November 12, 2000 Research Update

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

Maternal Diet Linked to Atopic Sensitization of Breastfed Infants

Too many times mothers are told to stop breastfeeding their infants if the infant develops allergic symptoms. It has long been known that the mother's diet is incredibly important in the health and disease of their infant. And many times, symptoms in the infant such as ezcema and thrush are not attributed to maternal diet, and yet may be the main contributing factor.

Eur J Clin nutrition 2000;54:702-705 Breast-fed infants whose mothers consume high levels of total and saturated fat appear to be more likely than other breast-fed infants to develop atopic sensitization. The researchers studied 114 breast-feeding babies with a family history of atopic disease. Their mothers kept a food record for 4 days when the infants were nearly 3 months old. Nearly one quarter (23.7%) of infants became sensitized to common allergens by age 1 year, most commonly eggs, milk, wheat and cats. The risk of atopy was not significantly increased by maternal atopic disease. However, "maternal intake of saturated fat during breastfeeding was associated with atopic sensitization of the infant," with an odds ratio of 1.16, Dr. Hoppu's group reports. The authors recommend that women in atopic families should be counseled to moderate their dietary fat intake during breast-feeding and preferably during pregnancy, since a high intake of saturated fat generally indicates an unbalanced diet.

Sublingual Immunotherapy Helpful in Mite-Sensitive Asthmatic Kids

Such a simple therapy with almost no side effects, and yet most allergists scoff at doctors using this therapy. This procedure using the concept of oral tolerance, where small dosages of an allergic substance are given, and this teaches the gut to calm down its reaction to the allergen.

Allergy 2000;55:842-849 Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) reduces asthma symptoms in children sensitive to house dust-mite allergen, Italian researchers report in the September issue of Allergy. However, the mechanism of the protective effect remains elusive. Dr. Giovanni B. Pajno, of the Universita di Messina, and colleagues conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of SLIT in 24 children ages 8 to 15 years. The children, all of whom had mild to moderate asthma and were sensitive to house dust mite, were randomized to 2 years of SLIT with standardized house dust mite extract or placebo. A total of 21 children completed the study, and those in the active treatment group showed a significant decrease in asthma symptoms and medication use. In addition, asthma scores improved in the treatment group, but not in the placebo group.

Bifido from infant human GI microflora exert antimicrobial activity

Eventually I will stop adding articles on probiotics to the updates list because I feel that it is no longer "new" news and that it's safety and efficacy is well proven. The next step from here is to realize that we no longer have sufficient exposure to these bacteria to maintain good levels in our gut, and that the dangers of antibiotic use extend far beyond the concept of antibiotic resistance into destroying our normal, protective flora. Gut -- Abstracts: Liévin et al. 47 (5): 646 http://gut.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/47/5/646

A systemic phenomenon for oxidative stress in cholestatic liver disease

This article appears a little complex, but it basically states that alterations in liver function can damage other areas of the body. This is not really a new concept, and when a physician understands the detoxification process in the liver, he or she can learn to improve or eliminate this damage to the rest of the body. Gut -- Abstracts: Ljubuncic et al. 47 (5): 710 http://gut.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/47/5/710

VLDL, Apolipoproteins B, CIII, and E, and Risk of Coronary Events

More evidence pointing to the fact that just measuring lipid levels in patients is rather archaic, and other markers in the blood are much more specific and should prove to be a much more effective measure of cardiovascular risk. Circulation -- Abstracts: Sacks et al. 102 (16): 1886 http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/16/1886

CMV, CRP Have Predictive Value in Patients w/ Coronary Artery Disease

Inflammation continues to be a strong link in many chronic diseases in man. Lowering levels of inflammation is critical in dealing with, preventing and managing chronic disease. Circulation -- Abstracts: Muhlestein et al. 102 (16): 1917 http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/16/1917

The Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study Revisited

Yet another nail in the coffin of HRT. This commentary is a review of recent evidence suggesting that HRT may actually worsen heart disease. With all the evidence coming out against artificial HRT (there needs to be a differentiation between horse estrogens and natural, human estrogens) and effective natural alternatives, I truly cannot understand why any woman would consider putting this into her body. The Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study Revisited: Hormone Replacement Therapy Produced Net Harm, Consistent With http://archinte.ama-assn.org/issues/v160n19/abs/ira00012.html