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When Foods Labeled "Gluten-Free" Aren't

Deborah Kotz
The Boston Globe
Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:12 UTC
gluten free graphic
© n/a
Foods that have "gluten-free" on their label may actually contain significant amounts of gluten -- enough to cause gastrointestinal symptoms in those with celiac disease who have an intolerance to the wheat protein. That's because the US Food and Drug Administration never established a standard for the label, leaving it up to manufacturers to define what they mean by gluten-free.

Now, though, the agency is moving forward with a new standard that manufacturers will be required to meet before they can slap on the gluten-free label. Federal officials are proposing that cookies, bread, and other wheat products making this claim can contain no more that 20 parts per million of gluten, a level below which gluten can't be detected by standard lab tests.

It's the current standard in European Union countries and has been widely accepted by researchers as a safe level for those with celiac disease, which affects nearly 3 million Americans. Those with the condition suffer damage to their small intestine when their immune system attacks healthy tissue whenever it detects gluten -- found in rye and barley as well as wheat.
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Health

New Research Finds Diabetes Can Be Reversed

Dr. Mark Hyman
Huffington Post
Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:12 UTC
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© medicineamigo.com
I have recently spent more time in drugs stores than I would like helping my sister on her journey through (and hopefully to the other side of) cancer. Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens all had large diabetes sections offering support for a "diabetes lifestyle" - glucose monitors, lancets, blood pressure cuffs, medications, supplements and pharmacy magazines heavily supported by pharmaceutical advertising. Patients are encouraged to get their eye check ups, monitor their blood pressure, track their blood sugars, have foot exams and see their doctor regularly for better management of their blood sugars - all apparently sensible advice for diabetics.

But what if Type 2 diabetes could be completely reversed? What if it weren't, as we believe, an inexorable, progressive disease that has to be better "managed" by our health care system with better drugs, surgery and coordination of care? What if intensive lifestyle and dietary changes could completely reverse diabetes?

A ground breaking new study in Diabetologia proved that, indeed, Type 2 diabetes can be reversed through diet changes, and, the study showed, this can happen quickly: in one to eight weeks. That turns our perspective on diabetes upside down. Diabetes is not a one-way street.

We used to believe that once cells in your pancreas that make insulin (beta cells) poop out there was no reviving them and your only hope was more medication or insulin. We now know that is not so.
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Attention

36 Million Pounds of Cargill Turkey Recalled as Budget Cuts Weaken Oversight of Food Safety

Amy Goodman
Democracy Now
Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:42 UTC
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© latino.foxnews.com
Food safety advocates say this latest outbreak shows how budget cuts have hampered the ability of federal and state health agencies to effectively protect public health.

AMY GOODMAN: In one of the largest meat recalls in U.S. history, this week the food giant Cargill ordered the recall of 36 million pounds of ground turkey. The recall comes after at least one person has died of Salmonella, and another 76 have fallen ill. The turkey products were traced to Cargill's processing plant in Springdale, Arkansas. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Salmonella outbreak involves a strain of the bacteria known as Salmonella Heidelberg, which is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics.

Although it was announced this week, the outbreak began in March. According to the CDC, Salmonella cases then spiked in May and early June. Three thousand people die a year from food poisoning in the United States; 50 million people get sick. Food safety advocates say this latest outbreak shows how budget cuts have hampered the ability of federal and state health agencies to effectively protect public health.

For more, we go to Washington, D.C., to Patty Lovera, assistant director of the food safety group Food & Water Watch.

Patty, welcome to Democracy Now! Describe the origins of this latest Salmonella outbreak.
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Sun

The Psychology of a Heat Wave

John M. Grohol, PsyD
Psychcentral.com
Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00 UTC
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© iPhotoimage
As the U.S. and Canada enter into a heat wave, I get a lot of questions about how heat impacts human behavior and our moods. So three years ago, I wrote a blog entry that reviews the research about weather affects our moods and behavior. It's still a good overview of the research in this area and worth the read.

But it's nice to highlight a few points from that article, as well as other research, that demonstrates how the weather - and especially hot weather, in this case - can impact our mood. Does a heat wave lead to more violence? Do we have more or less energy during high humidity? What about depression and anxiety?

Read on for the answers.
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Attention

How Social Networks Can Both Help And Harm Our Kids


redOrbit
Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:15 UTC
Social Network Studies
© redOrbit
A new study has shown that too much social media time on websites such as Facebook may be bad for children.

Larry Rosen, a psychologist at Cal State Dominguez Hills, has been studying the effect of technology on people for more than 25 years. And recently, he has done several studies on how social networking sites such as Facebook affect children.

Speaking Saturday at the American Psychological Association's annual convention in Washington, D.C., Rosen said teens who spend more time using the Internet and playing video games tended to have more stomach aches, sleeping issues, anxiety, and depression.

Rosen also found in his study that teens who logged onto Facebook constantly were more narcissistic since social networking is exactly what the narcissist seeks out. They can share themselves constantly on their terms using social networking.

"While nobody can deny that Facebook has altered the landscape of social interaction, particularly among young people, we are just now starting to see solid psychological research demonstrating both the positives and the negatives," Rosen said.

The study: "Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids," shows both the negative and positive effects social networks have on today's youth and adults.
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Pills

Antidepressant Use Increasing Among Those with No Psychiatric Diagnosis

Eric W. Dolan
RawStory
Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:17 UTC
Image
© Unknown
Antidepressants became the third most commonly prescribed class of medications in the United States thanks in part to non-psychiatrist providers prescribing the drugs to individuals without any psychiatric diagnosis, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

"We've seen a marked increase in antidepressant use among individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis. Nearly four out of every five antidepressant prescriptions are written by non-psychiatrist providers," said Ramin Mojtabai, MD, PhD, MPH. He was lead author of the study and an associate professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Mental Health.

"Between 1996 and 2007, the number of visits where individuals were prescribed antidepressants with no psychiatric diagnoses increased from 59.5 percent to 72.7 percent and the share of providers who prescribed antidepressants without a concurrent psychiatric diagnosis increased from 30 percent of all non-psychiatrist physicians in 1996 to 55.4 percent in 2007."

The results are featured in the August 2011 issue of Health Affairs.
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Black Cat

The Invisible IQ Lowering Drug Most Americans Consume Daily

Dr. Mercola
Mercola.com
Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:52 UTC
Did you know there's an "invisible" drug that a majority of Americans consume on a daily basis - a drug so harmful it's been proven to cause serious health issues, including damage to your bones and teeth, as well as your kidneys, thyroid, pineal gland, and even your brain. This drug is so pervasive that over 40 percent of all American teens between the ages of 12 and 15 show visible signs of having been overexposed to it, and, shockingly, recent international studies indicate that even small doses of this drug can lower the IQ in children.

What is this drug?
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Pills

New Antidepressants Can Increase Risks for Elderly, Study Suggests


ScienceDaily
Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00 UTC
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© fingerfreak.com
Older people taking new generation antidepressants are at more risk of dying or suffering from a range of serious health conditions including stroke, falls, fractures and epilepsy, suggests a new study involving researchers at The University of Nottingham.

The research, published on the British Medical Journal website, discovered that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are more strongly associated with an increased risk of several adverse outcomes in people over the age of 65 with depression compared with older tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).

The authors say the risks and benefits of different antidepressants should be carefully considered when prescribing these drugs to elderly patients and have called for further research to investigate the findings.

Comment: In addition to being potentially dangerous, many studies have shown that these drugs don't work:

Placebo Works as Well as Antidepressant Drugs

Why Antidepressants Don't Work for Treating Depression

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Family

Omega 3 Fatty Acids Have Protective Benefits When Taken During Pregnancy, Study Suggests


ScienceDaily
Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00 UTC
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© blog.find-healthy-food.com
An Emory University study published online on August 1 in Pediatrics suggests consuming Omega 3 fatty acids during pregnancy helps protects babies against illness during early infancy.

The randomized, placebo-controlled trial followed approximately 1,100 pregnant women and 900 infants in Mexico. The women were supplemented daily with 400 mg of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) supplements in the algal form or placebo from 18 to 22 weeks gestation through childbirth.

Researchers found those whose mothers took DHA supplements had fewer colds and shorter illnesses at one, three and six months of age.

"This is a large scale, robust study that underscores the importance of good nutrition during pregnancy," says Usha Ramakrishnan, PhD, associate professor, Hubert Department of Global Health at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health. "Our findings indicate that pregnant women taking 400 mg of DHA are more likely to deliver healthier infants."
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Attention

What's causing this lady's stomach to bloat after eating?

Dr. John Briffa
drbriffa.com
Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00 UTC
Image

Food babies: This is Kerri after she ate a small slice of cherry pie. She returns to her normal size 10 figure after a few hours
I came across this story today. It concerns a young lady who, it is claimed, can bloat up like a balloon shortly after she eats. Normal testing has not identified any particular problem.

I was interested in this story because it reminded me of a similar story given to me some years ago when I was lecturing in Toronto. One dinner, I sat next to the very nice Canadian administrator of the event on which I was teaching. I noticed she (let's call her 'Louise') was eating only tiny portion of food. Often, individuals assume that someone eating micro-portions of food has something to do with weight control. But I've learned in practice to avoid making assumptions, and (gently) asked Louise why she was not eating much.
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