Peanut Product Recall Took Company Approval

WASHINGTON — Even though federal health officials have begun a criminal investigation into whether the Peanut Corporation of America deliberately sold contaminated products, the government still needed the company’s permission last week before announcing a huge recall of its products.

The wording of the recall statement had to be approved by the company before the Food and Drug Administration could publish it under current rules. The agency relies on cooperation from food makers to ensure the safety of the food supply even when those makers are suspected of crimes.

Some Democrats in Congress have vowed to change this by giving the F.D.A. more authority, and the agency’s critics say it is too timid with the power it has.

On Monday, President Obama promised a “complete review of F.D.A. operations.”

“I think that the F.D.A. has not been able to catch some of these things as quickly as I expect them to catch,” Mr. Obama said in an interview on the “Today” show.

The president said Americans should be able to count on the government to keep children, including his daughter, Sasha, 7, safe when they eat peanut butter.

“That’s what Sasha eats for lunch probably three times a week,” Mr. Obama said. “And, you know, I don’t want to have to worry about whether she’s going to get sick as a consequence to having her lunch.”

The White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said Friday that Mr. Obama would soon announce a new F.D.A. commissioner and other officials. Mr. Gibbs said they would put in place a “stricter regulatory structure” to prevent breakdowns in food-safety inspections.

Part of the review is sure to examine whether the requirement for the peanut company’s approval caused delays in warnings about its products once public health officials became aware of significant problems at its plant in Blakely, Ga. The warning also covered products from the company’s customers that manufacture food, including Kellogg.

A representative for the peanut company would not comment. Kris Charles, a Kellogg spokeswoman, said “Kellogg acted quickly and recalled potentially impacted products within hours” of the peanut company’s second recall announcement.

Judy Leon, an F.D.A. spokeswoman, refused to comment.

More than 500 people have been sick in the outbreak of salmonella poisoning, and 8 have died. More than 430 product brands have been recalled.

The delays meant Sarah Kirchner of Belle Plaine, Minn., whose two young children became ill from the outbreak, for weeks had no idea how to prevent a recurrence. Her 3-year-old son, Michael, was hospitalized for four days with intense pain in his head, neck and shoulders, she said.

“He had a spinal tap, bone scan, M.R.I. and a CT scan,” Ms. Kirchner said. “I’m still so worried about him.”

Representative Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, said she had been asking top food and drug officials for years if they needed authority for ordering mandatory recalls.

But the officials said companies cooperated when recalls were needed.

“They can’t even get a press release out on this stuff without industry approval. It’s just unbelievable,” said Ms. DeLauro, who promised to offer legislation on Wednesday that would split the agency’s food oversight into a separate entity with mandatory recall authority and other powers.

Public health officials pinpointed the Blakely plant as the source of the salmonella outbreak on Jan. 9. The peanut company announced a limited recall on Jan. 13 and expanded it on Jan. 16. The company waited until Jan. 28 before recalling all products made at the plant in 2007 and 2008, even though it had known since 2007 that tests of products showed contamination with salmonella.

Food buyers and some top public health officials say they knew before any public announcement that the company’s products and those of its customers were the likeliest source of the outbreak.

Craig Wilson, an assistant vice president at Costco, said he pulled Kellogg’s Keebler and Austin peanut butter crackers off shelves a day before Kellogg’s first announcement and nearly a week before the Peanut company and Kellogg issued a nationwide recall that covered those cookies.

Mr. Wilson said he could not wait for the F.D.A. to make announcements about food problems that are widely known among food safety officials.

“I don’t want to say that you can’t rely on the F.D.A.,” Mr. Wilson said, “but we certainly can move quicker than they do.”

The F.D.A. can seize a product that it suspects is contaminated, and it can ask a federal judge for authority to recall products if a maker refuses to do so. The agency can also announce that it suspects problems with a product before the company agrees to a recall. But it rarely does any of these.

Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer in Seattle, said the agency had neither the authority nor the courage it needed to keep the food supply safe.

Michael R. Taylor, a former top official at the food agency, said change was needed.

“F.D.A. negotiates communications about recalls with companies,” Mr. Taylor said, “and that sometimes leads to delays. Changing that dynamic when people are getting seriously ill and dying is something that ought to happen.”

Best 7 Day Cleansing Diet Plan

It’s claimed that this Healthy Diet Plan takes nine kilograms in two weeks, , if strictly held. Alcohol is strictly prohibited, drink coffee without sugar a salad spiced with lemon. If you don’t see quantities refer you may eat it as much as you want it. Cleansing Diet leads to changes in the exchange of substances in the body that should guarantee that in the next period, if you eat normally or not, accrue new kilograms.

B= Breakfast - L= Lunch - D= Dinner

1.Day
B: coffee without suger
L: 2 boiled eggs, spinach (little solt)
D: 1 large stack (3 small beffs’s grilling)
lettuce and raw celery

DRUGSTORE: - Weight Loss

2.Day
B: black coffee without suger with 1 pastry
L: 1 large stack, green salad and fruit
according to choice
D: boiled ham

3.Day
B: black coffee without sugar and biscuits
L: 2 boiled eggs, lettuce, tomato
D: cooked ham, green salad (with a little lemon)

4.Day
B: black coffee without sugar and biscuits
L: 1 boiled egg, raw carrots, Swiss cheese
D fruit and natural yogurt

5.Day
B: carrots with lemon and black coffee
L: boiled fish and tomato
D: 1 stack roasted, green salad

6.Day
B: black coffee and biscuits
L: chicken roasted
D: 2 boiled eggs and carrots (bound)

7.Day
B: tea with lemon
L: stack grilling, fruit according to choice
D: to choice, whatever you want

From Day 8 this Healthy diet begins again and lasts one more week. After that its allowed to eat Normaly.

Source: bestdietsplans.com

Antidepressants: Know Your Options

About 2 dozen antidepressant medications are approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. Some date back to the 1950s, while others have been released in the past few years. Some are like siblings, with very similar chemical characteristics, while others are more like distant cousins with very different pharmacologic properties. Some of the shorter-acting medications are available in extended-release pill formulations that release the drug over a longer period of time. All of the antidepressants are available in tablet or capsule form, a few are made in liquid preparations, and one is available as a patch.

Antidepressants affect neurotransmitters in the brain that are believed to be involved in the regulation of mood, although exactly how and why they work is not fully understood. The two key neurotransmitters influenced by antidepressants are norepinephrine and serotonin, although some affect dopamine. Antidepressants may block the reuptake of these neurotransmitters or interact with neurotransmitter receptors at synapses within the brain.

The earliest antidepressants were the tricyclic compounds (TCA), named for their chemical structure, and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). The MAOIs act by interfering with the action of monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that ordinarily breaks down the beneficial neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. By slowing this breakdown, MAOI allows the neurotransmitters to remain active longer. While both these early classes of drugs are effective antidepressants, the TCAs and MAOIs are both associated with bothersome side effects, sometime serious ones.

New types of antidepressants rapidly became available in the 1980s, especially with the popularity of the selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRI) like Prozac. Over the past few decades, selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), serotonin modulating antidepressants (SMA), a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (DNRI), a tetracyclic antidepressant, a newer type of MAOI, and a norepinephrine and selective serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA) were approved and marketed. All have certain advantages and disadvantages.

Here is a list of the antidepressants currently available in the U.S. I've listed the generic names along with the primary brand name, and the antidepressant type of each:

Generic Name	Brand Name	Type
Amitriptyline	Elavil®	TCA
Bupropion	Wellbutrin®	DNRI
Citalopram	Celexa®	SSRI
Clomipramine	Anafranil®	TCA
Desipramine	Nopramin®	TCA
Doxepin	Sinequan®	TCA
Duloxetine	Cymbalta®	SNRI
Escitalopram	Lexapro®	SSRI
Fluoxetine	Prozac®	SSRI
Fluvoxamine	Luvox®	SSRI
Imipramine	Tofranil®	TCA
Isocarboxacid	Marplan®	MAOI
Maprotiline	Ludiomil®	Tetracyclic
Mirtazapine	Remeron®	NaSSA
Nortriptyline	Pamelor®	TCA
Paroxetine	Paxil®	SSRI
Phenelzine	Nardil®	MAOI
Protriptyline	Vivactyl®	TCA
Selegiline	Emsam®	MAOI
Sertraline	Zoloft®	SSRI
Tranylcypromine	Parnate®	MAOI
Trazodone	Desyrel®	SMA
Trimipramine	Surmontil®	TCA
Venlafaxine	Effexor®	SNRI

Apple Juice Can Help to Delay Onset of Alzheimer's

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that we can take steps to delay age-related cognitive decline, including in some cases that which accompanies Alzheimer's, according to a study published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Thomas B. Shea and his research team have carried out a number of laboratory studies demonstrating that drinking apple juice helped mice perform better than normal in maze trials, and prevented the decline in performance that was otherwise observed as these mice aged.

In the most recent study Shea and his team demonstrated that mice receiving the human equivalent of 2 glasses of apple juice per day for 1 month produced less of a small protein fragment, called "beta-amyloid" that is responsible for forming the "senile plaques" that are commonly found in brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer's.

Dr. Shea commented that "These findings provide further evidence linking nutritional and genetic risk factors for age-related neurodegeneration and suggest that regular consumption of apple juice can not only help to keep one's mind functioning at its best, but may also be able to delay key aspects of Alzheimer's and augment therapeutic approaches."

Source: elements4health.com

The Dangers of Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders alcohol abuse is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences.

The U.S. Surgeon General has released advisories in 1981 and again in 2005 urging women who are pregnant or may become pregnant to abstain from alcohol. The damage caused by prenatal alcohol abuse includes a range of physical, behavioral, and learning problems in babies.

Babies most severely affected have what is called fetal alcohol syndrome. These babies may have abnormal facial features and severe learning disabilities. Babies can also be born with mild disabilities without the facial changes typical of fetal slcohol syndrome.

Women giving birth to children with fetal alcohol syndrome also have a higher risk of early mortality.

A study from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research has revealed the consequences of alcohol abuse on pregnancy. It shows the effects of alcohol abuse and demonstrates that heavy and binge levels of alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk to the baby, even if drinking is stopped in the first three months of pregnancy. The findings are sobering and should act as a deterrent to alcohol abuse during pregnancy.

The study investigated the relationship between prenatal exposure to alcohol and the effects on fetal growth and preterm birth.

A random sample of 4,719 women who gave birth in Western Australia between 1995 and 1997 took part in a survey. Data such as how often participants drank alcohol, the amount of alcohol consumed in each occasion and the types of alcoholic beverage consumed were collated.

The research team from the Institute with the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford found that, on average, levels of alcohol intake decreased from the pre-pregnancy period to the second and third trimester.

The incidence of preterm birth was highest amongst women who binge drink (9.5%) or drink heavily, even if the mother stopped drinking prior to the second trimester (13.6%), compared with less than 6% in women who did not drink during pregnancy. There were 2.3-fold increased odds of preterm birth in women who drank heavily in early pregnancy but then stopped after taking into account maternal smoking, drug use, socioeconomic status and maternal health. Researchers suggest that a possible reason why this occurs is because the cessation of alcohol abuse before the second trimester may trigger a metabolic or inflammatory response resulting in preterm birth.

Although there was no difference in outcomes for women who drank low levels of alcohol during their pregnancy and those that abstained, the safest choice is to stop drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking at any level during pregnancy should be regarded as a risk factor for the mother as well as for offspring.

Researchers noted a link between smoking and alcohol consumption; they found women who smoked during pregnancy were less likely to abstain from alcohol at any time during their pregnancy than non-smokers. Over one quarter (27.7%) of women who drank in late pregnancy also smoked, compared with 19% of women who had abstained from alcohol during pregnancy. Other factors associated with late term pregnancy drinking include: a maternal age of 30 years and above, higher income, and use of illicit drugs.

Institute researcher Colleen O'Leary said “Our research shows pregnant women who drink more than one to two standard drinks per occasion and more than six standard drinks per week increase their risk of having a premature baby, even if they stop drinking before the second trimester”. A standard drink in this analysis is the Australian standard 10gm of alcohol, eg 100ml of wine.

The risk of preterm birth is highest for pregnant women who drink heavily or at binge levels, meaning drinking more than seven standard drinks per week, or more than five drinks on any one occasion.

Health professionals should routinely screen pregnant women and all women of child bearing age for alcohol abuse or use. It's important that women should be given information about the possible risks to the baby from alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

What diets and supplements fight prostate cancer?

Asked by Edward Siguel, Rockville, Maryland
What are the best diets and supplements to prevent and treat prostate cancer? What about tomatoes? Or vitamin E? Or antioxidants?
I've heard arsenic may be effective, but some side effects are frequently undesirable.


Expert Answer:
Conditions Expert
Dr Otis Brawley
Chief Medical Officer,
American Cancer Society

There is no definite non-drug prostate cancer preventative. Epidemiologic studies suggest that men who have a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and soy products and low in fat (especially animal fat) may have a lower risk. Also men with diets high in tomato products seem to have a lower rate of prostate cancer. This was especially true of tomato products cooked in olive oil such as tomato sauces. There is growing interest in Vitamin D as a possible correlate with prostate cancer prevention.

These are all epidemiologic correlations. I caution that there have been epidemiologic correlations that when the identified behavior was tested in a controlled study, the behavior did not lower risk. For example studies suggested a correlation between Vitamin E and Selenium and reduced risk of prostate cancer. These hypotheses were tested in a study in which 32,000 men were randomized to a daily selenium pill versus placebo and 32,000 men were randomized to a daily vitamin E pill versus placebo for about five to six years. The men getting selenium and vitamin did not have a lower rate of prostate cancer compared to those getting the placebo and there was concern that selenium might be increasing risk of diabetes and vitamin E might actually be correlated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. The lesson here is be careful adopting things that sound good and have not been tested scientifically.

Some have advocated supplements advertised to promote prostate health and suggested they prevent prostate cancer. It almost always says in the small print that these supplements have not been tested. One should be careful.

The drug finasteride, marketed as Proscar by Merck, has been FDA approved as a medical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. BPH is a common benign growth of the prostate that makes it difficult to urinate. The drug shrinks the prostate and improves urinary flow symptoms. In a large long term randomized study of finasteride and placebo, it was found that finasteride reduced the risk of prostate cancer by more than 25%. Those who were diagnosed with prostate cancer however had a higher proportion of high grade more aggressive prostate cancers. It has sense been shown that finasteride helps screening find small prostate cancers not that it causes high grade prostate cancers.

There are lots of questions about the benefits, risks and accuracy of prostate cancer screening so studies with finasteride continue.

I know of no data on arsenic and caution that it is a very dangerous compound.

How To Buy The Best Beef

Americans love beef; we eat nearly 63 pounds per person each year. Although that's a lot, the amount is down from our 1976 high of 89 pounds. When buying beef, we tend to stick to what we know, which may be why almost 60 percent of our beef dollars go for ground beef. Even as an experienced chef, I often brought home familiar cuts. But researching my book, "Field Guide to Meat," led me to expand my repertoire to tasty, if less familiar, cuts like hanger steak and tri-tip. Soon you can do the same, knowing which cuts to choose for maximum flavor and nutrition.

Beef Background

Humans began domesticating cattle, Bos taurus, about 8,500 years ago. Columbus first brought cattle to the New World, and by 1690, descendants of Columbus' cattle ranging in Mexico were driven north and became known as Texas Longhorns. Others arrived later with the colonists. America's top five cattle breeds are Angus from Scotland, Hereford from England, Limousin from France, Simmenthal from Switzerland, and Charolais from France.

A 3½-ounce serving provides 27g to 30g of protein and is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and phosphorus.

More than 90 percent of the beef we buy originates in America, while most of the rest is Canadian bred. The beef we eat comes mostly from 18- to 24-month-old steers, averaging about 1,000 pounds, and yielding about 450 pounds of meat. Each is divided for wholesale into eight primals (major portions): the chuck (shoulder and upper ribs), the rib, the loin, the sirloin (hip), the round (upper leg), the brisket (breast), the plate (belly), and the small flank. Organs like liver and kidneys are called variety meats.

When evaluating your choices at the grocery store, here are a few key terms and facts to know:

• Grain-finished: Nearly 75 percent of U.S. beef comes from cattle fattened on grain (usually corn) for three to six months in feedlots. Since corn is not a natural part of a cow's diet, cattle fed on it may experience stress and other ailments, so they are routinely treated with antibiotics. They also receive growth hormones to increase their size (and value, as beef is sold by weight). Until recently, inexpensive corn has helped keep down the price of beef.

• Grass-finished: Grass- or pasture-finished beef comes from cattle that forage on grasses and legumes. Their meat is lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories than grain-finished. (Because it is quite lean, cook rare to medium-rare for juiciness.) Grass-fed beef has a distinct flavor, often described as bold, complex, and gamy. Many people believe that grass-fed cattle are a more sustainable choice. However, raising grass-fed cattle is time-consuming and requires large open spaces, variables that raise its price. Most is imported from Canada, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Brazil.

• Aging: Dry-aging is the traditional process preferred by many steak lovers. The concentrated, intense flavor of dry-aged beef develops as it hangs in special temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms from 10 days to six weeks. The longer the aging, the better the flavor and tenderness, but also the more the shrinkage as water evaporates and a dark crust develops, which must be cut away. About 90 percent of American beef is sold as large vacuum-packed cuts. During the average seven-day period the beef spends "in the bag," it ages in a process called "wet-aging."

• Processing and packaging: Until the 1960s butcher shops bought beef as half- or quarter-carcasses. Packers then began selling vacuum-packed beef, the same large cuts sold at warehouse club stores. Retailers refrigerated the boxes until needed, then opened the package and cut the meat into portions for sale. Next came case-ready meat, which precluded the need for skilled butchers on-site in markets. Leak-proof and easily stackable, case-ready packages are produced in USDA-inspected plants and have a longer shelf life. Packages covered with a sealed layer of clear plastic are modified-atmosphere packages, which have a gas-filled space inside to help preserve freshness and color.

Nutrition

• Fat content: The USDA defines "lean beef" as having less than 10 grams (g) of total fat, 4.5g or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 31/2-ounce serving (100g) of cooked beef. Half of the fat is saturated and half is heart-healthy monounsaturated. There are 29 naturally lean cuts of beef, including many familiar to Cooking Light readers, such as tenderloin, flank steak, and sirloin, as well as five lesser-known cuts. Others, such as ribeye or chuck roast, naturally contain more fat, although it is similarly divided between saturated and monounsaturated.

Because lean beef contains less fat, it's best cooked to medium-rare (145°F) or medium (160°F) to optimize tenderness. If using fattier cuts, slice away the outer rim of fat and cut or pull out any pockets of fat before cooking. For larger cuts, allow the fat to baste the meat while cooking, then trim away before eating, or skim it from the surface of braised dishes or stews.

• Other nutrients: A 31/2-ounce serving provides 27g to 30g of protein -- more than half of the 50g recommended daily in a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. All beef is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and phosphorus. In general, the redder the meat, the more iron it contains (beef liver has the most). Beef also contains thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin and is a rich source of B12, found naturally only in animal foods.

At the Market

• Inspection and grading: USDA inspectors examine all live animals and beef shipped out of state, which encompasses most of today's supermarket beef. Grading is voluntary and done by the same inspectors. The more marbling -- the small white flecks of fat within the muscles -- the higher the grade. Three grades of beef are sold to consumers. Only three percent is highly marbled Prime, sought after by top steak houses and butcher shops. About 57 percent is moderately marbled Choice, the most common supermarket grade. The remaining 40 percent is lean Select.

• Private labels: Supermarket chains and large food distributors also have developed private brands with their own specifications. The first such program began in 1978 with Certified Angus Beef, which must come from Angus cattle. Niman Ranch Natural Beef and Certified Hereford Beef are two others.

• Natural and Organic: Beef labeled "natural" must not contain any artificial ingredients and cannot be more than minimally processed, such as ground beef. "Organic" beef must come from cattle raised and certified according to the USDA's National Organic Program. Organic cattle must be fed 100-percent organically and without antibiotics or hormones. Both natural and organic beef can be either grass- or grain-finished.

Ways to Save

• Buy lean cuts. Often, leaner cuts are cheaper than fatty ones. And when the fat cooks away, lean cuts provide more meat for your dollar.

• Buy in bulk. Large or family-sized packages cost less per pound than smaller packages. Divide into portions, and freeze the surplus.

• Be your own butcher. Beef that has been presliced into steaks or made into patties costs more than less processed meat. Buy bigger cuts, and do some of the preparation work yourself.

• But don't go overboard. Advice to buy a side or quarter of beef may seem sensible, but you'll likely have more meat than you can store. Such a purchase may yield what one buyer describes as "cheap steak and expensive hamburger."

Gym Has 'Human Dumbbells' To Help Customers Exercise

A gym is offering its customers an unusual set of dumbbells to exercise with – including an overweight man and two dwarfs.

Human Dumbells :Wearing Lycra catsuits which label their weight, they sit on specially adapted machines and shout words of encouragement

Members of Gymbox in Bank, central London, can choose to lift any of five differently sized "human weights".

Wearing Lycra catsuits which label their weight, they sit on specially adapted machines and shout words of encouragement.

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The "dumbbells" include two dwarfs – 32-year-old Arti Shah, who weighs just 4.5 stones (30kg) and 64-year-old Mike Edwards, who weighs 8 stones (55kg).

At the other end of the scale for those with stronger muscles is 24 stones (155kg) Matt Barnard, 37.

Gymbox owner Richard Hilton said: "A lot of our members felt that lifting metal weights was boring and not especially motivating.

"They said that they had no idea what they were lifting.

"Experts in sports psychology agree that visualisation is a significant factor in improving performance and human weights are as visual as it can get.

"Our human weights will, at the gym-goers request, shout encouragement like 'Come on, lift me harder and faster' and 'You're doing great. Look at those muscles building'.

"Otherwise, they will just keep quiet and keep still as they are lifted."

The gym already runs a "Chav fighting" self-defence class, "boob aerobics" to help women increase their bust size and "WAG workouts" aimed at making female members more attractive to footballers.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Acupuncture Works ... As Placebo

Headache sufferers can find relief in acupuncture, even if the needles are stuck in the wrong places, scientists now say.

Two separate systematic reviews of data show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for prevention of headaches and migraines. But the results also suggest that faked procedures, in which needles are incorrectly inserted, can be just as effective.

Pain forces an estimated 36 million U.S. residents to miss work every year and results in roughly 70 million doctor visits. Studies find that exercise is in many cases one of the best remedies for chronic pain. Image credit: Dreamstime

"Much of the clinical benefit of acupuncture might be due to non-specific needling effects and powerful placebo effects, meaning selection of specific needle points may be less important than many practitioners have traditionally argued," said lead researcher of both studies, Klaus Linde, who works at the Center for Complementary Medicine Research at the Technical University of Munich, Germany.

Other research has found taking placebos — fake pills thought by the patient to be real — might invoke a useful "power of positive thinking," but also that regularly and properly taking pills thought to be medicine might indicate a person's overall tactical approach to getting well.

In each of the new studies, the researchers tried to establish whether acupuncture could reduce the occurrence of headaches. One study focused on mild to moderate but frequent 'tension-type' headaches, whilst the other focused on more severe but less frequent headaches usually termed migraines. Together the two reviews included 33 trials, involving a total of 6,736 patients.

The findings, detailed in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews:

• Following a course of at least eight weeks, patients treated with acupuncture suffered fewer headaches overall compared to those who were given only painkillers.
• In the migraine study, acupuncture was superior to proven prophylactic drug treatments, but faked treatments were no less effective.
• In the tension headache study, true acupuncture was actually slightly more effective than faked treatments.

The results indicate that acupuncture could be a used as an alternative for those patients who prefer not to use drug treatments, and additionally may result in fewer side effects, according to a statement released today.

However, Linde says more research is still required.

"Doctors need to know how long improvements associated with acupuncture will last and whether better trained acupuncturists really achieve better results than those with basic training only," he said.

Source: livescience.com

Sperm May Be Affected By Marijuana

NASHVILLE, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Human male fertility may be impacted by long-term exposure to marijuana, researchers in the United States and Japan suggest.

The researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and colleagues said the findings show that genetic loss of fatty acid amide hydrolase -- an enzyme -- results in elevated levels of anandamide, an endocannabinoid, in the male reproductive system, leading to compromised fertilizing capacity of sperm. The endocannabinoid system refers to a group of lipids and their receptors that are involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood and memory.

Retention of fatty acid amide hydrolase on an egg provides evidence that the sperm's capacity to penetrate is dampened by elevated anandamide levels.

These findings, published in the Biology of Reproduction, point to previously unsuspected pathways regulating sperm function.

But perhaps more importantly, the results are of great clinical significance because sperm of chronic marijuana users, as well as sperm in fatty acid amide hydrolase-mutant males are exposed to enhanced cannabinoid/endocannbinoid signaling, the researchers said.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Five 'Healthy' Snacks That Aren't So Healthy

In some cases, it might be better for your health to reach for the Doritos.

Don't be so quick to feel virtuous when you reach for dried fruit instead of chocolate, or veggie chips instead of Pringles. Many snacks that are marketed as being great for your waistline actually aren't that much better—and, in some cases, are worse—than some popular notoriously indulgent treats. A few offenders:

1. Dried Veggies: Snapea Crisps are made from sun-dried peas and contain all of the peas' natural nutrients, according to manufacturer Snack Salad. But don't think that means they're light on the calories: a one-ounce serving, or about 22 crisps, has 150 calories and 8 grams of fat, according to snacksalad.com. Calorie- and fatwise, that's just as bad as the unhealthiest bags of Doritos on the market (that spread includes the Hot Wings and Blue Cheese flavor). So think twice before dipping them in your favorite ranch dressing.

2. Veggie Chips: Terra Chips, those colorful, gourmet slices of sweet potato, parsnip and yucca, contain 150 calories and 9 grams of fat in each one-ounce, 14-chip serving, according to Terrachips.com. And Utz's Natural Exotic Medley Vegetable Chips have 160 calories and 10 ounces of fat per ounce, according to the company's Web site.

3. Granola Bars: Though granola bars do contain healthy grains, they're often doused in enough sugar and syrup to obviate at least some of the health value. Nature Valley's vanilla nut granola bars, for example, contain 190 calories and 7 grams of fat in each two-bar serving. Each serving also contains 11 grams of sugar, or as much as a 3/4-cup bowl of Lucky Charms, according to General Mills.

4. Dried Fruit: That dried apricot may taste as healthy as a fresh one, but it pales in comparison to the real thing. It takes more dried fruit to feel full (the natural water in fruit is filling) and that means more calories. On top of that, many dried fruits are covered in added sugar. One fistful of raisins contains as many calories as a whole pound of fresh grapes, according to the Web site of nutritionist and diet consultant Anne Collins, annecollins.com; five dried pear halves hold 229 calories, according to dietbites.com.

5. Bran Muffins: They might beat out chocolate chip muffins in the health race, but bran muffins are full of refined flour and sugar. One medium muffin contains 305 calories, 8.4 grams of fat and 9.3 grams of sugar, according to caloriecount.about.com. An old-fashioned cake doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts has 280 calories, 18 grams of fat and 6 grams of sugar, according to dunkindonuts.com.

Interesting Facts About Kidney Stones

Louis C. Herring Laboratory has analyzed over 4 million calculi, more than all other stone laboratories in the United States combined.

The largest known kidney stone weighed 1.36 kilograms.The smallest kidney stones are microscopic crystals; it is possible to analyze stones weighing less than 0.1 mg.

...more Kidney Stones

Vitamin B1 May Reverse Kidney Disease in Diabetes Patients

Researchers at the University of Warwick have discovered high doses of thiamine (vitamin B1) can reverse the onset of early diabetic kidney disease.

Kidney disease, or diabetic nephropathy, develops progressively in patients with type 2 diabetes. Early development of kidney disease is assessed by a high excretion rate of the protein albumin from the body in the urine, known as microalbuminuria.

The researchers have discovered taking high oral doses of thiamine can dramatically decrease the excretion of albumin and reverse early stage kidney disease in type 2 diabetes patients.

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It was shown that 300 mg of thiamine taken orally each day for three months reduced the rate of albumin excretion in type 2 diabetes patients.

The albumin excretion rate was decreased by 41% from the value at the start of the study. The results also showed 35% of patients with microalbuminuria saw a return to normal urinary albumin excretion after being treated with thiamine.

Forty patients with type 2 diabetes aged between 35 and 65 years old took part in the trial. They were randomly assigned a placebo or 3 x 100mg tablets of thiamine a day for three months.

The Warwick research group has already conclusively proven that type 2 diabetes patients have a thiamine deficiency. In an earlier study led by Professor Paul Thornalley at Warwick Medical School, the research team showed that thiamine deficiency could be key to a range of vascular problems for diabetes patients.
Source: elements4health.com

Women Have a Higher Tendency Than Men to Overeat

Each brain image shows the change in brain metabolism when subjects were asked to inhibit their response to food during food stimulation compared with when they were not told to inhibit their response. Two brain sections at different levels of the brain are shown for each group (women, men, and women vs. men). Left row, women: No color indicates that women had no significant differences in brain activity between the two conditions. Middle row, men: Blue colored areas were significantly less active when men were told to inhibit their response to food than they were without inhibition. Right row, women vs. men: Orange color indicates areas where men showed greater decrements with inhibition than women. These brain regions are involved in emotional regulation, conditioning, and the motivation to eat.

A groundbreaking brain-imaging study shows that men, but not women, are able to control their brain’s response to their own favorite foods, and may help explain why rates of obesity and eating disorders are higher among women than men, and why women typically have more difficulty losing weight.

“Our findings may help us understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the ability to control food intake, and suggest new pharmacological methods or other interventions to help people regulate eating behavior and maintain a healthy weight,” said Gene-Jack Wang, lead author on the study. “The surprising finding of a difference between genders in the ability to inhibit the brain’s response to food and hunger will certainly merit further study.”

The scientists used positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to monitor brain activity in 13 female and 10 male volunteers. In this method, a form of glucose “tagged” with a radioactive tracer molecule is injected into the blood stream while subjects lie in the PET scanner. The scanner tracks the tracer’s signal to monitor the uptake and use of the glucose by various regions of the brain. All study subjects were of normal body weight and had fasted for nearly 20 hours before each of three separate scans, performed in random order.

On one scan day, subjects were presented with their favorite foods, from bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches to pizza, cinnamon buns, barbecue ribs, and chocolate cake, warmed, if appropriate, to enhance the enticing aromas and taste. During the scan, subjects were asked to smell, taste, observe, and react to the food, but not eat it. On another day, they were instructed to inhibit their desire for food prior to being tempted with the same foods. A control scan with no food was performed on another day.

The volunteers were also asked to rate the foods and describe their feelings of hunger and their desire to eat during the scans when food was presented.

In both men and women, a variety of brain areas associated with emotional regulation, conditioning, and motivation “lit up,” indicating increased metabolic activity in those regions, in response to the tempting foods when compared with the no-food scans — a finding consistent with earlier work using the same setup at Brookhaven Lab. When asked to inhibit their response to food, both men and women described themselves as less hungry and less interested in eating than when they weren’t trying to inhibit their response. But only the men showed a relative decrease in activity in the food-activated brain regions during the scan when they were asked to inhibit their response.

“Even though the women said they were less hungry when trying to inhibit their response to the food, their brains were still firing away in the regions that control the drive to eat,” Wang said. “In contrast, men’s brain activity decreased along with their self-reports of hunger during the scan when they were asked to keep their hunger in check.”

The researchers believe this is the first study to document such a gender-specific disconnect between subjective reports of an emotional or motivational state and the associated pattern of brain activity.

“This may indicate a difference between the genders in the ability to perceive and respond to internal body signals,” Wang said.

“The finding of a lack of response to inhibition in women is consistent with behavioral studies showing that women have a higher tendency than men to overeat when presented with palatable food or under emotional distress,” Wang said. “This decreased inhibitory control in women could be a major factor contributing to the observed differences in the prevalence rates of obesity and eating disorders such as binge eating between the genders, and may also underlie women’s lower success in losing weight while dieting when compared with men.”

Differences in sex hormones, such as estrogen, may underlie these gender differences and merit further exploration. Sex hormones are known to directly influence food intake, body weight, and fat distribution, as well as the signaling of other molecules involved in regulating eating behavior, the researchers said. This study did not control for variations in the menstrual cycle of the female research subjects.

“A woman’s menstrual cycle can be an important factor in responsiveness to reward and in successful quit attempts at smoking cessation,” said National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow, who was a collaborator on this study. “Its role in inhibiting food-related brain activation will be important to address in future studies.”

Source: elements4health.com