The Unseen Dangers of Processed Foods

We all know that ‘fresh is best’ when it comes to food and nutrition advice.

A complementary medicine research study from George Washington University in the US has highlighted the hidden health dangers of processed foods.

In the food processing plant, the machine(s), plastics, conveyor belts and other processing equipment that food comes into contact with contains phthalates. Phthalates are used in numerous products such as soaps, cosmetics, personal care products etc.

Previous studies have shown that exposure of phthalates are linked to diabetes, hypertension, ADHD, child allergies. Consequently, countries like Japan have banned the use of PVC gloves in food handling due to adverse health effects.

Any packaging containing phthalates should be clearly labelled with a health warning. This will make consumers aware of the hidden dangers of processed foods.

Ritalin can lead to problems with bone health in children

Ritalin and other stimulant pharmaceuticals are often a treatment for ADHD. There has always been a concern that these stimulants may have an adverse effect on bone growth in children.

Now, an evidence based medicine study presented at the 98^th Annual Endocrine Society meeting in Boston, USA has determined that bone mineral content is lower in children who use pharmaceutical stimulants.

Therefore, any Integrative Medicine resources for treatment of ADHD children should include the monitoring of bone health and for many ADHD cases the integration of Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies including food and nutrition advice and the incorporation of best quality vitamins and supplements will lead to improved results.

Regular monitoring of Metabolic Syndrome required for Effective treatment

Metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly common. The causative factors are the combination of insulin resistance and central obesity.

The need of early diagnosis and treatment is imperative.

For effective treatment of metabolic disease, several tests are essential to treat and monitor the individual using evidenced-based medicine tests.

The tests and parameters confirming Metabolic Syndrome as set out by the International Diabetes Federation are as follows:

BMI greater than 30kg/m²
plus any two of the following four factors:
1)  Raised triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)
2)  Reduced HDL cholesterol :
< 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L) in males
< 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L) in females
3) Raised blood pressure –
systolic BP ≥ 130 or diastolic BP ≥ 85 mm Hg or previously diagnosed hypertension
4) Raised fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L), or previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practitioners should use the above tests to regularly monitor the progress of treatment advices e.g. pharmaceuticals and/or best quality vitamin and supplements.

Further recommendations for treating ADHD

Misuse of Ritalin is increasing exponentially in Australia according the Australia Data from Poisons Information Centre who reported a 210% increase in ‘Intentional exposures’; ingestion for overdose or recreational reasons rather than therapy.

Professor Louise Newman and co-author Dr Adrian Dunlop have advised that there is also over-diagnosis of ADHD and over prescribing of ADHD drugs especially Ritalin. This contributes to increased rate of poisoning, deliberate overdoses and is further associated with suicide behaviour. Professor Newman also confirmed that some parents are taking their child to a doctor to get the drugs for their own personal use. These actions further highlight the gravity of the problem.

Surely, these findings point to the need of better diagnosis protocols for mainstream conventional care and also a requirement of better treatment regimes for ADHD.

This is also an indication that treatment for mild forms of ADHD should include Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies which include lifestyle advice and food and nutrition advice, which are undeniably important components in the treatment of ADHD.

Benefits of Drinking Tea – Lifestyle advice

There are nearly 9 million new fractures due to osteoporisis worldwide, with an estimated annual cost to our society of  approximately $100 billion  USD.

Black teas has been advised in many Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies as food and nutrition advice for prevention of many diseases For example, in Ayurveda Chai tea has been traditionally advocated as lifestyle advice to improve digestion and from the Ayurvedic perspective improper digestion is the root cause of many disease..

Now researchers have reported that drinking black tea reduces the risk of fractures in older women.

Myers et al carried out a prospective, observational complementary medicine research study of 1,188 women with an average age of 75. The study revealed that having at least 3 cups of tea a day resulted in:
•    34% lower risk of developing a serious osteoporotic fracture
•    42% less chance of sustaining a hip fracture
•    For each 1 cup per day increase in tea intake there was a 9% decrease in the risk of a serious osteoporotic fracture

So how does black tea protect against bone loss?

The most probable mode of action is that the Flavonoids found in black tea inhibit bone resorption and simultaneously stimulate osteoblastic bone formation.

So when you are next at the coffee shop on the way to work in the morning order a cup of black tea instead of coffee for more health benefits.

What We Can Learn from McDonalds, Burger King, KFC et al

Many fast food outlets such as KFC, Burger King, McDonalds have “Happy Meals” or ‘Kids Meal as part of their marketing and sales strategy. This food package includes a toy and a smaller meal portion in a box or paper bag with the company’s logo. This product is specifically marketed at children and often at the same price as a full meal.

Researchers from the University of Arizona carried out a series of experiments, where participants identified choices with various foods and incentives while researchers collected data. The research also measured functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine if the brain responds to the “Happy Meal” concept of a small toy, gift card or lottery ticket in the same way it does to the burger or pizza laden with cheese.

The data published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied in June, revealed that the combination of a half-sized portion and a prize (toy) was the menu item of choice, even though there was no difference in price. For example, when a group of sixth-grade students were presented with the option of a full sandwich and no prize or a half-sandwich and a pair of cheap bud-style earphones, 78% of them went for the smaller sandwich.

“Clearly, eating less is not fun for many people (and may even be a source of short-term unhappiness), as portion size restriction requires discipline and self-control,” the authors wrote. “Yet, by combining one shorter-term desire (to eat) with another shorter-term desire (to play) that in combination also address a longer-term desire (to be healthy), different sources of happiness become commensurable.”

This research data points to a natural weight loss strategy i.e. providing incentives for eating smaller portions may be the way forward in the battle against obesity. Incorporation of this strategy could be of value when implemented alongside standard food and nutrition advice in anti- obesity programs.

Menopause treatment and Bio-identical hormones – Women’s health issue

A 2015 Australian study conducted by researchers from the Cancer Council NSW found that women who use menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), have double the risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who never used MHT. In addition when women stop using MHT, the increased risk drops and becomes the same as with other women who don’t use it. The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, conforms previous findings in the US and UK.
Professor Karen Canfell from the Cancer Council NSW commented, “The message to convey is that it’s important that women check in with their doctor every six months about the continuing use of MHT, because the risk of breast cancer increases as duration of use increases,” .

The researchers affirmed that HRT can still be advised for alleviating moderate to severe symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes and vaginal dryness. However, it is important to note that the risks are greater with use of combined oestrogen-progestagen as opposed to oestrogen-only therapy.

these findings will also encourage the increased use of bio-identical hormones. Bio-identical hormones are hormones synthesised to resemble identically, the natural hormones produced by the ovary. Pharmaceutical companies prefer to produce synthetic hormones (antagonist and agonist based), but these can cause various side effects due to a variety of physiological reasons.

If bio-identical hormones are the preferable mode of treatment then we need to consider the following:

• The physiological concentrations administered
• Pharmokinetics and pharmacological properties
• Do they have the same binding constants, up-regulation, down-regulation effects etc
• Is there a cascade effect post- administration that can be detrimental
• What do current observational studies show?

Possibly the best treatment option for menopause is an integrative healthcare solution of bio-identical hormones with Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies such as Ayurveda, TCM , Homeopathy and Lifeline Technique strategically implemented to deal with the physical and emotional aspects of menopause.