In this issue...
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the October 2008 issue of True North's Tune-Up. We continue to emphasize "up stream" strategies for health in the areas of nutrition, mind-body, and lifestyle. Studies are from peer-reviewed scientific journals. Archived prior issues of the Tune-Up may be found at
www.truenorthhealthcenter.org/tune_up_archives.asp. The archives are searchable by topic by typing keywords into the Search bar.
To your health,
B. Joseph Semmes, MD
Director of Research, True North
Diplomate, American Boards of Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine (ABIM) and Emergency Medicine
bjsemmes@truenorthhealthcenter.org
Nut consumption is linked to lower blood pressure. "Heartmath" practice also lowers blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a common cause of stroke heart disease and kidney failure. In a prospective study involving 15,966 subjects (participants in the Physician's Health Study I) free of hypertension at baseline, consumption of nuts was found to be associated with a lower risk of hypertension. As compared to subjects who did not consume nuts, subjects consuming nuts 7 or more times/week had 18% lower incidence of hypertension. The effect was more evident among lean participants.
Read about Physician's Health Study I
"Heartmath" practice is a form of biofeedback. Training is newly available from a True North affiliate practitioner. This 2003 small but impressive study of 38 people with high blood pressure showed reductions of 10.6 mm systolic and 6.3 mm diastolic after three months practice.
Read Heartmath study
Mindfulness meditation has a role in mainstream medicine.
Mindfulness refers to a meditation practice that cultivates present moment awareness. In the past 30 years, interest in the therapeutic uses of mindfulness has increased, with more than 70 scientific articles on the topic published in 2007. Mindfulness practice reduces brain activity in the amygdala (a center of emotions such as fear), enhances activation of left anterior cortical areas associated with positive emotions, and leads to large-scale neuronal coordination. Clinical efficacy of mindfulness practice looks promising in patients with psoriasis, pain, ADHD, sleep disturbances, type 2 diabetes and more.
Learn more about mindfulness in medicine
The Mediterranean diet prolongs life and protects from heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's and dementia.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and cereals, with olive oil as the only source of fat, moderate consumption of red wine especially during meals, and low consumption of red meat has been shown to be beneficial for all cause and cardiovascular mortality, lipid metabolism, blood pressure, cancer, Parkinson's disease and dementia.
Read about several benefits of the Mediterranean diet
Click here for the Mediterranean diet pyramid
B vitamin supplementation does NOT slow cognitive decline in patients with mild and moderate dementia
These findings appear to contradict the implications of the study in the last Tune Up. One explanation for the discrepancy is that once decline starts, these B vitamin nutrients are less effective than when taken earlier. In this study 400 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease were randomly assigned to receive either high-dose supplements (5 mg/d of folate, 24 mg/d of vitamin B6, 1 mg/d of vitamin B12) or placebo for a mean of 18 months. While supplements were effective in lowering homocysteine levels in the treatment group, they had no effect on cognitive decline.
Read more about B vitamin supplementation findings
STAY "TUNED"!
<< Back to Archives
Disclaimer:
Information provided in the True North Tune-Up is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The information and links in this e-publication are intended to provide general education on the topics listed, but you should not use the information or links to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare practitioner. True North advises you to always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health practitioner prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
