Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors may cause fractures

Some heartburn medications could increase the risk of hip, wrist and spine fractures in high doses or with long-term use, the Food and Drug Administration warned.

Proton pump inhibitors are used for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, stomach and small intestine ulcers and inflammation of the esophagus, along with frequent heartburn.

They include esomeprazole, sold under the brand name Nexium, dexlansoprazole (Dexilant). lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), pantoprazole (Protonix) and rabeprazole (Aciphex). Over-the-counter versions include omeprazole (Prilosec OTC, Zegerid OTC) and lansoprazole (Prevacid 24HR).

“Epidemiology studies suggest a possible increased risk of bone fractures with the use of proton pump inhibitors for one year or longer, or at high doses,” said Dr. Joyce Korvick, deputy director for safety in FDA’s Division of Gastroenterology Products.

“Because these products are used by a great number of people, it’s important for the public to be aware of this possible increased risk and, when prescribing proton pump inhibitors, health care professionals should consider whether a lower dose or shorter duration of therapy would adequately treat the patient’s condition.”

The product labeling will be changed to describe the possible increased risk, the FDA said in a statement Tuesday.

Note:  I spoke to my doc about this problem, and she said just be certain to take 1200 mg per day of calcium with at least 1000 IU of vitamin D to counteract the effects of your proton pump inhibitor, if you really need to keep taking it! – Laura Lee

What is the connection between sugar and cancer?

After hearing Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, the author of the book “Anti-Cancer” mention there is some connection between sugar and cancer growth,  I went in search of a better explanation of this concept.

I found this excellent article which explains how sugar, insulin and cancer growth are related.

I have been following a low to no sugar diet for over one year now, because of my tendency towards Candida overgrowth.

I’ve never felt better, my Candida is finally under control, and I’ve lost twenty pounds!   I find that by consuming a lot less sugar and other sweets, I rarely feel as hungry as I used to.   I have come to see eating high sugar foods as extremely addicting, and probably toxic.  I have found all of the diet advice in that article mentioned above to be excellent and absolutely true!  I now substitute stevia and ingredients like unsweetened applesauce and other fruit (like bananas!) in my baking, and never even miss the sugar!   I also always use whole wheat flour for extra fiber, and cut the oil in half in my recipes.

New data on red meat and heart disease

Harvard researchers report this week, that eating processed meats, such as sausage, bologna and bacon, may raise a person’s risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

But the same study showed that eating red meat that was not processed, such as beef, pork and lamb, did not elevate a person’s risk for either of these health problems.

The researchers looked at data from twenty large studies on meat and health.  They found processed meats were associated with a 42 percent higher risk of heart disease and 19 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes.   But red meat had no significant effects.

Even though they found processed meat and red meat to have approximately the same amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, the researchers say the processed meat had four times as much sodium, and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives than red meats, suggesting high salt and preservative levels have a far greater effect on heart disease and diabetes, than fat.

Caregiver Stress Test

Are you responsible for the care of someone you love, who suffers from some type of chronic disease?   It might be a good time to take this caregiver stress check and then seek assistance for your own needs NOW!

You know your loved one would want you to take care of your own needs first.  Otherwise how can you be available to help them with their needs?

Anti-snoring strategies

Want to learn more about how to stop snoring?  Ever thought of trying out a diggeridoo?

Check out this interesting article:  The end of snoring by A.J. Jacobs.

Diabetes Prevention: Food Therapy

What are you eating?   Choosing the right foods really does make a difference.

Research shows that “eating a healthy diet,” coupled with exercise and maintaining normal body weight, can “prevent type 2 diabetes in people who are predisposed”  so says Christine Tobin, president of Health Care and Education for the American Diabetes Association.

There are lots of lists of so-called super foods, but the American Diabetes Association chose this list of ten best super foods for both type 1 and 2 diabetics, because they contain nutrients that are especially important to people with diabetes, such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E.   They are high in fiber, which helps you feel full longer and keeps your glycemic index low so they don’t spike blood sugar (thus increasing hunger).   Plus these foods help you maintain a healthy blood pressure and blood fats (like cholesterol), which are important for all of us.

1. Beans. Though high in calories, kidney, pinto, navy, black and other types of beans are rich in nutrients and high in fiber.   They help you feel full and stay full longer.

2. Dark, leafy green vegetables. Spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, kale and other dark, leafy green veggies are nutrient-dense, low in carbohydrates.   These are also so low in calories, you can eat all you want!

3. Citrus fruits. Oranges, grapefruit and other citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which helps heart health. Stick to whole fruits instead of juice. Fiber in whole fruit slows sugar absorption so you get the citrus fruit nutrients without sending your blood sugar soaring.

4. Sweet potatoes. High in vitamin A and fiber and low in glycemic index, sweet potatoes don’t raise your blood sugar at the same level as a regular potatoes.

Moderate Protein Diets Help To Keep The Weight Off

Various diets may work in the short-term, but which ones keep the weight off?  Go learn more about adding lots of protein to your diet.

Five unhealthy “health foods”

1. Granola: Pour yourself a big ol’ bowl of store-bought granola, and you’re likely eating more than 500 calories — about one-fourth of your recommended daily intake.   Unlike granola of yore, which was a homemade mix of whole oats, sunflower seeds, raisins, honey and oil, today it’s likely to have large quantities of corn syrup and/or sugar and far too much fat.
2. Smoothies: If you make your own with fresh or frozen fruit and fat-free, plain yogurt, they’re relatively low-cal and good for you.   But commercial brands tend to be much higher in sugar and calories, plus they can be huge.   For example, Baskin and Robbins offers a “Fruit Blast Smoothie” that ranges from 400 to 850 calories, depending on size.
3. Vegetable juice: Remember the V8 commercial where the guy clonks his fist alongside his head and says, “I could’ve had a V8!”    An 11.5 ounce can contains 600 milligrams of sodium, or about 40 percent of a day’s worth.    (The low-sodium version has 200.)
4. Pita chips: Sure, they may sound healthy, but other than a higher price tag and prettier bag, how healthy are they? Ten chips have 130 calories and 270 milligrams of sodium. An equal serving of Nacho Cheese Doritos has 150 calories and 180 milligrams of sodium.
5. Energy bars: In a word:  sugary. Most of these have lots of it.   And we quote: “Energy means calories, according to the Food and Drug Administration.   If you need some, eat some real food, not a vitamin-fortified, soy-spiked, cookie or candy bar.”

May is Arthritis Awareness Month!

With 46 million Americans suffering from this disease, the Arthritis Foundation needs your help to spread the word about the simplest ways to reduce your risk of developing arthritis, or to decrease your pain if you are already living with it.

Moving is the Best Medicine.  I have found this to be very true with both the osteoarthritis in my knee and problems with my lower back.    The more I get out for regular 30-minute walks and then stretch afterward, the better I feel all day long!

Here’s a link to help you fight arthritis pain!

Iodine supplementation, kelp and arsenic poisoning

ScienceDaily — A study of herbal kelp supplements led by University of California-Davis public health expert Marc Schenker, concludes that its medicinal use may cause inadvertent arsenic poisoning and health dangers for consumers, especially when overused.

Schenker and two researchers evaluated nine over-the-counter herbal kelp products and found higher than acceptable arsenic levels in eight of them.

This study was prompted by the case of a 54-year-old woman who was seen at the UC-Davis Occupational Medicine Clinic following a two-year history of worsening alopecia (hair loss), fatigue and memory loss.   The woman’s symptoms had begun with minor memory loss and fatigue.    Her primary care physician initially found nothing wrong with the woman and thought the symptoms were related to menopause.

With no specific diagnosis or treatment recommendations, the patient started taking a variety of herbal therapies, including a kelp supplement, fish oil, ginkgo biloba and grape seed extract. The kelp supplement was the only herbal therapy she took regularly throughout the course of her illness.

Over a period of several months the woman’s short- and long-term memory became so impaired that she could no longer remember her home address. She also reported having a rash, nausea and vomiting, which made it very difficult to work and forced her to leave a full-time job. The woman actually increased her dosage of kelp from two to four pills a day after her doctors still could not find a clear diagnosis.

Subsequent laboratory tests finally revealed arsenic in the patient’s blood and urine. At her physician’s suggestion, the patient discontinued the kelp supplement. Within weeks, her symptoms disappeared, and within several months arsenic was no longer detected in her urine and its levels had dropped significantly in her blood. She later was referred to the UC Davis Occupational Medicine Clinic as a follow-up to her primary care.

“It’s unfortunate that a therapy that’s advertised as contributing to ‘vital living and well-being’ would contain potentially unsafe levels of arsenic,” said Schenker, who is a professor of Public Health Sciences and a leading authority on occupational and environmental diseases and respiratory illness. “Concentrations of materials contained in herbal supplements, including both the expected benefits and potential side effects, should be studied, standardized, monitored and accurately labeled.”

To assess the concentration of arsenic present in commercially available kelp supplements, the UC Davis investigators purchased nine over-the-counter kelp samples from local health food stores. Included were samples from three different batches of the product consumed by the patient.

The researchers sent the samples to the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory in Davis, which operates in partnership with UC Davis, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and others to provide specialized testing that helps protect both human and animal health. Investigators found detectable levels of arsenic in eight of the nine kelp supplements by using a hydride vapor generation method with an inductively coupled argon plasma spectrometer. Seven of the supplements exceeded the tolerance levels for food products set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Part of the problem,” said Schenker, “is that the FDA has limited control over dietary supplements. It can’t scrutinize products like herbal kelp before they enter the market, so it has to rely on adverse reports to determine product safety.”   He noted that none of the kelp products in the study had labels indicating the presence of arsenic, nor were there any warnings about the potential dangers of ingesting large quantities of the supplement.

Arsenic is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in the environment and as a by-product of some agricultural and industrial activities. Due to high arsenic concentrations in algae and marine micro-organisms, seafood is the highest dietary source of arsenic for consumers. While long-term human exposure to arsenic from food sources such as fish does occur, it is usually significantly lower than anything approaching toxic levels. However, dietary supplements, which are largely unregulated, have raised health concerns.

There have been a number of published studies highlighting cases where the use of homeopathic remedies to relieve everything from asthma to rheumatoid arthritis have caused arsenic poisoning.    Schenker’s findings offer a cautionary tale for consumers who use herbal treatments and dietary supplements. The kelp samples analyzed in the study had consistently elevated levels of arsenic, but they were considerably lower than previously documented concentrations found in other herbal remedies.

“What concerns me,” said Schenker, “is that chronic exposure to contaminated herbal supplements, even those with moderately elevated concentrations of arsenic, can still be toxic. Consumers won’t find such label information on these products, so they could end up like that woman in our study who consumed dangerously high amounts of a toxic substance without realizing it.”

The complete article was published in the April 2007, Environmental Health Perspectives  — entitled “A Case of Potential Arsenic Toxicity Secondary to Herbal Kelp Supplement,” is co-authored by Eric Amster, from the UC Davis School of Medicine, and Asheesh Tiwary, from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory System.

Following up on this article, Mike had a 24-hour urine test for lead, mercury and arsenic, and tested very low for each.   We’ve been taking Puritan’s Pride Sea Kelp for about one year.