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March 10, 2003 Research Update |
James Bogash, D.C. Mesa, AZ
info@lifecarechiro.com
www.lifecarechiro.com
Decreased Carotenoid Concentrations Due to Dietary Sucrose Polyesters Do Not Affect Possible Markers of Disease Risk in Humans
Okay, here's the story...dietary sucrose polyesters (read "Olestra") lower serum carotenoid concentrations, but hey--a couple of the markers of disease risk weren't affected. So basically, to pass Olestra onto the general population the manufacturers can't dispute the fact that Olestra lowers absorption of many fat soluble vitamins, so they're basically saying that it's no big deal. Care to bet on your own health on that one? nutrition.org -- Abstracts: Broekmans et al. 133 (3): 720
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B-12 Status Associated w/ Bone Mineral Content, Density in Frail Elderly
I'm a very big fan of Vitamin B12, especially in my senior patients. It is a very common deficiency due to poor absorption from decreased stomach acid. It is also very cheap, coming in at a few dimes/day. Unfortunately, many docs do not recognize the signs of deficiency or look at only abnormals on bloodwork. I consider lab values for B12 to be a little unpractical, since you can give about 2 years worth of B12 for what a methylmalonic acid blood test would cost, and I just assume most elderly are deficient anyway. Many clinicians, however, have a distorted view of B12 evaluation and treatment (see below...) nutrition.org -- Abstracts: Dhonukshe-Rutten et al. 133 (3): 801
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Vitamin B12 Deficiency
This is an assume review of Vitamin B12 and really supports what I already do in my clinic (which is always good to hear...). I use a B12 supplement with 2,000 mcg of B12, which is 33,333% of the RDA (it also had folic acid and Vit B6) as a substitute for injections. I also use this particular supplement to show my disdain for the RDAs... Good thing certain popular, low quality multivitamins contain 100% of the RDAs, huh?? Vitamin B 12 Deficiency - March 1, 2003 - American Family Physician
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Postprandial recruitment of neutrophils may contribute to endothelial dysfunction
Wow. Viewing eating as an inflammatory process is a little intimidating. This study found that a fat, a glucose and a mixed meal induced neutrophil increases (a type of white blood cells) while water did not. This may be one of the reasons while the water only fasting trial on hypertension showed such phenomenal results (search past issues for this article). J. Lipid Res. -- Abstracts: van Oostrom et al. 44 (3): 576 Click here for more information
The emerging science of body weight regulation and its impact on obesity treatment
Kick up your feet and read this one--it's a nice review of the hormonal regulation of body weight and can begin to give you an idea of why it is so difficult for some people to lose weight. In addition, we are now beginning to view abdominal fat as its own entity, capable of affecting metabolism and regulating/dysrupting other hormones. This contrasts with the long held view that abdominal fat was merely a "dumping ground" for excess fat. JCI -- Korner and Aronne 111 (5): 565
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Proenzyme psa for the early detection of prostate cancer
This article is a preliminary analysis of a marker that is more effective at identifying prostate cancer with fewer false positives and a large reduction in unnecessary biopsies. Click here for more information
Bowel dysfunction after laparoscopic antireflux surgery
I can't help but wonder if the bowel symptoms (diarrhea being the most common) are merely another indication of altered GI physiology that led to the reflux in the first place. Or, even more likely, is a result of the medications given to control the symptoms of reflux. Given that acid suppresion is the knee-jerk treatment of anything remotely resembling reflux disease, the downstream effects of acid suppression are many, and diarrhea is quite common as a result of undigested proteins actually turning rancid (you can actually check the bloodstream for compounds such as putrizine that are markers of improper digestion) in the warm, moist, bacterial laden environment of the GI tract. Elsevier Medical Journals
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Normalization of lactulose breath testing correlates with symptom improvement in irritable bowel syndrome
While antibiotics would not be my treatment of choice, it is wonderful for researchers to begin to focus on abnormal intestinal flora as a contributor to IBS. Unfortunately, antibiotics as a sole approach to treatment is sorely missing the boat. Elimination of pathogenic bacteria, restoration of healthy flora and avoidance of lifestyle factors leading to dysbiosis (alcohol use, refined carbs, saturated fats, low fruits and veggies....) I feel are much better approaches.
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Lipolysis of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins generates PPAR ligands: Evidence for an antiinflammatory role for lipoprotein lipase
Sorry for the long, biochemically title, but it's good for shock value. PPAR receptors are a group of genes that produce proteins that seem to have a beneficial impact on insulin sensitivity and inflammation (there are at least 3 known classes of PPAR receptors). So, anything that could increase PPAR expression (this type of substance would be called a ligand) has a potential to influence disease processes. Conjugated linoleic acid is known to act as a PPAR ligand as well. The interesting thing about this article is the lipoprotein lipase is known to have several genetic polymorphisms, meaning that this enzyme can run at different speeds in different patients depending upon their genetic makeup. This genetic makeup is easily determined by new tests that identify groups of polymorphisms. PNAS -- Abstracts: Ziouzenkova et al. 100 (5): 2730
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