Susanne Hempel, PhD, of the research organization RAND Health in Santa Monica, California and her colleagues reviewed 82 randomized clinical trials of patients receiving antibiotics that compared the effects of a probiotic to no treatment, a placebo, or a different probiotic or probiotic dose. A pooled analysis of 63 of the trials, which included a total of 11,811 participants, concluded that the use of probiotics was associated with a 42 percent lower risk of developing diarrhea as a result of antibiotic use compared to not consuming probiotics. Because many types and blends of probiotics were used in the studies, it was difficult to identify which strains were responsible for the benefits observed, however, pooled analyses limited to trials of Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces and Streptococcus probiotics were associated with risk reductions of 36%, 52% and 49%, respectively.

The FDA has removed a long-standing warning advising routine monitoring of liver enzymes in people taking statins, even though the drugs are linked to serious liver damage.

One in four Americans aged 45 and older take statin drugs to lower cholesterol, and many are unaware of the serious risks associated with the drugs.

The majority of people taking statin drugs do not need them, and in fact are risking their health unnecessarily by doing so.

Over 60,000 people EVERY year in the US will develop diabetes solely as a result of taking statin drugs.

HOW IT WORKS: Chromium is essential for the normal activity of insulin, the key hormone involved in burning food for energy. Symptoms of chromium deficiency, including elevated blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and triglyceride, can resemble those of prediabetes and syndrome
X. This doesn’t mean that a lack of chromium alone causes diabetes, but low chromium intake likely contributes to diabetes.

When people eat a lot of sugars and sugar-like carbs, their blood sugar levels quickly rise. In response, the body secretes insulin to lower blood sugar. However, after many years of this “blood sugar-insulin roller coaster,” cells become resistant or unresponsive to the action of insulin. This situation leads to still more insulin secretion in an effort to compensate–and ultimately to insulin resistance, the cornerstone of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Less insulin is better-and chromium maximizes insulin function.

Chromium supplements can have a dramatic effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. In a study of 180 people with type 2 diabetes, 1,000 mcg of chromium picolinate daily resulted in significant improvements in blood sugar and insulin levels after just four months. Niacin-bound chromium has similar benefits. In one study, people taking 300 mcg daily of niacin-bound chromium had significant decreases in fasting blood sugar and modest reductions in triglycerides and glycated hemoglobin (which reflect blood sugar levels over six weeks) after three months.

* Weight control. Stable blood sugar often translates to fewer hunger jags, which in turn leads to eating less and losing weight. In one study, 28 overweight women took 200 mcg of niacin-bound chromium three times daily for two months, as partof a program of moderate dieting and exercise. The women lost significant amounts of fat, but preserved their fat- and sugar-burning muscle tissue. In another study, researchers found that taking chromium picolinate with the diabetes drug glipizide reduced the weight gain side effect.

* Depression. Researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Medicine found that supplements of chromium picolinate could relieve depression. It appeared most effective in dosages of 200-400 mcg in people who were overweight or had a history of overeating (again, associated with atypical depression). Many of the patients also began losing weight after taking chromium and were able to stop taking antidepressant drugs. Researchers believe chromium may increase serotonin.

Jack Challem. (2007) “Diabetes can count in chromium: what do elevated blood sugar levels, depression, and excess weight have in common? They all may improve with supplements of the trace mineral chromium”. Better Nutrition. FindArticles.com.

- Increased sleep promotes weight loss

- If you’re trying to lose weight, skimping on sleep causes you to lose less fat

Eur J Endocrinol 2008;159 Suppl 1:S59-66. Sleep and the epidemic of obesity in children and adults. Van Cauter E, Knutson KL.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/729995

 Comment: We often hear our clients tell us that their family physician, endocrinologist, etc. told them to stop their bioidentical hormones. They are told “they are bad for you.” Of course, they have no experience with bioidentical hormones and no studies to support what they say. At the same time, these same physicians often prescribe statin drugs to block cholesterol, synthetic hormones like Premarin, Prempro, Progestin, and Birth Control Pills (which contain synthetic estrogens and synthetic progestins) to treat a variety of female symptoms, anti-depressants, sleep drugs, blood pressure drugs, migraine medications, pain medications, etc. They frequently recommend hysterectomies (600,000 per year), breast removal, gastric by-pass and lap-band surgery (hundreds of thousands each year), liposuction, etc.

The truth is that is easier to treat symptoms with a drug recommended by a drug company than to actually determine and treat the real causes of a person’s distress or condition. For example, in our 13 years of experience, migraines in women can be often be stopped by increasing their progesterone levels. Irregular or difficult periods are generally due to progesterone deficiency or imbalances. Men and women who have been told they are depressed generally have hormonal deficiencies or imbalances. Testosterone helps most as does progesterone and thyroid for women. In our experience, most weight gain is due, at least in part, to hormonal issues.The advice generally given is, “Eat less and exercise more.”

Let’s look at some of the SCIENCE that involves Testosterone and Breast Cancer.

Testosterone Decline

“…recent years have seen a substantial, and yet unrecognized, age independent population decrease in testosterone in American men”

“The population-level declines are greater in magnitude than the cross sectional declines in Testosterone typically associated with age.”

Travison TG et al. A population-level decline in serum testosterone levels in American men. J Clin                  Endocrinol Metab 2006, October 24

 While viewing our science, please note that Johnson & Johnson was recently fined $1.1 Billion for downplaying the risks of Risperdal, an antipyschotic drug. This drug was FDA approved and introduced in 1994. It provided profits of billions of dollars as it was prescribed by thousands of physicians. This is not a unique case. The Science was provided to physicians by Johnson & Johnson.

Testosterone

“Life force hormone”; primary source of libido, associated with aggression

Produced mainly in testes in men, secondarily in adrenals; produced in both adrenals and ovaries in women

Protects against osteoporosis, helps maintain lean muscle mass, inhibits estrogen-induced proliferation of breast tissue

“Androgynous de-differentiation of the sexes” in old age (relative estrogen decline in women, relative testosterone decline in men) (Hays B 2005)

Progesterone (Bioidentical) vs. Progestin (synthetic) Breast Cancer and Oral Contraceptives

There is a link in most studies between early breast cancer before age 40 with women who used oral contraception for long durations of time.

Women who began use as teenagers, younger than 20 have a 20% statistically significant increased relative risk that continued for 1-4 years. This risk is independent of all other breast cancer risks.

  Speroff L., Glass R. & Kase N. Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility. 7th   Edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Baltimore, Maryland. 2005. Pg. 896.

How many physicians have prescribed synthetic Premarin and Prempro (even today)? Guess what is in Birth Control Pills?

Breast Cancer Progesterone and synthetic progestins have similar effects on endometrial tissue but there is significant evidence that they have differing effects on breast tissue proliferation

Synthetic progestins have clear association with increased risk for breast cancer

Women’s Health Initiative: MPA significantly increased risk for breast cancer (RR=1.26;Cl:1.00-1.59)

Lyytinen et al: combination estrogen and progestogen increases risk fob rest cancer after 3 years (P<0.05)

Nurses’ Health Study: 58,000 postmenopausal women were followed for 16 years (725,000 women-years)    Unopposed estrogen use increased risk for breast cancer by 23% (Cl:6-42) but addition of synthetic progestin resulted in tripling of risk (67% increased risk; Cl: 18-136)

Rose et al: compared risk for breast cancer in 1897 women on estrogen and synthetic progestin v. 1637 control patients who had never used HRT Synthetic progestin increased risk for breast cancer by 25% for each 5 years of use compared with estrogen alone (RR=1.25;Cl: 1.02-1.18)

Risk of Breast Cancer with Bioidentical Progesterone – Progesterone shown to decrease risk for breast cancer 

Fourier et al: reported association between various forms of HRT and incidence of breast cancer in 80,000 postmenopausal women followed for > 8 years. 

 Estrogen-only had non-significant increase of 1.29 times risk (P=.73) but if synthetic progestin added to combination, risk increases to 1.69 times control (P=0.0001)

Combination progesterone and estrogen significantly reduced risk compared with synthetic progestin (P=0.001) o Fourier et al: in another study of 50,000 postmenopausal women

Risk significantly increased if synthetic progestin used (RR=1.4) but was reduced if progesterone was used (RR=0.9)

Significant difference in risk for breast cancer between use of estrogens combined with synthetic progestins v. estrogens combined with progesterone (P<0.0001)

Wood et al: post-menopausal primate given placebo, estradiol, estradiol +MPA, estradiol +progesterone for 2 months with 1-month washout period

Compared with placebo, significantly increased proliferation found with combination of estrogen +MPA in both lobular (P=0.009) and ductal tissues (P=0.006), but was not seen with estrogen + progesterone

Intramammary gene expression of proliferation markers were also higher after treatment with estrogen +MPA (4.9-fold increase P=0.007; 4.3-fold increase P=0.002), but not with estrogen + progesterone

Why do we recommend PROGESTERONE? Another Reason.

Cardiovascular Risk with Synthetic Progestin Versus Progesterone

WHI study showed addition of MPA to Premarin (CEE) resulted in substantial increase in risk of heart attack and stroke

Synthetic progestins produce negative cardiovascular effects and negate cardioprotective effects of estrogen

Progesterone has opposite effect by maintaining and augmenting the cardioprotective effects of estrogen and decreasing the risk for heart attack and stroke

MPA and other synthetic progestins negate positive lipid effects of estrogen and reduce HDL while progesterone either maintains or augments’ estrogen’s positive lipid and HDL effects

Coronary Arterial Effects

Coronary artery spasm, which increases the risk for heart attack and stroke, is reduced with the use of estrogen and/or progesterone

Addition of MPA to estrogen has the opposite effect, resulting in vasoconstriction and increasing the risk for ischemic heart disease 

Minshall et al: studied coronary hyperreativity by infusing a thromboxane A2 mimetic in primates which were administered estradiol along with MPA or progesterone   

• Estradiol given with progesterone protected coronary arteries against spasm but protective effect was lost when MPA was used instead                                                                

Myagawa et al: compared reactivity of coronary arteries in primates pretreated with estradiol combined with either progesterone or MPA

• None of the animals treated with bioidentical progesterone experienced vasospasms while all of those treated with MPA showed significant vasospasms

Their preference would be chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese every day if they had it their way. But a diet high in processed and refined foods, and low in fruits and veggies has far reaching consequences, especially on little bodies.

First, the more children don’t eat fruits and veggies, the more likely they’ll not want to eat them later in life. Second, a diet low in fruits and veggies means a diet low in many nutrients and fiber. Third, when children don’t eat enough fruits and veggies, they get constipated.

A recent study found that primary school children who didn’t like fruits and vegetables were 13 times more likely to develop functional constipation than children who did like fruits and veggies. As a parent, you might not even realize your child is constipated. Maybe your children are in school or day care, so you can’t keep track of every potty break. Ask about their bowel movements. At least one healthy bowel movement daily (quantity counts!) is an indication that they are not constipated. But what can you do if your children are not having daily bowel movements?

Try these following tips to maintain regularity in your kids:

Increase Your Child’s Water Intake. Studies have shown that children who drank less than 400mL (13.5 ounces) of fluid daily were also more likely to be constipated.

Get Creative With Your Veggies. Be persistent in trying new veggies from time to time. Children’s tastes change, and often, a veggie that was detested last month seems to go down without a hitch the next. For the pickiest of eaters, there are many recipes out there that help you “hide” the veggies by adding them to other foods in stealthy ways. You may even find yourself trying new veggies by using these tricks.

By Brenda Watson

“Diabetes is the No. 1 health problem America faces today,” says Newsmax Health contributor Dr. David Brownstein. “High glucose, or high sugar levels, is the reason for the out-of-control freight train of patients that will derail whatever type of healthcare plan we have.”

The numbers are staggering. According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million adults and children have diabetes. Another 79 million have prediabetes, a predecessor to diabetes in which sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as the full-blown disease.

“Diabetes is an epidemic, but the main cause is preventable,” says Dr. Brownstein, author of “Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health.” “The vast majority of prediabetes and diabetes is the result of poor lifestyle choices, especially our diets.
Americans eat too much.

“One of the main risk factors for diabetes is being overweight,” he says. “Two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and a third of those are obese. Most people who are overweight are already prediabetic.”

Diabetes costs the United States $174 billion a year in medical expenses and lost productivity.

In addition to overeating, we consume the wrong kinds of foods, Dr. Ray Sahelian, a nationally recognized expert on supplements and author of “Mind Boosters,” tells Newsmax Health. Dr. Sahelian says our diets include too many high-carb, highly processed foods and too many simple sugars, which stress the body. Often, he says, the result is diabetes.

“With diabetes, the body’s pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels,” says Dr. Sahelian.  “People with Type 1 diabetes produce little or no insulin. People with Type 2 diabetes may continue to produce enough — perhaps even too much — but insulin receptors on cells develop resistance, a condition that prevents the body from using glucose effectively.”

Sugar continues to circulate in the blood and build up.  The health results are devastating and include increased risks for heart isease, nerve damage, blindness, and kidney damage.

Who is in danger of developing diabetes?

“Practically everybody,” Dr. Brownstein says.  “It’s an equal opportunity disease — both sexes, all ages, and all ethnic groups are at risk.

“It’s vital to keep your blood sugar within normal range. As soon as it begins creeping up, the risk of all chronic diseases rises and health problems begin to cascade.”

There’s no cure for Type 1 diabetes, which is thought to be immune-related, but many researchers believe Type 2 diabetes — which includes up to 95 percent of all diabetics — is preventable and can even be reversed.

Monday, April 2, 2012                                                                                                                        By
Sylvia Booth Hubbard

Body aches, leg cramps, fatigue or low energy, restless sleep, headaches and migraines, muscle twitches, chronic constipation, insulin resistance, severe PMS, and more.

Left untreated, a magnesium deficiency can lead to more life-threatening conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and others.Up to 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium. That’s approximately 240,000,000 men, women, and children. Standing shoulder to shoulder, that’s enough to stretch from New York to Los Angeles 37 times. In other words, probably you.

Boost energy production and reduce fatigue.

Promote healthy, restful sleep.

Increase calmness and lessen stress.

Keep blood pressure within normal limits.

Maintain healthy blood sugar levels within normal limits.

Dissolve calcium buildup in joints, muscles, and arteries.

Support healthy breathing and a healthy heart.

Lessen or even eliminate headaches.

Reduce symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

Build normal bone structure.

Beyond its impact on health, it is estimated that obesity economically accounts for 9.1% of U.S. annual health care spending – nearly $150 billion dollars. By 2030, if trends in the escalating rates of obesity continue, health care costs attributable to obesity may reach $956 billion, accounting for up to 18% of total health care costs, or $1 in every $6 spent on health care.

The Product

Qnexa® (phentermine and topiramate) Extended-release Capsules is an investigational, once-per-day, weight-loss therapy that combines low doses of two agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), phentermine and topiramate, in a controlled-release formulation.

Status

The company resubmitted the Qnexa NDA on October 17, 2011. On November 3, 2011, it was announced that the NDA was accepted for filing and review.  The FDA assigned a six-month, or class 2, review classification to the NDA, establishing April 17, 2012, as the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date.

The NDA resubmission seeks approval for the treatment of obesity, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss for obese patients), or overweight patients with weight-related co-morbidities such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, or central adiposity (abdominal obesity). The proposed labeling includes a contraindication for women who are pregnant.

Clinical Studies

In phase 2 and 3 clinical data to date, patients taking Qnexa have demonstrated statistically significant weight loss, glycemic control, and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, when used in combination with a diet and lifestyle modification program. The most commonly reported side effects were tingling, dry mouth, constipation and altered taste.

REFERENCES:

Allison DB, Gadde KM, Garvey WT, Peterson CA, Schwiers ML, Najarian T, et al. Controlled-Release Phentermine/Topiramate in Severely Obese Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial (EQUIP). Obesity (Silver Spring). Advance online publication 3 November 2011. doi:10.1038/oby.2011.330.

Gadde KM, Allison DB, et al., Effects of low-dose, controlled-release, phentermine plus topiramate combination on weight and associated comorbidities in overweight and obese adults (CONQUER): a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. The Lancet, Volume 377, Issue 9774, Pages 1341 – 1352, 16 April 2011. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60205-5

Garvey WT, Ryan DH, Look M et al., Two-year sustained weight loss and metabolic benefits with controlled-release phentermine/topiramate in obese and overweight adults (SEQUEL): a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 extension study. AJCN. First published ahead of print December 7, 2011 as doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.024927.

Retrieved from http://www.vivus.com/pipeline/qnexa-obesity.

Chromium is an essential trace mineral required for maintenance of proper sugar and fat metabolism and is one of the most important blood-sugar stabilizing nutrients we can consume.

A minimum dose of 800 to 1000 mcg daily is recommended (4 capsules of Chromemate).

Research suggests that chromium polynicotinate supplements assist in the reduction of body fat and an increase in lean muscle mass.