REPORTING POINT 07-05
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 4337/email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net
(Past issues of “Health News” are available on my son’s website, which includes a word-search engine - just go to the site with your browser and insert the key word to find past articles: http://health.theballfamily.org) – LK
THE LOWDOWN ON LICORICE – licorice has been used medicinally since ancient times. About 400 of its phytochemicals have been identified.
Licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which can affect the body’s sodium and water balance in some people. For them, two or three ounces of licorice daily for long periods can lead to imbalances in body chemistry and dangerously elevated blood pressure. A 1999 study found that large amounts could reduce testosterone and thus sex drive in men.
But other studies have found anti-cancer potential in licorice, and some researchers are investigating licorice’s possible anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and anti-cavity effects. At this point, no one knows how much one would have to eat to receive any of the possible benefits.
All of this applies to real licorice, made from the root of the licorice plant. Nearly all licorice in the U.S. is flavored artificially or with various natural oils, such as anise. The red variety contains no licorice. Real licorice, common in Europe, is more expensive and sometimes sold here in health-food stores.
There is no current definitive information that licorice will cure any disease, and it should be avoided by those with hypertension or heart disease. Otherwise, if you like it, eat it in moderation, no more than 2 or 3 ounces now and then. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/04.
PROSTATE CANCER THERAPY – the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that radiation therapy can destroy recurrent prostate cancer, which affects one in five survivors. Of 501 men who had rising PSAs after radical prostatectomies, 45 percent of those treated with radiation therapy remained disease-free after 4 years. If you have had prostate cancer and the PSA levels rise above zero, talk to your doctor about radiation, since less than 20 percent of men eligible for this treatment receive it. Men’s Health 6/04.
GUM DISEASE/HEART DISEASE LINK – people with more bacteria in their mouths also have more signs of heart disease, finds a study that strengthens the evidence of a link between gum disease and heart disease. The study of test subjects with no history of stroke or heart attack showed that people with more bacteria that caused periodontal disease also had thicker carotid arteries – a strong indicator of clogged blood vessels. According to Columbia University researchers, this link is valid even when other heart risk factors were taken into account.
Taking care of oral health could improve cardiovascular health as the research indicates that bacteria may spread into the blood stream and stimulate the immune system, causing inflammation which results in clogging of arteries. It is becoming more apparent that heart and artery disease can be triggered by chronic infections in the body. Infections lead to the release of white blood cells (WBCs) from the bone marrow which the body releases in an effort to help defend against infectious agents. Besides cardiovascular disease, inflammation can ignite a variety of other health problems that include macular degeneration, diabetes, and impotence.
Another health hazard that is connected to oral infection may be colon cancer. An 11-year study of more than 22,000 people published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that those with the highest CRP levels (C-reactive protein – measures chronic inflammation) had 2.5 times greater risk of colon cancer than the people with the lowest levels. Researchers speculate that inflammation could change the way the immune system responds to cancer cells early on or it may increase cell turnover, which increases cellular genetic damage.
There may also be a link between elevated CRP levels and Alzheimer’s disease as reported by scientists from the University of British Columbia.
Research has linked greater intake of omega-3 fatty acids to both lower levels of CRP and reduced rates of Alzheimer’s disease. Inflammation, when exceeding a certain threshold, seems to cause the death of neurons in the brain.
Other ways to reduce inflammation include taking adequate vitamins in the form of supplements. A study in the American Journal of Medicine showed that those who took a multivitamin each morning for six months decreased their CRP by 0.7 milligrams per liter (less than 1 milligram per liter is considered low risk, 1 to 3 mg/l is moderate risk, and above 3 mg/l is considered high risk). Additionally, those who consume diets rich in monounsaturated fats like olive oil (the Mediterranean Diet) typically have CRP levels 20 percent lower than the average American diet. As mentioned earlier, good dental health, which includes flossing and periodic visits to the dentist, can preclude periodontal disease and the increased risk of arterial inflammation.. USA Today 2/8/05, Men’s Health 12/04, Alternatives 11/04.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ 20 – How many carrots do you need to eat to get the 5 to 6 milligrams of beta carotene you should consume each day? a) one, b) two or three, c) four or five, d) more than five.
Answer is below.
CORTISCAM? – the last several years, you cannot escape the television infomercials aimed at selling supplements that promise weight loss to a frustrated-obese American population anxious for a “silver bullet” that will return the customer to a slender and fit state.
One of the most popular of these products is CortiSlim. This product originally contained the now-banned ephedra, which contributed to the deaths of several athletes as well as numerous consumers who used the product. CortiSlim now contains calcium, chromium, vanadium, and a cocktail of herbs including banana leaf extract, green tea extract, bitter orange peel, magnolia bark extract, and beta sitosterol. Bitter orange peel is a common ephedra substitute. It may also be dangerous like ephedra and there is no research showing it can contribute to long-term weight loss. Bitter-orange extract contains synephrine, which is chemically similar to epinephrine, which causes the heart to race and spikes blood pressure. – all which could lead to a heart attack Beta sitosterol may lower cholesterol levels, but it would not cause weight loss. Magnolia bark is a folk remedy for countless ailments.
The marketing pitch for CortiSlim is that it will control cortisol levels in the body. They point out that high levels of stress cause obesity, and that the hormone cortisol, which the body releases in response to stress, makes the body store excess fat. This link between stress/cortisol levels and fat storage is being studied by scientists, but there is absolutely no evidence that taking CortiSlim will reduce cortisol or that lowering cortisol levels cause weight loss.
The ads inquire, “Who has high cortisol levels?...anybody who experiences daily stress, gets fewer than eight hours sleep….” This generality applies to just about every airline crewmember and to most of the general population.
(Other products similar to CortiSlim are Relacore, CortiZide, Estrin D, Thyrin ATC, and Leptoprin
