Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

In the July 2006 edition of the European Heart Journal, researchers report on a population-based study done in Finland which demonstrated that painkillers known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as ibuprofen, increased the risk of having a heart attack!!

The Reuters Health account of this study states:

Because other studies have yielded different results, and some researchers have suggested that NSAIDs may actually protect the heart, a large clinical trial is needed.

Yes, that would seem to be a very good idea! This just reinforces for me that the practice of medicine is a “learn-as-you-go ” endeavor.

I’ve been a patient with a physician who believes he is all-knowing, and I’ve been a patient with a physician who acknowledges the limitations of the medical knowledge base. I greatly respect the latter.

This research also emphasizes in my mind the importance of doing all I can without the use of drugs to be hyvin (Finnish for “well”)! … particularly from this Finnish study .

And I very much want people to know that there is an option for a natural herbal painkiller that does not carry side effect risks.

The July 2006 issue of Neurology reports on a study of vitamin B6 consumption compared to developing Parkinson’s disease. B6 is required for the nervous system, and is needed for normal brain function.

According to the Reuters Health report of this study:

[T]hose who reported taking in the most vitamin B6 were about half as likely as those who consumed the least to develop Parkinson’s disease.

Keep in mind that B vitamins do not exist in isolation in nature. There are 8 B vitamins and they offer the greatest synergistic value when consumed together as a B-Complex.

Talk about your odoriferous foods… I always know when my husband has eaten onions, whether I saw him eat them or not. And although I don’t eat a lot of curry, it’s another of those foods I’d rate as particularly aromatic.

Well, this recent Reuters Health update doesn’t say whether it’s the smelly components that provide the benefit, but it cites the August 2006 edition of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology which reports that consuming curcumin, a compound in the curry spice tumeric, and quercetin, an antioxidant found in onions, helped to shrink pre-cancerous colon polyps.

Go figure… onion breath is good for you .

Changing the type of fat given to babies and young children who must have prolonged feeding via IV has been shown to avoid the serious liver damage that can be triggered by the practice. According to a Yahoo news account the July issue of Pediatrics reports that the typical IV solution is high in omega-6 fatty acids and when researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston used another solution high in omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil, the often fatal liver damage of two infants was reversed!

There have been many reports of late of the various health benefits of essential omega-3’s. The post on AMD prevention and omega-3’s earlier this week is yet another example. We can get the omega-3 fatty acids from fish, flaxseed oil and canola oil. And if we don’t get enough in the diet, ultra pure, potent, uncontaminated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil capsules are available.

So, change the fat!

Have you seen the articles suggesting that drug companies are “inventing disease” in order sell more drugs and make more money?

I have no evidence to support such a claim, but it’s an interesting line of thought. One example I’ve read about is menopause. It is a normal stage of life for women, and the criticism suggests that it has been “medical-ized,” such that women believe it is a disorder that requires meds and doctor visits.

I’m not yet old enough to have experience with menopause, but I have heard from those who know that it can be miserable. Sooo, perhaps medical intervention may be appropriate, yet I do understand the thought process that it has been too medical-ized. What do you think?

I don’t doubt that disease-awareness campaigns are often funded by drug companies, and this would seem to be a public service, yet there is the element of self-interest that cannot be denied (another criticism I’ve heard).

What has always struck me as blatantly wrong is the reps from the drug companies I see when I’m at the doctor’s office. I’ve seen them bring food and gifts to the staff, and schmooze about all kinds of non-drug related topics — very openly, right in front of the patients. Does that strike anyone else the wrong way?

Fortunately, thanks to my supplement program, my visits to the doctor’s office are rare (even with four kids ), so I’m not exposed to it that often!

The possibility of diabetes prevention using carotenoids becomes even more critical when we consider this recent data from the American Diabetes Association’s 66th Scientific Sessions:

In the past two decades, the number of people with diabetes worldwide has increased from 30 million to 230 million!

The New York Times report of these statistics states:

There are many factors driving the growth in diabetes worldwide, but most experts agree that changes in lifestyle and diet are the chief culprits, in addition to genetic predisposition. As developing countries rapidly industrialize, people tend to do work involving less physical activity. At the same time, the availability of food that is cheap but high in calories becomes more common. The combination causes weight gain, which leads to greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

Aargh… we’re doing it to ourselves! Lousy diets, not enough movement… the same old culprits.

I sometimes wonder if future generations will look back on this period in history and shake their heads in disbelief over the ways we killed ourselves.

The New York Times has reported on a couple of health hazards in the everyday environment. There was a lengthy article on the use of phthalates (a family of industrial chemicals) in all kinds of skin care products, nail polish, cosmetics, and various personal care products (even things like shampoos, hair sprays, deodorants).

Health Care Without Harm, a coalition of health, religious, labor, and environmental groups, has been lobbying against phthalates for years. It cites tests that show the chemicals can cause defects in animals. They say these products could potentially hurt both developing fetuses and nursing infants. The group commissioned a test of 72 products. Fifty-two were found to contain phthalates, but only one listed phthalates on the label!

Thankfully for us, there is a line of personal care products that perform beautifully without these harmful substances!

A second hazard are flame retardants known as PBDE’s (Polybrominated diphenyl ethers), common in indoor air through the normal wear and tear of fabrics, cushions, and other treated household products.

For more information on how to drastically reduce airborne gases and odors, particles such as pollen and smoke, and microbes such as molds and bacteria, check this out.

An antibiotic specifically designed for mild to moderate respiratory tract infections, has been linked to a growing number of reports of liver failure, including four deaths! You can read the full report here.

While the implications of this happening despite FDA oversight are troubling, what really hits home for me is the importance of individual responsibility for health. Are there times when antibiotics are needed? Of course. But many of us rely on antibiotics at the first sign of infection. It seems to me that we would be better served by trying to support our body’s own fight of infectious invaders…with a variety of natural health and wellness measures. Not only do we then avoid the potentially serious side-effects of antibiotics, but we allow our bodies to develop its own natural immunity to the bacteria at issue.

The FDA recently identified five grocery-store beverages that contained high levels of cancer-causing benzene in specific production lots of the drinks. According to the Associated Press account of this public health concern, “The companies that make the drinks have been alerted and either have reformulated their products or plan to do so, the FDA said.” The five drinks listed by the government were Safeway Select Diet Orange, Crush Pineapple, AquaCal Strawberry Flavored Water Beverage, Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange and Giant Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail.

It makes me wonder what we really do to ourselves, many times unwittingly, when we consume these so-called “drinks”. Seems to me a more apt name might be chemical cocktails.

Well, the results are in from the National Institute of Health conference on the the effects of multi-vitamin/mineral (MVM) supplementation on chronic disease prevention.

Perhaps you’ve seen some of the traditional media reports claiming that the NIH is discouraging the use of MVM’s.

Oh, puh-leez. If you read the actual report you can see for yourself that the bottom line is that the panel didn’t feel they could make strong recommendations about using MVM’s for chronic disease prevention because there haven’t been enough studies done to support definitive conclusions.

Well, on the one hand that’s not too surprising. Few supplement companies can or will commit to that kind of clinical research and those that do, don’t have the huge profit margins of the drug companies at their disposal.

On the other hand, it does make me wonder about a double standard. Drugs are approved for sale and can claim to alleviate health problems all the time without multiple studies. It seems to me that much less is required for an official approval of a synthetic drug. Why do you suppose that is?