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Breaking
Research
Potential
Role
of
Common
Curry
Spice
in
Weight
Loss
and
Diabetes
Turmeric
(Curcuma longa), an Asian spice
found in many curries (and MetaPhase®),
has a long history of use in reducing inflammation,
healing wounds and relieving pain, but can
it help to prevent diabetes? Since inflammation
plays a big role in many diseases and is
believed to be involved in onset of both
obesity and Type 2 diabetes, Drew Tortoriello,
M.D., an endocrinologist and research scientist
at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia
University Medical Center, and his colleagues
were curious what effect the herb might have
on diabetic mice.
Dr. Tortoriello,
working with pediatric resident Stuart Weisberg,
MD, Ph.D., and Rudolph Leibel, MD, fellow endocrinologist
and the co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes
Center, discovered that turmeric-treated mice
were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes,
based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose
and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered
that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly
reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver
compared to controls. They speculate that curcumin,
the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant ingredient
in turmeric, lessens insulin resistance and prevents
Type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening
the inflammatory response provoked by obesity.
Their findings
were presented at ENDO 2008, the Endocrine Society's
annual meeting in San Francisco this week.
The researchers
tested high-doses of a dietary curcumin in two
distinct mouse models of obesity and Type 2 diabetes:
high-fat-diet-fed male mice and leptin-deficient
obese female mice, with lean wild-type mice that
were fed low-fat diets used as controls.
The link between
inflammation and obesity was previously shown
to be due in part to the presence of immune cells
called macrophages in fat tissues throughout
the body. According to researchers in the Naomi
Berrie Diabetes Center these cells produce "cytokine" molecules
that can cause inflammation in organs such as
the heart, and islets of the pancreas, while
also increasing insulin resistance in muscle
and liver.
Researchers hypothesized
that by suppressing the number and activity of
these cells, with turmeric or an agent with similar
actions, it could be possible to reduce some
of the adverse consequences of obesity.
Curcumin administration
was also associated with a small but significant
decline in body weight and fat content, despite
level or higher calorie consumption, suggesting
that curcumin beneficially influences body composition.
Curcumin
administration was also associated
with a small but significant decline
in body weight and fat content, despite
level or higher calorie consumption,
suggesting that curcumin beneficially
influences body composition.
|
"It's too
early to tell whether increasing dietary curcumin
intake in obese people with diabetes will show
a similar benefit," Dr. Tortoriello said. "Although
the daily intake of curcumin one might have to
consume as a primary diabetes treatment is likely
impractical, it is entirely possible that lower
dosages of curcumin could nicely complement our
traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment."
For now, the conclusion
that Dr. Tortoriello and his colleagues have
reached is that turmeric – and its active
antioxidant ingredient, curcumin – reverses
many of the inflammatory and metabolic problems
associated with obesity and improves blood-sugar
control in mouse models of Type 2 diabetes.
In addition to
exploring novel methods of curcumin administration
to increase its absorption, they are also interested
in identifying novel anti-inflammatory processes
invoked by curcumin and in adapting those processes
in the development of more potent curcumin analogues.
Funding for the
study comes in part from the National Institutes
of Health's Child Health and Human Development
branch and the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at
Columbia University Medical Center.
Source: http://www.scientificblogging.com)
|
FDA
Reviews Arthritis Drugs for Links to Cancer
On June 4, 2008 the
Food and Drug Administration said that
it was investigating whether four drugs
used to treat rheumatoid arthritis
and other immune system diseases might
increase the risk of cancer in children.
The FDA said that
it had received reports of 30 cases
of cancer over 10 years among children
and young adults treated with those
drugs, which are Enbrel, sold by Amgen
and Wyeth; Remicade, sold by Johnson & Johnson
and, in Europe, by Schering-Plough;
Humira, sold by Abbott Laboratories;
and Cimzia, which won approval in April
and is sold by UCB, a Belgian company.
All the drugs aim
to dampen inflammation by blocking
a protein called tumor necrosis factor,
and they are used to treat various
immune diseases including rheumatoid
arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn’s
disease, which is an inflammation of
the bowel.
The TNF-blockers,
as they are known, represent one of
the most successful classes of drugs
ever developed using biotechnology.
Remicade, Humira and Enbrel had combined
sales of more than $13 billion last
year.
But use in children
constitutes a small part of the total.
Dr. Michael Severino, an Amgen executive,
said about a half-million patients
had been treated with Enbrel since
its approval about a decade ago, of
which only 12,000 were children.
Remicade is approved
to treat Crohn’s disease in children.
Enbrel and Humira are approved to treat
juvenile idiopathic arthritis, once
known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
In fact the label on Enbrel was changed
in March to allow use in children as
young as 2, from a previous suggested
lower age of 4.
Amgen is now seeking
approval of Enbrel to treat psoriasis
in children, an issue that will be
discussed by an advisory panel to the
FDA. on June 18. Since the drugs block
part of the immune system, it has always
been known that they might contribute
to higher risk of cancers and also
infections. The labels for the drugs
all contain warnings to that effect — particularly
about the risk of lymphomas, which
are cancers of immune system cells.
About half the cancers
reported in the children getting the
drugs were lymphomas, including Hodgkin’s
disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
the FDA. said.
A study that pooled
data from randomized clinical trials,
found that adults given Humira or Remicade
to treat rheumatoid arthritis had 2.4
times the cancer rate of those in the
control groups. “It’s clearly
something we have to be concerned about
and discuss with our patients,” said
Dr. Eric L. Matteson, chairman of rheumatology
at the Mayo Clinic and an author of
the study, which was published in The Journal
of the American Medical Association.
Dr. Matteson has been a consultant
to many of the companies developing
such drugs.
Dr. Edward H. Giannini,
professor of pediatric rheumatology
at the University of Cincinnati, said
that 70,000 to 100,000 children in
the United States had juvenile idiopathic
arthritis, and that the biotech drugs
were “unequaled” in their
ability to control the disease. “This
was a disease that put kids in wheelchairs,” he
said.
Dr. Giannini, who
received consulting fees from the companies
for helping to devise their pediatric
clinical trials, said that no cases
of cancer were seen in the clinical
trials that led to Enbrel’s approval
for pediatric use. And a subsequent
registry that followed 600 children
found no cases after more than 800
patient-years of exposure.
Still, he said, “We
have to be careful with the safety
aspects of giving immune response modifiers
to very young children,” whose
immune systems might not be mature
yet.
Michael Parks, a
spokesman for Johnson & Johnson,
said the company had already submitted
data to the FDA. Most of the cancer
cases associated with Remicade use
were in children with Crohn’s
disease or ulcerative colitis. And
all but one of those children also
received other immune-suppressing drugs
with a known cancer risk, he said.
Laureen Cassidy,
a spokeswoman for Abbott, said there
had been no instances of cancer in
children given Humira in clinical trials
or in postapproval safety studies.
Humira was approved for pediatric use
a few months ago.
While agency did
not make clear how many children had
taken the drugs or whether the cancer
incidence among them was higher than
would be expected, it said that for
now, it believed that the potential
benefits of the medicines outweighed
the potential risks “in certain
children and young adults.”
Source: New
York Times
|
An extract derived from pumpkin
(Cucurbita ficifolia) may improve blood
glucose levels in diabetics, and exert antioxidant
effects, according to a new study. If the research
by scientists from the East China Normal University
can be reproduced in humans, then consuming cucurbita
pumpkin extract may promote regeneration of damaged
pancreatic cells, boost levels of insulin-producing
beta cells and raise insulin levels in the blood.
“The present study provides
substantial evidence to demonstrate the hypoglycemic
(blood sugar lowering) action of Cucurbita extract,
as well as its role as an antioxidant to reveal
a mechanism for its cytoprotective (cell protecting)
action,” wrote authors Tao Xia and Qin
Wang in the Journal of the Science of Food
and Agriculture.
Rejuvenating
Beta Cells
Tao Xia and Qin Wang divided
diabetic rats and normal rats into two groups,
one fed a normal diet and the other fed the normal
diet supplemented with the pumpkin extract for
30 days.
At the end of the study the
researchers discovered that plasma insulin levels
in the diabetic rats receiving cucurbita extract
were restored to 95 percent of insulin levels
in normal healthy animals. Additionally, the
number of active insulin-positive (beta) cells
in the treated animals was restored to 92 percent
of those in the normal healthy controls.
“Pumpkin extract is potentially
a very good product for pre-diabetic persons,
as well as those who have already developed diabetes,” according
to lead author Xia.
These remarkable benefits are
believed due to actions of D-chiroinositol, a
molecule isolated from cucurbita that mediates
insulin activity. Additionally, a new class of
compounds identified in cucurbita have been shown
to confer antioxidant protection. Working together
these components boost insulin levels to lower
blood sugar levels and reduce production of oxidative
oxygen species that damage beta-cell membranes;
and prevent further damage to beta cells, allowing
the cells to regenerate.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when
people lose the ability to produce any insulin
after the cells in the pancreas have been damaged,
thought to be an autoimmune response.
The rats used in this study
modeled Type 1 diabetes, but the researchers
believe the pumpkin extract may also play a role
in Type 2 diabetes. In the US, there are over
20 million people with Type 2 diabetes, equal
to seven per cent of the population. Patient
care costs are thought to be as much as $132
billion, with $92 billion in direct costs from
medications, according to 2002 American Diabetes
Association figures.
“Thus, our studies support
the notion that supplementation of Cucurbita
fruit extract to diabetic patients would help
in achieving good glycemic and metabolic control
and prevent long-term complications as a result
of the protection offered by its antioxidant
actions, probably by preserving the residual
beta-cell mass without further losses,” they
concluded.
Commenting independently on
the research, David Bender from Royal Free and
University College Medical School, London, told Chemistry & Industry magazine
that the research was very exciting. “The
main finding is that feeding pumpkin extract
prevents the progressive destruction of pancreatic
beta-cells,” he said.
Herbal
Support for Diabetes
In the late 1980s, Chinese
doctors became alarmed by a huge increase in
the incidence of diabetes in China. Observing
that this previously rare condition appeared
to be linked with newly adopted Western eating
habits, they initially relied on Western diabetes
drugs to treat what was perceived to be a primarily
Western disorder. Eventually medical experts
turned away from this approach after noting that,
in addition to serious side effects, modern pharmaceuticals
also failed to address the underlying cause of
the problem.
A central tenet of Chinese
healing is to treat both acute symptoms and the
underlying cause of an illness. Based on this
principal, leading Chinese researchers turned
their attention to traditional herbal remedies
used in China for thousands of years.
Researchers soon identified
some 200 species of herbs that exhibited hypoglycemic
(blood sugar lowering) properties. Some contained
polysaccharides capable of restoring pancreatic
tissues to enhance insulin output from functioning
beta cells. Others were found to enhance microcirculation
to increase availability of insulin and facilitate
cellular metabolism.
One of the most promising herbs
to come out of this research was the lowly pumpkin,
Cucurbita ficifolia, which is widely regarded
throughout China as a health food especially
suited to aid diabetics by regulating blood sugar
levels.
Modern
Herbal Solution
After ten years of clinical
research, a team of doctors led by Dr. Chuang
of Shanghai People’s Hospital, introduced
a unique herbal blend, MetaPhase, to counter
insulin resistance, lower blood sugar levels
and restore pancreatic function. Cucurbita (pumpkin)
is one of the primary active ingredients in MetaPhase.
"Cucurbita
(pumpkin) is one of the primary
active
ingredients in MetaPhase."
Dr. Chuang, a medical researcher
with experience in treating diabetes with both
Western drugs and Chinese herbs, is also a Type
2 diabetic who successfully brought his own blood
sugar levels into normal range using MetaPhase.
By restoring healthy blood
sugar regulation and normalizing insulin production
MetaPhase has been shown to aid in reversing
chronic metabolic and chemical disturbances caused
by long-term exposure to elevated insulin and
blood glucose levels. Additionally, by curbing
carbohydrate cravings MetaPhase has been shown
to support safe and natural weight loss.
Using
MetaPhase
Based on his clinical
experience, Dr. Chuang recommends taking three
capsules of MetaPhase, three times daily, 30
minutes prior to meals. The combination of herbs
in the formula will stimulate a steady improvement
that becomes most noticeable in 7 to 10 days.
Once blood sugar and insulin levels have returned
to normal– commonly within 1 to 3 months–Dr.
Chuang recommends a daily maintenance program
consisting of one capsule in the morning and
one in the afternoon before meals to sustain
optimal results.
References
1. Tao Xia, Qin Wang.
Hypoglycaemic role of Cucurbita ficifolia (Cucurbitaceae)
fruit extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic
rats. Journal of the Science of Food and
Agriculture, Vol. 87, Num. 9, pgs 1753-1757.
2. L. Richards, Eating pumpkins helps diabetics. Chemistry & Industry,
July 9, 2007, pg 9.
|
|
For patients with type
2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause
of death and the major cause of illness. In fact, people
with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease
or experience a stroke as those without diabetes. Diabetics
also tend to develop heart disease or have strokes
at an earlier age than their peers. Additionally, heart
attacks in diabetics generally cause more damage and
are more likely to result in death.
Since patients with
type 2 diabetes face a higher risk of cardiovascular
disease, diabetes specialists and their patients were
shocked when a study published in the May 21, 2007
issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
revealed that the leading diabetes drug, Avandia, is
associated with a 43% increase in heart attacks and
possibly a 64% increase in cardiovascular death.
Experts say the new
study findings are especially alarming because two-thirds
of the people with type 2 diabetes die of heart problems.
In a May 21, 2007 letter to GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer
of Avandia, US Senators Max Baucus (Chairman of the
Senate Committee on Finance) and Chuck Grassley (Ranking
Member of the Senate Committee on Finance) wrote:
"It
is troubling, to say the least, that by taking
Avandia,
diabetics
may be increasing their risk of the very
adverse event that they hope to prevent
by controlling their blood sugar."
Even more worrisome,
medical experts point out that the studies analyzed
in the NEJM report – some lasting only
24 weeks long – were not designed to look for
heart risks and it may be that higher risks will appear
after a longer term of use. Dr David Nathan, chief
of diabetes care at Massachusetts General Hospital,
who reviewed the paper for the NEJM, told
the Associated Press, "This analysis is just scratching
the surface of what may be there."
Major
Failure of Drug Approval Process
Avandia (rosiglitazone) was
approved by the FDA in 1999 for the treatment of type
2 diabetes, a disease that affects between 18 to 20
million Americans. Following regulatory approval Avandia
was promoted as being safer than Rezulin, a diabetes
drug removed from the market in 2000 after serious
cases of liver damage developed in patients taking
the drug.
Avandia is currently
the top selling diabetes drug with total US sales of
$2.2 billion in 2006, according to IMS Health, a healthcare
tracking information firm. A one-month supply sells
for between $90 and $170, the Associated Press reported
on May 23, 2007.
In an editorial accompanying
the NEJM study, Dr. Bruce Psaty of the University
of Washington and Dr Furberg of Wake Forest University
wrote that the drug "represents a major failure
of the drug-use and drug-approval processes in the
United States." They also state, "the rationale
for prescribing rosiglitazone at this time is unclear," because
when the drug was approved its benefits were "at
best mixed."
Risk
Warnings Ignored for Years
Documents dating back 7 years
show the FDA knew about the risks associated with Avandia
and did nothing to protect consumers. The day after
the new study appeared online, on May 23, 2007, Dr.
Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen, a non-profit
health research group, sent a letter to FDA Commissioner
Andrew von Eschenbach, which described a July 16, 2002
FDA memo that showed FDA scientists had recommended
that the label for Avandia be amended to include post-marketing
reports of heart failure among patients taking the
drug.
"The failure of
the FDA to act on the recommendations made almost five
years ago by its Division of Drug Risk Evaluation is
yet another case in which the conclusions of scientists
who are engaged in post-market drug safety review are
not taken seriously enough or addressed soon enough," Dr.
Wolfe said in a press release.
"As a result," he
stated further, "millions of people – to
the detriment of their health – are prescribed
drugs whose risks are dangerously understated, instead
of being prescribed safer, equally or more effective
alternative drugs."
Source: Rosiglitazone
Evaluated for Cardiovascular Outcomes — An
Interim Analysis
|
|
|
Feeling
Fat? It Might Not be Your Fault,
According to UCSF Obesity Expert
According to a paper published
in Nature Clinical Practice: Endocrinology and
Metabolism, the current obesity epidemic is
caused by a “poisoned” food supply that
is altering people’s biochemistry and driving
them to eat more and move less. It
is unfair and unhelpful to blame personal behaviors,
especially a lack of self-control, for the country’s
rising obesity rates, says Dr. Robert Lustig, a UCSF
doctor and nationally renowned obesity expert who
culled results from thousands of studies on obesity.
The processed food that is
most readily available to Americans – from
potato chips and cookies to yogurt and white bread – is
loaded with sugars that cause the body to believe
that it is hungry, which makes people feel compelled
to consume more calories and conserve energy, he
said. Sugar makes the body produce more insulin,
which blocks hormones that would normally tell the
brain to stop eating, he said.
“If
Lustig’s hypothesis is correct, then
it’s no wonder physicians are frustrated:
Their patients are driven to eat more and
exercise less, in much the same way they’re
driven to drink when they’re thirsty.”
|
Breaking the pattern of sugar
consumption – a pattern that Lustig compares
to nicotine addiction – is more than just a
matter of willpower. It will take a grassroots effort
of doctors, community leaders and consumers to force
the government and the food industry to get those
sugary foods out of mainstream American diets, he
said.
“Everyone’s assuming
you have a choice, but when your brain is starving,
you don’t have a choice,” Lustig said. “When
you look at it that way, all of a sudden Big Food
looks like the perpetrator, and the patient becomes
the victim. Congress says you can’t sue McDonald’s
for obesity because it’s your fault. Except
the thing is, when you don’t have a choice,
it’s not your fault.”
Doctors have long assumed that
there is a connection between increasing sugar consumption
and the country’s out-of-control obesity epidemic.
A study published in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition earlier this week suggested
that a single can of soda a day can add 15 pounds
a year.
And increasingly, physicians
are becoming frustrated with patients who are obese
or in danger of becoming obese and seem incapable
of making the lifestyle changes that are necessary
to lose weight. If
Lustig’s hypothesis is correct, then it’s
no wonder physicians are frustrated: Their patients
are driven to eat more and exercise less, in much
the same way they’re driven to drink when they’re
thirsty.
“Your body is telling
you to eat more. Our bodies don’t do well fighting
biochemical drive,” Lustig said. “Try
to not drink something after you’ve eaten a
pizza, when you’re thirsty.”
According to Lustig’s
hypothesis, sugar in large quantities drives up insulin
secretion. This insulin floods the brain, and in
particular the hypothalamus, which regulates energy
use in the body. As a result, leptin, a hormone that
tells the brain when the body needs more or less
energy, can’t get its signal to the hypothalamus
because the insulin is blocking the way.
The result is that the body
is thrown into starvation mode – the brain
thinks it isn’t getting enough energy, so it
needs more calories and it needs to save energy,
he said. People end up feeling the symptoms of starvation,
including malaise, depression, a lack of motivation
and, of course, hunger.
Source: Nat Clin Pract Endocrinol
Metab. 2006 Aug;2(8):447-58.
Herbal
Support for Speedy Recovery
Following Stroke, Heart Attack and Surgery
As Dr. Yan examined Cathy he noticed
that, while she appeared alert, the right side of her
face was completely paralyzed and she’d lost
all ability to process language and express herself
verbally (aphasia). Further examination revealed that
Cathy’s paralysis continued down the right side
of her body. Upper limb muscular force was nonexistent
(grade 0), accompanied by a complete loss of tendon
reflex. Lower leg muscular force was grade 3, with
weak knee tendon reflex. Next, as he examined the computed
tomography (CT) scan taken earlier that day, Dr. Yan
immediately spotted the source of Cathy’s symptoms – a
telltale lesion on her left hemisphere indicating a
cerebrovascular accident (CVA), or stroke.
Dr. Yan agreed to take her case and
immediately began treating Cathy with an advanced herbal
formula that he was developing as a front-line treatment
for patients recovering from stroke, heart attack and
major surgery. After two months, Cathy’s facial
paralysis had completely disappeared, her speech had
returned to normal, and she’d regained right-limb
motor function. Fully recovered, Cathy was finally
able to resume her normal daily activities.
In one study researchs tested Herbal Boost on 98 patients
who had previously experienced a stroke. Ranging in
age from 39 to 81 years old, the patients consisted
of 56 males and 42 females. Of these, 25 patients were
treated within one week of their stroke. Another 40
patients were treated after experiencing a single first
stroke within the previous 12 months. Additionally
another six patients who had persistent symptoms more
than 12 months after experiencing a single stroke were
admitted to the study for treatment.
At the end of the study of 98 patients
treated with Herbal Boost, 91 percent showed significant
evidence of improvement (52=Recovered, 20=Markedly
improved, 18=Somewhat Improved) and 9
percent showed no signs of benefit (8=No Improvement)
(See Table 1 below)
| Table 1. Of
98 patients treated with Herbal Boost for
two months, 91 percent showed significant
evidence of improvement (52=Recovered,
20=Markedly improved, 18=Somewhat
Improved) and 9 percent showed no
signs of benefit (8=No Improvement). |
|
Read
full study here…
|
|
Posted July Aug. 4, 2006
Restoring Health
Heart Function
and Reversing Heart Disease
Last month we introduced CardioPhase™,
a unique herbal formula designed to restore heart health
and reverse heart disease. We are now posting a series
of clinical studies on CardioPhase. Conducted over
a ten-year period by medical scientists at the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS), the studies were part of
the evaluation process that culminated with CardioPhase
being approved for use in hospitals and medical centers
throughout China. In addition to recieving enthusiastic
endorsement by the Academy researchers, CardioPhase
was also recommended as a first choice treatment for
heart disease based on its demonstrated ability to
alleviate heart cell damage caused by anoxia (lack
of oxygen) and ischemia (lack of blood flow) to heart
tissues.
Currently five studies have been
posted on our site, and more are coming in the next
weeks as we complete our translations. Many of these
studies deal with hard science, such as hemodynamics (the
study of forces generated by the heart and the motion
of blood flowing through the cardiovascular system)
and hemorheology (the properties affecting
blood flow , i.e. viscosity, arterial/venous diameter,
blood consistency and vasculature). In this issue we
review two papers of more general interest that will
be of special interest to anyone concerned about maintaining
heart health and reversing heart disease for themselves
and their loved ones.
Effects
of CardioPhase on Myocardial Damage
In the first study 304 patients diagnosed
with myocardial damage and cardiac insufficiency were
treated with CardioPhase for a period of six weeks.
At the end of the study 100 patients (30%) were shown
to free of previous clinical symptoms, including angina,
arrhythmia, dizziness and shortness of breath. The
study authors noted that electrocardiogram (ECG or
EKG) scores for this group had returned to normal,
healthy values
An additional 189 subjects
(62%) experienced significant benefits, including
improvements in one or more symptoms and/or significant
improvements in ECG/EKG scores.
Of the 304 subjects receiving CardioPhase,
only 15 patients (less than 4%) failed to show signs
of improvement. Put in perspective, 95% of all participants
experienced significant improvement after only six
weeks of treatment.
In summarizing their findings the
researchers pointed out that CardioPhase’s ability
to enhance blood SOD activity and reduce plasma LPO
concentrations make it an “effective agent for
improving and restoring myocardial functions.” Noting
CardioPhase's ability to reduce pulmonary arterial
pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, the
researchers concluded, “CardioPhase can be safely
used for myocardial damage caused by various organic
cardiopathies.”
Read
full study here…
In the second study 52 patients diagnosed
with myocardial ischemia received CardioPhase for a
period of 4 weeks. Myocardial ischemia occurs when
blood flow to heart tissues is impaired, reducing the
supply of oxygen and damaging heart tissues. The condition
is usually caused by coronary artery disease.
Animal experiments had previously
shown that CardioPhase improves cases of myocardial
ischemia by restoring myocardial microcirculation,
enhancing myocardial metabolism, raising serum levels
of glutathione, and stimulating oxidation-reduction
to reduce free radical damage to protect heart tissues
and promote resistance to damage.
In
this study CardioPhase was found to improve clinical
symptoms in 87% of the patients and improve electrocardiogram
scores in 42% the patients (Table 1). By comparison,
68% of patients in a control group receiving propranolol,
a non-selective beta blocker, showed signs of improvement,
including 40% improvement in ECG/EKG scores.
Table 1.
CardioPhase
Treatment Group
|
Dizziness
|
Palpitations
|
Shortness of Breath
|
Chest Distress
|
Angina
|
Debility
|
Totals
|
Pre-treatment (n)
|
15
|
38
|
23
|
40
|
18
|
13
|
147
|
Effective (n)
|
15
|
32
|
18
|
38
|
14
|
11
|
128
|
No Change (n)
|
0
|
6
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
19
|
Table
1. Alleviation of symptoms in 52 cases
of myocardial ischemia treated with CardioPhase.
|
The
study authors report that these findings indicate
that CardioPhase is an effective treatment for myocardial
ischemia and is superior to propranolol, as demonstrated
by the clearance of symptoms and improved
EKG scores.
CardioPhase was found to benefit myocardial ischemia
and myocardial damage from many types of heart disease,
including myocarditis and coronary artery disease.
In addition to being superior to propranolol for
relieving clinical symptoms and improving ECG/EKG readings,
CardioPhase was also determined be free of side effects.
Read
full study …
The list of
serious health problems caused by high blood sugar
levels continues to grow. In the last few issues
we've written about the connection between elevated
blood glucose and increased incidence of Metabolic
Syndrome, obesity and Type II diabetes. Now a team
of medical researchers have discovered that elevated
blood glucose levels and obesity contribute to the
onset of BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyrpertrophy).
BPH is a common condition in older
men that causes difficulty in urinating and forces
men to get up three or four times during the night
to urinate. BPH occurs when the prostate begins to
hypertrophy, or increase in size. Other symptoms of
BPH include hesitancy, reduced force of urinary stream,
and occasional bleeding or infection. This condition
may even proceed to the point of complete urinary obstruction.
In the new study published in the
July issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism the
researchers from the University
of California, San Diego, report that men are
at greater risk of developing BPH if they are overweight
and have elevated blood sugar levels. The research
team, led by Dr. J. Kellogg Parsons, used MRI scans
to determine prostate volumes of 422 men aged 27 to
84 years. They discovered that 91 men (22%) had enlarged
prostates.
When they examined the men for additional
risk factors, such as obesity, blood glucose concentration
and diabetes, they found that overweight men were 3.5-times
more likely to develop BHP than their normal-weight
counterparts.
Blood glucose levels were also shown
to increase the risk of developing BPH. Subjects with
elevated glucose levels were 3-times more likely to
have an enlarged prostate as compared to men with normal
blood sugar levels. Overall diabetics were more than
twice as likely to have prostate enlargement compared
with men without diabetes, the researchers note.
The most common therapeutic options
for BPH have been limited to either surgery or Proscar®,
a prescription drug that inhibits 5-alpha reductase.
Use of Proscar results in a 20 percent decrease in
prostate size in 50 percent of the men who are treated.
Unfortunately, Proscar is fairly expensive and has
the significant side effect of causing sexual dysfunction
(impotence and loss of libido). Fortunately the new
research linking BPH and elevated glucose levels suggests
that controlling blood sugar and weight may offer a
more natural approach to preventing BPH without the
cost, pain and adverse effects of current therapies.
MetaPhase™ has been shown
to promote healthy blood sugar levels while reversing
metabolic and chemical disturbances caused by long-term
exposure to elevated insulin and blood glucose. In
addition to providing a sustained reduction in blood
sugar levels MetaPhase aids in restoring pancreatic
function while enhancing peripheral insulin sensitivity
to normalize insulin production. And by reducing carbohydrate
cravings, MetaPhase can also support efforts at healthy
weight reduction without the side effects of stimulants.
Posted July 17, 2006
Heart
Protection Breakthrough from
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains
a leading cause of death in the United States. Over
71 million Americans currently suffer from some form
of heart disease, and over a million people die every
year, despite access to an extensive array of modern
drugs and surgical procedures. The situation for heart
disease patients in developing countries is much more
serious, as the high expense of advanced Western medical
options severely restricts access to almost all modern
treatments.
A recent breakthrough herbal formula
has improved the situation and is revolutionizing the
treatment of heart disease in China. Based on traditional
theories for restoring and improving heart function,
this all-natural herbal formula was developed over
a ten-year period by a team of leading medical researchers
from China's National Institute of Science. The formula,
CardioPhase™, has been shown to support heart
health and alleviate myocardial damage induced by anoxia
(lack of oxygen) and ischemia (lack of blood flow)
to heart tissues.
In addition to nourishing heart tissues
and enhancing hemodynamics (literally "blood dynamics")
CardioPhase has been shown to improve the physical
properties of blood and support enhanced blood flow
to the heart. CardioPhase has also been shown to be
safe for regular use, exhibiting virtually no toxic
effects in large and extended doses.
 The
lack of an effective and affordable treatment option
for heart disease posed a serious problem for China
in the early 1980s. The country was in the midst of
an intense period of modernization, and millions of
rural Chinese workers had migrated from their traditional
farms to work in the burgeoning industrial parks on
the coast. As a consequence, as workers abandoned their
traditional lifestyles, they also abandoned their traditional
healthy diets and switched to a Western diet high in
empty calories, saturated fats and processed sugars.
Not surprisingly, the outcome of this dietary shift
was a huge jump in the incidence of heart disease that
led to a staggering 12 million deaths from heart disease
every year.
To cope with the crisis in 1989,
Chinese health authorities drafted a team of leading
scientists from the prestigious National Academy of
Science in Beijing and commissioned them to develop
a natural, inexpensive and a non-intrusive solution
for heart disease. After a decade of intense research,
the team introduced CardioPhase, a unique herbal formula
based on traditional Chinese theories of restoration
and improvement of heart function. After passing a
series of stringent animal and human trials, CardioPhase
was certified by the Academy of Sciences in 1999 for
use in hospitals as a primary treatment for a variety
of cardiac disorders, including chronic congestive
heart failure.
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Following its approval, ongoing clinical
trials across China continued to demonstrate statistically
significant results with CardioPhase. In particular,
the formula was found to alleviate myocardial damage
induced by anoxia (lack of oxygen) and ischemia (lack
of blood flow) to heart tissues by lowering rates of
lipid peroxidation and increasing endogenous levels
of sodium oxide dismutase (SOD).
CardioPhase has also
been shown to reduce pulmonary arterial blood pressure,
improve microcirculation and enhance cardiac output
while reducing clinical symptoms such as high blood
pressure, shortness of breath, angina, palpitations
and dizziness.
Order
CardioPhase Now
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Maintaining
a Strong Immune System
to Prevent Summer Colds
Though considered a winter
malady, anyone who’s had their vacation ruined
by a summer cold knows that colds follow a seasonal
cycle and can strike at any time. Colds are caused
by over 200 different viral agents, including respiratory
syncytial viruses, rhinoviruses, echo-viruses, adenoviruses
and influenza type C viruses. Over time, these viruses
have adapted to thrive in different environmental
conditions. As a result most Spring and Summer colds
are caused by one of over 100 different forms of
rhinovirus that are adapted to warmer conditions.
Conversely, most colds caught in the Fall and Winter
are caused by variants of both parainfluenza and
respiratory syncytial virus strains.
Summer vacations often involve travel
to new places and contact with new people, both factors
that can dramatically increase exposure to new versions
of common viruses which are unfamiliar to your immune
system. And just the simple act of boarding a plane
dramatically increases the chances of infection, as
recycled cabin air concentrates and spreads airborne
viral particles that easily penetrate the mucous membranes
lining the nose, eyes and mouth.
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ImmunoPhase™ is
an advanced, all-natural herbal formula that
supports the immune system to aid the body in
defending against colds and flu by repelling
viruses before they have a chance to spread.
And when taken at the first signs of infection,
ImmunoPhase’s powerful blend of immuo-supportive
herbs – including Ilex, Isatis and Forsythia – support
rapid recovery from nasal congestion, headaches
and stuffy head symptoms.
At the first sign of a cold or flu, adults take
two capsules every 2-3 hours. Children age 6-12
take one capsule every 3 hours at the first sign
of a cold or flu. Continue taking the supplement
at this rate even if you do catch a full cold
or flu to help your immune system reduce symptoms,
fight off the virus and shorten the duration
of the illness.
Most people experience an immediate effect and
clear reduction of symptoms within 2 hours of
taking ImmunoPhase the very first time. Continued
use can stop a cold or flu quickly and reduce
symptoms, as well as confer protective benefits
with daily long-term use.
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Combining
OsteoPhase + FemmePhase for Osteoporosis, Osteonecrosis
and Bone Fractures
by
John Steinke, L.Ac.
During
my twenty-plus years of treating sports injuries
with acupuncture and herbs, I’ve worked with
a number of athletes suffering from bone fractures.
Bone fractures are the deepest of all musculo-skeletal
injuries, involving not only fractured bones, but
damage in all of the nearby soft tissues – muscles,
tendons, ligaments, blood vessels and nerves. Successful
treatment therefore requires a comprehensive approach
that helps to heal both the fractured bone and
adjacent soft tissues.
Modern
Chinese herbal formulas draw upon ancient traditional
martial arts formulas to dramatically reduce healing
time for most fractures by about one-third. These
formulas also initiate healing in non-union fractures
and improve outcomes in multiple fractures. Traditional
herbal formulas for bone fractures always combine
three types of ingredients – Bone-Building
herbs, Blood Circulation herbs and Cellular Energy
herbs. A proper, effective formula is incomplete
without all three types of herbs.
Bone-Knitting: The
bone-knitting herbs provide nutrition to stimulate
bone healing and growth.
Circulation: Circulation
herbs serve three very important functions by 1)
helping to heal soft tissues, 2) reducing inflammation
and pain, and 3) improving circulation to the bones
to deliver needed bone-knitting ingredients.
Cellular
Energy: Cellular
energy herbs provide the energy resources
that all tissues need to heal and re-grow.
Ancient Chinese healers did
not diagnose osteoporosis and osteonecrosis, which
require modern bone scans, x-rays and other medical
evaluation, but they did treat osteoporosis
as part of an overall picture of aging – bent
back, weak knees, etc. They also treated conditions
such as pain and loss of mobility and function that
would today be evaluated as osteonecrosis.
 Osteonecrosis
is the severe loss of bone tissue due to damaged blood
vessels that feed bone tissue. One type of osteonecrosis
is avascular necrosis of the femoral head of the
hip. In this case there is no or little blood
circulation to the hip, which loses its bony structure
and crushes just with weight bearing movement. Chinese
hospitals treat this condition with a combination of
modern herbal formulas and proper physical therapy.
Of the herbs in FemmePhase,
six are commonly used in China to treat this disorder.
While osteoporosis, osteonecrosis and bone fractures
are different disorders, it is easy to understand why
these conditions require the same types of herbs for bone-building, circulation,
and cellular energy.
OsteoPhase is a modern Chinese herbal formula shown
to be effective in building and restoring bone. What
makes OsteoPhase so unique is that the formula utilizes
peptides derived from oyster shell that research has
shown can aid the body in restoring healthy calcium
regulation. By correcting any underlying dysfunction
in calcium regulation OsteoPhase can help the body
channel calcium back to the bones where it can be used
to rebuild bone tissues. OsteoPhase also aids in the
removal of unwanted calcium from soft tissues where
it tends to accumulate in the arteries and internal
glands and organs.
OsteoPhase utilizes Astragalus polysaccharides to enhance
cellular energy production. These polysaccharides are
a highly concentrated (and expensive) extract derived
from the Astragalus root. Additionally, OsteoPhase
includes Tang-kuei, a Chinese herb revered
for its ability to improve blood circulation to tissues.
By using FemmePhase in combination with OsteoPhase,
results for all of the bone disorders mentioned above
are improved. Cordyceps from FemmePhase is
one of the central herbs in most modern Chinese osteoporosis
formulas. It provides both bone-building and cellular
energy functions to the formula. And as indicated,
the remedy contains five other herbs noted for improving
blood circulation in avascular necrosis leading to
osteonecrosis.
Notably, one of the herbs, Salvia, is now regarded
as the most important herb in China for its ability
to restore microvascular circulation to all of the
body’s tissues. Microvascular circulation involves
the tiny capillaries where nutrition from the blood
supply is delivered to our cells and waste products
of cellular activity are removed. Salvia is noted to
improve fracture healing by enabling better formation
of the bony callus that knits the fractured bone together.
While calcium regulation is important in treating osteoporosis,
much less appreciated is the need to improving blood
circulation and cellular energy production. As we age,
blood thickens. We tire more easily and have less energy
to spare for healing.
Everything is compounded when the bones become so brittle
from osteoporosis that they fracture easily. You then
have to rebuild the osteoporotic bone and heal the
fracture.
OsteoPhase and FemmePhase together is an excellent
combination for osteoporosis.
A recommended regimen would be two capsules of OsteoPhase
and one capsule of FemmePhase both morning and night.
Order
OsteoPhase and FemmePhase Phase NowÄ
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Majority
of Patients with High
Blood Pressure have Metabolic Syndrome
In a new study
published in the April issue of the American Journal
of Medicine a team of Spanish researchers report
that up to two-thirds of patients with high blood pressure
also suffer from undiagnosed Metabolic Syndrome, placing
them at high risk of developing diabetes.
The researchers examined 420 non-diabetic
patients recruited from 16 hypertension clinics throughout
Spain. After measuring both fasting and 2-hour plasma
glucose and insulin levels they discovered that a stunning
68% of patients suffered from abnormal glucose metabolism
(Metabolic Syndrome).
Additionally, a vast majority of
patients (65%) were also found to have at least 2 or
more previously undiagnosed cardiovascular risk factors,
placing them at substantially increased risk of developing
heart disease.
Most surprising was the finding
that out of the 420 patients, only 27 patients (6.4%)
were taking steps to adequately control their risk
factors.
Source:
The American Journal of Medicine 2006;119(4):318-326. |
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Brain
Scans Reveal Link Between
Alzheimer's and Metabolic Syndrome
Researchers in California have
measured physical and metabolic changes in the brain
that may predict dementia or cognitive decline in normal
adults. Furthermore, the location of these changes
suggests alterations to brain tissues usually only
seen in early Alzheimerês.
For the study, designed to determine
if brain imaging could aid in identifying early signs
of dementia, the researchers followed 60 individuals,
aged 60 to 100 years, for an average of 4 years. Each
subject was examined with two imaging techniques --
positron emission tomography imaging (PET) and magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI). At the end of the study six
subjects (10%) were found to have developed serious
cognitive impairment or dementia.
According to Dr. William Jagust
of the University of California at Berkeley, there
was a –high positive correlation” between rapid declines
in cognitive function and lower glucose metabolism
in key areas of the brain.
"The
pattern of glucose metabolism, together with the
location of brain regions that are predictive of
Alzheimerês suggests that these findings are due
to the detection of pre-symptomatic Alzheimerês disease,” the
researchers concluded.
Ann
Neurol. 2006 Apr;59(4):673-81. Brain imaging evidence
of preclinical Alzheimer's disease in normal aging. |
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Controlling
Glucose Metabolism
May Preserve Mental Function
In a related study researchers
are putting forth a provocative new theory suggesting
that diabetes is a primary cause of Alzheimerês disease.
This theory is about to be tested in thousands of Alzheimerês
patients receiving diabetes drugs in hopes of slowing
brain decay.
Alzheimerês is already expected
to skyrocket in the aging baby-boomer population, rising
from 4.5 million sufferers today to a staggering 14
million by 2050. And if the new theory is right, the
nationês current obesity-fueled epidemic of Type 2
diabetes could worsen that toll.
Diabetes has long been listed as
a risk factor for Alzheimerês later in life because
it damages blood vessels that supply the brain. The
new research suggests a more insidious connection:
that Alzheimerês can be silently triggered when brain
cells canêt properly use their main fuel, sugar ã just
as Type 2 diabetes is triggered when insulin gradually
loses its ability to process sugar body-wide.
No one knows what causes the creeping
brain degeneration seen in Alzheimerês, and current
therapies only temporarily help symptoms. Now, researchers
are searching for new drugs designed to target the
diseaseês hallmark, a sticky gunk called beta-amyloid
that clogs up, and probably kills, neurons.
In the new theory, brain cells become
damaged as mitochondria, the intracellular power plants
that provide energy for cells, lose their ability to
metabolize sugar. Eventually the brain cells are impaired,
leading to a buildup of beta-amyloid. Additionally,
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