Archive for Miscellaneous
Adrenalectomy Improves Diabetes in Mice – (07-01-02)
Posted by: | CommentsAdrenalectomy Improves Diabetes in Mice
It is well accepted that chronic stress resulting in the overproduction of cortisol (on of the body’s stress hormones…) alters insulin sensitivity in a negative fashion. This animal study builds on this foundation. Remember that chronic stress has deleterious effects on just about every aspect of human physiology. However, if your endocrinologist comes after you with a knife, better run for the hills–not only do you avoid the scars, but exercise is a wonderful way to manage chronically elevated cortisol…
Cranberry Juice and Adhesion of Antibiotic-Resistant Uropathogens – (07-01-02)
Posted by: | CommentsCranberry Juice and Adhesion of Antibiotic-Resistant Uropathogens
The results of this study are really quite amazing. Use of cranberry juice in this study changed anti-adherence of E. coli from 0% up to 80%. A quick comment, however…this article denotes that cranberry juice “cocktail” was used. This generally refers to the sugar-added version, not the natural stuff.
If this is the case in this study, it is likely that the actual juice may have been even more effective. Keep in mind that it is actually the D-mannose in the juice that is absorbed, passes through to the urine and binds the fimbrae on the pathogenic bacteria, thus preventing the bacteria from attaching to the cells of our urinary system. Couple this therapy with probiotic deuches and I’m sure that the use of antibiotics for UTIs would become a rare therapy.
Abnormal Cortisol Metabolism, Tissue Sensitivity to Cortisol in Glucose Intolerance
Cortisol is the body’s stress hormone. It was designed to produce a heightened state of awareness in our bodies when a predator was near. Unfortunately, in today’s high stress society, there are no predators to identify and our bodies can enter into a state of chronic stress with hypercortisolemia. This elevated cortisol, much like insulin, wreaks havoc on many aspects of physiology. Here we see additional confirmation that cortisol produces abnormal glucose metabolism (and hence increased insulin resistance), obesity and hypertension. Yes, stress does kill. Slowly…
JCEM — Abstracts: Andrews et al. 87 (12): 5587
Avenin fails to induce Th1 response in coeliac tissue – (12-12-02)
Posted by: | CommentsAvenin fails to induce Th1 response in coeliac tissue
The debate has been extensive as to whether oats are safe for patients with coeliac disease (a condition in which the body reacts to the protein gliaden, which is most abundant in wheat). Most articles seem to support the idea that oats are safe for patients with coeliac disease.
Gut — Abstracts: Kilmartin et al. 52 (1): 47
Flavonoids in grape juice protect the LDL from becoming oxidized – (12-05-02)
Posted by: | CommentsComparison of antioxidant effects of Concord grape juice flavonoids & alpha-tocopherol on markers of oxidative stress
While the findings that flavonoids in grape juice have potent antioxidant properties should not drop anyone’s jaw, this is a good time to remind everyone that, while we throw on our blinders and look only at cholesterol as the “bad guy” in CVD, the reality is that LDL cholesterol does not do any damage until the LDL itself gets damaged. The flavonoids in grape juice protect the LDL from becoming oxidized.
AJCN — Abstracts: O’Byrne et al. 76 (6): 1367
Study of methylphenidate & lithium in adults with ADHD – (11-14-02)
Posted by: | CommentsStudy of methylphenidate & lithium in adults with ADHD
A recent lecture by a near brilliant PhD in biochemistry brought this topic to mind. This study found lithium as effective as methylphenidate (Ritalin) for ADHD. Keep in mind that, although lithium has some negative associations with it, safe forms requiring much lower dosages are currently available. Interestingly, although this article showed equal effectiveness, a PubMed search revealed no further or previous studies on lithium therapy and thousands on methylphenidate….Guess which one is patentable….?
Entrez-PubMed
Antibiotics by PCPs for Children with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections – (11-14-02)
Posted by: | CommentsAntibiotics by PCPs for Children with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
If this article is not a truly sad reflection on the medical community keeping current with the medical literature I do not know what is. A mainstream medical journal for pediatrics (among many others) have been literally screaming for less antibiotic use for years now. The result? In general, relatively few docs seem to be getting the message. If begging in mainstream pediatric journals does not work, I’m not entirely sure anything will.
Antibiotic Prescribing by Primary Care Physicians for Children With Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
Thyroid Problem Symptoms? 2 Things You Need to Know
Posted by: | Comments
Thyroid problems link to prediabetes
Thyroid problem symptoms seem to be everywhere. Hyperthyroid (Hashimoto’s, Graves), hypothyroid, benign thyroid nodules, cancerous thyroid nodules. No discrimination between them–they all seem to be happening to everyone.
The way I see it, there are 2 possibilities.
1) The Creator screwed up on the thyroid. Given how amazing everything else works in our bodies and can last for 100 years or more (if we take care of it), it seems a little odd that the thyroid just “goes out” in your twenties or thirties. Or, if you believe in the infallible nature of our Creator, maybe he subcontracted the work out and that’s where the problem arose. Either way, it’s a design flaw.
2) The thyroid was designed with the brilliance of the rest of our body, but it is overly sensitive to abuse (think of the yellow canaries in the coal mining days) from stress, lifestyle and environment chemicals.
Personally, I’m going with #2.
So what do we know of that screws up our thyroid gland?
- Stress
- Gluten sensitivity
- Flame retardants
- Nutritional deficiencies like selenium and iodine
And this is just the short list. In all of them, there is something wrong. Our body throws up the thyroid flag as a warning to look for the problem and fix it. But we burn the warning flag and treat the thyroid with medication, destruction or surgery.
We now have two more items to add to the list of thyroid toxic life events.
Big shocker–they’re linked to every other chronic disease, why not the thyroid??
This particular study looked at a group of patients who had prediabetes, diabetes and thyroid problems and compared them to normal controls. Here’s what they found:
- TSH levels were higher in the diabetic group.
- The volume of the thyroid was higher in the diabetic (75% higher) and prediabetic groups (62.5% higher).
- The percentage of thyroid nodules was 38% higher in the diabetic group and 27.6% higher in prediabetics (Tweet this).
These are some pretty astounding numbers. From a full functional medicine perspective, we know that chemicals in our environment and stress play a major role in the development of diabetes. It could boil down to a chicken or the egg discussion, but it really doesn’t matter.
The best answer is to make the right lifestyle choices (you can see my recommendations by clicking here) BEFORE any thyroid or diabetic problem develops. If you’re too late for that and you’ve got thyroid problems, it’s time to accept the fact that the thyroid is merely the tip of the iceberg and you need to begin to look under the water for answers.
Today.
What did YOUR doctor recommend for YOUR thyroid problems?
Adrenocortical, Autonomic, Inflammatory Causes of Metabolic Syndrome – (11-21-02)
Posted by: | CommentsAdrenocortical, Autonomic, Inflammatory Causes of Metabolic Syndrome
This article supports a link between chronic stress and Syndrome X. This is not at all surprising when you consider the fact that cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) will increase abdominal adiposity and interfere with insulin action, resulting in hyperinsulinemia. Remember that the human body is a complex web, with each system interacting in such complexity that we may never truly understand it. We can only try to back up and try to heal it using the tools Mother Nature gave us.
Circulation — Abstracts: Brunner et al. 106 (21): 2659 -
Food allergies exist and are major contributors to chronic disease – (06-09-03)
Posted by: | CommentsCeliac neuropathy
With the virtual avoidance of the fact that food allergies exist and are major contributors to chronic disease, this study has the potential to change the way many doctors view allergies. Unfortunately, they would have to read the article first….
This article reminds me of a patient I had awhile back that had been diagnosed with dermatitis herpatiforms–a skin condition closely linked to celiac disease–10 yrs prior. When he asked his doctor if he should avoid wheat, the doctor said that would be too hard and put him on a drug used for leprosy. Forget the long term damage that a food allergy like this could cause on other organ systems.
Neurology — Abstracts: Chin et al. 60 (10): 1581
