November 26, 2001 Research Update

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

Irregular Menstrual Cycles as a Marker for Risk of Diabetes

Articles like this always seem a little surprising for me. The findings of this study are absolutely no surprise to anyone familar with physiology. Hyperinsulinemia wreaks havoc on steroid hormones synthesis, typically leading to elevated testosterone at the expense of estrogen synthesis. So seeing a study like this seems only to confirm what we already know. However, I would turn it around. Any woman with menstrual difficulties needs to first address the way she handles her sugars and possible metabolic syndrome X. Exercise, supplementation with vanadium, chromium and other synergistic nutrients, and whole grain intake over refined carbs can be used as an approach. Additionally, proper elmination from the GI tract and balanced hepatic detoxification are also essential elements to addressing menstrual complaints. Ironically, the mainstream solution is the birth control pill, which will worsen insulin sensitivity and further disrupt hormone regulation without fixing the problem. Long or Highly Irregular Menstrual Cycles as a Marker for Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v286n19/abs/joc10109.html

Exposure to Soy-Based Formula in Infancy

When it comes to infant feeding breastfeeding for at least 6 months is unquestionably the best. Unfortunately this is not common and the infant is moved to formula too early. At this point we have an immature immune system being bombarded with foreign proteins via the GI tract. I don't care what type of formula is offered--dairy, soy, goat...the risk of sensitization is high. The developing immune system just cannot handle it. If breastfeeding cannot be continued (and many times it is discountinued inappropriately because of some GI or skin complaint in the infant that is really related to the modifiable maternal diet and NOT the breastfeeding itself) than a hydrolyzed formula that has already undergone significant protein degradation is the best option. Less proteins for the infant to react to. Exposure to Soy-Based Formula in Infancy http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v286n19/ffull/jlt1121-3.html

Legumes and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

This is another of those "how much did we spend on THIS??!!" studies. What is surprising is that 4 servings/wk lowered risk of CHD 22% and CVD (which would include strokes) 11%. These are huge reductions for such a minor intervention. Couple this with exercise, whole grain over refined carb intake, a good quality multi and 5-10 servings of fruits and veggies per day and those numbers will climb dramatically. No longer can we sit back and blame our genes. Legume Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in US Men and Women: NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study http://archinte.ama-assn.org/issues/v161n21/abs/ioi10003.html

Acupuncture Blocks Sympathetic Nerve Activity to Heart

It is becoming more and more difficult to say that acupuncture has no effects on the human body... It is just so hard to accept the concept of a series of meridian, energy fields, etc... that can and do affect human health. I would go on to say that acupuncture is just one tool to be used in human disease management, but anyone who has studied traditional chinese medicine already knows that they know this! TCM also includes herbal remedies and manipulation as well as acupuncture.

American Heart Association's 2001 Scientific Sessions Dr. Holly R. Middlekauff of the Medical School of the University of California at Los Angeles pointed out that sympathetic nerve activity is two to three times higher in patients with heart failure. The higher the activity, the worse the prognosis. On the basis of animal studies that have shown acupuncture to be sympathoinhibitory, Dr. Middlekauff and colleagues selected 14 patients with advanced heart failure and randomized them to one of three treatment arms: traditional acupuncture with needles; acupuncture with needles but delivered to non-acupoints; and needleless acupuncture, in which patients were touched on the backs of their necks and believed they were receiving acupuncture. Investigators subjected the patients to 4 minutes of mental stress, having them perform math problems, "chastising them when they got the answers wrong," and performing a color/word mismatch test, where they had to identify the correct color, while a written cue gave them the wrong answer (e.g., presenting the word "blue" in red letters). Stress testing was conducted prior to acupuncture and then again after a 20-minute session. During mental stress testing, sympathetic activity increased 25%, with increases in heart rate and blood pressure. However, a single 20-minute acupuncture session completely blocked these increases in the active treatment group. Patients in the non-acupoint and needleless acupuncture groups showed increased sympathetic activity as usual. "We would like to see what a full course of acupuncture would do," Dr. Middlekauff commented. "Acupuncture could be adjunctive or complementary to beta-blocker therapy for heart failure patients." She added that it could also be advantageous in patients intolerant of beta-blockade.