Year-End Flurry of Food Recalls, Illness

Sprouts, Parsley, Cilantro, Pastry, Cheese in Separate Recalls

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Dec. 28, 2010 -- A nationwide recall of curly parsley and cilantro is the latest in a year-end flurry of food warnings and outbreaks of food-borne illness.
In the two most serious of these outbreaks:

• At least 89 people in 15 states fell ill with salmonella infections after eating contaminated Alfalfa Sprouts and Spicy Sprouts from Tiny Greens Organic Farm of Urbana, Ill. Many of those who fell ill reported eating sandwiches at Jimmy John's restaurants.
• 100 people became ill after eating pastries made by Rolf's Patisserie, a gourmet European bakery in Lincolnwood, Ill. Various desserts were shipped wholesale and repackaged by other retailers. Whole Foods has recalled gingerbread houses and a wide range of pastries, pot pies, and quiche originally made by Rolf's.

Parsley/Cilantro Recall -- Salmonella

In the latest recall, J&D Produce of Edinburg, Texas, has recalled its Little Bear brand curly parsley and cilantro. Tests of the products in Quebec, Canada and in Detroit detected salmonella contamination.
The items were packed from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6. According to the Associated Press, the company is also recalling other produce that came through its production lines on these dates: arugula, leeks, collards, curly mustard, gold beets, kale, green Swiss chard, plain mustard, plain parsley, kohlrabi, rainbow Swiss chard, mint, methi leaf, beets, daikon, red Swiss chard, turnips, turnip greens, and dill.
No known illnesses have yet been associated with this recall. J&D promises a full refund of any affected product.

Alfalfa Sprouts -- Salmonella

On Dec. 27, the FDA warned consumers not to eat Alfalfa Sprouts and Spicy Sprouts (a mix of alfalfa, radish, and clover sprouts) from Tiny Greens Organic Farm.
The preliminary results of a CDC/FDA investigation link many of the illnesses to sandwiches from Jimmy John's restaurant outlets. About half of the 89 cases reported as of Dec. 21 were in Illinois residents who ate at Jimmy John's. The restaurant has stopped putting sprouts on its sandwiches.
The sprouts were also distributed in 4-ounce and 5-pound containers to farmers markets, restaurants, and groceries in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and possibly other states in the Midwest.
Illnesses from salmonella with the same DNA fingerprint as the outbreak strain have been identified in Connecticut, Washington D.C., Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Pastries -- Staph Toxin

On Christmas Eve, the Lincolnwood, Ill., bakery Rolf's Patisserie recalled products made after Nov. 1, 2010.
The products include tiramisu, cakes, cobblers, decorated cookies, tarts, pastries, and pies (including pot pies). Because these foods are sold wholesale, they may be repackaged by retailers under various labels.
The foods contain toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Poisoning occurs from ingesting these toxins, not from Staph infection. Illness onset is usually within one to six hours after eating the contaminated food. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Severe cases are rare but may include headache, muscle cramps, and changes in blood pressure and pulse rate.

Pastries -- Staph Toxin continued...

Whole Foods has removed the foods from its shelves. Included in the Rolf's recall are pre-assembled gingerbread houses sold in Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.
Also included in the recall are the following products sold by Whole Foods in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin:
Items sold in Bakery:

UPC Code	Product Desc	Item Size	Unit of Measure
23691600000	WFM 6 IN CHERRY CRUMB PIE	12	OUNCES
23600700000	WFM 6 INCH APPLE PIE	20	OUNCES
23692300000	WFM 6IN APPLECRAN CRMB PIE	19	OUNCES
23693100000	WFM 9 IN HOUSE KEY LIME PIE	34	OUNCES
23654800000	WFM 9 INCH CHOC SILK PIE	48	OUNCES
23691800000	WFM 9IN APPCHDR CRUMB/DBL PIE	34	OUNCES
23692200000	WFM 9IN APPLCRAN CRUMB/DBL PIE	37	OUNCES
23659200000	WFM 9IN BANANA DULCE D LCH PIE	52	OUNCES
23650700000	WFM 9IN BLACKBERRY CHRRY PIE	60	OUNCES
23659800000	WFM 9IN BOSTON CREME PIE	40	OUNCES
23691500000	WFM 9IN CHERRY CRUMB/DBL PIE	40	OUNCES
23659600000	WFM 9IN COOKIES AND CREAM PIE	42	OUNCES
23650000000	WFM 9IN CRML APPLE CHSCAKE PIE	44	OUNCES
23690900000	WFM 9IN PEACH CRUMB/DBL PIE	37	OUNCES
23650500000	WFM 9IN RASP PCH CRUMB/DBL PIE	60	OUNCES
23611000000	WFM CAKE CHOC MOUSSE 8IN 58OZ	58	OUNCES
23182200000	WFM CHOC FLOURLESS CAKE 6IN	24	OUNCES
23610800000	WFM CHOC FLOURLESS CAKE 8IN	32	OUNCES
UPC Code	Product Desc	Item Size	Unit of Measure
23629500000	WFM LEMON MERINGUE PIE 9 INCH	1133	GRAMS
23184200000	WFM MINI CARAMEL TART 1OZ	1	OUNCES
23615900000	WFM MINI CHOC FRESH FRUIT TART	1	OUNCES
23173400000	WFM MINI CHOC GANACHE TART 1OZ	1	OUNCES
23129700000	WFM MINI CHOC RASPBERRY TART	1	OUNCES
23648700000	WFM MINI CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TART	1	OUNCES
23152700000	WFM MINI FRESH FRUIT TART 1OZ	1	OUNCES
23658200000	WFM MINI GERMAN CHOC TART	1	OUNCES
23121200000	WFM MINI KEY LIME TART	1	OUNCES
23618600000	WFM MINI LEMON MERINGUE TART	1	OUNCES
23185400000	WFM MINI LEMON TART 1OZ	1	OUNCES
23619600000	WFM MINI MERINGUE TART	1	OUNCES
23651200000	WFM MINI ROCKY ROAD TART	1	OUNCES
23167600000	WFM STRAWBERRY & CREAM PIE 9IN	24	OUNCES
23621700000	WFM APPLE PIE 9 INCH 1/2	22	OUNCES
23621800000	WFM 9IN CHOCOLATE SILK PIE 1/2	24	OUNCES
23614300000	WFM TIRAMISU CAKE 6IN 22OZ	16	OUNCES
23167100000	WFM PUMPKIN ANGEL FOOD CAKE	16	OUNCES
23187900000	WFM LEMON CREAM PIE 9 IN	40	OUNCES
23605700000	WFM MINI COCONUT TART	1	OUNCES
23612900000	WFM TIRAMISU CUP 6OZ	6	OUNCES
23625000000	WFM CRANBERRY WLNT UPSIDE CAKE	19	OUNCES
23642700000	WFM TRES LECHES CUP	6	OUNCES
23660100000	WFM 9IN CRML APPLE WALNT PIE	44	OUNCES
23669000000	WFM CREME BRULEE	5	OUNCES
23671700000	WFM 9 INCH IN HOUSE PUMPKIN PIE	32	OUNCES
23695700000	WFM YULE LOG	27	OUNCES

Pastries -- Staph Toxin continued...

Items sold in Prepared Foods:

UPC Code	Product Desc	Unit of Measure
23773800000	CHICKEN POT PIE 9INCH SPECIAL	26 OUNCES
23851300000	BEEF & MUSHROOM POT PIE 9IN	26 OUNCES
23853500000	CURRY CHICKEN POT PIE LARGE	26 OUNCES
23856300000	FAMILY SIZE TURKEY POT PIE	16 OUNCES
23923600000	TOFU POT PIE 9 IN	26 OUNCES
23928400000	CHICKEN POT PIE 9IN	26 OUNCES
23928500000	VEGETABLE POT PIE 9 IN	26 OUNCES
9948280244	CHICKEN POT PIE LARGE	26 OUNCES
9948280320	TURKEY POT PIE LARGE	26 OUNCES
23785900000	CORN PEPPPER QUICHE WHOLE	12 OUNCES
23788900000	SMSALMONLEEKGOATQUICHESLICE	BY POUND
23789300000	SMSALMON LEEK GOAT CHS QUICHE	BY POUND
23789400000	SPINACH MUSH QUICHE SLICE	BY POUND
23807900000	MUSHROOM QUICHE SLICE	BY POUND
UPC Code	Product Desc	Unit of Measure
23808100000	SPINACH QUICHE SLICE	BY POUND
23808200000	SPINACH QUICHE WHOLE	12 OUNCES
23808300000	WFM BROC CHEDDAR QUICHE SLICE	BY POUND
23808400000	BROCCOLI CHEDD QUICHE 9 IN	12 OUNCES
23949900000	WFM QUICHE TOMATO BASIL SLICE	BY POUND
23950200000	WFM QUICHE LORRAINE SLICE	BY POUND
23950300000	QUICHE LORRAINE 9 IN	12 OUNCES
23950700000	LEEK GOAT CHEESE QUICHE SLICE	BY POUND
23967800000	TOMATO BASIL QUICHE 9IN	12 OUNCES
9948280061	QUICHE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR	12 OUNCES
9948280063	QUICHE LORRAINE 9	12 OUNCES
9948280065	QUICHE TOM BASIL 9	12 OUNCES
75452	CATERING QUICHE LORRAINE	12 OUNCES
75453	CATERING QUICHE BROCCOLI CHDDR	12 OUNCES
75454	QUICHE TOMATO BASIL	12 OUNCES
76009	QUICHE SPIN AND MUSHROOM	12 OUNCES
72418	QUICHE LEEK AND GOAT CHEESE	12 OUNCES

Soft Cheese Recall -- E. Coli

On Dec. 17, Sally Jackson Cheese of Oroville, Wash., recalled soft, raw milk cheeses made from cow, goat, and sheep milk. The cheeses were distributed nationwide.
The cow and sheep cheeses are wrapped in chestnut leaves, while the goat cheese is wrapped in grape leaves. They may have an outer wrapping of waxed paper.
The cheeses may have been the source of E. coli O157:H7 infections reported by Washington State and Oregon health authorities.
Whole Foods Market carried some of these cheeses. Some carry the Sally Jackson label, but others were simply wrapped in clear plastic and sold with a Whole Foods Market scale label.
E. coli o157:H7 infection can be dangerous. It causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults recover, the infection can cause kidney failure. Consumers who develop symptoms of E. coli infection should immediately seek medical care.

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View Article Sources

SOURCES:
FDA news releases, Dec. 17, Dec. 24, and Dec. 27, 2010.
FDA web site, accessed Dec. 28, 2010.
CDC news release, Dec. 23, 2010.
CDC web site, accessed Dec. 28, 2010.
J&D Produce news release, Dec. 27, 2010.
Little Bear Produce web site, accessed Dec. 28, 2010.

© 2010 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Calcium and vitamin D linked to weight loss

Big Pharma's diet pills come with big risks and small results... but if you want to kick-start your own weight loss plan, there are a few things you can take that really do work.

And they're nutrients you need anyway.

Researchers have found that vitamin D and calcium, two nutrients that work so well together in everything from bone health to cancer prevention, can help you shed pounds.

And it doesn't take much of either.

In a new analysis, researchers examined data on 322 people with an average age of 52 and BMI of 31. While most of the patients were tracked for two years, 126 of them were followed for an extra six months to track their levels of vitamin D.

The researchers found that volunteers with an average daily intake of 580 milligrams of calcium along with vitamin D blood levels of 30.2 nanograms per millimeter lost nearly 12 pounds over two years, according to the study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Like I said, these aren't especially high levels of either nutrient--580 mg of calcium is barely half the U.S. government's "recommended daily intake," and those blood levels of vitamin D are below what many in the mainstream now recommend.

And while 12 pounds over two years isn't a stunning level of weight loss by any stretch, it's actually better than the results we've seen from studies on many of Big Pharma's diet drugs--with none of the dangerous side effects.

Most people can get the calcium they need from a good diet of natural foods, but a supplement isn't a bad idea if you think there's a chance you're not getting enough.

Vitamin D, on the other hand, is much trickier. Our bodies can make it from sunlight--but since so few of us get the sun exposure we need to stimulate D production, most people are actually badly deficient.

In fact, it's become the world's leading nutritional deficiency--so if you're not taking a D supplement now, you should... whether you need to lose weight or not.

Add these key nutrients to a healthy lifestyle low in sugar and other refined carbohydrates, and you won't believe how easily the pounds will come off.

No drugs necessary.

On a mission for your health,

Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls

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How 'B' can beat dementia

There may "B" an answer to Alzheimer's after all--and it might even be something you're taking right now.

Researchers have found that high levels of three common B vitamins can dramatically slash the brain shrinkage associated with dementia and related conditions.

Naturally, they're already hoping to sell this to you as a "drug," but you don't have to wait for Big Pharma's blessing--because the ingredients are sitting on the shelf at your local vitamin store right now, and I'll tell you all about them in a moment.

But first, let's take a look at this remarkable new study.

Researchers recruited 168 seniors who suffered from mild cognitive impairment and assigned them to either a placebo or TrioBe Plus--a patented blend of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid.

After two years, MRI scans revealed that those who had been taking the B vitamin blend had a much slower rate of brain shrinkage: .76 percent of volume per year, versus 1.08 percent in those who were given the placebo, or a difference of 30 percent.

What's more, patients with the highest blood levels of the inflammation marker homocysteine at the start of the study had a 53 percent reduction in the shrinkage rate, according to the study in PLoS One.

By the way, here's a humbling piece of trivia: All of our brains are shrinking. Even the healthiest ones lose about half a percent each year. Just a guess, but they may end up in the same place as keys, wallets and left socks.

Now, before you run off to try to slow your own shrinkage with some B vitamins, the researchers behind this study have a warning: Their blend, they say, is a high-dose "drug" and should only be given under the care of a doctor.

But that sounds a lot like patent-protecting greed to me, because one look at the TrioBe Plus ingredients label reveals that these high doses aren't so high after all: 800 micrograms of folate, 500 micrograms of B12 and 20 milligrams of B6.

They're high levels in that they exceed the U.S. government's lowball recommended daily intakes... but not so high that they can't be found without a prescription. In fact, you can pick them up at almost any supermarket or health food story in those exact amounts.

Since your own needs could vary depending on your age and condition, talk to a naturopathic physician about the best ways to add some B to your regimen now--but don't be afraid to do it.

And don't be afraid to start today--before your brain shrinks even more than it already has.

Those aren't the only ordinary vitamins that can beat Big Pharma meds... keep reading for the latest news on safe and inexpensive supplements that can help you lose weight! 

 

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Why genes are leftwing

The right loves genetic explanations for poverty or mental illness. But science fingers society

• 

When the map of the human genome was presented to the world in 2001, psychiatrists had high hopes for it. Itemising all our genes would surely provide molecular evidence that the main cause of mental illness was genetic – something psychiatrists had long believed. Drug companies were wetting their lips at the prospect of massive profits from unique potions for every idiosyncrasy.
But a decade later, unnoticed by the media, the human genome project has not delivered what the psychiatrists hoped: we now know that genes play little part in why one sibling, social class or ethnic group is more likely to suffer mental health problems than another.

This result had been predicted by Craig Venter, one of the key researchers on the project. When the map was published, he said that because we only have about 25,000 genes psychological differences could not be much determined by them. "Our environments are critical," he concluded. And, after only a few years of extensive genome searching, even the most convinced geneticists began to publicly admit that there are no individual genes for the vast majority of mental health problems. In 2009 Professor Robert Plomin, a leading behavioural geneticist, wrote that the evidence had proved that "genetic effects are much smaller than previously considered: the largest effects account for only 1% of quantitative traits". However, he believed that all was not lost. Complex combinations of genes might hold the key. So far, this has not been shown, nor is it likely to be.
This February's editorial of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry was entitled "It's the environment, stupid!". The author, Edmund Sonuga-Barke, stated that "serious science is now more than ever focused on the power of the environment … all but the most dogged of genetic determinists have revised their view".
In Sonuga-Barke's own field, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, he observed that "even the most comprehensive genome-wide scans available, with thousands of patients using hundreds of thousands of genetic markers … appear to account for a relatively small proportion of disorder expression". Genes hardly explained at all why some children have ADHD and not others.

That was illustrated recently in a heavily publicised study by Anita Thapar, of Cardiff University. Although she claimed to have proved that ADHD is a "genetic disease", if anything, she proved the opposite. Only 16% of the children with ADHD in her study had the pattern of genes that she claimed causes the illness. Taken at face value, her study proved that non-genetic factors cause it in 8 out of 10 children.
Another theory was that genes create vulnerabilities. For example, it was thought that people with a particular gene variant were more likely to become depressed if they were maltreated as children. This also now looks unlikely. An analysis of 14,250 people showed that those with the variant were not at greater risk of depression. Nor were they more likely to be depressed when the variant was combined with childhood maltreatment.
In developed nations, women and those on a low income are twice as likely to be depressed as men and the wealthy. When DNA is tested in large samples, neither women nor the poor are more likely to have the variant. Worldwide, depression is least common in south-east Asia. Yet a study of 29 nations found the variant to be commonest there – the degree to which a society is collectivist rather than individualistic partly explains depression rates, not genes.

Politics may be the reason why the media has so far failed to report the small role of genes. The political right believes that genes largely explain why the poor are poor, as well as twice as likely as the rich to be mentally ill. To them, the poor are genetic mud, sinking to the bottom of the genetic pool.

Writing in 2000, the political scientist Charles Murray made a rash prediction he may now regret. "The story of human nature, as revealed by genetics and neuroscience, will be conservative in its political [shape]." The American poor would turn out to have significantly different genes to the affluent: "This is not unimaginable. It is almost certainly true." Almost certainly false, more like.

Instead, the Human Genome Project is rapidly providing a scientific basis for the political left. Childhood maltreatment, economic inequality and excessive materialism seem the main determinants of mental illness. State-sponsored interventions, like reduced inequality, are the most likely solutions.

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Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers, Study Finds

One of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do. The standard Alcoholics Anonymous explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking.

But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that - for reasons that aren't entirely clear - abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one's risk of dying even when you exclude former drinkers. The most shocking part? Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers. (See pictures of booze under a microscope.)

Moderate drinking, which is defined as one to three drinks per day, is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies. Moderate alcohol use (especially when the beverage of choice is red wine) is thought to improve heart health, circulation and sociability, which can be important because people who are isolated don't have as many family members and friends who can notice and help treat health problems.

But why would abstaining from alcohol lead to a shorter life? It's true that those who abstain from alcohol tend to be from lower socioeconomic classes, since drinking can be expensive. And people of lower socioeconomic status have more life stressors - job and child-care worries that might not only keep them from the bottle but also cause stress-related illnesses over long periods. (They also don't get the stress-reducing benefits of a drink or two after work.)

But even after controlling for nearly all imaginable variables - socioeconomic status, level of physical activity, number of close friends, quality of social support and so on - the researchers (a six-member team led by psychologist Charles Holahan of the University of Texas at Austin) found that over a 20-year period, mortality rates were highest for those who had never been drinkers, second-highest for heavy drinkers and lowest for moderate drinkers. (Watch TIME's Video "Taste Test: Beer With Extra Buzz.")

The sample of those who were studied included individuals between ages 55 and 65 who had had any kind of outpatient care in the previous three years. The 1,824 participants were followed for 20 years. One drawback of the sample: a disproportionate number, 63%, were men. Just over 69% of the never-drinkers died during the 20 years, 60% of the heavy drinkers died and only 41% of moderate drinkers died.
These are remarkable statistics. Even though heavy drinking is associated with higher risk for cirrhosis and several types of cancer (particularly cancers in the mouth and esophagus), heavy drinkers are less likely to die than people who have never drunk. One important reason is that alcohol lubricates so many social interactions, and social interactions are vital for maintaining mental and physical health. As I pointed out last year, nondrinkers show greater signs of depression than those who allow themselves to join the party.
The authors of the new paper are careful to note that even if drinking is associated with longer life, it can be dangerous: it can impair your memory severely and it can lead to nonlethal falls and other mishaps (like, say, cheating on your spouse in a drunken haze) that can screw up your life. There's also the dependency issue: if you become addicted to alcohol, you may spend a long time trying to get off the bottle.
(Comment on this story.)

That said, the new study provides the strongest evidence yet that moderate drinking is not only fun but good for you. So make mine a double.
See the top 10 long-forgotten liquors.
Read "Why Nondrinkers May Be More Depressed."
View this article on Time.com

Related articles on Time.com:

• Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers, Study Finds
• Why Non-Drinkers May Be More Depressed
• Does Alcohol Slow Dementia?
• Older Drinkers Less Able to Judge When They're Drunk
• Study: Women Who Drink Tend to Be Thinner

Article Source

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Turn Off Your Obesity Gene

Published on Healthier Talk (http://www.healthiertalk.com)

Home > Turn Off Your Obesity Gene

---

By Dr. Al Sears

Created 07/29/2010 - 6:00am

Turn Off Your Obesity Gene

Have you resigned yourself to gaining weight because it “runs in the family”?
Bad genetics doesn’t have to catch up with you. You can change your genes simply by making a few adjustments to your diet.(1)
When you eat certain foods, nutrients release hormones that switch your genes on and off. And the nutrients in low-glycemic foods turn off genes that lead to weight gain and diseases that may follow.
We found this out when we studied the response to the glycemic index (GI) in people who have metabolic syndrome.
The glycemic index measures how fast your food breaks down to sugar in your bloodstream. Metabolic syndrome is a medical term for overweight people whose cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels are high. It puts them at risk for diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.
In the study, one group ate foods with a low GI rating of 40-60. The other group ate foods with a high GI rating of about 80-100.
In just 12 weeks, the high GI diet increased the activity of 62 genes that lead to disease. These genes activate your stress response. It puts your body in a constant “fight or flight” mode. This lowers your immunity and causes damage to your cells.
But the low GI diet decreased the activity of 71 disease-causing genes, including hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL).(2)
High HSL is what causes fat to settle around your middle.(3) But when scientists studied animals bred to have little HSL, they found the animals became resistant to obesity, whether it was hereditary or from diet.(4)
I suggest you eat a wide variety of low GI foods. Follow the example handed down by our primal ancestors. Choose foods you could have gotten either by hunting or gathering:
Eat fresh, low-glycemic foods. Look for grass-fed beef. Fish. Beans. Plenty of above-ground and green, leafy vegetables. Onions and garlic. Berries, nuts, and seeds. Fresh fruits.
Avoid high-glycemic foods. These include white potatoes, most grains such as rice, corn, and wheat, cereals, cereal bars, and low-fiber or sweetened foods.
Shun pre-packaged items and fast food. These products contain high-glycemic ingredients and artificial chemicals. Avoid sweetened foods. Diet foods. Foods like these turn on the genes responsible for weight gain and disease.(5)
For more information on the glycemic index, click here [1].
Finally, if you have a family history of disease, you may want to supplement with additional nutrients:

• Pick up a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that contains high levels of B vitamins such as B12 and folate. These two vitamins directly contribute to DNA health. I recommend at least 100 mcg per day of vitamin B12 and 800 mcg of folate.
• MSM is a great detoxifier known to keep your DNA healthy. You can take 900 mg up to 3 times a day.
• SAMe is a nutrient you won’t find in food, but you can buy supplements at your local vitamin shop. This is one of the best-known for DNA protection. Take 200-1,600 mg daily.

References:
1. D Ornish, MJ Magbanua and G Weidner et al., “Changes in prostate gene expression in men undergoing anintensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention.” Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 2008;105 8369–8374.
2. Kallio P, Kolehmainen M, Laaksonen DE, et al. “Dietary carbohydrate modification induces alterations in gene expression in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue in persons with the metabolic syndrome: the FUNGENUT Study.” Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:1417–27.
3. Carlsson, E. et al. “The hormone-sensitive lipase C–60G promoter polymorphism is associated with increased waist circumference in normal-weight subjects Hormone-sensitive lipase and obesity.” International Journal of Obesity 2006, Sept;30: 1442-1448.
4. Sekiya M, Osuga JL, Okazaki H, et al. “Absence of hormone-sensitive lipase inhibits obesity and adipogenesis in Lep ob/ob mice.” J Biol Chem 2004;279:15084–90.
5. Salsberg SL, Ludwig DS. “Putting your genes on a diet: the molecular effects of carbohydrate.” Am J Clin Nutr 2007 May;85(5):1169-70.
6. Paolo Raggi, et al. “Coronary Artery Calcium to Predict All-Cause Mortality in Elderly Men and Women.” J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 52: 17-23.

• Diabetes & Metabolic
• Diet and Nutrition
• General Health
• Heart and Cardiovascular
• Herbs and Supplements
• Weight Loss

This information is for informational purposes only. It should not be taken as medical advice. Copyright ©2010 by HealthierTalk.com

---

Source URL: http://www.healthiertalk.com/turn-your-obesity-gene-2159

Links:
[1] http://www.alsearsmd.com/glycemic-index/

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Fighting back after stroke

Surviving a stroke is only half the battle. The real challenge begins for many stroke victims when they return home from the hospital. Many of them face debilitating and even permanent damage, and some even need to relearn basic activities like walking, talking and eating.
Now, two recent studies give some hope to a seemingly hopeless situation.

The first comes in the form of a simple easy-to-find everyday vitamin–one many people start their day with, whether they know it or not.

Vitamin B3–better known as niacin, a nutrient that can be found in abundance in coffee–helps rats that have suffered ischemic strokes to grow blood vessels and new nerve cells in their brains, according to a study presented at the recent International Stroke Conference.

That's all well and good for the rats, but will it work on humans? That's what the research team at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit wants to figure out–which is why they're now testing to see if humans can get those same benefits after suffering an ischemic stroke. (That's the most common type of stroke, which happens when blood can't make it to the brain.)

But we already know that niacin has some terrific benefits for the arteries, as I've mentioned before. (Read "Common vitamin tops meds.") What's more, it's easy to get it from your diet by eating more oatmeal, peanuts, mushrooms and fish.

And, as I mentioned, you can even get it from your morning brew. Espresso is overflowing with niacin, containing about 30 times what you'll find in a serving of tuna or mushrooms. Regular brewed coffee is also an excellent source of niacin, but it doesn't contain nearly as much as espresso.

Niacin is also inexpensive and widely available in supplement form.

The researchers say this nutrient appears to rewire the brain... which is exactly what another group of scientists working with stroke patients say about a very different treatment. Their study looks at how stroke victims benefit from something many of us do in the shower every day: singing.

It's long been known that singing and speaking use different parts of the brain, which is why many stutterers can often belt out a tune without a single pause.

And in recent years, stroke patients who've lost the ability to talk have been learning to sing instead. It's called "melodic intonation therapy," and researchers say that the singing appears to rewire the brain–putting regions to use that had not been used before the stroke.

Many patients who've lost all ability to speak can begin communicating again after just one therapy session.

Stroke is often a traumatic life-changing event that robs people of their independence along with many of their abilities. It can be a long way back–but there is a road that can take you there.

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New Warning About Excessive “Agent Orange” Toxin in Baby Formula and Breast Milk…

The Environmental Protection Agency has held public hearings to review a proposed safe exposure limit for dioxin, a known carcinogen and endocrine disruptor.

Dioxin is nearly impossible to avoid, as women exposed to it pass it on to fetuses in the womb, and both breast milk and formula have been shown to contain it.

Research done has shown that a nursing infant ingests an amount 77 times higher than what the EPA has proposed as safe exposure. Adults are exposed to 1,200 times more dioxin than the EPA suggests is safe.

According to Inhabitots:

"Because dioxin is such a common pollutant -- it's a waste product of incineration, smelting, chlorine bleaching and pesticides manufacturing -- its health effects are well documented ...

[S]tudies have shown that ongoing low-level exposure can result in heart disease, diabetes, cancer, endometriosis, early menopause and reduced testosterone and thyroid hormones."

Sources:
Inhabitots July 13, 2010


Dr. Mercola's Comments:

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Dioxin, which was a toxic component of the Agent Orange used to defoliate jungles during the Vietnam War, is easily one of the most dangerous chemicals known to man.

In the United States, chlorinated dioxins form as a byproduct of industry, particularly smelting, chlorine paper bleaching and pesticide manufacturing, as well as through waste incineration. The chemical is pretty much everywhere in the environment, and because it breaks down very slowly it easily accumulates in the food chain, where it’s especially prominent in animal fat.

Meat, dairy products, fish and shellfish are all common routes of exposure for adults, and even unborn babies are exposed to the chemical while still in the womb. Dioxin also exists in breast milk and formula, which means infants are not only born with dioxin in their bodies, but continue to receive a steady supply of it after birth.

Infants, Adults Ingesting Far More Dioxin than Safe

Ingesting any dioxin at all is far from “safe,” but the amounts infants are being exposed to daily is even higher than the level the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set for endocrine and immune system safety -- 77 times higher at that, according to Environmental Working Group (EWG) research.

Since food is currently the primary route of exposure to dioxin for most, and children eat more food, pound-per-pound, compared to adults, experts say children aged 1-10 get the highest dietary exposures.

Further, the general public is exposed to up to 1,200 times more dioxin than the EPA says is safe on a daily basis, according to EWG. In an EWG letter to the EPA Science Advisory Board, it was even noted that “a 130-pound adult who eats a cheeseburger and drinks a glass of milk can consume a third of EPA’s proposed safe daily dose of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds… ”

EPA safety limits for dioxin, meanwhile, have been in the works for nearly 30 years but have been pushed back time and time again due to chemical and defense industry pressure. It’s been so long since the EPA’s initial safety limit proposal that EWG believes the levels need to be tightened even more, given the increasing evidence that dioxin is more dangerous than scientists initially thought.

In July, the EPA finally met to discuss issues related to dioxin toxicity, and public comments on the EPA’s proposal are being accepted until September 20.

What are the Health Risks of Dioxin?

Dioxins are highly toxic and have been linked to so many serious health problems it boggles the mind (the infamous and dangerous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are also in the dioxin family):

* Reproductive and developmental problems
* Immune system damage and disorders
* Cancer
* Heart disease
* Diabetes
* Early menopause, reduced testosterone and thyroid hormones and other hormone problems
* Abnormalities of the skin, teeth and nails
* Endometriosis

In early life, or while still in the womb, dioxin may also cause neurological changes that impact hearing, psychomotor function, cognition and gender-specific behaviors, along with damage to reproductive organs and hormonal changes.

According to the EPA:

“Dioxins have been characterized by EPA as likely human carcinogens and are anticipated to increase the risk of cancer at background levels of exposure.

Dioxin levels in the environment have been declining since the early seventies and have been the subject of a number of federal and state regulations and clean-up actions; however, current exposures levels still remain a concern.”

What Can You Do?

For starters, you can have a voice in this federal decision by making a public comment on the EPA’s new dioxin proposal. Along with low safety limits being established, the EPA needs to reduce these types of toxic industrial emissions so dioxin pollution can be curbed at its source.

Next, be aware that your biggest source of exposure to dioxin is likely through meat, dairy products and seafood. I recommend cutting out virtually all seafood from your diet, unless you can verify that it is very low in contaminants.

But because pollution, from dioxin and other compounds, is so widespread in the world’s waterways, this is the exception rather than the norm. Instead, opt for an animal-based source of omega-3 fat, such as krill oil, which can supply you with the health benefits of seafood without the contamination risks.

You can also help cut down on your dioxin exposure to some extent by trimming the fat off your meat and opting for leaner cuts, since dioxin tends to accumulate in animal fat.

Also, dioxin is commonly found in plastics that are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This is one of the reasons why you should avoid using containers that are made from cloudy plastic (such as plastic milk jugs). You may also be able to help reduce your exposure, and certainly make a statement with your wallet, by avoiding products that are bleached using chlorine and foods that contain pesticides (both industries are major contributors to dioxin pollution).

Some common products that are safer in their unbleached form include coffee filters, tampons, sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, bathroom tissue, paper towels and so on. To find foods that are free from pesticides, look for organic produce and, especially, organic meat, dairy and other animal products.

One quick reminder for moms and moms-to-be, even though dioxin is found in breast milk, it’s also found in formula, and breast milk is still the safest, healthiest food you can feed your baby, by far. So while you should do all you can to reduce your exposure to chemicals in your daily life, please feel secure in the fact that breast milk remains the purest form of food for your newborn.



Posted By Dr. Mercola
Submitted by dan

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