breaking news
New Archived Webinar Available!
Our latest webinar is now available in our webinar archives. Tom Malterre, MS, CN's recent one-hour presentation, titled Managing The Allergic Patient, is a thorough examination of the immune response as it relates to allergies, laboratory evaluation, and valuable information on treatment of the allergic patient. This lecture can be easily accessed from your computer's web browser. Make sure you are logged in, then click here to access this exciting information.
Researchers Shoot Selves in Foot - St. John's Wort Ineffective Cure for Bloody Foot
Another train wreck just occurred and there were many bad rails in the track that caused it. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently published a study entitled, "Hypericum perforatum (St John's Wort) for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial" (JAMA 2008;299(22):2633-2641). Of course the press went wild with the negative results, stating the "...use of H. perforatum for treatment of ADHD over the course of 8 weeks did not improve symptoms."...click here for more...
Red Yeast Rice, Fish Oil and Lifestyle Changes Lower Cholesterol
A study published in the July 2008 Mayo Clinic Proceedings shows the combination of red yeast rice (RYR), fish oil, and dietary changes significantly lowers cholesterol, and does it as well as the prescription drug simvastatin. The open-label trial involved 74 participants who were split into two intervention groups: simvastatin (40 mg/day) or a combination of RYR (600 mg 2-3 times daily), fish oil (1053 mg EPA and 840 mg DHA twice daily), dietary advice to follow a modified Mediterranean diet, and increased exercise. Significant decreases in total cholesterol and LDL were seen in both groups, without any significant difference between groups. However, triglycerides were significantly lowered in the RYR/fish oil group only. This a great example of a realistic naturopathic regimen that works better than the typically used drug therapy, and one that improves health overall rather than just lowering cardiovascular risk markers.
Becker DJ, Gordon RY, Morris PB, et al. Simvastatin vs. therapeutic lifestyle changes and supplements: randomized primary prevention trial. Mayo Clin Proc 2008;83:758-764.
Erectile Dysfunction An Indicator of Heart Disease
For four years researchers in Hong Kong followed 2,306 men with diabetes who had no signs of cardiovascular disease at the start of the study. However, men who had erectile dysfunction at the beginning of the study had a 58 percent greater incidence of cardiac events during the study. Vascular endothelial dysfunction, a condition in which vascular endothelial cells (the one-cell-thick layer lining the inside of blood vessels) do not produce enough nitric oxide and thus do not dilate when needed, is common in diabetics. Endothelial dysfunction also is at the "heart" of cardiovascular disease, because in addition to regulating blood vessel function, nitric oxide produced by endothelial cells also contributes to healthier vessels and less atherosclerotic plaques. If less nitric oxide is produced, individuals are at greater risk of erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.
Ma RC, So WY, Yang X, et al. Erectile dysfunction predicts coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes. J Am Coll Cardiol 2008;51:2045-2050.
Good Manufacturing Practices Should Not Be "Skin Deep"
Quality control in manufacturing, and the lack thereof, is being written about more and more, and is becoming increasingly more obfuscated. On February 5, 2008, an Associated Press wire story highlighted "the lack thereof " in pharmaceutical quality control, revealing the incidence of blue flecks that were found dotting the finished drug capsules Diltiazem, that matched the paint on the factory doors of a Biovail pharmaceutical plant. The plant began placing covers over the carts of capsules in its manufacturing areas, but inexplicably never tried to find out whether past shipments of the drug were contaminated - or prevent contamination in the future, according to the FDA. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries exported its drug products from Israel to the United States even though they were known to contain small amounts of metal particles...
2008 Thorne Research Webinars a Huge Success!
Our first live, web-based educational seminars of 2008 were filled to capacity, and we received very positive feedback on the presenters and the lecture content. Thorne Research customers, please watch your e-mail or check back here for announcements on upcoming webinars.
If you didn't get a chance to view the live webinars you can still watch the archived lectures.
Managing The Allergic Patient, with Tom Malterre, MS, CN
Managing Musculoskeletal Injuries and Rehabilitation After Injury or Surgery, with Mario Roxas, ND
Heavy Metal Toxicity and Detoxification, with Walter Crinnion, ND
Cardiovascular Health - The Importance of Vascular Function, with Alan L. Miller, ND
Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease, with Tom Malterre, MS, CN
Thorne customers can access these lectures by clicking here.
Ginkgo Improves Memory - If You Remember To Take It
In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 118 cognitively-intact elderly patients, Ginkgo significantly improved cognitive function, if the patients actually took the supplement. The study participants, all age 85 and over, were given capsules of a standardized Ginkgo biloba product or placebo for 42 months and cognitive function was assessed for every six months. In the overall analysis, there was no improvement in progression to dementia and no difference in memory between the ginkgo and placebo groups. However, when adherence to the supplementation regimen was taken into account, the Ginkgo group was significantly better in the areas of progression to dementia and cognitive decline. The researchers took a unique approach to this study by analyzing results in participants who actually took the study substance on a regular basis. This study is very encouraging, as supplementation of the Ginkgo extract resulted in a positive cognitive response in very elderly patients.
Dodge HH, Zitzelberger T, Oken BS, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled trial of Ginkgo biloba for the prevention of cognitive decline. Neurology 2008; Feb 27 [epub ahead of print]
Pregnant Women Walk Omega-3/Mercury Tightrope
Eating more fish during pregnancy can improve brain function of children, according to a new study. Women who ate more than two servings of fatty fish per week had children who, at age three, performed better on cognitive and motor skills tests. However, in women who had higher mercury levels in pregnancy, their children had lower test scores. The problem is that women who had high mercury levels also consumed more fish. This conundrum is what prevents many women from getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diet while pregnant. In fact, the US FDA recommends pregnant women not eat any shark, king mackerel, tilefish, or swordfish because of increased levels of mercury in these fish. It may be more feasible that women take a pure fish oil supplement in pregnancy rather than eat potentially contaminated fish.
Oken E, Radesky JS, Wright RO, et al. Maternal fish intake during pregnancy, blood mercury levels, and child cognition at age 3 years in a US cohort. Am J Epidemiol 2008 Mar 28 [Epub ahead of print]
Low Folate May Decrease Male Fertility
An increased risk of birth defects, including spinal cord abnormalities and cleft palate, is a well-known consequence of reduced folate intake in women. However, results of a recent study point toward a protective effect of folate on sperm health as well. The study analyzed nutrient intake and sperm health in 89 healthy men. Those with the highest folate intake had the lowest incidence of chromosomally-abnormal sperm - up to 30 percent less than the low folate group¬. This is the first study to find a relationship between folate intake and male reproductive health. Other nutrients, including beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc had no effect on chromosome defects.
Young SS, Eskenazi B, Marchetti FM, et al. The association of folate, zinc and antioxidant intake with sperm aneuploidy in healthy non-smoking men. Human Reproduction 2008; p 1-9.
Antibiotics Are Ineffective For Most Sinusitis Cases
Antibiotic resistance is a formidable clinical problem, one that has been fueled by physicians prescribing antibiotics for upper respiratory tract symptoms, including acute rhinosinusitis. Approximately 80-percent of patients receive antibiotic treatment when presenting with sinusitis symptoms. However, most sinusitis is either viral or fungal in origin. A study published in the March 15, 2008, issue of Lancet found that 15 patients had to be given antibiotics for one person to benefit from the treatment - in other words, 14 patients received the antibiotic unnecessarily. In the study's conclusion, the authors state, "Common clinical signs and symptoms cannot identify patients with rhinosinusitis for whom treatment is clearly justified. Antibiotics are not justified even if a patient reports symptoms for longer than 7-10 days."
One non-drug treatment appears to benefit chronic nasal and sinus symptoms significantly - saline nasal lavage. A number of studies have investigated if a nasal saline rinse is helpful as a stand-alone or adjunctive treatment. This treatment was shown to be an effective solo remedy in a study published in the November 2007 journal Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery.
For more information on alternative treatments for rhinosinusitis, download the review article from Alternative Medicine Review.
Young J, De Sutter A, Merenstein D, et al. Antibiotics for adults with clinically diagnosed acute rhinosinusitis: a meta-analysis of individual patient data. Lancet 2008;371:908-914.
Pynnonen MA, Mukerji SS, Kim HM, et al. Nasal saline for chronic sinonasal symptoms: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2007;133:1115-1120.
Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke
Recent vitamin D research has found vitamin D receptors in heart muscle and many other tissues. This may partly explain the results of the Framingham Offspring Study, in which researchers analyzed vitamin D status (serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D [25-(OH)D]) in 1,739 individuals without cardiovascular disease to determine how levels might correspond with the incidence of cardiac events (MI, stroke). Baseline levels were assessed and participants were followed for a mean of 5.4 years. Researchers observed the incidence of cardiovascular disease and found it was correlated positively with serum 25-(OH)D status. Individuals who were seriously deficient (25-(OH)D < 10 ng/mL) had an 80% greater risk of having a cardiovascular incident, while deficient individuals with 25-(OH)D between 10-15 ng/mL had a 53% increased risk, compared to those with 25-(OH)D > 15 ng/mL. A serum 25-(OH)D level less than 30 ng/mL is considered deficient by most vitamin D experts. The authors concluded vitamin D deficiency is positively correlated with incident cardiovascular disease.
Wang TJ, Pencina MJ, Booth Sl, et al. Vitamin D deficiency and risk of cardiovascular disease. Circulation 2008;117:503-511.
Previous studies on fractionated citrus pectin have demonstrated reduced incidence of metastases in prostate cancer in a rat model, as well as decreased tumor growth in an ex vivo study. A pilot study of 10 men with prostate cancer showed a significantly increased PSA doubling time in men taking a modified citrus pectin product. Another study demonstrated growth inhibition of multiple myeloma cells taken from patients resistant to chemotherapies.
The current study analyzed the ability of various modified citrus pectin products to stimulate apoptosis (programmed cell death) in prostate cancer cells. Fractionated pectin powder induced significant apoptosis, while pH modified pectin and whole pectin had little or no effect. This is the first study to demonstrate that specific structural characteristics of various modified pectin products have an effect on their apoptotic activity in prostate cancer cells. The authors note, "Our results demonstrate that different extraction protocols may alter the structure of pectin and can lead to differences in pectin's apoptosis-inducing activity."
Jackson CL, Dreaden TM, Theobald LK, et al. Pectin induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells: correlation of apoptotic function with pectin structure. Glycobiology 2007;17:805-819.
