Phys Ed: Does Ibuprofen Help or Hurt During Exercise?
By Gretchen Reynolds
Several years ago, David Nieman set out to study racers at the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile test of human stamina held annually in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The race directors had asked Nieman, a well-regarded physiologist and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the North Carolina Research Campus, to look at the stresses that the race places on the bodies of participants. Nieman and the race authorities had anticipated that the rigorous distance and altitude would affect runners’ immune systems and muscles, and they did. But one of Nieman’s other findings surprised everyone.
After looking at racers’ blood work, he determined that some of the ultramarathoners were supplying their own physiological stress, in tablet form. Those runners who’d popped over-the-counter ibuprofen pills before and during the race displayed significantly more inflammation and other markers of high immune system response afterward than the runners who hadn’t taken anti-inflammatories. The ibuprofen users also showed signs of mild kidney impairment and, both before and after the race, of low-level endotoxemia, a condition in which bacteria leak from the colon into the bloodstream.
These findings were “disturbing,” Nieman says, especially since “this wasn’t a minority of the racers.” Seven out of ten of the runners were using ibuprofen before and, in most cases, at regular intervals throughout the race, he says. “There was widespread use and very little understanding of the consequences.”
Athletes at all levels and in a wide variety of sports swear by their painkillers. A study published earlier this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that, at the 2008 Ironman Triathlon in Brazil, almost 60 percent of the racers reported using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers (or NSAIDs, which include ibuprofen) at some point in the three months before the event, with almost half downing pills during the race itself. In another study, about 13 percent of participants in a 2002 marathon in New Zealand had popped NSAIDs before the race. A study of professional Italian soccer players found that 86 percent used anti-inflammatories during the 2002-2003 season.
A wider-ranging look at all of the legal substances prescribed to players during the 2002 and 2006 Men’s World Cup tournaments worldwide found that more than half of these elite players were taking NSAIDS at least once during the tournament, with more than 10 percent using them before every match.
“For a lot of athletes, taking painkillers has become a ritual,” says Stuart Warden, an assistant professor and director of physical therapy research at Indiana University, who has extensively studied the physiological impacts of the drugs.
“They put on their uniform” or pull on their running shoes and pop a few Advil. “It’s like candy” or Vitamin I, as some athletes refer to ibuprofen.
Why are so many active people swallowing so many painkillers?
One of the most common reasons cited by the triathletes in Brazil was “pain prevention.” Similarly, when the Western States runners were polled, most told the researchers that “they thought ibuprofen would get them through the pain and discomfort of the race,” Nieman says, “and would prevent soreness afterward.” But the latest research into the physiological effects of ibuprofen and other NSAIDs suggests that the drugs in fact, have the opposite effect. In a number of studies conducted both in the field and in human performance laboratories in recent years, NSAIDs did not lessen people’s perception of pain during activity or decrease muscle soreness later. “We had researchers at water stops” during the Western States event, Nieman says, asking the racers how the hours of exertion felt to them. “There was no difference between the runners using ibuprofen and those who weren’t. So the painkillers were not useful for reducing pain” during the long race, he says, and afterward, the runners using ibuprofen reported having legs that were just as sore as those who hadn’t used the drugs.
Moreover, Warden and other researchers have found that, in laboratory experiments on animal tissues, NSAIDs actually slowed the healing of injured muscles, tendons, ligament, and bones. “NSAIDs work by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins,” substances that are involved in pain and also in the creation of collagen, Warden says. Collagen is the building block of most tissues. So fewer prostaglandins mean less collagen, “which inhibits the healing of tissue and bone injuries,” Warden says, including the micro-tears and other trauma to muscles and tissues that can occur after any strenuous workout or race.
The painkillers also blunt the body’s response to exercise at a deeper level. Normally, the stresses of exercise activate a particular molecular pathway that increases collagen, and leads, eventually, to creating denser bones and stronger tissues. If “you’re taking ibuprofen before every workout, you lessen this training response,” Warden says. Your bones don’t thicken and your tissues don’t strengthen as they should. They may be less able to withstand the next workout. In essence, the pills athletes take to reduce the chances that they’ll feel sore may increase the odds that they’ll wind up injured — and sore.
All of which has researchers concerned. Warden wrote in an editorial this year on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine that “there is no indication or rationale for the current prophylactic use of NSAIDs by athletes, and such ritual use represents misuse.”
When, then, are ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory painkillers justified? “When you have inflammation and pain from an acute injury,” Warden says. “In that situation, NSAIDs are very effective.” But to take them “before every workout or match is a mistake.”
Friday, March 19, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
I Have A Congenital What?
I have a Congenital what? You have been told through an X-ray that you have a congenital defect in your spine. This is something that is abnormal or defected. Through my research and experience over the last ten years approximately 12% of the population have a congenital defect in their spine. These defects are usually inherited from the parents and grandparents or sometimes occur through a childhood trauma. There are three types of defects that I commonly see in my office.
The first one is called a Congenital Fusion. What that means is your body chose to fuse or glue several bones together. This is very similar to a rusted hinge on a door. The door may still open to some degree, but forcing the joint to move would be painful.
The second type is called a Spondylisthesis. In this defect not all the parts of the vertebra are connected properly. This type of fracture is highly unstable and requires continual maintenance and strength and stability in the spine.
The third type of defect involves having additional or extra vertebra in the spine. Sometimes in life we are given gifts. This gift is not usually good, because this extra bone or vertebra results in instability and weakness. This is very similar to having five wheels on a car, it would be great, if you were only driving your car on a straight road, but not if you where required to lift, stand or bend excess amounts of weight or long periods of time.
So, Dr. Lachuta, if I have this defect what should I do about it? It is my recommendation that chiropractic adjustments will keep the one above and below the defect area moving and free of nerve pressure. The nervous system controls and coordinates every function of the human body. 90% of the nervous system controls functions and only 10% controls. Interference or pressure on the nervous system will decrease the ability of the nerves, glands, organs and tissues to work properly. The majority of patients with these defects do not have pain either. Regularly monitoring of the vertebra thru exams and technology to insure that the bone maintains it’s health and strength. Proper diet, exercise and stretching will also keep the congenital defect and the spine healthier, flexible and stronger.
For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.
The first one is called a Congenital Fusion. What that means is your body chose to fuse or glue several bones together. This is very similar to a rusted hinge on a door. The door may still open to some degree, but forcing the joint to move would be painful.
The second type is called a Spondylisthesis. In this defect not all the parts of the vertebra are connected properly. This type of fracture is highly unstable and requires continual maintenance and strength and stability in the spine.
The third type of defect involves having additional or extra vertebra in the spine. Sometimes in life we are given gifts. This gift is not usually good, because this extra bone or vertebra results in instability and weakness. This is very similar to having five wheels on a car, it would be great, if you were only driving your car on a straight road, but not if you where required to lift, stand or bend excess amounts of weight or long periods of time.
So, Dr. Lachuta, if I have this defect what should I do about it? It is my recommendation that chiropractic adjustments will keep the one above and below the defect area moving and free of nerve pressure. The nervous system controls and coordinates every function of the human body. 90% of the nervous system controls functions and only 10% controls. Interference or pressure on the nervous system will decrease the ability of the nerves, glands, organs and tissues to work properly. The majority of patients with these defects do not have pain either. Regularly monitoring of the vertebra thru exams and technology to insure that the bone maintains it’s health and strength. Proper diet, exercise and stretching will also keep the congenital defect and the spine healthier, flexible and stronger.
For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Early Spring = Early Allergy Symptoms
A healthy immune system means high resistance to disease and infection, an enhanced ability to deal with environmental stresses, and greater health and well-being. The immune system is one of the most complicated, sensitive, and mysterious systems in the body. It is influenced by our neurological and hormonal systems, by our diet, and even by emotional and mental stress. Science's understanding of it is in its infancy, yet many believe it holds the ultimate key to life and health.
Thus we can see that if the immune system were to malfunction we could be in very serious trouble. The most common disorder of the immune system is one that is a lot less frightening: the allergy.
Substances that cause an allergic reaction are called allergens. An allergic reaction (sensitivity) occurs when the immune system overreacts to an allergen and produces too many neutralizing chemicals (especially histamines) to counteract it. Some examples of allergens are dust; pollen; medicines; dog or cat dander; dairy; soaps; detergents and other kitchen chemicals; and even foods like strawberries or chocolate (heaven forbid!).
A common example of an allergy is hayfever. Although most people who breathe ragweed pollen aren't bothered by the microscopic bits of plants that constitute pollen, some have an immune system that overreacts to it. The runny eyes, irritated mucus membranes, redness, pounding in the head, fullness in the sinuses - are produced by the neutralizing chemicals.
The cause of allergies and immune system disease has not been conclusively determined. However, there are those who attribute the proliferation of allergies and other immune system diseases to the mass vaccination campaigns of the past few decades.
Medicine has no cure for allergies, only treatment. According to Robert Mendelsohn, M.D “You can depend on most doctors to largely ignore the cause and instead rush madly to treatment.” Unfortunately, the treatment is often worse than the disease, especially since the relatively safe folk-measures of yesteryear have been replaced by the sophisticated, dangerous drugs of modern medicine.
Overreaction to allergens causes the body to release the chemical histamine (as well as other chemicals) that cause inflammation
and other symptoms. Antihistamines are often prescribed to counter these effects. In most cases the antihistamines dry up the nasal passages and decrease the discomfort from itching, but do not correct the immune system overreaction.
Antihistamines, steroid hormones, and long-term desensitization all carry significant negative side effects.
Regarding allergy shots (desensitization), Dr. Mendelsohn states, "Although millions of patients have received the shots over the past 60 years, there are no, good, long-term studies to determine possible neurologic or other consequences of this treatment." Also mentioned was "a striking incidence of positive 'rheumatoid factors' in allergic children receiving shots.” Clinical studies have shown that breast fed babies have fewer allergy problems than formula-fed babies. Although chiropractic is not a treatment for diseases, allergies included, it does, by permitting the nervous system to function with less stress, permit the immune system to function more effectively - and this is something all allergy sufferers need.
Many studies have revealed the effect of a healthy nervous system on immune system health. Ronald Pero, Ph.D., chief of cancer prevention research at New York's Preventive Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University, measured the immune systems of people under chiropractic care as compared to those in the general population and those with cancer and other serious diseases.
His study found that chiropractic patients have a 200% greater immune competence than people who had not received chiropractic care. Allergies can make people's lives miserable. The standard medical approach may give short-term relief but is controversial and dangerous, and its long-term effects are untested. Common sense tells us to explore the safest, most natural means of dealing with problems before resorting to more extreme measures. A two-fold approach to allergies is often recommended: first, the avoidance of those substances that cause severe reactions and, second, correction of the basic cause - a malfunctioning immune system.
As one authority states, “A healthy body is capable of neutralizing these toxic substances and a body which has malfunctioning defense mechanisms cannot. The emphasis on allergies must be on building a healthy body, not on trying to use evasive tactics by eliminating all the allergens."
For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.
Thus we can see that if the immune system were to malfunction we could be in very serious trouble. The most common disorder of the immune system is one that is a lot less frightening: the allergy.
Substances that cause an allergic reaction are called allergens. An allergic reaction (sensitivity) occurs when the immune system overreacts to an allergen and produces too many neutralizing chemicals (especially histamines) to counteract it. Some examples of allergens are dust; pollen; medicines; dog or cat dander; dairy; soaps; detergents and other kitchen chemicals; and even foods like strawberries or chocolate (heaven forbid!).
A common example of an allergy is hayfever. Although most people who breathe ragweed pollen aren't bothered by the microscopic bits of plants that constitute pollen, some have an immune system that overreacts to it. The runny eyes, irritated mucus membranes, redness, pounding in the head, fullness in the sinuses - are produced by the neutralizing chemicals.
The cause of allergies and immune system disease has not been conclusively determined. However, there are those who attribute the proliferation of allergies and other immune system diseases to the mass vaccination campaigns of the past few decades.
Medicine has no cure for allergies, only treatment. According to Robert Mendelsohn, M.D “You can depend on most doctors to largely ignore the cause and instead rush madly to treatment.” Unfortunately, the treatment is often worse than the disease, especially since the relatively safe folk-measures of yesteryear have been replaced by the sophisticated, dangerous drugs of modern medicine.
Overreaction to allergens causes the body to release the chemical histamine (as well as other chemicals) that cause inflammation
and other symptoms. Antihistamines are often prescribed to counter these effects. In most cases the antihistamines dry up the nasal passages and decrease the discomfort from itching, but do not correct the immune system overreaction.
Antihistamines, steroid hormones, and long-term desensitization all carry significant negative side effects.
Regarding allergy shots (desensitization), Dr. Mendelsohn states, "Although millions of patients have received the shots over the past 60 years, there are no, good, long-term studies to determine possible neurologic or other consequences of this treatment." Also mentioned was "a striking incidence of positive 'rheumatoid factors' in allergic children receiving shots.” Clinical studies have shown that breast fed babies have fewer allergy problems than formula-fed babies. Although chiropractic is not a treatment for diseases, allergies included, it does, by permitting the nervous system to function with less stress, permit the immune system to function more effectively - and this is something all allergy sufferers need.
Many studies have revealed the effect of a healthy nervous system on immune system health. Ronald Pero, Ph.D., chief of cancer prevention research at New York's Preventive Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University, measured the immune systems of people under chiropractic care as compared to those in the general population and those with cancer and other serious diseases.
His study found that chiropractic patients have a 200% greater immune competence than people who had not received chiropractic care. Allergies can make people's lives miserable. The standard medical approach may give short-term relief but is controversial and dangerous, and its long-term effects are untested. Common sense tells us to explore the safest, most natural means of dealing with problems before resorting to more extreme measures. A two-fold approach to allergies is often recommended: first, the avoidance of those substances that cause severe reactions and, second, correction of the basic cause - a malfunctioning immune system.
As one authority states, “A healthy body is capable of neutralizing these toxic substances and a body which has malfunctioning defense mechanisms cannot. The emphasis on allergies must be on building a healthy body, not on trying to use evasive tactics by eliminating all the allergens."
For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
"I don't believe in chiropractic"
Chiropractic is different.
This difference, because it avoids drugs and surgery, has delighted millions for over a century. And like anything different it has produced misunderstandings and a few skeptics.
While chiropractic is different, it certainly isn't something that you have to "believe in" for it to work.
Instead, chiropractic results are produced by adhering to scientifically confirmed facts:
The nervous system controls every cell of your body. Nerve impulses flow from the brain, down the spinal cord, and to every organ and tissue. Impulses sent back to the brain confirm that the body is working as it should.
The moving bones of the spine can interfere with this exchange by irritating adjacent nerves. Ill health can result from distorted or compromised nervous system control of the body. Chiropractic care helps restore the integrity of the nervous system by reducing interferences caused by the spine.
Still skeptic???
Call (206) 367-2224 and we will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
This difference, because it avoids drugs and surgery, has delighted millions for over a century. And like anything different it has produced misunderstandings and a few skeptics.
While chiropractic is different, it certainly isn't something that you have to "believe in" for it to work.
Instead, chiropractic results are produced by adhering to scientifically confirmed facts:
The nervous system controls every cell of your body. Nerve impulses flow from the brain, down the spinal cord, and to every organ and tissue. Impulses sent back to the brain confirm that the body is working as it should.
The moving bones of the spine can interfere with this exchange by irritating adjacent nerves. Ill health can result from distorted or compromised nervous system control of the body. Chiropractic care helps restore the integrity of the nervous system by reducing interferences caused by the spine.
Still skeptic???
Call (206) 367-2224 and we will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Are you hearing that natural cures don't work?
Recent, well-funded, and very prominent research is making headlines this month about the validity of natural cures; specifically, claiming that their benefit is mainly attributed to a placebo effect. For anyone who has developed a preference for natural cures and homeopathic remedies, this is a frustrating announcement. While the placebo effect may play a role in many cases, there is significant evidence, both subjective and objective, of the positive effects of natural cures. Some food for thought is below, highlighting just how interesting the possibilities of natural cures are. According to this article pulled from Reuters, 70% of current cancer drugs and treatments are natural products or derived from natural products. If we had the funding and the laws to develop research on natural cures and the ability to patent research and results, who knows what could be found or created? (sustainably, of course.)
In Amazon, a frustrated search for cancer cures
Reuters
By Stuart Grudgings Stuart Grudgings – Tue Nov 17, 2:11 pm ET
SAO SEBASTIAO DE CUIEIRAS, Brazil (Reuters) – The task of harvesting the secrets of Brazil's vast Amazon rain forest that could help in the battle against cancer largely falls to Osmar Barbosa Ferreira and a big pair of clippers.
In jungle so dense it all but blocks out the sun, the lithe 46-year-old shimmies up a thin tree helped by a harness, a strap between his feet, and the expertise gained from a lifetime laboring in the forest.
A few well-placed snips later, branches cascade to a small band of researchers and a doctor who faithfully make a long monthly trip to the Cuieiras river in Amazonas state in the belief that the forest's staggeringly rich plant life can unlock new treatments for cancer.
They may be right.
About 70 percent of current cancer drugs are either natural products or derived from natural compounds, and the world's largest rain forest is a great cauldron of biodiversity that has already produced medicine for diseases such as malaria.
But finding the right material is no easy task in a forest that can have up to 400 species of trees and many more plants in a 2.5-acre (1-hectare) area, and in a country where suspicion of outside involvement in the Amazon runs strong.
"If we had very clear rules, we could attract scientists from all over the world," said the doctor, Drauzio Varella, with a mix of enthusiasm and frustration. "We could transform a big part of the Amazon into an enormous laboratory."
As it stands, though, foreigners are barred from helping oncologist Varella and the researchers from Sao Paulo's Paulista University, who are among a tiny handful of Brazilian groups licensed to study samples from the Amazon.
Varella, 66, believes his high profile has helped. He is a well-known writer and television personality who shot to fame in 1999 with a book and subsequent hit movie based on his work as a doctor in a brutal Sao Paulo prison called Carandiru.
But a move by his team in the 1990s to partner with the U.S. National Cancer Institute produced a storm of accusations of "bio-piracy" and for years it has been blocked from the international cooperation and funding that could increase the chances of finding the Holy Grail of a cancer cure.
Their work has also been regularly delayed by bureaucratic demands, once stopping their collections for two years.
In more than a decade of searching, the group has brought back 2,200 samples from this tributary of the mighty, tea-dark Rio Negro (Black River) to its laboratory in Sao Paulo, of which about 70 have shown some effect against tumors. Just those samples have given the team enough analysis work for 20 years, said Varella, a lanky marathon runner whose younger brother died of cancer.
"If we can find 70, imagine what a big university with international resources could do -- they could screen for an absurd amount of diseases," said Varella, who still spends part of his time treating prisoners in Sao Paulo.
"As well as the impact this could have on human health, it could bring resources for preservation and to improve the quality of life of people who live here."
Ironically, it was a foreigner who inspired Varella to begin his search. Robert Gallo, a U.S. researcher and leading AIDS expert who co-discovered the HIV virus, asked Varella during a trip to the Amazon in the early 1990s if anyone was researching the medical potential of the forest.
JIGSAW PUZZLE
Among the natural products being used to fight cancer today is Taxol, a chemotherapy drug that comes from the bark of the Pacific yew tree.
David Newman, head of the Natural Products Branch of the U.S. National Cancer Institute, said several promising cancer drugs derived from natural sources as varied as a deep-water sponges and microbes are currently going through clinical trials. Often the natural compounds are tweaked or mimicked to better fight cancer cells.
"It's a detective story and a jigsaw puzzle, but you don't know how many pieces there are or what the picture looks like," he said. "In one teaspoon of soil from the Amazon, you find over a thousand microbes that have never been isolated."
Out of an estimated 80,000 species of flower-bearing plants in the Amazon, only about a fifth have been identified.
Newman said progress in Brazil has been greatly hampered by the inability of companies to patent a natural product under legislation passed in the 1990s, leaving no incentive to invest in research.
He cited the example of a Brazilian viper snake whose venom proved vital to the development of blood pressure drug captopril in the 1970s, a find that might not have happened under today's laws.
Further analysis of the promising compounds found by Varella's team has been held up while the university waits for access to a nuclear-magnetic resonance machine that can isolate the active elements.
"We're still a long way from discovering an actual medicine that could cure a type of cancer but we have strong signs that some plants have substances that inhibit the growth of tumors," said Mateus Paciencia, a bearded 34-year-old botanist.
Their main hope is that growing concern over the environment and increasing government efforts to slow the destruction of the Amazon by ranchers and loggers will turn the tide in favor of sustainable forest industries, of which they say their work is a prime example.
"There is nothing more sustainable than this," said Paciencia. "We take a kilogram worth of samples from a tree that weighs a ton and get an extract that lasts 10 years."
As he hung from a tree trunk, Ferreira said his relationship with the forest had been transformed by his job. He used to cut down trees with a chainsaw and sell the lumber in the city of Manaus, about 80 km (50 miles) down river from the research site.
"I think we'll find a medicine, and it won't take too long," he said. "If I deforest, I'm killing not just one plant but destroying a lot of other plants as well. So the job we're doing here is much better."
In Amazon, a frustrated search for cancer cures
Reuters
By Stuart Grudgings Stuart Grudgings – Tue Nov 17, 2:11 pm ET
SAO SEBASTIAO DE CUIEIRAS, Brazil (Reuters) – The task of harvesting the secrets of Brazil's vast Amazon rain forest that could help in the battle against cancer largely falls to Osmar Barbosa Ferreira and a big pair of clippers.
In jungle so dense it all but blocks out the sun, the lithe 46-year-old shimmies up a thin tree helped by a harness, a strap between his feet, and the expertise gained from a lifetime laboring in the forest.
A few well-placed snips later, branches cascade to a small band of researchers and a doctor who faithfully make a long monthly trip to the Cuieiras river in Amazonas state in the belief that the forest's staggeringly rich plant life can unlock new treatments for cancer.
They may be right.
About 70 percent of current cancer drugs are either natural products or derived from natural compounds, and the world's largest rain forest is a great cauldron of biodiversity that has already produced medicine for diseases such as malaria.
But finding the right material is no easy task in a forest that can have up to 400 species of trees and many more plants in a 2.5-acre (1-hectare) area, and in a country where suspicion of outside involvement in the Amazon runs strong.
"If we had very clear rules, we could attract scientists from all over the world," said the doctor, Drauzio Varella, with a mix of enthusiasm and frustration. "We could transform a big part of the Amazon into an enormous laboratory."
As it stands, though, foreigners are barred from helping oncologist Varella and the researchers from Sao Paulo's Paulista University, who are among a tiny handful of Brazilian groups licensed to study samples from the Amazon.
Varella, 66, believes his high profile has helped. He is a well-known writer and television personality who shot to fame in 1999 with a book and subsequent hit movie based on his work as a doctor in a brutal Sao Paulo prison called Carandiru.
But a move by his team in the 1990s to partner with the U.S. National Cancer Institute produced a storm of accusations of "bio-piracy" and for years it has been blocked from the international cooperation and funding that could increase the chances of finding the Holy Grail of a cancer cure.
Their work has also been regularly delayed by bureaucratic demands, once stopping their collections for two years.
In more than a decade of searching, the group has brought back 2,200 samples from this tributary of the mighty, tea-dark Rio Negro (Black River) to its laboratory in Sao Paulo, of which about 70 have shown some effect against tumors. Just those samples have given the team enough analysis work for 20 years, said Varella, a lanky marathon runner whose younger brother died of cancer.
"If we can find 70, imagine what a big university with international resources could do -- they could screen for an absurd amount of diseases," said Varella, who still spends part of his time treating prisoners in Sao Paulo.
"As well as the impact this could have on human health, it could bring resources for preservation and to improve the quality of life of people who live here."
Ironically, it was a foreigner who inspired Varella to begin his search. Robert Gallo, a U.S. researcher and leading AIDS expert who co-discovered the HIV virus, asked Varella during a trip to the Amazon in the early 1990s if anyone was researching the medical potential of the forest.
JIGSAW PUZZLE
Among the natural products being used to fight cancer today is Taxol, a chemotherapy drug that comes from the bark of the Pacific yew tree.
David Newman, head of the Natural Products Branch of the U.S. National Cancer Institute, said several promising cancer drugs derived from natural sources as varied as a deep-water sponges and microbes are currently going through clinical trials. Often the natural compounds are tweaked or mimicked to better fight cancer cells.
"It's a detective story and a jigsaw puzzle, but you don't know how many pieces there are or what the picture looks like," he said. "In one teaspoon of soil from the Amazon, you find over a thousand microbes that have never been isolated."
Out of an estimated 80,000 species of flower-bearing plants in the Amazon, only about a fifth have been identified.
Newman said progress in Brazil has been greatly hampered by the inability of companies to patent a natural product under legislation passed in the 1990s, leaving no incentive to invest in research.
He cited the example of a Brazilian viper snake whose venom proved vital to the development of blood pressure drug captopril in the 1970s, a find that might not have happened under today's laws.
Further analysis of the promising compounds found by Varella's team has been held up while the university waits for access to a nuclear-magnetic resonance machine that can isolate the active elements.
"We're still a long way from discovering an actual medicine that could cure a type of cancer but we have strong signs that some plants have substances that inhibit the growth of tumors," said Mateus Paciencia, a bearded 34-year-old botanist.
Their main hope is that growing concern over the environment and increasing government efforts to slow the destruction of the Amazon by ranchers and loggers will turn the tide in favor of sustainable forest industries, of which they say their work is a prime example.
"There is nothing more sustainable than this," said Paciencia. "We take a kilogram worth of samples from a tree that weighs a ton and get an extract that lasts 10 years."
As he hung from a tree trunk, Ferreira said his relationship with the forest had been transformed by his job. He used to cut down trees with a chainsaw and sell the lumber in the city of Manaus, about 80 km (50 miles) down river from the research site.
"I think we'll find a medicine, and it won't take too long," he said. "If I deforest, I'm killing not just one plant but destroying a lot of other plants as well. So the job we're doing here is much better."
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Why is my child sick all the time?
Many parents wonder why their children seem to be sick all the time. After all, the last place you want your child is to be at the doctor’s office or at home sick. Are there ways to improve our children’s health? Or are we helpless?
Decisions we make as parents can make a difference in the health of our children. From before birth until adulthood, parents make the decisions that influence their children’s lives. Mothers choose what their diet and exercise will be during pregnancy. Parents make birth plans and decide who will be their child’s doctor.
After a child is born, one of the main decisions made is whether or not to breastfeed. Many factors play a part in our final decision and often parents write down the advantages and disadvantages of breast milk versus formula. One question that may get asked is how will it affect my child’s health? Breast milk contains many substances, which have bactericidal and antiviral properties. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies are breastfed for at least the first year of life. Research indicates that breastfeeding decreases certain infectious illnesses, ear infections and diarrhea, and may provide protection against allergic diseases, SIDS, and diabetes. As our children grow up their nutritional needs change.
One of the factors that continue to impact our children’s health is their diet. Not only should children have a balanced diet but also we should look at the individual items they eat and drink. Most people have seen milk commercials promoting its benefits. Is milk really that good for you? Robert Cohen, author of “Milk: The Deadly Poison” says milk is responsible for allergies, colic, colitis, earaches, colds, and congestion in young children. Milk contains growth hormones, fat, cholesterol, allergenic proteins, blood, pus, antibiotics, bacteria, and viruses. Research also indicates that the protein found in milk destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas causing diabetes. After knowing this, can we ignore the importance of a dairy rich diet, when we have the knowledge that it can affect our health in many ways other than nutritional value?
What else affects a child’s health? We know that diet and exercise are important as well as proper rest. Another factor that often is ignored is a properly functioning nervous system. Our children have checkups for their teeth, eyes, ears, nose throat, but how do you check the nervous system?
The nervous system is the master controller of the body. Current research states that the nervous system is directly connected to and controls the immune system. If there is an interference with nerve function, this leads to an interference with the body’s ability to properly function. Part of this function is its ability to heal itself. Chiropractors detect and correct interference (subluxations) in the spine. A typical medical birth can cause a subluxation in the baby. Dr. Guntman found that about 80 percent of all children are subluxated during birth. When forceps are used as much as 90-110 pounds per square inch of pressure is applied to the baby’s neck. Also, the home is where the normal slips and falls of childhood occur. On the average before the age of seven, your child will fall about 2500 times and before the age of three will have 3 major falls from a crib, changing table or down steps. All of which can cause subluxations. Which in effect can decrease the proper function of the nervous and immune systems. A study was done which supported the belief that chiropractic care boosted the immune system. One hundred and seven chiropractic patients were evaluated and found to have a 200% greater immune-competence than people who had no chiropractic care. Studies have also been done showing the differences between children who have only had traditional medical care and children who have had regular chiropractic care. The children under chiropractic care had been sick less often and less severely compared to those who had no chiropractic care.
As parents we may also wonder if our children are sicker because there are more chances for our children to get sick. Health experts are indicating that drug resistant diseases have been on the rise. Experts in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that the overuse of antibiotics is causing the increase of these diseases. The World Health Organization indicated that the unnecessary use of antibiotics has created a breed of “superbacteria” which are resistant to standard drugs and which can weaken the immune system. The abuse of antibiotics has been a factor in worldwide epidemics such as Ebola and Aids. Antibiotics are often prescribed for ear infections, sore throats and other health problems even though they are unnecessary and ineffective in treating the problem. It is has been shown that these health problems go away in the same amount of time with or without antibiotics.
As parents, it is up to us to educate ourselves and determine what is best for our children. It is our choices that affect our children’s health and well being. When we ask ourselves questions like “why are our kids so sick?” then it is our responsibility to investigate and find out how we can improve their lives. No one else is going to care more about our children than us.
Moms Speak Out
“My child has been adjusted since birth. Getting sick hasn’t been a household thought.”
T.S.
“As a child, our family always got adjusted. Sickness hardly ever occurred and only lasted a day or two.”
D.F.
For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.
Decisions we make as parents can make a difference in the health of our children. From before birth until adulthood, parents make the decisions that influence their children’s lives. Mothers choose what their diet and exercise will be during pregnancy. Parents make birth plans and decide who will be their child’s doctor.
After a child is born, one of the main decisions made is whether or not to breastfeed. Many factors play a part in our final decision and often parents write down the advantages and disadvantages of breast milk versus formula. One question that may get asked is how will it affect my child’s health? Breast milk contains many substances, which have bactericidal and antiviral properties. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies are breastfed for at least the first year of life. Research indicates that breastfeeding decreases certain infectious illnesses, ear infections and diarrhea, and may provide protection against allergic diseases, SIDS, and diabetes. As our children grow up their nutritional needs change.
One of the factors that continue to impact our children’s health is their diet. Not only should children have a balanced diet but also we should look at the individual items they eat and drink. Most people have seen milk commercials promoting its benefits. Is milk really that good for you? Robert Cohen, author of “Milk: The Deadly Poison” says milk is responsible for allergies, colic, colitis, earaches, colds, and congestion in young children. Milk contains growth hormones, fat, cholesterol, allergenic proteins, blood, pus, antibiotics, bacteria, and viruses. Research also indicates that the protein found in milk destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas causing diabetes. After knowing this, can we ignore the importance of a dairy rich diet, when we have the knowledge that it can affect our health in many ways other than nutritional value?
What else affects a child’s health? We know that diet and exercise are important as well as proper rest. Another factor that often is ignored is a properly functioning nervous system. Our children have checkups for their teeth, eyes, ears, nose throat, but how do you check the nervous system?
The nervous system is the master controller of the body. Current research states that the nervous system is directly connected to and controls the immune system. If there is an interference with nerve function, this leads to an interference with the body’s ability to properly function. Part of this function is its ability to heal itself. Chiropractors detect and correct interference (subluxations) in the spine. A typical medical birth can cause a subluxation in the baby. Dr. Guntman found that about 80 percent of all children are subluxated during birth. When forceps are used as much as 90-110 pounds per square inch of pressure is applied to the baby’s neck. Also, the home is where the normal slips and falls of childhood occur. On the average before the age of seven, your child will fall about 2500 times and before the age of three will have 3 major falls from a crib, changing table or down steps. All of which can cause subluxations. Which in effect can decrease the proper function of the nervous and immune systems. A study was done which supported the belief that chiropractic care boosted the immune system. One hundred and seven chiropractic patients were evaluated and found to have a 200% greater immune-competence than people who had no chiropractic care. Studies have also been done showing the differences between children who have only had traditional medical care and children who have had regular chiropractic care. The children under chiropractic care had been sick less often and less severely compared to those who had no chiropractic care.
As parents we may also wonder if our children are sicker because there are more chances for our children to get sick. Health experts are indicating that drug resistant diseases have been on the rise. Experts in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that the overuse of antibiotics is causing the increase of these diseases. The World Health Organization indicated that the unnecessary use of antibiotics has created a breed of “superbacteria” which are resistant to standard drugs and which can weaken the immune system. The abuse of antibiotics has been a factor in worldwide epidemics such as Ebola and Aids. Antibiotics are often prescribed for ear infections, sore throats and other health problems even though they are unnecessary and ineffective in treating the problem. It is has been shown that these health problems go away in the same amount of time with or without antibiotics.
As parents, it is up to us to educate ourselves and determine what is best for our children. It is our choices that affect our children’s health and well being. When we ask ourselves questions like “why are our kids so sick?” then it is our responsibility to investigate and find out how we can improve their lives. No one else is going to care more about our children than us.
Moms Speak Out
“My child has been adjusted since birth. Getting sick hasn’t been a household thought.”
T.S.
“As a child, our family always got adjusted. Sickness hardly ever occurred and only lasted a day or two.”
D.F.
For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Check your Fever Facts!
Fever is one of the most common reasons that parents seek medical attention for their children. Parental concerns arise in part because of the belief that fever is a disease rather than a symptom or sign of illness. Twenty years ago, Barton Schmitt, MD, found that parents had numerous misconceptions about fever. These unrealistic concerns were termed "fever phobia."
In a recent study from the Department of Pediatrics out of John Hopkins’ Bay New Medical Center, a total of 340 caregivers were interviewed. Fifty-six percent of caregivers were very worried about the potential harm of fever in their children, 44% considered a temperature of 102 degrees F to be a "high" fever, and 7% thought that a temperature could rise to 110 degrees F if left untreated. Ninety-one percent of caregivers believed that a fever could cause harmful effects; 21% listed brain damage, and 14% listed death. Strikingly, 52% of caregivers said that they would check their child's temperature once an hour when their child had a fever, 25% gave antipyretics for temperatures less than 100 degrees F, and 85% would awaken their child to give antipyretics. Fourteen percent of caregivers gave acetaminophen, and 44% gave ibuprofen at too frequent dosing intervals.
In a study looking at how 161 pediatricians treat children's fevers, researchers found that half tell parents to give both ibuprofen and acetaminophen in alternating doses. According to Dr. Clara E. Mayoral and her colleagues at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York, this strategy could put children at greater risk from the drugs' side effects, which include liver damage. “Parents need to understand that fever is not necessarily a bad thing,” Dr. Mayoral said. “It’s the body’s response to infection. Treating the fever does not treat the underlying cause.” Their report is published in the May issue of Pediatrics. Of the 73% of caregivers who said that they sponged their child to treat a fever, 24% sponged at temperatures less than 100 degrees F; 18% used alcohol. Forty-six percent of caregivers listed doctors as their primary resource for information about fever. Caregivers who stated that they were very worried about fever were more likely in the past to have had a child who was evaluated for a fever, to have had blood work performed on their child during a febrile illness, and to have perceived their doctors to be very worried about fever. Compared with 20 years ago, more caregivers listed seizure as a potential harm of fever, woke their children and checked temperatures more often during febrile illnesses, and gave antipyretics or initiated sponging more frequently for possible normal temperatures. Fever phobia persists.
Tylenol is not in our house. The body heals itself with no interference, and the increased temperature is a process to destroy the bacteria. Chiropractic care allows the immune system to function at 100% thus allowing the body’s defense to work properly. Reducing the fever with drugs allows the bacteria to continue to grow. As I tell each patient, it is your call and decision, just make sure chiropractic care is a part of that decision.
For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.
In a recent study from the Department of Pediatrics out of John Hopkins’ Bay New Medical Center, a total of 340 caregivers were interviewed. Fifty-six percent of caregivers were very worried about the potential harm of fever in their children, 44% considered a temperature of 102 degrees F to be a "high" fever, and 7% thought that a temperature could rise to 110 degrees F if left untreated. Ninety-one percent of caregivers believed that a fever could cause harmful effects; 21% listed brain damage, and 14% listed death. Strikingly, 52% of caregivers said that they would check their child's temperature once an hour when their child had a fever, 25% gave antipyretics for temperatures less than 100 degrees F, and 85% would awaken their child to give antipyretics. Fourteen percent of caregivers gave acetaminophen, and 44% gave ibuprofen at too frequent dosing intervals.
In a study looking at how 161 pediatricians treat children's fevers, researchers found that half tell parents to give both ibuprofen and acetaminophen in alternating doses. According to Dr. Clara E. Mayoral and her colleagues at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York, this strategy could put children at greater risk from the drugs' side effects, which include liver damage. “Parents need to understand that fever is not necessarily a bad thing,” Dr. Mayoral said. “It’s the body’s response to infection. Treating the fever does not treat the underlying cause.” Their report is published in the May issue of Pediatrics. Of the 73% of caregivers who said that they sponged their child to treat a fever, 24% sponged at temperatures less than 100 degrees F; 18% used alcohol. Forty-six percent of caregivers listed doctors as their primary resource for information about fever. Caregivers who stated that they were very worried about fever were more likely in the past to have had a child who was evaluated for a fever, to have had blood work performed on their child during a febrile illness, and to have perceived their doctors to be very worried about fever. Compared with 20 years ago, more caregivers listed seizure as a potential harm of fever, woke their children and checked temperatures more often during febrile illnesses, and gave antipyretics or initiated sponging more frequently for possible normal temperatures. Fever phobia persists.
Tylenol is not in our house. The body heals itself with no interference, and the increased temperature is a process to destroy the bacteria. Chiropractic care allows the immune system to function at 100% thus allowing the body’s defense to work properly. Reducing the fever with drugs allows the bacteria to continue to grow. As I tell each patient, it is your call and decision, just make sure chiropractic care is a part of that decision.
For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.
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