health
By Doug Sewell
During my teens my happiest pastime was
chugging down my favorite bottle of pop. Even more enjoyable was sipping vanilla and cherry cokes at Andy’s Soda Fountain on the corner of Hamilton and Calvert. By the time I was 24 years old I was 20 pounds overweight. To this day I yearn for a cold glass of root beer with my meals but I can’t bring myself to consume pop. Guess I am just a victim of reading too much about the health perils of drinking carbonated sodas.
Chemical additives
A May 2007 article written in The Indepen-
dent quotes a study conducted by Peter Piper, a British professor of molecular biology whose research revealed that a common preservative in pop, sodium benzoate, was damaging DNA in the cells called the mitochondria.
The mitochondria is the “power station” for
the cells it consumes oxygen that gives you energy. Sodium benzoate can alter the DNA of the mitochondria related to aging to such an extent that it stops functioning. This damage to the DNA causes an array of neuro-degen- erative diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, Parkinson’s and other illnesses normally asso- ciated with the aging process. Benzoate when mixed with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in soft drinks, converts into benzene, a cancer caus- ing agent linked to leukemia. Benzene is also found as one of the pollutants in car exhaust fumes. Some pop companies are in the pro- cess of phasing out the sodium benzoate pre- servative in carbonated sodas, but it can also be found in juices and jams.
While they are busy removing dangerous
ingredients, brominated vegetable oil (BVO) should also be on the chopping block. The first time I saw BVO on the back of a can of pop I wondered why it was used. Turns out it is added to certain citrus sodas in order to stabilize the citrus oils to prevent them from separating. Why would the carbonated bever- age industry use an additive that is banned in 100 countries with vapors that are considered corrosive and toxic? Bromine is reported to block the iodine receptors needed to keep the thyroid functioning properly. As if that’s not bad enough, bromine can also cause depres- sion, memory loss, hallucination, seizures, loss of muscle coordination and other physical and mental abnormalities.
Childhood obesity
It’s been all over the news: Many schools are
removing soft drinks from the school menus and vending machines. Americans are drink- ing more soft drinks than at any time in the past, especially children, which is contribut- ing to childhood obesity epidemic. Evidence of the link between soft drink consumption and weight gain was confirmed by a team of Harvard University researchers in The Lancet, a British medical journal. They found that 12 year olds who drink soft drinks on a regular basis were more likely to be overweight. Tooth decay and loss of enamel is also a characteristic of drink- ing a lot of pop, which is caused by the high sugar levels and phosphoric acid. A recent television documentary featured a dentist who
Doug Sewell
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Should children drink pop?
volunteered his time and services, traveling the Appalachian region in a mobile clinic, treating school kids with excessive cavities caused by high soft drink consumption. Phosphoric acid,
in
most soda pop, is very acidic which disrupts the body’s PH balance. The body does not like acid since it creates an environment for disease to flourish.
Controversial ingredients
Phosphoric acid leaches calcium from the
bones. Young girls who drink a lot of soda are more apt to suffer from broken bones or osteo- porosis later in life. It is believed that pop con- sumption, during the early stages when bones are forming, can weaken the bones by the time women reach middle age.
According to Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, “the
Safe Shopper’s Bible,” the dimethyl tere- phthalate in plastic bottles (used extensively) is released in small amounts into foods and beverages. While the National Cancer Institute refutes that dimethyl terephthalate is cancer- ous, some experts believe this compound to be a cancer causing agent.
One of the most controversial ingredients
in soft drinks is high fructose corn syrup that goes right to the liver where enzymes instruct the body to store it as fat. This process can cause increased levels of triglycerides (fat in the blood) along with higher cholesterol levels. In some studies HFCS has been shown to cause scarring in the arteries that causes the body to produce cholesterol to help heal the arterial walls. Excess fructose intake can cause non- alcoholic fatty liver disease along with type 2 diabetes which has grown along with the con- sumption of HFCS. Sugar can lead to increased insulin levels, leading to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, weight gain, cancer and premature aging. Fructose does not stimu- late the pancreas to produce insulin and leptin (a hormone) which signals the brain to turn off the appetite to help regulate body weight. As a consequence, there is a tendency to consume more calories.
Life Extension, a health research organiza-
tion, recommends the following supplements to help reverse the damage caused by excess dietary HFCSL: Benfotiamine (a B vitamin); car- nosine, amino acid that suppresses the com- plications of diabetes; vitamin C to reduce uric acid; and acety-l-carnitine, an antioxidant that helps to improve blood pressure.
As always consult a health professional
before beginning a treatment program.
Douglas Sewell is president of the Detroit-
based Painexx Corp., makers of the world’s most powerful topical pain reliever, Ringmas- ter Rubbing Oil. He can be reached at (313) 863-1200 or
painex@comcast.net. The web- site is
www.ringmasternow.com. Ringmaster Rubbing Oil is available at CVS and indepen- dent pharmacies.
April 28-May 4, 2010
Page B-8
Black kidney recipients develop non-skin cancers more frequently
African-American kidney
transplant recipients develop non-skin cancers more fre- quently than Caucasian pa- tients, Wayne State University School of Medicine research- ers have found.
The findings, published in
the April issue of Renal and Urology News, hold important implications for how Black kidney transplant recipients are educated about their treat- ment and their post-operative protocols.
The team noted that phy-
sicians have known for quite some time that White kidney recipients demonstrate greater risk for developing skin cancer when compared against the general population. However, this is the first study to find that Black patients develop more types of cancers and at significantly greater rates than White patients after receiving a kidney transplant.
The WSU study involved
495 adult Black kidney re- cipients who received their transplants at Harper Univer- sity Hospital between January 1984 and December 2007. The team compared their patients with 11,155 White kidney recipients in the Canadian Organ Replacement Registry. The incidence of prostate,
kidney, pancreatic and esoph- ageal cancers was significant- ly higher among Black kidney recipients.
The research team includ-
ed Scott Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., professor of surgery and chief of the Section of Transplant Surgery for the Wayne State University School of Medicine; Atul Singh, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine, Division of Nephrol- ogy; Kalyani Mehta, M.D., as- sistant professor of internal medicine, Division of Nephrol- ogy; Miguel West, M.D., as- sociate professor of surgery, Section of Transplant Surgery; Mona Doshi, M.D., assistant professor of internal medi- cine, Division of Nephrology; and Katherina Morawski, R.N., Department of Internal Medi- cine, Division of Nephrology.
Dr. Gruber, the lead author
who presented the team’s findings at the recent Central Surgical Association’s 66th annual meeting in Chicago, said this is the first study to detail the types of non- skin cancers that are more common in Black transplant recipients. He served as pro- gram chair of the meeting and presented “Different patterns of cancer incidence among Af- rican American and Caucasian
renal allograft recipients.” Dr. Gruber , director of the
Organ Transplant Program at Harper University Hospital, said it is not the kidney trans- plant that makes patients more susceptible to cancers, but the drugs that patients must take to suppress their immune systems to prevent rejection of the kidney weak- ens the body’s defenses.
The team’s findings can be
partly attributed to geography, Dr. Gruber said: “At our trans- plant center, 84 percent of our kidney transplant recipients are African American. he said. They stay here after the trans- plant and remain our patients, so we can follow them.”
In other areas of the United
States, he said, patients may travel hundreds of miles to re- ceive a kidney transplant, and then return home to be treat- ed by their local nephrologist, losing their connection with the transplant center. In the southeast Michigan region, patients remain in the area and are seen continuously by physicians on the WSU trans- plant team, who can follow their patients for longer pe- riods and record incidents of cancer development.
U-M, Grand Valley sign pharmacy college admissions agreement
The presidents of the Uni-
versity of Michigan and Grand Valley State University has signed an agreement estab- lishing a program that offers preferred admission into the U-M doctoral pharmacy pro- gram to a small number of promising Grand Valley fresh- men.
The U-M College of Phar-
macy will reserve up to eight positions annually in its four- year PharmD doctoral program for admittance of Grand Valley freshmen who complete a rig- orous undergraduate program of pre-pharmacy coursework and other requirements. The initiative is called the Phar- macy Preferred Admission Program.
“This is an exciting ex- ample of two Michigan insti-
tutions of higher education working together to address mutual goals,” said Frank Ascione, dean of the U-M Col- lege of Pharmacy. “This pro- gram allows the U-M College of Pharmacy to tap into a new pool of in-state talent. At the same time, it creates opportu- nities for outstanding Grand Valley students who may not have considered this to be a possible career path.”
The agreement was signed
by U-M President Mary Sue Coleman and Grand Valley President Thomas J. Haas at a meeting of the U-M Board of Regents in Grand Rapids.
Grand Valley State Univer-
sity does not have a pharmacy school. But it offers graduate- level programs in health-relat- ed fields that include nursing,
physical therapy, physician assistant, occupational thera- py, health science and health administration.
The U-M College of Pharma-
cy receives about 500 applica- tions annually for 80 openings in its highly regarded PharmD doctoral program. Under the new agreement, up to eight of those positions will be re- served for Grand Valley stu- dents who successfully com- plete the Preferred Admission Program.
It is the first collaboration
of its kind that the U-M Col- lege of Pharmacy has formed with another university.
More information is avail-
able at
http://www.gvsu.edu/
UMPharmD.
Resource Guide for Asthma Sufferers
Aſter suffering through long, frigid winters, spring sunshine is typically welcomed by residents of Southeast Michigan. But the relaxing transition to spring doesn’t let everyone breathe easily. Seasonal change is oſten one of several occurrences that trigger health problems among asthma sufferers; symptoms include chest congestion, wheezing (whistle-like sounds that come with breathing), and difficulty breathing at night or early in the morning. Yet, just as relaxing times can reveal symptoms, exercise can also trigger the illness.
Following are recommended precautions and resources to help asthmatics experience the joys of spring, courtesy of the Southeast Michigan-based Midwest Health Plan:
Start that spring cleaning – While replacing heavy winter linens with lighter ones, put mattresses and pillows in dust-proof covers before making beds. Invisible dust mites feed off of skin cells that naturally shed from the body, and dust mites trigger allergies. Doctors also recommend weekly washing of linen and keeping bedrooms free of stuffed toys, rugs and carpets.
Cool down, electrically – Use air conditioning. Open windows may let in allergy-causing pollen; fans can circulate allergy triggers, like pet fur.
Don’t be a (cigarette) butt-head – Cigarette contaminants hurt respiration and marijuana (besides being illegal) contains chemicals that store-bought cigarettes don’t.
52,013 kids have asthma*
In Wayne County
Make sure your child can breathe easy.
If you have Medicaid, Midwest Health Plan offers: An extensive network of physicians A large network of specialists practicing at major area hospitals Affiliation with all major pharmacy chains Experience in serving Southeast Michigan for over 10 years
*Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, 2002
To Join Midwest Health Plan, call Michigan Enrolls 1-888-367-6557 during the month of May.
Avoid chemical odors – Steer clear of lawn sprays, insect repellant, household cleaning products and even some perfumes and hair sprays.
Ask the doc – Check with physicians about spring activities and the best way to offset asthma problems. For more information, visit
www.aanma.org (Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics),
www.aaaai.org (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology),
www.lungusa.org (American Lung Association),
www.aafa.org (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America),
www.epa.gov/asthma (US Environmental Protection Agency),
www.nhlbi.nih.gov (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health),
www.nationaljewish.org (National Jewish Medical and Research Center),
www.asthmaactionamerica.com (Asthma Action America), or
www.1on1health.com (1on1health).
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32