingosine 1-phosphate (SphK1/S1P), the cell pathway that's essential for malignancies to survive and thrive. "Not only does SphK1/S1P signaling pathway play a role in prostate cancer, but it also plays a role in other cancers, such as colon cancer, breast cancer, and gastric cancers," Gerald Weissmann, MD, editor-in-chief of the FASEB Journal, pointed out in a statement to the media.

For their research, the scientists studied mice which were genetically altered to develop a human prostate cancer tumor. The rodents were either treated or not treated with green tea and wine polyphenols. The tumors in the mice given the green tea and wine mixture stopped growing.

Then, in order to study the preventive effects of polyphenols, the scientists carried out another experiment using three groups of mice implanted with human prostate cancer cells. One group was given plain drinking water, the second received drinking water with a green tea compound known as EGCg and the third group was given drinking water with a different green tea compound called polyphenon E. The results showed cancerous tumors dramatically decreased in the mice drinking either of the green tea extracts.

"The profound impact that the antioxidants in red wine and green tea have on our bodies is more than anyone would have dreamt just 25 years ago," Dr. Weissmann said in the press statement."As long as they are taken in moderation, all signs show that red wine and green tea may be ranked among the most potent 'health foods' we know."

Source: Natural News

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Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Pecans: Handful a day keeps aging at bay

I'm so glad to read this, now some of my favorite foods are actually recommended....chocolate and pecans. I'm not a mouse but I'm going to keep eating them anyway!

United Press International

06-11-10

Eating pecans daily may delay age-related muscle nerve degeneration, U.S. researchers suggest.

Lead researcher Thomas Shea of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell carried out a number of laboratory studies on three groups of mice especially bred to demonstrate a decline in motor neuron function.

The researchers found mice fed a diet supplemented with ground pecans had a significant delay in decline in motor function compared to mice receiving no pecans. Mice eating the diet with the most pecans -- 0.05 percent -- fared best.

Results were based on how the mice on the control diet vs. those on the pecan-enriched diet performed in specific tests.

The study, published in Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research, suggests pecans contain a high amount of a natural antioxidants that help fight against cell damage.

"These findings suggest regular consumption of pecans may provide significant nutritive and antioxidant benefits for your body," Shea said in statement.



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Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

The influence of forgiveness and apology on cardiovascular reactivity and recovery in response to mental stress.

Wow, what a great study to show that forgiveness is for your own good.

Department of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, 55 Lake Avenue N., Worcester, MA, 01605, USA, matthew.whited@umassmed.edu.

Abstract

To investigate the relation between forgiveness and apology as they relate to cardiovascular reactivity and recovery, 29 men and 50 women were exposed to an interpersonal transgression (i.e., verbal harassment) while performing a serial subtraction task. Participants were categorized into high and low forgiveness groups based on scores on the forgiving personality scale. Following the task, approximately half of the participants received an apology from the experimenter for his/her comments during the task. Although no group differences in cardiovascular reactivity were observed during the serial subtraction task, persons high in forgiveness displayed more rapid diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure recovery than persons low in forgiveness. In response to the apology, participants displayed greater high frequency heart rate variability recovery compared to those who did not receive an apology. A significant apology x sex interaction was observed for diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial blood pressure. Women who received an apology exhibited faster recovery from the transgression than women who did not receive an apology. In contrast, men who received an apology exhibited delayed recovery from the transgression compared to men who did not receive an apology. These results indicate that there are potentially healthful benefits to forgiveness and apology, but the relation is influenced by situation and by sex.

PMID: 20364307 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher

Diet soda now promoted as medicine to stop kidney stones http://bit.ly/b1d5zJ

Some Lower Blood Pressure With Chiropractic Visit

The above headline comes from a May 6, 2010 feature story on the Pittsburgh, PA, TV News station KDKA. The story starts off by noting that millions of people have high blood pressure. And they note that if left untreated it can be deadly.
Most people treat blood pressure with medication. However, the story notes that some people are turning to chiropractic for help. As a result, these people are seeing improvement in their blood pressure numbers.
The story focused on Dr. Michael Vactor who stated in an interview that, "Basically, one in four adults in America have some form of high blood pressure."
The article also quoted Bill Bird, a patient who is now sold on chiropractic. Bill has a very stressful job selling cars resulting in high blood pressure requiring prescription medication. After a few visits to the chiropractor, his blood pressure had improved to the point where his medical doctor cut his medication in half. Looking to the future, Bill optimistically stated, "30 to 45 days of my blood pressure staying at the levels it is, I'm going to be off it 100 percent."
In spite of the fact that studies have now shown that chiropractic can help lower blood pressure, some in the medical profession are still skeptical. Dr. Vactor noted, "If we can get somebody's blood pressure to be lowered without medication, it's amazing because most doctors you talk to will tell you it can't be done."
The article also interviewed Dr. George Bakris, a medical doctor whose expertise is high blood pressure, and who conducted a blood pressure study involving chiropractic on 50 patients at the University of Chicago Medical School. "We saw miraculous changes in blood pressure," said Dr. Bakris. "We saw 12 to 13 millimeter reductions in blood pressure."
In the conclusion of the article, Dr. Vactor noted that in spite of the medical approach to treat high blood pressure, chiropractic could have a unique answer. He states, "We've never been able to find a drug or a medication that can lower blood pressure that fast with no side effects."

Why a Big Mac Costs Less Than a Salad

By CATHERINE RAMPELL

The chart was put together by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, but its figures still, alas, look quite relevant. Thanks to lobbying, Congress chooses to subsidize foods that we’re supposed to eat less of.

Of course, there are surely other reasons why burgers are cheaper than salads. These might include production costs, since harvesting apples is probably more naturally seasonal than slaughtering cows (even though both are in demand year-round). Transportation and storage costs might also play a role, as it’s probably easier to keep ground beef fresh and edible for extended periods of time, by freezing it, than cucumbers.

Whatever the cause of the pricing change, there is little doubt that many healthful foods have gotten much more expensive relative to unhealthful ones. David Leonhardt showed this in another remarkable chart, published here last year, that displays how the prices of different food groups have changed relative to their pricing 30 years ago:


I put this together on Tuesday, with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It shows the price of different foods and beverages over the last three decades. The price of each food or beverage is set equal to 1 in January 1978, and the chart then shows how the price has changed since then.
It’s a fairly striking pattern. Unhealthful foods, with the exceptions of cookies (the blue line), have gotten a lot cheaper. Relative to the price of everything else in the economy, sodas (the orange line) are 33 percent cheaper than they were in 1978. Butter (dark brown) is 29 percent cheaper. Beer (gray) is 15 percent cheaper.
Fish (the yellow line), by contrast, is 2 percent more expensive. Vegetables (purple) are 41 percent more expensive. Fruits (green) are 46 percent more expensive.
The price of oranges, to take one extreme example (not shown in the chart), has more than doubled, relative to everything else. So if in 1978, a bag of oranges cost the same as one big bottle of soda, today that bag costs the same as three big bottles of soda.
In my column this morning, I mention that the average 18-year-old today is 15 pounds heavier than the average 18 year-old in the late 1970s. Adults have put on even more weight during that period. The average woman in her 60s is 20 pounds heavier than the average 60-something woman in the late 1970s. The average man in his 60s is 25 pounds heavier. When you look at the chart, you start to understand why.

Does VA provide for Chiropractic Care?

Subject: VA medical centers and clinics may offer chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for problems of the spine. Eligible veterans may receive chiropractic care after receiving referral from their primary care provider; however, this service is not offered at all VA facilities. In areas distant from the locations that offer this service, eligible veterans may be able to receive chiropractic care through VA's outpatient fee-basis program after a referral by their primary care provider, and prior authorization by the department. See your primary care provider at your nearest VA medical facility for assistance.

A "Kink" in the System

By: Elizabeth Corridan

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WGGB) – Returning to civilian life can be a tough enough transition for our veterans. Many also deal with a debilitating and painful condition: back pain. Help is available but some say there is a kink in the system.

According to a 2009 survey, the number one complaint from Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking care from the VA health system is back pain. Given the huge demand for care, in 2002 and 2003 Congress enacted legislation making chiropractic care available at 36 VA. facilities across the United States. None of those facilities are in Massachusetts. The closest are in Newington and West Haven, Connecticut.

At the Northampton VA Medical Center, veterans in need of chiropractic care are referred to the Connecticut facilities but some exceptions are made. In a statement on its policy, the Northampton VA said :

If a provider determines that the patient's condition requires obtaining chiropractic care closer to his or her residence, referral for fee basis care in the community may be authorized. For veterans responsible for co-payment charges, the basic co-payment charge of $15 will apply for chiropractic services"



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Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Unneeded, Riskier Spinal Fusion Surgery on Rise

The above headline comes from an April 6, 2010 MSNBC article reporting on an April 7, 2010 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, (JAMA), showing that the number of expensive and risky spinal surgeries continue to rise in spite of the lack of benefit.
According to the MSNBC article the study shows that among Medicare patients costlier and more complex spinal fusion surgeries are being performed at an increased rate for a common lower back condition they note is caused by aging and arthritis.
The study showed that from 2002 to 2007 the rate of more complex spinal surgeries had increased 15-fold with a related increase in complications and deaths. Dr. Eugene Carragee of Stanford University Medical Center, who wrote an accompanying editorial in JAMA commented, "You have one kind of operation that could cost $20,000 and another that could cost $80,000 and there's not good evidence the expensive one is being used appropriately in the majority of cases."
Among some of the more pronounced results of the study was that the death rate from these procedures increases from 2.3% among patients having decompression alone to 5.6% among those having complex fusions. Lead author Dr. Richard Deyo of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, stated, "All operations aren't the same and some seem to be associated with higher complication rates than others. It's not necessarily true that the more aggressive surgery is better, at least in terms of safety."
In a Business Week article Dr. Deyo offered some form of an explanation for the increase in complex procedures by saying, "There are financial influences at play," he said. "You get paid more for complex procedures."
Dr. Charles Rosen, a spine surgeon at the University of California, Irvine, and founder of the Association for Medical Ethics commented in the MSNBC article, "Too much fusion surgery is done in this country and often for inappropriate reasons." Dr. Rosen also commented that while complex fusions are needed for some conditions, patients "should not hesitate to get a second opinion."

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Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Chiropractic care is not just for back pain. This study shows it prevents injuries in athletes.

Research offers hope to hamstrung clubs

ANDREA PETRIE

April 18, 2010
AFL CLUBS could turn to a recent study on hamstring and lower limb muscle strains in a bid to reduce the number of players sidelined through the league's most common injury.

After West Coast's Daniel Kerr became the latest player to suffer such an injury on Friday night, following the misfortune of Saints skipper Nick Riewoldt and Hawthorn defender Josh Gibson, a study completed by sports injury consultant Wayne Hoskins from Macquarie University could be called upon to help other players avoid such a fate.

Hoskins completed his PhD on hamstring and lower limb injuries, which was published this week in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.

He found that such injuries could be dramatically reduced through the inclusion of a sports chiropractor to the traditional medical, physiotherapist, massage and strength and conditioning management approach typical of AFL football clubs.

This would also have a performance and cost benefit to clubs and players, he found.

The study lasted an entire season and involved 59 players from two VFL clubs. It showed that the group which included chiropractic management had a four per cent chance of a hamstring injury and a four per cent chance of a lower limb muscle strain.

The group that received the traditional management only, had a 17 per cent chance of hamstring injury and a 28 per cent chance of a lower limb muscle strain.

In addition, the chiropractic group missed only four matches during the season through hamstring or lower limb muscle strains, compared with 14 matches missed through hamstring injury and 21 matches missed through lower limb muscle strain in the group of players not receiving chiropractic help.

The group receiving chiropractic assistance also had significant reductions in non-contact knee injuries, low back pain and showed improvements in physical components of health, although this was not the goal of treatment.

Hamstring and lower limb muscle strains are the most common injuries in the AFL, with their management of such injuries a source of constant frustration for clubs and players, Hoskins said.

AFL injury surveys show no change in injury rates of this nature in the past 15 years.

''No previous scientific research of this nature on injury prevention has been conducted at the elite level of Australian football, making it a first,'' he said.

''The study concluded that based on the results, consideration should be given for the inclusion of sports chiropractic in the management options of elite footballers.''



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Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

What to avoid if you want to make it to 90

An article published in the February 11, 2008 issue of the American Medical Association journal Archives of Internal Medicinereveals that avoiding five modifiable factors can significantly increase the odds of living to the age of 90.
Laurel B. Yates, MD, MPH, of Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston and associates evaluated data from 2,357 older participants in the Physician’s Health Study, a trial of aspirin and beta-carotene as cardiovascular disease and cancer preventives in 22,071 male physicians. Demographic information, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes and angina history, exercise frequency, smoking status, body mass index, and other data were obtained upon enrollment between 1981 and 1984. Follow-up questionnaires were completed annually to ascertain changes in health or lifestyle habits, or the occurrence of chronic diseases or risks through March, 2006.
Nine hundred-seventy men in the current investigation survived to age 90 and beyond. The research team identified five controllable factors associated with failure to reach 90: smoking, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Not surprisingly, smoking more than doubled the risk of dying before the age of 90. Diabetes, obesity, and hypertension also significantly elevated mortality risk, while regular exercise lowered it by 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never exercised. Men who survived to 90 had a healthier lifestyle, less chronic disease, and were older when disease was diagnosed. They also experienced improved late-life function and well-being.
From the results of this study, the researchers estimated that a 70 year old nondiabetic nonsmoker with normal weight and blood pressure who exercised two to four times per week had a 54 percent probability of living to age 90. The presence of three of the identified risk factors conferred a 14 percent probability, while having all five resulted in only a 4 percent chance.
“Although the impact of certain midlife mortality risks in elderly years is controversial, our study suggests that many remain important, at least among men,” the authors write. “Thus, our results suggest that healthy lifestyle and risk management should be continued in elderly years to reduce mortality and disability.”
In an accompanying editorial, William J. Hall, MD notes that the fastest-growing group of older Americans is aged 85 years and older. “This unprecedented increase of the oldest old is occurring in an era of extraordinary rapid development of new knowledge of the human genome, holding tantalizing promise for novel solutions to human disease and even increased life extension,” he writes. “This study suggests that adherence to sound medical management and lifestyle modification pays enormous dividends in life extension and probably substantial reductions of aggregate medical care costs.”
Here again is a solution to our nation's health care crisis. It's not the lack of the availability of drugs and surgery but rather the daily care we provide to ourselves. Let's grow old together!

Increased calcium intake associated with lower mortality from all causes over 10 year period

An article published online on February 19, 2010 in the American Journal of Epidemiology reports an association between greater intake of calcium and a reduced risk of all cause mortality among Swedish men during 10 years of follow-up.

Alicja Wolk and associates at the Karolinska Institutet evaluated data from 23,366 men aged 45 to 79 who enrolled in the Cohort of Swedish Men between 1997 and 1998. Questionnaires completed by the participants were analyzed for calcium and magnesium intake from diet alone. Cause-specific mortality was determined for deaths that occurred between enrollment and December, 2006, and all-cause mortality was analyzed through 2007.

Over the follow-up period, 2,358 deaths occurred. Through 2006, there were 819 deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and 738 by cancer. Men whose calcium intake was among the top one-third of participants at an average of 1,953 milligrams per day had a 25 percent lower risk of dying from any cause than those whose intake was among the lowest third, which averaged 990 milligrams. When deaths were analyzed by cause, having the highest calcium intake was associated with a 23 percent lower risk of dying of cardiovascular disease compared to the group with the least intake. No association was found between calcium intake and cancer risk, and between magnesium and mortality.

The authors suggest that the protective effect of calcium suggested by this study could be explained by the mineral's ability to aid in the reduction of blood pressure, serum cholesterol and glucose. Greater calcium intake has also been associated with a lower risk of diabetes, a disease that has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality during specific periods studied. Dr Wolk and colleagues note that the lack of an association between magnesium and mortality observed in the current research could be due to the absence of deficiency in this study population.

The authors note that the study's findings are in line with results from the Women's Health Initiative randomized trial. "They are also in line with results from a prospective cohort study of 34,486 postmenopausal US women, in which the highest versus the lowest quartiles of dietary and total (diet plus supplements) calcium intake were associated with statistically significant 37% and 33% lower mortality from ischemic heart disease, respectively," they write. “Similarly, in an ecologic study, a high level of calcium in drinking water was associated with a statistically significant lower risk of noncerebrovascular (10%) and cerebrovascular (14%) causes of death among elderly people from the southwest of France."

"This population-based, prospective study of men with relatively high intakes of dietary calcium and magnesium showed that intake of calcium above that recommended daily may reduce all-cause mortality," they conclude.

Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Red wine and dark chocolate cancer killers

Agence France-Presse

03-11-10

Cabernet and chocolate are potent medicine for killing cancer, according to research presented here Wednesday.

Red grapes and dark chocolate join blueberries, garlic, soy, and teas as ingredients that starve cancer while feeding bodies, Angiogenesis Foundation head William Li said at a prestigious TED Conference.

"We are rating foods based on their cancer-fighting qualities," Li said. "What we eat is really our chemotherapy three times a day."

The Massachusetts-based foundation is identifying foods containing chemicals that evidently choke-off blood supplies to tumors, starving them to death.

Li cited a Harvard Medical School study showing that men who ate cooked tomatoes several times weekly were 30 to 50 percent less likely to have prostate cancer.

"There is a medical revolution happening all around us," Li said. "If we're right, it could impact on consumer education, food service, public health, and even insurance agencies."

About a dozen drugs are already in use to deprive tumors of blood supplies in a treatment tactic called "anti-angiogenesis.

The foundation pitted some foods against approved drugs and found that soy, parsley, red grapes, berries and other comestibles were either as effective or more potent in battling cancer cells.

Eaten together, the foods were even more effective in fighting cancer.

"We discovered that Mother Nature laced a large number of foods and herbs with anti-angiogenesis features," Li said.

"For many people around the world, dietary cancer treatment may be the only solution because not everyone can afford cancer drugs."

The foundation also discovered that anti-angiogenesis properties of foods melt away fat, which relies heavily on blood flow to sustain itself.

Tests showed that mice genetically prone to be chubby could be trimmed to average mouse size using the approach.

"It got weight down to a set point for normal mice," Li said. "In other words, we can't create supermodel mice."

Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Laser Therapy Effective for Reducing Neck Pain

Laser Therapy Effective for Reducing Neck Pain
Reduces acute pain immediately, chronic pain up to 22 weeks following treatment, concludes literature review.

A literature review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo or active-treatment controlled trials concludes that low-level laser therapy "reduces pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain" and compares favorably with other forms of therapy for neck pain - particularly pharmacological interventions.1 The authors of the review study, published in the Lancet, note that clinical benefits take place when laser therapy is administered as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with an exercise/stretching program, and that adverse effects from treatment are mild and similar to placebo.

Delta Spine & Sportcare uses the Irradia Low Level Laser which was developed by Lars Hode, Phd, the worlds leading authority on low level lasers for medical use.

Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Chiropractic Care Supports Olympic Athletes

New York (MedscapeWire) Sept 29 — Many US Olympic athletes striving for gold in Sydney, Australia, will be using a secret weapon to help achieve their goals — chiropractic care. Many athletes use chiropractic not only for rehabilitation purposes, but also because they feel it gives them an edge in their competitions.
Dr. Andrew Klein, the official chiropractor for the 2000 US Olympic medical staff, identified a key reason why athletes have taken to chiropractic: it keeps them in top shape without the use of drugs. “Athletes have come to rely on manual therapy because the list of banned substances (for the Olympics) is so long, and also because they feel it enhances their performance.”
Nicole Freedman of Stanford, California, qualified for the 2000 US Olympic squad as a cyclist at the Olympic Team trials in Jackson, Mississippi, after being adjusted by American Chiropractic Association’s (ACA’s) Mississippi delegate Dr. Alfred Norville. Freedman penned a note to Dr. Norville, thanking him for his “winning adjustment.” Dr. Norville explained, “[Freedman] told me that she thought she needed an adjustment to be at her peak [performance level]. So I gave her an adjustment, and she went on to qualify for the Olympics.”
Dr. Jan Corwin, a past president of ACA’s Council on Sports Injuries and Physical Fitness, became the first doctor of chiropractic to travel overseas with the US Olympic Team in 1988, when he represented the chiropractic profession in Seoul, Korea. The athletes in Seoul were delighted with the chiropractic care they received.
Dr. Corwin said, “They were totally into it. I had so many patients while I was there, I didn’t even have time to eat. By the time I left Seoul I had lost 12 pounds.” Dr. Corwin went on to say, “At least 50% to 75% of all the athletes I treated had prior chiropractic care and were very aware of the benefits of chiropractic to them as athletes.” He suggested that chiropractic care “has been so successfully appreciated and received by the athletes because of all the chiropractors around the country who have been doing such a great job with the athletes in their offices on a daily basis.”
The roster of Olympic athletes who have benefited from chiropractic care is truly impressive. Star performers such as Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, Willi Banks, Edwin Moses, and countless other greats from previous Olympics have taken advantage of chiropractic in order to get a leg up on their competition.
ACA member Dr. Steven Horwitz served as the chiropractic physician for the U.S. Olympic medical staff at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. Dr. Horwitz found his helping the athletes and the appreciation they showed for his work to be the most rewarding elements about the time he gave to the U.S. team. Sheila Taormina, 1996 U.S. Swimming 4×200 gold medallist, and Marisa Pedulla of the U.S. Judo Team, each took the time to write to Dr. Horwitz and thank him for the care he gave them. He explained that the athletes in Atlanta were so excited about the chiropractic care available to them that, “They wanted to be sure I was there for the American athletes only.” They said to him, “We fought hard to get you here, and we don’t want to give an advantage to the other athletes.” Chiropractic Care Dale Giessman 94513 at Delta Spine Care in Brentwood, CA

Stem cell treatments offer relief to arthritic animals

Times Union, Albany, N.Y.
01-26-10
Jan. 26–Carol Ball already had seen one of her dogs suffer from crippling arthritis.
Charlie, her 11-year-old springer spaniel, lived with the pain for years until she ultimately decided to have him euthanized in February 2006 to spare him additional torment.
At the time, there wasn’t another option.
But in 2008, when her black-and-white springer spaniel, Joey, showed touches of arthritis even after the ligaments in two of his knees were replaced, her veterinarian could offer another course of treatment: stem-cell therapy.
In the therapy, stem cells, which produce chemicals that reduce inflammation and pain, are extracted from the animal’s own fatty tissue. The cells are then injected directly back into the arthritic joints, where they can develop or change into other cells necessary for repair.
Pets that receive the treatment typically find relief within a month or two, says Keith Clement, the veterinarian at Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital who cared for Joey, but results have been observed as early as within three days of treatment.
Before the stem-cell therapy, Joey used to lag behind during walks. Since the treatments, Ball says 4-year-old Joey simply doesn’t wear out and keeps busy roughhousing with her other dogs.
“He has had absolutely no problems,” she says. “He’s a very active dog. We do a lot of off-leash running and hiking together. His life is wonderful.”
Although some countries use the same stem-cell therapies on humans to treat conditions such as arthritis, it has not received Food and Drug Administration approval for human use in the U.S.
Clement was the first veterinarian in the Capital Region to be certified in the treatment regiment by Vet-Stem, a San Diego-based company that started the process in 2004 and does the work of extracting the stem cells from the fat that’s surgically removed by veterinarians. Clement first used the therapy in April 2008, and since then about 10 Capital Region practices have begun offering the service, including Shaker Veterinary Hospital in Colonie, Upstate Veterinary Specialties in Latham, Nassau Veterinary Hospital and Animal Hospital of Niskayuna. (To see the full list, visit http://www.vet-stem.com and type in your ZIP code.)
Since April 2008, Clement has treated 45 to 50 dogs and one cat. All but five of the pets were treated for arthritis, he says, the most common application for the stem-cell procedure. Vet-Stem also approves experimental use of the treatments for issues such as liver disease and kidney disease.
About 85 percent of patients respond to treatment, Clement says, and it’s unknown why it’s ineffective in some animals.
The therapy has no side effects, Clement says. The only risks are those faced anytime an animal receives anesthesia, which is required for Clement to surgically remove the samples of fat from the patient’s abdominal area before sending them to Vet-Stem.
Clement says typical treatment for arthritis would be to put the pet on a regimen of supplements such as glucosamine; nonsteroidal medicines, which can cause stomach irritation; and in some cases surgery such as hip replacement, which can cost $5,000 per hip.
On average, stem-cell therapy costs $2,700 to $3,000 for the treatment of three to four joints, Clement says. Because fatty tissue contains so many stem cells, patients often have more than are needed for the treatment and the remaining cells can be cryopreserved and stored for future use. Ball pays an annual storage fee of $150 after the first year, she says.
Arthritis is a degenerative condition, and stem cells don’t actually make bad joints healthy again, so eventually, pets will need “booster treatments” as their arthritis worsens.
How long the treatments will last varies, Clement says, but he’d expect most pets wouldn’t need additional treatments for 18 months to three years.
For many pet owners, the treatment is worth the investment, Clement says. His own golden retriever, Buster, who suffers from severe hip dysplasia, had the treatment when he was 7 months old to slow and curb arthritic changes.
“If you have to put a dog to sleep because of chronic joint pain, it’s horrible. To be able to offer something that will extend their life and their quality of life … is a good thing,” he says.
To Good Health Dale Giessman, DC
Delta Spine Care Brentwood, Ca 94513

Take Your Vitamin D to Prevent Cancer

Take Your Vitamin D to Prevent Cancer
Especially during the fall and winter months when sunlight exposure is limited.
Vitamin D is produced in your body when sunlight directly hits your skin. Over the past 10 years experts have been telling us to stay out of the sun. Now it appears that low Vitamin D levels are epidemic and many of you are risking a whole array of illnesses as a result. Sunscreens also reduce the bodies ability to produce vitamin D by about 90%. My recommendation is short periods (30 minutes at a time) with as much skin exposed to the sun each day, avoiding the burn is the best way to prevent skin damage.
Thirty years of research has shown that low vitamin D is linked to “both skeletal and nonskeletal conditions, including several types of cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, upper respiratory tract infections, all-cause mortality, and many others.” Several studies, both observational and randomized controlled trials, “have demonstrated that adequate levels of vitamin D can decrease the risk and improve survival rates for several types of cancers including breast, rectum, ovary, prostate, stomach, bladder, esophagus, kidney, lung, pancreas, uterus, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.”
A simple blood test can determine your need for vitamin D but there is now ample evidence to suggest that 2000 IU/d of vitamin D3 is a healthy maintainence dose while up to 10,000 IU/d may be required to bring your levels back to a healthy range. I have vitamin D drops for my kids at 1000 IU per drop so they just put a couple drops in their morning juice and it's done.
Dr. Dale Giessman DC
OUR BRENTWOOD OFFICE
350 John Muir Parkway, Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925.513.8883

Improved Behavior in Children with Colic After Chiropractic Care

Something that is not common knowledge is that children who suffer from colic at an early age in many cases will have certain behavioral problems as they grow older that include temper tantrums and night waking. A recent study published in the October 2009 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) looked to see if chiropractic care, rendered early in life for children with colic, had any effect on the additional problems later in these children’s lives.

This study looked at two groups of children, all of whom had suffered with colic as infants. One group received chiropractic care specifically related to their colic while the second group did not receive any chiropractic care. The authors of this study noted that there have been several previous studies showing the positive effect of chiropractic on children with colic. The focus of this study was not the effect of chiropractic care on colic, but rather to see if the chiropractic care rendered to these children early in life when they had colic, continued to have a positive effect in preventing some of the additional problems that show up in most children who previously suffered from colic.

In this study, clinic records from a chiropractic clinic and from a child care center in similar regions of England were compared for the care of infants who had suffered from colic. A survey of parents was done of 117 post-colicky toddlers who had received chiropractic, and compared to a group of 111 toddlers who did not receive any chiropractic.

The results showed that toddlers who received chiropractic care for colic as an infant were twice as likely to not experience the additional problems commonly seen years after colic. In their conclusion the authors said, “Untreated post-colicky infants demonstrated negative behavioral patterns at 2 to 3 years of age. In this study, parents of infants treated with chiropractic care for excessive crying did not report as many difficult behavioral and sleep patterns of their toddlers. These findings suggest that chiropractic care for infants with colic may have an effect on long-term sequelae (problems associated with colic).

Remember to set up your Emerson Ecologics account through our office and save 20% on nutritional products from the best nutritional product companies in the world.http://www.deltaspinecare.com

Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Special Glasses May Help Free Call With Doctor

(NaturalNews) A research study conducted by G D’Annunzio University in Italy evaluated the benefits of a popular form of pine bark extract in helping diabetics. Published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, findings revealed that people with diabetes can avoid developing retinopathy and maintain proper micro-circulation by supplementing with pine bark.

A total of 46 diabetic patients were involved in the randomized, controlled study. Twenty-four of them were treated with pine bark extract once a day for three months while the remaining 22 were given a placebo. All thepatients had diabetes for at least four years and all were beginning to develop retinopathy. Seventy-five percent of patients in the pine bark group experienced improvement in their vision while none in the placebo group did.

Dr. Robert Steigerwalt, one of the lead researchers of the study, confirmed that not only does pine bark extract halt the progression of diabetic retinopathy, it can cause it to regress by sealing the leaky blood vessels in the eye that lead to thedisease. Such results were witnessed in as little as two months. He also noted that diabetics in the early stages of the disease can prevent such complications from ever occurring by supplementing with pine bark extract.

Pycnogenol, the branded formula of the antioxidant plant extract derived from the French maritime pine tree, has proven itself time and time again to be a powerful protective nutrient, particularly for diabetics. When administered during the early stages of diabetes, many studies have shown that pine bark is effective at preventing and treating the diabetic retinal diseases.

Remember to set up your Emerson Ecologics account through our office and save 20% on nutritional products from the best nutritional product companies in the world. http://www.deltaspinecare.com
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Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Recently Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes? NIH Funded Treatment Studies Here!

(NaturalNews) A research study conducted by G D’Annunzio University in Italy evaluated the benefits of a popular form of pine bark extract in helping diabetics. Published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, findings revealed that people with diabetes can avoid developing retinopathy and maintain proper micro-circulation by supplementing with pine bark.

A total of 46 diabetic patients were involved in the randomized, controlled study. Twenty-four of them were treated with pine bark extract once a day for three months while the remaining 22 were given a placebo. All thepatients had diabetes for at least four years and all were beginning to develop retinopathy. Seventy-five percent of patients in the pine bark group experienced improvement in their vision while none in the placebo group did.

Dr. Robert Steigerwalt, one of the lead researchers of the study, confirmed that not only does pine bark extract halt the progression of diabetic retinopathy, it can cause it to regress by sealing the leaky blood vessels in the eye that lead to thedisease. Such results were witnessed in as little as two months. He also noted that diabetics in the early stages of the disease can prevent such complications from ever occurring by supplementing with pine bark extract.

Pycnogenol, the branded formula of the antioxidant plant extract derived from the French maritime pine tree, has proven itself time and time again to be a powerful protective nutrient, particularly for diabetics. When administered during the early stages of diabetes, many studies have shown that pine bark is effective at preventing and treating the diabetic retinal diseases.

Remember to set up your Emerson Ecologics account through our office and save 20% on nutritional products from the best nutritional product companies in the world.

–
Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883

Americans Spending More for Non-medical Healthcare

Several news stories recently reported on the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine study released on July 30, 2009 titled, “Costs of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Frequency of Visits to CAM Practitioners: United States, 2007″. Although it was included in this study, many no longer consider chiropractic as an “Alternative Medicine” since the profession has become more accepted as a main stream form of healthcare.

The study focuses on the amount of out-of-pocket money spent by consumers on the non-medical forms of care they refer to as “CAM” for the year 2007. The study reports that in 2007 Americans spent $33.9 billion of their own money out of pocket on visits to CAM practitioners and purchases of CAM products. The largest portion of that amount, $22 billion, was spent on CAM products classes and materials. Another $11.9 billion was spent on practitioner visits which include all chiropractic care.

The study points out that in 2007, 38.1 million adults made an estimated 354.2 million visits to CAM practitioners. Of this number almost half were chiropractors accounting for about $3.9 billion out of pocket expenses. As a comparison the study noted that Americans spent $49.6 billion out of pocket for medical doctor visits.

The study results also noted that chiropractic was one of the most affordable types of CAM care as they stated, “Some of the highest per-person, out-of pocket costs are associated with visits to practitioners of naturopathy and chelation therapy, while one of the lowest per-person, out-of-pocket costs is associated with visits to practitioners of chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation therapy.”

In the total scheme of healthcare CAM is not a large portion of the expenses but is a large part of the number of people receiving care. The study notes that all of the CAM expenditures combined only amounts to 1.5% of the total health-care expenditures in the United States. However, as many people are willing to pay for these services CAM does total 11.2% of all out-of-pocket health-care expenditures in the US.
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Dale Giessman, DC
350 John Muir Pkwy., Suite 265
Brentwood, CA 94513
925-513-8883
http://www.deltaspinecare.com/doctors_brentwood.html

Back pain is the #2 problem

Back pain is the #2 problem that brings people into the doctor’s office. Many spinal conditions cause back pain, but muscles sprains and strains can cause it.

Facts and Tips about Back Pain

At some point in their lives, 80% of Americans will experience back pain.
You can injure your back by coughing or sneezing.
If you have a sprained or strained back-—not a serious injury—use ice to help reduce swelling, muscle spasms, and pain for the first 24 to 48 hours after you injure your back.
If you have a sprained or strained back-not a serious injury-use ice first. After 48 hours, switch to heat to warm and relax sore tissues.
Good posture is one of the best ways to avoid straining your spine.
Exercising on a regular basis helps you maintain a healthy spine.
Each year, back pain costs Americans about $100 billion in medical bills, disability, and lost productivity.
For Back Problem Relief Visit Doctor Dale Giessman

AT Delta Spine Care

Our goal is to get rid of you neck, back, or joint pain as quickly as possible. Our job is to lessen or eliminate the degree of pain you’re in so that you can go back to doing all the things you’re used to doing every day. Like an athlete needs to be back in their sport quickly so we believe everyone deserves the same approach. If you are new to our website, please feel free to discover and learn about chiropractic wellness.

Call (925) 513-8883 for a free consultation.

http://www.deltaspinecare.com/doctors_brentwood.html