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Archive for July, 2007
Tuesday, July 31st, 2007
The number of cases of asthma in U.S. children more than doubled between 1980 and the mid-90s, and the prevalence of asthma in kids is remaining at these historically high levels with 8.9 percent of kids having asthma, that’s 6.5 million children.
The scientists and doctors are quite baffled at the causes of the rising numbers of asthma cases though the Centers for Disease Control reports, “Evidence of the impact of the environment on asthma incidence and morbidity—especially allergens and irritants such as cigarette smoke and outdoor pollutants—has been mounting.â€
Case for Environmental Causes Mounting
The causes of asthma have never been understood. It can be brought on by exercise, by coldness or by allergens primarily. In the Middle Ages it was believed to be caused by the “bad night airâ€. As a teen I agreed with that—as the humidity rose every night on sub-tropical Okinawa I began wheezing.
The most common cause is allergens, and 75-85 percent of all people have some type of allergy. My first episode of asthma was brought on by paint fumes at age six. My mother had asthma, a common genetic factor. By my early 20s the disease had fairly ended and then returned 20 years later. In the early 90s a new medicine had been developed, cromyln sodium, IntalR . This medicine replaced a missing nutrient in the lungs (so it is not a “drug†but a nutrient), and after a few minutes I coughed up the excessive mucus and thus never experienced asthmatic episodes (no side effects). In 2000, I discovered Chinese herbs that have the same effect and cost one-tenth of the prescription medicine.
A life-time of paying attention to respiratory distress has often put me in the role of the “canary in the coal mine.†Traditionally miners took a caged canary into the mine, and if there wasn’t ample oxygen in the mining shaft to sustain life the canary fell off its perch, the first victim of toxic air quality.
Respiratory function is relative to a healthy immune system. If the immune system is heavily burdened, the breath of life is compromised. Researchers at the University of Manitoba recently published a study of over 13,000 children which found that the use of antibiotics in the first year of life increased the risk of asthma by age seven. Antibiotics destroy not only disease-causing microbes but those helpful to the developing immune system. The more frequent the antibiotic use, the higher the risk: one or two courses increased risk by 20% and more than four courses increased risk by almost 50% when statistically adjusted for genetic and environmental factors.
As the “canary†constantly monitoring my lung function, I’ve noticed that respiratory response is directly related to immune strength. In other words, sensitivity to odors varies according to overall health. I have always avoided grocery aisles with detergents, shops selling broadloom carpeting, aisles of gardening (fertilizer) products, and there have been months the chemical odors in some shoe shops sent me flying back out the door.
Toxicity in Modern Life’s Products
In our modern world with a myriad of chemical-based products, we are always told, “there’s not enough (of the toxin) to harm you†or “it’s a miniscule amountâ€. What we don’t consider is that the miniscule amount of this toxin and that toxin is going into one repository—your body. And your body’s toxin load accumulates until we take specific actions to detoxify ourselves and avoid the toxins altogether.
Here’s the Canary’s advice to families to avoid or reduce incidents of asthma. Some of these environmental control measures would seem obvious, others are rarely noticed—except by those suffering.
• No smoking in the home or car—this helps everyone’s respiratory health!
• No pets with fur or feathers—especially cats have no place in a home with asthmatic children.
• Live with bare (wood or ceramic) floors, no broadloom carpeting unless it meets “green†standards
• Caution with detergents and cleaning products—no perfumes or dyes in laundry products and don’t wheel kids down the store aisle with these chemicals
• Air fresheners—get rid of them and NEVER spray deodorizers. Large studies have shown the chemicals in these “air fresheners†reduce lung function. In a U.K. study of 10,000 homes moms experienced headaches and depression and infants were more likely to suffer diarrhea and earaches with increased use of these products.
• Antibacterial products—Don’t Buy Them. You’re wiping faces, hands, and countertops (and air when sprayed) with chemicals. These are so widespread they’re contaminating the nation’s water supply. Ask retailers to offer products without these chemicals.
• Avoid Antibiotics whenever possible, especially the broad-spectrum types such as amoxicillin. Try homeopathic medicines (they’ll cure earaches and common childhood afflictions) and herbal treatments, and make drugs the “medicine of last resort.â€
• Bedding—down and feather pillows and comforters are suspect.
• Close windows on days of high pollen count and filter the home’s air by running the fan; change the heater/cooler’s air filter monthly, buying the best quality you can find. In the car close the windows on bad pollen days.
• Use an air filtration machine in the home, especially the child’s bedroom.
• Foods—Offer only fresh foods (nothing processed); the toxin overload from that “tiny†amount of preservative and additives from every processed food has a cumulative effect—huge consequences if “snack†foods are routinely in the pantry.
I am now using a medicinal mushroom extract to overcome the condition altogether. My eldest didn’t develop asthma despite repeated courses of amoxicillin from age 5 weeks to 15 months for ear infections when that was the MD’s solution, and I didn’t know other medical systems. While in college in the Pacific Northwest she contracted an acute respiratory infection every quarter for two years until, following mom’s advice, she took Ban Lan Gen Chinese tea (which any child would like, especially the sweetened version), to boost her immune system, and she hasn’t had a respiratory infection (or even a cold) in three years. Consult a naturopath, nutritionist, or TCM doctor for complete treatment, possible healing, and freedom from a pouch of inhalers and the fear of asthma.
If you (or someone you love) are caring for a child with asthma, try these steps and observe changes in their behavior and health. And bring your experience to share with others at the WMB forum “Women at the Well.†This suggestion list requires learning other ways than depending on a prescription to take care of routine family health issues, and eliminating processed foods for most Americans is a lifestyle change, but the entire family’s health will improve.
Remember, we are each an Experiment of One, and we don’t need to have scientific studies to tell us what’s impacting our health. You, mom, are in charge of this experiment.
Salud!
Beverly Jensen, Ph.D.
President, www.WomensMedicineBowl.com
Posted in Uncategorized, medicial science, science | 1 Comment »
Sunday, July 15th, 2007
If you’re reading WMB’s blog and generally following health issues–or ever seeking medical care, there’s nothing new in Michael Moore’s new film. In fact, the subject matter—the sick state of America’s health care system—isn’t news to many at all. Polls have shown that the nation’s healthcare system (or lack thereof) is the #1 concern of the majority.
The value of the film is Moore’s outlandish antics and the controversy the filmmaker stirs—no matter what his subject matter. And he delivers some stingers—Congressional testimony of an insurance industry rep who was rewarded for denying claims. Then he goes to Europe to see 1) how does their universal health coverage work, and 2) discovers that, indeed, England’s health outcomes are superior to America’s (which we reported here May 15).
But let’s not apply the American journalism standard of “fair and balanced†to Moore’s film—or anything concerning the US health system. If “fair and balanced†means all sides of the story (there’s always more than two in my 30+ years in journalism) and telling the “good†as well as the “bad†points of view, there simply isn’t any “good†news to report. The Commonwealth Fund is the organization most dedicated to improving the US health system. The organization’s study of the system is the most comprehensive, and, folks, there is very little “good news†to report. The story is tragic and growing more dire each year.
Health Insurance—Always Limited
The value of “Sicko!†is that it puts the subject matter on the public’s agenda (if there’s an American who has had no reason to interface with our healthcare system, he will hear about it now), and Moore takes aim at the real culprits. If you ever had the delusion that you were “covered†if you had health insurance, the film buries that delusion. The fact is that the largest number of bankruptcies filed in the US is due to medical costs—and most had health insurance at the onset of the catastrophic illness!
So health insurance covers you—up to a point if you get really sick! From then on, it’s a battle, and the industry’s employees are awarded, apparently, when they can wheedle out of a claim and deny it. Apparently, this treatment of consumers/patients by the insurance industry is ordinary—beyond yours and my experiences. Last year New York State’s attorney general brought charges against UnitedHealth, the nation’s second largest insurance provider, for misleading patients on provider status. The company settled the state’s charges by paying reinstitution to the plan members and blamed the errors on computer glitches.
This spring two New York hospitals filed a racketeering lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and several of its affilitates. The affiliates, owned by UnitedHealth, specialize in “claims denial management†and fight the insurer (the parent company) over who’s going to pay the bill. The consumer has often felt that their health insurance company was a “racketâ€; now we’ll see if the courts agree.
Then Moore traipses off to Western Europe where every country has free, universal health coverage to investigate why can’t the US do the same. Yes, the Brits (and others) will complain that there’s a long wait for a hospital bed or necessary (not elective) surgery is sometimes delayed dangerously. Americans, on the other hand, don’t get the primary or preventive health care to avoid needing a hospital bed, but instead (due to costs) delay medical attention until it’s an emergency. The Europeans, in spite of problems, are still far ahead in quality of care and therefore have healthier populations.
However, the filmmaker misses the primary reasons for better health outcomes in Europe: the doctors are trained in many modes of care, and the populations aren’t brainwashed by pharmaceutical advertising (or a sole method of treatment by their physicians) into believing that drugs are the answer to every problem, real and imagined.
U.S. medical vs. European approaches
The physicians of Europe are trained in the healing arts in medical schools; this is in contrast to the emphasis on usage of pharmaceutical drugs in US medical schools. In Europe acupuncture is primarily practiced by medical doctors who learned the methods in medical schools and hospitals. A three-year advanced degree is required in France for practicing acupuncture, and in Germany 77 percent of pain clinics use acupuncture. Homeopathic remedies are routinely prescribed, and every pharmacy has homeopathic medicines as well as pharmaceuticals. In Europe, medical board exams include knowledge of natural therapies.
There is a fundamental difference in approach to medicine and health between the US and the rest of the world. The American attitude is to view disease as a hostile invasion by foreign bodies, whether viruses or bacteria or whatever. Our response is to “attack the invader”, declare “war on (any disease)”. In other words, ours is an aggressive response which puts emphasis on the disease. This is shown by the reliance on pharmaceutical drugs to stop the symptoms and the use of invasive procedures three to eight times more frequently than in Europe and Canada–and with similar patient outcomes. The U.S. approach might more accurately be called disease-care rather than health-care.
France focuses on the Body’s Vitality, not the Disease
A stark contrast to the American approach is that of the French. France’s medical community focuses on the terrain, or the vitality of the body, and chooses therapies and treatments to strengthen the terrain. If the body’s vitality is strong it will not succumb to illness or the terrain needs strengthening to overcome illness. The emphasis is on the terrain, not the disease as invader. The French choose gentle therapies such as natural medicines, nutritional supplements, and rest to restore the terrain. When they do use pharmaceuticals, they choose lower dosages and shorter courses (5 days instead of 10). This orientation toward shoring up the terrain has put French scientists and physicians in the lead in fields such as immunotherapy for cancer and AIDS.
More Investigation Needed
For more information on how other nations outperform the U.S. (36 of them do so), see “Other Nations’ Options†in Exploring Natural Healthcare in www.WomensMedicineBowl.com .
“Sicko!†throws up the evil troika for what it is—the AMA/Big Pharma/Insurance Industry—but a much more thoughtful exploration of the American approach to medicine and a more in-depth exploration of other nations’ approaches would be most useful.
An examination of the political machinations historically that shaped the American health system into what it is today, and the entrenched powers that probably won’t be overcome in Washington is what’s needed. Where is Eugene Jarecki, producer of “Why We Fight�
Salud!
Beverly Jensen, Ph.D.
President,www.WomensMedicineBowl.com
Posted in Politics and Medicine, US healthcare system, Uncategorized, advertising and medicine, economics of medicine, ethics of medicine, medicial science, science | Comments Off
Sunday, July 1st, 2007
It was early morning when I turned on the television “variety showâ€â€”too early to believe what I thought I heard advertised. What was that– Minute Maid orange juice with glucosamine? I made a cup of tea and went to the website to confirm this: yes, OJ with Glucosamine HCI (hydrochloride, which is significant).
“Functional foods†they’re called, as if all (unprocessed) food weren’t functional. In fact, they’re food additives, but these additives are supposed to preserve the one eating it instead of preserving the product. This category of food entered the marketplace in the U.S. in the late ‘90s.
Broadly defined, functional foods claim to be providing enhanced health benefits, to remedy some widespread ailments or to prevent others. The categories include shakes, teas, candies, cereals, crackers (for toddlers), digestive biscuits, yogurt (with live cultures it was always a “functional†food), fruit juices, margarines, etc.
The FDA regulators were befuddled when this marketing move began, and they must still be baffled. The FDA has never approved many of the herbs and other dietary supplements as allowable additives. But neither has the agency banned the herbs and supplements so food companies can legally add them to their products.
There certainly are two standards of compliance with FDA regulations, one for supplement manufacturers “this product has not been evaluated by the FDA…not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseaseâ€, and another for food manufacturers (most of which are part of a conglomerate including or controlled by a pharmaceutical giant): “the only orange juice proven to help lower cholesterol, Minute Maid’s Heartwise significantly reduced LDL in a study…â€
Questions of Quality & Quantity
Since there are few clinical studies of the efficacy of supplements and herbs, how can the amounts of additives be effective in preventing or treating any ailment? If there’s too little to be effective (without eating a tub a margarine in a 3-day period), then the consumer is paying too much. We’re also likely to be consuming too much in other categories such as calories. The product may also contain ingredients that do as much harm as good. Believing that we’re gaining some nutritional benefit from a FF (functional food), we may also neglect to take a supplement that would truly be beneficial to our health.
The balance between too much and too little of any vitamin and especially minerals is a very narrow line. Consider the marathon runner recently who was thirsty and kept drinking water until her level of trace minerals fell below the threshold, and she died on the track. The symptoms are the same whether we have too little or too much in our system. To have 750mg of Glucosamine HCI in every 8 oz. of orange juice is alarming. I need 500mg Glucosamine Sulfate every other day, and if I have too much the symptoms are the same as when I need more. How many of us are paying that close of attention to our bodies?
This brings us to quality of supplements added to foods. With pharmaceutical companies owning food companies, we can be sure that the supplements added to foods will be chemicals produced in the labs; the white coats are not out picking leaves in the garden. In a recent study of Glucosamine, the conclusion was that it was ineffective in reducing joint pains, but the study used the HCI type because it could was readily available (read: fast and cheap to produce in the lab). The Glucosamine proven effective in European studies has been Sulfate, not HCI which is what Minute Maid adds to the oj.
Two Possible Benefits to the FF trend
There are two possible positive outcomes to this development in food marketing, neither of which has to do with buying and eating these foods. With a cupboard of supplements for “as needed†use, I avoid all these FF products as vigilantly as anything with “antibacterial†chemicals.
First, when the trumpeters of CODEX come knocking on America’s shores, they will have to deal with the huge food conglomerates instead of merely the American public and supplement manufacturers. The amount of Vitamin C added in several FFs in the US would require, since August 2005, a doctor’s prescription in the EU (over 10mg). The irony—or suspicion—of this is that it was the pharmaceutical giants who “consulted†with the various UN committees to create the severe restrictions on use of nutritional supplements that have been put into law in CODEX.
Secondly, perhaps with supplements being added to foods the US government will have more interest in objective “knowledgeable†testing of supplements. Yes, there’s a difference between lab-produced Vitamin E and natural sourced Vit E, and there’s a difference between Glucosamine forms, and every other supplement.
Role of Food Police
Friends and I were sharing notes recently on who is the Food Police in our homes. Every home needs a Food Police, the one who is knowledgeable about nutrition and who controls portions and probably “advises†on what to eat at hours of the day. Usually that’s the woman of the house, the one who manages the whole family’s health.
Threatened by the adulteration of the nation’s foods with additives whose effectiveness and safety varies with every single individual, we seriously need more regulators at the FDA. At the national level, we need Federal Food Police.
The mantra of Women’s Medicine Bowl is that “I am an Experiment of One with everything I take, and I’m the only one that matters.†With the advent of Functional Foods, you as an experiment extends beyond taking medicines or supplements to the food you consume every day! Exercise caution!
Salud!
Beverly A. Jensen, Ph.D.
President, www.WomensMedicineBowl.com
Posted in Politics and Medicine, Uncategorized, economics of medicine, nutrition and politics, science, technology and health | 3 Comments »
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