Saturday, May 31, 2014

Food to avoid and food to increase in ADHD

ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) is one the most common and impairing health conditions affecting school-aged children.  The research on it is quite recent. Worldwide, 5.29% of persons of age 18 and under are diagnosed with ADHD (based on a 2007 review from all world regions). Boys get affected three times more frequently than girls (2.2% vs 0.7%), according to data from 2010. Children with ADHD are at a higher risk of drug abuse and delinquencies in their teens and between 30 and 70% of children affected will carry the condition into adulthood. It is estimated that about 8 million adults may be affected but 80% of them do not know. In adults this condition manifests mainly with problems of lack of self-regulation and can conduct to marital conflicts, substance abuse, financial problems. 

It is medically described as a mental disorder, usually diagnosed by a series of neurological tests and by the presence of a specific number of clearly described symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity that have persisted for at least six months and that result in clinically significant impairment in social, academic, occupational functioning.

The causes of this condition are not completely identified yet but genetics seems to be the most important fact, followed by diet. Nutritional deficiencies and excesses, as well as food sensitivities can either cause or have a huge impact on ADHD symptoms.
 

The correlated nutritional deficiencies include: mineral deficiencies, such as zinc, magnesium (one of the most widespread deficiency in the world), iron, low levels of proteins, glutathione (one of the strongest antioxidants in the body), omega 3

Among nutritional excesses are high consumption of refined sugars, pro-inflammatory diets, food with colorants, preservatives and other food additives. A recent research published on The Lancet found that drink mixtures containing common food dyes and the preservative sodium benzoate increase hyperactivity scores in 3 year olds, eight- and nine-year-olds. 


Digestive problems can also dramatically affect brain development and result in attention and hyperactivity disorders. A common factor among ADHD patients is a weak intestinal system (leaky gut) and relative food allergies. The most common food allergens to avoid: pasteurized dairy products and gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt and to a less degree oats. Soy products, some nuts, eggs are sometimes not well tolerated. Other possible allergens include those of the nightshade family such as eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes.


Other conditions correlated to ADHD, thus not surely a cause but appearing at the same time, include 1- circumstances prior and during birth: infections during pregnancy (measles, varicella, rubella, streptococcal infection), smoking when pregnant, premature birth; 2 -chemical sensitivities to synthetic products like polychlorinated biphenyls, organophosphates, organochlorine, heavy metals (mercury - including mercury used as adjuvants in vaccines, lead), polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (found in products such as food packaging, nonstick pan coatings, paper and textile coatings, and personal care products); 3 -hypoglycemia; 4 -electromagnetic wave exposure (use of mobile devices when pregnant, exposure to cell phones prenatally—and, to a lesser degree, postnatally); 5- early television watching (before age 3); 6- fluorescent light and low natural light exposure. All these factors showed to have an impact on brain development and to be related to ADHD symptoms.
 

The management of ADHD typically involves counseling or medications (nervous system stimulants and sometimes antidepressants) either alone or in combination. Use of such medication does not eliminate negative outcomes entirely and can have serious side effects. For these reasons many parents are now asking support to the complementary medicine approach. 

Dietary modifications have shown to give some benefits and sometimes herbal prescriptions are more effective that synthetic drugs. 


Critical nutrients that are key for brain function can be in deficiency due to a poor or process food-based diet include. Vitamin D, Folic acid, Pyridoxine (B6), Vitamin B12, Zinc, CoQ10, and trace minerals are important for the brain. Supplementing amino acids that are precursors of neurotransmitters such as tryptophan, tyrosine and glutamine insure the needed building materials to make serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine and GABA that have been found to be in low amounts in ADHD patients, due to insufficient protein assumption or bad absorption. 


Herbal remedies that have shown promise without side effects are Ginkgo biloba, Siberian ginseng, Gotu kola, and green oats.  


Please take this reading as educational and do not interrupt medications without advice from your doctor. 

References:Adriani, W., Rea, M., Baviera, M., et al. 2004. Acetyl-L-carnitine reduces impulsive behaviour in adolescent rats. Psychopharmacology, 176, 296-304.
 

American Psychiatric Association, 2000: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American  Psychiatric Association, 2000.
 

Baijal, S., Gupta, R. 2008. Meditation based training: a possible intervention for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatry, 5, 4, 48-55.
 

Balch, P.A., 2006. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fourth Edition. Avery, New York.
Bilici, M., Yildirim, F., Kandil, S., et al. 2004 Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of zinc sulfate in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 28,181-190
 

Bouchard, M.F., Bellinger, D.C, Wright, R.O., Weisskopf, M.G. 2010 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides, Pediatrics, 125, 6, 1270-7.
 

Braun,J.M., Kahn,R.S., Froehlich,T., Auinger, P., Lanphear, B.P. 2006. Exposures to Environmental Toxicants and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in U.S. Children, Environ Health Perspect, 114, 12, 1904-9.
 

Cheuk, D.K, Wong, V.2006, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and blood mercury level: a case-control study in Chinese children. Neuropediatrics, 37, 4, 234-40
 

Coleman, M., Steinberg, G., Tippet, J., et al. 1979. A preliminary study of the effect of pyridoxine administration in a subgroup of hyperkinetic children: a double-blind crossover comparison with methylphenidate. Biol Psychiatry, 14:741-751.
 

Curtis L.T., Patel, K, 2008 Nutritional and environmental approaches to preventing and treating autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a review.Publication: Journal of alternative and complementary medicine, 14, 1, 79-85
 

Divan, H.A., Kheifets, L., Obel, C., Olsen, J. 2008, Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Cell Phone Use and Behavioral Problems in Children, Epidemiology: 19, 4, 523-529

Erskine, H.E, Ferrari, A.G., Nelson, P., Polanczyk, G.V., Flaxman, A.D., Vos, T., Whiteford, H.A., Scott, J.G. 2013 Epidemiological modelling of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54, 12, 1263-127

Gapin, J. I., Labban, J.D., Etnier, J.L.2011. The effects of physical activity on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms: The evidence. Preventive medicine, 52, Supp. 1, S70-S74
 

Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., Bailey, V. 1998. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 7, 125-130.
 

Goraya, J.S., Cruz, M., Valencia, I., Kaleyias, J., Khurana, D. S., Huntley, H.H., Marks, H., Legido, A., Kothare, S.V. 2009. Sleep study abnormalities in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pediatric neurology, 40, 1, 42-46.
 

Gruber, R., Xi, T., Frenette, S., Robert, M., Vannasinh, P., Carrier, J. 2009. Sleep Disturbances in Prepubertal Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Home Polysomnography Study, Sleep, 32, 3, 343–35
 

Hoffman, K., Thomas F. W., Weisskopf, M.G., Weinberg, J., Vieira, V.,M., 2010. Exposure to polyfluoroalkyl chemicals and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in U.S. Children 12–15 Years of Age. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118, 12, 1762-1767

Kemper, K.J. 2010. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). The Longwood Herbal Taskforce and The Center for Holistic Pediatric Education and Research, in: < http://www.longwoodherbal.org/
valerian/valerian.pdf>

Kiddie, J.Y., Weiss, M.D., Kitts, D.D., Levy-Milne, R., Wasdell, M.B. 2010 Nutritional status of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a pilot study. International journal of pediatrics, doi: 10.1155/2010/767318.

Langseth, L., Dowd, J. 1978. Glucose tolerance and hyperkinesis. Food Cosmet Toxicol, 16:129-133.

Lewis, J.A., Young, R. 1975 Deanol and methylphenidate in minimal brain dysfunction. Clin Pharmacol Ther, 17,534-540

Manor, I., Magen, A., Keidar, D., Rosen, Sm, Tasker, H., Cohen, T., Richter, Y., Zaaroor-Regev, D., Manor, Y., Weizman, A.. 2012 The effect of phosphatidylserine containing Omega3 fatty-acids on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in children: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial, followed by an open-label extension. Eur Psychiatry, 27, 5, 335-42. 

McCann, D., Barrett, A., Cooper, A., Crumpler, D. Dalen, L., Grimshaw, K., Kitchin, E., Lok, K., Porteous, L., Prince, E., Sonuga-Barke, E., Warner, J.O., Stevenson, J. 2007. Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, The Lancet, 370, 9598, 1560 – 1567.

McConnell H. 1985. Catecholamine metabolism in the attention deficit disorder: implications for the use of amino acid precursor therapy. Med Hypotheses, 17, 305-311.

Medscape, 2014. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Prevalence, Etiology, and Persistence, in: <http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/547415_2>

Murphy, Km, Kubin, Z.J,, Shepherd, J.N., Ettinger, R.H. 2010. Valeriana officinalis root extracts have potent anxiolytic effects in laboratory rats. Phytomedicine, 17, 674-678.

Naturalnews, 2014, ADHD natural remedies, in : <http://www.naturalnews.com/032275_ADHD_natural_remedies.html>
 

Naturalnews, 2014, Amino acids addiction, in: <http://www.naturalnews.com/034030_amino_acids_addiction.html#ixzz32ESlXVyS>
 

Naturalnews, 2014, ADHD and herbal remedies, in: <http://www.naturalnews.com/026081_adhd_herbal_remedies.html#ixzz32ETZBd36>
 

Neuman, R.J., Lobos, E., Reich, W., Henderson, C.A., Sun, L.W., Todd, R.D. 2007 Prenatal smoking exposure and dopaminergic genotypes interact to cause a severe ADHD subtype. Biol Psychiatry, 61, 12, 1320-8.
 

Niederhofer, H. 2010. St. John’s wort may improve some symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nat Prod Res, 24, 203-20.5
 

Nigg, J.T., Lewis, K., Edinger, T., Falk, M. 2012 Meta-Analysis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Restriction Diet, and Synthetic Food Color Additives, Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51, 1, 86-97.
 

Olsson, E.M., von Scheele, B., Panossian, A.G. 2009. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract Shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta Med, 75,105-112.

Pellow, J., Solomon, E.M., Barnard, C.N. 2008. Nutritional and environmental approaches to preventing and treating autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a review. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 16, 4, 323-337.
 

Pelsser, L.M., Frankena, K., Toorman, J.,  Savelkoul, H.F., Dubois, A.E., Rodrigues Pereira, R.,  Haagen, T.A., N Rommelse, N.N., Buitelaar, J.K.201.1Effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (INCA study): a randomised controlled trial, The Lancet, 377, 9764, 494 - 503
Polanczyk, G., Silva de Lima, M., Lessa Horta, B., Biederman, J., Rohde, L.A. 2007, The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: a systematic review and metaregression analysis, American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 6, 942-948.
 

Sagiv, S.K., Thurston, S.W., Bellinger, D.C.,Tolbert, P.E., Altshul, L.M., Korrick, S.A. 2010. Prenatal organochlorine exposure and behaviors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in school aged children. American journal of epidemiology, 171, 5, 593-601.
 

Sonuga-Barke, E.J.S., Brandeis,D., Cortese, S., Daley, D. Ferrin, M., Holtmann, M., Stevenson, J., Danckaerts, M., van der Oord, S., Döpfner, M., Dittmann, R.W., Simonoff, E, Zuddas, A., Banaschewski, T., Buitelaar, J., Coghill, D., Hollis, C, Konofal, E., Lecendreux, M. Wong, I.C.K., Sergeant, J. 2013 Nonpharmacological Interventions for ADHD: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials of Dietary and Psychological Treatments, Am J Psychiatry 2013;170:275-289.
 

Trebatická, J., Kopasová, S., Hradecná, Z., et al. 2006. Treatment of ADHD with French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 15, 329-335.

WebMed, 2014. ADHD in Children Health Center, Understanding ADHD -- Diagnosis and Treatment, in: >http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/understanding-adhd-treatment>
 

Wikipedia, 2014, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, in: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder>
 

Monday, May 12, 2014

Get in the sun for preventing Infections, cancer, cardiovasculat health and infertility

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, but it is more like a hormone than a vitamin itself. It has innumerable functions throughout the body, although its fame is linked to its requirement for proper skeleton formation and prevention of rickets. In fact, Vitamin D deficiency causes growth retardation and rickets in children and will precipitate and exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis and increase risk of fractures in adults. 


This is due to the fact that one well known function of vitamin D is to enhance the efficiency of calcium absorption from the intestine. Besides this action, though, vitamin D is key to several other functions in the body, from muscular performance to immune system function, from kidney function to cardiovascular health to fertility

Vitamin D promotes insulin secretion (preventing diabetes), inhibits adaptive immunity but promotes innate immunity (protecting from autoimmune diseases and infections), inhibits cell proliferation and enhances cell self-death (protecting from cancer), alters cardiac contractility, stimulates sex hormones production. Vitamin D has a n important effect on reproduction in both women and men: it might influence production of sex hormones (estradiol and progesterone) in women and men, and it is positively associated with semen quality.


Notwithstanding its importance, many people (an estimated 1 billion) are vitamin D deficient (D3 level less than 20 29 ng/ml), i.e. they do not even have the minimal amount of it for correct functioning of these body systems. This is recognized as one of the most common medical conditions in children and adults. Doctors are starting to accept vit D’s important role and prescribe it, although mainly to prevent osteoporosis in post-menopause women.
 

But its need of supplementation does not end here.
 

It is calculated that approximately 90% of all vitamin D needed has to be formed in the skin under the effect of ultraviolet radiation UV B. This might be one reason for it being so low in so many people: strict sun protection, predicated in the past 30 years or so to supposedly prevent skin cancers, causes vitamin D-deficiency. 

Use of sunscreens: not only do synthetic sunscreens effectively block the healing benefits of the sun, by blocking UVB rays, but they also become absorbed into the skin where they create several potential health problems. Moreover, synthetic sunscreens create a false sense of security by disabling the skin's early reaction for overexposure, the sunburn, which creates other health problems. When sunburn, the skin gets damaged by sun rays through creation of free radicals, which are responsible, among other things, for premature ageing and some cancers. That is why it is a good idea to counter these free radicals with antioxidants in the diet. 


The synthesis of vitamin D in the skin is a function of skin pigmentation (at darker skin corresponds a lower synthesis) and of the solar angle, which depends on latitude, season, and time of day. Melanin absorbs 99.9% of the UVB photons into heat that is easily dissipated, which effectively avoids radiation damage that contributes to cell damage. The remaining photons are used for the transformation of 7-dehydrocholesterol found in the skin to the previtamin D3.


This 0.1% of photons use is extremely rapid and robust. The obtained forms of pre-vitamin D (D3) is biologically inactive and require activation in the liver and kidneys. 


It is believed that, besides the recent  lower sun exposure, also protein losses, gastrointestinal malabsorption (so common in our times) and defective skin synthesis might contribute to the elevated number of people with suboptimal level of such vitamin.
 

Insufficient dietary intake might be another cause: vitamin D is found in eggs and oily fish. Eggs have been (unjustly) receiving a bad name with the appearance of the cholesterol fright(1) of the past 20 years and oily fish do not get highly consumed by the general population, except probably among Inuit. Also, farmed salmon (the most commonly eaten one) has a mean content of vitamin D of approximately 25% of the mean content found in wild caught salmon. Vitamin D content in food is however minimal importance when compared to vitamin D production from the skin-sun reaction.

Association of vitamin D-deficiency has been found with various diseases including cancer (especially breast, ovarian, prostate, colorectal, multiple myeloma and Hodgkins lymphoma, pancreas, leukemia), heart failure, bone diseases, autoimmune diseases (Multiple Sclerosis, autoimmune thyroid diseases, Systemic Sclerosis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus , Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chron’s disease), chronic kidney disease, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension, type II diabetes, infertility, muscular diseases (myopathies, risk of falling, fibromyalgia), asthma and neurological disorders (cognitive performance, depression, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia).
 

A series of studies have suggested that low vitamin D increases risk of cancer: in a recent study researchers from Northwestern University found that vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of aggressive prostate cancer in some men by nearly 500 percent. Lung cancer patients have a better prognosis with vit D3 enhancement by high sun exposure. 

Vitamin D supplementation can also increase survival of chronic kidney disease patients. In general, and this is what science reveals, higher vitamin D levels are associated with lower overall mortality.

We hope that this article educated on the beneficial effects of moderate sunlight for providing us the vitamin D requirement for good health. For people who are not exposed to sunlight, a supplement is recommended: at present, most experts agree that daily intake of 1000- to 5000 IU vitamin D in adults and 400 IU in children could reduce the incidence of vitamin D-deficiency-related diseases.
 

So finally, avoid getting sunburn, but do not avoid the sun: train your skin in spring with the morning to midday sun, exposing your body 15-20 minutes at first and then longer times, without sun protection. Use the coloring of the skin as a gauge for safety against overexposure.  



(1) For a complete  explanation on cholesterol and cardiovascular health and how to avoid the need of statins, order the series of seminars on Cholesterol on   www.puravita.co.nz
 


References

25 (OH) vitamin D level in Crohn's disease: association with sun exposure & disease activity. The Indian journal of medical research, 2009

Childhood asthma may be a consequence of vitamin D deficiency. Current opinion in allergy and clinical immunology, 2009 


Dietary intake of vitamin D and cognition in older women: a large population based study. Neurology, 2010

Disease specific definitions of vitamin D deficiency need to be established in autoimmune and non autoimmune chronic diseases: a retrospective comparison of three chronic diseases. Arthritis research & therapy, 2010

Factors that influence the cutaneous synthesis and dietary sources of vitamin D.Archives of biochemistry and biophysics, 2007

Interaction of factors related to the metabolic syndrome and vitamin D on risk of prostate cancer. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 2007

Is Vitamin D Deficiency Associated With Heart Failure? A Review of Current Evidence.
Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology and therapeutics, 2011

Melanoma and vitamin D. Molecular oncology, 2011

Nonclassic actions of vitamin D. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2009

Protective and toxic effects of vitamin D on vascular calcification: clinical implications. Molecular aspects of medicine, 2008

Role of vitamin d in insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity for glucose homeostasis. International journal of endocrinology, 2010

Scientific documentation of the relationship of vitamin D deficiency and the development of cancer. Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer, 2009

Seasonal and geographical variations in lung cancer prognosis in Norway. Does Vitamin D from the sun play a role? Lung cancer, 2007

Serum vitamin D concentrations are related to depression in young adult US population: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. International archives of medicine, 2010

Skin cancer prevention and UV protection: how to avoid vitamin D deficiency? The British journal of dermatology, 2009

The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention: does UV protection conflict with the need to raise low levels of vitamin D? Deutsches Ärzteblatt international, 2010

Very low levels of vitamin D in systemic sclerosis patients. Clinical rheumatology, 2010

Vitamin D and autoimmune thyroid diseases. Cellular & molecular immunology, 2011

Vitamin D and host resistance to infection? Putting the cart in front of the horse. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.), 2010

Vitamin D and skeletal muscle tissue and function. Molecular aspects of medicine, 2008

Vitamin D biology: from the discovery to its significance in chronic kidney disease. Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation, 2011

Vitamin D deficiency in fibromyalgia. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 2010

Vitamin D, neurocognitive functioning and immunocompetence. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 2011

Vitamin D: considerations in the continued development as an agent for cancer prevention and therapy. Cancer journal, 2010

Vitamin D and fertility: a systematic review. European Journal of Endocrinology 2012

Thursday, May 8, 2014

What lies behind the prostate test?


The prostate is a gland of the male reproductive system, of the size of a walnut, found just below the urinary bladder, which secretes a juice that is 50 to 70% of the semen.

The need to undertake the prostate tests which men are commonly supposed to do in order to detect presence of prostate cancer after 50 years of age has been shattered by recent research. In  2010 even the Dr. Ablin himself, the doctor who invented such test in 1970, attacked the prevention philosophy which presses men, even those who are perfectly healthy, to undertake these tests. These blood exams, called PSA (prostate specific antigen), are never 100% sure (they diagnose only 3.8 % of cancers) and they can often detect problems that are not real or of a different form and concern than a cancer. Levels of PSA > 4 ng/mL are considered abnormal by the majority of urologists and doctors, but 80% of men with levels between 4 and 10 ng/mL have either a BHP(1) (benign prostatic hyperplasia), which is not a cancer but an inoffensive enlargement of the prostate, or no conditions at all. In fact, the levels of PSA can be increased by the use of over-the-counter drugs like Ibuprofen, as well as by infections!

Early screening and results that suggest the (3.8%) possibility of cancer often lead to unnecessary treatments: painful, dangerous and expensive exams (biopsies) and potentially dangerous treatments (prostectomy, followed by hormonal therapy that reduces testosterone). These procedures would be mostly useless, as stated by a research published in 1993 in the highly respected medical journal The Lancet: in this research, 33% of autopsies on a pool of men showed presence of prostate cancer but only 1% of such individuals died from it. Also, according to two studies found in the New England Journal of Medicine, prevention through PSA does not reduce (in USA) the rate of mortality of men older than 55 years of age, or slightly reduces the rate of mortality (in Europe), but in this case 48 men over 100 would need to be operated to save 1 life; the other 47 will undertake a surgery that most probably will make them impotent, even without need! And also, according to a research published in 2008, only 2% of men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer and 5% of men with high-risk cancer die in the 10 years after diagnosis. Men with a low-risk prostate cancer live at least 10 years longer than men who are never diagnosed.

Why would such a cancer have a minimal risk of causing premature death? In the prostate, like in all organs, there are always sick and possibly carcinogenic cells, but a well functioning immune system constantly eliminates them. With age, the number of carcinogenic cells can increase, especially in the prostate. But this growth is so slow in this gland that the 80% of men with prostate cancer do not even realize they have it. 

Prostate cancer treatment can cause permanent damage, including impotence (50 % of cases), heart attacks, incontinence and even death: and these risks are related to a treatment of a disease that is statistically unlikely to kill them.

Dr. Ablin never stated that PSA tests could detect prostate cancer and even less that they could make a difference between a high-risk cancer and a low-risk cancer. He believes that the present enhancement of such testing is driven by economical interests.

* BHP is very common, 50% of men over 50s are touched by it and almost all men at 80-90 years of age have it. It usually does not cause major problems, except for some cases of urinary dysfunctions. Even if a minimal issue compared to cancer, it has to be considered that some of these dysfunctions could lead to infections, inflammation or calculi in the bladder. However, it is interesting to note that 10% of problems of urinary functions are the result of undesired effects of some drugs (ex. treatment for asthma and emphysema, antidepressants, anti-allergy or anti-hypertension). 


What causes BPH? “DHT” (di-hydrotestosterone) is considered being the culprit. With age, production of testosterone decreases and DHT replaces it and increases. This DHT is responsible for the proliferation of prostate cells after puberty, proliferation that takes off with such increased levels of the hormone with age. Another hormone, oestradiol, also stimulates cell proliferation; such hormone is present in men as in women and it is produced by fat cells, which explains how being overweight is a risk in prostate cancer. Diabetes also increases the risk of BPH.

What to do to prevent both BPH and prostate cancer? As any other condition, there is a genetic component in the prevalence of prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. However, controlling the environmental factors (diet, lifestyle, emotional status) can change the chances. 


So, the recommendations for keeping your risks low: 

-    keep a stable weight, exercise regularly. Eat healthy: i.e.: 

-    decrease consumption of farmed animal products (milk products, salted meat and meat from battery beef) that have been related with a 31% increase of risk of BPH.


-    replace red meat with fish or vegetable proteins (they reduce growth of prostate by15%)


-    eat many fresh fruits and vegetables, especially apples, broccoli, green beans, bell peppers and red onions, and drink green tea: catechines and quercitine contained in high amounts in green tea and red onions and in these vegetables limit the activity of the enzyme that synthesizes dehydrotestosterone, and thus prevents overgrowth of prostate cells. Quercitine would also reduce night time needs to urinate; as a plus it is also a strong anti-inflammatory. 


-    consume capsules of the mushroom Reishi, which has been proven to block cancerous growth in breast, prostate, bone marrow, lungs, liver and bones, even when cells become resistant to chemotherapy. Reishi is considered by science to be a natural chemotherapeutic agent


-    increase fiber intake (insoluble and from legumes) that was found to be inversely associated with prostate cancer risk


-    avoid coffee, heavy alcohol and sodas which irritate the bladder. Two glasses of wine protect prostate, with an associated 33%lowered risk of BPH


-    use the power of medicinal plants: the plant saw palmetto contains anti-inflammatory components and molecules that inhibit transformation of testosterone into DHT. Also nettle (Urtica dioica) contains steroids that inhibit enzymes in the prostate and limits or reduces the prostate volume while relieving symptoms. Another plant product, rye flower pollen (Secale cereale), inhibits DHT formation and growth of prostate cells


-    supplement with key vitamins and minerals: vitamin E (α-tocopherol, contained in wheat germ, leafy vegetables and seeds) plays a key role in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation and has been studied as a potential chemo-preventive agent for prostate cancer. Using magnesium regularly prevents cancer growth. Magnesium chloride allows the body to better face carcinogenic aggressions.







ALWAYS ask your doctors what values really means. There are alternative tests that can be done to assess the condition of the prostate.


Some references:
Lifetime occupational physical activity and incidental prostate cancer (Canada). Cancer Causes Control. 2000

Dietary Total and Insoluble Fiber Intakes Are Inversely Associated with Prostate Cancer Risk Journal of Nutrition 2014

Genetic Variants Reflecting Higher Vitamin E Status in Men Are Associated with Reduced Risk of Prostate Cancer, Journal of Nutrition 2014

Ganoderic acids suppress growth and invasive behavior of breast cancer cells by modulating AP-1 and NF-kappaB signaling. International  Journal of  Molecular Medicine, 2008
 

The development of human benign prostatic hyperplasia with age. Journal of  Urology 1984

The prevalence of prostatism: a population-based survey of urinary symptoms. Journal of  Urology 1993

Obesity and benign prostatic hyperplasia: clinical connections, emerging etiological paradigms and future directions - Journal of  Urology 2013

Diabetes and benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms--what do we know?
Journal of  Urology 2009

Contribution of common medications to lower urinary tract symptoms in men. Archives of Internal  Medicine 2011

Physical activity, obesity, and lower urinary tract symptoms. Eur Urolology 2011

Thursday, May 1, 2014

eat your eggs!

Avoiding eggs, to supposedly keep the blood cholestrol in control, is not recommendable: eggs are the richest source of the full complex of amino-acids (components of proteins) that Nature delivers. Not only this, but they are also fantastic concentrates of minerals and vitamins: egg yolks are rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, pantothenic acid and B12.




The yolk also contains vitamins A, D and E, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Egg yolks are also a rich source of choline (essential for brain function and CV function), and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin that protect the eyes and lower the risk of macular degeneration. These elements make the egg the perfect complete food.

Several research publications now state that eating one or two eggs a day does not impact your Cho levels, in normal conditions (this does not apply for example to people with diabetes or people on a high carbohydrate diet or people with history of a heart attack).
                                                            ********************
For more information on cholesterol levels, how to control them and, especially, why and ..is this necessary? check the history on 'Cholesterol, fats and cardiovascular health' on this website: http://leelawadee-silviap.blogspot.co.nz/2014/04/cholesterol-control-right-fats-in-your.html


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