Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Weight Loss - The Recipe For Success


It's that time of year again.  You know the time that everyone and their neighbor vows to once again put weight loss as their #1 New Year's resolution.  Isn't it amazing how those pounds seem to magically creep up on you without any sort of warning sign?  One day you're not to far removed from your high school weight and then a few holiday seasons go by and the next thing you know you find yourself shopping in the extra large section of the department store.  Uuugghhh!!

Nobody wants to find themselves in the official "overweight" or "obese" category after they weigh in at their next doctor's office visit.  At least I've never heard of anyone bragging about this.  Have you?  And shedding those extra pounds is becoming more than just about looking better on the outside.  It's quickly becoming about what's happening on the inside as more and more scientific literature comes out linking those extra pounds to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and more.

So if losing weight is so important to so many then why is it that so many people find themselves making the same resolution year after year?  I believe it's because most of us are bombarded with advertisements, gimmicks, and misleading information when it comes to the food that we eat.  By getting back to the basics and gaining an understanding of the fundamentals on how foods affect the body you can empower yourself to achieve the long term, successful weight loss that you've always wanted.  But it's going to take an open mind, willingness to learn, and most importantly a commitment to changing your every day habits.  You already have the desire, now all you need is the right information to get you up and running.  So what is the recipe for success when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off?

Keys to Successful Weight Loss


1)  Eat a low fat, plant-based diet

  • The typical western diet consists heavily on meat and dairy products which are both relatively high in their respect to fat content compared with the predominant foods of a plant-based diet which include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and starches.
  • The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 20-35% of your total calories can be obtained from fat which is similar to the National Cholesterol Education Panel (NCEP) guidelines which recommend a range of 25-35% of your total calories from fat.  The problem with these recommendations is they don't work.  In fact, a study compared long term weight loss results over a period of two years with individuals who followed either a plant-based diet or a low-fat NCEP diet.  The individuals on the plant-based diet lost nearly 3 times as much weight after 1 year than those on the NCEP diet and nearly 4 times as much weight after 2 years [1].
  • Another study found that adopting a low fat, plant-based diet was associated with significant weight loss in overweight women even without putting any restrictions on total calories or portion sizes [2].
  • Plant-based diets that focus on eating health promoting foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes) typically contain less than 20% of their total calories from fat.  Plant based foods that are an exception to this are nuts, seeds, and avocados (keep your intake of these to a minimum).  Dr. John McDougall and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn [3] have both had enormous success with their patients on this type of diet by keeping the overall fat consumption to around 10% of total calories consumed.
  • You also want to keep your consumption or use of oils to a minimum and this includes olive oil and canola oil.  Oils are 100% fat no matter how you look at it and they do not promote weight loss or overall health.




2)  Include plenty of fiber in your diet

  • Fiber plays a crucial role in your diet by adding bulk to your stool and absorbing large amounts of water which help you feel fuller which decreases the likelihood of you overeating.
  • Fiber acts like "nature's broom" gathering up all the toxins and undesirable substances in your gut such as cholesterol as it moves through your digestive tract.  Since fiber is not absorbed by your body these substances are excreted in your waste products.
  • Fiber is only found in plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, etc.) and is completely absent in animal-based foods (meat, dairy, eggs).
  • In a study of middle aged women there was a 49% reduction in risk of major weight gain in those who had a high-fiber diet compared to those who consumed a low fiber diet [4].
  • Individuals consuming a low fat, high fiber diet lost over 4 times as much weight as those eating a high fat, low fiber diet after a 3 year follow up period in another study [5].

3)  Include a majority of your calories as complex carbohydrates

  • You've probably seen or heard that high carbohydrate diets are bad for you and will increase your overall weight but this is only true when a majority of your carbohydrates have been refined.  Refined carbohydrates are made when the food manufacturers take a complex carbohydrate such as whole wheat bread or brown rice and strip all the beneficial nutrients and fiber out of it leaving you with nutrient deficient calories.
  • Complex carbohydrates include beans, split peas, vegetables, lentils, and whole grains.
  • Your body prefers carbohydrates as it's primary source of energy.  When carbohydrates are consumed as whole foods then they do not readily get stored as body fat[6] which reduces your incidence of weight gain.
  • In fact, high carbohydrate diets reduced the likelihood of developing obesity compared to high fat diets [7].

To Sum It All Up

In order to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to weight loss you need to understand how different foods affect your body.  Fad diets will come and go but a basic understanding of food will put you at the head of the class when it comes to losing weight, keeping it off, and improving your overall health.

My advice to others is that when they focus on their overall health through proper nutrition choices then the weight will take care of itself.  What's the point of losing 20 lbs in two months if it isn't sustainable and worse yet puts your overall health at risk?  This is often the case when trying diets such as the Atkin's diet[8] or South Beach diet[9].

The scientific world has already proven through multiple studies over several years that the safest and most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to adopt a nutrient dense, plant-based diet that is low in fat and sugar consumption and limits or avoids animal-based foods.  You just can't go wrong with this approach.  If you don't believe it then I challenge you to give it a try for 3 months and see for yourself the benefits of this approach.  You'll lose weight, gain health, and feel much better.

Below are some resources to help you expand your knowledge and ultimately your success rate in achieving the weight loss you've always wanted to see but never could quite attain.

Pursue A Healthy You

Dr. Fuhrman's Weight Loss Diet Reviews

Janice Church Goes From Fat to Fit

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's Health Page

I wish you the very best in your quest to lose weight and take back control of your own health.  May 2011 be a year of health, happiness, and smaller pant sizes!







If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!


References:
1 Turner-McGrievy GM, Barnard ND, Scialli AR. A two-year randomized weight loss trial comparing a vegan diet to a more moderate low-fat diet. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007 Sep;15(9):2276-81.
2 Barnard ND, Scialli AR, Turner-McGrievy G, Lanou AJ, Glass J. The effects of a low-fat, plant-based dietary intervention on body weight, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity. Am J Med. 2005 Sep;118(9):991-7.
3 Esselstyn CB Jr, Ellis SG, Medendorp SV, Crowe TD. A strategy to arrest and reverse coronary artery disease: a 5-year longitudinal study of a single physician's practice. J Fam Pract. 1995 Dec;41(6):560-8.
4 Liu S, Willett WC, Manson JE, Hu FB, Rosner B, Colditz G. Relation between changes in intakes of dietary fiber and grain products and changes in weight and development of obesity among middle-aged women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Nov;78(5):920-7.
5 Lindström J, Peltonen M, Eriksson JG, Louheranta A, Fogelholm M, Uusitupa M, Tuomilehto J. High-fibre, low-fat diet predicts long-term weight loss and decreased type 2 diabetes risk: the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. Diabetologia. 2006 May;49(5):912-20.
6 Hellerstein, M.K., Christiansen, M., Kaempfer, S. et al (1991). Measurement of de novo hepatic lipogenesis in humans using stable isotopes. J. Clin. Invest. 87: 1841-1852.
7 World Health Organisation (1998) Obesity - preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of the WHO consultation on obesity. Geneva, June 97.
8 Fung TT, van Dam RM, Hankinson SE, et al. Low-Carbohydrate Diets and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality. Ann Int Med 2010;153(5):289-298.
9 St. Jeor S, Howard BV, Prewitt TE, et al. Dietary protein and weight reduction: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association. Circulation 2001 Oct 9;104(15):1869-74.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

PQQ - A Biological MultiTasker That Helps You Thrive


You've probably never heard of it and I would venture to guess that many of those serving in the medical field haven't either but pyrroloquinolone quinone (PQQ) is the life force behind what makes so many different living species thrive including human beings.  It was discovered way back in the 1960's as a bacterial cofacter [1].  But as the years have gone by scientists have uncovered just how important this micronutrient is to both the plant and animal kingdom.  Much has been discovered about it's role to the overall health of human beings in the past couple of decades so let's take a look at what this is all about.

How does PQQ benefit humans?

There's several important functions that PQQ carries out that are vital to our health and longevity.  The most important of these has to do with the growth of new mitochondria otherwise known as mitochondrial biogenesis [2].  If you can remember way back from biology class in high school mitochondria serve as little powerhouses in all of our living cells whether they be muscle cells, fats cells, skin cells, or any other living cell in our body.  Mitochondria turn the food that we eat into usable energy.  They're also responsible for many other functions such as cell signaling, cellular differentiation, cell growth, and cell death.  We literally could not function as living beings without our mitochondria.  Because PQQ is so vital to the growth and development process it is thought to increase our durability and longevity.  The more healthy and functioning mitochondria we have in our cells the healthier and longer we live [3,4].

Powerful antioxidant effects have also been shown as yet another benefit of PQQ.  Antioxidants are extremely important to a person's overall health because they act to neutralize the effects of free radicals in the body.  Free radicals can cause oxidative damage to our cells, tissues, organs, and overall system leading to a number of chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and more.  PQQ helps keep this process in check by limiting free radical damage to our body by carrying out processes known as redox cycling reactions [5].  In fact, PQQ may even be considered a super antioxidant because it is far more stable than most other antioxidants and can carry out more redox cycling reactions as a result of this.  It's been found to be 175 times more efficient than epicatechin (antioxidant found in chocolate), 200 times more efficient than quercetin (antioxidant found in green tea & various fruits & vegetables), and 5,000 times more efficient than vitamin C [14].

PQQ has some profound benefits in relation to cardiovascular health as well [6].  In a study in 2006 using animal models, PQQ was actually shown to be superior to a well known beta-blocker (metoprolol) in reducing oxidative damage after a heart attack and resulted in reduced area of cardiac tissue death and improved overall cardiac function [7].  Another study using animal models found that PQQ "appears to act as a free radical scavenger in ischemic myocardium & is a highly effective cardioprotective agent" [15].  While large scale studies are needed to assess the direct impact on cardiovascular health in humans it goes without saying that the data so far clearly points to beneficial affects that PQQ has on the heart.

The benefits go beyond heart health though.  PQQ has been studied for it's neurological protection especially in cases following a stroke or spinal cord injury.  One study showed that when PQQ was given within 3 hours of a stroke in animal models there was reduction in tissue damage due to a return of blood flow to the damaged area in the brain [8].  Another mechanism by which PQQ provides neurological protection is by reducing the damage from a substance called inducible nitric oxide synthase (iONs) which plays a crucial role following a spinal cord injury [9].  Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iONs) forms reactive nitrogen species and these have been shown to damage N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors [10].  NMDA receptors are important because they allow your nerves cells to communicate to one another so that they can carry out the everyday functions of your nervous system.  In addition to reducing damage due to strokes and spinal cord injuries PQQ has also been shown to help in the treatment of Parkinson's disease[11] and Alzheimer's disease [12].

PQQ has also had a positive affect on memory function in humans.  A randomized, double-blind study released in 2009 looked at the the effect of PQQ and CoQ10 supplementation over a 3 month period on 71 middle aged individuals.  What they found is that memory, attention, and cognition improved in individuals supplementing with PQQ and this affect was enhanced even more when taking both PQQ and CoQ10 together [13].

The last benefit I'll mention is the ability of PQQ to enhance the cell growth and development of human fibroblasts [16].  Why is this important to you?  Well, I'm sure all of you females out there will like this because human fibroblasts are the cells that form connective tissue in the body.  The constant regeneration of new connective tissue keeps your skin from wrinkling.  So when you take in adequate amounts of PQQ you are keeping those wrinkles at bay and retaining your youthful appearance.

How much PQQ do I need?

The recommended daily intake of PQQ has not been determined thus far by either the USDA or the World Health Organization.  Research is just beginning in humans in regards to this topic and until more studies come out we just don't know.  However, an article written in 2009 in the Alternative Medicine Review journal mentions that typical exposure to PQQ in humans tends to be 100-400 mcg/daily in the free form and 1-2 mg/day in the form of PQQ derivatives [14].

Remember the study mentioned above about PQQ increasing memory function in humans?  Well, that study involved individuals taking a dose of 20 mg/day of PQQ to achieve those beneficial results [13].  PQQ has been studied in humans in dosages up to 60 mg/day with no observed side effects or toxicities [14].  With all this in mind, I think it's safe to say that the jury is still out when it comes to determining what dose of PQQ is considered optimal for overall human health.

Where can I get PQQ?

It has been shown that humans and other animals cannot currently synthesize their own PQQ [17,18] so it must be obtained through diet or supplementation.  Therefore, PQQ is considered an essential micronutrient.  PQQ is available in supplement form but I believe the best way to get this micronutrient is from nutrient dense, plant-based foods.  I have always been of the philosophy that if you can get the nutrients you need through health promoting foods then this is a much better option over taking supplements.  The reason that this is the case is because when you consume health promoting foods (i.e. nutrient dense, plant-based foods) for any one particular nutrient you are also getting many other added benefits including increased fiber intake in addition to consuming a myriad of other important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals contained within these foods.

With this being said you can find PQQ in many different foods.  However, it is found in the highest quantities in plant-based foods as seen in the chart below.

To sum it all up

PQQ is new on the research front and it's exciting to see the initial benefits coming to light with this very important micronutrient.  As time goes on we'll get a better idea of just how much we need for optimal health.  Until then I think it's fair to say that it would be wise to do what's long been proven to improve the overall health and well being of human beings and that is - consume nutrient dense, whole foods that are from the plant-based spectrum (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts/seeds, and legumes) and limit or avoid foods that are highly processed or are from animal-based sources (meat, dairy, eggs).  Science has proven that you just can't go wrong with this approach.







If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!


References:
1 Hauge JG. Glucose dehydrogenase of Bacterium anitratum: an enzyme with a novel prosthetic group. J Biol Chem 1964;239:3630-3639.
2 Chowanadisai W, Bauerly KA, Tchaparian E, Wong A, Cortopassi GA, Rucker RB. Pyrroloquinoline quinone stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis through cAMP response element-binding protein phosphorylation and increased PGC-1 alpha expression. J Biol Chem. 2010 Jan 1;285:142-52.
3 Lanza IR, Nair KS. Mitochondrial function as a determinant of life span. Pflugers Arch. 2010 Jan;459(2):277-89.
4 Robb EL, Page MM, Stuart JA. Mitochondria, cellular stress resistance, somatic cell depletion, and life span. Curr Aging Sci. 2009 Mar;2(1):12-27.
5 Stites TE, Mitchell AE, Rucker RB. Physiological importance of quinoenzymes and the O-quinone family of cofactors. J Nutr 2000;130:719-727.
6 Tao R, Karliner JS, Simonis U, et al. Pyrroloquinoline quinone preserves mitochondrial function and prevents oxidative injury in adult rat cardiac myocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007;363:257-262.
7 Zhu BQ, Simonis U, Cecchini G, et al. Comparison of pyrroloquinoline quinone and/or metoprolol on myocardial infarct size and mitochondrial damage in a rat model of ischemia/reperfusion injury. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Jun;11(2):119-28.
8 Zhang Y, Feustel PJ, Kimelberg HK. Neuroprotection by pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) in reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion in the adult rat. Brain Res 2006;1094:200-206.
9 Hirakawa A, Shimizu K, Fukumitsu H, Furukawa S. Pyrroloquinoline quinone attenuates iNOS gene expression in the injured spinal cord. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2009;378:308-312.
10 Zhang Y, Rosenberg PA. The essential nutrient pyrroloquinoline quinone may act as a neuroprotectant by suppressing peroxynitrite formation. Eur J Neurosci 2002;16:1015-1024.
11 Jihoon K, Ryuichi H, Masaki K, Natsuki K, Koji S. The inhibitory effect of pyrroloquinoline quinone on the amyloid formation and cytotoxicity of truncated alpha-synuclein. Mol Neurodegener. 2010 May; 5: 20.
12 Zhang JJ, Zhang RF, Meng XK. Protective effect of pyrroloquinoline quinone against Abeta-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Neurosci Lett. 2009 Oct 30;464(3):165-9.
13 Nakano M, Ubukata K, Yamamoto T, Yamaguchi H. Effect of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) on mental status of middle-aged and elderly persons. FOOD Style. 2009;21:13(7):50-3.
14 Rucker R, Chowanadisai W, Nakano M. Potential physiological importance of pyrroloquinoline quinone. Altern Med Rev. 2009 Sep;14(3):268-77.
15 Zhu BQ, Zhou HZ, Teerlink JR, Karliner JS. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) decreases myocardial infarct size and improves cardiac function in rat models of ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2004;18:421-431.
16 Naito Y, Kumazawa T, Kino I, Suzuki O. Effects of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and PQQ-oxazole
on DNA synthesis of cultured human fibroblasts. Life Sci 1993;52:1909-1915.
17 Smidt CR, Bean-Knudsen D, Kirsch DG, Rucker RB. Does the intestinal microflora synthesize pyrroloquinoline quinone? Biofactors.1991 Jan;3(1):53-9.
18 Matsushita K, Arents JC, Bader R, et al. Escherichia coli is unable to produce pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). Microbiology 1997;143:3149-3156.
19 Kumazawa T, Sato K, Seno H, Ishii A, Suzuki O. Levels of pyrroloquinoline quinone in various foods. Biochem J. 1995 April 15; 307(Pt 2): 331–333.
20 Kumazawa T, Seno H, Suzuki O. Failure to verify high levels of pyrroloquinoline quinone in eggs and skim milk. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1993 May 28;193(1):1-5.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Childhood Vaccinations - Is The Verdict Out Yet?


It's probably one of the most controversial and contentious topics in the world of parenting... should I or should I not get my kids vaccinated?  This is by no means an easy subject to get a handle on as it seems like everyone from doctors to parents to the government has a different opinion on it.  It would be impossible for myself to give you a perfect answer on this topic but what I will try to do is at least give you some things to think about as well as some resources to explore to help you determine whether or not you want your children to get vaccinated.

The two main goals of vaccination are - protect humans from developing preventable, debilitating diseases and do so without compromising the safety of the individual.  There's a lot to consider in weighing the benefits and risks of vaccinating your child before making what you feel is the right decision.

Current CDC Recommended Vaccination Guidelines

There are currently 12 different vaccines recommended by the CDC for children to get from ages 0-18.  You can find their recommendations for ages 0-6 here and ages 7-18 here.  The 12 vaccinations include the following:

-  Hepatitis B
-  Rotavirus
-  Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis
-  Haemophilus influenzae type B
-  Pneumococcal
-  Inactivated Poliovirus
-  Influenza
-  Measles, Mumps, Rubella
-  Varicella
-  Hepatitis A
-  Meningococcal
-  Human Papillomavirus

If a child were to get all the recommended shots for the above vaccines they would get just shy of 30 total shots.  The 12 different vaccines provide protection from 16 different diseases all of which have different severities and occurrence rates.  You can definitely see how easy it is to have several questions raised with so much at stake.

Autism and Vaccines

There have been many concerns about the ingredients used in vaccines causing harm to children that can have ever lasting consequences.  The most pressing of all of these concerns has been a possible link to autism.

It has been theorized that autism is caused by toxic levels of mercury building up due to children getting so many vaccines.  The source of this mercury is thimerosal which is a preservative used in vaccines.  Thimerosal contains ethylmercury which is different than methylmercury commonly found in fish and other forms of seafood.  Methylmercury is highly protein bound and therefore the body has a difficult time eliminating it leading to toxic levels accumulating and increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease in adults[1,2,3].  Neurological and developmental deficits have also been linked to methylmercury exposure in children[4].  Ethylmercury, on the other hand, has not been found to accumulate in the body and has not been linked to autism when used in vaccines [5].

Thimerosal was actually removed from the majority of vaccines (with the exception of some versions of the flu vaccine) way back in 1999 as a precautionary measure.  Despite this fact, autism continues to rise at alarming rates.  It affected approximately 0.5 out of every 1,000 persons in the 1980's and has increased to 6 out of every 1,000 persons in 2006 [6].

Several other large scale studies have shown no increased risk of developing autism due to vaccinations. Two studies in particular looked at a total of over 1 million children and found no link to autism and vaccinations[7,8].  The American Academy of Pediatrics has compiled a resourceful list of references regarding several studies on vaccines and health concerns that you can take a look at here.

The latest research on autism actually points to several causes and we are now getting a better picture of how to treat this disease because of these efforts.  I will provide links below to three articles that do a great job in explaining the bigger picture of autism to help you understand everything that's involved.  I hope you find these useful and it helps put to rest the idea that vaccines are the culprit in developing autism.

Autism Research: Breakthrough Discovery on The Causes of Autism

Autism: A Nutraceutical Approach

The Link Between Autism and Low Levels of Vitamin D

Aluminum & Allergen Concerns With Vaccines

One health concern that has come up with vaccines is the aluminum content of these products.  Aluminum is put into vaccines to help them work better.  Without aluminum you would need several more shots of the same vaccine to get the desired immunity.  The problem and controversy is if the amount of aluminum contained in vaccines is safe.  Toxic levels of aluminum in the bloodstream, bones, and brain have been shown to occur in premature infants with impaired kidney function[9].  But this was the case when aluminum products were injected via the intravenous route and not necessarily via the intramuscular or subcutaneous route.  Also the study only found this in premature babies with decreased kidney function but what about healthy babies with no kidney dysfunction?

Dr. Sears has done extensive research regarding this topic and his present day conclusions can be summed up as follows - "There is good evidence that large amounts of aluminum are harmful to humans.  There is no solid evidence that the amount of aluminum in vaccines is harmful to infants and children.  No one has actually studied vaccine amounts of aluminum in healthy human infants to make sure it is safe."  If you are interested in more information on what Dr. Sears has to say about this topic please visit his article here.

Other ingredients commonly used in vaccines include egg protein (found in yellow fever and flu vaccines), gelatin, and antibiotics such as neomycin.  If your child is allergic to gelatin, eggs, or neomycin then it is best that they avoid the particular vaccines that contain these ingredients.  There are several other ingredients in various vaccines and if you have questions I would ask your doctor and refer you to Dr. Sears book at the end of this article.

Benefits of Vaccines

In today's world it is easy to forget the protection that vaccines give us when we no longer have to experience or see for ourselves the devastating effects of so many diseases.  Vaccines have made a significant impact in reducing a number of different diseases and below is just a glimpse at a few of them.

-  Polio has become extinct in the western hemisphere where mass immunization has been implemented but still occurs in the eastern hemisphere where vaccinations are not in effect.  Polio can lead to severe disabilities including damage to the spinal cord, weakness, paralysis, and even death.
-  Smallpox is now extinct due to mass immunization.  It was fatal in 30% of the cases in those who suffered from the disease.
-  Pertussis (whooping cough) has been decreased by immunizations.  Pertussis causes violent coughing and can be fatal in infants less than a year old.  Though the old vaccine (DTwP) was thought to increase the incidence of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) the new vaccine (DTaP) does not contain the neurotoxins that the old vaccine contained and has not been linked to SIDS[10].
-  Diptheria has been eliminated from the U.S. since the introduction of the vaccine.  Diptheria primarily affects the respiratory system causing the airways to swell and even close up.  It can also cause damage to the heart and nervous system.  Diptheria has been found to be fatal in 5-10% of respiratory cases.
-  Meningitis can be very serious and is fatal in 10%-14% of cases.  It causes permanent brain damage, hearing loss, kidney failure, and limb amputations in 11%-19% of those surviving the disease. Widespread use of meningococcal C vaccines has led to a marked decrease in this form of the disease in the U.K. [11].  The use of the Haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal vaccines has sharply decreased the number of meningitis cases in the U.S. [12,13].
-  Measles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus that is highly contagious.  It causes a fever and rash all over the body.  It is rarely fatal but has been shown to lead to death in 1-2 persons per 1000 cases.  Since widespread immunization in the U.S. outbreaks are rare but when they do occur 90% of the cases were brought in from abroad.  For those who were affected by these outbreaks approximately 90% of them were not immunized.
-  Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a viral infection leading to swelling of the cheeks, jaw, and salivary glands.  It's rarely fatal but can cause damage to internal organs and deafness.  Since widespread immunization it is rare in the U.S. but one recent outbreak in 2009 was started after a case was brought over from the U.K.
-  Rubella is caused by a virus that can cause severe birth defects including brain damage, spleen & liver damage, deafness, cataracts, and heart defects in up to 20% of cases if a pregnant mother is exposed to the disease.  Immunizations in the U.S. have led to a virtual elimination of this disease.
-  Tetanus is another disease that affects the nervous system.  It is very serious and is fatal in 10-20% of cases if acquired.  Tetanus can lead to paralysis of the respiratory system, abnormal heart rhythms, and seizures.  Due to increased immunization and improved wound care management the number of cases of tetanus is almost nonexistent in the U.S. with only 27 reported cases in 2005.

The above list is not all inclusive and there are certainly other benefits to widespread vaccination that can be found by visiting the CDC's website.

Conclusions and Final Thoughts

Vaccines obviously have both benefits and risks associated with them.  We've come a long way since their debut in the early to mid 1900's and we will certainly see more information become available as time goes on.  Some safety concerns such as mercury toxicity and SIDS association with certain vaccines have already been addressed while others such as aluminum toxicity have yet to be determined.  The benefits in reducing or even eliminating several serious and even fatal diseases can not be overlooked when considering whether to vaccinate your child.

I will leave you with this.  In my research I have been extremely impressed by the works of Dr. Robert Sears otherwise simply known to his patients as Dr. Bob.  Dr. Sears is board-certified in Pediatrics and has 3 children of his own.  He has done some of the most thorough research in trying to find the truth in the world of vaccinations.  He values unbiased, scientific literature free of any ties to special interest groups or manufacturers in order to make fair evaluations.  If you are a concerned parent I would highly recommend reading his book - The Vaccine Book: Making The Right Decision For Your Child.  He breaks down each and every vaccine in the book in an easy to read format to help you make the best informed decision that you can about whether you want to vaccinate your child or not.







If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!


References:
1 Salonen JT, Seppänen K, Nyyssönen K, Korpela H, Kauhanen J, Kantola M, Tuomilehto J, Esterbauer H, Tatzber F, Salonen R., 1995, Intake of mercury from fish, lipid peroxidation, and the risk of myocardial infarction and coronary, cardiovascular, and any death in eastern Finnish men. Circulation, vol. 91, p. 645-655.
2 Guallar E, Sanz-Gallardo I, van't Veer P, et al., 2002, Mercury, Fish Oils, and the Risk of Myocardial Infarction, New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 347, p. 1747-1754.
3 Choi, A.L., Weihe, P., Budtz-Jørgensen, E., Jørgensen, P.J., Salonen, J.T., Tuomainen, T.-P., Murata, K., Nielsen, H.P., Petersen, M.S., Askham, J., and Grandjean, P., 2009, Methylmercury Exposure and Adverse Cardiovascular Effects in Faroese Whaling Men: Environmental Health Perspectives, v. 117, no. 3, p. 367-372.
4 Rice, DC; Schoeny, R; Mahaffey, K (2003). "Methods and rationale for derivation of a reference dose for methylmercury by the U.S. EPA.". Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis 23 (1): 107–15.
5 Aschner M, Ceccatelli S. Are neuropathological conditions relevant to ethylmercury exposure? Neurotox Res. 2010 Jul;18(1):59-68.
6 Newschaffer CJ, Croen LA, Daniels J et al. The epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders  Annu Rev Public Health. 2007;28:235–58.
Hviid et al. Association Between Thimerosal-Containing Vaccine and Autism. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003; 290(13):1763-6.
8 Makela A et al. Neurologic Disorders after Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination. Pediatrics. 2002; 110:957-63.
9 Bishop NJ, Morley R, Day JP, Lucas A. Aluminum neurotoxicity in preterm infants receiving intravenous-feeding solutions. N Engl J Med. 1997 May 29;336(22):1557-61.
10 Geier DA, Geier MR. An evaluation of serious neurological disorders following immunization: a comparison of whole-cell pertussis and acellular pertussis vaccines. Brain Dev. 2004 Aug;26(5):296-300.
11 Ramsay ME,Andrews NJ,Trotter CL, Kaczmarski EB, Miller E. Herd immunity from meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccine in England: Database analysis. BMJ 2003; 326:365-366.
12 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Control and prevention of meningococcal disease and control and prevention of serogroup C meningococcal disease: Evaluation and management of suspected outbreaks — recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).MMWR 1997;46(RR-5):1-21.
13 Whitney CG, Farley MM, Hadler J, et al, for the Active Bacterial Core Surveillance of the Emerging Infections Program Network. Decline in invasive pneumococcal disease after the introduction of protein-polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. N Engl J Med 2003; 348:1737-1746.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Strength Training - Growing Muscles While Benefiting Your Health


So you think you have to spend hours each day at the gym pumping iron to reap the benefits of strength training?  Think again... with as little as one hour spent each week you can put your muscles to work and gain substantial benefits for both your short and long term health.

We all seem to lose energy and become more inactive as we age.  Perhaps the loss of our childhood imagination and the exciting thrill in doing just about anything keeps us plopped on our couches more and more as the years go by.  You might not realize this but if you remain physically inactive after the age of 30 you'll lose 3-5% of your muscle mass each decade and the corresponding muscle strength that goes with it[1].  But we don't have to just "grow old" and "waste away" like it's some inevitable destination that we have no control over.  I say we put a stop to that by changing a few simple habits and incorporating some strength training into our weekly routine.  Why don't we take a glance now at why boosting those biceps is so important to our overall health.

Key Health Benefits to Maintaining Physical Strength


1)  Prevention of Sarcopenia - Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass, strength, and coordination resulting from the process of aging.  Research has shown that regular resistance training 2-3 times per week can result in a 50% or greater increase in overall strength even in the geriatric population[2].  Resistance training also improves overall strength of younger and middle aged individuals[3] as well as the elderly population for those who participate in as little as two 20 minute sessions per week[4].

2)  Improves Diabetes - Resistance training has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity & improve glucose tolerance along with increasing fat-free muscle mass & reducing adipose (fat) tissue in individuals leading to an improvement in their diabetes[5].

3)  Increases Cardiovascular Health - An improvement in good cholesterol and reduction in high blood pressure[6] has been seen in people who have participated in a weight lifting program.  Strength training has also been shown to improve cardiac output, peak oxygen uptake, and stroke volume in those who had previously underwent open heart surgery[7].

4)  Prevents Bone Loss - High-intensity resistance training programs were shown to significantly increase bone mineral density among postmenopausal women[8] which is an important factor in reducing the overall risk of osteoporosis.

5)  Additional Health Improvements - Resistance training has also been shown to benefit many other health conditions including improving depression[9],  chronic obstructive pulmonary disease[10], increasing mobility in Parkinson's disease[11], reducing rates of metabolic syndrome[12], and even reduces the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms[13].

So now that you've seen the overwhelming evidence on the health benefits of strength training you might be asking yourself - How do I get started?

If you're new to all of this then don't worry it's really not as bad as you think.  I'll give you some simple tips below to make your workout successful!  With this in mind though, it is always best to get your doctor's approval before starting an exercise program.  Now let's get down to it!  Here's 5 tips to perfecting your workout.

5 Tips To A Successful Strength Training Program


1)  Use Proper Technique - Learning and implementing the proper technique when it comes to strength training are key in reducing the risk of injury.  You may want to enlist the help of a personal trainer for your first few sessions to get started on the right path.

2)  Use Multiple Ways To Workout - While having access to a gym is great especially with all the different weight lifting equipment you can also get an effective workout at home.  Try using therapy bands, therapy balls, or even your own body weight to accomplish the job.  Dumbbells work more muscle groups and build your coordination better than machine weights do.  Push ups are also an excellent way to workout a variety of different muscle groups.

3)  Repetition, Repetition, Repetition - You can increase your muscle strength in the short term by doing a single set of 12-15 repetitions for each exercise.  However, a review of 72 studies shows that doing multiple sets of repetitions leads to optimal strength gain over the long term in most individuals[14].

4)  Begin Slowly - You don't have to perform like an olympic weightlifter on day 1 to get to where you want to be.  Make sure you start with smaller amounts of weights and work your way up slowly over time.  Remember if your injured you won't be strength training at all so be smart!

5)  Rest Up - Make sure and give each set of muscle groups at least one day of rest in order to recover properly.  If you want you can work legs one day then switch to arms and shoulders the next day and finish the third day with the chest and back.  Training  2-3 days per week for an average of 20-30 minutes is enough to get the health benefits talked about in the beginning of this article.

Now that you've got a basic understanding of strength and resistance training what are you waiting for?!  Get started today and your body and brain will thank you for years to come.







If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!


References:
1 Nair, K.S. 1995. “Muscle Protein Turnover: Methodological Issues and the Effect of Aging.” The Journals of Gerontology 50A:107-114.
2 Bautmans I, Van Puyvelde K, Mets T. Sarcopenia and functional decline: pathophysiology, prevention and therapy. Acta Clin Belg. 2009 Jul-Aug;64(4):303-16.
3 Westcott WL, Winett RA, Anderson ES, et al. Effects of regular and slow speed resistance training on muscle strength. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2001 Jun;41(2):154-8.
4 Willoughby DS. Resistance Training and the Older Adult. American College of Sports Medicine. Accessed Dec 7, 2010. Available: http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=current_comments1&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8650.
5 Tresierras MA, Balady GJ. Resistance training in the treatment of diabetes and obesity: mechanisms and outcomes. J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev. 2009 Mar-Apr;29(2):67-75.
6 Hurley BF, Kokkinos PF. Effects of weight training on risk factors for coronary artery disease. Sports Med. 1987;4(4):231–238.
7 Haennel RG, Quinney HA, Kappagoda CT. Effects of hydraulic circuit training following coronary artery bypass surgery. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1991;23(2):158–165.
8 Martyn-St James M, Carroll S. High-intensity resistance training and postmenopausal bone loss: a meta-analysis. Osteoporos Int. 2006;17(8):1225-40.
9 Singh NA, Stavrinos TM, Scarbek Y, et al. A randomized controlled trial of high versus low intensity weight training versus general practitioner care for clinical depression in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2005
10 Panton LB, Golden J, Broeder CE, et al. The effects of resistance training on functional outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004 Apr;91(4):443-9.
11 Dibble LE, Hale TF, Marcus RL, et al. High-intensity resistance training amplifies muscle hypertrophy and functional gains in persons with Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord. 2006 Sep;21(9):1444-52.
12 Lakka TA, Laaksonen DE. Physical activity in prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2007 Feb;32(1):76-88.
13 Hurkmans E, van der Giesen FJ, Vliet Vlieland TP, et al. Dynamic exercise programs (aerobic capacity and/or muscle strength training) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Oct 7;(4):CD006853.
14 Fröhlich M, Emrich E, Schmidtbleicher D. Outcome effects of single-set versus multiple-set training--an advanced replication study. Res Sports Med. 2010 Jul;18(3):157-75.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Acid/Base Balance - How Do Your Favorite Foods Stack Up?


Many of us go about our daily routines of eating our favorite foods without giving it a second thought.  It never crosses our mind to think about how the acidic or alkaline nature of these foods affect our overall health.  At least I don't hear my family, friends, or co-workers remarking how the methionine content of their food is raising their homocysteine levels.  That would be an interesting topic of conversation to say the least don't you think?


But this topic of food and acid/base balance is very important for many reasons.  My hope today is to give you a basic understanding of how all this works so that you'll be able to make better informed decisions regarding your overall health.


Your body functions best and avoids diseases when an alkaline or basic state is achieved.  An acidic environment does just the opposite and reeks havoc on many different organs and systems.  Your lungs, liver, kidney, and digestive tract are all involved in maintaining an alkaline state in your body [1].  Interestingly enough your bones also play an important role.  But the way that you and I have the biggest impact on our acid/base state is through our diet.  So how does all this fit together?


First off, the foods that are highest in acid content are typically animal based foods.  There is a value to assess the acid load of our foods called the potential renal acid load (PRAL).  The higher the PRAL value the more acidic the food.  Listed below are the PRAL values for some common food groups [1].  Please keep in mind that individual food items within each group might not have the exact same PRAL value as the group as a whole but most items are close to the average.




One of the reasons that higher acidic foods are detrimental to your health is because your body has to neutralize their effect.  It does this by pulling the most readily available buffer it has - calcium citrate and calcium carbonate [2,3].  Where does this calcium come from?  Your bones.  So if your bones are losing calcium guess what happens?  That's right - an increase risk of osteoporosis and hip fractures [4].  A western diet has also been shown to increase cortisol (natural steroid in the body) which leads to mild metabolic acidosis and an increased risk of osteoporosis [5].


You'll notice that foods higher up on the PRAL scale are the meats and cheeses which are also high protein foods.  When these foods make up a large part of your diet you are actually getting too much protein which can take their toll on the kidneys because your kidneys are responsible for getting rid of excess protein.  This excess in protein has been shown to lead to an increased formation of kidney stones [6].  We only need a minimum of 35-50 grams of protein a day to meet our needs but many individuals who eat a western diet typically get 2-3 times that amount.  You can visit my website for more information on the topic of protein.


One last thing I'd like to talk about is methionine.  Methionine is an essential amino acid that our body cannot make and it's important that we obtain it as part of a healthy diet but the problem lies in getting too much methionine.  This is also the case in the typical western diet.  The World Health Organization recommends a daily intake of 10.4 mg/kg per day of methionine which works out to be about 700 mg for a 150 pound person.  It is not uncommon for many people to get 3-5 times this amount in their daily diet.  Nutritiondata.com has a list of foods ranked from highest to lowest levels of methionine content.  Fish, meat, and eggs are all at the top of the list.  One can of tuna provides 1246 mg of methionine so you can see how easy it is to get too much.


So why is too much methionine harmful?  Too much methionine can lead to high levels of homocysteine [7].  High levels of homocysteine have been linked to an increased risk in heart attacks[8], vascular disease[9], atherosclerosis[10], depression[11], dementia & Alzheimer's disease[12], and osteoporosis[13].  It is also important to mention that low dietary intakes of folate and vitamin B12 can lead to high homocysteine levels [14,15].  Therefore, a diet rich in plant-based foods such as dark leafy greens and vegetables along with taking a B12 supplement can do wonders to lower methionine and homocysteine levels.


I hope this has cleared up some important points regarding the makeup of many of the foods that you eat on a regular basis.  Remember the more you know about how foods affect your body the better informed decisions you can make regarding your overall health.










If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!



References:
1 Remer T. Influence of Diet on Acid-Base Balance. Semin Dial. 2000 Jul-Aug;13(4):221-6.
Barzel US. Excess dietary protein can adversely affect bone. J Nutr. 1998 Jun;128(6):1051-3.
Massey LK. J Nutr. Dietary animal and plant protein and human bone health: a whole foods approach. 2003 Mar;133(3):862S-865S.
4 Heaney RP. Protein intake and bone health: the influence of belief systems on the conduct of nutritional science. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 73, No. 1, 5-6, January 2001.
5 Maurer M, Riesen W, Muser J, et al. Neutralization of Western diet inhibits bone resorption independently of K intake and reduces cortisol secretion in humans. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2003 Jan;284(1):F32-40.
6 Wahl C, Hess B. Kidney calculi--is nutrition a trigger or treatment. Ther Umsch. 2000 Mar;57(3):138-45.
Troen AM.  The atherogenic effect of excess methionine intake. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Dec 9; 100(25):15089-94.
Stampfer MJ, Malinow MR, Willett WC, et al. A prospective study of plasma homocyst(e)ine and risk of myocardial infarction in US physicians. JAMA. 1992 Aug 19;268(7):877-81.
9 Stanger O, Herrmann W, Pietrzik K, et al. Clinical use and rational management of homocysteine, folic acid, and B vitamins in cardiovascular and thrombotic diseases. Z Kardiol. 2004 Jun;93(6):439-53.
10 Rasouli ML, Nasir K, Blumenthal RS, et al. Plasma homocysteine predicts progression of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis. 2005 Jul;181(1):159-65.
11 Bottiglieri T, Laundy M, Crellin R, et al. Homocysteine, folate, methylation, and monoamine metabolism in depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2000 Aug;69(2):228-32.
12 Ravaglia G, Forti P, Maioli F, et al. Homocysteine and folate as risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Sep;82(3):636-43.
13 van Meurs JB, Dhonukshe-Rutten RA, Pluijm SM, et al. Homocysteine levels and the risk of osteoporotic fracture. N Engl J Med. 2004 May 13;350(20):2033-41.
14 Tucker KL, Mahnken B, Wilson PW, Jacques P, Selhub J. Folic acid fortification of the food supply. Potential benefits and risks for the elderly population. JAMA. 1996 Dec 18;276(23):1879-85.
15 Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12. Nov 30, 2010]; Available from: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12/.