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Why Organic is Better For You Than Conventionally Grown Foods 2007-04-22 19:53:00 One of the most comprehensive and definitive studies of its kind has demonstrated that organically grown kiwi fruit contain more health-promoting factors than conventionally grown fruit.The study achieved high precision by comparing kiwis grown next to each other on the same farm, at the same time, under the same environmental conditions. It was also the first study to examine phenolic compounds.The organically grown kiwi fruit had increased levels of polyphenols, higher antioxidant activity, and higher levels of vitamin C and important minerals. The scientists conducting the study attributed the differences to the organic fruits surviving against pests in the absence of pesticides. Higher antioxidant activity, for example, is thought to be a natural reaction to stress. ...

Burger King Goes For Free-Range Animal Products 2007-04-22 19:52:00 Burger King is now buying 2 percent of its eggs from producers using cage-free hens and 10 percent of its pork from sources that don't use sow gestation crates.The company expects those numbers to double at the very least by year's end, and Burger King has told egg suppliers that it will look favorably on cage-free eggs when making purchasing decisions.Burger King will also give purchasing preference to poultry suppliers that use "controlled atmosphere stunning," which is considered the most humane way to slaughter poultry.Although these newer, cruelty-free pork and egg products represent a tiny fraction of Burger King's fast-food output -- the company purchases 40 million pounds of eggs and 35 million pounds of pork annually -- industry experts believe this move toward more humane and healthier food will likely trigger similar moves from competitors, even though BK says it won't use these new guidelines in their advertising. ...

Emotional Issues Major Factor in Arthritis Pain 2007-04-22 19:50:00 A new study is the first to directly compare the brain areas involved in processing osteoarthritis (OA) pain and experimental pain. The results indicated that emotions play a strong role in how patients feel arthritis pain.Advances in neuroimaging have led to the discovery that the brain processes pain in a network of brain structures that have been called the pain matrix.The pain matrix contains two parallel systems: the medial pain system, which processes the emotional aspects of pain, and the lateral system, which processes the physical sensations.The new study examined 12 patients with knee OA. All subjects had their brain activity measured with positron emission tomography (PET) while experiencing arthritic knee pain, experimental pain achieved by heat application, and while pain-free.Both pain conditions activated the entire pain matrix. However, activity was increased within the medial pain system of the brain during arthritic pain. This suggests that arthritis pain has a strong ...

The Medical Mistakes That Kill Americans Every Day 2007-04-22 19:49:00 The fourth annual HealthGrades study on Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study examined over 40 million Medicare hospitalization records at almost 5,000 hospitals between 2003 and 2005.It found that patient safety incidents in U.S. hospitals increased by 3 percent overall over that period, and there continued to be a large gap (a 40 percent difference) in errors made at the worst hospitals compared to those made at the best hospitals.Ten out of 16 types of patient safety incidents increased over the three years of the study, by an average of almost 12 percent. The highest increases were in post-operative sepsis (an increase of 34.3 percent), post-operative respiratory failure (18.7 percent), and selected infections due to medical care (12.2 percent).There were more than a million patient safety incidents among Medicare patients alone that period, and almost 250,000 potentially preventable deaths in U.S. hospitals. Medicare patients involved in at least one safety incident had a 25 ...

More Insanity -- Heartburn Drugs for Kids 2007-04-22 19:47:00 A recent report indicates that long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), used to stop stomach acid from refluxing into the esophagus, may be safe and effective in children. PPIs include drugs such as Prilosec (omeprazole) and Prevacid (lansoprazole).The study examined 166 pediatric patients with reflux disease who used PPIs for up to 11 years. Most patients used omeprazole, but a few used lansoprazole. Doses ranged from 4 mg to 90 mg each day.PPIs can cause increased rate of some infections, B12 deficiency, and iron and calcium malabsorption. ...

The Deception Behind 'Organic' Milk 2007-04-22 19:45:00 With consumer demand for organic products continuing to grow, more large corporations are entering the organic market. To maximize profits, some of these companies don't follow organic standards but still label products as organic. For example, Horizon Organic and Aurora Organic, sold by Wal-Mart and other retailers, continue to produce "organic" milk under factory-farm conditions that few reasonable people would consider truly organic.According to the Organic Consumers Association, half of Horizon's "organic" milk today comes from what can only be considered "factory" dairy feedlots -- and much of Aurora's organic milk does as well. Rather than buy organic calves that have been raised from birth on organic farms, these companies seemed to have discovered it's cheaper to buy conventional calves that have been raised on conventional farms, install them in factory feedlots, then milk them and call it organic.The situation has become so alarming that the Organic Consumers Association ...

How to Make Delicious Flavored Yogurt 2007-04-22 19:43:00 Why buy non-healthy versions when you can make your own? Here's a quick and easy way to create a fantastic strawberry-flavored, good-for-you yogurt.One of the things that I hated giving up when I first started the Metabolic Typing diet was my flavored yogurt. I absolutely love yogurt, particularly strawberry.I use my all-time favorite yogurt, Greek yogurt, Fage brand, though you can use any type of plain, preferably organic, yogurt you like.Then what I used for the strawberry flavoring is this fantastic jam, the best I've ever found. It's the St. Dalfour brand, and it's sweetened with grape juice rather than sugar. It's got whole chunks of fruit in it. It's a simple product, with only fruit, pectin to set the jam, and grape juice. Not half bad for ya and fabulous!All you do is:Pop a couple dollops of yogurt in a serving dish.Mix in one dollop of jam.There you have it! So yummy! Enjoy! ...

How You Can Easily Protect Your Hearing 2007-04-22 19:42:00 A new animal study showed that a combination of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as magnesium, can protect hearing.When the mixture was taken in high doses an hour before exposure to a loud noise, and then taken once a day for five days thereafter, the animals in the study were protected from permanent noise-induced hearing loss even after prolonged exposure to sounds as loud as a jet engine taking off at close range.University of Michigan researchers studied the effect loud noises had on four groups of guinea pigs exposed to 120-decibel sounds after they were treated either with differing combinations of those nutrients or a placebo. The group of animals given all four nutrients suffered less noise-induced hearing loss than all the others.The vitamins prevent inner ear damage caused by excessive free radical activity, which is a major factor in hearing loss after noise trauma. The doses given after the noise "scavenged" any free radicals that continued to form. The vitamins may also redu ...

Another Myth Exploded -- Dieting Does Not Work 2007-04-22 19:41:00 UCLA researchers report that diets generally do not help people lose weight and keep it off. In general, people initially lose 5 percent to 10 percent of their weight on any given of diets, but then gain it back, often with some additional pounds as well.The information is the result of a comprehensive and rigorous analysis of 31 long-term diet studies.The researchers concluded that most people would be better off not going on a diet at all.The initial 5 percent to 10 percent loss generally occurs during the first six months. However, up to two-thirds of dieters then regain more weight than they lost within four or five years. Also, since diet studies are frequently self-reported or have poor follow-up rates, the number of people who regained weight may be even higher than the studies indicate.Dieting is actually a consistent predictor of future weight gain; one study showed that those who participate in formal weight-loss programs gain significantly more weight over a two-year period ...

Is Your Doctor Clueless About How to Lower Cholesterol? 2007-04-22 19:38:00 Pfizer, which stands to lose billions of dollars if health plans continue to encourage patients to switch from their statin drug Lipitor to the cheaper generic Zocor, is trying to get a letter-writing campaign started to change the policies.Pfizer has been sending doctors a CD containing two letters -- one to send to health plans and one to send to pharmacists.The letters state that switching from Lipitor to a generic statin for cost reasons will undermine doctors' clinical judgment.Using generic statins can save health care plans millions of dollars each year. The switch saves plans $70 to $80 a month per patientUSA Today April 3, 2007Dr. Mercola's Comment:Considering how damaging and life-threatening taking Lipitor or any other statin can be to your health, it's hard to believe that your doctor may be vigorously defending his or her right to prescribe them to patients anyway.But then again it is not surprising at all if you have been reading this newsletter for awhile. If you have ...

Are Antidepressants Ever Necessary? 2007-04-22 19:31:00 A new study suggests that about a quarter of the people who have been diagnosed with depression may actually be dealing with the normal and expected emotions associated with loss or traumatic events.It is not unusual to experience depressive feelings when you have lost your job or marriage. But researchers are now suggesting that such feelings should not usually be diagnosed as depression.The study was based on a survey administered to more than 8,000 Americans, which asked questions based on diagnostic criteria for mood problems.The researchers found that extended periods of depression-like symptoms are common in people who have been through life stresses, and that this does not necessarily constitute illness. Only a fraction of people, however, had severe symptoms that could be classified as clinical depression.Drug treatment may often be inappropriate for people who are responding to life's stresses. Supportive psychotherapy, however, may still be useful. ...