Morning Health Team

FDA Approved Drugs May Not Be As Safe As You Think

May 16, 2017 By Morning Health Team Leave a Comment

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Most of us have experienced sticker shock when we’ve gone to a pharmacy to pick up a prescribed drug. Most people have no clue how much some of their prescriptions really cost because they have them covered by their healthcare plans. They go to the pharmacy, pay their co-pay and go on their merry way. Those that do not have healthcare coverage for prescriptions are the ones that are shocked at how much a prescription can cost. Then you have those with conditions or illnesses that require prescriptions that are not covered by their healthcare plan.

Some years ago, I worked with a man who was battling leukemia. Most of the standard treatments did not work and his doctors convinced him to try a new drug which was not covered by our healthcare plan. When he went to pick up the prescription, it cost him over $3,000 for a two week supply. Sadly, that new drug didn’t help either and he died a couple months, but not after spending tens of thousands of dollars just on prescriptions.

We’ve heard a lot on the news over the past year or two about the high cost of some important drugs and in many cases, the pharmaceutical companies justify the high cost by saying that it took millions of dollars to develop, test and get the drug approved. Not to necessarily defend the pharmaceutical companies, but it does take a lot of time and money to develop, test and then get approval from the FDA before a company can ever market their drug and try to recoup the costs. If you want to know what it takes to get FDA approval, I suggest you go the FDA website and see for yourself. It’s quite a process.

Once a drug has been tested and finally achieves FDA approval, most of us believe the drug is now safe to take for the prescribed medical condition it’s designed to treat. But that may be a dangerous misconception.

Researchers at Yale University led a research study to determine just how safe FDA approved drugs are and their findings may shock you and make you hesitate the next time your doctor writes you a prescription.

According to a report issued by Yale:

“To assess new drugs for safety and effectiveness, the FDA relies on premarket drug testing and clinical trials. Most of the trials involve fewer than 1,000 patients studied over a period of six months or less, making it difficult to detect safety issues that might be identified once more patients use the drug over a longer time period. To identify factors that might enhance patient safety and regulatory surveillance efforts, the Yale-led team analyzed data on new drugs approved between 2001 and 2010, with follow up through 2017.”

“The research team, led by associate professor of medicine and public health Dr. Joseph Ross, found that 32% of new drugs were flagged for a safety issue after approval. ‘That is very rarely a drug withdrawal, but more commonly a black box warning, or drug safety communication issued by the FDA to let physicians and patients know that new safety information has been determined,’ said Ross.”

“The researchers also identified characteristics of drugs that were more likely to be associated with a safety concern, including biologic therapies and drugs that were approved through the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway.”

The Yale study revealed that 1 in every 3 new drugs approved by the FDA had safety concerns. In addition, they found that more drugs also warranted safety concerns. The really concerning issue is that it’s rare for a drug, once approved to be un-approved and removed from the list.

Whenever my wife or I receive a new prescription, we do a little research on the drug first before we ever start taking it. It has paid off on occasion because my wife does have a reaction to some classes of drugs and have found that she could have a negative reaction to the drug. We notified the doctor who then prescribed something more tolerable to her. Don’t blindly rely on your doctor to know everything. Ultimately, you need to take some responsibility for your health and do a little research when necessary.

Pill That Builds Up Physical Stamina by Burning Fat?

May 16, 2017 By Morning Health Team Leave a Comment

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Many athletes know that it takes a long time and lots of practice and exercise to build up the physical stamina it takes to participate in their sport. Track athletes such as distance runners practice for years to build up enough stamina to run such distances. Basketball players run up and down the courts in practice all through their school years and into the pros to build up their stamina or endurance in order to play most of a game.

Perhaps no one knows what it takes to build up endurance more than a marathon runner. I’ve always wondered what would make anyone want to run a marathon considering the race is patterned after what happened to a soldier who ran that distance and then collapsed and died from the physical effects it placed on his body.

You probably aren’t a track or professional athlete, but there are still plenty of times that you wish you had more physical endurance than you currently have. How quick did you tire out when mowing the lawn, trimming the shrubs and trees or cleaning the house? What about the last time you spent time with your kids? I’ve often heard parents say they wish they had the energy of the young.

If you’re an older person like me, you may have been fairly active most of your life, but now life has slowed down and you are forced to exercise to try to get yourself back in shape or lose weight. I ended up buying a treadmill and walk at least 1.5 miles twice a day. When I started walking, I had a hard time walking half a mile at a brisk pace before tiring out. I’ve now built up the endurance and stamina to do 1.5 miles a stint, but even then, I have to really push myself to cover that distance. I know the more I walk the more weight I’ll lose and better the exercise will be on my heart, but I just haven’t built up that stamina or endurance to walk further or longer.

We hear about all kinds of miracle drugs and pills these days, but what if you could take a pill that would help build your stamina for physical exertion? Sounds like one of those quack deals? Think again.

Ronald Evans, Professor and Director of the Gene Expression Lab & Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California believes he may have found just such a miracle stamina drug.

But don’t get too excited yet as his research is still in the early study phase. However, his research not only promises hope to millions of us that need stamina to help with our exercising and weight loss, but it will also raise ethical questions for amateur and professional athletes.

Evans’ miracle drug, known as GW1516 was given to laboratory mice for eight weeks. At that time, the test mice and control mice were placed on a treadmill and ran until they showed signs of fatigue. The control mice averaged about 160 minutes before fatiguing and the test mice that received GW1516 ran for an average of 270 minutes.

Evans and his research team believe that GW1516 works with a specific gene that changes the body from burning the stores of sugar for energy to burning fat. The implication of this could be not only beneficial to millions who are exercising to lose weight, but the idea of burning fat as part of the sudden increase in stamina could be huge for the weight loss industry.

Evan’s commented on his findings, saying:

“If you reprogram the genetics, you can acquire that level of fitness without having to expend a lot of energy.”

According to a recent report on Evans’ research:

“It’s not clear whether the chemical would work the same way in humans. But if it did, the results from the study could one day lead to a pill that controls a network of genes, turning them on and off to selectively burn fat and sugar, much like exercise training. Such a therapy could mimic the benefits of exercise for those with limited mobility, such as the elderly, obese or physically impaired.”

“In the new study, Evans and his team built on earlier work in which they found a kind of biological sensor called PPARD that, during exercise, senses fat in the muscle and then turns genes on and off to burn fat and preserve sugar. [Dieters, Beware: 9 Myths That Can Make You Fat]”

“Previous work also showed that GW1516 interacted with that sensor, activating the same set of genes as those that would be triggered by exercise. For example, in one study, Evans and his team gave GW1516 to normal mice for four weeks and showed that it controlled their weight and insulin response. But it didn’t seem to influence endurance in sedentary mice.”

“In the new study with sedentary mice, they increased the dose of GW1516 and gave the compound over a longer period.”

“When the scientists analyzed muscle tissue from the mice, they found a few interesting things. First, the tissue did not show any of the physiological changes associated with fitness training. There was no increase in the number of blood vessels or mitochondria, the power plants in cells that generate more than 90 percent of the energy.”

The bottom line is that GW1516 may help boost stamina and help burn fat, which could be a huge benefit for weight loss, it does not seem that the drug would benefit the heart or build-up of muscle. For athletes, they need to build-up muscle. For many of us regular folk, we need to not only build-up muscle mass but we need to improve heart function. Perhaps being able to exercise longer will allow someone to build up the muscle mass and improve heart health. Guess we’ll all have to wait to find out.

Knee Trouble? Can Losing Weight Help?

May 10, 2017 By Morning Health Team 2 Comments

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In my later teen years, I tore up both my knees from riding bulls and saddle broncs for several years. I’ve had partial tears of the anterior cruciate ligament and medial cruciate ligament in both knees and was told I needed surgery to repair them, but have never had the surgery.

When I enlisted in the US Air Force in 1975, both of my knees swelled to the size of large grapefruit during basic training. I was sent to the base hospital where I spent a week being examined and treated by several different doctors. Finally, a doctor who happened to be a full colonel, examined my knees and I’ll never forget hearing him tell me in his thick and slow southern drawl:

“Son, the cartilage in your knees looks like grape-fruit p – u – l – p.”

So ended my six-year enlistment in the Air Force. A year later, a top orthopedic surgeon in our area, who also worked on the local university athletes, told me my knees were so bad that I needed both knee joints replaced. He also told me that there was no way I could possibly stay on my feet and work eight hours a day because of my knees. At the time, I was working 8-14 shifts as a retail manager and I was on my feet most of the that time, and I never have my knee joints replaced.

Over the years, I’ve had knee trouble and have had to learn how to walk and move so that my knees don’t go out-of-joint. For eleven years after I worked retail, I read electric meters for a utility. On that job, I walked an average of 12-15 miles a day, with one particular route that clocked in around 21 miles, and yes, my knees hurt, but I managed. In fact, due to having a genetic immunity to most pain killers (not a fun trait to have), my knees have hurt 24/7 since I was 17-years-old. I’m now 65.

My weight has gone up and down over the years and I found that the heavier I was, the more my knees hurt when I walked. That’s why a particular medical article caught my attention. The article is titled: Can Dropping Some Weight Save Your Knees?

The article stated that over 50% of the people that are 75-years-old or older have osteoarthritis. They defined it as: ‘the wear-and-tear form of the joint disease in which cartilage thins and wears away’. According to the Arthritis Foundation:

“Sometimes called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting approximately 27 million Americans. OA can affect any joint, but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers and the bases of the thumb and big toe.”

“In normal joints, a firm, rubbery material called cartilage covers the end of each bone. Cartilage provides a smooth, gliding surface for joint motion and acts as a cushion between the bones. In OA, the cartilage breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint.”
Researcher Dr. Alexandra Gersing, who works in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco, conducted a study on knee problems and weight. Her study found that when overweight and obese people lost 5% or more of their body weight over four years, they experienced less degeneration of the knee cartilage compared to those who did not lose weight.

She commented on the study, saying:

“Our study shows that a lifestyle intervention such as weight loss can slow the process of knee joint degeneration in patients at risk for and with osteoarthritis.”
“Therefore, it may slow the worsening of symptoms, such as pain and disability.”

Dr. Gering added:

“Osteoarthritis is one of the major causes of disability worldwide.”

If you are having knee pain and problems and are overweight or obese, try dieting and exercise to lose at least 5% of your body or more. The more weight you lose, the slower the cartilage in your knees will deteriorate and improve your chances to avoid having knee replacements. Trust me. I’ve been there and can tell you first hand that the more weight I’ve lost in the past couple of years, the better my knees felt and when I put the weight back on, the worse they felt.

Low-Sodium Diet May Not Always Lower Blood Pressure

May 9, 2017 By Morning Health Team 2 Comments

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Are you one of the many Americans that have been told they have high blood pressure? You’re not alone, as according to the CDC, 75 million American adults (nearly 25% of the entire US population) have high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risks of heart disease and strokes, the number 1 and 3 top causes of deaths in America. This is why high blood pressure is called the ‘silent killer’. It also costs an estimated $46 billion a year in medical expenses which includes doctor visits, medications, hospital and other healthcare in addition to days missed at work.

As your heart pumps blood through your arteries, it has a force that is exerted against the walls of the arteries. It’s this force that doctors and nurses measure. That pressure in your arteries rises and lowers at certain times of the day. It also increases with physical exertion. There are two pressures measured, one when the heart beats (systolic) and the other when the heart relaxes between beats (diastolic).

Most medical experts consider blood pressures ranging from 90/60 to 120/80 as normal blood pressure. Pressures measuring just over 120/80 to 140/90 are considered pre-high blood pressure and anything over 140/90 is considered high blood pressure. Under normal circumstances, it’s not unusual to see high blood pressure readings after exercising or working hard, but if it stays high, then it’s something to worry about.

I’ll confess that I have been diagnosed as having high blood pressure, but was told that it is probably due to my being overweight and having too much salt or sodium in my diet. Many years ago, when I lived in Arizona and worked outside in the hot summer sun, I cut back on my sodium intake because my dad was told he had high blood pressure and I took after him in many ways. However, I ended up getting sick and nauseous a lot and a doctor told me that I had cut too much sodium out of my diet.

Now I have high blood pressure and have been told to cut back on the sodium. After swearing I would never be one of those health nut label readers, I find that I now read labels on most food items. I watch for salt, sugars and fats, mostly. Yes, I have been cutting back on my sodium to help keep my blood pressure lower.

But is that really necessary? Does a low-sodium diet always help lower high blood pressure?

If you are like me and have been told to watch your sodium intake because of high blood pressure, you may be interested in this:

“A new study that followed more than 2,600 men and women for 16 years found that consuming less sodium wasn’t associated with lower blood pressure. The new findings call into question the sodium limits recommended by the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.”

Dr. Lynn Moore, DSc, Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, who led that study, stated:

“We saw no evidence that a diet lower in sodium had any long-term beneficial effects on blood pressure. Our findings add to growing evidence that current recommendations for sodium intake may be misguided.”

“Our new results support these other studies that have questioned the wisdom of low dietary sodium intakes in the general population.”

One interesting thing the study also revealed was:

“The researchers also found that people in the study who had higher intakes of potassium, calcium and magnesium exhibited lower blood pressure over the long term. In Framingham, people with higher combined intakes of sodium (3,717 milligrams per day on average) and potassium (3,211 milligrams per day on average) had the lowest blood pressure.”

Before you run out and grab the salt shaker and begin sprinkling your food or diving into a bag of potato chips or popcorn, please do check with your doctor. Everybody’s system is different and what works for one person may not work for another. One way or another, if you have high blood pressure, try to lose extra weight if you are overweight and take whatever medication your doctor prescribes.

New Study Confusing for New Breastfeeding Moms

May 9, 2017 By Morning Health Team Leave a Comment

The question of whether or not to breastfeed a newborn baby is a personal one that should be left up to the new parents. Unfortunately, some activists on both sides of the issue have been using social media to shame new moms regardless of their decision.

Believe it or not, some people have used social media to harass new moms who choose to breastfeed their babies. Some of them refer to the social norms of the day, saying that breastfeeding is offensive to others or family members should not be exposed to it and even some claim that with the improvements in modern formulas, breastfeeding is not necessary.

A growing number of moms these days have careers and find it difficult to impossible to breastfeed while working. Some choose to pump their breasts and store the milk for later feedings, but that is also not always convenient. In the news broadcast they interviewed one new mom who said breastfeeding was one of the hardest things she has ever done. My wife was shocked. She breastfed both of our daughters and didn’t see anything hard about it. She did have a difficult time getting our one daughter to breastfeed, but that was due to the nursing staff giving the baby a bottle just before bringing her in to my wife. They were told not to feed the baby, but did so anyway. However, my wife continued to try and it didn’t take that long for our daughter to feed. She also says it was not only easy to breastfeed, but one of the most pleasant and memorable parts of having a new baby.

On the other side of the argument, some activists, who believe they are doing the right thing, shame mothers who choose not to breastfeed. They take to social media in their attempt to force moms to breastfeed. They cite all kinds of studies that report on the benefits of breastfeeding over bottle feeding. Some even tell moms who don’t breastfeed that they are neglectful and depriving their babies of the benefits gleaned from breastfeeding.

A recent news story brought this to my attention when it shared new research that questioned the alleged long-term effects benefits of breastfeeding. If anything, the study only adds confusion to the issue, so allow me to try to explain just what the new study says. According to the news report:

“The study looked at what many had perceived as two ‘long-term’ benefits of breastfeeding: Improved thinking or cognition, and less hyperactivity.”

“Parents of more than 7,000 babies were asked to report on these and by the time kids were five, researchers found no differences in kids breastfed or not for the first six months of life.”

Note that this study only looked at two issues and even then, they only looked at the first 6-months. Not all kids demonstrate hyperactivity until they reach two-years of age or older. Also note that the study didn’t deal with other claimed beneficial results of breastfeeding.

Another study reported just a few days earlier and showed the importance of the ‘golden hour’. That’s the time immediately following the birth of a child. Unfortunately, many hospitals whisk the baby away to cleaned, measured, weighed and examined. This practice was found not to be in the best interest of mother and baby. Dr. Amy Thompson, an OB-GYN conducted the study and reported:

“‘We took some traditional practices in hospitals, like what happened to the baby right after delivery, and how often mom and baby were able to be in a room together after delivery, and we really wanted to look at those basic processes and change how we did those fundamentally.”

Her study revealed that keeping mom and baby together during the golden hour can lead to better bonding between mom and baby and also helps improve breastfeeding. Thompson added:

“So now, rather than whisking a baby off to a warmer, we want mom to hold her baby skin to skin right after delivery.”

She also suggested that keeping mom and baby together during the golden hour may have benefits that last much longer for both mom and baby.

A good friend of mine retired from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, one of the top four rated medical schools in the nation. He has shared with me that breastfeeding provides vital nutrients the baby needs to develop their immune system and no formula can duplicate those nutrients. He also said that breastfeeding provides an intimate and special bond between mother and child. When that bonding is not allowed to take place, there are greater chances of problems later on between mother and child.

Before any new mom begins to rethink about if she will or won’t breastfeed her new baby, don’t let this latest report confuse her or dissuade. From everything I’ve read, heard and been told, the immediate and long-term benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh non-issues like this latest report. Talk it over with your husband and doctor and then pray about it. It’s really a more important decision than many new moms may realize.

Mid-Life Memory Problems? Try Exercising!

May 3, 2017 By Morning Health Team Leave a Comment

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A friend commented that when she turned 40-years-old, her kids lovingly told her that she was beginning to get a little forgetful at times. She joked and said it was raising kids, which in part may have been true.

On April 25, 2017, I shared six main reasons for memory loss. They were: chronic stress, alcohol abuse, depression, health conditions, medications and physical exhaustion.

There is no doubt that raising kids these days can be stressful and physically exhausting at times and possibly times of depression, all of which can lead to some memory loss.

By the time a mom reaches 50-years of age, she is marrying off her kids. It’s not nearly as hard on her if she has boys, but marrying off a daughter or daughters, can take quite a toll on mom. It’s definitely a stressful time to make sure all of the arrangements are made. Leading up to and the day of the wedding is often very physically exhausting. After a daughter and her new husband drive away, it’s not uncommon for mom to experience some periods of depression, as well. Again, all of these can lead to memory loss.

In the post mentioned above, it was reported that researchers found a protein in umbilical cord blood that appeared to improve and even restore memory. However, this is still in the experimental stage and may be some time before it’s approved for use. So, what can you do now to help you keep from losing more memory and even help restore some of the memory issues you may be facing at this stage in life?

Would you believe that exercise may help? Yes, the dreaded ‘E’ word – exercise. I can hear you now – I don’t have time or I can’t afford to go to a gym, but if it’s important enough, you can find the time and you don’t need to go to a gym.

It’s not just any exercise, but a combination of exercises and they have to be done on a routine basis. Check this out:

“Can a new exercise regimen boost your brain health if you’re over 50?”

“Possibly, suggests a new research review that found middle-age folks can improve their thinking and memory skills by adopting regular moderate-to-vigorous routines involving aerobic and resistance exercise.”

“‘When we combined the available data from [39 previous] studies, we were able to show that undertaking physical exercise was able to improve the brain function of people aged 50 and over,’ said study lead author Joseph Northey. He’s a doctoral candidate and teaching fellow at the University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise in Australia.”

In the studies, participants did their exercises under supervision. The type, duration of time and intensity of the exercises were noted and then compared. Afterwards, the participants took tests that measured brain function, also associated with memory.

Interestingly, tai chi and aerobic exercises seemed to enhance overall brain function. Resistance exercises seemed to improve memory. Northey commented:

“…being able to show that resistance training — such as lifting weights or using body weight — was similarly beneficial is a very novel and important finding.”

“Combining both aerobic and resistance training is ideal.”

“In addition to improving your brain function as our review shows, you should expect to see improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness and muscle strength, which are important for maintaining general health and being able to undertake day-to-day tasks.”

The researchers also said that the more physically active you are, the better the benefits for brain function. So, as you reach that 40-year mark and especially the 50-year mark, it’s important not only for your physical health to stay active or exercise regularly (aerobic and resistance), but it’s also important for maintaining brain function and reducing memory loss.

Getting Fat from ‘Diet’ Products

May 3, 2017 By Morning Health Team 1 Comment

Diet foods are a multi-billion-dollar business, especial in America with so many people becoming more heath conscious. One of the first things many people going on a diet do is cut or reduce fat from their diets. They begin reading labels to see just how much fat a product contains. After all, we’ve all heard that fatty foods make one fat, haven’t we?

But how carefully are people reading the labels? Do they just see the no fat or reduced fat label and toss the item into their shopping carts? How many dieters actually take time to read the entire label to see what all is in the no or reduced fat diet food they are purchasing?

Now let me ask how many people on diets, that are being careful and eating diet foods with no to little fat, are having problems losing weight or inches? Any of you find that the pounds are not melting away but in fact you may have found a few more?

Will you be shocked to learn that the reason you aren’t losing weight or inches or possible gaining a few more pounds is some of the diet foods you are consuming?

Would you be further shocked to learn that many companies pull fat out of diet products and then load the same diet product with hidden sugars? Your diet of diet foods may in fact be giving you a huge increase in the amount of sugar you are consuming and it’s the added sugar that is making it difficult for you to lose those unwanted pounds or even putting more pounds on.

According to another new study:

“High-fat foods are often the primary target when fighting obesity, but sugar-laden “diet” foods could be contributing to unwanted weight gain as well, according to a new study from the University of Georgia…”

“‘Most so-called diet products containing low or no fat have an increased amount of sugar and are camouflaged under fancy names, giving the impression that they are healthy, but the reality is that those foods may damage the liver and lead to obesity as well,’ said the study’s principal investigator, Krzysztof Czaja, an associate professor of veterinary biosciences and diagnostic imaging in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine.”

“‘What’s really troubling in our findings is that the rats consuming high-sugar, low-fat diets didn’t consume significantly more calories than the rats fed a balanced diet,’ Czaja said. ‘Our research shows that in rats fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet, the efficiency of generating body fat is more than twice as high — in other words, rats consuming low-fat high-sugar diets need less than half the number of calories to generate the same amount of body fat’.”

In the tests, they also found that the unbalanced diets – low fat, high sugar – resulted in inflammation in the intestinal tract and brain. The inflammation in the brain changes the communication between the brain and the gut, by damaging the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve, among its many functions, helps signal the brain when the gut is full so if the nerve is damaged, the brain doesn’t always get the full signal, so it tells the body it’s still hungry, leading to eating more.

If you are on a diet and trying to reduce or cut out fat, be very careful of your selection of diet foods. To begin with, it’s best to avoid most processed foods as they usually contain a number of additives that aren’t healthy. Secondly, don’t just read the Nutritional Value label, but look at the actual list of ingredients. Watch for anything ending in -ose as that generally indicates a sugar or anything with syrup, like corn syrup. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients in the diet food, then perhaps you should hold off and do some research on that ingredient when you get home. Lastly, DON’T blindly trust labels that say ‘DIET’ or ‘no fat’ or reduced fat’ because chances are, they may have more sugar than you need.

New Key to Starving Cancer?

May 2, 2017 By Morning Health Team Leave a Comment

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We’ve all been hearing for years that eating red meat is bad for your health and may be linked to increased risks of developing cancer. The same reports say that we need to eat more vegetables and fruits to reduce our chances of developing cancer.

The American Institute for Cancer Research has a list of 10 Recommendations for Cancer Prevention. Number 4 on that list states:

“Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes such as beans.”

Number 5 on that list states:

“Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats.”

When you click on the link to red meats, you will find:

“To reduce your cancer risk, eat no more than 18 ounces (cooked weight) per week of red meats, like beef, pork and lamb, and avoid processed meat such as ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs and sausages.”

According to the World Health Organization, studies have shown that eating red meat increases the risk of colorectal, pancreatic and prostate cancers.

New research may suggest that the association of eating red meat and cancers may be due to some of the amino acids found in the proteins in red meat. Proteins are made up of amino acids, some of which, may have shown to feed cancer cells.

According to a recent report:

“Researchers at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute and the University of Glasgow found that removing two non-essential amino acids — serine and glycine — from the diet of mice slowed the development of lymphoma and intestinal cancer.”

“The researchers also found that the special diet made some cancer cells more susceptible to chemicals in cells called reactive oxygen species.”

“Chemotherapy and radiotherapy boost levels of these chemicals in the cells, so this research suggests a specially formulated diet could make conventional cancer treatments more effective.”

“The next stage would be to set up clinical trials with cancer patients to assess the feasibility and safety of such a treatment.”

Although many reports list serine as a non-essential amino acid, it does play an important part in helping to form the protective myelin sheaths that protect nerve cells. Too much serine has also been shown to be toxic to nerve cells, so there needs to be a balance.

In the report above, they also list glycine as a non-essential amino acid, yet WebMD.com, glycine has numerous purposes and is found in meat, fish, dairy and legumes. It has been shown to help in the treatment of schizophrenia and preliminary studies indicate that it may help regulate blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes.

While more research is needed to see if cutting out or reducing the intake of serine and glycine actually helps to starve cancer cells or increases the effectiveness of other cancer treatments, according to Dr. Oliver Maddocks, a Cancer Research UK scientist at the University of Glasgow:

“Our findings suggest that restricting specific amino acids through a controlled diet plan could be an additional part of treatment for some cancer patients in future, helping to make other treatments more effective.”

Early studies did indicate one drawback and that was using a serine and glycine free diet to help treat cancers with the Kras gene, such as many forms of pancreatic cancer. It seems that the Kras gene allows the cancer cells to make their own serine and glycine.

However, be warned before you go on a serine and glycine free diet on your own, that you may be risking your health needlessly. According to Professor Karen Vousden, Cancer Research UK’s Chief Scientist and study co-author:

“This kind of restricted diet would be a short-term measure and must be carefully controlled and monitored by doctors for safety. Our diet is complex and protein — the main source of all amino acids — is vital for our health and well-being. This means that patients cannot safely cut out these specific amino acids simply by following some form of home-made diet.”

New breakthroughs in the treatments of various forms of cancers are always being made and perhaps someday, researchers will find some of the secrets behind the formation of cancer cells and how to block their formation in the first place.

Daily Diet Soda Triples Risk of Strokes & Alzheimer’s

April 27, 2017 By Morning Health Team 3 Comments

Soft drinks – soda – pop; whatever you call it, is multi-billion-dollar business in the United States. Burger, fries and soft drink are the foundation of the fast food industry. Sporting events rely heavily on the sale of soft drinks to help pay their costs. Go to a city park in the summertime, or a local lake and you’ll undoubtedly find ice chests full of soft drinks, and possible more.

However, look at the American people and you’ll see the direct effects of abundant soft drink sales and consumption. We are the most overweight people in the world. America also has a higher degree of childhood obesity and diabetes, part of which has been linked to drinking too many soft drinks. Diabetes has also become an epidemic in our nation.

I humbly admit that I am guilty of what I write. I am overweight and have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. For many years, I enjoyed a Dr. Pepper with my lunch and dinner and am now paying for it. However, I know that my weight and diabetes is directly linked to my diet and lack of exercise. How do I know that? Last July (2016) my A1C (the measure used to diagnose diabetes) was 11.5. Since 6.0 and below is considered normal, my 11.5 was dangerously high. I went on a strict sugar and BAD carbohydrate free diet plus I began exercising. In December, barely 5 months later, my A1C was only 5.2, much to the surprise of my doctor. I also lost 82 pounds during the same time period. If I can keep my A1C this low, it’s possible that I will no longer be a diabetic.

When I met with my doctor, I was told that if I really wanted to continue to drink Dr. Pepper to switch to diet Dr. Pepper, but no soft drink was what was really recommended. Many other Americans have been told by their doctors to switch to diet soft drinks to help them with their weight and blood sugar. Dentists also believe that soft drinks are a leading cause of tooth decay due to the sugar and acid in the carbonation that eats away at the protective enamel of your teeth.

If you are among the millions of Americans who have switched from regular soft drinks to diet soft drinks for whatever reason, you may be shocked to find out that diet soft drinks have its own evil consequences.

You may have heard about aspartame an artificial sweetener used in many diet soft drinks. There is evidence that the chemicals in aspartame do cloud the mind and interferes with the thought process. Many people who stopped drinking diet soft drinks found that they suddenly were able think more clearly than they had in some time:

“It turns out the headaches you expected from a diet soft drink withdrawal didn’t materialise. And now that you’ve quit the stuff, you probably find yourself thinking clearly for the first time in a while.”

“That’s because the chemicals that make up the artificial sweetener aspartame may have altered brain chemicals, nerve signals, and the brain’s reward system, which leads to headaches, anxiety, and insomnia, according to a review in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”

“And a 2013 animal study found that rats that drank diet soda had damaged cells and nerve endings in the cerebellum — the part of the brain responsible for motor skills.”

Another effect of diet soda is that it masks the taste of many foods. Stop drinking diet soft drinks for a couple of weeks and you’ll find that foods have stronger flavors. The artificial sweeteners in diet soft drinks are up to 200 times sweeter than table sugar, causing your taste buds to be overloaded with sweet.

Heather Bainbridge, RD, from Columbia University Medical Center Weight Control Center, commented, saying:

“We often see patients change snack choices when they give up diet soda.”

“Rather than needing sugary treats or something really salty like pretzels and chips, they reach for an apple and a piece of cheese. And, when they try diet soda again, they find it intolerably sweet.”

Did you know that mixing diet soda with alcohol can get you drink faster? The diet soft drink causes your stomach to empty faster, which then leaves it more vulnerable to the alcohol.

Additionally, diet soft drinks have been found to impede kidney function.

“One study looked at 11 years of data and found that women who drank 2 or more servings of diet soda doubled their chances of declining kidney function.”

If all of the above isn’t enough to cause you to put down your diet soft drink, then consider this:

“The team of researchers from Boston’s University School of Medicine, said people who consume a can of artificially-sweetened soft drink a day were at three times the risk of suffering the most common form of stroke compared to non-drinkers.”

“The US study also indicated that diet soft drink fans were 2.9 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. But after accounting for all lifestyle factors, the researchers found the link to dementia was statistically insignificant, however, the impact on stroke risk remained…”

“‘Drinking at least one artificially sweetened beverage daily was associated with almost three times the risk of developing stroke or dementia compared to those who drank artificially sweetened beverages less than once a week,’ the research read, which was published in Stroke, the journal of the American Heart Association.”

Face it, like or not, there is not one redeeming thing about drinking soft drinks or diet soft drinks other than to satisfy one’s addiction to sugar and sweets. Switching to diet soft drinks may be better for your weight and diabetes, but in the meantime, you’re exposing yourself to a host of other health risks, especially strokes and Alzheimer’s. Next time you pop the top on a can of diet soft drink, think of the sound it makes as ‘STROKE’. It won’t take for you to stop drinking them.

FDA Approves New Device to Treat Cluster Headaches

April 26, 2017 By Morning Health Team 1 Comment

Image result for headaches

Millions of people suffer from severe headaches. Most claim to have a migraine when in fact they may be having a cluster headache, simply because they may never have heard of a cluster headache or they may believe them to be the same thing, but they are definitely not the same thing and they require completely different treatments.

What’s the difference between a cluster headache and a migraine?

Migraine Headache

In many cases, a migraine gives a warning of its onset with changes in the person’s vision. They may see an ‘aura’ or some type of visual disturbance such as zigzag lines, flashing lights or even a temporary loss of vision. Migraines are often accompanied by sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting. They may last anywhere from 2 to 72 hours.

Cluster Headache

In most cases, cluster headaches usually come on suddenly without any warning. They are felt on one side of the head and are generally accompanied by a runny nose and watery eyes, especially the eye on the side of the headache. Sometimes, cluster headaches are confused or diagnosed as sinus headaches. Cluster headaches can last as little as 2 hours or as long as several months, also leading to being confused with sinus headaches.

While women tend to have more migraine headaches and men tend to have more cluster headaches, they do occur in both sexes and both can be somewhat debilitating to the woman or man suffering from them. Hormonal shifts have been linked to many migraines, which is why they tend to occur in more women than men. No one really knows what triggers cluster headaches, although some believe that alcohol could play a role, hence why they occur in more men than women.

The treatments differ somewhat between migraines and cluster headaches. Migraines are usually treated with a strong class of drugs known as ‘triptans’ and an anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs), both of which are usually taken orally. Cluster headaches are generally treated with injectable triptans and a high-flow of oxygen. Additionally:

“…prevention medications should be taken daily to stave off migraines. These include beta blockers (propranolol or timolol), anti-seizure drugs (topirmate), and some types of antidepressants. Cluster headache prevention may include daily doses of verapamil (a calcium channel blocker) with or without a short course of steroids.”

However, if you do suffer from cluster headaches, you may be interested to know that the FDA just approved a new device to treat them. According to a recent report:

“The device is a vagus nerve stimulator and it’s not entirely clear how it works. The idea is to disrupt signals that run along the vagus nerve, a giant nerve that runs from the brain all the way to the colon. It’s involved in many bodily responses.”

“A study in the journal Headache last September showed the treatment appeared to help just over a quarter of cluster headache patients who tried it, versus about 15 percent of those given a sham treatment. This went up to about a third of patients with so-called episodic cluster headaches.”

“A company called electroCore makes the device, called gammaCore.”

“‘GammaCore transmits a mild electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve through the skin, resulting in a reduction of pain,’ the company said in a statement.”

Therefore, if you are one of those people who suffer from cluster headaches, you may want to talk to your doctor about the gammaCore device, especially if you don’t like taking all of the drugs or if you have adverse reactions to any of those drugs. This newly approved device may be your salvation.