CAT | General
You Mean What Happens in My Gut Can Lead to Chronic Disease?
09/8/10 0 Comments | Posted by bwatson in General
Here’s something I thought you might find interesting: researchers at Harvard University Medical School recently discovered that bacteria in the gut can trigger the autoimmune response associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
In simple terms, an autoimmune response means that there’s an immune response in the body that goes astray, causing the body to attack its own tissues instead of a foreign invader, in this case causing the breakdown in healthy joint cartilage seen in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
So what does all this mean when it comes to the trillions of bacteria living in your digestive tract every day? It means that they can affect your whole body, sometimes even causing conditions nowhere near the gut, and it’s something I’ve been saying for years! Not only that, but more and more studies these days are proving me right, showing that many autoimmune conditions begin right in the gut.
This isn’t surprising, since more than 70% of your body’s immune defenses are found in the gut—and when things like digestive problems, gut bacteria imbalance and toxin overload put a strain on the immune system, it often leads to the development of autoimmune conditions.
The folks at Harvard are planning to look at the effects of intestinal bacteria on other autoimmune conditions as well, including type 1 diabetes, so stay tuned! And remember to take good care of your gut!
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I love olive oil—on my salads, in pasta, when I’m cooking up some veggies—so when I read this study about olive oil and how it can help lessen the risk of developing ulcerative colitis, I knew I just had to share!
Scientists recently found a link between oleic acid intake, which comes largely from Omega-9 rich olive oil, and a decreased risk of developing ulcerative colitis—a disease that affects the large intestine (or colon). It’s a chronic condition that involves inflammation and ulcers in the colon and rectum, and it can be pretty serious if left untreated.
Researchers estimated that up to half of the cases of ulcerative colitis could be prevented if oleic acid was consumed in higher quantities. Wow, right?! That’s not only amazing, but it’s so easy to do! In fact, they recommended just two to three tablespoons of olive oil each day for a protective effect.
Extra virgin olive oil is delicious on fresh salads, mixed with grains or pasta (gluten-free if you’re sensitive to gluten) and even for dipping sauces, so be sure to step up your daily intake for a healthy colon! Regular olive oil is best for cooking because it’s more stable for heating.
If you can’t seem to get enough healthy oleic acid from your diet, look for an Omega oil supplement that contains a wide range of beneficial Omega fats—like Omega-3, 5, 6, 7 and yes, 9—to be sure you’re getting a balance of these beneficial nutrients.
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Toxins, toxins, everywhere…or so it seems, right? Especially when I read a story like the one I read the other day about how parabens were found in 92% of people who participated in a recent study. And in case you didn’t know, parabens are in just about everything. So just what are they?
Parabens are antimicrobial preservatives used widely in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and even food and beverages. Referred to as “weak xenoestrogens” (which means they have mild estrogenic properties) parabens may be able to interfere with natural hormone activity in the body. They’ve even been associated with breast cancer development, and scientists have found high concentrations of parabens in breast tumors.
Parabens don’t stick around once they enter the body though, and they’re typically excreted in urine within hours after exposure. So that means that a high concentration of parabens in the urine indicates very recent—and usually ongoing—exposure. Not surprising, since parabens are found in so many everyday products.
Paraben exposure can occur through inhalation, skin contact, and ingestion, and research shows that women have higher concentrations of parabens in their bodies than men. (Think about all those beauty, hair and skin care products we use, girls!)
So how do we lessen our exposure to harmful parabens? Reading the ingredient labels on the products you buy is the best way to avoid them. Some health-conscious companies will even include a “Does not contain parabens” statement on the label because they are aware of the concerns about these chemicals. So when in doubt, check your labels!
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My Weekly ‘Renew You’ Challenge
Disclaimer: If you’re a vegetarian, you might want to skip this post!
Okay, so we all know that red meat is not especially healthy for us. The saturated fat content alone is enough to clog our arteries, and experts having been telling us for a while now that a diet high in red meat is linked to a higher risk of developing colon cancer…not to mention that raising cattle is highly energy intensive.
Then again, I believe that if you deprive yourself of something that you absolutely love, it can have a tendency to backfire on you. So first, let me say that if you don’t eat red meat, good for you!
But, if you haven’t quite reached that point, don’t be so hard on yourself. From now on, just do your best to opt for organic, grass-fed beef, since it’s the safest, healthiest choice if you’re going to eat red meat. However, if you like to grill your steaks and burgers—as a lot of folks do—keep in mind that grilled meat is often contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals as the result of the high heat.
The good news? Looking through a natural health magazine the other day, I found the following two recommendations for reducing carcinogenic compounds in red meat and realized that both were pretty smart!
- Marinate beef in red wine before grilling
- Rub fresh rosemary on the meat before grilling
Both red wine and rosemary are high in health-promoting antioxidants, which help prevent damage to healthy cells in the body. So with summer right around the corner, I wanted to pass on these helpful (and easy!) tips.
Happy grilling!
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Did you ever stop to think that all those bottles in your medicine cabinet might not be as safe as you thought? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s true. Just because your doctor prescribed it or you found it on the shelf at the pharmacy doesn’t mean it comes with a “100% safe” guarantee. But you don’t have to take my word for it—look at the facts and see for yourself!
Just last year the FDA reported over 1,700 drug recalls. That’s more than four times the recalls reported in 2008. Not only that, but the number of recalls and warnings just keeps growing. This year there were nearly 300 recalls in January alone, and it’s not just those odd drugs we don’t hear about too much or don’t know what they do. It’s big-name drugs that a lot of people use every day—like Tylenol®, Motrin®, Celebrex® and Avandia®. So what’s going on here??
Experts say it has to do with several things, but a big reason seems to be bad manufacturing practices. Generic drugs in particular are in high demand (accounting for almost 75% of prescription drug sales), so a lot of companies are competing to be the first to bring a generic version of a drug to the market, and when they do they don’t always think about the best way to make that drug, or they’re cutting corners trying to save money and time, and that leads to problems later on. In other words, big drug companies are taking a gamble with your health just to make money. I don’t know about you, but that scares the heck out of me.
Even worse, the FDA says it hasn’t seen any “alarming patterns” in the recent recalls. What?? Isn’t it alarming enough that we have all these recalls in the first place?! Thankfully, I’m not the only who thinks so. Lawmakers introduced two new bills this year demanding stricter FDA regulations for drug manufacturers, so hopefully this means that change is on the horizon.
In the meantime, when it comes to your health, always remember to stay informed. Do your research. Know exactly what you’re putting into your body before you take something. And remember to take good care of your body from the get go with healthy diet and lifestyle choices—that way you can avoid taking unnecessary drugs that might be more damaging to your health than you might think!
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You know the old saying, “You are what you eat”? Well, take it from me, it’s true! Just giving your body the right nutrients every day can make a big difference when it comes to staying healthy, and that’s what scientists in Australia are saying after studying more than 1,500 school-age children to see if a diagnosis of ADHD might just be related to what they put on their plates.
ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) is one of the most common childhood disorders diagnosed today, and experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us that it affects more than 4 million children every year. That means there’s a good chance that you or someone you know has a child with ADHD, so listen up—this is important!
Kids with ADHD tend to be overly active, have behavioral problems, and have a hard time concentrating and paying attention. Unfortunately, the first reaction of a lot of parents and doctors is to put the child on medication, but what if a few simple diet changes could eliminate the need for potentially dangerous prescription drugs?
The Australian study found that kids who consumed a typical ‘Western’ diet—predominantly processed foods with high amounts refined sugar and sodium, as well as high-fat meats and dairy products—had more than double the risk of having ADHD than those who ate a healthier, high-fiber diet rich in fruits and veggies, whole grains and fish.
This is really interesting, since at one time experts thought ADHD was largely genetic. But they’re now looking at the whole picture, and what they’re finding is that things like nutrition might just play a bigger role than they thought when it comes to ADHD. And while more research is needed to better understand the relationship between diet and ADHD, scientists believe the standard Western diet is lacking in essential nutrients—including beneficial Omega-3s from fish—that are needed for healthy brain function.
Food for thought? I think so!
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A lot, actually! Just recently scientists at the University of California discovered a difference in brain structure between people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and those who showed no IBS symptoms.
What they found was that those with IBS actually had less gray matter in the areas of the brain that controlled things like thinking, reasoning and evaluating. Pretty interesting stuff, I thought, and it just goes to prove that the gut and the brain are more connected than we might think.
Experts call this relationship between our digestive system and the brain our gut-brain connection, and it’s been linked to everything from migraine headaches to autism. It’s not surprising though, when you consider that more than 70 percent of your body’s natural defenses are found in your gut. To put this in perspective, it helps to remember that there are only about 10 trillion cells in your entire body, but roughly 100 trillion bacteria cells in your gut. Talk about running the show!
Results of the UCLA study are also helping scientists to better understand IBS, a debilitating disorder with symptoms that include abdominal pain and cramping, along with severe diarrhea or constipation. At one time doctors thought IBS was a psychological disorder, but thanks to studies like this one they’re starting to change their tune—and it’s about time. I see and talk to people every day with IBS, and let me tell you, it’s real!
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My Weekly ‘Renew You’ Challenge - Eat a rainbow everyday! Sounds pretty goofy, doesn’t it? But be honest, it’s not the first time you’ve heard this piece of advice, so why not give it a try? In fact, it’s such a good tip even I’m going to jump on the bandwagon!
Eating a diet that includes of a rainbow of colors (and we’re talking natural colors folks, not those scary chemical additives they use to make neon-bright candy and other foods) helps to ensure that you’re getting a wide variety of phytonutrients—important nutrients found in fruits and vegetables that we need to stay healthy.
Phytonutrients include carotenoids, flavonoids, lignans and polyphenols, all of which include their own nutrients (for example, anthocyanins found in purple and deep red plant foods are a type of flavonoid) that work in a multitude of ways to keep our bodies in great shape. Mostly known for their antioxidant properties (which helps protect healthy cells), phytonutrients also promote a strong immune system and help with detoxification.
So your challenge (and mine!) this week? Let’s try to eat a rainbow every day—and remember, that doesn’t mean a bag of Skittles®! I mean fresh, colorful, natural plant foods. You might think you’re doing a good job by eating a salad every day, but if it only has lettuce, cucumbers and carrots, you’re missing out on the red, yellow, blue and purple ingredients. Toss some raisins into your salad, have some red and yellow bell peppers with dinner, and snack on some blueberries for dessert. Oh, and don’t forget white—cauliflower, white beans, white eggplant, and even jicama can make your rainbow complete, so let’s get started!
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Antibiotic Resistance: Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?
08/20/10 0 Comments | Posted by bwatson in General
A couple months ago there was a report in the Lancet medical journal that looked at how conventional chicken farming is linked to antibiotic resistance in humans, and I have to say—it was pretty eye-opening.
Some of the details were really awful, like when I read about their living conditions. In case you don’t know, most conventionally-farmed chickens have an average life span of 40 days, their litter is never changed, and they literally live in their own poop.
As if that’s not bad enough, those conditions provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and parasites, so what’s the farmers’ answer? The chickens are given antibiotics throughout their life to avoid infection, which means when people like you and me eat their meat after it’s been packaged and sent to the grocery store, we’re actually ingesting those antibiotics. Like I said—pretty eye-opening, right?
Antibiotic resistance happens when our bodies actually become resistant to the effects of a certain antibiotic (or antibiotics) over time because of misuse or overuse of those particular drugs. Sure, we have some amount of control over the antibiotics we take when it involves getting them from our doctor, but when it’s something like this, what happens then?
A specific type of antibiotic, cephalosporin, is of particular concern in chicken farming. Cephalosporin-resistant bacteria have become a common problem in hospital infections, and research shows they’re now becoming an even more widespread problem in the community. Not surprisingly, cephalosporin-resistant bacteria have been linked to… yup, you guessed it… the antibiotics used on chicken farms.
I can’t even begin to stress how serious antibiotic resistance is, and how we really need to start paying attention to when and where our bodies might be exposed to things they shouldn’t. Antibiotics can save lives when they’re needed, but not if our bodies are left vulnerable to infection because of their improper use. If we keep going at this rate, folks who really need antibiotic treatment may eventually not be treatable at all.
So let’s make a conscious effort to begin by reading food labels and choosing chicken raised without antibiotics. It may be a small start, but it’s a good start, and it’s one that all of us can make.
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