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- - European weblog on food, health and environment

News - week 7 - 2008

Video - Jamie Oliver suffocates chicks on TV

Patient with rare disorder responds to cancer drug

A rare disorder caused by an excess of two types of immune cells -- the mast cell found in various tissues and its blood-based twin, the basophil -- has successfully been treated with a cancer drug, report scientists from NIAID.

http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2008/allergy_cancermed.htm

HIV Persists in the Gut Despite Long-Term HIV Therapy

Even with effective anti-HIV therapies, doctors still have not been able to eradicate the virus from infected individuals who are receiving such treatments, largely because of the persistence of HIV in hideouts known as viral reservoirs. One important reservoir is the gut, where HIV causes much of its damage due to the large number of HIV target cells that reside there. These cells, known as CD4+ T cells, are largely contained in lymph nodes and patches of lymphocytes that collectively are called gut-associated lymphoid tissue, or GALT.

http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2008/jid_hivgut.htm

NIAID Scientists Identify New Cellular Receptor for HIV

A cellular protein that helps guide immune cells to the gut has been newly identified as a target of HIV when the virus begins its assault on the body's immune system, according to researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2008/newhivreceptor.htm

Video - Farming for the Future

In the rolling foothills of Southeast Ohio exists a movement of small-scale farmers who cultivate without chemicals or major mechanical input. For these visionary men and women of the earth, pesticides are an unnecessary hazard, while one’s own sweat and toil proves more efficient than fossil-fueled machines. Farming for the Future escapes from the grocery store to tromp through the fields with a diverse group of forward-thinking yeomen, illuminating the subtler and oft-forgotten aspects of the vital commodity we call food.

Vaccine for stomach flu may be possible, UNC research shows

Every year, millions of people are infected with noroviruses -- commonly called "stomach flu" -- often resulting in up to 72 hours of vomiting and diarrhea. While most people recover in a few days, the symptoms can lead to dehydration and -- in rare cases, especially among the elderly and infants -- death.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/uonc-vfs021308.php

Smokers might benefit from earlier colon cancer screening

New evidence suggests screening for colorectal cancer, which is now recommended to begin at age 50 for most people, should start five to 10 years earlier for individuals with a significant lifetime exposure to tobacco smoke, a University of Rochester Medical Center study said.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/uorm-smb021308.php

Bacterial toxin closes gate on immune response, Penn researchers discover

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have demonstrated that a bacterial toxin from the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus shuts down the control mechanism of the tunnel, called an ion channel, in immune cell membranes. Shutting down ion channels has long been known to suppress the immune response, and the bacteria may use the toxin to neutralize host defenses against bacteria.

http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/feb08/toxin-closes.html

Microbial 'cheaters' help scientists ID 'social' genes

The first genome-wide search for genes governing social behavior has found that even the simplest social creatures -- the amoebae Dictyostelium discoideum -- have more than 100 genes that help regulate cooperative behavior. The study by scientists at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine was published online today by Nature. It marks one of the first large-scale attempts to combine evolutionary biology with genomics in a systematic search for genes tied to social behavior.

http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=10575&SnID=121739937

U of I study - exercise to avoid gallstones!

A new University of Illinois study shows that exercise-trained mice get far fewer gallstones than sedentary mice and identifies potential mechanisms to explain why this occurs.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/uoia-uoi021308.php

Stem cells give clues to understanding cancer and make breakthrough in childhood leukaemia

Scientists in Switzerland are uncovering new clues about how cancer cells grow -- and how they can be killed -- by studying stem cells, 'blank' cells that have the potential to develop into fully mature or 'differentiated' cells and other scientists in UK have made a breakthrough in understanding the cause of the most common form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

http://www.esf.org/research-areas/medical-sciences/news/ext-news-singleview/article/

Sex differences in the brain's serotonin system

A new thesis from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that the brain's serotonin system differs between men and women. The scientists who conducted the study think that they have found one of the reasons why depression and chronic anxiety are more common in women than in men.

http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=138&a=49408&l=en&newsdep=138&newsdep=138

A compound extracted from olives inhibits cancer cells growth and prevents their appearance

Scientifics of the University of Granada have found that maslinic acid, present in olive skin's leaf and wax, acts on antitumor cells controlling their alterations in growth processes. At present, the only production plant of this substance at a semi-industrial level in the whole world is at the faculty of sciences of the UGR. This research group has published results related with this release in the specialized journal FEBS Letters.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/udg-ace021308.php

Cigarette after Valentine snuggle deadlier for some

The proverbial cigarette after a Valentine's Day snuggle can prematurely end a love affair, as new evidence emerges that a common defect in a gene significantly increases a smoker's risk of an early heart attack. Researchers say that as much as 60 to 70 percent of the population has a gene defect that delivers a one-two punch to smokers; heavy smokers with this common gene variant experienced a heart attack around the age of 52.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/uorm-cav021208.php

How DDT metabolite disrupts breast cancer cells

Research has shown that the main metabolite of the insecticide DDT could be associated with aggressive breast cancer tumors, but there has been no explanation for this observation to date. Now a report published in the open access journal Breast Cancer Research shows how DDT could act to disrupt hormone-sensitive breast cancer cells.

http://breast-cancer-research.com/content/10/1/R16

Genetic breakthrough supercharges immunity to flu and other viruses

Researchers at McGill University have discovered a way to boost an organism's natural anti-virus defenses, effectively making its cells immune to influenza and other viruses. Their results are to be published Feb. 13 in the journal Nature.

http://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/news/?ItemID=29104

Experimental MS drug shows promise, offers new window on disease

A drug therapy currently used to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis had a significant effect in treating the most common form of multiple sclerosis in a small, short-term clinical trial led by scientists at University of California-San Francisco.

http://pub.ucsf.edu/newsservices/releases/200802132/

Study finds overweight children have less elbow range of motion

Children who are overweight have less range of motion in their elbows than their normal-weight peers, which could make it tougher for them to exercise in order to lose weight, the findings of a research study suggest.
“Overweight children are encouraged to participate in sports. But athletic activities like pitching or hitting a baseball or shooting a free-throw in basketball require full elbow range of motion,” said senior study author Melvin Heyman, MD.

http://pub.ucsf.edu/newsservices/releases/200802111/

Scientists solve structure of gene regulator that plays key role in cancer

Scientists at the Wistar Institute have collaborated on a major advance in understanding a gene regulator that contributes to some of the deadliest cancers in humans. Their research paves the way for the development of new cancer therapies. The scientists have elucidated the 3-D structure of a key segment of p300/CBP, one of the most studied enzymes in the HAT family. Aberrant p300/CBP activity contributes to pancreatic, colon, and lung cancer and also can suppress tumors.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/twi-sss020708.php

What's good for the heart may be good for the prostate

Men who eat a diet low in fat and red meat but high in vegetables and lean protein and who drink alcohol in moderation may not just be doing their hearts a favor. A new study shows that such a heart-healthy diet may also be good for the prostate.

http://www.fhcrc.org/about/ne/news/2008/02/12/heart_prostate.html

New Jefferson trial to test radiation-emitting beads against advanced liver cancer

Liver cancer specialists at Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia are beginning an 18-month study of a new treatment for liver cancer. The therapy entails injecting tiny beads that emit small amounts of radiation into the liver's main artery while also blocking the blood supply feeding the cancer’s growth.

http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/news/2007/article15778.html

Appropriate timing in the use of breast shields in children can further reduce MDCT radiation dose

Using breast shields during pediatric chest MDCT reduces radiation dose and minimally increases image noise, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock.

http://www.arrs.org/pressroom/info.cfm?prID=275

Yale test detects early stage ovarian cancer with 99 percent accuracy

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have developed a blood test with enough sensitivity and specificity to detect early stage ovarian cancer with 99 percent accuracy.

http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/08-02-13-01.all.html

New findings contradict a prevailing belief about the inner ear

A healthy ear emits soft sounds in response to the sounds that travel in. Detectable with sensitive microphones, these otoacoustic emissions help doctors test newborns' hearing. A deaf ear doesn't produce these echoes.

http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6335

New sensor system improves detection of lead, heavy metals

The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a new rapid, portable and inexpensive detection system that identifies personal exposures to toxic lead and other dangerous heavy metals. The device can provide accurate measurements from blood as well as in urine and saliva samples.

http://www.pnl.gov/news/release.asp?id=297

A functional immune system can be derived from embryonic stem cells, preliminary study finds

A new study demonstrates for the first time that embryonic stem cells can be used to create functional immune system blood cells, a finding which is an important step in the utilization of embryonic stem cells as an alternative source of cells for bone marrow transplantation.

http://www.hematology.org/media/02122008.cfm

Video - Super Foods - The Truth about Coconut - Nutrition by Natalie

Men who are continually active at work may have a decreased risk of prostate cancer

Men with jobs that require them to be physically active may be getting benefits beyond salary and health insurance -- they may be at a decreased risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a study at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center.

http://www.cancer.ucla.edu/Index.aspx?page=62&
recordid=142&returnURL=%2fIndex.aspx%3fpage%3d1

UD researchers discover promising technique for repairing gene that causes spinal muscular atrophy

Researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered a novel technique -- that acts like a "spell-checker" for correcting a misspelling in the DNA code -- to repair the defective gene that causes spinal muscular atrophy. This hereditary neuromuscular disease is the number-one genetic killer of children under two years old.

http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2008/feb/sma021108.html

Swine flu monitoring needed for farm workers, study says

A University of Alberta study recommends that workers on pig farms be monitored as part of influenza pandemic preparedness.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/uoa-sfm021108.php

Prenatal exposure to maternal antibodies linked to autistic behaviors in offspring

New research from the UC-Davis M.I.N.D. Institute shows that an interaction between fetal brain cells and maternal antibodies could be linked with the repetitive behavior -- also called stereotypies -- that is characteristic of autism. While additional studies are needed to confirm the outcome, this result leads investigators to suspect that brain-directed antibodies during the prenatal period could be a causal factor for the disorder.

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/newsroom/newsdetail.html?
key=427&svr=http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu

Video - Japanese are hunting whales again, film by Greenpeace

Some cases of autism may be traced to the immune system of mothers during pregnancy

New research from the UC-Davis M.I.N.D. Institute and Center for Children's Environmental Health has found that antibodies in the blood of mothers of children with autism bind to fetal brain cells, potentially interrupting healthy brain development. The study authors also found that the reaction was most common in mothers of children with the regressive form of autism, which occurs when a period of typical development is followed by loss of social and/or language skills.

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/newsroom/newsdetail.html?
key=425&svr=http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu

Acute coronary events decreased after public smoking ban in Italy

The number of acute coronary events such as heart attack in adults dropped significantly after a smoking ban in public places in Italy, researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/aha-ace021108.php

Gene therapy protocol at UCSD activates immune system in patients with leukemia

A research team at the Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego reports that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who were treated with a gene therapy protocol began making antibodies that reacted against their own leukemia cells. The study will be published on line the week of Feb. 11-15 in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/health/02-08GeneTherapyProtocol.asp

Children's Hospital scientists identify possible target for prevention and treatment of pneumonia

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have identified a key protein target that may be a crucial factor in the development of a vaccine to prevent and new therapies to treat pneumonia, the leading killer of children worldwide.

http://www.chp.edu/pressroom/newsrelease402.php

Doctor who? Are patients making clinical decisions?

Doctors are adjusting their bedside manner as better informed patients make ever-increasing demands and expect to be listened to, and fully involved, in clinical decisions that affect their care. A study published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research looks at the changes in society, the population and technology that are influencing the way patients view their orthopedic surgeons. As patients gain knowledge, their attitude to medicine changes: They no longer show their doctors unquestionable respect.

http://www.springer-sbm.com/index.php?id=291&backPID=
132&L=0&tx_tnc_news=4075&cHash=ce501f3542

UCSD research team identifies novel anticancer drug from the sea

A collaborative team of researchers spearheaded by Dennis Carson M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego has identified a potent new anticancer drug isolated from a toxic blue-green algae found in the South Pacific.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/uoc--urt020808.php

NYU, Tel Aviv University create non-invasive imaging method for diagnosing osteoarthritis

Researchers at New York University and Tel Aviv University have developed a non-invasive imaging method that can be used to diagnose and monitor a number of diseases, including osteoarthritis and inter-vertebral disc degeneration, in their early stages. Their work appears in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

http://www.nyu.edu/public.affairs/releases/detail/1954

University Medical Center researchers show leaky muscle cells lead to fatigue

What do marathoners and heart failure patients have in common? More than you think according to new findings by physiologists at Columbia University Medical Center. The new study shows that the fatigue that marathoners and other extreme athletes feel at the end of a race is caused by a tiny leak inside their muscles that probably also saps the energy from patients with heart failure.

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/news/press_releases/andrew-marks-muscle-calcium-leak.html

Prions link cholesterol to neurodegeneration

Prion infection of neurons increases the free cholesterol content in cell membranes. A new study published in the online open access journal BMC Biology suggests that disturbances in membrane cholesterol may be the mechanism by which prions cause neurodegeneration and could point to a role for cholesterol in other neurodegenerative diseases.

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/6/8/abstract

Dramatic declines in wild salmon populations are associated with exposure to farmed salmon

Comparing the survival of wild salmonid populations in areas near salmon farms with unexposed populations reveals a large reduction in survival in the populations reared near salmon farms.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/plos-ddi020508.php

Fatty acids beneficial in treatment for dry eye syndrome

Topical drop application of alpha-linolenic acid led to a significant decrease in clinical signs of dry eye syndrome in animal models. ALA is a fatty acid that cannot be made by the body, and must be supplied in the diet

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/hms-fab020508.php

Anti-cancer drug damages brain vessels

New research may help explain why an anti-cancer drug causes potentially fatal brain inflammation in certain patients. Scientists at Harvard Medical School mimicked the drug's activity in mice and found that it damaged the cell lining that prevents fluid from leaking from the spinal cord into the brain. The results will be published online on Feb. 11 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/joem-add020408.php

Block the zinc, starve the virus

Zinc might strengthen our immune systems and fortify our bones, but it also helps a cancer-causing skin virus take hold, according to Lazarczyk et al.

http://www.jem.org/cgi/content/full/205/1/3

Artificial sweeteners linked to weight gain

Want to lose weight? It might help to pour that diet soda down the drain. Researchers have laboratory evidence that the widespread use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their intake and body weight. The findings appear in the February issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/apa-asl020508.php

Video - Prof Trevor Marshall's AAEM 2006 Presentation

Prof Trevor Marshall, Director of the Autoimmunity Research Foundation, presents some of the science underpinning the pathogenesis of chronic immune disease to the physician-members of the AAEM.

Fatal and Vital Foods - Popular Nutrition Myths Exposed

I often get asked to write down some basic rules of what to eat and what not to eat. There’s a lot of information out there but it’s often fragmented and, even worse, contradictory. All I can do is give you my vision on fatal and vital foods. I base this on nothing but common sense. Here goes.

by Mike Donkers

Sugars

Avoid all sugars, including alternative sweeteners, such as raw cane sugar, glucose, dextrose, molasses, caramel, fructose, corn syrup, date syrup, rice syrup, wheat syrup, etc. Sugars will raise your blood sugar causing your pancreas to produce a hormone called insulin to bring it back down. Too much insulin is also sickening and your body will develop insulin resistance as a result. Although in this way you’re creating a panic inside your body on a daily basis, a kind of balance is created and for the longest time you will hardly notice this internal battle taking place.

Only at middle age do you get presented the check for this exhaustion of your system. You will develop all sorts of prediabetic conditions, such as candida, hypoglycemia, poor circulation, excessive thirst, excessive hunger, excessive urination, constipation, windiness, allergies, skin problems, high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm, bad cholesterol, obesity, etc. Most people will still not relate their symptoms to their foods and the doctor’s cures will only cause side effects which, in turn, will cause more problems and worsen the original ones.

Too much sugar intake causes your glucose and insulin levels to go up. To make matters worse, insulin resistance creates a vicious circle in which the insulin will increasingly be less effective. A pancreas which has to produce too much insulin for too long will eventually get used up and give out. Insulin will then have to be injected into the blood. This is called sugar diabetes. Sugar sickens much more so than you might think viruses, yeast fungi and cancer cells love sugar and feed on it.

I often come across the 'sugar-is-good-for-your-muscles' myth popularized by the sugar industry. This is a clever half truth. Any food is basically foreign to the body. Your body has to convert food into glucose to use it as energy. Glucose is essential for muscle development. 'Thus sugar is good for you,' say the sugar manufacturers. They don’t distinguish between the indirect sugars made internally by your body, which are slowly released into the bloodstream, and the very harmful external, fast sugars which directly drive up your blood glucose and actually attack your muscles. Our body does indeed need sugar, but only the kind the body makes itself based on whole foods.

In alternative circles, there’s the persistent myth that raw cane sugar and molasses are healthy because they contain minerals. Though this is not entirely untrue, the negative effects raw cane sugar and molasses have on your blood sugar far outweigh the benefits. Just look at the amount of people shopping and working at health food stores that are overweight. Do they look that healthy to you? They too fall prey to their sugar addiction, which largely undoes the effects of many of the useful products sold in those stores.

Read the full article here:
http://www.fonteine2.com/fatalfoods.html

Video - The Genetic Conspiracy

Iron banded worms drying out of blood could be linked to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

Researchers at the University of Warwick and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur have discovered that the mechanism that we rely on to transport iron safely through our blood can collapse into a state which grows long worm-like "fibrils" banded by lines of iron rust. This process could provide the first insight into how iron gets deposited in the brain to cause some forms of Parkinson's & Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/uow-ibw020708.php

Allergic-like reactions occur in premedicated patients

Allergic-like reactions can occur in patients (both children and adults) when given gadolinium containing contrast agents, even if they have been premedicated with corticosteroids and antihistamines, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Health Systems in Ann Arbor.

http://www.arrs.org/pressroom/info.cfm?prID=273

Moss protein plays role in Alzheimer's disease

Preventing Alzheimer's from developing is a goal of Raphael Kopan, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology and pharmacology at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. The moss plant studied in the laboratory of Ralph S. Quatrano, Ph.D., Spencer T. Olin Professor of biology, might inch Kopan toward that goal. Through collaboration, the researchers have found that a gene in moss is also structurally conserved in AD and has similar functions.

http://news-info.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/10926.html

Video - Corporate Agriculture - The Hollow Men

Discovery of good -- and bad -- liver stem cells raises possibility of new treatment

Many scientists believe up to 40 percent of liver cancer is caused by stem cells gone wild. Despite years spent looking, no one has ever found these liver "cancer stem cells." Now, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center report discovering both types of stem cells, and by comparing their genetic "signatures," they found evidence to suggest that a new type of experimental drug might offer benefit in treating liver cancer.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/gumc-dog020808.php

New finding may help explain development of preeclampsia

In a study of pregnant women, those with pregnancy-induced high blood pressure were found to have higher levels of a peptide that raises blood pressure in the pieces of tissue linking mother and fetus, according to researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. The finding, reported online in the journal Hypertension, may help explain how the disorder develops.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/wfub-nfm020808.php

Heavy cell phone use tied to poorer sperm quality

Spending hours on a cell phone each day may affect the quality of a man's sperm, preliminary research suggests.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL66282020080206

How Can I Avoid BPA?

Environmental groups in the United States and Canada call for a ban on the use of bisphenol, a potentially dangerous chemical found in baby bottles and sipping containers.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=4258865

Doctors will soon be able to feel organs via a display screen

With the aid of computerized image analysis, it may be possible in the future for radiologists to feel images with the help of a three-dimensional mouse. Erik Vidholm at Uppsala University has been involved in developing the new technology, which makes it easier to diagnose and plan the treatment of cancer, for instance.

http://www.uu.se/news/news_item.php?typ=press&id=50

New Study Suggests Link between Environmental Toxins and Early Onset Puberty in Girls

Although scientists have speculated over the negative effects of environmental toxins for years, new data suggest that certain environmental toxins may disrupt the normal growth and hormonal development of girls. Some of these toxins, such as the mycoestrogen zearalenone (ZEA) produced by the Fusarium fungus species, can be found naturally in the environment, have properties similar to the female reproductive hormone estrogen, and are also structurally similar to anabolic growth agents used in animal breeding. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests that certain mycoestrogens may be directly linked to the early onset of sexual development in young girls.

http://www.alphagalileo.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=526964&ez_search=1

Mercury in Vaccines, MRSA and Vegetative Pork Plant Workers

Recent news headlines declared that "mercury in vaccines is safe because it only stays in the body for 3.7 days." (No joke. I'm not making this up.)

http://www.naturalnews.com/022621.html

Big Pharma Spin Doctors Gather to Plot New Public Relations Strategies for Influencing the FDA, Popular Press

Concerned by the increasingly negative public image of their industry, pharmaceutical companies are meeting with major public relations associations in a conference intended to plan public relations strategies for the coming months. According to a press release, the First Annual Pharmaceutical Public Relations Symposium is intended to "cover key issues and challenges [that drug] companies face in an industry that is under ongoing political and media scrutiny."

http://www.naturalnews.com/022620.html

New Research Explores How Our Bodies Keep Time

Our alarm clocks may spring forward on March 9, but our biological clocks may take longer to adjust. That’s because our internal clocks are so tightly wound to many physiological and behavioral processes. Researchers have made remarkable strides in identifying genes and neural pathways involved in regulating our internal clocks, and such advances could lead to new treatments for insomnia, jet lag, depression, obesity, and other disorders.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/537525/

Obesity 'may be largely genetic'

Becoming overweight as a child is more likely to be the result of your genes than your lifestyle, claims a study.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7230065.stm

Danger signs of food additives are brightly lit

She says that the worst offending additives are E102, also known as tartrazine, and a sweetener called E951 or aspartame.
"Tartrazine causes allergic reactions or intolerance," she asserts, "It's a synthetic yellow found in fruit cordial, marzipan and jams. It's sometimes used along with E133, Brilliant Blue, for example in some processed peas. "Aspartame is found in fizzy drinks, cordials, sweet things and sometimes in yoghurts. It's considered to cause more serious problems. People worry about its potential for causing memory loss and brain problems.

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/features/Danger-signs-of

Ethanol May Add to Global Warming

The widespread use of ethanol from corn could result in nearly twice the greenhouse gas emissions as the gasoline it would replace because of expected land-use changes, researchers concluded Thursday. The study challenges the rush to biofuels as a response to global warming.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gG6RDP96uZ_A1auof7LysRqbgDxAD8ULPD0G0

Acupuncture May Boost Pregnancy

It sounds far-fetched — sticking needles in women to help them become pregnant — but a scientific review suggests that acupuncture might improve the odds of conceiving if done right before or after embryos are placed in the womb.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gu1OoqS0rJqR3nEizDwHUsNAOIJQD8ULPP9G4

A Ray Of Sunshine In The Fight Against Cancer

Vitamin D could become a useful weapon in the fight against MS, osteoporosis, mild depression and one of the most devastating diseases of our time – cancer.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206210402.htm

Diet soda ups risk of metabolic syndrome

The researchers expected to see a link between the Western diet and an increased risk of heart disease and death, but they did not anticipate the effect that diet soda had on health. Adults who consumed one serving of diet soda per day had a 34% higher risk of metabolic syndrome than people who didn’t drink it, even after accounting for other risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure. This is something the researchers say needs to be investigated further.

http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?

Low-Carb Diets Better Than Low-Fat Diets at Preventing Diabetes

A diet low in carbohydrates but high in animal fat and protein doesn't seem to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women, a new study claims.

AR2008020701439.html

Allergies linked to IBS

Researchers have found a potential link between certain allergies and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4&id=12993

Deep brain stimulation boosts memory

Researchers who were experimenting with ways to control appetite have stumbled across a possible treatment for Alzheimer's and similar disorders.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-sci-memory2feb02,1,2736799.story?

Simple urine test beats PSA in detecting prostate cancer

An experimental, non-invasive biomarker test has shown promise to accurately detect prostate cancer, more than any other screening method currently in use, say researchers.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/simple-urine-test-beats-psa

Cancer spotting device on course to hit US market

A UNIVERSITY of Glasgow-developed breakthrough in the fight against bowel cancer will be ready for preliminary trials this summer after going through a fast-track programme designed to bring it quickly to market.
SensaPill, a device that looks for early signs of a disease which kills 16,000 people in the UK a year, is expected to produce significant revenues for its owner, Glasgow-based company Wireless bioDevices, when it clears all the regulatory hurdles.

http://www.sundayherald.com/business/businessnews/display.var.2014706.0

Breeding an Epidemic Antibiotics and Meat

Modern agriculture is rushing us into an unintended but dangerous form of genetic engineering, including antibiotics, how bacteria become resistant, livestock, the animal-human link, regulatory stonewall.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1985-09-01/Breeding

Controversy over vaccine-autism link endures

The Geier studies might have been ignored if not for the fact that a few years earlier, in 1999, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) asked vaccine-makers to remove thimerosal from vaccines as quickly as possible. This move came after they realized that since 1991, children receiving routine vaccines had been getting amounts of thimerosal that might push them over accepted levels of mercury.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080201/thimerosal

Buckwheat high in protein, fiber and a good amount of vitamins

Buckwheat is unique in that it doesn't have the bran and germ that characterizes grain, but its flavor consistency and nutrition content are so much like those of the grains that it is treated like one.

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080202/N

Betelnut is good against diabetes

The popular Papua New Guinean pastime of chewing betelnut, linked to health problems including mouth cancer, may reduce the risk of diabetes, new research shows.

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080202/

Shaky Amount of Iodine in U.S. Salt

There are fewer food sources of iodine in the American diet than there were just a few decades ago, raising the risk of iodine deficiency in a growing number of people. So says a researcher who calls himself an "iodine activist."

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20080201/can-us-shake-iodine-

San Francisco Bans Trans Fats

San Francisco is the latest city trying to run trans fats out of town.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/san-francisco-trans

Baby care products raise dangerous chemicals

Baby lotion, powder and shampoo can lead to higher concentrations in an infant's body of phthalates, chemicals linked to allergies and altered reproductive development, a study showed Monday.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/health/view/326780/1/.html

Good chance that statins aren't for you

Many studies have shown that statins, in otherwise healthy people with only high cholesterol, don't save lives. However, if pharmaceutical companies marketed statins only those people with existing heart disease, sales would be a small fraction of what they could be if they marketed to everyone with high cholesterol (but no heart disease).

http://www.sacbee.com/107/story/678320.html

Heart doctors now skeptical on LDL factor

a controversial study of the widely prescribed medicine Vytorin, coupled with negative publicity about other cholesterol drugs, has touched off an intense debate among cardiologists and researchers about the importance of controlling LDL.

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1202016915159

Vitamin D & Cardiovascular Health, Vitamin D & Breast Cancer, Green Tea & Cancer

When comparing the women with the highest blood levels of Vitamin D against the women with the lowest levels, the results were rather striking. Having the highest levels of Vitamin D in the blood was associated with a nearly 70% reduction in the risk of breast cancer, in this population of Northern European women, when compared to similar women with low Vitamin D levels.

http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/02/03/vitamin-d-cardiovascular-health-

Vitamin status in morbidly obese patients

The morbidly obese women and men had significantly lower concentrations of vitamin B-6, vitamin C, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and lipid-standardized vitamin E than did the healthy controls (P < 0.01 for each). The status of these vitamins was inadequate in a substantial proportion of the patients (11–38%). The status of vitamins A, B-1, B-2, and B-12 and of folic acid was adequate in most of the patients (95–100%). A moderately elevated C-reactive protein concentration was associated with lower vitamin A, B-6, and C concentrations. In a multiple regression analysis, concentrations of alkaline phosphatase (inverse relation) and vitamin C were the strongest determinants of serum vitamin B-6 concentrations.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/87/2/362

Homocysteine concentration, related B vitamins, and betaine in pregnant women recruited to the Seychelles Child Development Study

The current study reports 2 important findings. First, fetal requirements for folate are paramount, such that cord blood folate status is maintained, even when maternal status is low. Second, betaine is a significant predictor of tHcy in pregnant women with low serum folate and low serum methionine concentrations.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/87/2/391

Gaston Naessens 714X / 714-X Treatment For Cancer

The theory behind the work of Gaston Naessens is that cancer is caused by a friendly microorganism (present in all cells) that becomes unfriendly. 714X provides nitrogen to the cancer cells, thus causing this microorganism (somatids - "little bodies") to cease excreting their toxic compounds and the immune system is mobilized. I presume that at that point the immune system kills the cancer cells. "Furthermore, the 714X therapy unclogs the lymph system, which is responsible for removing toxins from the body."

http://www.cancertutor.com/Cancer/The714x.html

New acrylamide detection process launched

A new acrylamide detection method, that could help manufacturers identify the potentially harmful chemical in food products, has been launched by a UK research body.

http://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/news/ng.asp?n=83061-ccfra-

Some facts about high-fructose corn syrup

The bottom line is that Americans are consuming large amounts of highly processed foods and sweetened beverages, which contain HFCS. These types of foods and beverages are generally high in calories and fat, but low in nutrients. It is well-known that increased consumption of foods high in fat and calories leads to weight gain, regardless of the HFCS content.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20080206/FEATURES04/802060302/1368/

714X immune booster

714X is a product created to improve health by revitalizing the immune system. It is not designed to destroy diseased cells nor to act directly on disease related symptoms. 714X rather acts upon the lymph, a circulation paralleling the blood stream. This product supports natural defenses (including the immune system) and must be specifically introduced into the lymphatic system so that its mode of action may be accomplished.

http://www.714-x.com/en/index_product.html

Giving up gluten - The latest diet fad?

Hordes of people are giving up gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. The diet villain du jour, gluten is being blamed for everything from migraines and chronic fatigue to depression and infertility.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/15315781.html

The Vitamin Hoax - Big Pharma Speaks Through Reader's Digest Magazine

The cover of the November 2007 issue of Reader's Digest magazine makes a strong statement through a featured article entitled The Vitamin Hoax: 10 Not to Take. Written by Reader's Digest Senior Research Editor, Neena Samuel, the article cautions readers not to be duped into purchasing vitamins and supplements. She seems concerned by the gullibility of Americans who are "fooled by unrealistic claims of what vitamins can do to 'increase energy,' 'stimulate brain function,' 'improve sex drive,' 'reverse cancer' and 'remove plaque' from your arteries."

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/51439

Can common chemicals make us fat?

A study at the University of Missouri-Columbia showed that mice fed bisphenol A during early development, at lower amounts than what would have resulted in the levels found in most people in the CDC study, become markedly more obese as adults than those that weren't fed the chemical. Tufts University scientists observed similar phenomenon in rats.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/arts/story.html

How to Avoid Phthalates

3 Steps to Help Avoid a Hormone-Mimicking Chemical

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/

The High pH Therapy for Cancer

THE High pH Therapy for cancer was arrived at from an extensive series of physical experiments. These involved the isotope effect across membranes of many types, normal plant and animal, embryonic, cancer, and synthetic. It also involved mass spectrographic analyses of membranes and cells, as well as fluorescence and phosphorescence decay studies of many types of cells and parts thereof. It is the thesis of this paper that the results obtained throw a direct light upon the mechanism of carcinogenesis, and also indicate a therapy.

http://www.mwt.net/~drbrewer/highpH.htm

Kill cancer cells

Cancer is characterized by proliferation of abnormal cells which multiply out of control, destroying healthy tissue and endangering life. This unchecked "cancerous" growth spreads throughout the body, interfering with the ability of cells, organs, and other structures to perform their normal functions.

http://www.killcancercells.com/

Phoenix lab develops blood test for breast cancer

Provista Life Sciences LLC developed a blood test that can detect breast cancer early, when patients have a much higher survival rate.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0204biz-azw-cancer0205-ON.html

When It Hurts to Take a Statin

But between roughly 3 and 15 percent of statin users (the figure is under debate) experience severe myopathy—unmistakable muscle discomfort or weakness. Muscle tissue can even dissolve, an extremely rare condition called rhabdomyolysis that can cause kidney failure.

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/heart/2008/02/04/when-it-hurts

Super-microscopes and suppressed cancer treatments

Incredibly, Naessens' research has resulted in the association of degenerative diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, cancer and AIDS) with the development of forms in the sixteen-stage pathological cycle. The ability to associate the disease with specific stages has enabled Naessens to 'prediagnose' conditions in advance of when they would clinically appear.This discovery puts Gaston Naessens at odds with the orthodox medical philosophy today which has embraced Pasteur's germ theory wholeheartedly. Naessens' work is repeatable. The ability to culture somatids is a bellwether to the rewriting of microbiology!

http://www.whale.to/v/naessens.html

Death, drug reactions spur concern about Botox safety

Concerns about the widely used anti-wrinkle treatment Botox and a similar drug arose Friday as federal regulators said they were reviewing reports of at least one death and other serious reactions among some patients.

http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-botox9feb09,0,617768.story

W.H.O. and Bloomberg Open Global Antismoking Project

Tobacco could kill up to a billion people during the 21st century, as cigarette sales soar in poor and middle-income countries even as they drop in wealthier ones, says a report issued Thursday by the World Health Organization.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/health/policy/08smoking.html?ref=world

Calming Eczema

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may offer real help for people with eczema. The essence of treatment is this: although the symptoms manifest on the skin, they always reflect an internal problem.

http://www.alive.com/6461a17a2.php

Targeting Tumors in 4D

How do you hit a moving target when that target is a tumor? A breakthrough in radiation treatment is giving doctors a new, more accurate way to attack tumors that uses four-dimensional imaging to zero-in on cancer.

http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=18007

Are Vitamins In Soda Just A Gimmick?

Several sodas are being marketing which contain vitamins and minerals such as Niacin (vitamin B3), vitamins B6, B12, zinc, and magnesium. But unlike encapsulated vitamins, which are designed to have prolonged shelf lives and precise nutritional values, it is uncertain how long water-soluble vitamins will last in soda.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/96786.php

Chemical reaction - plastic drink bottles

For years, athletes and hikers have toted their water in colourful, durable BPA bottles. Baby bottles, too, have been made of bisphenol A -- strong, shatterproof, easy to heat in the microwave. Now, all of sudden, BPA is in headlines.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/arts/story.html?id=de1909

New Studies Show that 'Agrofuels' Are a Hoax

While the U.S. and others race to expand the use and production of biofuels, two new studies suggest these gasoline alternatives actually will increase carbon-dioxide levels.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_10130.cfm

[ News of week 6 ]