liveonearth: (Oprah_shocked)
Fascinating new research uses masses of data from NHANES to find that current cannabis users have less insulin resistance, smaller waists, and higher HDL, than former or non-users.

Notes from study and articles )
liveonearth: (elephant on trampoline)
The study in question (Women's Health Study) reaffirmed this association, in this case specifically for postmenopausal females. Certainly other populations are likely to be affected as well.

Nice article here: http://naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?edition=1§ion=3&article=330

Physicians are faced with a basic question when making a prescription of any drug to a patient: “What are the risks and benefits of this recommendation?” When it comes to statin drugs, the benefits have been grossly overstated, while the risks have continually been swept under the rug. That discussion is much longer than the space available in this commentary. Suffice it to say that it is important to point out that while statins reduce the heart attack risk in women, they do not appear to affect overall risk of death, possibly because an increased risk for diabetes cancels out the reduced heart attack risk. So, let me focus on the study at hand and try to make sense of such a high risk for diabetes in postmenopausal women using statins.
liveonearth: (elephant on trampoline)
dietary supplementation with coconut oil-->reduction in waist circumference after 1 week!!
also coconut--> higher HDL, lower LDL:HDL ratio
randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 12 week long diet
n = 40 women in 2 groups, daily soybean oil vs daily coconut oil
all walked and ate low cal diets
at 1 wk: soybean oil group had incr total chol, LDL and LDL:HDL ratio, decr HDL
(bad trend in fats)
the study )
liveonearth: (Default)
(Reuters) - People with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease, researchers in Japan reported on Thursday.

The study involved 135 elderly participants in the town of Hisayama, Fukuoka prefecture, who had their blood sugar levels checked several times at the start of the study. They were then monitored for signs of Alzheimer's disease for 10 to 15 years.

After they died, researchers conducted autopsies on their brains and found plaques, particularly in those who had high blood sugar levels while they were alive.
more )
liveonearth: (Default)
This web site has tons of great diet/nutrition info.
Here's an article that explains the glycemic index:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/grains/gigl.html
liveonearth: (Default)
ZOCOR = SIMVASTATIN
--an enzyme blocker (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor)
--a substrate of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4)
--a "statin"
--blocks the production of cholesterol in the body
--prescribed for adults, children down to 10 years of age and girls who have menstruated for at least a year
--used along with a proper diet to help lower cholesterol and fats (triglycerides) in the blood
--(rare) can cause the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue leading to kidney failure, look for muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, dark colored urine
--in 2006 zocor was the second best selling drug in the U.S.
--Zocor lost its patent protections in June 2006, so generics are available
--Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, and other drugs in the "statin" class have been judged by many experts to be "pretty much interchangeable"
--can cause birth defects in an unborn baby
--DO NOT USE if you are pregnant, breast feeding, or have liver disease
--BEWARE if you have diabetes, underactive thyroid, kidney disease, muscle or blood disorder --Zocor 5 mg - shield-shaped, buff, film-coated tablets
--Zocor 10 mg - shield-shaped, peach-colored, film-coated tablets
--Zocor 20 mg - shield-shaped, tan, film-coated tablets
--Vytorin contains both Zetia (ezetimibe) and Zocor (simvastatin) in one tablet
--USU prescribed after non-drug treatment options have not been successful at lowering cholesterol (e.g., diet change, increase in exercise, weight loss if overweight)
--familial hypercholesterolemia may require more frequent dosing
--AVOID eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while being treated with this medication unless your doctor instructs you otherwise
--costs $4/pill or $2/pill for generic
--one statin isn't any better than any other (except, perhaps, some are more dangerous)
--statins are "one of the most unnecessary drugs in medicine" (Mercola)
--There are a small group of people with genetic enzyme defects that have cholesterols levels above 325-350. These are about the only individuals in my experience, who seem to benefit from statins. In my practice of 10,000 patients there has been a grand total of three patients that required statins to control this genetic problem.
--pretty much every other person can normalize their cholesterol levels with diet & exercise
--physicians are prescribing these drugs for anyone with a heart attack, even if their cholesterol level is already dangerously low (below 150).
--nearly all conventional physicians fail to appreciate is that there is a danger of having a cholesterol that is too low.
--Mercola's plan (what to do instead of taking statins):
1) normalize your insulin levels by eliminating sugar and grains from your diet
2) take a high-quality fish oil that is chock full of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids
3) check your iron levels as elevated levels of iron can cause major oxidative damage in the blood vessels, heart and other organs
4) get regular exercise
more )
liveonearth: (Default)
What is arachidonic acid? It's a 20 carbon fatty acid that is unsaturated in four places. It is also known as eicosatetraenoic acid. 20:4 delta 4, 8, 11, 14. It's a precursor to local (autocrine & paracrine) signalling molecules known as Eicosanoids.
procrastinating on microbiology )
liveonearth: (Default)
Mercola finally put it all together in simple layman's terms for us at: http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Finally-Science-Confirms-the-Secret-Key-to-Weight-Loss-19046.aspx.

The gist of it: The way Americans eat (constant junk consumption) causes us to release a lot of insulin from the pancreas into the blood. Physical inactivity causes our insulin receptors to shut down, because they are not being used. These receptors are how sugar gets from the blood stream into the cells. So the insulin and sugar are stuck in the blood, and we have high blood sugar and low energy. The high insulin levels that result inhibit the pruduction of lipase, a fat-burning enzyme. Without lipase our bodies have to break down carbs and proteins for energy. If we try to diet we lose muscle mass instead of fat because we don't have lipase, because we've been eating junk so long. Burning up our muscles makes us weak and low energy, and we can't exercise, and the whole situation gets worse until we die of heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and other systemic issues that were caused at the very beginning by our crappy diets and inactivity.
liveonearth: (Montana Mountains)
The BBC posted about a new study today that found a correlation between low testosterone in men over 50, and the cluster of conditions known as metabolic syndrome (high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure). I wonder if the 33% higher death rate associated with low testosterone could be related to inactivity and poor diet that results in metabolic syndrome. In the article, men are advised to "stay active" in order to prevent low testosterone. "Keeping a good body shape will help maintain your testosterone levels." The study also indicated that testosterone levels in men of all ages are decreasing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6723723.stm
liveonearth: (Default)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/lifeathome/story.html?id=a042812e-492c-4f07-8245-8a598ab5d1bf&k=63970

Diabetic mice were injected with injected with capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers, which counteracted the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas. The mice became healthy practically overnight.

Any disease that the modern medical establishment claims is "incurable" is actually a cash cow. They want to keep us sick and paying for medicine. I don't believe claims of incurability. I believe in miracles. I believe that our bodies want to live, and that life impulse, given the right materials, will kick the ass of any invader or malfunction.

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