Yet Another Sweetener To Promote Junk Foods & Drinks

A German food product manufacturing company believes it has improved on sugar as a sweetener. Palatinose™ was first self-affirmed as a substance Generally Recognised as Safe (FRAS) but full FDA GRAS registration was granted in March 2006 following an evaluation of a file submitted by the company, Südzucker/Palatinit.

The company's press release said:

Palatinose™ (generic name: isomaltulose) is a disaccharide derived from sucrose, and a natural constituent of e.g. honey and sugar cane. It has a smooth sweetness profile similar to that of sugar, but has more scope for flavour development. Interestingly, it provides the body with long-lasting energy in the form of glucose and is therefore highly suitable for use in energy-, sports- and wellness drinks as well as in cereal- and nutritional bars; it has the same calorie content as sugar, is tooth-friendly and has a low glycemic effect.

The FDA’s ‘letter of no objection’ paves the way for Palatinose™ from Palatinit to be used in a wide range of food and beverage products, including ready-to-drink and instant beverages, snack bars, dairy products as well as energy-reduced, wellness and sports foods and meal replacements.

As part of its consideration of Palatinose™ for GRAS status, the FDA reviewed in vivo and in vitro studies which demonstrated, that isomaltulose is completely hydrolysed and absorbed in the small intestine as glucose and fructose. Biological data, toxicological and metabolic studies as well as research into gastrointestinal tolerance concluded, that the use of Palatinose™ presents no health concerns.

In July 2005, Palatinose™ was authorised as a novel food or food ingredient in the EU and it has been used as a food ingredient in Japan since 1985.

The company's claims that their sugar replacer not only maintains sweetness but also has a low glycemic effect and can be used to enhance the nutritional value of foods since it is digested much more slowly than sucrose, is part of their market positioning to cash in on the low-glycemic trend which is part of the current fashionability of "healthy food".

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the words, healthy food. What the marketers' and food manufacturers' concept of healthy food is though, is worth some critical review. Caution is certainly advised.

The currently fashionable "low-glycemic" trend is widely held to have taken over from the long-time "low-carb" trend as a popular approach to dietary weight loss. Originally developed as a means to help manage diabetes, the low-glycemic diet favors slow release carbohydrates such as whole grains, most fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes over other carbohydrates that release energy quickly, like white bread, refined breakfast cereals, and concentrated sugars, which cause blood sugar levels to spike.

So we could all be seeing a lot more of this sweetener. Is this a good thing? Well, no, not really because for good health people should consume whole foods, not highly processed or manufactured foods, such as those likely to contain Palatinose.

Very little solid evidence of safety actually exists, notwithstanding the FDA's and other authorities', GRAS status. Problems are, in any event, likely to take a long time to become evident and then to be connected to the product, and then ... well, you get the idea. The safe and smart thing to do is to not consume the sort of foods and beverages that this product will be added to. For real health reasons, they are the types of foods that should be avoided anyway.

UN Promoting Camel's Milk to the Western World

Well this is new to me, I must admit I know next to nothing about camel's milk. But if the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has its way that may have to change. An unnamed spokeswoman for the British Nutrition Foundation said: "Camel's milk could be a useful addition to the diet as it contains calcium and B vitamins and is lower in saturated fat than cow's milk."

So health food shops in the UK could soon be stocking camel’s milk on their shelves following the call by the UN to supply the so-called 'super food'. Camel’s milk is drunk widely in the Arab world and praised for its health benefits including increased levels of vitamins B and C and almost ten times the level of iron than cow’s milk.

Of course, the main troubles with cow's milk are its high levels of allergens, mucogenic quality, indigestable sugar content for many people (lactogen) and generally poor digestibility, as well as the bad fat content in whole milk. Add to this its close and probably causal relationship with osteoporosis, the complete opposite of what most people who learned physiology from the milk marketers will tell you, and one has to wonder why the UN is promoting more animal milk for human consumption.

Well, wonder no more. It isn't really about nutrition. In keeping with unfortunate trends the UN is becoming little more than a marketing organization. The FAO has called on producers to begin looking at the potentially lucrative markets in Europe and the Americas and has called on producers and investors to help develop the market. FAO spokesperson Anthony Bennett acknowledged improvements in the supply chain would be needed to bring the supply to the Western world, but said the return will be beneficial for Arab countries.

The market is estimated to be worth about £5.6 billion with millions more potential customers in the Western world. "The potential is massive. Milk is money," Mr Bennett said. Camel's milk certainly has great potential in the UK market, with both Harrods and Fortnum and Mason already expressing interest in supplying the product.

Now I understand why that spokeswoman for the British Nutrition Foundation didn't want to be named. This may be in Britain now but with the UN's FAO involved with the marketing it could spread quite rapidly, though where massive camel milk an be supplied from I have no idea. Just remember that this is about money, not nutrition, and be prepared for the inevitable onslaught of scientific studies extolling the health virtues of camel's milk.

Remember, human milk for babies and infants, solid whole foods for everyone else. There literally is absolutely no need for dairy products to maintain good health, no matter what the gospel according to food pyramids says.

So, how do you take your milk ... one hump ot two?

Pro Aspartame Study Exposed as Marketing Tool

The following is published here with permission from The Health Gazette.

Efforts to protect consumers from the serious health risks posed by aspartame are continuing. This is no easy task given the wealth and power of the aspartame promoters and is made even more difficult given the combination of incompetence and corruption in politicians and bureacrats. The following is an updated glimpse into the fray, submitted by Dr Betty Martini.

Desperate to reverse growing public awareness and scientific proof that the artificial sweetener aspartame is a deadly neurotoxin, the Calorie Control Council (CCC) issued a press release stating that a federal food survey proves that aspartame is safe. The move is seen by many to be a face-saving gesture by the CCC, a self-described weight-loss advocacy group that has been advising a calorie-conscious public to use this non-caloric, excitoneurotoxic, carcinogenic drug since the 80s. They are a Public Relations organization, well known as an aspartame front group.

According to the April 4, 2006 CCC press release, "A new epidemiology study from the National Cancer Institute confirms previous study conclusions that there is no link between aspartame consumption and leukemias, lymphomas and brain tumors."

The release also quotes unnamed "researchers" as stating, "Our findings from this epidemiologic study suggest that consumption of aspartame-containing beverages does not raise the risk of hematopoietic or brain malignancies".

The release fails to mention that the quote was taken from a presentation entitled, "Prospective study of aspartame-containing beverages and risk of hematopoietic and brain cancers," by Unhee Lim, et. al.

Lim's team analyzed data from a "self-administered baseline food frequency questionnaire" administered during 1995/96 to over 500,000 men and women between the ages of 50 and 69.

Among the 16-page survey's 56 questions ranging from oatmeal and brownies to strawberries in season and hysterectomies, aspartame is only mentioned once to determine "frequency and diet type preference of three potentially aspartame-containing beverages (soda, fruit drinks, and iced tea) as well as aspartame added to coffee and hot tea."

The "prospective study" was delivered at the annual American Association of Cancer Research meeting in Washington, D.C. April 4, 2006. The abstract explains how Lim and his team of researchers developed mathematical equations to demonstrate that the results of a non-scientific food survey and its five-year follow-up period indicate no scientific association between aspartame consumption and specific cancers. Regardless of the theoretical "suggestions" of Lim's "prospective study," other aspartame front groups, such as the American Beverage Association, have revealed themselves by endorsing the study as proof that aspartame is safe.

Even the researchers who designed the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) used on this study acknowledged that results obtained may be scientifically invalid. "...Furthermore, a single FFQ-based measurement in adulthood may not represent long-term intake without error and may not assess the diet accurately for times when exposure is most critical in determining disease outcome...".

"Once again the Calorie Control Council circulates utter nonsense. They have never met an artificial sweetener they didn't like. They are not believable on any point in any debate that concerns the financial well being of any of the artificial sweetener manufacturers that pay their bills. In this case, their report of this alleged "aspartame study" is a bigger fraud than the product itself. "Save yourself and save your health quit NutraSweet now," Washington D.C. Attorney, James Turner said.

Turner worked with Dr. John Olney to keep NutraSweet off the market from 1974 to 1981 and is intimately familiar with the scandalous nature of the aspartame approval process and the human misery that has been scientifically-linked to its consumption. He is currently the Chairman of Citizens for Health and earlier this month petitioned the FDA to ban Splenda. Slated to replace the increasingly unpopular aspartame, Splenda (sucralose) is a chlorocarbon in the same family of chemicals as DDT and Lindane and is known to cause seizures and migraines. "Because Splenda liberates chlorine we call it DDT-Lite," commented Mission Possible founder, Dr. Betty Martini, who wants to know, "When is government going to stop approving industry's attempts to poison the people with toxic artificial sweeteners?"

Though the Lim "study" is merely a mathematical hypothesis taken from data accumulated over a decade ago, a blizzard of media articles are now claiming a "new federal study" on 567,000 Americans by the NIH, NCI and AARP shows aspartame/NutraSweet/Equal doesn't cause cancer. This scientifically specious claim attempts to contradict the aspartame-specific, 36-month, peer-reviewed Ramazzini Study (2005) which demonstrated conclusively that aspartame causes lymphomas, leukemias, peripheral nerve tumors, kidney cancer, malignant brain tumors in rats and is a multipotential carcinogen.

This study, one of the most comprehensive and scientifically sound food additive studies ever conducted, was meant to simulate a lifetime of aspartame ingestion, the equivalent of 50 to 90+ years of aspartame ingestion in humans. The results indicated that even moderately low levels of aspartame caused these cancers. The scientists attributed this finding to the significant formaldehyde exposure from aspartame ingestion.

The NCI/NIH/AARP survey asked participants to recall from memory their consumption of certain foods going back 12 months and did not inquire of past ingestion or whether the subjects were using any of the some 6,000 commonly-consumed aspartame-containing products available today.

We are now taking aspartame brain tumor case histories in New York and New Jersey, three year statute of limitations. For the rest of the story and to read the comments of the experts and see the form that mentions aspartame only once go to: http://www.wnho.net/aspartame_safety_poison_front_groups.htm

Finally Some Sense on "Bird Flu Pandemic" Nonsense

It has been a long time coming but finally the media is reporting authorities of the sane, intelligent and knowledgeable variety. We've had our fill of the lunatic, self-aggrandizing, poor thinking, panicky, badly trained, self-serving, plainly stupid and downright dangerous politicians, bureaucrats, academics, government scientists, and entrepreneurs who have hyped the fictional "human bird flu pandemic" for all it was worth. They, along with the self-interested shysters at the WHO, are not about to let their latest windfall pass away without trying on some more nonsense, but we are beigining to see more sense.

Consider the following news report from News Medical Net for example. It seems the Brits are finally being told some simple facts.

Britain's first reported case of the lethal H5N1 strain was found in a swan found dead in Cellardyke harbour in eastern Scotland last week.

While at present the disease mainly affects animals, some scientists dread the disease will mutate into a form that could pass between humans, causing a pandemic. Although government advisers say the chances of that happening are very slim, they are preparing for that possibility.

According to the World Health Organisation, the virus has to date killed 109 people since 2003, almost all of them in Asia and all involving people who had close contact with infected birds.

Scientists believe the swan probably came from the Bay of Montrose about 30 miles north of where it was found dead, and though tests are being carried out on other birds found near Cellardyke harbour, so far all have proved negative.

Sir David King the governments chief scientific adviser has said there is a "very low" chance of the virus mutating to a form that spreads between humans.

The H5N1 virus cannot pass easily from one person to another and therefore currently does not pose a large-scale threat to humans.

Sir David King has said suggestions of an inevitable global human pandemic were "totally misleading" and says the virus has been in the bird population since 1996, and in Asia in particular there has been a lot of contact between human beings and the birds that have the virus.

King says despite that, a human virus has not developed.

The infected swan found in Fife apparently had a "very similar" strain to one which infected more than 100 birds in Germany.

A six-mile surveillance zone and 1.8 mile protection zone in place around Cellardyke will remain for at least 30 days from the day the swan was found.

A wild bird risk area of 965 square miles has also been established which includes 175 registered poultry premises, containing 3.1 million birds, 260,000 of which are free-range.

Bird flu viruses have 16 H subtypes and nine N subtypes and four types of the virus are known to affect humans though most cause only minor symptoms.

The World Health Organisation says not all H5 or H7 strains are severe, but their ability to mutate means their presence is "always a cause for concern".

As a health spokesman has said the disease remains one of birds, not humans and many experts agree and believe the focus of attention in future would be more likely to be southeast Asia, rather than Fife.

I am pleased to see people are finally saying what I have said all along!

Don't Forget U.S. Autism Awareness Month - April 2006

This is certainly a busy month in terms of the number of particular health challenges facing society that we are asked to focus awareness on. I have already mentioned that April 2006 is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and also Sexual Assault Awareness Month. These are very serious issues and certainly worthy of attention.

At the risk of diverting attention rightly due elsewhere, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have notified that April 2006 is also Autism Awareness Month. Autism too, is something that could benefit from far wider community awareness so I commend the CDC's following notice to you.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are lifelong developmental disabilities characterized by unusual social and communication development and the presence of unusual or repetitive behaviors and interests (1). These conditions affect an estimated 2--6 per 1,000 children (2), making autism a serious public health concern. Early identification and intervention can help children progress in their development and show improvements in their language, cognitive, social, motor, and other developmental skills (3).

April is Autism Awareness Month. In collaboration with partners, CDC is conducting a public awareness campaign to educate health-care and child-care providers regarding potential early warning signs of autism and other developmental disabilities. Additional information about autism and the CDC campaign are available at http://www.cdc.gov/autism and http://www.cdc.gov/actearly.

References

1. American Psychiatric Association. Criteria for the pervasive developmental disorders. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition, text revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000.
2. CDC. How common are Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)? Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; 2005. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/asd_common.htm.
3. National Research Council's Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism. Educating children with autism. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2001.

Given the belief by many that autism is linked to constituents in vaccines it certainly seems appropriate that the CDC shows interest in autism. The CDC is a consistent and vigorous proponent of vaccination.

April 2006 is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in US

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Throughout the month, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages communities to promote healthy relationships and to increase awareness about the devastating impact of sexual violence.

Sexual violence affects persons at all stages of life. In 2003, approximately two out of 1,000 children in the United States were confirmed by child protective services as having been sexually assaulted (1). Many sexually abused children, however, are not identified by child protective services. In 2003, approximately 9% of high school students reported having been forced to have sexual intercourse (2). At least one in six women and one in 33 men in the United States have been victims of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime (3).

The consequences of sexual violence can be severe. Survivors can suffer short-term physical injuries, including genital tearing, bruises, and broken bones (4). Long-term health consequences can include sexually transmitted diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal problems, and chronic neck, back, and facial pain (5). In addition, survivors often face serious mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (4). Many survivors do not tell friends and family about the assault and consequently suffer the physical and psychological consequences alone (4). Those who do disclose their abuse might be stigmatized by their family, friends, and communities.

Communities are encouraged to plan activities in recognition of SAAM. A calendar of national, state, and local events is available at http://www.nsvrc.org. Information about sexual violence is available at http://www.cdc.gov/injury. SAAM materials are available from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 123 North Enola Drive, Enola, PA 17025; telephone 877-739-3895 and at http://www.nsvrc.org.

References cited in this article are available at the CDC site.

The figures reported by the CDC in paragraph two above are a complete disgrace. This problem of sexual assault is clearly out of control in America and is an abiding source of national -- indeed international -- shame. Take some time -- make some time -- this month to make a contribution of your effort to deal with this issue. If people don't face this and deal with it effectively it will only grow steadily worse. You or your loved ones may be among the next victims.

April is U.S. National Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM). This year's theme is Safe Children and Healthy Families are a Shared Responsibility. Communities throughout the United States will be holding blue ribbon campaigns to promote healthy families, organizing educational fairs, and honoring parenting heroes.

Many cases of child maltreatment go unreported to authorities. However, approximately 906,000 children in the United States were confirmed by child protective services as being abused or neglected in 2003, a rate of 12.4 per 1,000 children (1). Of the reported cases, 5% involved emotional or psychological abuse, 10% involved sexual abuse, 9% involved physical abuse, and 61% involved neglect (1).

Persistent stress resulting from child maltreatment can disrupt early brain development and impair development of the nervous and immune response systems (2). Children who experience maltreatment are at increased risk for adverse health effects throughout their lives (e.g., suicide, obesity, smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, eating disorders, sexual promiscuity, and certain chronic diseases) (3,4). In addition, persons who are abused as children are twice as likely to be assaulted as adults (5).

NCAPM is an opportunity to raise awareness about child maltreatment and its devastating effects. Information about child maltreatment is available online from CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/injury. NCAPM materials are available online from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, at http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov.

References

(1) US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. Child maltreatment 2003. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office; 2005. Available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm03/index.htm.

(2) National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Excessive stress disrupts the architecture of the developing brain. Working paper no. 3. Waltham, MA: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child; 2005. Available at http://www.developingchild.net/reports.shtml.

(3) Felitti V, Anda R, Nordenberg D, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. Am J Prev Med 1998;14:245--58.

(4) Runyan D, Wattam C, Ikeda R, Hassan F, Ramiro L. Child abuse and neglect by parents and caregivers. In: Krug E, Dahlberg LL, Mercy JA, Zwi AB, Lozano R, eds. World report on violence and health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2002:59--86.

(5) Tjaden P, Thoennes N. Full report of the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice; 2000. Report no. NCJ 183781.

Child abuse is a serious problem that deserves everyone's attention. Whether perpetrators need treatment or punishment can be debated later. What is vital right now - today and every day - is to engage in prevention and the provision of proper care for victims.

Do You Have Couch Potato Syndrome?

What will they think of next? The International Classification of Disease has grown to a voluminous tome over the years but can they make room for "Couch Potato Disease"? Let's hope not.

A report from News Medical Net states that according to Australian scientists, being a couch potato may actually be an illness. They say extreme laziness may have a medical basis, and have given it the impressive title of 'motivational deficiency disorder'. Can you believe this? I suppose MDD has a nice ring to it.

The common condition apparently affects up to one in five Australians and is characterised by overwhelming and debilitating apathy. I must say I have seen this, but not only in Australia. Evidently neuroscientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia believe that in severe cases motivational deficiency disorder can be fatal, because the condition reduces the motivation to breathe. That I find just a little far fetched actually.

This new disorder was identified by Professor Leth Argos, a neuroscientist at the University of Newcastle. Argos and his team identified the disorder, which can be diagnosed using a combination of positron emission tomography (PET scans) and low scores on a motivation rating scale, previously validated in elite athletes.

Professor Argos says the disorder is poorly understood, underdiagnosed and undertreated. I can't say I'm surprised.

Professor Argos is an adviser to a small Australian biotechnology company, Healthtec, which is currently concluding phase II trials of indolebant, a cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist designed to cure the disease. How wonderfully convenient that he should discover an illness, develop a marketable name for it and be the only person with a treatment ready for market. Good one Professor A.

Healthtec has apparently hired a large global PR company to develop a secret marketing campaign to convince everyone that laziness is a disease which is problematic. In preparation, of course, for marketing the solution to them.

However many experts are uncomfortable with the fact that laziness is being promoted to a disease status. Claiming to be concerned, they are calling for discussion over the trend towards corporate definitions of diseases with a primary interest in making profits rather than a concern for public health. I hope they are sincere and not just miffed that they didn't think of the idea themselves. Who can tell?

One such expert Professor David Henry of the School of Medical Practice and Public Health at the University of Newcastle, NSW has called for discussion on what has been termed "disease mongering." Well that's very noble of David, but that's exactly what the medical profession has always done. Some would just call it marketing of professional services or in higher brow terms, promoting the interests of the profession.

The University of Newcastle will host a conference to 'hopefully bring together academics, researchers, health professionals, health managers, journalists, writers and consumers who share an interest and concern over the trend to corporate definitions of diseases with a primary interest in making profits rather than a concern for the public health'. Oh please, stop this, if I laugh any more I'll be sore all day tomorrow!

Bean Eaters Weigh Less

A study unveiled April 3, 2006 gives new meaning to the word beanpole: The findings show that people who eat beans weigh less than those who don't. Go figure...

Presented at the Experimental Biology conference, April 1-5 in San Francisco, the study found that adults who eat beans weigh 6.6 pounds less -- yet eat 199 more daily calories -- than adults who don't eat beans. Similar results were found for teenage bean eaters who consume 335 more daily calories but weigh 7.3 pounds less than non-bean-eating teens.

Data for the study came from the National Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (1999-2002). The results also show that:

• Adult bean eaters consume less total and saturated fat than non-bean eaters and have a 22 per cent lower risk of obesity.
• Adult and teen bean eaters have smaller waist sizes - three-quarter inch and one inch, respectively.
• The fiber intake of adult and teen bean eaters is more than one-third higher than non-bean eaters.

"Beans are an excellent source of fiber and previous studies have shown that high-fiber diets may help reduce body weight, so this makes sense," says Victor Fulgoni, PhD and author of the study. "As well, they are naturally low in fat and cholesterol-free. It's no wonder that beans have been called a 'superfood.'"

The US federal government has recognized the many health benefits of beans:

• MyPyramid, the USDA's recommended eating plan for Americans, lists beans in two food groups. Beans are listed in the Vegetable Group because they are a plant-based food that provides vitamins and minerals. Beans also are listed in the Meat and Beans Group because they are a good source of protein.
• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommends that Americans triple their current intake of beans from one to three cups per week.
  In addition, other research has shown that diets including beans may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

The National Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (NHANES) is a continuous survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics with survey data released every two years. NHANES 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 contained data on the food and nutrient intake of 9,965 and 11,039 Americans respectively.

The study was featured in two Experimental Biology poster sessions ("Bean Consumption by Adults is Associated with a More Nutrient Dense Diet and a Reduced Risk of Obesity" and "Bean Consumption is Associated with Better Nutrient Intake and Lower Body Weights and Waist Circumferences in Children") and, in the interest of full disclosure, was sponsored by Bush Brothers & Company.

Source: National Nutrition and Health Examination Survey

Survey Shows Cardiologists Aware of Life-Saving Diet Yet Fail to Recommend It

Wider Use of Vegetarian Diet Would Result in Fewer Surgeries and Deaths from Heart Disease; Studies Show Patients Transition Easily to New Diet

A pilot survey of cardiologists reveals that most know about the life-saving potential of a truly low-fat vegetarian diet for heart patients, but fail to recommend the diet in the mistaken belief that patients will not comply. Published studies actually show that patients transition fairly easily to a low-fat diet that contains no animal products, and most rate this diet as "good" or "extremely good." If cardiologists’ knowledge of the acceptability of the vegetarian diet were equal to their familiarity with its efficacy, the result would be improved patient care and fewer deaths.

Instead, most cardiologists responding to the survey recommend the standard omnivorous low-fat (up to 30 percent of calories from fat) diet, which recently made headlines for its role in the Women’s Health Initiative study. Omnivorous low-fat diets have not proven effective for treating or preventing heart disease. To experience dramatic improvement, heart patients must consume a diet that contains less than 15 percent of calories from fat and excludes saturated fat from animal products.

"Patients hospitalized with life-threatening cardiac conditions should be advised by their doctor that they could head off another heart attack by switching to a low-fat vegetarian diet," says report coauthor Amy Joy Lanou, Ph.D., a senior nutrition scientist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and an assistant professor of health and wellness at the University of North Carolina. "Dietary changes reinforced by a doctor’s recommendation will make it even easier for patients to make simple changes that could add years to their lives."

Ninety-one percent of responding cardiologists were either "very familiar" or "somewhat familiar" with the research supporting very low-fat cardiac diets, the survey found. In 1990, cardiologist Dean Ornish, M.D., changed cardiac care forever with a study published in The Lancet showing arrest and even reversal of heart disease with a very low-fat vegetarian diet. Other researchers have published similar findings.

The simplicity of a vegetarian diet that excludes animal products appeals to people busy with work and family, and many familiar recipes are easy to adapt. At least four studies published in peer-reviewed journals show that patients give the low-fat vegetarian diet a high rating in terms of acceptability.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially good nutrition. PCRM also conducts clinical research studies, opposes unethical human experimentation, and promotes alternatives to animal research.

It seems to me that cardiologists would better serve their patients by recommending a low-fat vegetarian diet along with suitable nutritional supplements and a graded exercise program than filling them with toxic pharmaceuticals and failing to give this life saving advice. Otherwise, one could gain the impression that cardiologists are not in favor of actions that could do themselves out of work. Hmmmm... now there's a thought.

The Health Gazette Ezine Edition will be published on schedule, on April 1st

In keeping with our recent practice, in this month's edition we again have two feature articles from Dr Jenny Tylee. The first article continues our series on children's health. This month we cover the problem many people don't like to talk about - constipation in children. This is a quite common problem that is sometimes not detected, is frequently ignored and is often poorly managed. Jenny explains what it is, how it's caused and what you can do about it.

What can you do about your risk of heart disease? Last month our subscribers received some useful information on this important topic. This month we offer Part 2 of What You Can Do About Your Risk of Heart Disease. This will grow into a very important series and already has provided some great insights and tools.

We as yet don't have an archive established but have made progress on this. In the coming weeks we hope to have an archive available, but it will be accessible only to our Ezine Edition to subscribers.

Remember, only subscribers to the ezine version of The Health Gazette receive these articles. Subscription management is available via the Healthy-Vitamin-Choice, Herb-Health-Guide and HealthProductsSite links to the right. Subscription is free and you may easily unsubscribe at any time.

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