As an Integrative Physician I catch flak from both sides. Last month I reviewed two issues that often raise the hackles of Naturopaths—Soy, and mainstream M.D.s.—pesticides. For the umpteenth time I will tell you Soy is OK for you, provided it is organic, and fermented. See blog “Are plants bad for you.” Here is more evidence:
“Study compares four popular alternative plant-based milks:”
The Los Angeles Times reports investigators “looked into the four most popular plant-based milks on the market: almond, soy, rice, and coconut milk,” comparing “the unsweetened varieties of each” to see which provides “the most nutritional bang.” The study revealed that “soy milk outdid the others with its balanced nutritional profile, offering protein and phytonutrients.”[1]
Notice the article mentions “phytonutrients,” not phytoestrogens. The doctor who used the latter term regrets it to this day. It has caused unnecessary angst.
Pesticides are not good for us, despite all the whitewashing Monsanto has financed. BTW, they sold out to Bayer, trying to divest themselves of their terrible reputation, especially in Europe. If you consider that pesticides were produced from leftover WWII nerve gas, you will easily see why they are problematic. Throw in GMOs, while you are at it. Pesticides not only affect the neurological system, but our gut bacteria. Here is more evidence:
“Serious Health Risks Associated With Pesticides.”[2]
Hugo Rodier, MD
Raising your HDL Cholesterol
It can be done by consuming a plant-based diet, avoiding refined foods, especially sugar, working on fatty liver, exercising, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, and taking antioxidants like COQ10.
Nuts will also do it. Even though cashews are not technically nuts, they raise HDL.[3]
Folic acid, multivitamins during pregnancy may reduce autism risk
The ABC News (1/3, Francis, Childs) website reports, “Maternal exposure to folic acid and/or multivitamin supplements before pregnancy was statistically significantly associated with a lower likelihood of” autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in their offspring, research indicated. The findings were published online Jan. 3 in JAMA Psychiatry. Included in the study were “45,300 children born between Jan. 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2007,” who were followed from birth until Jan. 26, 2015. Investigators also examined “survey data that indicated whether their mothers were prescribed multivitamin and folic acid supplements.”
“MedPage Today (1/3, Walker) reports that “compared with women with no exposure to folic acid and/or multivitamin supplementation, women who took folic acid and/or these vitamin supplements during pregnancy had a significantly reduced risk of offspring with ASD…with similar results seen among women who took these supplements before pregnancy.” Meanwhile, “similar results were found when the effects of folic acid and multivitamin supplements were examined individually.”
Hysterectomy, even with ovarian conservation, may be associated with higher cardiovascular risks
“AFP (1/3) reports, ‘Women who undergo hysterectomy before age 35 may face significantly higher long-term heart risks, even if their ovaries are preserved,’ researchers found after focusing on some ‘2,000 US women who had their uterus removed but left their ovaries intact.’ The study found that compared to women ‘who did not have hysterectomies…those who did faced a greater risk of obesity, clogged arteries, high blood pressure and high cholesterol in the 20-plus years after surgery.’ The findings were published online in the journal Menopause.”
It is truly unfortunate to see women lose their uterus without having tried a plant-based diet free of processed sugar:
“Dietary Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Are Positively Associated with Oxidative Stress among Premenopausal Women.”[4]
“What if sugar is worse than just empty calories?”[5]
Facial nonmelanoma skin cancer may be better left untreated in some very old patients
“Reuters (1/3, Lehman) reports researchers found that facial nonmelanoma skin cancer may be better left untreated in very old patients, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery. The researchers suggested that physicians should take age and relative lifespan into consideration when discussing the treatment of such cancer with these patients.”
Hydrochlorothiazide may increase risk of skin cancer
“Reuters (12/22, Rapaport) reported researchers found that “people who take a certain water pill [hydrochlorothiazide] prescribed to control fluid retention and treat high blood pressure may be more likely to get skin cancer than other individuals.” The article pointed out that the drug has previously been linked to an increased risk of sunburn, but the new research linked the common medication to basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.”
The way to a man’s heart…
If you have been following this newsletter you will remember past issues addressing the concept that Inflammation, the main problem behind heart disease, is generated in the gut. Have you changed your diet since you read them?
“Targeting the gut microbiota with inulin-type fructans: preclinical demonstration of a novel approach in the management of endothelial dysfunction.”[6]
… is not Ibuprofen
“NBC Nightly News (1/8, story 11, 0:25, Holt) reported, “A new study finds that men who take high doses” of ibuprofen “for months at a time may be at greater risk of fertility problems and other health issues.”
“CNN (1/9, Scutti) reports that in the study, 31 male patients received either 600 milligrams of ibuprofen two times per day or a placebo. Among the participants given “ibuprofen, within 14 days, their luteinizing hormones – which are secreted by the pituitary gland and stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone – became coordinated with the level of ibuprofen circulating in their blood. Meanwhile, “the ratio of testosterone to luteinizing hormones decreased, a sign of dysfunctional testicles.” According to CNN, “This hormonal imbalance produced compensated hypogonadism, a condition” linked to “impaired fertility, depression and increased risk for cardiovascular events, including heart failure and stroke.” The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”
Why the US ranks last in child mortality among the world’s wealthiest countries
“In ‘Science Now,’ the Los Angeles Times (1/8, Kaplan) reports that a study published in Health Affairs “examines” how the US ended up ranking “absolutely last in child mortality among the world’s wealthiest countries.” For the study, investigators examined the Human Mortality Database and the WHO Mortality Database, then “compared the US to” 19 “other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.” The study “findings support the conclusions of the Institute of Medicine, which blamed a fragmented health system, poverty, a weak social safety net and other factors for ‘poor health outcomes’ in the US.” Things may not improve anytime soon. That is because “the Trump administration’s budget includes ‘substantial cuts to the Children’s Health Insurance Program” and ‘to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which directs three-quarters of its benefits to households with children,’ the study authors observed.”
“According to CNBC (1/8, Mangan), “from 2001 to 2010, the risk of death in the US was 76 percent greater for infants and 57 percent greater for children age 1-19,” the study found. What’s more, these “excess deaths have occurred even as the US spends more money on health care for kids than the other countries,” CNBC adds.”
- Journal of Food Science and Technology January 2018.↑
- Medscape – Jan 22, 2018. ↑
- “Cashew Nut Consumption Increases HDL Cholesterol and Reduces Systolic Blood Pressure in Asian Indians with Type 2 Diabetes: A 12-Week Randomized Controlled Trial,”
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 148, Issue 1, 1 January 2018, Pages 63–69, ↑ - The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 148, Issue 1, 1 January 2018, Pages 125–130, ↑
- BMJ 2018;360:j5808 ↑
- J. Gut 8 January, 2018 ↑
