May 2, 2002 Research Update

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

Review of Surgery in Cervical Spondylotic Radiculomyelopathy

Of course, as a chiropractor, this one hits close to home and brings to mind the accusations that chiropractic is not effective. Personally, I feel that chiropractic (and natural medicine) is held to a higher standard. Ironically, these approaches are well up to the task, while traditional medical therapies typically are not. There have been numerous reviews on the effectiveness of manipulation for both neck and low back pain showing varying levels of effectiveness, and here we see a review article that finds evidence lacking for one of orthopedic surgeons main tools for neck pain.

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins - Spine

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Whole grains, insulin sensitivity in overweight hyperinsulinemic adults

I know that we have lumped all carbs together into one nasty group here in the Western world and take great strides to avoid them in certain diet plans; yet we consistently see benefits of whole grains on human health. Here we see that whole grains improve insulin sensitivity. Combined with exercise (both aerobic and resistive) this is a nice foundation for an approach to deal with dysglycemia.

AJCN -- Abstracts: Pereira et al. 75 (5): 848

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Breast-feeding protects against celiac disease

As the deluge of literature outlining the harmful effects of celiac disease on the body appears (neurological, gastrological, immune, hepatic...), the finding that breastfeeding may protect against this condition has tremendous implications on long term health of the infant. By inference, we could say that breast feeding has the potential to lower risk of Alzheimers and liver failure via protection against celiac disease. Quite a powerful statement and yet another notch in the feather of propenents of breastfeeding.

AJCN -- Abstracts: Ivarsson et al. 75 (5): 914

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Body Fat, CLA, Energy Expenditure and Energy Loss in the Excreta

Conjugated linoleic acid has gotten much press as a PPAR-gamma ligand, an intracellular messenger that deals with how the cells burns energy. This study, done in mice, shows that CLA does effect the way individual cells burn off energy. Keep an eye on this issue-it will definately pop up as the new "weight loss wonder" in the next few years.

nutrition.org -- Abstracts: Terpstra et al. 132 (5): 940

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Walnuts and Coronary Heart Disease

While we've known for awhile that most nuts (walnuts included) have a positive impact on blood lipids. Interestingly, this review article did not show an increase in body weight with intake of walnuts despite their energy-dense nature. Nuts and seeds are another strong portion of a healthier lifestyle and for many disease prevention.

nutrition.org -- Abstracts: Feldman 132 (5): 1062S

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Dairy Consumption, Obesity, and Insulin Resistance in Young Adults

This article suggests that dairy consumption is protective for diabetes and insulin resistance. Now, although the author does not mention it, dairy does contain conjugated linoleic acid, a compound actually formed from the bacteria in the lumen of the cow, which does act as a PPAR-gamma ligand, similar to the thiazodiazone class of diabetic drugs. However, being that dairy is still a common allergen and is loaded with hormones and chemicals that may increase your risk of many other types of diseases, you are welcome to substitute dairy for a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise (aerobic and resistive), whole grains and lots of fruits and veggies.

Dairy Consumption, Obesity, and the Insulin Resistance Syndrome in Young Adults: The CARDIA Study

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Garlic Blocks Very Earliest Stages of Arteriosclerosis

Garlic is one of those natural compounds that has a seemingly wide area of effects on human physiology; all of them good (except for the breath...). This article points of another potential route of garlic's benefits on cardiovascular health.

International Scientific Conference on Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medical Research in Boston

Apr 12 - Garlic extract can prevent nanoplaque formation--the primary lesion that forms in arteriosclerosis--in arterial endothelial cells, investigators reported on Friday at the International Scientific Conference on Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medical Research in Boston. In addition, garlic appears to dissolve, to some extent, nanoplaques that have already formed. Dr. Gunter Siegel, of The Free University of Berlin, described his study in which aqueous garlic extract in doses ranging from 0.2 to 5.0 g/L applied to endothelial cells slowed the process of proteoglycan receptor binding to LDL cholesterol. Nanoplaque formation occurs as the end result of LDL cholesterol binding to the proteoglycan receptor and calcium binding to LDL. "Garlic helps to stop this process and, therefore, HDL cholesterol binds better," he explained, calling garlic a "phytoHDL." The nanoplaque is the primary lesion of arteriosclerosis, and resembles full-blown arterial disease on a molecular level. Dr. Siegel said that the garlic extract reduced nanoplaque formation by about 15% and reduced the size of existing plaques by about 5%. He said that the docking effect was seen in an in vitro biosensor model as well as in living endothelial cells. The investigators found that the 0.2 g/L dose was the most effective. The "crucial question now" he added, is whether the same effect occurs when garlic is eaten. "This hasn't been studied yet...We need to take patients' serum lipid levels and test the effect in endothelial cells." The effects are not extraordinarily high, Dr. Siegel admitted, but he pointed out that this process occurred within 30 minutes. "If this process is realized in [clinical trials], we can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease formation in high-risk patients," he concluded.

Caution Urged on Soy-Based Menopause Remedies

Remember what I said about natural medicine being held to a higher standard than traditional medicine? Here we have a researcher saying that we are not fully informed on how soy works in the human body and so we need to be careful with its use. A little reality check for the author--a large chunk of the drugs listed in the PDR have "mechanism of action unknown" on them and yet we throw these about like candy. But soy, with literally centuries of use, needs to be approached with caution. I would have to add that using soy supplements that have the percieved active constituents concentrated is probably not the best way to approach the use of soy in a healthy lifestyle.

British Endocrine Societies' annual meeting in Harrogate, Yorkshire Apr 08 - So little is known about how plant oestrogens act on the human body that sales of soy supplements as a "natural" alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) must be questioned, a researcher reported on Tuesday at British Endocrine Societies' annual meeting in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Soy has been widely promoted as a natural alternative to HRT. Soy contains genistein, a plant oestrogen that has similar but weaker effects as the oestrogen found in women. But Dr. Saffron Whitehead, reader in reproductive physiology at St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, said new studies on human cells have shown that genistein and other phyto-oestrogens may also block the enzymes that make these hormones. This could explain why the incidence of breast cancer, which in many cases is dependent on oestrogen, is about two thirds lower amongst Japanese and Chinese women who consume diets rich in soy compared with women living in England, she told her colleagues. Dr. Whitehead's team examined the effects of phyto-oestrogens on human ovarian cells obtained during procedures for in vitro fertilization. The results showed that several phyto-oestrogens, including genistein, inhibited the conversion of androgen to oestrogen. The researchers believe this could be significant in postmenopausal women because as ovaries cease to function in menopause, oestrogen converted from androgen becomes the only source of oestrogen. "This finding is potentially important to the phyto-oestrogen story," Dr. Whitehead said in a statement. "We really don't know how phyto-oestrogens act in the human body. They could be weak oestrogen mimics, oestrogen blockers or enzyme inhibitors. "If they do stop the natural production of oestrogens, we should consider whether soy supplements be sold as a natural alternative to HRT."