January 9, 2003 Research Update

James Bogash, D.C. Mesa, AZ
info@lifecarechiropractic.com
www.lifecarechiropractic.com

Long-term improvement in functional dyspepsia using hypnotherapy

While much of mainstream medicine has forgotten the contribution that stress makes to GI complaints, this article strongly reminds us of the power of the mind. In this study, after one year, 90% of patients treated w/ meds and 84% of patients treated w/ supportive care resumed medication usage. This is in stark contrast to the big fat goosegg percentage for the hypnotherapy group. Chalk another up for the power of the mind.

Gastroenterology Online

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Low intracellular zinc induces oxidative DNA damage

Do I really need to say anymore? Other than the fact that fruits and veggies and whole grains contain lots of zinc. One caution with long term zinc supplementation. Zinc and copper are antagonistic, so make sure you supplement with copper alongside zinc.

PNAS -- Abstracts: Ho and Ames 99 (26): 16770

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Meals rich in carbs or proteins on plasma tryptophan and tyrosine ratios

This is an important consideration. Tryptophan crosses the blood brain barrier to get converted to serotonin. Serotonin helps modulate sleep and mood and satiety (drugs like Prosac work to increase levels of serotonin by increasing the time it is able to affect nervous transmission). However, tryptophan has a harder time crossing the BBB with competition from other amino acids. So, paradoxically, foods with lots of protein will contain higher levels of trypthophan, but less of this actually makes it to the brain because of the competition from the other amino acids. Foods such as soybeans, bananas and beans have relatively high tryptophan levels can help to increase brain tryptophan. In addition, supplemental 5-HTP has been shown to increase brain serotonin levels as well.

AJCN -- Abstracts: Wurtman et al. 77 (1): 128

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Trial of Antioxidant Supplementation in Critically Ill Surgical Patients

Shhhhh!!! We wouldn't want word of this getting out!! The use of Vit E and C helped improve outcome and shorten hospital stay in critically ill surgical patients. Lets see...(the dosages were not noted here) the best quality supplements (which are usually NOT used in clinically studies) would probably cost at the absolute max $50 per month. Most likely this intervention would cost about $20 total for high quality, $10 for all others. And the safety of an intervention like this is unquestionable. So do we think there'll be a rash of antioxidant supplementation use in the surgical arena?

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Rapid Respiratory Viral Testing & Antibiotic Use in Children's Hospital

The overuse of antibiotics in the pediatric setting is still excessive, despite researchers practically screaming in the medical journals to curb use. It always concerns me that these articles appear in pediatric journals and yet the pediatricians never seem to get the message. What exactly are they reading if they're NOT reading their own speciality's journals?? Scares me just a little... Anyway, anything that can be used to lower antibiotic use is a good thing. Most researchers worry about antibiotic resistance. I am much more concerned about the long term damage that destruction of the normal flora causes.

The Effect of Rapid Respiratory Viral Diagnostic Testing on Antibiotic Use in a Children's Hospital

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Effects of yoghurt on immune, clinical markers of rhinopathic patients

Tying in with the previous article, here we see a small study that shows that yogurt, which is known to contain probiotic bacteria capable of favorably modulating the immune response, can lower allergic responses. Kill off that bacteria in newborns and infants and you have a strong case for development of allergies and asthma.

Effects of dietary yoghurt on immunological and clinical parameters of rhinopathic patients

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Insights into milk protein allergy: Microenvironment matters

This is an interesting article that delves a little deeper into the immunology between cow's milk allergy. Essentially, in milk allergic subjects, their T cells (a portion of the immune system known as cell-mediated immune) produce cytokines (chemical messengers that tell other cells what to do) consistent with a Th2 profile. In English, exposure to milk in suseptable individuals causes cells of their immune system to produce more cells that create allergic symptoms. Even with all this knowledge, food allergy still remains a very uncommon approach to addressing allergic and asthmatic patients. Avoidance of common allergens (cow's milk, corn, wheat, soy) should be the first approach to any patient with allergies or asthma.

Gastroenterology Online

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ß-Carotene or Mixed Carotenoids Protects from UV-Induced Erythema

Remember all the hoopla about the increase in melanoma in children and adolescents? We heard alot about it here in AZ. All the experts were saying that we need to limit sun exposure and use more sunscreen. Not only person in the news approached this news with any grain of common sense. Does anyone out there actually think kids are getting more sun exposure now than we did 30 years ago??? Kids are plopped in front of computers and video games. Kids are coated with sunscreens (did they even MAKE sunscreen 30 years ago?) and told to stay out of the sun. So, while the logical person would say that sun exposure is actually less, those same people would ask why the increase in skin cancers? This article is a portion of the answer. Protection from the sun comes from inside. Substances like Vit C, bioflavonoids and carotenoids protect us from the sun and our kids are getting less and less of these in their diets.

nutrition.org -- Abstracts: Heinrich et al. 133 (1): 98

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Zinc Deficiency Suppresses Development of Oral Tolerance in Rats

Oral tolerance is the process by which the immune system surrounding the GI tract (close to 2/3 of the immune system is centered around the GI tract) samples an antigen (such as a protein from foods) and decides that this substance is okay and sends that same signal out to the rest of the body. Without this process, our body would be under the impression that we are under perpetual attack from proteins in our food.

nutrition.org -- Abstracts: Finamore et al. 133 (1): 191

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