Candy Science

We weren't very good at physics but we do remember Newton's third (3) law of motion that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In these trying economic times while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tries to further weaken the California economy by reducing the market share of the POM juice monopoly with their complaint:

Nestle will plow some $500 million into expanding its medical nutrition business over the next decade, in a bid to capture a slice of the growing market for foods to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity, the Swiss consumer company said Monday. Nestle SA said it wants to "pioneer a new industry between food and pharma" by creating a medical nutrition institute in Switzerland and a stand-alone subsidiary called Nestle Health Science SA.

It'll be hard, unless you're the Small Business Administration (SBA), to consider POM a privately held company a "small business."

 "The Office of Advocacy defines a small business for research purposes as an independent business having fewer than 500 employees. Firms wishing to be designated small businesses for government programs such as contracting must meet size standards specified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Size Standards." - Small Business Administration (About)

POM's little $34 million dollars in research pales in comparison to Nestle's offshore $500 but the damage is done. Nestle wouldn't be considered small and it's not privately held either. An offshore investment means jobs and money going somewhere else. Regardless of the company we'll have to wait and see what claims are made by Nestle and what actions the FTC takes against them.

We certainly never thought of Nestle (the chocolate company) as "one of the world’s leading health, wellness and nutrition companies." We doubt you did either but that hasn't stopped the company from making such a claim. We can't think of a single product that the company makes that would have any nutritional value unless you added milk to it. We allow that that's probably more about our ignorance of the many products that the company makes and markets rather than any disbelief in their claims.

"Jenny Craig is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestlé." - Jenny Craig Corporate Profile (Stock)

We didn't know! N-E-S-T-L-E-S Nestles makes the very best! Chocolate! That's what we remember! We learn something new everyday and now so can you - unless you already knew and in that case. Why didn't you tell us!

Black Heart Health Month

February is considered by many to be Black History Month when many African American churches and organizations recognize the contributions made by many historical figures of African American descent. This year includes many health related concerns and issues as part of their celebratory events. Just in our jurisdictions along were these events:

According to Kelly Morin, director of marketing and physician relations at Saint Agnes, the event educates women about maintaining their hearts physically and spiritually. “Our mission is to educate women, specifically African-American women, about the risk factors of heart disease and the behaviors and conditions that increase their chances,” said Morin. Throughout the day, church leaders will supply worshippers with information regarding heart disease prevention and many churches will also provide free health screenings. (Maryland)

One of many events available this month in the nation's capital include:

SEIU/CIGNA Healthcare Health Fair. John D. Ruffin, Ph.D., the Director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health will be on hand to lead a discussion about the several medical conditions afflicting Americans at large. Insurance provider CIGNA Healthcare is providing information and health screenings as part of the event. Howard University and Washington Sports Clubs are also participating. -(DC)

Even in the tarheel state churches included health information and screenings as part of their "African American History" programs:

It’s a celebration of African American History at the Koinonia Church in Greenville, and there’s no shortage of things to do.“We have had education through exhibits, we’ve had entertainment, we’ve had musical entertainment, and health screens, specifically screenings that are important to the African American community. We’ve also had some great food - just a lot of fun in celebration of Black History,” said Theresa Holley. - WNCT TV 9 (North Carolina)

We included this bit of information from our US Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) concerning information released in reverse. According to the New York Times, which has obtained an advance report concerning the possible recall of a diabetes medication by the FDA. What does that have to do with Black History Month? High blood pressure (hypertension), cardiovascular disease and diabetes all affect the African American community in disproportionate numbers contributing to premature, preventable andunnecessary. Maybe the FDA doesn't want to interrupt Black History Month with the warning.

After carefully reviewing several sources of study data, FDA concluded there is not enough evidence to indicate that the risks of heart attacks or death are different between Avandia and some other oral type 2 diabetes treatments. Because available data are inconclusive—studies have neither confirmed nor excluded the risk—FDA is allowing Avandia to stay on the market while a new long-term study to evaluate the potential cardiovascular risk of Avandia, compared to an active control agent, is conducted by GSK. The company agreed to add new information to the drug's labeling, warning of the potential for increased risk of heart attacks. People with type 2 diabetes who have underlying heart disease or who are at high risk of heart attack should talk with their health care provider about the revised warning as they evaluate treatment options. FDA advises health care providers to closely monitor patients who take Avandia for cardiovascular risks. - FDA (Nov. 14, 2007)

Slow to act the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) knew long before they considered releasing a warning to "we the people" some almost two years later. "Two drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes have been found to cause or worsen a serious vision impairment known as macular edema, Health Canada warned Wednesday. The advisory was released after GlaxoSmithKline Inc., the manufacturer of Avandia and Avandamet, informed Health Canada of reports that some diabetics on the drugs had developed the eye condition or had a pre-existing case worsen." (Dec 2005)

That the company released information about their own research at the same time that the Canadian government released an advisory for the medication for which it was developed may seem suspicious but that's true for all dependent research.

"Glaxo undertook a study of 500 patients with mild forms of Alzheimer's who were being treated in Europe and New Zealand. After six months, Avandia showed no benefit when compared with a placebo. When Glaxo separated patients on the basis of their genetics, it found that those who didn't have the type 4 variant of the gene showed a ``statistically significant'' improvement in memory." - The Pharmacogenomics Journal (Dec 2005)

While releasing information on the European and New Zealand study at the same time in Winston Salem a study was just beginning to determine the effect of the drug on adults 21-65 years of age who had been taking only Avandia for at least three (3) months advertising for participants in the local newspaper called: The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)

We don't know the results of this study but we do know that the participants received $375 and something as unclear as "study related care and study medication at no charge." It's not clear if this is the same thing as free health care but maybe that's implied. What's most interesting is that in February of the same year the drug Avandia was licensed for use as part of "triple therapy in combination" with two (2) other drugs. This was the case some ten (10) months prior to the study being undertaken in Winston Salem, NC where the individuals selected for the study could not be taking any other medication.

The New York Times has obtained internal reports from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that have not yet been released to the public. A search of the FDA website reveals no new specific information so we will just have to take the NY Times word for it. What we should learn from this African American History Month is that the history of the FDA is too little critical health information provided too late. If history of the African American experience tells us anything is that to wait can be too late. "How long? Not long, (Yes, sir) because "no lie can live forever."

Breast Is Best!

DNA matters and so does using the non-formula way. It seems as though it might be able to change genetics if done longer and earlier.

Breastfeeding was shown to significantly lower a woman’s risk for developing metabolic syndrome in a study reported today by researchers with Kaiser Permanente. The longer the women in the study breastfed, the more protection they seemed to derive. - WebMD

The original study is published and will be fully published in the journal called Diabetes. All we could afford to read was the free abstract so go to the original WebMD story for more information. If anything it points to the power of the human ability to adapt.

Diet and Exercise - You Still Die!

Right after our live lazy and be happy complaint from yesterday comes another study pushing lifestyle changes and diet to live a healthier life. Our argument used to be that the evidence wasn't conclusive. We admit that Diet and Exercise is a better way to live a healthier life. It's not always easier or convenient but yes it is better. But that's just more blah, blah, blah! Tell us something that we don't know something that doesn't just point the finger at us. Blaming the victim isn't what the victim wants to hear. We weren't born not exercising. Lifestyle changes is how the latest research in THE LANCET puts it.

The US News and World Report examines the full report in todays edition and we were praying that they'd get it wrong. They didn't. Thanks reporter Steven Reinberg kids! Thanks Mr. Reinberg! Ignoring us they report: "(N)ew research, published in the Oct. 29 online edition of The Lancet, shows that losing weight and exercising can delay or prevent the onset of diabetes more effectively than the prescription drug metformin or a placebo."

What's the difference between exercise and sloth: "58% with intensive lifestyle intervention and by 31% with metformin" (a diabetic drug).

We like the idea of intensive lifestyle intervention because it doesn't just say exercise you fat lazy bum. For instance winning the lottery is an intensive lifestyle intervention. Vacations are intensive lifestyle interventions. Where are studies showing how working forty (40) hours a week or five (5) days is bad for your health? We've railed against diets in past articles and will probably continue to do so.

We've also shown how our jurisdictions aren't very well regarded in the areas of health. Even included in yesterdays articles is information showing that the things that are killing us other than accidents are largely preventable. We're rather think of the problem as ours rather than ours. Is that understandable? Rather than "me blaming you" and "you blaming us" that we all have a responsibility to create an arena where we all can tackle the problem and reach a mutually agreeable solution.

Maybe its the word "die" in the word diet that really gets our gall! Nawww. It's just that food that's bad for you just taste so good!

You Are Where You Live

Where you live can determine how long you live? Maybe and we're not talking "Three Mile island" or "Love Canal" locations but when you're considering schools system, recreation facilities, parks, bike paths, crime rates you might want to add the availability of "fruit and veg" stands to your list of neighborhood home purchase considerations.

What we love is this blame the environment studies rather than blaming the victim. It's not that we are anti-earthers we don't hate the planet. We don't! We love mother earth. What we don't like is old useless suggestions that ignore prior failures of implementation. Failures aren't what we should be studying successes are.

ABC News does it again. Call it reporting on truly environmental (sustainable) planning: "[T]he risk of diabetes associated with living in such a "healthy" 'hood was 38% lower than for people who lived in the unhealthiest places, Dr. Amy H. Auchincloss of Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia and her colleagues found. The findings raise the possibility, Auchincloss told Reuters Health, that changing people's environments could help improve their health. "There's certainly a lot of potential for making an impact," she added, pointing to initiatives like improving public transportation, increasing green space, making sidewalks safer, and opening farmer's markets in urban neighborhoods where supermarkets are scarce."

The LA Times does it better and we recommend you read their story asking: "Can your neighborhood make you sick? Type 2 diabetes may not be contagious, but it certainly appears to be spreading. In 1958, the prevalence was 0.9%. By 2000 it had climbed to 4.4%, and it’s projected to hit 7.2% in 2050. What accounts for this? Perhaps it’s the way residential neighborhoods have evolved to accommodate car rides to fast-food restaurants instead of walks to corner grocery stands."

MSN is not a normal source of information for us adds: "People who live in neighborhoods that promote physical activity and offer access to healthy foods may be less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, researchers say. Their study included 2,285 people, aged 45 to 84, living in neighborhoods in Baltimore, Forsyth County, N.C., and New York City/Bronx. Their neighborhoods were assessed by asking residents questions, such as whether it's easy or pleasant to walk in their community, and whether local stores carry a large, high-quality selection of fruits, vegetables and other low-fat foods. Average neighborhood scores were 3.68 for physical activity and 3.36 for healthy foods, the researchers found."

We have to take their word for it but we did ask Assistant Professor Amy H. Auchincloss of Drexel University if any of the above mentioned three got it right. We'll let you know what she says.

While the stories focused on type 2 diabetes the LATimes incorporates a PearlieMaes style of investigation of multiple studies that reached similar conclusions. One of the reasons we love the LATimes is reporting that goes beyond the obvious to real reporting. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) "Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) - (which) investigated the prevalence, correlates, and progression of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) and risk factors that predict progression to clinically overt CVD, and that predict progression of subclinical disease itself, in a population-based sample of 6,800 ethnically diverse men and women."

The green elements of the solution to our health issues include a "Whole Foods" philosophy of using products and produce locally produced to reduce the transportation and energy cost associated with bring items from longer distances to reduce our carbon foot print. Less expenses mean more savings in our pockets and to our planet. Its easier being green than you thought when we think and better plan.

Now That's What We're Talking About!

Now this is the kind of research we need that doesn't blame the "couch potato" in all of us. It comes from the University College London and Professor Dominic Withers: “Blocking the action of the S6K1 protein helps prevent a number of age-related conditions in female mice,” explained Professor Withers. “The mice lived longer and were leaner, more active and generally healthier than the control group. We added ‘life to their years’ as well as ‘years to their lives’.”

The pill form that mimics this genetic manipulations is currently available - but unlike the current flu shot we're not in a hurry to run out and sign up for it. We applaud this wonderful first step but we'll still wait and see. We've seen THINNER (we didn't read the book but the movie was the same thing wasn't it?) and we know how losing weight can be a curse.

Drugs that activate AMPK are already in use in human patients to treat type 2 diabetes – metformin, a widely-used drug for the disease, is thought to work by activating AMPK. A recent study in the journal Nature showed that the drug rapamycin also extended the lifespan of mice. Rapamycin is used in humans to prevent organ rejection after transplants, and could not be administered as an anti-ageing drug in its current form. However, rapamycin blocks the activity of S6K1 and may therefore extend lifespan through its effects on S6K1. Together these studies provide evidence that this is a drug-sensitive pathway controlling ageing in mammals and suggest new approaches for the treatment of age-related diseases. We are suddenly much closer to treatments for ageing than we thought,” said Dr David Gems, one of the study’s authors. “We have moved from initial findings in worm models to having ‘druggable’ targets in mice. The next logical step is to see if drugs like metformin can slow the ageing process in humans."

It's just good to know that some researchers are moving in the right direction instead of the normal blaming the victim studies that tell us we need to eat right and exercise. We know we need to eat right and exercise. That's why we pay those monthly gym memberships that we never use.

Diets Work on Diabetics

Dr Phil is known for saying "Diets Don't Work" but the Annals of Internal Medicine says that research on Italians and Rachel Ray EVOO followers would disagree with that for diabetics of type 2 after four (4) years. Good news and good video. (1:46)

"Compared with a low-fat diet, a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean-style diet led to more favorable changes in glycemic control and coronary risk factors and delayed the need for antihyperglycemic drug therapy in overweight patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes."

Diet or Drugs? The choice is eating a diet of italian style foods or take expensive drugs and make more trips to the pharmacy? Another very tough choice for us to make.

Sour Warning on Sugar

From Dallas Texas, The American Heart Association (AHA) see us as patients rather than participants and when you go to their website they separate their information in that category. We only think of ourselves as patients when we're forced to seek medical attention. When we're seeking information we consider ourselves curious. Yet when the reports were that we eat too much sugar we didn't want to hear this information. We've heard it from our parents and friends for decades warning us that we'd get diabetes if we continued to eat and add the sugar to our drinks and food. Thankfully their warning didn't come true. Before we prepared to write this article we finished the bag of sugar candies and ate them all. In their "Scientific Statement" published in Circulation magazine and based on information from 2001 to 2004 the AHA reached this conclusion: "Over the past 30 years, total calorie intake has increased by anaverage of 150 to 300 calories per day, and approximately 50% of this increase comes from liquid calories (primarily sugar-sweetened beverages). At the same time, there has been no apparent change in physical activity. Hence, it is likely that weight gain over the same period must be related in part to increased intake of added sugars, even though research tools thus far have been insufficient to confirm a direct link."

The statement admits to making leaps that research hasn't demonstrated in an effort to allow us couch potatoes to live our lives with less sugar. Given the choice between giving up sugar or more physical activity we'll chose more physical activity. No, really we will. Honestly. This time we really really mean it. So after our nap we're going to take a nice leisurely walk around the neighborhood - all to keep our sweet tooth sweet. Another warning that we hear but we'll chose a different path. The choice is yours. Give up the sweets or walk the walk or use the gym for more than a place to use the bathroom when you're out at the mall.

The Positive on The Negative

The hippie, feel good, new age, "let it all hangout" lifestyle is vindicated once again especially for our targeted concern. US News reported today: "The new research, detailed in the journal Circulation, also found that women with a high degree of cynical hostility — defined as harboring hostile thoughts toward others or having a general mistrust of people — were at a higher risk of dying in general..."

Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association had the facts in abstract form and you are invited to look at their numbers or purchase the full study which involves our subset of diabetic women without the obvious "lose weight" advice. We can do this and we suggest that we all take the advice to watch something funny on TV for thirty (30) minutes each day with surprising results. Begin listening at three minutes and fifty seconds (3:50) into the podcast. "The findings, presented at the Experimental Biology conference in New Orleans, show that after one year the group prescribed laughter saw a 26 per cent rise in their good cholesterol. Patients who took the medication without any extra laughter had just a 3 per cent rise. The group watching comedy programmes also saw a drop of 66 per cent in the amount of harmful C-reactive proteins, which increase the risk of heart disease, in their bodies. While the control group also saw a fall in the amount of the proteins, it was much smaller at 26 per cent over the course of the year."

How do you know what makes a person optimistic? Food Consumer found from the study: "Optimism was described as expecting that good, rather than bad, things will happen. The nearly 100,000 participants were asked such questions as "In unclear times, I usually expect the best," or, conversely, "It is safer to trust no one."

Does it really make that much of a difference? If you asked that question don't count yourself as an "up" person. WebMD translated the figures: "Optimistic African-American women had a 33% lower risk for death than African-American women who were pessimists. Among white women, the survival advantage for optimists was 13%. African-American women who scored highest for hostility and cynicism were 62% more likely to die than African-American women who scored lowest." Don't worry be happy!

Brown Fat Burning

Of "mice and men" the future is still not now but sooner and closer than we thought. The same people who brought us the theory that there exists a new kind of fat in mice have found a "brown fat" in adult humans. This brown fat is a self reducing variety that shakes itself smaller. This shiver function that automatically makes itself smaller could be the future for the lazy among us. This type of fat can be injected within the body and the body will automatically make itself thinner, shades of Stephen King!

It's no where near ready but it is a possible solution to the problems of obesity in children and adults for the future. All is not lost and type 2 diabetes for tomorrow offers us the hope that the present research did not. We do have a problem now and the solutions don't seem immenent nor too far off. There is hope. Nature magazine shows the technical specs which though confusing to us thankfully everyone else can explain it better. This is one example where the reporters get it right.