Alternative Health News November 26, 2007

Well, there you go. Just when you think you've heard everything. A recent study out of Duke University has found that blood transfusions increase your risk of heart attack and death. Now, no one's saying that a blood transfusion isn't helpful after a massive loss of blood, but the study confirms that the simple act of getting a transfusion absolutely increases your risk of having a heart attack and dying shortly after. In other words, in many cases, blood transfusions may do more harm than good.

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Blood Transfusions by Jon Barron - October 19, 2007

For the past several years, the leading cause of death among Americans has been heart disease. In 2006, for instance, according to the CDC, nearly 655,000 deaths were directly attributable to the silent killer—100,000 more than the second leading cause of death, cancer.

In light of these startling statistics, we health conscious folk try and make changes in our personal habits, as well as our family’s. We eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, exercise more often and drink fewer calories, opting for the diet soda over the regular. But according to a new study published in the July 31st issue of the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, any soda—including diet—increases the risk of heart disease by contributing to the likelihood of getting what’s called metabolic syndrome, as reported in WebMD and elsewhere.

Now, metabolic syndrome isn’t the kind of syndrome you’re used to hearing about, the kind where certain symptoms indicate a specific problem. Rather, metabolic syndrome is the combination of several high risk parts that comprise the high risk whole. For instance, for those who have at least three health risk factors—i.e. high blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess fat around the waist, low levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind of cholesterol) and high triglyceride levels—is an indicator of metabolic syndrome, which in turn increases the risk of getting heart disease.

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Study Indicates Diet Soda Increases Heart Disease Risk by NewsTarget - October 21, 2007

Supermarkets are now carrying a range of products that tout their added omega-3 content as a health benefit. Everything from mayonnaise to cereal to eggs can be found with omega-3 added in. But are these products really better for your health?

Probably not, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

While the omega-3s DHA and EPA have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and vision problems, the type of omega-3 typically added to food products is ALA -- and ALA may not give you the same health benefits.

I would STRONGLY encourage you to avoid all omega-3 eggs as they are actually LESS healthy for you. Typically the animals are fed poor-quality sources of omega-3 fats that are already oxidized. But even if they were healthy, it turns out that omega-3 eggs do not last anywhere near as long as non-omega-3 eggs.

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Beware of Misleading Omega-3 Claims by Dr. Mercola - October 20, 2007

An eight-year long multi-ethnic study from the German Institute of Human Nutrition indicates that a diet rich in flavonols may slash your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by about 25 percent. 

For smokers, your risk reduction is even more pronounced, lowering your risk by more than 59 percent. 

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Pancreatic Cancer is Deadly -- So Cut Your Risk By 25 Percent by Dr. Mercola - October 20, 2007

Tamoxifen is a drug that binds to your estrogen receptors. Therefore it was thought that it could prevent excess estrogen binding, hence halting cancer from forming. 

It is generally prescribed to high-risk women to prevent breast cancer, and is usually taken for five years.

However, Tamoxifen has been found to cause cancer instead. According to a study published in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, the treatment of breast cancer with tamoxifen results in an increased risk of uterine cancer incidence and mortality.

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Shocking Revelation -- This Cancer Drug CAUSES Cancer by Dr. Mercola - October 23, 2007

Your appendix, long touted by doctors to have no apparent purpose, turns out to be good for something after all. Surgeons and immunologists from Duke University Medical School believe your appendix produces and protects the good bacteria in your gut.

There are more bacteria in your body than cells, and much of it is used to help you digest food. However, if your good bacteria dies, as the result of cholera or dysentery for instance, your appendix appears to restore good bacteria to your gut.

Your appendix acts like a “bacteria factory” that “cultivates good germs,” according to the study’s authors.

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Is Your Appendix Really a Useless Organ? by Dr. Mercola - October 23, 2007

The naturally produced chemical melatonin may slow the effects of aging, according to an animal study conducted by Spanish scientists associated with the Spanish Aging Research Network (RNIE).

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the human body, particularly during darkness, and its production may be hampered by excessive artificial lighting. It is also found in certain plants, including bananas, cherries, corn, lemon verbena, mint, oats, onions, rice, sage and thyme, as well as in red wine. It has been available as a health supplement since 1993.

The hormone has previously been shown to function as an antioxidant, removing from the blood the free radicals that have been associated with aging. Free radicals are electrically charged chemicals that may cause cell damage. According to professor Darío Acuña Castroviejo of the University of Granada, coordinator of the RNIE, free radicals cause cells to become "more fragile with the years and, therefore, their cell membranes become easier to break."

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Melatonin found to slow neurodegenerative aging effects by NewsTarget - October 22, 2007

A new survey by Consumer Reports magazine has revealed that the vast majority of U.S. consumers want to know where their food comes from and how it is produced. Ninety-two percent of respondents said that an imported food's country of origin should be included on the label.

"I was definitely shocked at how high these numbers were," said co-author Dr. Urvashi Rangan.

In 2002, Congress passed a law requiring that meat be labeled with its country of origin, but implementation of the measure has been delayed twice -- most recently until September 30, 2008. In June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it was re-opening public comment on the measure until August 20.

Recent food scares have convinced many consumers of the need for stricter labeling. Problems have been uncovered with common foods such as peanut butter and lettuce, and the government has identified safety concerns with imports of seafood, toothpaste and animal feed from China.

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92 percent of Americans support country-of-origin labeling requirements for food by NewsTarget - October 22, 2007