Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics

as posted in everydayhealth.com

Arthritis strikes more than half of the 20.6 million American adults who have diabetes, and the painful joint condition may be a barrier to exercise among these patients, a new government report shows.

Being physically active helps people manage both diseases better by controlling blood sugar levels and reducing joint pain, according to the report in the May 9 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The prevalence of arthritis is astoundingly high in people with diabetes,” said Dr. John H. Klippel, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. “Over half the people with diabetes have arthritis.”

Although there appears to be a connection between arthritis and diabetes, the reason for it isn’t known, Klippel said. A possible explanation is obesity, which is a risk factor for both osteoarthritis and diabetes, he speculated.

“In addition, those individuals who have diabetes and arthritis are less physically active,” Klippel said. “We know that physical activity is critically important for the control of diabetes, both for the control of blood glucose and the prevention of complications.”

Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC researchers found 29.8 percent of people with both diseases were more likely to be inactive, compared with 21 percent of those who only have diabetes, 17.3 percent of those with arthritis alone, and 10.9 percent of those with neither condition.

For people who suffer from both diabetes and arthritis, arthritis appears to be a barrier to being physically active. But being physically active by doing aerobic exercise, strength training, walking, swimming or biking can benefit people with both diseases, according to the CDC.

“Public health efforts to control diabetes are going to have to begin to pay attention to this problem of arthritis, if we ever hope to get people physically active,” Klippel said.

Klippel thinks the importance of physical activity needs to be emphasized. “Many people with arthritis don’t exercise because it hurts them. But they have to understand that if they exercise, it will actually reduce their pain and prevents the disease from progressing,” he said.

One of the keys to controlling diabetes is exercise, Klippel stressed.

“People with diabetes are going to have to pay a lot more attention to their arthritis if they hope to achieve better control of their diabetes,” Klippel said. “People with arthritis are going to have to recognize that there is an association between diabetes and arthritis.”

For people with arthritis and diabetes, the Diabetes Foundation recommends getting physically active by taking a walk at least three days a week.

The foundation recommends starting with a 10-minute walk, increasing it to 30 minutes over time. Before taking that walk, it’s important to stretch your legs, lower back, chest and arms, Klippel said.

To keep yourself motivated, walk with a friend, the foundation suggests.

In addition, maintaining a healthy weight will place less stress on joints, particularly the knees. Also, being overweight can cause you to tire more quickly and give up on your exercise program.

More information

For more on arthritis, visit the Arthritis Foundation.

Docs Issue Guideline on Screening for Osteoporosis in Men

as posted in everydayhealth.com

A new clinical guideline on screening for osteoporosis in men has been developed by the American College of Physicians (ACP), which notes that osteoporosis rates among men are expected to increase 50 percent over the next 15 years.

Osteoporosis-related fractures in men result in substantial disease, death and health costs, and the one-year death rate in men after hip fracture is twice that of women.

“Older men, especially those over the age of 65, need to be assessed regularly for risk factors for osteoporosis,” Dr. Amir Qaseem, senior medical associate in ACP’s clinical programs and quality of care department, said in a prepared statement. “Osteoporosis is not just a woman’s disease. It is significantly under-diagnosed and under-treated in men. Not enough older men are being screened.”

Risk factors for osteoporosis in men include: older age, low body weight, weight loss, physical inactivity, previous fractures not caused by substantial trauma, low-calcium diets, and ongoing use of certain drugs, such as corticosteroids like prednisone or drugs that are sometimes used to treat prostate cancer.

The new guideline says doctors should periodically assess older men for osteoporosis risk factors and should order a DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan for men who are at increased risk for osteoporosis and are candidates for drug therapy.

The guideline, based on a review of previously published studies, was published in the May 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Current U.S. rates of osteoporosis are estimated to be 7 percent in white men, 5 percent in black men, and 3 percent in Hispanic men. However, osteoporosis rates among U.S. men are expected to increase almost 50 percent in the next 15 years, and hip fracture rates could double by 2040, according to background information in a news release about the new guideline.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends a bone mineral density test for men aged 70 and older. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force doesn’t have an osteoporosis screening recommendation for men.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has more about osteoporosis in men.

Insulin Pumps Linked to Injuries in Teens

Insulin pumps are used bu tens of thousands of teenagers worldwide with Type 1 diabetes, but they can be risky and have been linked to injuries and even deaths, a review by federal regulator finds.

Parents should be vigilant in watching their children’s use of the pumps, researchers from the Food and Drug Administration wrote. They didn’t advise against using the devices. But they called for more study to address safety concerns in teens and even younger children who use the popular pumps.

The federal review of use by young people over a decade found 13 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries connected with the pumps. At times, the devices malfunctioned, but other times, teens were careless or took risks, the study authors wrote.

Some teens didn’t know how to use the pumps correctly, dropped them or didn’t take good care of them. There were two possible suicide attempts by teens who gave themselves too much insulin, according to the analysis.

The pumps are popular because they allow young people to live more normal lives, giving themselves insulin discreetly in public and getting pizza with friends late at night.

as published in Sunstar Cebu, May 7, 2008

for complete story link to: AP

Daily Aspirin May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

posted in everydayhealth.com

Women who take an aspirin each day may reduce their risk of developing the most common type of breast cancer by 16 percent, according to the results of a large study.

Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer accounts for some 75 percent of all breast cancers, experts say. While aspirin reduced the risk of this form of breast malignancy, other painkillers did not, the U.S. team found.

“Many studies have looked at the relationship between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cancer, and the results have been all over the board,” said lead researcher Gretchen Gierach, a cancer prevention fellow at the U.S. National Cancer Institute. “We want to further examine the question to see if we can add some clarity, since studies have looked at NSAIDs but haven’t broken them down by type of NSAID.”

The report is published in the April 30 online edition of Breast Cancer Research.

In the study, Gierach’s team collected data on more than 127,000 women aged 51 to 72 with no history of cancer. All had participated in the U.S. National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. That study was designed to look at diet, health-related behaviors, and the risk for cancer.

Gierach noted that aspirin does has different biological effects compared to other NSAIDs.

Aspirin is one of many NSAIDs but unlike other NSAIDs it has irreversible effects on cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. For this reason, the researchers looked at the differences in cancer risk based on whether women took aspirin or other NSAIDs.

“Among women who reported taking aspirin on a daily basis there was a modest reduction in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer,” Gierach said.

Overall, NSAIDs did not affect the total risk of breast cancer. However, the daily use of aspirin was associated with a 16 percent reduction in the risk for estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors.

There was no link between daily aspirin and the incidence of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, the researchers report.

The finding could have important implications for cancer prevention, Gierach says, but a lot more work is needed to see if the effect is real. Moreover, she believes that it is still too early to recommend that women start taking aspirin to prevent breast malignancy.

“This is an exciting implication, if it’s true,” Gierach said. “But we need further clarity from other studies.”

One expert noted that chronic aspirin use can have serious consequences and should not be used for cancer prevention.

“The American Cancer Society does not recommend using aspirin for cancer prevention because aspirin can cause serious gastrointestinal bleeding,” said Eric J. Jacobs, Strategic Director of Pharmacoepidemiology in the department of epidemiology and surveillance research at the American Cancer Society.

Whether or not you should use aspirin for disease prevention is a question that should be discussed with your doctor, who can take your medical history into account, Jacobs said. “This decision should be based on balancing the proven benefits of aspirin in preventing heart disease against the proven risks of serious gastrointestinal bleeding,” he said.

Another expert was intrigued by the findings.

“This theory has been around for many years,” said Barbara Brenner, executive director of Breast Cancer Action. “If this works, it is a very exciting development for a lot of people who are thinking about how we can control not only cancer, but the price of cancer drugs.”

The finding is confirming what many people have thought for a long time, Brenner added. But she stressed that aspirin would not be “a cure-all, it’s only reducing the risk of estrogen positive-breast cancer.”

Like the other experts, Brenner doesn’t advise women to start taking aspirin to prevent breast cancer. “There are risks with aspirin, and there are people for whom aspirin is not indicated,” she said. “But they might want to talk to their doctors about this study and whether aspirin is appropriate for them.”

More information

For more information on breast cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

Best Positions in Bed

by:Dr. Mercola

You know, scientists claim to have found a direct link between your preferred sleeping position and your personality. Sleeping in “fetus” position, for example, points toward being a shy, sensitive soul. If you sleep spread eagle-style, on your back, you’re supposedly a good listener.

Well. I guess this little feline must be a great listener!

But, I wonder what they would say about sleeping curled up in a frying pan… or face-first in your food… (And you thought this was going to be “dirty” — get your mind out of the gutter!)

It’s obvious these critters have no problem falling, or staying, asleep. How about you?

If these pictures are the best sleep you’ve seen in a while, read on, because I’ve got a couple of indispensable tips for you!

If you have sleep problems, whether you’re unable to fall asleep, wake up throughout the night, don’t feel well-rested when the alarm goes off, or simply want to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, take the time to review my sleep guide, “33 Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep.”

It contains — you guessed it — thirty-three simple, but effective techniques that can help you get the sleep you want, and need. Because, don’t forget, sleep is a vital component of your overall health. Lack of sleep can fuel such varied health problems as:

• • • Impaired memory
    • Cancer
    • Diabetes
    • Physical injuries

I recommend you try out several of them, until you find a combination that works for you.

Another truly invaluable tool that has proven effective for insomnia is the Insight and Focus Audio CD’s.

As a physician I have treated tens of thousands of chronically ill patients at my clinic, The Optimal Wellness Center, and overwhelmingly, the number one cause of illness has been stress. Stress also tops the list when it comes to pinning down the cause of insomnia and other sleep disturbances.

The Insight and Focus Audio CDs uses multiple harmonically layered frequencies to induce natural brainwave patterns. The soothing sound of rain, with an unrivaled, harmonically layered combination of frequencies and binaural beats seamlessly induce an amazingly powerful state of deep relaxation.

All it takes is 20 minutes – and then you too may find yourself snoring into the bottom of an old slipper…

“The information in Dr Mercola’s newsletter has benefited me and my family. I have personally benefited from the EFT material I ordered, a tremendous and effective healing tool. The most dramatic help came from the Insight CD I learned of on the newsletter and ordered from Mercola.com.

I work a lot of long hours and a lot of nights and getting enough sleep was a big problem that was interfering with my physical health as well as making me hard to deal with when I could not get enough sleep.

The Insight CD has made a major difference and I now go to sleep immediately by using it daily. Thank you for all the help and information, Joseph“

Joseph Buttimer
Savannah, GA

Genetics of Diabetes

You’ve probably wondered how you got diabetes. You may worry that your children will get it too.

Unlike some traits, diabetes does not seem to be inherited in a simple pattern. Yet clearly, some people are born more likely to get diabetes than others.

What leads to diabetes?

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes have different causes. Yet two factors are important in both. First, you must inherit a predisposition to the disease. Second, something in your environment must trigger diabetes.

Genes alone are not enough. One proof of this is identical twins. Identical twins have identical genes. Yet when one twin has type 1 diabetes, the other gets the disease at most only half the time. When one twin has type 2 diabetes, the other’s risk is at most 3 in 4.

Type 1 diabetes

In most cases of type 1 diabetes, people need to inherit risk factors from both parents. We think these factors must be more common in whites because whites have the highest rate of type 1 diabetes. Because most people who are at risk do not get diabetes, researchers want to find out what the environmental triggers are.

One trigger might be related to cold weather. Type 1 diabetes develops more often in winter than summer and is more common in places with cold climates. Another trigger might be viruses. Perhaps a virus that has only mild effects on most people triggers type 1 diabetes in others.

Early diet may also play a role. Type 1 diabetes is less common in people who were breastfed and in those who first ate solid foods at later ages.

In many people, the development of type 1 diabetes seems to take many years. In experiments that followed relatives of people with type 1 diabetes, researchers found that most of those who later got diabetes had certain autoantibodies in their blood for years before.

(Antibodies are proteins that destroy bacteria or viruses. Autoantibodies are antibodies ‘gone bad,’ which attack the body’s own tissues.)

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes has a stronger genetic basis than type 1, yet it also depends more on environmental factors. Sound confusing? What happens is that a family history of type 2 diabetes is one of the strongest risk factors for getting the disease but it only seems to matter in people living a Western lifestyle.

Americans and Europeans eat too much fat and too little carbohydrate and fiber, and they get too little exercise. Type 2 diabetes is common in people with these habits. The ethnic groups in the United States with the highest risk are African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Pima Indians.

In contrast, people who live in areas that have not become Westernized tend not to get type 2 diabetes, no matter how high their genetic risk.

Obesity is a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Obesity is most risky for young people and for people who have been obese for a long time.

Gestational diabetes is more of a puzzle. Women who get diabetes while they are pregnant are more likely to have a family history of diabetes, especially on their mothers’ side. But as in other forms of diabetes, nongenetic factors play a role. Older mothers and overweight women are more likely to get gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes: your child’s risk

In general, if you are a man with type 1 diabetes, the odds of your child getting diabetes are 1 in 17. If you are a woman with type 1 diabetes and your child was born before you were 25, your child’s risk is 1 in 25; if your child was born after you turned 25, your child’s risk is 1 in 100.

Your child’s risk is doubled if you developed diabetes before age 11. If both you and your partner have type 1 diabetes, the risk is between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4.

There is an exception to these numbers. About 1 in every 7 people with type 1 diabetes has a condition called type 2 polyglandular autoimmune syndrome.

In addition to having diabetes, these people also have thyroid disease and a poorly working adrenal gland. Some also have other immune system disorders. If you have this syndrome, your child’s risk of getting the syndrome including type 1 diabetes is 1 in 2.

Researchers are learning how to predict a person’s odds of getting diabetes. For example, most whites with type 1 diabetes have genes called HLA-DR3 or HLA-DR4.

If you and your child are white and share these genes, your child’s risk is higher. (Suspect genes in other ethnic groups are less well studied. The HLA-DR7 gene may put African Americans at risk, and the HLA-DR9 gene may put Japanese at risk.)

Other tests can also make your child’s risk clearer. A special test that tells how the body responds to glucose can tell which school-aged children are most at risk.

Another more expensive test can be done for children who have siblings with type 1 diabetes. This test measures antibodies to insulin, to islet cells in the pancreas, or to an enzyme called glutamic acid decarboxylase. High levels can indicate that a child has a higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes: your child’s risk

Type 2 diabetes runs in families. In part, this tendency is due to children learning bad habits eating a poor diet, not exercising — from their parents. But there is also a genetic basis.

In general, if you have type 2 diabetes, the risk of your child getting diabetes is 1 in 7 if you were diagnosed before age 50 and 1 in 13 if you were diagnosed after age 50.

Some scientists believe that a child’s risk is greater when the parent with type 2 diabetes is the mother. If both you and your partner have type 2 diabetes, your child’s risk is about 1 in 2.

People with certain rare types of type 2 diabetes have different risks. If you have the rare form called maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), your child has almost a 1-in-2 chance of getting it, too.

More Information on Genetics
If you would like to learn more about the genetics of all forms of diabetes, the National Institutes of Health has recently published The Genetic Landscape of Diabetes. This free online book provides an overview of the current knowledge about the genetics of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well other less common forms of diabetes. The book is written for health professionals and for people with diabetes interested in learning more about the disease.

Last updated: March 14, 2008
Source: The American Diabetes Association (ADA). The ADA does not recommend or endorse any company advertised on this site. (as published in everydayhealth.com)

Diabetes Myths and Truths

published from everydayhealth.com

Despite the tremendous amount of medical information now available to the public, many inaccurate ideas still persist about the nature and treatment of diabetes. Read on to separate fact from fiction.

The Myth: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

The Truth: Years ago, folks called it “sugar diabetes,” implying that the disease was caused by eating too much of the sweet stuff. Medical experts know now that diabetes is triggered by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. However, being overweight — which can happen if you indulge in high-calorie sugary foods — does increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. If you have a history of diabetes in your family, eating a healthy meal plan and regular exercise are recommended to manage your weight.

The Myth: People with diabetes can’t eat any sweets or chocolate.

The Truth: If part of a healthy meal plan, or combined with exercise, sweets and desserts can be eaten by people with diabetes. They are no more “off limits” to people with diabetes than they are to people without diabetes.

The Myth: People with diabetes can only eat special diabetic foods.

The Truth: A healthy meal plan for people with diabetes is the same as that for everyone: low in fat (especially the saturated and trans fats found in butter, lard, full-fat dairy products and meats, and solid vegetable oils), moderate in salt and sugar, with meals based on whole-grain foods, vegetables and fruit. Diabetic and “dietetic” versions of sugar-containing foods offer no special benefit. They still raise blood glucose levels, are usually more expensive and can also have a laxative effect if they contain sugar alcohols.

The Myth: All diabetics have to take insulin injections.

The Truth: Injected insulin is usually only necessary for those with Type 1 diabetes, in which the body no longer produces it own insulin. Those with Type 2 generally have plenty of insulin, but their bodies don’t respond well to it. Some people with type 2 diabetes, particularly if blood-glucose levels are poorly controlled, do need diabetes pills or insulin shots to help their bodies use glucose for energy. However, most type 2 cases can be helped without medication, by losing weight, adopting a healthier diet, increasing exercise and other lifestyle changes. (By the way, insulin cannot be taken as a pill, as the hormone would be broken down during digestion just like the protein in food. Insulin must be injected into the fat under the skin for it to get into your blood.)

The Myth: If you have diabetes, you have to stay away from starchy foods like bread, potatoes and pasta.

The Truth: Whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, yams, peas and corn are part of a healthy meal plan and can be included in your meals and snacks. These foods, high in complex carbohydrates, are also a good source of fiber, which helps keep your gastrointestinal system running smoothly. The key is portion size. Most people with diabetes should limit themselves to three or four servings of complex carbohydrates a day.

The Myth: Type 2 Diabetes only affects blood-sugar levels, decreasing your energy.

The Truth: Type 2 diabetes affects many different systems and organs of the body, including the cardiovascular system, leading to stroke or heart disease; the eyes, which can result in conditions from dry eye to retinal disease (retinopathy); the nerves, causing severe damage (neuropathy) that can necessitate lower-limb amputation; the kidneys, which fail and require dialysis; and the skin, which can become prone to infections. Experts predict that, over the next 30 years, there will be 35 million heart attacks, 13 million strokes, 8 million new cases of blindness, 6 million kidney failures, 2 millions amputations and 62 million deaths — all linked to diabetes. Learn more about many serious complications and how to cope with them.

The Myth: Only adults can develop Type 2 Diabetes.

The Truth: Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in school-aged children. About 1 in every 400 to 600 children has type 1 diabetes, which was used to be called “juvenile diabetes,” which is caused by disruption of the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin. However, in recent years more and more children and teens have become overweight (10 to 15 percent, about double the number of two decades ago), and so increasing numbers of young people are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. According to several studies, since 1994, cases have increased from less than 5 percent to between 30 and 50 percent. Two million of those age 12 to 19 (or 1 in 6 overweight adolescents) have pre-diabetes.

Last updated: March 14, 2008
Republished with permission from Woman’s Day, a publication of Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S.

New Stealth Chemicals Hidden in Your Food

If you pick up a can of soup and find that the sodium levels are lower than you expected, or that a food item advertises it has “less sugar” or “no MSG” … then there may be cause for alarm.

Perhaps one day we can all simply eat cans of mush, and it won’t matter because they’ll contain chemicals to block and alter all of our taste receptors! This is an example of malicious brilliance at its finest.

Processed foods, by their very nature, do not taste good unless they have loads of artificial colors and flavoring agents, salt, sugar and often MSG added to doctor up the flavors.

In fact, most processed foods would taste incredibly bitter if they weren’t doctored up because of things like their extremely hot cooking processes and added caffeine (in soft drinks).

So what do food companies like Nestle, Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup, and Coca-Cola do?

They hire Senomyx, a biotech company that can skillfully manipulate your taste buds with synthetic chemicals.

The company has already developed several chemicals that, although they contain no flavor of their own, activate or block receptors in your mouth that taste. The chemicals can mimic or enhance savory, sweet and salty tastes, and are intended to reduce the use of sugar, salt and monosodium glutamate (MSG) in processed foods.

One of Senomyx’s chemicals even causes a “cooling” taste, and we have only just begun to hear about the “innovations” that come from this company.

Senomyx already has 113 patents, and 371 more pending, in the United States, Europe and elsewhere in the world.

A Brief Lesson About Your Taste Buds

When you were in grade school, you were probably taught that certain areas of your tongue can taste different flavors. The “sweet” taste buds, for instance, were said to be at the tip of your tongue, and the “bitter” ones in back.

This taste-bud tongue map is still being taught today, but it has been known for decades to be entirely incorrect. In reality, each one of your taste buds contains 50 to 100 receptors for each taste. This means that you can taste every flavor there is with every taste bud on your tongue.

And, along with the standard sweet, sour, salty and bitter tastes that everyone has heard of, your tongue can also taste a fifth basic taste: umami (the taste of glutamate, which is found in many Japanese foods, bacon and also MSG).

It is also being debated whether or not there is actually a sixth taste receptor for fat on your tongue as well.

Of course, your taste buds are not only there for pleasurable purposes. They also help you determine if a food is spoiled, unripe or otherwise unsafe to eat, which is why you’re probably better off leaving your taste buds as nature intended them to be: in fully functioning, tasting condition.

Your Taste Buds May Already be Deceiving You

Nestle is already marketing products that contain one of Senomyx’s savory enhancers.

But you would never know it, because the chemical compounds are lumped in with an ingredient that’s already listed on most processed foods: “artificial flavors.”

I did a little digging and found that the first product sold by Nestle that includes these “savory flavor ingredients” is bouillon used as a base to make soups and stews. So if you are using one of theirs that lists “artificial flavors,” I’d be very suspicious.

Meanwhile, because the compounds are being used in small amounts (less than one part per million), Senomyx did not have to go through the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval process typically necessary to release food additives. Instead of the lengthy FDA process, the company only had to be classified as “generally recognized as safe” by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association — a task that took less than 18 months.

And as for safety, well there was that one three-month rat study. That’s right: one three-month long study is apparently enough for major food manufacturers to decide that a never-before-used chemical is safe for you and your family to eat.

Unfortunately, for now it appears that these taste-bud-altering chemicals are here to stay, as earlier this month both Coca-Cola and Nestle extended their research agreements with Senomyx.

If You Want Chemical-Free Food …

It is becoming more important than ever to avoid processed foods. At the very least, boycott any product that lists “artificial flavors” as an ingredient.

You can tell a real food from a processed food because real foods are:

• Grown, not processed
• Messy, not neat and convenient
• Of variable quality, not always the same
• Prone to spoiling, not “forever” fresh
• Vibrantly colored and textured, not dull and bland
• Naturally flavorful, not artificially flavored
• Strongly connected to the land and culture

Real foods have flavors that your taste buds won’t want to miss, so take a break from the grocery store and take advantage of your local farmer’s markets. There you’ll find fresh, whole foods that your taste buds will be happy to recognize.

Sources: Dr. Mercola.com

Artificial Sweetener called ASPARTAME

Aspartame (L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester) is a low-calorie sweetener used to sweeten a wide variety of low- and reduced-calorie foods and beverages, including low-calorie tabletop sweeteners. Aspartame is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, as the methyl ester.

Here is Dr. Mercola’s comment about Aspartame:

Aspartame is a poison that does not belong in your body, and this is not an exaggeration. Yet, this toxic substance is consumed by over 200 million people around the world and is found in more than 6,000 products.

Everything from soda and chewing gum to desserts, yogurt, and even some vitamins and cough drops contain it.

When you drink, say, a can of diet soda sweetened with aspartame, what are you REALLY consuming? Here’s a breakdown of aspartame’s three chemicals: the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and methanol.

1. Aspartic acid (40 percent of aspartame)

Aspartate acts as a neurotransmitter in your brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate in your brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into your cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill your cells.

The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate is why Dr. Russell Blaylock refers to them as “excitotoxins.” They “excite” or stimulate your neural cells to death.

Now, when aspartic acid is consumed, it significantly raises your blood level of aspartate, which leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of your brain, where they slowly begin to destroy neurons.

Your brain cells could be dying right now, but you likely would not notice the symptoms until 75 percent or more are gone. Then, chronic illnesses such as the following, which may by caused by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage, may occur:

• Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease
• Memory and hearing loss
• Hormonal problems
• Epilepsy
• AIDS
• Brain lesions
• Neuroendocrine disorders

2. Phenylalanine (50 percent of aspartame)

Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in your brain, however people with the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high — and sometimes lethal — levels of phenylalanine in your brain. It has been shown, though, that ingesting aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates, can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in your brain even if you do not have PKU.

Even consuming aspartame one time has been found to raise your blood levels of phenylalanine. What’s the risk of this?

Excessive levels of phenylalanine in your brain can cause the levels of serotonin in your brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression. It can also cause schizophrenia or make you more susceptible to seizures.

3. Methanol (aka wood alcohol) (10 percent of aspartame)

Methanol/wood alcohol is a deadly poison, and the absorption of methanol into your body is sped up considerably when free methanol is ingested. Well, free methanol is created from aspartame when it is heated to above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade). This would occur when an aspartame-containing product is improperly stored (in the sun, for instance) or when it is heated, such as part of a “food” product like Jello.

Meanwhile, methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde — a deadly neurotoxin — in your body.

Even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that methanol “is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid; both of these metabolites are toxic.”

They recommend a limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day, but a one-liter aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily — or 32 times the EPA limit!

The symptoms of methanol poisoning are numerous and varied. They include:

• Vision problems
• Headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness
• Nausea and gastrointestinal disturbances
• Weakness, numbness and shooting pains in your extremities
• Behavioral disturbances
• Memory lapses

A Natural Approach To Treating Seasonal Allergies

By Dr. Ben Kim

If you suffer with seasonal allergies, you are well aware of how a sudden onset of scratchy and watery eyes, violent sneezing, and a constant runny nose can hamper your activities of daily living. Sometimes called hay fever or allergic rhinitis, seasonal allergies affect tens of millions of people throughout North America every year.

What causes seasonal allergies? When an outdoor or indoor allergen comes into contact with your body, your immune system may trigger the production of an antibody called immunoglobin E, also called IgE. If this happens, the next time that you are exposed to that allergen, IgE antibodies in your body release a chemical called histamine, which sets off a series of chemical reactions that can result in any of the following eliminative reactions:

• Sneezing
• Swelling of the mucous membranes in your sinuses, nose, and eyes
• A runny nose
• Watery eyes

All of these eliminative reactions are in place to preserve your health. You want these mechanisms to be sharp and fully functional at all times, and ready to react to substances that are harmful to your cells. What you don’t want is for these eliminative mechanisms to swing into high gear in response to substances that don’t pose a real physiological threat to your cells.

Toxins that are produced by mold - also called mycotoxins - are examples of substances that you want to react to by sneezing and having watery eyes and a runny nose. Regular exposure to mycotoxins can contribute to the development of a wide variety of health challenges, including cancer, nervous system dysfunction, immune system dysfunction, diarrhea, and even rapid death.

Pollens from various types of grasses, weeds, and trees are examples of substances that don’t pose the same physiological threats to your cells that some mycotoxins do; there is no real need for your body to activate a histamine-mediated response when exposed to pollens.

Beyond different types of pollen, there are many other common allergens that are not directly harmful to your cells, and yet, if you suffer with seasonal allergies, your body may react to these allergens by producing the eliminative reactions listed above.

Why is this? Why does your body use up energy and sometimes exhaust itself in responding to allergens that are not directly harmful to your cells?

Conventional medicine and science do not have an answer for this question. All we know for sure is that allergens induce an IgE and histamine-mediated response. We don’t know with absolute certainty why only a small percentage of the human population suffers with seasonal allergies.

My personal and clinical experiences have led me to believe that seasonal allergies come about because of a hypersensitive nervous system and a dysfunctional immune system. All sub-optimal lifestyle factors - poor stress management, lack of rest, poor food choices, and regular exposure to toxins - can gradually create both a hypersensitive nervous system and a dysfunctional immune system in people who are genetically susceptible to developing these health challenges.

What follows are dietary and lifestyle recommendations that I have used to help many people successfully overcome seasonal allergies.

1. Apply deep massage to the following acupressure points for a few minutes, two times a day:
   1. Spleen 10 (SP-10): located in a tender region of the inner side of the thigh, approximately three finger widths above the upper and inner border/corner of the knee cap.For Clinicians: this point corresponds with the anterior cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve, the muscular branch of the femoral nerve, a portion of the great saphenous vein, the muscular branch of the femoral artery and companion vein, and the articular branch of the descending genicular artery.
      
      
   2. Spleen 6 (SP-6): located approximately three finger widths above the inner ankle bone, in a tender region of the lower calf muscle.For Clinicians: this point is found in between the medial margin of the tibia and the soleus muscle. As you go deeper, this point corresponds with the flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus muscles. This point also corresponds with a cutaneous branch of the saphenous nerve, motor branches of the tibial nerve, and the deeper trunk of the tibial nerve. A superficial branch of the great saphenous vein, the posterior tibial artery, and a companion vein to the posterior tibial artery are also in this region.
   3. Large Intestine 4 (LI-4): located in the soft, fleshy web that sits between your thumb and forefinger.
      
      For Clinicians: this point corresponds with a muscular branch of the median nerve, the deep branch of the ulnar nerve, proper palmer digitial nerves from the first common palmar digital nerve, and the superficial branch of the radial nerve. Tributary branches of the cephalic vein, the radial artery, and the first dorsal metacarpal artery and companion veins can also be found in this region.
      
      
   4. Liver 3 (LR-3): located in the soft flesh that sits between your big and 2nd toes, the equivalent of LI-4 on your foot.
      
      For Clinicians: this point corresponds with the medial dorsal cutaneous nerve, the medial branch of the deep peroneal nerve, and a muscular branch from the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve. The dorsal venous network of the foot , the first dorsal metatarsal artery, and a companion vein are also found in this region.Some Notes Regarding Acupressure: in general, you should feel around for a tender spot in each of the regions described above. You should apply enough pressure to feel a mild, dull, achy pain. If you have varicose veins, do not massage any of your muscle groups without first consulting with your family doctor. It is best to massage each point on both sides of your body. If you are not sure about the location of each of the points listed above, I highly recommend that you take a look at the following book, the best of its kind: Acupressure’s Potent Points: a Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments.
2. Avoid all sources of MSG and artificial sweeteners; both are known to damage the cells that make up your nervous system.
3. Take a high quality probiotic on a daily basis; this is the easiest step that you can take right away to improve the strength of your immune system.
4. Consider doing a juice fast to help remove stored toxins from your tissues, particularly from the insulating sheath that surrounds your nervous system.
5. Ensure adequate vitamin D status. Vitamin D is essential for optimal nervous system and immune system health.

Following the recommendations listed above as a means to addressing seasonal allergies requires a lot more effort than taking an over-the-counter drug like Claritin. Please keep in mind that in addition to helping you overcome seasonal allergies, following these recommendations can also help you improve your overall health without a number of “side” effects like dizziness and drowsiness.