Dr. Emily Kane » Articles

can toothpaste cure asthma?

Dr. Em — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:43:46 +0000

Recently, while visiting with some of my naturopathic medical school classmates, my friend told us an interesting story. She had a patient who suffered with asthma for 35 years. The asthma had come on suddenly and was worsening despite all treatments, both medical and naturopathic. She asked herself what had changed 35 years ago. In her frustration she searched her memory for what behaviors she might have begun 35 years ago. The answer was her brand of toothpaste, and she had continued to use that same brand for 35 years. She changed her toothpaste and her asthma quickly disappeared.

I have seen a change in toothpaste improve rashes around the mouth. The sodium lauryl sulfate can aggravate canker sores and mouth ulcers. The chemicals and flavorings can aggravate gastric reflux and heart burn, particularly at night. I have seen animals develop diarrhea from pet toothpaste. This was the first time I have ever heard of the chemicals in toothpaste contributing to asthma. But an internet search yielded an interesting array of toothpaste asthmatic experiences.

In 1990, the New England Journal of Medicine described a 21year old woman who would wheeze and cough at night, after brushing her teeth. It turned out that the artificial mint flavoring in her opaque tartar toothpaste was triggering the reactions. On switching to a gel, the wheezing resolved.

Much asthma is triggered by allergic stimuli such as chemicals in our environment, in our foods and in the substances we put in and on our bodies. Even the dyes used in the colorings of common drugs such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can trigger asthma in some people. Sulfites in wines and salad bars (on lettuce to keep it green) can trigger asthma. Modern toothpastes have come a long way from the formulas suggested in ancient Egyptian writings. They really do help clean, strengthen, shine, protect, whiten and desensitize our teeth. But there are many chemicals involved, some of which may trigger pathological reactions.

Here’s the strangest thing that came up in my search. There are numerous anecdotal reports of people whose asthma improved when they switched to toothpaste for sensitive teeth containing potassium nitrate. Potassium nitrate, also known as saltpeter, is a component of gunpowder. It liberates potassium ions which depolarize nerve endings in the pores of exposed dentin, and prevents nerve transmission of pain in the teeth. English medical journals from the early 1900’s list potassium nitrate as a treatment for asthma. I am not using toothpaste as my main treatment for asthma right now, just pointing out that the ingredients in toothpaste are potent and can have significant effects beyond the teeth.

Commercial toothpastes contain a wide variety of chemicals which can contribute to some health concerns. This is particularly true for sensitive individuals, as well as for children, because they tend to eat more toothpaste than adults. Of course, there is the ongoing controversy surrounding fluoride in toothpaste and in drinking water, which is too big a topic to include in this email. But certainly, be aware that if you suffer skin, oral, digestive and/or allergic problems, it’s probably best to use simple, non-toxic toothpastes or powders. These are easily available in stores and you can even make simple tooth cleansers such as the examples below.

This intruiging research is courtesy of Dr. Jody Shevens, a friend and colleague in Boulder, CO.

Monsanto bringing Agent Orange back from the dead

Dr. Em — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:13:36 +0000

This week, the USDA will decide whether to allow Monsanto and Dow to introduce one half of the chemical mixture Agent Orange into our food supply. Widescale use of Roundup has led to a new generation of
resistant weeds, and the next step in the pesticide arms race is 2,4-D — a chemical linked to cancer, Parkinson’s and reproductive problems.
Farmers that sign up to use genetically-engineered 2,4-D-resistant corn will be required to spray down their fields with both 2,4-D and Roundup, double-dosing our food, our soil and our waterways with the
toxins. Some experts estimate this will increase the use of 2,4-D 50-fold, even though the EPA says the chemical is already our seventh-largest source of dioxins — nasty, highly toxic chemicals that
bio-accumulate as they move up the food chain and cause cancer, developmental damage, and birth defects.

We can stop this. The use of 2,4-D is banned entirely in parts of Canada and Europe, and right now the US Department of Agriculture is accepting public comments on 2,4-D to decide whether or not to approve
the widespread industrial use of the toxin.

Add your name to our letter to the USDA urging them to deny approval for Dow’s 2,4-D-resistant GMO corn.

This is part of a growing problem, an escalating herbicide war going on across America’s heartland. From 1996 to 2008, herbicide usage increased by 383 million pounds. Nearly half of this took place between
2007 and 2008 after the introduction of another strain of herbicide-resistant plant pushed by Dow. Like Roundup before it, 2,4-D is only a temporary solution that will require more and more tons of toxins and more and more potent chemicals leaching into our food supply. 2,4-D is nasty stuff and has been linked to a number of health problems, such as tripling the rates of non-Hodgkins lymphoma in Nebraska farmworkers exposed to it and causing reproductive problems — birth defects and high rates of miscarriage — in both mice and men
exposed to it in the lab and field.

Tell the USDA – we don’t want Monsanto’s toxic pesticide.
——————————————————
Citations and further reading:
Overview of the toxic effects of 2,4-D, Sierra Club, January 2005.
A Case-Control Study of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and the Herbicide
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2, 4-D) in Eastern Nebraska,
Epidemiology, 1990.
Reregistration Eligibility Decision for 2,4-D, EPA, June 2005
chemicalWATCH Factsheet, Beyond Pesticides, July 2004
GM Crops Increase Herbicide Use in the United States, Institute of
Science in Society, January 2010
Study Links Weed Killer to Reproductive Problems, Los Angeles Times,
September 2002
Agent Orange in Your Backyard: The Harmful Pesticide 2,4-D, The
Atlantic, February 2012
Agent Orange’s Corn: The next stage in the chemical arms race, The
Center for Food Safety, February 2012

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Can a statin ruin your workout?

Dr. Em — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:10:30 +0000

For years, physicians and scientists have been aware that statins, the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, can cause muscle aches and fatigue in some patients. What many people don’t know is that these side effects are especially pronounced in people who exercise.
To learn more about the effect statins have on exercising muscles, scientists in Strasbourg, France, recently gave the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor to a group of rats for two weeks, while a separate control group was not medicated. Some of the rats from both groups ran on little treadmills until they were exhausted.
It was immediately obvious that the medicated animals couldn’t run as far. They became exhausted much earlier than the rats that had not been given statins.
The differences were even more striking at a cellular level. When the scientists studied muscle tissues, they found that oxidative stress, a measure of possible cell damage, was increased by 60 percent in sedentary animals receiving statins, compared with the unmedicated control group.
The effect was magnified in the runners, whose cells showed 226 percent more oxidative stress than exercising animals that had not been given statins.
The medicated running rats also had less glycogen or stored carbohydrates in their muscles than the unmedicated runners. And their mitochondria, tiny mechanisms within cells that generate power, showed signs of dysfunction; mitochondrial respiratory rates were about 25 percent lower than in the unmedicated runners.
Over all, the study data showed that working out while taking statins “exacerbated metabolic perturbations” in muscles, the study’s authors conclude. The drug made running harder and more damaging for the rats.
Statins’ safety has come under considerable scrutiny in recent weeks. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration added safety alerts to prescribing information for statins, warning of risks for memory loss and diabetes, as well as muscle pain. (Read more about those concerns here.)
More than 20 million Americans are taking statins, and by most estimates, at least 10 percent of them will experience some degree of muscle achiness or fatigue. That proportion rises to at least 25 percent among people taking statins who regularly exercise, and may be 75 percent or higher among competitive athletes.
Why and how exercise interacts with statins to cause muscle problems remains unknown, in part because it’s more difficult to study molecular responses in people than in animals. (People generally dislike muscle biopsies.) But an eye-opening 2005 study of healthy young people taking statins showed that the gene expression profiles in their leg muscles after exercising were very different from those of volunteers not using statins. In particular, genes associated with muscle building and repair were “down-regulated,” or expressed less robustly, in the group using statins.
“It seems possible that statins increase muscle damage” during and after exercise “and also interfere somewhat with the body’s ability to repair that damage,” says Dr. Paul Thompson, the chief of cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and senior author of the study.
The finding creates a worrisome conundrum for patients and their doctors. Statin users typically are at high risk for cardiovascular problems, making them the very people who could most benefit from regular exercise. But it may be that as a result of muscle problems, some people taking statins exercise less or not at all. “Lower energy is linked to less interest in activity,” says Dr. Beatrice Golomb, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, who is studying exercise habits in statin users, “and fatigue with exertion is linked to less actual activity.”
And less activity has its own consequences. Move less and you increase your risk of premature death and other undesirable outcomes, even if your cholesterol is under control.
So what does the emerging science about statins and muscles mean for someone who is taking or considering the drugs? “Statins save lives,” Dr. Thompson says. “Most people cannot control their cholesterol with diet and exercise alone.” He advises athletes to stop taking the drugs several days before a competition or strenuous workout, to avoid exacerbating muscle damage. But if you have intractably high cholesterol or a history of heart disease or stroke, he says, “you should be on statins.”
For people with lower heart disease risks, though, the benefits are equivocal. A 2010 study by Dr. Golomb and colleagues found that a majority of statin users reporting muscle problems “were in categories for which available randomized controlled trial evidence shows no trend to all-cause mortality benefit with statin therapy.” The patients were not at high risk of dying from heart disease, but were suffering from sore muscles and potentially a more sedentary life.
“Any indication of harm shifts the pendulum” toward risk, Dr. Golomb says, and should be considered before anyone decides whether to continue with statins.
The good news is that “muscle aches almost always disappear as soon as someone stops using statins,” Dr. Thompson says, and your vascular system may have benefited in the meantime.
“Statins are anti-aging for arteries,” he says. “If you take them, you’ll have younger arteries. Unfortunately,” he adds, “they are not anti-aging for muscles.”

Seasonal allergies driving you crazy?

Dr. Em — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:09:26 +0000

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you are not alone. Twenty percent of the US population (about 50 million people) make over 10 million visits to doctors every year for this common concern. Multiple factors conspire to create the dreaded days of runny noses, itchy and watery eyes, relentless sneezing, scratchy throats and just generally not feeling up to snuff. Unfortunately many of the over-the-counter medicines can create annoying side effects suchs as drowsiness, insomnia, headache, dizziness and upset stomach. Even though you really can’t control pollen releasing or smoke floating through the air, here are some sensible ideas to help reduce the impact of airborne and environmental allergens.

1) Relocate to an area with lower levels of pollution and consider living without pets.
2) If you want your unborn children to suffer less, breast feed them, don’t give them antibiotics early in life and try to time their birth to not coincide with peak allergy season!
3) Consider installing an HRV system in your home so you can keep the windows closed and prevent pollen and dust accumulating in the house. Avoid carpeted flooring.
4) Along the same lines, try to create a barrier between the shoes and coats, and the inner space of your home. Make sure everyone leaves their shoes at the door.
5) Shower in the evening to lessen the likeliness of pollen and other airborne irritants accumulating in your bed.
6) Keep your house clean and dust free. Vacuum carpets weekly and sweep under the furniture to get rid of dust bunnies.
7) Wash sheets and other washable bed covers in hot water every two weeks, and use hypoallergenic zipped covers on pillows, duvets and mattresses.
Don’t spend extra time outside on windy days or when the pollen count is high.
9) Eat well: no refined carbs, no white sugar, lots of fresh vegetables, as well as whole fruit (not juice) and lean, clean protein. Sugar reduces white blood cell function by 50% for 2 hours after consuming only 1/2 tsp. Full fledged soda pop contains 12 tsps of sugar.
10) Don’t smoke and don’t allow guests to smoke in your home.
11) Reduce mold growth in your home or office by running a dehumidifier in moist rooms like the bathroom or laundry area. Chronic sinusitis is USUALLY fungal, not bacterial. Sinusitis is frequently cited in the medical literature as the single highest cause for inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions.
12) Reguarly ingest natural anti-histamines, especially Vitamin C (about 2 grams daily) and bioflavonoids (Quercitin, Tumeric, Rutin, Hesperidin). These two super-nutrients are often packaged together: check your local health food store.
13) Take fish oil (2000 mg of mixed EPA and DHA) every day not eating wild (not farmed) salmon.
14) Use nasal irrigation daily. I like the “neck neutral” NasoPure. Old fashioned Neti pots work well also, as do bulb syringes from any big grocery store. Saline, about as salty as your tears, is much easier on the nasal passages than tap water without salt added. Slightly warm water feels better than cold. Nasal irrigation helps remove mucus from the nasal passages and sinuses, thus reducing congestion and further irritation.
15) Allium cepa is a helpful homeopathic remedy for watery eyes and itchy nose. For itchy eyes and runny nose try homeopathic Euphrasia. Any health food store will carry these remedies.
16) Butterbur, the plant medicine more commonly known as a migraine remedy, has been documented to work as well or better than both Allegra and Zyrtec in European clinical trials.

In summary, there are three basic ideas here. Reduce your exposure to allergens and irritants as much as possible. While it’s harder to avoid environmental allergens, you do have control over what you put in your mouth. Don’t compound environmental allergies with any additional burden of food allergens. The “big nine” of food irritants (almost everyone would live better with at least one of these so check it out) are wheat, dairy, soy, tomatoes, coffee, peanuts, shellfish, eggs and corn. If you are an “allergic” person, please give up these 9 foods for 2 solid weeks, and then slowly re-introduce the foods at a rate of one per 3 days (so this is a 6 week project). Pay attention in particular to any changes in mood, skin or bowel function. Unpleasant changes signal that the food is offensive to your immune system and you should avoid it completely for 6 months. Later, you may be able to tolerate the offending food once or twice a week.

Next, control your histamine levels naturally, not with the drying and drowzy-causing drug anti-histamines. Eat food high in Vitamin C and bioflavonoids every day (flavone is the Greek work for yellow). Drink lots of water to dilute the pollutants.

Finally, help out your mucous membranes. Wear a bandana or a mask (www.icanbreathe.com) if necessary. Use a Neti pot or other form of saline nasal lavage regularly. Wash your pillowcases in hot water, frequently. Stay well hydrated with 64 ounces of water. Avoid caffeinated beverages which are dehydrating. Fermented foods have been documented to increase the immune competence of mucous membranes by increasing natural killer cells, phagocytosis, and secretory IgA. Pickles, plain yogurt (if no dairy sensitivity), fermented breads (if no grain allergy), miso (if no soy allergy) and Kombucha drinks may help.

Dr. Kane’s practice curtailed by the Division of Professional Licensing

Dr. Em — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:22:38 +0000

Hello all, in particular my patients, I recently signed a “consent agreement” with the state of Alaska, with which I don’t agree and only consented to under duress, or else risk losing my license. Under this “consent agreement” which has a duration of 3 years, I may not give, prescribe or recommend in practice anything (anything AT ALL) that carries the Rx label. According to the Division of Professional Licensing (which has very little understanding of the training received by naturopathic physicians, and a limited understanding of the services we provide daily to our patients) this includes all IV nutrients (B-12 shots, IV Vit C, glutathione, magnesium, etc) as well as all animal-derived bio-identical hormones. I am so very sorry to say that while the state is taking this ill-advised, misguided stance, I will not be allowed to access these important therapies as I have for nearly 20 years with NO PROBLEM whatsoever. You can read the next post to get some background on my situation if you are not familiar with this. I did manage to insist in my “consent agreement” that the restrictions on my practice will NOT have bearing on my colleagues in the state. However, it does establish a legal precedent and it is quite clear to members of the Alaska Association of Naturopathic Physicians where the pressure is coming from. The director of the Division of Professional Licensing likely doesn’t have the inclination, understanding or imagination to actively suppress access to natural medicine in the state. However, he does kow-tow to the “medical experts” who increasingly see “alternative healthcare” as a threat to their own bottom line. After all, the “standard” approach to “health care” in this country seems to be to keep people chronically dependent on drugs. That’s how the system makes money. If the bottom line is profits, and NOT your health, then the type of doctors, notably naturopathic doctors, who aim to teach their patients how to achieve optimal health, are bad for Big Pharma’s bottom line. Apparently that’s starting to make a dent. Yay! Keep up your personal efforts to take responsibility for your own health. Don’t use drugs casually! Eat greens! Exercise regularly. Drink water. Don’t hang out in toxic relationships. Commit to your own health and well being every day! I also negotiated into my “consent agreement” that if the law changes, then I can apply to be released from parts pf my 3 years probation. Please know my restrictions did not emanate from any patient complaint. I have never hurt a patient as far as I know. No patient complaint. No patient harm. But the Division of Professional Licensing is severely curtailing my usefulness to my community of patients just because some of the corporate-minded MDs out there are irritated by the groundswell of interest, which happily is growing daily, in personal responsibility for health and the turning away from drugs as a first resort. Don’t get me wrong: emergency medicine is incredibly helpful. However, many Americans are way too dependent on going for the drugs first, instead of improving diet, exercise, sleep and other basics. If you are interested in supporting your freedom of choice in healthcare and helping to prevent this strenuous example of the corporate monolith trying to stamp out “alternative” health care in Alaska, please consider providing testimony to preserve your right to freedom of choice in healthcare.
Senate Bill 175 is being heard TUESDAY FEB 7 at 1:30 PM
House Bill 266 is being heard WEDS FEB 8 at 3:15 PM
Both bills are identical and ONLY preserve the current scope of practice for NDs. These bills DO NOT expand our scope (of course the state medical association and their lobbyist are working overtime to persuade legislators that NDs are sneaking a scope expansion bill through. This assertion is nonsense. Please read the bills). Your testimony is the MOST IMPORTANT way you can help now to preserve your access to naturopathic care. Thank you so much! I want to stay and work here and continue to serve you. But I will not stay if my scope shrinks to nothing, which is what ASMA wants, apparently.

Legislative and Legal Update

Dr. Em — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:31:31 +0000

For several sessions I have worked hard, mostly with the help of Senator Bettye Davis, Representative Cathy Munoz and her former staffer Kendra Kloster, to expand the scope of naturopathic physicians so we may practice to the extent of our training. NDs are deeply educated over 6-8 years as primary care docs, but our hands are tied in Alaska. We have 20% more pharmacy training than advanced nurse practitioners, as an example, but have very little — none, according to the Division of Professional Licensing — ability to prescribe basic medications. We are thoroughly trained in minor surgery, though not all naturopaths will want to use this skill set. There have been political impediments to the modernization of our scope of practice bill, which unfortunately for me currently involves being targeted in an ill-conceived legal accusation (click on “Read more” below). Please stay tuned for legislative efforts (SB 175 and SB 266) to prevent erosion of the current, limited, naturopathic scope of practice in Alaska. We will continue to build with small gains, legislatively, so we can better serve our patients. Thanks for your support and interest!

VIOLATING FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN HEALTHCARE
UPDATE Winter 2012

To most of the rest of the country, Alaska seems very remote. Sometimes larger economic forces will “experiment” with new ideas in this tucked-away backwater. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. In 2006 the American Medical Association (AMA) spent millions of dollars developing a huge document called the “Scope of Practice Partnership” (or SOPP). This weighty and nasty tome has one sole purpose: to stamp out any growth of healthcare professions outside the conventional AMA/FDA/DEA endorsed model. So-called “alternative” healthcare is becoming big enough business that the politically oriented conventional docs are getting more abrasive in their push back.

In 2009, the Alaska Association of Naturopathic Physicians had the dubious honor of being the first group of NDs “attacked” by SOPP. NDs in Alaska have been sporadically attempting to modernize our scope of practice law for two decades. Luckily for us, this SOPP attack did not work so well since the unwieldy tome had a lot of ridiculously outdated information about naturopaths. The Alaska legislators involved in HB 122 mostly were underwhelmed by this heavy-handed power play. However, the bill did not progress because the bulk of last session was taken up with decoupling the oil and gas taxation structures.

The following session, the state AMA lobby is employing a different strategy: attack and malign the president of the ND State association.

I have been targeted in a malicious prosecution case which started in 2008 when a Juneau surgeon “reported” me for trigger point therapy, a technique which is allowed in ND scope of practice in Alaska and in all states licensing NDs. I had actually referred a patient to him who wasn’t improving optimally with the injection technique. Instead of a normal collegiate response, which would have been calling to discuss the patient with me, this arrogant bully chose to report me to the State law enforcement agency. The State didn’t like me using procaine as part of the mix in the trigger point solution, so I stopped. Procaine is biologically identical to a combination of two B vitamins; a mild analgesic in which use I was trained over 20 years ago. Nonetheless, it is a prescription substance and the language of the ND law is ambiguous. The language of the ND law needs clarification, but meanwhile I’m basically being treated as a criminal until I can change the statute (through legislation) or change the regulation (through an administrative trial) so these two parts of the law governing the ND profession are not in contradiction.

During the 2008 investigation which followed the unfounded complaint filed by this surgeon, the State agents did a sweep of local pharmacies and found that I had written scripts for bio-identical hormones, which I and most other NDs in the State have done safely and effectively since our licensure in 1986. The AK statutes for NDs say we “may not give, dispense or recommend in practice a prescription drug.” But the regulations, which qualify and expound upon the very terse “boiler plate” statutes, state that if the medicine is not a controlled substance (such as a narcotic) and is derived from a natural substance, then NDs may prescribe such substances. The bureaucrats have a different idea about interpreting the language of our law than do the professionals (naturopathic physicians and their pharmacists). Nonetheless, I stopped writing scripts in 2008 to the chagrin of many patients. The case was dropped.

Last spring (March 2011) when the AK ND scope modernization bill was moving along in Legislature, my case mysteriously re-opened with no new accusations. This vicious piece of business is the work of the state’s AMA lobbyist in collusion with the director of the Division of Professional Licensing, the agency which currently regulates NDs in Alaska.

I faced either a hugely expensive trial to clarify the language of the law in order to establish that neither I nor my colleagues in Alaska have practiced criminally since 1986, or accept a punitive “consent agreement” which drastically curtails my scope of practice even further. On December 20, 2011 I signed a consent agreement with which I neither agree nor willingly consent to.

If the ND law were “up to speed” with our training and capabilities, we would have a board. My “case” would be reviewed by a jury of peer professionals — not by bureacrats who are unduly influenced by the AMA lobby. Creating a board is the first priority for a future scope modernization bill. This year Alaska NDs are strictly in survival mode.

Bureaucratically, NDs have been compromised in Alaska because our regulators at the Division of Professional Licensing don’t really understand what we do. Nor are they interested. The role of administrative overseers in any professional regulating agency should be to ensure that the professionals have the proper credentials to “hang out their shingle.” It is NOT the role of the regulating agency to favor one group of professionals. However, the Division of Professional Licensing, which is under the Department of Commerce and Economic Development, has clearly been favoring the AMA lobby. This is in direct violation of consumer rights.

In reaching out to colleagues across the country I have received a flood of emails expressing outrage, dismay and encouragement. Many other NDs (and nurses and dental hygienists and optometrists and chiropractors etc) have been vilified and persecuted at the hands of AMA bullies.
If you are a consumer of wellness medicine, and appreciate having REAL HEALTH CARE (not just drug-based disease management) as an option for yourself and your family, please contact me at DrEmilyKane@gmail.com to learn about directing your voice to protect freedom of choice in healthcare.

If you are a naturopathic physician who has been bullied by your state’s AMA lobby, join me in coming together to explore legislative, administrative and activist options to stop the harassment, and to promote freedom of choice in healthcare.

The basic message here is the Alaska Naturopaths need a full scope law. Rural and urban citizens alike deserve access to high quality naturopathic care. Currently, naturopathic physicians in Alaska are being denied full scope practice both by administrative bureaucrats and by legislators susceptible enough to AMA lobbyists to hinder forward movement. The AK legislators have been educated about the training and capabilities of naturopathic physicians over the decades of our efforts to expand scope since licensure in 1986. The state insurers figured out years ago that naturopaths are a “good bet” in terms of cost and quality. NDs have insurance parity in Alaska. However, we have our hands tied when it comes to full scope practice. Legislatively, NDs just don’t have clout or money equal to our opponents. However, we are hugely rich in another resource: the genuine gratitude and love of our patients. This is what will win over this attempt to co-opt our healthcare system by the disease-management proponents. Patients will simply not tolerate a medical monopoly indefinitely.

Stand up with me now to protect your health and your freedom.

new target heart rate, specifically for women

Dr. Em — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:30:46 +0000

Women now have a target heart rate formula specifically for them thanks to Cardiologist Martha Gulati,MD from Ohio State Medical Center. The usual standard calculation for exercise heart rate is actually based on male only studies. Women, as we all know, are different from men in many ways and exercise heart rate is no exception for sure.

“Women are not small men,” Dr Gulati says. Women have a different exercise capacity that should be measured using a gender-specific formula.

Here is the current formula based on male only studies and is generally accepted for men and women based on age: ” If you are 50. Subtract 50 from 220 and you get 170, your estimated maximum heart rate. 70% of 170 (119) is the floor and 85% of 170 (145) is the ceiling of your target heart range, and when you work out, you will aim for a target heart rate of between 119 and 145 beats per minute.

Dr Gulati’s new formula for women only is: “based on a study of 5,437 healthy Chicago-area women aged 30 and older. Women multiply their age by 0.88 (to find 88% of their age) and subtract that number from 206 (instead of 220) to find the maximum heart rate for women that age. Then multiply that maximum by 70% to 85% to find your target heart rate range floor and ceiling.”

Ex: If you are” 50 and female. Subtract 44 (88% of your 50) from 206 and you get 162, your maximum heart rate. 70% of 162 (113) is the floor and 85% is (138) is the ceiling of your target heart rate range, so your workout heart rate will range from 113 to 138 beats per minute.”

Julie Ramos,MD, a cardiologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City agrees with the new formula.” Using the right calculation makes a big difference. In the doctor’s office, it shows that women who can’t reach the old target heart rate are not at as high a risk for cardiac events and death as men who can’t reach their targets.”

There is however, a male voice raised in protest. Asked what the new rate means when women go to the gym, Carl Foster, past president of the American College of Sports Medicine is quoted as saying this new formula means “absolutely nothing. You assess how hard you’re working based on how you feel in the perceived exertion test. Moderate is good. Unless you’re an athlete, make sort of hard your upper limit, .Your breathing is the telltale clue in the talk test. Ideally, you should be able to speak in complete sentences without breathing hard. (this is good advice for our patients on beta blockers)

Dr Gulati reports that she hopes soon to have an iPhone app that will make calculating women’s target heart rates easy and fast.

You can find out more about Dr Gulati and this topic from the following websites:

http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/findadoctor/directory/Pages/index.aspx?DocID=087833

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/recalibrated-formula-eases-womens-workouts/

Tips for Enhancing Inner Peace

Dr. Em — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:27:06 +0000

Inner Peace Reduces Anxiety
1. Be good to yourself. This is not selfish. It’s the foundation for a more peaceful world.
2. Breathe. Deep, slow breathing creates an “alpha” state, which is an inwardly focused, relaxed, receptive awareness of reality. Allow the time daily for deep breathing and self-reflection.
3. Take care of your body. Move every day. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and junk food. Drink 1/4 your weight (pounds) in ounces of water daily. Always drink before eating, and never during meals. Choose vibrant, fresh, organic foods.
4. Honor your emotions. Acknowledge them, allow them, name them. Express them in a way that is not harmful to yourself or others. For example, write a letter or sing your pain instead of consuming sugar, alcohol or other drugs.
5. Create fun, loving relationships. Avoid judgment.
6. You get what you think about most. Think positively. Release negative emotions. Feel gratitude. Make a list of 5 reasons you feel grateful, every morning.

Resources:
www.HealthJourney.com
www.BrainSync.com
www.PathofLight.com
Belleruth, Naparstek, “Meditation for Relaxation & Wellness”
Burne, Rhonda, “The Secret”
Hay, Louise L, “You Can Heal Your Life”
Karlsson, Fridrik, “Peace of Mind”
Pert, Candace, “Molecules of Emotion”
Lipton, Bruce PhD, “The Biology of Belief”
Tolle, Eckhart, “A New Earth”

foods that heal skin

Dr. Em — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:24:31 +0000

The top five foods for healthy skin

Americans are shelling out big bucks for expensive cosmetics to treat skin problems such as acne, wrinkles and dryness, but most consumers are overlooking the cheapest, safest and most effective remedies: healing foods. A host of healthy, natural foods offer potent healing and preventative powers to remedy a wide range of skin troubles. These foods can dramatically improve skin for a fraction of the price of costly cosmetics or dermatologist visits:

Green Tea — Green tea is rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect cell membranes. It has been proven to reduce the damage of sunburns and overexposure to ultraviolet light, which in turn reduces the risk of skin cancer. Green tea is also high in polyphenols — compounds that eliminate cancer-causing free radicals.

Recent research by scientists at the Medical College of Georgia shows that the polyphenol most abundant in green tea — EGCG — also acts as a “fountain of youth” of sorts for skin by reactivating dying skin cells. In addition to its skin-healthy properties, green tea is also high in vitamins C, D and K, as well as riboflavin, zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron.

Salmon — Salmon — along with other fatty fish, walnuts and flaxseed — is high in healthy fatty acids that are key for achieving healthy skin. Essential fatty acids such as omega-3s help keep cell membranes healthy by keeping out harmful substances as well as allowing nutrients to enter cells and exit with waste products. Omega-3s also reduce the body’s production of inflammatory agents that can damage the skin. Increasing consumption of omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods such as salmon will help keep the skin supple and youthful. A 1:1 ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3s is ideal, but the ratio in the typical American diet is more like 20:1, so boosting consumption of salmon and other oily fish can help bring that ratio closer to 1:1. Salmon is also rich in protein, potassium, selenium and vitamin B12.

Blueberries — Blueberries are considered by many experts to be the highest food source of antioxidants, which target free radicals that can wreak havoc on skin cells. The antioxidants and phytochemicals (plant sources of nutrition) in blueberries neutralize DNA-damaging free radicals, reducing cell damage. When skin cells are protected from damage and disintegration, the skin looks younger for longer. Blueberries are also an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin E and riboflavin.

Carrots — Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, which is a required nutrient for healthy skin. They also contain high levels of antioxidants, which prevent free radical damage of skin cells. Vitamin A is required for developing and maintaining skin cells, and a deficiency of the vitamin can cause dry skin. Carrots are also a superior source of fiber, biotin, vitamins K, C and B6, potassium and thiamine.

Water — Drinking plenty of water — at least your individual minimum intake — will help keep your skin young and healthy-looking. Water in caffeinated or sugary beverages does not count; water intake must be from pure, clean water, which rejuvenates skin cells. Water both hydrates cells and helps them move toxins out and nutrients in. Nutrition expert Liz Lipski, PhD, CCN, says when the body is properly hydrated, it sweats more efficiently, which helps keep the skin clean and clear. In addition to consuming therapeutic quantities of green tea, salmon, blueberries, carrots and water, consumers should avoid certain foods that trigger bad skin reactions. Such ingredients include sugar, white flour, saturated fats and fried foods, which are especially bad for the skin, since they can trap oil and bacteria beneath the skin, causing acne and other skin ailments.

The skin is considered the outside indicator of inside health, and putting expensive creams, lotions and treatments on the outside of the skin can’t alleviate problems that stem from inner nutritional deficiencies. Consuming the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones can reveal beautiful, youthful-looking skin without the high price tag of expensive cosmetics.

Note from Mike Adams, aka “The Health Ranger”: An important “overlay” factor on all this concerns raw foods versus cooked foods. Raw food juicing is the surest way to healthy skin, and I recommend juicing fruits, vegetables and nuts (soak them first) in a Vitamix to create superfood smoothies. People who drink raw juices on a daily basis have skin that absolutely glows. On the other hand, those who eat mostly processed, refined or cooked foods have skin that ages rapidly. So be sure to include raw food smoothies in your diet on a daily basis if you want great looking skin!

September 2011 Natural News you can use

Dr. Em — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:02:44 +0000

GUM DISEASE CAN AFFECT FERTILITY: New research has found a strong link, primarily for non-Caucasian women, between periodontal disease and impaired fertility, and has confirmed known links between impaired fertility and being overweight, smoking, and being over the age of 35.
(With impaired fertility, it takes months longer to achieve pregnancy. Periodontitis is caused by microorganisms that adhere to, and grow on, the tooth surface, combined with an overly aggressive immune response against these microorganisms.) The underlying reason for the difficulty, among those suffering from periodontal disease, to become pregnant is
believed to be the inflammatory response that develops in response to the disease. Non-Caucasian women were far more likely to have impaired fertility as a response to gum disease than Caucasian women because these women have a higher degree of inflammatory response. It was suggested that non-Caucasian women
see a dentist to have periodontal disease treated prior to attempting pregnancy. (Treatment does not affect the health of the baby and often requires about four dentist visits.) This study was presented July 6, 2011 in Stockholm at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. It has not yet been published, or posted online.

DID YOU KNOW…?
Your body makes better use of vitamin D supplements if you take them with your largest meal.
According to a Cleveland Clinic study reported in the April 2010 issue of the Journal of Bone
and Mineral Research, this will boost its uptake, over a three-month period, by up to 56 percent.
BELOW-OPTIMUM VITAMIN D LEVELS INCREASE MUSCLE INJURY RISK: New
research has found that deficient and insufficient vitamin D
levels in the blood may increase the risk of muscle injuries
among athletes. The study analyzed levels in the blood of 89
professional NFL football players, and found their vitamin D
concentrations broke down this way: 16 had sufficient levels,
defined by the researchers as more than 32 nanograms per
milliliter (32 ng/ml); 45 had insufficient (sub-optimum) levels,
defined as 20-31.9 ng/ml; and 27 had deficient levels, defined as
less than 20 ng/ml. Sixteen of the 89 players suffered a muscle
injury and the average vitamin D level for these injured players
was 19.9 ng/ml, suggesting that both insufficiency and deficiency
raised the risk of muscle injury. The study recommended screening
for vitamin D insufficiency among professional athletes to help
prevent injuries. However, further research would be needed to
determine whether increasing vitamin D levels would lead to
improved muscle function. This study was presented July 10, 2011
in San Diego at the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic
Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). It has not yet been
published in print or online.

HIGHER POTASSIUM INTAKE LINKED TO LOWER RISK OF DEATH: A study
suggests that a higher intake of the element potassium lowers by
20 percent, the risk of dying from any cause; and that compared
to the quarter of the population with the lowest sodium-topotassium
intake ratio, the quarter with the highest sodium-topotassium
intake ratio has a 46 percent greater risk of dying
from any cause and more than double the risk of dying from
ischemic heart disease. The research confirms known links between
higher sodium intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but also
suggests that maintaining a higher ratio of potassium to sodium
may reduce the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality. The results
of this 15-year, 12,267-participant study were consistent
regardless of race, body mass index, age, blood pressure, or
physical activity. (In a varied diet, fruit is the greatest
source of potassium. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine
recommended 4,700 mg of potassium daily; most Americans consume
only half that amount; US law limits the amount of potassium that
non-prescription supplements can contain to 99 mg.) This study
was published July 11, 2011 in the Archives of Internal Medicine
and is available online at http://bit.ly/nOFDun with subscription
or fee.

DID YOU KNOW…?
Your odds of getting skin cancer are greater if you have had other cancers, according to the
American Academy of Dermatology, or if you can count more than 50 moles on your body.

VITAMIN D SUFFICIENCY MAY HELP PREVENT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE:
Researchers have concluded that vitamin D sufficiency helps remove amyloid-beta plaque from the aging brain, across the blood-brain barrier, helping to prevent the excessive buildup that causes Alzheimer’s disease. (The buildup in the brain, of amyloid-beta plaque is ordinarily controlled by transporter proteins and vitamin D. Although levels of these protein transporters increase with age, production tends to fail eventually. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked with accelerated declines in memory and cognition, and with an increased
risk of Alzheimer’s.) The team found that vitamin D injections in mice appear to help regulate protein expression and cell signaling, which helps prevent plaque buildup and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The implication is that maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels with advancing age may provide some preventive benefit, and a potential therapy, for these brain disorders. This newly released study will be
published in a future issue of the journal, Fluids and Barriers of the CNS. It is available early at http://bit.ly/nmFQyC without fee.

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION GUIDELINES INADEQUATE FOR CANCER PREVENTION:
A study has found that current recommendations for alcohol consumption are inappropriate for cancer prevention, and should be changed to reflect the fact that any amount of alcohol involves some cancer risk. (The World Health Organization, or WHO, and other groups have designated alcohol as cancer-causing
in both animals and humans. However, extensive evidence links moderate alcohol consumption with greatly lowered risks of virtually all age-related diseases: coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, diabetes, dementia, and osteoporosis.) The study points to conclusions by the WHO, the World Cancer Research Fund, and the American Institute for Cancer Research, that alcohol raises risks of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, and breast. The new study suggested guidelines are based on only short-term effects of alcohol, such as hospital admissions and psychological effects, but ignore long-term chronic disease. Also, alcohol producers were often part of the working groups that defined safe drinking. Despite other benefits, the researchers stressed that when it comes specifically to cancer risk, there is no safe alcohol intake.
This study was published in the July 11, 2011 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal and is accessible at http://bit.ly/ntWJJm with subscription or fee.

MOLASSES EXTRACT DECREASES CALORIE ABSORPTION AND WEIGHT: A study
has found that when those on a high-fat diet ingested extract of
molasses, there was a reduction in body weight, in body fat, and
in blood levels of leptin (a hormone produced by fat cells), and
an increase in energy excretion (calories lost in feces), and in
gene expression for certain biomarkers of energy metabolism.
(Molasses extract is high in polyphenols, plant-based chemical
compounds known for their beneficial antioxidant properties.)
Despite ingesting the same number of calories in identical highfat
diets, surprisingly, the group receiving the extract ended
the study with less weight and less body fat. Further
investigation found that the molasses extract reduced absorption
of calories, and enhanced energy metabolism (the burning of
calories). The research was conducted on mice, but clinical
trials on humans are planned for next year, which may confirm
molasses extract as a novel approach for weight management. This
study was presented in Clearwater at the annual meeting of the
Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), which ended
July 16, 2011. It is available online at http://bit.ly/pfBtuw for
purchase.

DID YOU KNOW…?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 50 million
unnecessary antibiotic courses are prescribed in the U.S. annually for viral respiratory infections.
However, antibiotics have no impact on viral respiratory infections, and excess use can result in
strains of bacteria, normally susceptible to antibiotics, that are antibiotic resistant.

GRAPESEED POLYPHENOLS MAY PREVENT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: A new
study has found that grapeseed polyphenol, a natural antioxidant,
suppresses the creation of a specific form of beta-amyloid
peptide – a substance in the brain long known to cause the
neurotoxicity associated with Alzheimer’s disease – and therefore
confirms, according to the researchers, previous research
suggesting that grapeseed polyphenol may be an effective
treatment for people at risk for the disease to prevent its
development or retard its progression. The authors stress that
for grape-derived polyphenols to be effective, it will be
necessary to find a biomarker for those at risk, although it may
also be beneficial for those in the early stages of this memoryrobbing
disease. The study is significant because it is the first
to examine the effect of this substance on these destructive
peptides, illustrating the mechanism behind the apparent
protective benefit, and because it was conducted on living
subjects, namely mice. However, research is now being conducted
to confirm that the results hold true for humans. The full-text
of this just-released study is not yet available but will be
published in a future issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

DID YOU KNOW…?
It is extremely difficult to spread a cold or the flu by kissing, even kissing babies. Saliva in the
mouth harbors very little virus material. However, coughing is a different matter, because it
brings forth virus-laden fluids from deep within the lungs. Cover your mouth when you cough.

COMPARED TO SHELLED, IN-SHELL PISTACHIOS CUT CALORIES SUBSTANTIALLY: In two separate studies in the same journal, researchers have concluded that shelling and eating pistachios reduces calorie intake by 41 percent compared to eating pistachios that have already been shelled, suggesting that the sight of, and opening of, the shells themselves give visual clues that serve as a mindful benefit that curbs overeating. In one
study, those who ate shelled pistachios consumed an average of 211 calories while those who ate the in-shell nuts took in only 125 calories. In the second study, more pistachios were eaten by those whose discarded shells were removed every two hours, than by those whose discarded shells were left in sight all day.
(Another study released in June 2011 found that the fat in pistachios is not fully absorbed by the body, meaning that they may involve ingestion of fewer calories than previously thought. At 160 calories per ounce, or per 30 grams, pistachios are lower in calories compared to other nuts.) This just-released study will not be published in print until the October 2011 issue of the journal, Appetite. However, it is available online now at
http://bit.ly/r4s0kI with subscription or study access fee.

SENSE OF OPTIMISM PROTECTS ELDERLY FROM STROKE: Researchers have found that, among people aged 50 years and older, every unit higher that an individual scores on an optimism scale ranging from 3 to 18 (with higher scores indicating greater optimism) results in a 10 percent lower risk of having a stroke. In other words, if one person scored 7 and another, more optimistic person scored 12, the second person would have, compared to the first, a 50 percent lower risk of having a stroke. In the two-year study, the researchers accounted for psychological, biological and behavioral differences, as well as age and health, so that the
stroke-protective effect was due strictly to the sense of optimism itself. The results suggest that the effect that
optimistic attitude has on health is distinctly separate from any other psychological element such as happiness or emotional wellbeing. The scientists believe corroborating studies could lead to optimism interventions as a stroke prevention therapy. Optimism was assessed by employing the Life Orientation Test-Revised. This study was released late on July 21, 2011; it will be published in the October 2011 issue of the journal Stroke and is available online now at http://bit.ly/qwznDd without charge.

DID YOU KNOW…?
A federal study found 40 percent of heat-related deaths occur in those 65 or over. Other research
concluded that recommendations for older people for dealing with extremely hot weather often
go unheeded by over-65s because they do not see themselves as old. They should drink more
fluids than younger people, avoid strenuous outdoor activity, and seek air-conditioning.

POTENT NEW ANTIOXIDANT DISCOVERED: Researchers have discovered a
unique, tomato-plant-based phenolic compound (a phenylpropanoid)
with about 14 times as much antioxidant power as resveratrol, the
well-known antioxidant believed to have sufficient power to
retard cellular aging. (Antioxidants render harmless, otherwise
risky, electrically charged particles that result from the
actions of oxygen in the body. They have the ability to damage
the cardiovascular system, trigger cancer, and promote aging.)
The never-before-known antioxidant is synthesized by the tomato
plant when it is under attack by a specific bacterium. It ability
to mop up dangerous free oxygen radicals is about 10 times the
antioxidant ability of vitamin C, and about 4 times the potency
of vitamin E. Patents have been registered on the unique new
antioxidant. Synthesizing the compound, which does not yet have
an official name, is a very simple procedure, and it may be
incorporated into supplement form in the future. This justreleased
study will be published in a future issue of the
journal, Environmental and Experimental Botany. It is accessible
online now at http://bit.ly/qJAqzl with subscription or fee.

MUSCLE MASS TRAINING LOWERS DIABETES RISK: A landmark study has concluded that the greater the muscle mass of an individual, the lower is his risk of developing insulin resistance and pre- or overt diabetes mellitus. This study underscores a little known fact: despite the truth that obesity is extremely common among
patients when they are first diagnosed with diabetes, many thin people do get diabetes, especially among the elderly. This study has shown that low muscle mass, which is common to both the obese and the slender, is the actual risk factor, not weight. In this research on 13,644 people, scientists grade subjects by their
degree of insulin resistance, prediabetes, or diabetes. The grading up the scale from healthy to fully diabetic corresponded well with decreasing levels of overall muscle mass. In fact, every increase of 10 percent in muscle mass produced an 11 percent reduction in insulin resistance, and a 12 percent reduction in diabetes. This relationship held even after accounting for other factors. This suggests that it is muscle training that lowers diabetes risk, not the aerobic exercise often advised for cardiovascular benefit, and it is possible at
any age, to use muscle mass training to lower diabetes risk, and to improve existing diabetes. Also, it is not overall weight that counts, but ratio of muscle to weight: you can be overweight and still muscled enough to avoid diabetes. This study was released early and will not appear in print until a future issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/qTKvcH with subscription or access fee.

SOME ZINC LOZENGES SHORTEN DURATION OF THE COMMON COLD: A review
of past studies has found that, depending on the ingredients,
dosage—and specific individual—zinc lozenges can shorten the
duration of the common cold up to 40 percent. (This effect is not
the same as that from swallowing zinc supplements; absorption by
mouth is required for benefit against colds.) Past studies
reported conflicting results and the current researchers
evaluated differences between the lozenges studied. Generally,
studies of dosages less than 75 mg of zinc did not have any
effect. Among those containing over 75 mg, lozenges containing
zinc salts other than zinc acetate shortened cold duration by
only 20 percent. But lozenges that provided over 75 mg of zinc as
zinc acetate produced an average 42 percent reduction in cold
duration. Researchers cautioned that individual differences play
some role however, because a recent study of lozenges containing
92 mg of zinc as zinc acetate found no difference between zinc
and placebo groups. Still, aside from bad taste, no harmful
effects were noted. This study is published in the current issue
of the Open Respiratory Medicine Journal and is available online
at http://bit.ly/nOLhRG in full-text format without cost.

KEY CAUSE OF AGING DETERIORATION CAN BE CORRECTED: A study has found a diminished capacity to manufacture glutathione (GSH) explains the observed lower levels in, and is a key factor in, age-related deterioration – and that supplementation with two GSH precursors restores normal levels, diminishing age-related damage. (GSH is a primary antioxidant, crucial to completing the antioxidant process started by other antioxidants, and without which, half-finished metabolism of free radicals causes a chain reaction of cell destruction.) Reduced GSH levels occur with age, damaging cells, but the reason for the drop has been unclear. The study showed age-related reductions in GSH levels stem from diminished ability to synthesize GSH. Supplementing with the GSH precursors cysteine and glycine fully restored normal GSH production, largely restored normal GSH concentration levels, and significantly reduced oxidative stress and the cellular damage of
aging. The report suggested supplementation with cysteine and glycine may be a safe and effective way to lower age-related free radical damage. (The body cannot directly absorb GSH well.) This study was released July 27, 2011 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition but will not be published until a future issue. It is online at http://bit.ly/r7uI3F with subscription or fee.

DID YOU KNOW…?
In at least one study, alcohol was only barely related to the risk of cirrhosis. Being overweight (a
BMI of 28 or more) and having high triglycerides were each far greater risk factors. This
research was published in the June 2011 issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology.

MOST 8-MONTH-OLDS CONSUMING EXCESSIVE SALT: A study reports that 70 percent of babies who are just 8 months old are already consuming levels of sodium chloride (salt) that exceed the dietary recommendations, at least in the UK where the study was completed, and the problem may be establishing a lifelong taste for salty foods in these children, and could damage young kidneys. (Babies up to 12 months should not ingest more than 400 mg of sodium daily.) The report found that 70 percent of 8-month olds are primarily getting excess salt due to consumption of processed adult foods and cow milk. Cow milk contains more sodium, at 55 mg per 100gm, than breast milk, which contains only 15 mg per 100 gm, or formula, which holds 15 to 30 mg per 100 gm, and the research team stressed that milk from cows not be given prior to 2 years of age. Also, adult processed foods are regularly given to babies, according to the report, in the form of a large amount of bread, gravy, canned spaghetti, and baked beans. The study used figures on babies born in 1991 and 1992, but scientists doubt that wholesale changes have since taken place in the feeding of 8-month olds. Just released by the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this study is available online by logging in at http://bit.ly/qWhwVV, searching study doi:10.1038/ejcn.2011.137, and paying the access fee.

DID YOU KNOW…?
The risk of hyperthermia, the condition in which the body overheats in hot weather, increases as
we age, due to age-related changes in the skin, such as decreased functioning of the sweat glands
and small blood vessels. This reminder and tips to avoid hyperthermia were issued by the
National Institutes of Health, and are available at http://1.usa.gov/o12xXp.

MOTORCYCYLE HELMETS A RISK TO HEARING: Helmets worn by
motorcyclists may be contributing to hearing loss, suggests a new
study by scientists who have mapped the airflow and noise
patterns to discover the reason for this risk. Scientists report
that it is not the noise of a loud engine that is behind the
increased risk of hearing loss. It is the sound generated by air
whooshing over the helmet, a sound which exceeds safe hearing
levels even at legal road speeds. In the new study, the team
identified a key source of the rushing-air din. The researchers
found that an area underneath the helmet and near the chin bar is
a significant source of the noise that reaches sensitive
eardrums. The team also investigated how helmet angle and wind
speed affected the loudness. Future tests will move beyond the
wind tunnel to real-life riders on the open road. The findings
may be used to design quieter helmets, but meanwhile riders
should monitor their speed and have hearing checked. This study
was released by the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
and is not available online.

DID YOU KNOW…?
A number of studies link sufficient levels of vitamin D with a reduced risk of colorectal, breast,
prostate, and pancreatic cancers, although some large studies have shown conflicting results.
About one-third of Americans are not getting enough vitamin D, according to a March 2011
report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the elderly are often vitamin-D
deficient. Canadians have higher rates of deficiency as well as a higher cancer rate.