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July 7, 2000 Research Update |
Antibiotics for E. coli infection increase risk of blood disorder
If this is a risk with antibiotics, use of probiotics may be a much safer, and possibly just as effective treatment.
Mercury From Seafood, Vaccinations May Adversely Affect Infants
I've always been concerned with given newborns vaccinations for Hepatitis B, a virus transmitted w/ blood or sexual contact. A newborn's immune system is immature and does not even begin to develop permanent immunity for months. And, if you remember a few weeks back, the mercury in vaccinations were considered to be safe. Apparently, these researchers think differently...
J Pediatr 2000;136:571-573,599-605,679-681 According to the report, the infants' methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls and fatty acid levels increased in relation to the mother's seafood intake. "A 10-fold increase of the cord-blood mercury concentration was associated with a decreased neurologic optimality score of 2.0." This, according to the group, is equivalent to a 3-week decrease in gestational age. Dr. Grandjean's team concludes that methylmercury in seafood is "an important neurologic risk factor" in the development of infants. Dr. Gregory V. Stajich from Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia, and a multicenter team authored the second report. They studied the amount of thimerosal transferred to infants after vaccination for hepatitis B. Thimerosal is an organic mercury compound used to stabilize medications such as hepatitis vaccine. The group measured mercury levels in 15 preterm and 5 term infants before and after vaccination. According to the group, after-vaccination mercury levels in both preterm and term infants showed a significant increase. Mercury levels in the preterm infants were three times higher than in the term infants, and this was statistically significant, according to the team.
Effect of Calcium Carbonate on the Absorption of Levothyroxine
Do we really need any additional info to avoid Ca Carbonate supplements? Tums is not the best source of calcium, and all physicians need to catch up with the research and stop recommending it.
Effect of Calcium Carbonate on the Absorption of Levothyroxine
Role for L-Carnitine in the Treatment of Childhood Cardiomyopathy
Addition of a simple, natural treatment with no side effects saves lives in children with certain type of heart disease. Also, in this study, the children on the standard medical therapy, ACE inhibitors, had a higher mortality rate. What ever happened to "First do no harm"... Pediatric s -- Abstracts: Helton et al. 105 (6): 1260
Iron may worsening inflammatory bowel disease
This becomes a catch-22 because many patients with IBD are enemic. It may be possible to use a higher quality iron supplement so absorption is better and no iron will make it into the large intestine.
European Journal of Clinical Investigation 30 (6), 505-510 Iron supplements may increase disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease through the production of the hydroxyl radical. Oral as well as rectal administration of iron resulted in increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production in IL-10-/- mice. We conclude that dietary or topical administered iron increases pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the colon of IL10-/- mice. No significant increase of histological intestinal inflammation was observed.
CPR just as effective w/o mouth-to-mouth
Original Articles -- NEJM 2000; 342: 1546-1553
High insulin levels linked to deaths from breast cancer
Just how much more evidence do we need to realize that the Western lifestyle is killing us?? All the enriched wheat flour, sugars, corn syrup and lack of essential nutrients all leads to higher insulin levels. bmj.com Josefson 320 (7248): 1496a