BEREKLEY - Scientists from University of California, Berkeley, have identified biochemical pathways that can lead to aging of muscles.

By manipulating these pathways, the researchers were able to turn back the clock on old human muscle, restoring its ability to repair and rebuild itself.

“Our study shows that the ability of old human muscle to be maintained and repaired by muscle stem cells can be restored to youthful vigor given the right mix of biochemical signals,” said Professor Irina Conboy, a faculty member in the graduate bioengineering program that is run jointly by UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco, and head of the research team conducting the study.

“This provides promising new targets for forestalling the debilitating muscle atrophy that accompanies aging, and perhaps other tissue degenerative disorders as well,” she added.

Previous studies have shown that ability of adult stem cells to do their job of repairing and replacing damaged tissue is governed by the molecular signals they get from surrounding muscle tissue, and that those signals change with age in ways that preclude productive tissue repair.

The regenerative function in old stem cells can be revived given the appropriate biochemical signals.

During the study, the researchers examined the response of the human muscle to biochemical signals.

They learned from previous studies that adult muscle stem cells have a receptor called Notch, which triggers growth when activated.

Those stem cells also have a receptor for the protein TGF-beta that, when excessively activated, sets off a chain reaction that ultimately inhibits a cell’s ability to divide.

They found that aging in mice is associated in part with the progressive decline of Notch and increased levels of TGF-beta, ultimately blocking the stem cells’ capacity to effectively rebuild the body.

This study revealed that the same pathways are at play in human muscle, but also showed for the first time that mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase was an important Positive regulator of Notch activity essential for human muscle repair, and that it was rendered inactive in old tissue.

When levels of MAPK were experimentally inhibited, young human muscle was no longer able to regenerate. The reverse was true when the researchers cultured old human muscle in a solution where activation of MAPK had been forced.

In that case, the regenerative ability of the old muscle was significantly enhanced.

The study appears in journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.

NEW YORK -  American scientists have developed, what is being hailed as a “simply spectacular” treatment for skin cancer that could shrink the tumours at a “rapid and dramatic” rate in patients whose disease had spread.

The results of the drug trial are significant because skin cancer, though curable when caught early, usually become fatal when it spreads to other parts of the body.

Experts described the results as “simply spectacular” and said the drug, known at the moment only as PLX4032, could improve and extend the lives of those fighting the disease.

It is already known that around half of all malignant melanomas are fuelled by a mutation in a gene, known as Braf.

And now, for the first time, scientists have developed a drug that can interfere with this gene’s protein, cutting off the fuel supply to the tumours.

The small study, conducted on 31 patients showed that patients treated with the twice-a-day pill saw their ­tumours shrink rapidly and a larger trial is now needed to confirm the findings.

But the results showed that in two thirds of the 22 patients evaluated, the tumours shrank by 30 per cent in only a month.

A further six patients also saw their tumours shrink, but not by as much.

Cancer experts are excited by the findings because it means that PLX4032 could also work in other cancers triggered by the Braf ­mutation, which includes around five per cent of bowel cancers, accounting for 1,500 new cases a year.

In addition the drug also offers hope to the thousands of skin cancer patients who have very few treatment options once their tumours have spread.

However, experts admit the drug will not cure metastatic melanoma.

“We are very excited. So far 70 per cent of patients have responded,” The Daily Express quoted Dr Paul Chapman, from the ­Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York, which carried out the trial, as saying.

WASHINGTON - Scientists hope that laser-based processes may help create arterial stents and longer-lasting medical implants 10 times faster, and less expensively.

Yung Shin, a professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of Purdue’s Center for Laser-Based Manufacturing, stresses the need for new technologies to meet the huge global market for artificial hips and knees, insisting that the worldwide population of people younger than 40 who receive hip implants is expected to be 40 million annually by 2010, and double to 80 million by 2030.

Besides speeding production to meet the anticipated demand, Shin says that another goal is to create implants that last longer than the ones that are made presently.

“We have 200,000 total hip replacements in the United States. They last about 10 years on average. That means if you receive an implant at 40, you may need to have it replaced three or four times in your lifetime,” he said.

In one of their techniques, the researchers deposit layers of a powdered mixture of metal and ceramic materials, melting the powder with a laser and then immediately solidifying each layer to form parts.

Shin says that, given that the technique enables parts to be formed one layer at a time, it is ideal for coating titanium implants with ceramic materials that mimic the characteristics of natural bone.

“Titanium and other metals do not match either the stiffness or the nature of bones, so you have to coat it with something that does. However, if you deposit ceramic on metal, you don’t want there to be an abrupt change of materials because that causes differences in thermal expansion and chemical composition, which results in cracks. One way to correct this is to change the composition gradually so you don’t have a sharp boundary,” Shin said.

The gradual layering approach is called a “functionally gradient coating”.

The researchers have revealed that they used their laser deposition processes to create a porous titanium-based surface and a calcium phosphate outer surface, both designed to better match the stiffness of bone than conventional implants.

The laser deposition process enables researchers to make parts with complex shapes that are customized for the patient.

“Medical imaging scans could just be sent to the laboratory, where the laser deposition would create the part from the images. Instead of taking 30 days like it does now because you have to make a mold first, we could do it in three days. You reduce both the cost and production time,” Shin said.

According to the researchers, the laser deposition technique lends itself to the requirement that each implant be designed specifically for each patient.

“These are not like automotive parts. You can’t make a million that are all the same,” Shin said.

He says that the process creates a strong bond between the material being deposited and the underlying titanium, steel or chromium.

The researcher further reveals that tests have shown that the bond is at least seven times as strong as industry standards require.

Using computational modelling, the researchers simulate, study and optimise the processes.

The researchers, however, admit that more studies are required before the techniques are ready for commercialisation.

They have revealed that their future work will involve studying “shape-memory” materials that are similar to bone and also have a self-healing capability for longer-lasting implants.

They are also working on a technique that uses an “ultra short pulse laser” to create arterial stents, which are metal scaffolds inserted into arteries to keep them open after surgeries to treat clogs.

Since the laser pulses last only a matter of picoseconds, or quadrillionths of a second, they do not cause heat damage to the foil-thin stainless steel and titanium material used to make the stents.

The laser removes material in precise patterns in a process called “cold ablation”, which turns solids into a plasma. The patterns enable the stents to expand properly after being inserted into a blood vessel.

BIRMINGHAM - Can bacteria help build bones implants? Well, at least scientists at the University of Birmingham say “Yes”.

Lead researcher Lynne Macaskie suggests that Serratia bacteria that manufacture hydroxyapatite (HA) could be used to make stronger, more durable bone implants.

In a study, the researchers showed that the bacterial cells stuck tightly to surfaces like as titanium alloy, polypropylene, porous glass and polyurethane foam by forming a biofilm layer containing biopolymers that acted as a strong adhesive.

The HA coating then builds up over the surface. For practical use, the HA layer must stick tightly, then the material is dried and heated to destroy the bacteria.

With the help of micro-manipulation technique, the researchers measured the force needed to overcome the bioglue adhesion, and showed that dried biofilm stuck 20-times more tightly than fresh biofilm.

When coated with HA the adhesion was several times more again. Slightly roughening the surface made the bioglue much more effective.

Presently, implant materials are made by spraying-on hydroxyapatite. This does not have good mechanical strength and the spraying only reaches visible areas.

The new biocoating method reaches all the hidden surfaces as the bacteria can “swim” into hidden nooks and crannies.

Macaskie insists that bacterial HA has better properties than HA made chemically as the nanocrystals of HA produced by the bacteria are much smaller than HA crystals produced chemically, giving them a high mechanical strength.

“The bacteria are destroyed by heating, leaving just the HA stuck to the surface with their own glue - rather akin to a burnt milk-saucepan,” said Macaskie.

“We need to do more work actually to turn the materials into materials we can use in biomedicine and the environment,” she added.

The study was presented at Society for General Microbiology’s meeting at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

The Food and Nutrition Board released the sixth in a series of reports presenting dietary reference values for the intake of nutrients by Americans and Canadians. This new report establishes nutrient recommendations on water, salt and potassium to maintain health and reduce chronic disease risk. Highlights of the report include:

    * The vast majority of healthy people adequately meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide. The report did not specify exact requirements for water, but set general recommendations for women at approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water — from all beverages and foods — each day, and men an average of approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces daily) of total water. The panel did not set an upper level for water.

    * About 80 percent of people’s total water intake comes from drinking water and beverages — including caffeinated beverages — and the other 20 percent is derived from food.

    * Prolonged physical activity and heat exposure will increase water losses and therefore may raise daily fluid needs, although it is important to note that excessive amounts can be life-threatening.

    * Healthy 19- to 50-year-old adults should consume 1.5 grams of sodium and 2.3 grams of chloride each day — or 3.8 grams of salt — to replace the amount lost daily on average through sweat and to achieve a diet that provides sufficient amounts of other essential nutrients.

    * The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for salt is set at 5.8 grams per day. More than 95 percent of American men and 90 percent of Canadian men ages 31 to 50, and 75 percent of American women and 50 percent of Canadian women in this age range regularly consume salt in excess of the UL.

    * Older individuals, African Americans, and people with chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease are especially sensitive to the blood pressure-raising effects of salt and should consume less than the UL.

    * Adults should consume at least 4.7 grams of potassium per day to lower blood pressure, blunt the effects of salt, and reduce the risk of kidney stones and bone loss. However, most American women 31 to 50 years old consume no more than half of the recommended amount of potassium, and men’s intake is only moderately higher.

    * There was no evidence of chronic excess intakes of potassium in apparently health individuals and thus no UL was established.

It has been hypothesized that wild yam ( Dioscorea villosa  and other  Dioscorea  species) possesses dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-like properties and acts as a precursor to human sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Based on this proposed mechanism, extracts of the plant have been used to treat painful menstruation, hot flashes, and headaches associated with menopause.

However, these uses are based on a misconception that wild yam contains hormones or hormonal precursors - largely due to the historical fact that progesterone, androgens, and cortisone were chemically manufactured from Mexican wild yam in the 1960s. It is unlikely that this chemical conversion to progesterone occurs in the human body. The hormonal activity of some topical wild yam preparations has been attributed to adulteration with synthetic progesterone by manufacturers, although there is limited evidence in this area.

The effects of the wild yam saponin constituent “diosgenin” on lipid metabolism are well documented in animal models and are possibly due to impaired intestinal cholesterol absorption. However, its purported hypocholesterolemic effect in humans and the feasibility of long-term use warrant further investigation.

There are few reported contraindications to the use of wild yam in adults. However, there are no reliable safety or toxicity studies during pregnancy, lactation, or childhood.

Atlantic yam, barbasco, batata silvestre, black yam, China root, colic root, devil’s bones,  Dioscorea ,  Dioscorea barbasco ,  Dioscorea hypoglauca ,  Dioscorea macrostachya ,  Dioscorea opposita ,  Dioscorea villosa , Dioscoreae (family), diosgenin, Mexican yam, natural DHEA, phytoestrogen, potassium, rheumatism root, shan yao, white yam, wild yam root, yam, yellow yam, yuma.

Note: “Yams” sold in the supermarket are members of the sweet potato family and are not true yams.

These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider.

High cholesterol

Animal studies have shown that wild yam can reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the gut. Early studies in humans have shown changes in the levels of certain sub-types of cholesterol, including decreases in low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides and increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good cholesterol”). However, no changes in the total amount of blood cholesterol have been found. More studies are needed in this area.

Menopausal symptoms

Most studies have not shown a benefit from wild yam given by mouth or used as a vaginal cream in reducing menopausal symptoms. However, replacing two thirds of staple food with yam for 30 days was shown to improve the status of sex hormones, lipids, and antioxidants in a recent study in postmenopausal women. The authors suggest that these effects might reduce the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. Further research is needed before a recommendation can be made.        C

Hormonal properties (to mimic estrogen, progesterone, or DHEA)

Despite popular belief, no natural progestins, estrogens, or other reproductive hormones are found in wild yam. Its active ingredient, diosgenin, is not converted to hormones in the human body. Artificial progesterone has been added to some wild yam products. The belief that there are hormones in wild yam may be due to the historical fact that progesterone, androgens, and cortisone were chemically manufactured from Mexican wild yam in the 1960s.          

Antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, asthma, bile flow improvement, biliary colic, breast cancer, breast enlargement, cancer prevention, cardiovascular disease, carminative (prevents gas), childbirth, cramps, croup, decreased perspiration, diverticulitis, energy improvement, excessive perspiration, expectorant, intestinal spasm, irritable bowel syndrome, joint pain, libido, liver protection, low blood sugar, menstrual pain or irregularities, morning sickness, nerve pain, osteoporosis, pancreatic enzyme inhibitor, pelvic cramps, postmenopausal vaginal dryness, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), rash, rheumatic pain, spasms, urinary tract disorders, uterus contraction, vomiting.

The below doses are based on scientific research, publications, traditional use, or expert opinion. Many herbs and supplements have not been thoroughly tested, and safety and effectiveness may not be proven. Brands may be made differently, with variable ingredients, even within the same brand. The below doses may not apply to all products. You should read product labels, and discuss doses with a qualified healthcare provider before starting therapy.

Adults (18 years and older)

Allergies

Rubbing the skin with  Dioscorea batatas  (a yam species related to  Dioscorea villosa ) has been reported to cause allergic rash. Workers exposed to  Dioscorea batatas  in large amounts and for a prolonged time have developed asthma that is made worse by exposure to the yam. A person who is known to have an allergy to  Dioscorea batatas  may also be allergic to other  Dioscorea  types.

Side Effects and Warnings

Rubbing the skin with  Dioscorea batatas , a related yam species, has been reported to cause a rash at the site of contact. Wild yam cream caused no rash in 23 healthy women in one reported study. In another study, wild yam given by mouth was reported to cause stomach upset at high doses.

Wild yam was believed in the past to have properties similar to the reproductive hormone progesterone, but this has not been supported by scientific studies. It has been suggested that some wild yam creams might be tainted with artificial progesterone. Based on theoretical hormonal properties and possible progesterone contamination, people with hormone-sensitive conditions should use wild yam products with caution. This caution applies to people who have had blood clots or strokes and to women who take hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills. In addition, women with fibroids, endometriosis, or cancer of the breast, uterus, or ovary should be aware that these are hormone-sensitive conditions that may be affected by agents with hormonal properties.

Caution is advised in patients with diabetes or low blood sugar and in those taking drugs, herbs, or supplements that affect blood sugar. Blood sugar levels may need to be monitored by a healthcare provider and medication adjustments may be necessary.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Use of wild yam is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding due to a lack of safety information. Wild yam is believed to cause uterine contractions and therefore use is discouraged during pregnancy. Wild yam was once thought to have effects similar to those of reproductive hormones, although this has not been proven in scientific studies. Artificial progesterone may be added to some products.

InteractionsReturn to top

Most herbs and supplements have not been thoroughly tested for interactions with other herbs, supplements, drugs, or foods. The interactions listed below are based on reports in scientific publications, laboratory experiments, or traditional use. You should always read product labels. If you have a medical condition, or are taking other drugs, herbs, or supplements, you should speak with a qualified healthcare provider before starting a new therapy.

Interactions with Drugs

It is not clear whether blood sugar is lowered by  Dioscorea villosa  (wild yam). Dioscoretine, a compound found in the related species  Dioscorea dumentorum  (bitter or African yam), has been shown to lower blood sugar levels, but this has not been shown for  Dioscorea villosa . Effects on blood sugar in humans have not been reported. Nonetheless, caution is advised when using medications that may also lower blood sugar. People taking diabetes drugs by mouth or insulin should be monitored closely by a qualified healthcare provider. Medication adjustments may be necessary.

Early evidence suggests that wild yam lowers blood levels of indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and reduces irritation of the intestine caused by indomethacin. Human studies have not been reported in this area and it is not clear if wild yam affects the blood levels of other anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®).

Diosgenin, thought to be the active substance in wild yam, has been found in animals to reduce absorption of cholesterol from the intestine and to lower total cholesterol levels in the blood. Studies in humans show no change in the total amount of cholesterol in the blood, although the amounts of specific types of cholesterol in the blood may be changed; low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides may be lowered and high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good cholesterol”) may be increased. It is thought that wild yam may enhance the effects of other cholesterol-lowering medications, including fibric acid derivatives such as clofibrate (Questran®), gemfibrozil (Lopid®), and fenofibrate (Tricor®). In animals, wild yam has been found to improve the effect of clofibrate in lowering cholesterol levels.

Tinctures of wild yam may contain high amounts of alcohol and may lead to vomiting if taken with disulfiram (Antabuse®) or metronidazole (Flagyl®).

An early study suggests that wild yam may interfere with the body’s ability to control levels of the reproductive hormone progesterone. Progesterone is a key ingredient in some hormone replacement and birth control pills. There are reports that some wild yam products may be tainted with artificial progesterone. Women taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy should speak with a licensed healthcare provider before taking wild yam.

Wild yam may also interact with steroids, although human evidence is lacking.

Interactions with Herbs and Dietary Supplements

It is not clear whether  Dioscorea villosa  (wild yam) lowers blood sugar levels. Although dioscoretine, produced by the related species  Dioscorea dumentorum  (bitter or African yam), has been shown to lower blood sugar, this reaction has not been seen with  Dioscorea villosa  and has not been reported in humans. Nonetheless, caution is advised when using herbs or supplements that may also lower blood glucose. Blood glucose levels may require monitoring and doses may need adjustment.

Diosgenin, thought to be the active substance in wild yam, has been found in animals to reduce absorption of cholesterol from the intestine and to lower total cholesterol levels in the blood. Studies in humans show no change in the total amount of cholesterol in the blood, although the amounts of specific types of cholesterol in the blood may be changed; low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides may be lowered and high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good cholesterol”) appears to be increased.

In an early study, a wild yam preparation was reported to block the body’s natural production of progesterone. However, this finding was not supported by later research. There have been several reports that some wild yam products are tainted with synthetic progesterone. Because wild yam may contain progesterone-like chemicals, the effects of other agents believed to have hormone-like properties, in particular those with estrogen-like properties, may be altered.

Wild yam may also interact with potassium vitamin C or steroids, although human evidence is lacking.

HAVANA -  The effects of anamú tablets, a drug made from the leaves of this plant, will be on trial from March in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba.

Developed by East Pharmaceutical (LFO), the first natural Cuban stimulant is aimed at treating patients with cancer and AIDS whose immunological system is depressed as a result of the disease and aggressive treatments.

In statements published in Juventud Rebelde newspaper, Zoe Lemus, the laboratory specialist explained that they have concluded the industrial scale production of some 160 000 tablets.

These pills will be introduced in specialized consultations at the Conrado Benitez oncology hospital, and the HIV-Oriente Center, located in the Juan Bruno Zayas hospital, in Santiago de Cuba.

Anamu is an herbaceous perennial plant that grows up to 1 m in height. It is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest and tropical areas of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Africa.

The plant has a long history in alternative medicine in all of the tropical countries where it grows. In Brazilian herbal medicine, it is considered an antispasmodic, diuretic, menstrual stimulant and sweat promoter. In other countries is used to treat edema, arthritis, malaria, rheumatism, and poor memory and as a topical analgesic and anti-inflammatory for skin diseases.

Following successful animal testing and the registration of the new drug, the immediate initiation of studies in patients can be interpreted as an achievement of science from Santiago de Cuba. This was the result of integration between specialists of the LFO, the Center for Toxicology and Biomedicine and the Regulatory Bureau for Health Protection in the said province.

JERUSALEM -  Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have gained fresh insights into how anaesthesia and anaesthesia-like states are controlled in the brain, opening the door to possible new future treatments of various states of loss of consciousness, such as reversible coma.

Marshall Devor, the Cecile and Seymour Alpert Professor of Pain Research, graduate student Ruth Abulafia and research associate Dr. Vladimir Zalkind say that they have basically discovered a brain area that participates in the control of “alert status”.

Their findings suggest that a small group of neurons near the base of the brain, in the mesopontine tegmentum, has executive control over the alert status of the entire cerebrum and spinal cord, and can generate loss of pain sensation, postural collapse, and loss of consciousness through specific neural circuitry.hey came to this conclusion after observing that microinjection of tiny quantities of certain anaesthetic drugs into this newly discovered “centre of consciousness” in laboratory rats induced a profound suppressive effect on the activity of the cerebral cortex.

The researchers admit that it is not certain that their findings will translate reliably from rats to man.

They, however, insist that in case their findings do replicate in man, the new knowledge could contribute to the ability of medical science to treat disorders of consciousness and its loss, such as insomnia, excessive sleepiness and even coma.

Perhaps by direct electrical stimulation of the cells in question, it might prove possible to arouse a patient from coma, say the researchers.

They further say that the discovery of a specific cluster of neurons that control the brain’s state of consciousness can be expected to lead to the beginnings of an understanding of the actual wiring diagram that permits a biological machine, the brain, to be conscious.

A research article describing their study has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

WASHINGTON - Eating chocolate or drinking water can relieve aches and pains, a new study has shown.

A team of researchers says the distraction of eating or drinking for pleasure acts as a natural painkiller.

Although the findings come from studies on animals, the scientists believe the same effect takes place in people.

The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of Neuroscience by authors Peggy Mason, PhD, professor of neurobiology, and Hayley Foo, PhD, research associate professor of neurobiology at the University of Chicago, is the first to demonstrate that this powerful painkilling effect occurs while the animals are ingesting food or liquid even in the absence of appetite.

“It’s a strong, strong effect, but it’s not about hunger or appetite,” Mason said.

“If you have all this food in front of you that’s easily available to reach out and get, you’re not going to stop eating, for basically almost any reason,” the expert added.

In the experiments, rats were given either a chocolate chip to eat or had sugar water or regular water infused directly into their mouth. As the rat swallowed the chocolate or fluid, a light-bulb beneath the cage was switched on, providing a heat stimulus that normally caused the animal to lift its paw off the floor.

Mason and Foo found that rats were much slower to raise their paw while eating or drinking, compared to tests conducted while they were awake, but not eating.

Surprisingly, the researchers found no difference in the delayed paw-lift response between when the rat was eating chocolate and when it was drinking water, despite previous research indicating that only sugary substances were protective against pain.

“This really shows it has nothing to do with calories,” Mason said. “Water has no calories, saccharine has no sugar, but both have the same effect as achocolate chip. It’s really shocking.”

Mason and Foo then repeated the heat test as the rats were given quinine, a bitter drink that causes rats to make an expression called a gape that’s akin to a child’s expression of “yuck.” During quinine administration, the rats reacted to heat as quickly as when not eating, suggesting that a non-pleasurable food or drink fails to trigger pain relief.

The context of ingesting was also important to whether eating or drinking blunted pain, the researchers found. When rats were made ill by a drug treatment,eating chocolate no longer delayed their response. However, drinking water still caused a reduced pain response, indicating that drinking water was considered a positive experience while ill.

By selectively inactivating a region in the brainstem called the raphe mangus - an area previously shown to blunt pain during sleep and urination - Mason and Foo were able to remove the effect of drinking water on the rat’s pain response. The brainstem controls subconscious responses such as breathing and perspiration during exercise.

“You’re essentially at the mercy of your brainstem, and the raphe magnus is part of that,” Mason said. “It tells you, ‘you’re going to finish eating this, whether you like it or not,’ just like you sweat while running whether you like it or not.”

In the wild, Mason said, rats and other animals would not want to be distracted during the rare but important times that they were able to eat or drink. Therefore, the activation of the raphe magnus during eating or drinking would allow the rat to filter out distractions until their meal was completed. For obvious reasons, this naturalpain relief would be activated when an animal is eating or drinking something pleasurable, but not when it tastes something that could be toxic or harmful.

ST. LOUIS -  The brain is a complex system made of billions of neurons (nerve cells) and thousands of connections that relate to every human feeling, including one of the strongest emotions, fear. Researchers have started using computer models of the brain to study the connections.

Most neurological fear studies have been rooted in fear-conditioning experiments. Now, University of Missouri (U-M) researchers are using computational models to study the brain’s connections.

Guoshi Li, U-M electrical and computer engineering doctoral student, has discovered new evidence on how the brain reacts to fear, including important findings that could help victims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, an anxiety disorder associated with serious traumatic events).

“Computational models make it much easier to study the brain because they can effectively integrate different types of information related to a problem into a computational framework and analyse possible neural (bearing on nerve cells) mechanisms from a systems perspective,” Li said.

From previous experiments, scientists have found that fear can subside when overcome with fear extinction memory, but it is not permanently lost.

Fear extinction is a process in which a conditioned response to a stimulant that produces fear gradually diminishes over time as subjects, such as rats in auditory fear experiments, learn to disassociate a response from a stimulus.

One theory has concluded that fear extinction memory deletes fear memory, and another concluded that fear memory is not lost, but is inhibited by extinction memory as fear can recover with the passage of time after extinction, says an U-M release.

For PTSD victims, the fear circuit is disrupted and they cannot retrieve the fear extinction memory. However, the fear extinction memory exists, so the fear memory dominates every time victims get a fear cue.

LONDON - Many of us learn a foreign language when we are young, but in some cases, exposure is brief and we never get to hear or practice the tongue subsequently.

Our subjective impression is often that the neglected language completely fades away from our memory. But does use it or lose it apply to foreign languages?

Although it may seem we have absolutely no memory of the neglected language, new research suggests this forgotten language may be more deeply engraved in our minds than we realize.

Psychologists Jeffrey Bowers, Sven L. Mattys and Suzanne Gage from the University of Bristol recruited volunteers who were native English speakers but who had learned either Hindi or Zulu as children when living abroad.

The researchers focused on Hindi and Zulu because these languages contain certain phonemes that are difficult for native English speakers to recognize. A phoneme is the smallest sound in a language-a group of phonemes forms a word.

Scientists asked volunteers to complete a background vocabulary test to see if they remembered any words from the neglected language. They then trained the participants to distinguish between pairs of phonemes that started Hindi or Zulu words.

As it turned out, even though the volunteers showed no memory of the second language in the vocabulary test, they were able to quickly relearn and correctly identify phonemes that were spoken in the neglected language.

These findings suggest that exposing young children to foreign languages even if they do not continue to speak them can have a lasting impact on speech perception, says a Bristol release.

The study authors conclude: Even if the language is forgotten (or feels this way) after many years of disuse, leftover traces of the early exposure can manifest themselves as an improved ability to relearn the language.

These findings were published in Psychological Science.

MIAMI - In a breakthrough study, a cell biologist at The Florida State University has found that the absence of a key molecular player, known as Pds5, could lead to a number of chromosomal birth defects like Down syndrome.

For the study, Hong-Guo Yu used yeast genetics and a novel scheme to selectively remove a single protein from the cell division process called meiosis.

He found that when a Pds5 goes missing, chromosomes fail to segregate and pair up properly, and birth defects such as Down syndrome can result.

The study sheds new light on the protein Pds5, its crucial regulatory role during meiosis, and the impact of its absence on the molecular-level genesis of human chromosomal birth defects that include Down, Edwards, Patau, Turner, Klinefelter’s and XYY syndromes.

The findings may contribute to the eventual development of targeted, molecular-level interventions.

Yu explained how the meiotic stage is set and what goes wrong when key elements are rearranged.

“To produce a genetically balanced gamete (sperm and egg), the cell must contend with two sets of chromosome pairs, homologs and sisters. Homologs are the nearly identical chromosomes inherited from each parent; sisters are exactly identical pairs that are produced like photocopies as part of normal cell division,” he said.

“During normal meiosis, the process of division that halves the number of chromosomes per cell, my colleagues and I discovered that Pds5 regulates the pairing and synapsis (joining together) of ‘mom and dad’ homologs. We also learned that Pds5 plays a vital role in the synaptonemal complex, a glue-like protein structure that homologs use to literally stick together as they pair up. In addition, we found that, although sister chromatids enter meiosis in very close proximity to one another, Pds5 acts to inhibit synapsis between them, a good thing because, then, meiotic conditions support the necessary pairing of homologs,” he added.

On the other hand, removing Pds5 during meiosis triggers a chromosomal catastrophe.

“In order to observe what happened when the Pds5 went missing from the process, we performed a ‘molecular genetics trick’ that had never been applied to this particular protein before, and it worked. We successfully engineered yeast cells that shut down Pds5 only during meiosis, but not when they were vegetative,” said Yu.

Thus, Pds5 was no longer present to regulate homolog organization and transmission in the meiotic yeast cells.

The synaptonemal complex, which normally would support the synapsis of homologs by creating a sticky bond along their entire length, failed to form.

And in the resulting meiotic malfunction, the identical sister chromosomes began to synapse instead.

“When Pds5 is removed and sister chromatids become synapsed as a result, the segregation and recombination of homologs essential for genetic diversity fails. This finding is highly important, because failure to generate a crossover between homologs leads to chromosome missegregation and can cause human chromosomal birth defects such as Down syndrome, which affects about one in 800 newborns in the United States,” said Yu.

The study has been published in the Journal of Cell Biology. (ANI)

LONDON - People who get plenty of vitamin D can cut their chance of developing Type 2 diabetes by 55 per cent.

Researchers from the Warwick Medical School reviewed 28 existing studies on almost 100,000 people looking at vitamin D levels among middle-aged and elderly people. They also found high levels of vitamin D reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 33 per cent.

Sunshine brings risks too

Around 90 per cent of our vitamin D comes from sunshine and experts warn that people should be sensible about sun exposure - 30 minutes twice a week on the face and arms with no sunscreen is the maximum safe exposure for adults and children.

Clinical research needed to assess long-term benefits

“The study suggests that there is a link between higher levels of vitamin D and lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” said Dr Iain Frame, Director of Research at Diabetes UK.

“However, it does not show that vitamin D levels are a direct cause of these reductions in risk. Diabetes UK would be very interested to see results of clinical research following people over a period of time to establish the long-term beneficial effects of increased levels of vitamin D.

Help reduce your risk of diabetes

“What we do know is that an unhealthy lifestyle, having a large waist or being overweight can cause Type 2 diabetes.

“Diabetes UK recommends that people should eat a healthy, balanced diet low in fat, sugar and salt, and do at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day to reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.”

The research was published in the journal Maturitas.

Research shows that Velvet bean, a natural source of L-Dopa, improves the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This herb has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.

Mucuna pruriens, or Velvet bean, is an ancient herb that has received much attention in recent years because of its effectiveness in treating Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating neurological condition that affects millions, particularly with advancing age. Velvet bean’s active chemical ingredient is a natural form of dopamine, making it very specific for Parkinson’s disease, as well as for any disorder caused by insufficient levels of this critical neurotransmitter. Research has shown that when natural dopamine is chemically removed from the herb, Velvet bean is still effective against the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, indicating that the herb possesses multiple anti-Parkinsonian properties.

Velvet bean has been used as part of the traditional herbal treatment for Parkinson’s disease in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Empirical evidence gathered over this time strongly suggests that this treatment stops the progress of the disease by helping to regenerate the nervous system and arresting damage caused by free radicals. Herbal treatment has not been shown to reverse Parkinson’s disease, however.

Velvet Bean as an Herbal Alternative to L-Dopa

Due to the high concentration of naturally-occuring L-dopa in Velvet bean seeds, it has been studied intensively for its potential use in slowing the progress of Parkinson’s, which is characterized by progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in specific areas in the brain. Dopamine does not cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore cannot be used directly as a treatment. However, L-dopa does gain access to the brain-where it is converted to dopamine.

In a clinical trial, the effects of Velvet bean were compared with standard doses of L-dopa in Parkinson’s patients. For this study, eight Parkinson’s patients were treated with a short duration L-dopa response and completed a randomized, controlled, double blind crossover trial. Compared with standard treatment, the velvet bean preparation proved to have a significantly faster effect. The average onset was approximately 22% faster with a dose of 30 g of Velvet bean extract than that of the standard drug treatment.

Further Research on Velvet Bean and Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms

In a second clinical study, the efficacy of a traditional Ayurvedic treatment including Velvet bean was studied in 18 clinically diagnosed Parkinson’s disease patients. Patients whose herbal therapy was accompanied by traditional Ayurvedic cleansing experienced significant improvements in their Parkinson’s disease symptoms, particularly in motor activities. These patients showed reductions in tremors, radykinesia, stiffness and cramps as compared to patients receiving herbal therapy alone.

This research indicates that the naturally-occurring L-dopa contained in Velvet bean may offer advantages over conventional L-dopa preparations in the long-term management of Parkinson’s disease. The necessity of combining such treatment with whole-body cleansing, such as that traditionally administered in Ayurveda, significantly enhances the effectiveness of the herbal treatment.

CHICAGO - Doctors at Rush University Medical Center are offering pediatric patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses acupuncture therapy to help ease the pain and negative side effects like nausea, fatigue, and vomiting caused by chronic health conditions and intensive treatments. The confluence of Chinese and Western medicine at Rush Children’s Hospital is part of a study to analyze and document how acupuncture might help in reducing pain in children and increase quality of life.

“Treating children with acupuncture is a new frontier,” said Dr. Paul Kent, pediatric hematology and oncology expert, Rush Children’s Hospital. “We are looking to see if there is an effective pain management therapy we can offer that does not have the serious side effects that can be caused by narcotics and other serious pain medications.”

The lack of options for pain management in children has been reported as one of the most difficult aspects of providing care to pediatric patients. Research indicates that up to 70 percent of pediatric patients experience pain and those with chronic illnesses often do not have adequate relief or prevention of pain.

“Acupuncture could be a potential solution to this dilemma of controlling pain in pediatric patients,” said Angela Johnson, Chinese medicine practitioner at Rush.

Acupuncture is the use of tiny, hair-thin needles which are gently inserted along various parts of the body. The therapy is based on the premise that patterns of energy flowing through the body are essential for health. This energy, called Qi, flows along certain pathways. It is believed that placing the tiny needles at points along the pathways reduce pain and improve the healing process.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has published a statement concluding that acupuncture is effective for treating adults for nausea following chemotherapy and for pain after dental surgery. The agency also said that the therapy might be useful in treating other health issues such as addiction, migraines, headaches, menstrual cramps, abdominal pain, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, arthritis, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and asthma. In some pediatric studies, both patients and parents have stated that acupuncture treatments were both helpful and relaxing.

Rush will be offering acupuncture therapy to pediatric patients between the ages of 5-20 years of age, who are experiencing pain. A practitioner who is licensed in acupuncture by the State of Illinois and certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine will be giving the treatments. Study participants will receive eight acupuncture treatments at no charge.

“Many children with chronic or acute health issues turn to complementary or integrative approaches after all other conventional treatment options are exhausted,” said Johnson. “Parents should be aware that integrative therapies like acupuncture can be helpful from the onset of disease and can have a tremendously positive influence on a child’s quality of life.”

BLOOMINGTON - The Web is filled with products and practices that promise to “detoxify” the body through various means, from extreme diets to spa treatments to sweating.

Though some may be relatively harmless, the desire to detox was brought to a tragic conclusion last fall when three participants died and several were made seriously ill during a pricey sweat lodge ceremony in Arizona. Self-help guru James Arthur Ray was arrested Feb. 3 and charged with three counts of manslaughter in the deaths.

Doctors say the notion that you can — or should — undertake special efforts to cleanse the body of impurities is not only not necessary but potentially dangerous. The body has evolved through time to detoxify itself through its own processes, said Dr. Rachel Vreeman, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine and co-author of Don’t Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health.

When it comes to removing toxins from the body, several organs are designed to do just that.

    * The liver plays a major role in breaking down and filtering substances from the bloodstream that the body can’t use.

    * The kidneys remove substances such as urea, a byproduct of protein metabolism.

    * The gastrointestinal tract, including the colon, is also designed to get rid of what the body cannot use and to keep what it needs.

“There are myths that toxins clog up or get stuck in these organs,” Vreeman said. “That is just not true.”

And without a doubt, she said, sweating definitely would not be the way to go about it.

The primary reason we sweat is to regulate the body temperature. When moisture produced by the sweat glands evaporates, it cools the body.

Though the main component of sweat is water, sweat does contain small amounts of dissolved minerals and trace elements, including sodium, lactate, urea, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, nickel, iron, chromium — none of which are considered toxic, Vreeman said.

When you sweat, the major thing you lose is water — something your body can’t survive long without.

“The term ‘detoxify’ is used so often that it makes people think that special steps need to be taken so ‘detoxifying’ happens,” Vreeman said. “It leads to people not trusting their bodies. Your body, however, does not need special cleansing efforts. What it does need is for you to get enough fluids and to eat a healthy, balanced diet.”

That’s not to say sweating, or spending time in a sauna, has been proven to have no health benefits.

Some studies have indicated that saunas lower blood pressure, enhance blood flow and improve cardiac functioning in people with congestive heart failure or other cardiovascular disease, Vreeman said. One study found weak evidence that saunas could help with chronic pain, and another showed minor benefits for some with chronic fatigue syndrome. There have been almost no studies done specifically on steam rooms or sweat lodges.

Western medicine has largely ignored sweat lodges, but they continue to play a significant role in Native American culture, said David Delgado Shorter, an associate professor of world arts and cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“Sweats” have been used for many centuries to purify the mind and body among tribes throughout the Americas, Shorter said. Women in Mayan and Aztec culture, for example, used them as a fertility ritual, and men among the Plains tribes used sweats in preparation for hunts, among other reasons.

“The combination of the physical, emotional, psychological and religious is something many tribes find incredibly important and have fought for their right to do that,” Shorter said.

During earlier times, when colonial settlers and government agents were sometimes violently suppressing Native American religion and culture, tribes fought to hold on to the tradition, for both spiritual and practical reasons. Sweat lodges offered a private place to sing, pray and gather.

That’s why many in the Native American community take offense to non-Native Americans co-opting and charging for participation in sweat lodges, Shorter said.

Anyone thinking of participating in a sweat lodge ceremony or something approximating it should exercise caution, experts say. In harsh environments, hot or cold, the body will work hard to balance how much heat it makes and how much it loses. But if you are in conditions that are too hot for too long, the body may not be able to cool you off sufficiently.

In Arizona, in addition to those who died, 18 people were hospitalized with burns, dehydration, respiratory arrest or kidney failure, according to published reports. Participants, who had paid $9,695 for the “Spiritual Warrior” retreat, said that some people were vomiting, lethargic and collapsing after an hour into the session.

“These are all signs of heat illness and are warnings that your body cannot keep itself cool,” Vreeman said. “Vomiting, thirst, dizziness, being uncoordinated or clumsy are all signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat illness can kill you and should be treated as an emergency.”

Someone who becomes overheated should get to a cool place, drink fluids and seek medical care, Vreeman said. People with heart conditions should always talk to their doctor before trying a sweat lodge or sauna.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on heat illness.

A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that over 20 percent of teenagers in the U.S. have elevated cholesterol levels.

The national study covered more than 3,000 teens whose blood test results were collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

High levels of LDL or triglycerides, and low HDL levels were associated with weight, and the heavier the teenagers were, the more likely they were to have abnormal levels (nearly 43% if they were obese), but even among those with normal body weight over 14% had unhealthy levels.

High cholesterol levels were at first associated with the middle-aged and elderly, but are increasingly beginning to appear in late childhood and the teenage years.

    This finding already has researchers urging cholesterol screening for about one-third of teens who are overweight or obese, which will put many of these kids right in the line of fire to be prescribed a dangerous statin drug.

    In 2007, the American Heart Association first recommended the use of statin drugs for children with high cholesterol. Then in 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics followed suit, recommending cholesterol-lowering drugs for children as young as 8!

    There is such overwhelming evidence — nearly 900 studies compiled in this link — showing the damage statins inflict, that this recommendation should qualify as criminal malpractice.

    Some of the possible consequences of taking statins for a lengthy period of time, which many of these kids undoubtedly would do, include:

          Cognitive loss

          Neuropathy

          Anemia

          Acidosis

          Frequent fevers

          Cataracts

          Sexual dysfunction

    Then there is the serious risk of potentially permanent muscle damage, and the depletion of Co-Q10, which can harm your heart and muscles alike.

    Statin drugs used to lower cholesterol are the best-selling drugs in the United States. In 2008 alone they brought in $14.5 billion in sales!

    The odds are very high, greater than 100 to 1, that anyone taking statin drugs does not need them.  The ONLY subgroup that MAY benefit are those born with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, as this makes them resistant to traditional measures to normalize cholesterol.

    And the first step to understanding why lies in understanding the role of cholesterol in your health, not in disease.

Why Cholesterol is Not “Evil”

    Cholesterol has been traditionally vilified, when in reality it is essential and crucial for a wide variety of vital functions in your body.

    It’s an integral part of your cell membranes, and it’s also the precursor (the raw material) your body uses to make your steroid hormones – one of which is vitamin D. Your skin contains cholesterol, and when UVB rays from the sun hit your skin, it converts that form of cholesterol to vitamin D3, which is then transported to your blood. Your body then further converts it into the active form of vitamin D.

    It’s important to realize that there’s a big difference between “average” and “healthy” cholesterol levels. It’s very similar to what we’re now seeing with vitamin D levels.

    Please understand that you have not been told the whole truth about cholesterol. Rather, what you’re getting from most conventional health practitioners is little more than cleverly distorted marketing.

    Before 2004, a 130 LDL cholesterol level was considered healthy. The updated guidelines, however, recommended levels of less than 100, or even less than 70 for patients at very high risk.

    In order to achieve these outrageous and dangerously low targets, you typically need to take multiple cholesterol-lowering drugs. So the guidelines instantly increased the market for these dangerous drugs. Now, with testing children’s cholesterol levels, they’re increasing their market even more.

Total Cholesterol Level is a Virtually Useless Test

    If your doctor is urging your child to get a total cholesterol level check, you should know that this test will tell you virtually nothing about his or her risk of heart disease — unless it is 330 or higher.

    And, perhaps more importantly, you need to be aware that cholesterol is not the CAUSE of heart disease.

    If you become overly concerned with trying to lower your child’s cholesterol level to some set number, you will be completely missing the real problem.

    In fact, I have seen a number of people with levels over 250 who actually were at low heart disease risk due to their elevated HDL levels. Conversely, I have seen even more who had cholesterol levels under 200 that were at a very high risk of heart disease based on the following additional tests:

          Your HDL/Cholesterol ratio

          Your Triglyceride/HDL ratios

    HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor. Just divide your HDL level by your cholesterol. That percentage should ideally be above 24 percent. Below 10 percent, it’s a significant indicator of risk for heart disease.

    You can also do the same thing with your triglycerides and HDL ratio. That percentage should be below 2.

How to Get Your Children Healthy

    While I don’t believe high cholesterol is typically a concern (again unless it is over 330), many teens are overweight, obese or showing signs of being at risk of heart disease based on the tests I described above.

    In this case, you do need to take some steps to help him or her get healthy.

    Fortunately, there are simple, basic strategies that can help your teen not only regulate cholesterol in a healthy way, but also build a foundation for a healthy heart and body that will support him throughout his life.

Get an appropriate amount of exercise.

Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars in your daily diet. Foods like these will increase your insulin levels, which will also contribute to high cholesterol by making your liver produce more of it.

Eat the right foods for your nutritional type.

Eat a good portion of your food raw.

Make sure you’re getting plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega3-fats. I prefer those from krill oil.

 Avoid smoking and alcohol.

Have solid strategies to address your emotional challenges.

    Finally, please do make sure your, and your child’s, vitamin D levels are where they need to be. Vitamin D is not “just a vitamin,” but rather the only known substrate for a potent, pleiotropic (meaning it produces multiple effects), repair and maintenance seco-steroid hormone that serves multiple gene-regulatory functions in your body.

    Low levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, which is what parents of teens with “high” cholesterol are most concerned about.

    About 70 percent of U.S. children have low levels of vitamin D, so this should be one of the first issues you address to keep your teen’s heart healthy.

NOTE: PLEASE SEE OUR POST ON “POLICOSANOL” A NATURAL STATIN DRUG TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL.

Courtesy of Dr. Mercola.

Nonstick pannonstick panA study links thyroid disease with human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA is a persistent organic chemical used in industrial and consumer goods including most nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics.

The study included nearly 4000 adults aged 20 and older whose blood serum was sampled between 1999 and 2006 for PFOA.

The researchers found that the individuals with the highest PFOA concentrations were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease.

Previous animal studies carried out by other scientists have shown that the compounds can affect the function of the mammalian thyroid hormone system. This system is essential for maintaining heart rate, regulating body temperature and supporting many other body functions, including metabolism, reproduction, digestion and mental health.

    I know it might seem a bit of an extreme position but you can do your health a great service by getting rid of any Teflon-coated cookware immediately.

    Like so many products developed for the sake of convenience without concern for human health, Teflon coated non-stick cookware when heated has proven to be a primary source of a dangerous toxic fluoride derivative, specifically perfluorinated chemicals (PFOAs).

    PFOA and other perfluorinated chemicals are used to create heat-resistant and non-stick coatings on cookware, as well as grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant clothing. Studies have linked these chemicals to a range of health problems, including thyroid disease, infertility in women, and developmental and reproductive problems in lab animals.

    Teflon pans quickly reach temperatures that cause the non-stick coating to begin breaking down, releasing toxins into the air surrounding you.

    When your Teflon pot or pan reaches 680 degrees F (which takes about three to five minutes of heating), at least six toxic gases are released. At 1,000 degrees F, the coatings on your cookware break down into a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB.

    These chemicals are easily absorbed by your body, and have been linked to a growing number of health concerns. That healthy, home-cooked meal becomes toxic when prepared in unsafe cookware.

Should you be Concerned About PFOA?

    Teflon, created in 1938 by the DuPont Company, gained wide distribution before scientists began looking into its impact on human health.

    It can now be found in many areas throughout your home.  Not only on your pots and pans in your kitchen, and all of your stain resistant laundry, but it can also pervade your entire home if you have wall-to-wall, stain resistant carpeting.

    Vacuuming carpet that contains stain-resistant coating will release these chemicals into the air to be circulated in your home.

    I don’t recommend eating microwave popcorn for many reasons, but did you know that PFOA is not only present in the inner coating of the bag, but it also migrates to the oil from the packaging during heating?

    At this point PFOA is so prevalent, that even many of your sources of drinking water have been contaminated.

    Not surprisingly, this toxic chemical is likely lurking in your body right now.

    The CDC’s Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, 2009, which is considered the most comprehensive assessment to date of the exposure of the U.S. population to chemicals in our environment, detected not one but 12 types of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in Americans, including PFOA.

    This group of chemicals is among 75 that have never before been measured in the U.S. population, but now is showing up with great frequency.

How PFOA Damages Your Thyroid and Health

    The latest research points to some very concerning news about PFOA and thyroid function. People with the highest 25% of PFOA concentrations (above 5.7ng/ml) were more than twice as likely to have thyroid disease than those with the lowest 50% of PFOA concentrations (below 4.0ng/ml).

    Your thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in your throat area that contains thyroglobulin protein, which binds to iodine to form hormones, which in turn influence essentially every organ, tissue and cell in your body.

    Thyroid hormones are used by every cell of your body to regulate metabolism and body weight by controlling the burning of fat for energy and heat. Thyroid hormones are also required for growth and development in children.

    Thyroid disease, if left untreated, can lead to heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, osteoporosis and, in extreme cases, coma or death. Exposure to these toxic chemicals is likely one reason why thyroid disorders are becoming so widespread.

    If you’re concerned you may be suffering from thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, please watch my recent video on the topic.

Do You Really Want to Cook Your Eggs in This?

    Non-stick cookware has become enormously popular because of its convenience factor; foods don’t stick to the surface, and the classic example is the sunny-side-up eggs that slide right out of the pan.

    Now, about 70 percent of cookware sold in the U.S. contains a non-stick coating … and most Americans test positive for PFOA in their blood.

    Aside from potentially harming your thyroid, these nasty chemicals have also been linked to lower birth weights among newborns, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that PFOA “poses developmental and reproductive risks to humans” — an extreme understatement.

    PFOA was linked to a 60 percent to 154 percent increase in the chance of infertility!

    Further, in animal studies PFOA has been associated with:

    *          “Significant increases in treatment related deaths” in rat offspring at doses that did not affect the mothers

   *          Serious changes in the weight of various organs, including the brain, prostate, liver, thymus, and kidneys

   *          The deaths of a significant number of rat pups of mothers that had been exposed to PFOA

  *          Damage to the pituitary at all doses in female rat offspring (The pituitary secretes hormones that regulate growth, reproduction, and many metabolic processes. Change in pituitary size is associated with toxicity)

    PFOA has even been associated with tumors in at least four different organs in animal tests, and has been associated with increases in prostate cancer in PFOA plant workers. The EPA has also ruled PFCs as “likely carcinogens.”

Take Control of Your Health and Get PFOAs Out of Your House NOW

    A voluntary program for companies to reduce PFOA emissions and products by 2010, and eliminate them entirely by 2015, has been introduced by the EPA. But it is entirely voluntary, so I recommend you take matters into your own hands and ditch any products that contain these toxic compounds.

    Some of the products that contain PFCs, which I highly recommend getting rid of, include:

        * Teflon and similar types of non-stick cookware: Replace it with either ceramic or glass. My personal choice is ceramic cookware, because it’s very durable and easy to clean, and there’s absolutely no risk of exposure to harmful chemicals.

          IMPORTANT NOTE Our current ceramic cookware is not actually nonstick but this summer we will be introducing a completely PFOA-free, safe nonstick metal frying pan made out of zirconium.  Very high tech, completely safe and absolutely amazing

         *         Microwave popcorn bags

        *          Packaging for greasy foods

        *          Stain-proof clothing

        *          Carpet and fabric stain protectors

        *          Flame retardants and products that contain them

    Avoiding these products is especially crucial for pregnant women or couples who want to have children, but really anyone who is interested in protecting their health would benefit by seeking to avoid them.

Courtesy of Dr. Mercola.