The Tune Up is a free monthly e-newsletter containing some of
the latest research from nutrition to stress reduction to supplements
to hormones, compiled by Joseph Semmes, MD, True North's
Director of Research. Pithy and informative, Dr. Semmes provides a summary of the research study and a link to the article where the study is discussed more fully.
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In this issue...December 2009
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the December 2009 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 usually from peer-reviewed scientific journals. (The info about receipts and bisphenol A is not published in a peer reviewed study but has been discussed in U.S. News and World Report and Science News. The study on diet soda and kidney decline has also not yet been published.) Archived prior issues of the Tune-Up may be found at www.truenorthhealthcenter.org/tune_up_archives.asp.
To your health,
B. Joseph Semmes, MD
Director of Research, True North
Diplomate, American Boards of Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine bjsemmes@truenorthhealthcenter.org
Curcumin and Vitamin D may prevent dementia
A UCLA study of the immune cells in patients with Alzheimer’s disease showed that Vitamin D and curcumin (a plant compound in spices like curry powder) help clear the deposits of amyloid in the brain. Read about the UCLA study The UCLA team published earlier studies of curcumin and dementia. Read about UCLA's earlier curcumin and dementia studies
Diet soda contributes to kidney decline
Researchers studied more than 3,000 women and found those who drink at least two diet sodas daily double their rate of kidney function decline. Sodium also increased their odds, as demonstrated by test results consistent with previous experimental animal testing.
"There is currently limited data on the role of diet in kidney disease," Julie Lin, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, was quoted as saying, "While more study is needed, our research suggests that higher sodium and artificially sweetened soda intake are associated with greater rate of decline in kidney function." Results were consistent even after considering factors of age, caloric intake, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking, physical activity and cardiovascular disease. SOURCE: Presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s annual meeting in San Diego, California, 2009. This study is NOT yet published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Read the full story on diet soda's link to kidney decline
Pregnant women might be wise to wash their hands after handling receipts
Exposure to bisphenol-A (a widely-used industrial chemical) during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy has been linked to gender-related behavioral effects in young children. Early data from the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry in Wilmington, MA has found that cash register and credit card receipts are potentially rich sources of BPA.
Learn more about bisphenol-A from USNews.com
Soy component may prevent or suppress colon cancer
A study conducted by Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland scientists identifies a new class of therapeutic agents found naturally in soy that can prevent and possibly treat colon cancer, the third most deadly form of cancer. Sphingadienes (SDs) are natural lipid molecules found in soy. SDs appear to act against the AKT oncogene (cancer promoting) pathway in cancer cells and promote a desirable cell suicide pathways of apoptosis.
View the Subway Map of a cancer cell pathways
Learn more about Sphingadienes in soy
Folic acid supplements may increase the risk of cancer
A Norwegian study, published in the Journal of the AMA, looked at more than 6837 cardiac patients receiving B vitamin supplementation such as folate, or folate and B12, or placebo. The study revealed an increased incidence of cancer mortality, primarily from lung cancer, as well as overall mortality, in the group supplemented with folate or folate and B12.
Read about this Norwegian study in the Journal of the American Medical Association
Read the same study's abstract on the PubMed.gov website
STAY TUNED!
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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.
