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July 2, 2001 Research Update |
James Bogash, D.C. Mesa, AZ
info@lifecarechiro.com
www.lifecarechiro.com
Omega 3, not omega 6 fatty acids inhibit tumorogenesis
All of us in natural medicine have a tendency to call certain things "bad" or "good" when what we really mean is that we need a balance between the two. Every element that the body produces is there for a reason, and problems occur when the amount of that substance increases or decreases compared to normal. Consider the COX-2 inhibitors for arthritis (Vioxx, Celebrex)...the COX-2 enzyme is there for a reason--nature does not do otherwise. Just because we have not identified what that reason is yet does not mean it does not exist. We are now seeing an increase in risks to the heart with the COX-2 selective inhibitors. Perfect example. The omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are no different. Most experts agree that a ratio of about 1:1 or 2 (omega-3 to -5) is ideal, but Western living puts it more like 1:20. PNAS -- Abstracts: Liu et al. 98 (13): 7510 http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/13/7510
Risk for Mortality and Mental Retardation w/ Maternal UTII
I must admit that this is new info to me, but if this does hold out to be true I do have a strong recommendation for any women prone to urinary tract infections. Probiotic use in distilled water douches is just short of a miracle cure for many women with current or recurring UTIs or yeast infections. As an added benefit, an infant's first exposure to lactobacillus is typically while traveling down the birth canal and this would ensure that exposure. It might be a good idea as a preventative measure to perform this douching periodically during pregnancy. Original Research http://jfponline.com/content/2001/05/jfp_0501_04330.asp
Volunteer's Death Prompts Review
Think this one will pass FDA approval? You might be surprised... All kidding aside, just remember that many times the general public serves as the true guinea pigs for many new drugs. The list of drugs that were pulled off the market after dangerous side effects were found after the drug was approved is quite long. The ironic thing is that many natural compound have literally thousands of years of safe use and yet their use is looked upon with skepticism by much of the medical community. Science -- Marshall 292 (5525): 2226b http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/292/5525/2226b
Glucosamine Sulfate vs Ibuprofen for TMJ Osteoarthritis
TMJ is really quite a common secondary complaint seen in many chiropractic offices. The good news is that a vast majority of these cases resolve very well with a combination of trigger point therapy to the muscles of mastication as well as the posterior cervical muscles, cervical manipulation and home stretching. It is nice to have another tool to use for those patients that do not respond adequately to manual therapies for this joint. Evaluation of Glucosamine Sulfate Compared to Ibuprofen for the Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis: A Rando http://www.jrheum.com/abstracts/abstracts01/1347.html
Cancer outwits us again
I know this may sound heartless and cruel, but to truly get a grasp on cancer, we have to have a shift in monies from a "cure" to prevention. I firmly believe that, despite the billions upon billions of dollars spent on cancer research, we are still no better at treating it then we were 30 years ago, with only a few exceptions. The business of cancer is huge and deals with dollar amounts many of us can't comprehend. If only a small chunk of that would go towards prevention the country's health would skyrocket. Cancer outwits us again http://www.nature.com/nsu/010628/010628-4.html
Muscle Spasm Drug Shows Promise as Headache Treatment
A few comments here. First, this just lends even more credibility to the use of trigger point therapy and manipulation for the treatment of headaches--the musculoskeletal system is usually heavily involved. On the other side, this article once again points to the one cause, one cure philosophy. If a patient comes into my office with chronic headaches, I can almost always guarantee that they have several types of headaches. I treat with trigger point therapy, stretching, manipulation as well as attention to controlling cortisol levels, addressing food allergies and addressing GI functional problems. Headache patients are a unique and wonderful challenge because I feel that we can almost always get 100% resolution if the patient is dedicated enough to the recommendations. Of course, you could use this pharmacological approach and suffer elevated liver enzymes--but don't worry--they come back to normal after cessation of drug use.
World Congress of Neurology Tizanidine, a drug used to treat muscle spasms, may provide new hope for millions of people with frequent headaches, physicians said on Wednesday. American scientists told the World Congress of Neurology that tizanidine, marketed by the Irish pharmaceutical group Elan Corp Plc under the brand name Zanaflex, can cut the frequency, duration and intensity of headaches. In a study presented at the 5-day meeting in London, physicians from the Michigan Head Pain and Neurological Institute in Ann Arbor found that tizanidine reduced severe headaches by 55%. Dr. Alvin Lake and colleagues studied 92 patients with frequent headaches. Half of the subjects were randomized to receive tizanidine and half to receive placebo. After 12 weeks of treatment, the average intensity and duration of headaches improved by 51% in the tizanidine group compared with 34% in the placebo group. Side effects such as insomnia, dry mouth and drowsiness were more common in the treatment group. The researchers also found that liver enzymes were elevated in these patients, but returned to normal after treatment. Liver enzymes should be monitored, the investigators emphasized. "Medical literature focused on chronic daily headache is limited, so most of what we know about treatment strategies is based on anecdotal information," Dr. Lake said. "This study is important because it gives clinicians scientific evidence regarding a new approach to treating an often difficult-to-treat condition," he added. "Not only did the treatment with tizanidine reduce the amount of analgesic required by the patient, it seemed to work more efficiently on reducing the frequency of the most severe headaches," Dr. Lake said.
Diet Low in Animal Protein Improves Blood Glucose in Type 2 Diabetics
Here's another one of those "how much did we spend on THIS study" studies. Almost any condition known to man will improve with a more plant-based diet, and diabetes is no exception. Westernized societies are typically "meat and potatoes" cultures, with very little veggies on the dinner plate compared to animal products. Other cultures generally accepted as healthier are more plant and grain based, with rice and/or beans as the central portion of the meal. Also note in this study that sugars were removed from the diet--of course this would lower insulin and glucose levels.
83rd annual meeting of the Endocrine Society The researchers studied 51 patients with type 2 diabetes who had not benefited from large doses of oral hypoglycemics and/or insulin. They were assigned to reduce their dietary animal protein intake from 2 to 3 times a day to once every other day for 6 months, replacing it with equal amounts of vegetable protein. Sugars were eliminated, but caloric content remained the same to prevent weight loss. Among the 31 patients who stayed on the diet, the HbA1c value was decreased by a significant 30%, from an average of about 10 to about 7. Other significant improvements were that total cholesterol decreased by 32%, triglycerides by 60%, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 35%, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased by 10%. "Patients liked the new diet and the fact that they did not have to fast, adhere to low-calorie diets or take appetite suppressants," the researchers commented in a meeting abstract. They noted that of the 20 patients who did not follow the diet, 6 followed a low-calorie diet and lost weight, and 14 switched from red meat to fish and poultry, but their metabolic profile did not improve. Three of the patients who did follow the prescribed diet reduced their insulin dose by 50%, two patients discontinued insulin, four patients stopped taking oral hypoglycemics and six discontinued one or two of their hypolipemics. "We were not really surprised by these findings," says Dr. Arsenis. "We know that animal protein contains essential amino acids which stimulate pancreatic insulin secretion." The increased insulin increases adrenaline levels, which is thought to induce insulin resistance, he explained. Dr. Arsenis suggested that this type of diet might even help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.