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

Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal p-glycoprotein and cytochrome p-450 in male rats.

Ok. We need to remember that this is a rat study, but the bacteria in the gut of these rats do not care whether they are residing in a rat or a human. With this said, I will reiterate my firmly held position that artificial sweeteners are leading to chronic disease to include obesity and diabetes. There are no studies to suggest that they help with these same conditions. In this particular study, if we can assume that the results would be the same in humans, the long term ramifications of alteration in gut flora are many. And these include obesity, the very reason many people mistakenly increase their intake of these compounds. Read More.

Combined impact of lifestyle factors on mortality.

This is definitely one of those “How much did we spend on THIS” studies. The conclusion is that more should be done to reduce cigarette smoking, increase physical activity and improve our diets. What an altogether shocking conclusion! Read More.

The “Perfect Storm” for Type 1 Diabetes: The Complex Interplay Between Intestinal Microbiota, Gut Permeability, and Mucosal Immunity.

This is an interesting article, and one that again leads us away from the purely genetic susceptibility to Type 1 diabetes and into one that is preventable, so long as we stand up and admit to it. If the gut plays a pivotal role in the development of Type 1 diabetes (and it does for other autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis and psoriasis), than we again have to look at the wisdom of bombarding our infants (and pregnant mothers) with antibiotics. Some 90+% of infants have had antibiotics by the time they are 2, and I have NEVER, in my decade of practice, had a parent told that they should follow up use of antibiotics with administration of probiotics. And yet the devastation that may ensue is strewn about the medical literature, if we would just READ IT!! In the particular case of T1D, I would also include to avoidance of dairy and the indiscriminate use of every vaccination know to man used in infants. Read More.

Oral Probiotics Prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants.

Not to beat a dead horse, but if giving probiotics to a preterm infant can positively impact their risk of survival, than why are we taking so long to recognize their benefits in infants and toddlers? I recently had a patient that presented for help with chronic ear infections. As in 35 YEARS of ear infections which of course included untold courses of antibiotics and multiple myringotomy tubes. Never once, with all the specialists she had seen over the decades, had a single one ever mentioned the importance of normal flora. So much so that she did not even know what probiotics were! How, with all the research out there, is this even possible? (sorry..I feel much better now…) Read More.

Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality in the United States: Increase of Staphylococcus aureus Coinfection.

Given the current scare over the swine flu, this is an important study to understand. First, look at the real numbers. As horrible as it is to have an child die of any cause, in the 3 years reported, our country lost 166 children (median age 5 yrs) to confirmed influenza. This is a microscopic number compared the number of children we are led to believe that die of the flu every year. And, of important consideration in these numbers is that many of them had associated MRSA coinfection, which was likely a major contributing factor to their deaths. This supports the concept of a healthy lifestyle and healthy bacterial flora to fight off these conditions in the first place. The beneficial outcomes of this type of approach, rather than spending millions and millions of dollars from fear tactics on vaccination programs that are of questionable efficacy, are quite obvious. Read More.

Prenatal maternal diet affects asthma risk in offspring.

This is an important article to consider. This mouse study raises the possibility that the push for periconceptual folic acid supplementation may be contributing to asthma, not ONLY in the offspring, but in the subsequent generation via epigenetic modification. Pretty heavy stuff. Now, before we jump on the bandwagon of avoiding prenatal vitamins, I have a few comments. First, nothing happens in a vacuum. If this relationship holds true, would paying heightened attention to other known in-utero and early childhood exposures provide an overall positive benefit despite methyl donors like folic acid during pregnancy? The answer is highly likely to be yes–many times deficiencies or excesses have greater impacts in the setting of other physiological challenges, producing an additive effect. Next, might this mean that we need to pay more attention to SNP testing for methylation genes and identify those in need of supplementation during pregnancy? Again, the answer would be yes. Read More.

Vitamin E intake, alpha-tocopherol status, and pancreatic cancer in a cohort of male smokers.

Have I mentioned that cancer risk can be modified with lifestyle? In this study we see a 48% reduced risk for pancreatic cancer (again-a very, very bad cancer) with highest blood levels of alpha tocopherol. Sound good? In those with the highest intake of polyunsatured fats (fats found in such foods as nuts, but which are very prone to becoming oxidized) the reduction was 62%. 62%. In my book, that’s pretty good. Read More.

Higher Intakes of Vegetables and Vegetable-Related Nutrients Are Associated with Lower Endometrial Cancer Risks.

Ok..I’m getting sick of hearing myself repeat this. The horse is not only dead, but fully decomposed and it’s nutrients reabsorbed by the foliage…Highest intakes of fruits and veggies led to 49% reduced risk. Read More.

Fruit and Vegetable Intakes Are Associated with Lower Risk of Colorectal Adenomas.

Just thought I’d throw a new concept at you…fruits and veggies can lower risk of cancer!! Who would’ve guessed? Read More.

Prospective Study on Occupational Stress and Risk of Stroke.

We all know that stress isn’t good for us. We all have a tendency to stress the MOST about the things we have no control over. So..if we can’t control them, why stress? It’s killing us. Literally. The problem is that so many people seem to get completely caught up in a cycle of stress, with one stressful event giving way to the next event, in an seemingly endless cascade of stress. Well, in this study we found a doubling of the risk of stroke in men who had the highest stress levels in their workplace. Read More.

Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar.

We all have an idea that high fructose corn syrup is bad for us, despite what the commercials and the government tells us. It’s a caloric source with absolutely no nutrition whatsoever–the exact antithesis of what promotes longevity. So that’s bad enough. What if you knew this wonderful substance was also loaded with mercury? Yup. Many patients have asked me how it gets there. Well…HFCS is not actually a natural product, believe it or not. The process may involve corn, but that’s where the relationship ends. It requires a pretty elaborate process that involves an alkali procedure that uses mercury. Read More.

First evidence of a possible association between gastric acid suppression during pregnancy and childhood asthma.

I cannot begin to stress enough just how vitally important digestion is. Any attempt to block digestion with acid suppressive drugs (with the exception of those in the middle of a bleeding ulcer episode) is going to have long term, multiple, consequences on health. Stomach acid is absolutely essential to good health. In this particular study we can see that these effects can even stretch to the unborn baby, increasing the risk for asthma. Read More.

Extremely short duration high intensity interval training substantially improves insulin action in young healthy males.

I’ve become more and more of a fan of interval type training when it comes to aerobics. Personally, I subscribe to Dr. Sears’ PACE program (Progressive Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion), which involves sets of increasing intensity but shorter duration. Makes sense when you look at what our bodies were designed to do (can’t imagine any type of sustained aerobic jog to chase after a running antelope for food…). The research is increasingly in support of this type of program. In this particular study, a miniscule level of intense exercise (15 mins over 2 wks) led to a Read More.