I must say that I do love a nice glass of wine or bubbles and the upcoming festivities have really had me searching. I have found a few picks that I wanted to share with you. Rosnay have just released the first organic sparkling rose which is sumptuous, matched perfectly with a Sydney rock oyster or two. Then there is the Tamburlaine sav blanc which I adore with a salmon carpaccio or a fennel salad. Tamburlaine is conveniently located opposite the Golden Door Health Retreat where I run detoxification programs – the irony kills me! But, organic wines are a must – a report just released by the Pesticide Action Network found that hazardous pesticides were found in many samples of conventional wine. My last pick is Coates organic rose which is a more full bodied wine – gorgeous with a slice of melon wrapped in proscuitto.So, go ahead and enjoy the festive season with a glass of organic wine in hand! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
New Study Results – Iodine Proven to Help Even Mildly Deficient Children
This is a fascinating study – the researchers looked at how supplemental iodine improves the intellectual capacity of mildly iodine deficient children. You will know by now about the ground breaking study that was published in 2006 which demonstrated the link between iodine deficiency and intellectual capacity in Australian school children. This study goes a little further and looked at mildly deficient (63ug/L) 10 – 13 year olds. By supplementing with 150mcgr/day of iodine, perceptual reasoning improved. Perceptual reasoning includes visual perception, organisation and reasoning – this covers non verbal communication and an ability to be “street smart”.The children took iodine for 28 weeks and their iodine increased from 63 to 145 and compared to the control group these kids had an improved intellectual capacity. So, as iodine is measured in the urine, it is an easy and non invasive test for little ones. I strongly recommend that you ask a naturopath to organise your child to be tested and then supplement as necessary.Iodine supplementation improves cognition in mildly iodine-deficient children.BACKGROUND: The effects of severe iodine deficiency during critical periods of brain development are well documented. There is little known about the consequences of milder forms of iodine deficiency on neurodevelopment. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether supplementing mildly iodine-deficient children with iodine improves cognition. DESIGN: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was conducted in 184 children aged 10-13 y in Dunedin, New Zealand. Children were randomly assigned to receive a daily tablet containing either 150 microg I or placebo for 28 wk. Biochemical, anthropometric, and dietary data were collected from each child at baseline and after 28 wk. Cognitive performance was assessed through 4 subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. RESULTS: […]
Food As an Antidepressant
A very interesting study from the University College London in the UK followed 3,486 people for five years. At the end of five years, they matched their depression to their diet.
They found that the most depressed individuals consumed “processed food” (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). In contrast, the least depressed people consumed a diet of “whole foods” (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish).
Depression is a surprisingly common symptom. Before you turn to pharmaceutical antidepressants, start with changing your foods. If you eat a healthy diet your depression may subside. I strongly encourage you to take a good hard look at your diet – the best and most effective way is to write a food/mood diary and begin to notice any trends that appear. How did you feel an hour after you ate that coffee and banana bread this morning?
I always see improvements in mood when the processed nutrient-poor food is removed and replaced with whole, organic and nutrient rich foods.
Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age
BACKGROUND: Studies of diet and depression have focused primarily on individual nutrients. AIMS: To examine the association between dietary patterns and depression using an overall diet approach. METHOD: Analyses were carried on data from 3486 participants (26.2% women, mean age 55.6 years) from the Whitehall II prospective cohort, in which two dietary patterns were identified: ‘whole food’ (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish) and ‘processed food’ (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). Self-reported depression was assessed 5 years later using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression (CES-D) scale. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in […]
Food As an Antidepressant
A very interesting study from the University College London in the UK followed 3,486 people for five years. At the end of five years, they matched their depression to their diet.They found that the most depressed individuals consumed “processed food” (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). In contrast, the least depressed people consumed a diet of “whole foods” (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish).Depression is a surprisingly common symptom. Before you turn to pharmaceutical antidepressants, start with changing your foods. If you eat a healthy diet your depression may subside. I strongly encourage you to take a good hard look at your diet – the best and most effective way is to write a food/mood diary and begin to notice any trends that appear. How did you feel an hour after you ate that coffee and banana bread this morning?I always see improvements in mood when the processed nutrient-poor food is removed and replaced with whole, organic and nutrient rich foods.Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle ageBACKGROUND: Studies of diet and depression have focused primarily on individual nutrients. AIMS: To examine the association between dietary patterns and depression using an overall diet approach. METHOD: Analyses were carried on data from 3486 participants (26.2% women, mean age 55.6 years) from the Whitehall II prospective cohort, in which two dietary patterns were identified: ‘whole food’ (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish) and ‘processed food’ (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). Self-reported depression was assessed 5 years later using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression (CES-D) scale. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in […]
Vitamin D Linked to C-Section Births
Caesarean section rates are at an all time high in Australia (28.8%) and the United States (30.2%). As vitamin D is crucial for proper muscle function, the researchers examined the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and caesarean section rates. Between 2005 and 2007, 253 women who gave birth in a Massachusetts hospital were found to be nearly four times more likely to have a caesarean section if their serum vitamin D levels were below 37.5nmol/L than those levels at 37.5nmol/L or greater. The authors concluded that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of caesarean section.Vitamin D has been receiving so much research over the last few years and this study demonstrates the broader functions of vitamin D. Absolutely insist that your vitamin D levels are monitored throughout pregnancy and supplement if necessary – remember that you need to use the D3 form!Association between vitamin D deficiency and primary caesarean section.BACKGROUND: At the turn of the 20th century, women commonly died in childbirth due to rachitic pelvis. Although rickets virtually disappeared with the discovery of the hormone vitamin D, recent reports suggest vitamin D deficiency is widespread in industrialized nations. Poor muscular performance is an established symptom of vitamin D deficiency. The current U.S. caesarean birth rate is at an all-time high of 30.2%. We analysed the relationship between maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status, and prevalence of primary caesarean section. METHODS: Between 2005 and 2007, we measured maternal and infant serum 25(OH) D at birth and abstracted demographic and medical data from the maternal medical record at an urban teaching hospital (Boston, MA) with 2500 births per year. We enrolled 253 women, of whom 43 (17%) had a primary caesarean. […]
The Concept of IntraUterine Pollution
Three years ago Dr. Michael Odent, a world renowned leader in the field of obstetrics, stated that “human health is shaped to a great extent during intrauterine life and prenatal pollution is a threat for the health of future generations”. Such an accumulation of research demonstrates that there are enormous implications in terms of public health – nothing is more important today than the health and wellbeing of pregnant women. We need to address the importance of nutrition before the conception of the baby, as a way to prepare the intrauterine environment.One important factor that Dr. Odent considers is the effect of fat soluble synthetic chemicals on health. Over the years we have accumulated hundreds of chemicals in our adipose tissue that would not have been there 60 years ago as such chemicals didn’t exist. Many of these chemicals have a long half life and we do not have the enzymes required to break them down for excretion. During the time an embryo is nourished in the uterus, molecules used by cells to “talk” to each other affect the way that genes are expressed. This ability of the environment to “turn on” or “turn off” a gene is studied in the fascinating science called Epigenetics. This is a field that I am particularly interested in and there are many emerging studies that are shedding light on this.Going back to fat soluble chemicals, many of them are biologically active at very small amounts, usually too small to be detected in standard testing procedures. Just because a substance is not detected on a test does not mean that it is harmless! We now have strong conclusive evidence that the increasing rates of male genital tract disorders […]
New Infertility Treatments In the Near Future?
So, what do you think about the latest development in fertility research? Feel free to share with me your opinions – is this a positive breakthrough or is this going too far?Infertility treatments based on artificial sperm and eggs could be available within a decade as British research indicates it is possible to grow them from human embryonic stem (ES) cells. British scientists claimed to have created human sperm from embryonic stem cells for the first time, an accomplishment they say may someday help infertile men father children.The technique could in 10 years allow researchers to use the basic knowledge of how sperm develop to design treatments to enable infertile men the chance to have biological children, said lead researcher Karim Nayernia, of Newcastle University, whose team earlier produced baby mice from sperm derived in a similar way. The research, published in the journal Stem Cells and Development, was conducted by scientists at Newcastle and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute.Stem cells can become any cell in the body, and scientists have previously turned them into a variety of new entities, including cells from the brain, pancreas, heart and blood vessels. Some experts challenged the research, saying they weren’t convinced Nayernia and his colleagues had actually produced sperm cells. Several critics also said the sperm cells they created were clearly abnormal. “I am unconvinced from the data presented in this paper that the cells produced by Professor Nayernia’s group from embryonic stem cells can be accurately called ’spermatazoa,” said Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield.Pacey said in a statement that the sperm created by Nayernia did not have the specific shape, movement and function of real sperm. Azim […]
Kava Helps Treat Anxiety
Kava, used for generations in traditional ceremonies by Pacific islanders, is an effective and safe treatment for anxiety, university researchers say. People with “chronic high levels of anxiety” feel less worried and, in some cases, less depressed during a 60-person trial undertaken at the University of Queensland.
“We’ve been able to show that kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety and, unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side-effects,” said lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from UQ’s School of Medicine. “We also found that kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had not been tested before.”
Anxiety levels were reduced in trial participants who took five tablets of kava daily, as opposed to a placebo group that took dummy pills. Critically the study’s participants did not show any signs of potential liver damage – contrary to concerns that prompted European, British and Canadian authorities to ban kava sales in 2002.
Kava products sold in those countries were based on ethanol or acetone extracts of the kava plant, Mr Sarris said, not the water-soluble extracts used traditionally by Pacific islanders and approved for sale in Australia. “Our study used a water-soluble extract from the peeled root stock of a medicinal cultivar of the plant, which is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration,” Mr Sarris said. “When extracted in the appropriate way, kava may pose less or no potential liver problems and I hope the results will encourage governments to reconsider the ban.”
The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum.
RATIONALE: Piper methysticum (Kava) has been withdrawn in European, British, and Canadian markets due […]
Kava Helps Treat Anxiety
Kava, used for generations in traditional ceremonies by Pacific islanders, is an effective and safe treatment for anxiety, university researchers say. People with “chronic high levels of anxiety” feel less worried and, in some cases, less depressed during a 60-person trial undertaken at the University of Queensland.“We’ve been able to show that kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety and, unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side-effects,” said lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from UQ’s School of Medicine. “We also found that kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had not been tested before.”Anxiety levels were reduced in trial participants who took five tablets of kava daily, as opposed to a placebo group that took dummy pills. Critically the study’s participants did not show any signs of potential liver damage – contrary to concerns that prompted European, British and Canadian authorities to ban kava sales in 2002.Kava products sold in those countries were based on ethanol or acetone extracts of the kava plant, Mr Sarris said, not the water-soluble extracts used traditionally by Pacific islanders and approved for sale in Australia. “Our study used a water-soluble extract from the peeled root stock of a medicinal cultivar of the plant, which is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration,” Mr Sarris said. “When extracted in the appropriate way, kava may pose less or no potential liver problems and I hope the results will encourage governments to reconsider the ban.”The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum.RATIONALE: Piper methysticum (Kava) has been withdrawn in European, British, and Canadian markets due […]
GM Foods – Are You Aware of Why You Should Avoid Them?
The Academy of Environmental Medicine has released the following statement:
Natural breeding processes have been safely utilized for the past several thousand years. In contrast, “GE crop technology abrogates natural reproductive processes, selection occurs at the single cell level, the procedure is highly mutagenic and routinely breeches genera barriers, and the technique has only been used commercially for 10 years.” Despite these differences, safety assessment of GM foods has been based on the idea of “substantial equivalence” such that “if a new food is found to be substantially equivalent in composition and nutritional characteristics to an existing food, it can be regarded as safe as the conventional food.” However, several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food consumption including infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis, insulin regulation, cell signalling, and protein formation, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system. Read more here.
Genetic engineering (GE) is a radical technology that manipulates the genes and DNA of living things. Unlike traditional breeding processes, GE takes genes from one life form and forces them into another. Using GE, genes from bacteria, viruses, plants and animals have been inserted into soybeans, canola, corn and cotton to grow commercial crops. These GE crops (also called genetically modified organisms or GMOs) are processed into foods and sold in our stores. Most processed GE foods are unlabelled. Right now, millions of Australians are eating GE food without realising it.
I am strongly opposed to GM foods – we already have evidence that they cause health problems but I think there will be so much more information coming out over the next 5 years. So far, there has not been any long […]
