Need I say more?  Of course.  Remember, the mostly likely compound that protects in chocolate is the flavanols (also found in red grapes, tea, coffee) and this is NOT milk or white chocolate.  Hersheys is not going to suddenly promote Mr. Goodbar as a way to stay healthy (unless, of course, they took the same "twist the research to support your marketing" classes that the dairy industry attends...).  Stick with the dark chocolate.  Ironically, however, I have not seen a strong push to come up with a supplement that is made up of dehydrated chocolate or something along those lines to achieve the same benefits.  Guess that would be a hard sell..."here, take two capsules and day," or "how 'bout some chocolate?"

 

 

***Vitamin D and Calcium Intakes from Food or Supplements and Mammographic Breast Density***
Well, I guess the benefits of Vit D just continue to grow.  That's unfortunate given the current state of fear that we have created about all sunlight exposure.  SPF 75 just to walk to the car is definately putting a damper on your Vit D production.  Interestingly, this is yet another study to evaluate relavtively low levels of Vit D (400 IU/day) compare to what the research suggests we should be at (oral intake 2-4,000 IU/day).

 

 

The association of migraine with stroke is becoming stronger and stronger and it is well past the time for physicians to stop treating migraines with pain meds and look at the entire patient.  Just medicating the patient pays no attention to the underlying physiological imbalances that are present and allow them to occur unchecked.  The responsibility is also on the migraine patient -- they need to understand that to truly address their headaches that, in most cases, major lifestyle change overhauls are going to be necessary.

 

 

Ditto on the above.  X 2

 

 

***EPA inhibits UV-induced MMP-1 expression in human dermal fibroblasts***

Remember that Eicosapentaenoic acid is an essential fatty acid that is found in fish oils along with DHA.  I have always stated that my belief is that the increase in melanoma in our kids is coming from inside, not from sun exposure.  As you all know, I truly hate to find research that supports my opinion, but I feel it is my obligation to my readers to point these articles out in a non-self-serving manner.  So in this study the ability of UV exposure to increase expression of the genes that produce matrix metalloproteinases--enzymes that destroy tissue and create inflammation--was reduced with the addition of EPA.  So, not only will it probably lower your risk of many types of cancer, your skin will look less wrinkled in the process.

 

 

***Hyperinsulinemic Hypoglycemia with Nesidioblastosis after Gastric-Bypass Surgery***
I know this is a long title, so let me paraphrase it in English..."Gastric bypass surgery results in an attempt by the pancreas to compensate by making more insulin to the point where the brain runs so low on fuel as to be potentially lethal and these patients needed another operation to pull out a portion of the pancreas containing diseased regions."  Wow.  Granted, this is only a case series presentation, but what a racket.  You get paid cash to bypass the stomach (oh hell--what was Mother Nature thinking of anyway?  Digestion is overrated.) and then you make money on the back end from insurance when the potentially fatal condition needs to be corrected.  And I've got a hard time getting 5 visits for a low back sprain from an insurance company...

 

 

I have a recurring dream where all of mainstream medicine embraces the innate truth that the dangers of antibiotic overuse comes not from resistance, but from destruction of the normal bacterial flora that, for hundreds of thousands of years of evolution on this planet, has become an integral part of health.  So, given this article, could we say that antibiotics may be a factor in actually INCREASING the severity and duration of the common cold by wiping out normal flora?  Interesting question, huh?

 

 

Would anyone believe that this is only one of about 5 articles in the past few days linking insulin resistance to chronic diseases?  Angina, stroke, liver failure...the list is literally endless.  So why do I have to explain myself time and time again to patients who are clearly insulin resistant?  I know that I say that clinical practice lags the research by about 20-30 years, but is it truly this bad?  Can something as devasting to human health as insulin resistance that is written up in peer reviewed medical journals by the scores still be ignored in clinical practice?  I don't really have an answer to this one.