Loading... Please wait...Dr. Oz Agrees With Samantha From Sex And The City — With The Loss Of Melatonin Potency As We Age, A Melatonin Patch Can Provide Restful Sleep
When Samantha (Kim Cattrall) from Sex And The City explains to her friends that a Melatonin Patch for sleeping trouble helps her maintain her youthful good looks, her insight is supported by none other than Dr. Oz. Television sensation and health guru Dr. Oz explains how the potency of human Melatonin receptors loses their potency as we age. The body is naturally designed to use Melatonin as a sleep aid, but the body’s melatonin production peak is reached at the absurdly young age of five. After that, it literally is downhill with 80% of the original levels gone by the time we reach 60. This is a major reason why older people can have such a difficult time experiencing a restful night of sleep. Luckily, with the Sleep Starter Melatonin Patch for sleeping trouble from Nature MD, the problem can be resolved and hours of good sleep can become a guarantee and not a luxury.
The Sleep Starter Melatonin Patch
In his blog, Dr. Oz illustrates the above with eloquent detail: “Our own melatonin loses some of its potency as we age—our receptors for that neurotransmitter don’t create the same power from the dose of melatonin they receive. As you get older, you also lose some of the oomph you get from melatonin, which may explain why so many of us suffer aging-related sleep and health problems. In fact, melatonin production peaks around age 5 and starts a downhill slide from there. Unfortunately, we lose up to 80 percent of those original levels by the time we reach 60. And that’s likely one of the reasons we don’t sleep as well when we get older.”
Like Dr. Oz, Nature MD promotes the use of Melatonin as a natural and non-addictive sleep aide. When applied as a supplement through the Sleep Starter Melatonin Topical Patch for sleeping trouble, Melatonin can promote a good night’s sleep without the addictive threat of prescription drugs. By the way, it is spelled Melatonin and not Malatonin. This misspelling of Melatonin is a huge mistake when it comes to Google searches for relief from insomnia.
By combining Melatonin with our unique topical delivery system and Nature Technology, Nature MD provides the natural benefits without the burden of pills or liquids. The Sleep Starter Melatonin Patch for trouble sleeping is a safe, effective and inexpensive alternative to dangerous, habit-forming drugs. Following the accepted wisdom of both the medical establishment and popular culture, the Sleep Starter Melatonin Patch provides you with the restful sleep you need to stay young and beautiful.
Melatonin Patches
Trouble Sleeping? Melatonin Patches promote restfull sleep
When applied as a supplement through the Sleep Starter Melatonin Topical Patch for trouble sleeping, Melatonin can promote a good night’s sleep without the addictive threat of prescription drugs. By combining Melatonin with our Topical Patch delivery system, NatureMD provides the natural benefits without the burden of pills and liquids. Through the process of real absorption, Melatonin is allowed to take full effect and to continue work all night long as needed.
Read more or purchase our Melatonin Patches for trouble sleeping here.
From the Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Gastric Bypass Weight Loss Surgery Limits Vitamin Absorption — Could Nature MD Be The Secret To Better Nutrition?
Digestion can often limit a body’s ability to absorb vitamins, reducing the value of nutrition. Nature MD offers an effective alternative to digestion as a delivery system for vitamins and minerals to help improve your nutrition.
Recently, the Mayo Clinic validated this idea when they described how gastric bypass surgery for weight-loss can lead directly to vitamin and nutrient deficiency. With the digestive system’s absorption ability impaired, the individual must find a new way to guarantee good nutrition.
Since the digestive system can be problematic with both food and vitamins in regards to nutrition. The Vitamin Topical Patches of Nature MD could be the answer that is needed.
In response to a letter, the Mayo Clinic recently described how Bariatric (weight-loss through a gastric bypass) surgery can lead directly to a vitamin and nutrient deficiency by limiting the digestive system’s absorption ability. Although the writer was taking 200 milligrams of calcium and vitamin D daily, they were having trouble healing. After six months, their broken foot remained damaged and not even close to being fully healed. The writer wanted to know what they could do to build back their bones.
Vitamin D and Calcium Topical Patch from Nature MD
In response, the Mayo Clinic explained that their condition was not uncommon after gastric bypass surgery. Since gastric bypass surgery limits the amount of food a person can eat and digest, gastric bypass limits absorption of food, including vitamins and minerals. If you have had weight-loss surgery, you could need an alternative and more effective delivery method for vitamins and minerals. Luckily, Nature MD has an answer that can work both for the letter writer and you as well.
The Vitamin D/Calcium Topical Patch offers the healthy benefits of Vitamin D without the dangers of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Since adequate sun exposure is not always easy or safe, the Vitamin D/Calcium Topical Patch allows you to overcome the Vitamin D deficiency that plagues a large segment of the population. For decades, physicians have been promoting the healthy benefits of Vitamin D. A natural organic compound, Vitamin D helps the body to properly absorb calcium.
By engineering the patch as a dynamic combination of both Vitamin D and Calcium, NatureMD gives you the best of both worlds. When applied as a supplement with the Vitamin D, Calcium helps promote healthy bone growth and maintenance. By combining Calcium with our cutting edge delivery system, NatureMD provides the natural benefits without the burden of ingestion. Through the process of real absorption, the Calcium and the Vitamin D are allowed to take full effect and to work as needed.
Nature MD Synergy Groupings
In addition, Nature MD offers a synergy of patch offerings to help benefit diet and nutrition. beyond even gastric bypass surgery, a majority of weight loss methods and drugs can damage the bodies ability to absorb vitamins and nutrients. If you need a more effective delivery method that avoids the stomach and digestive system, Nature MD’s Nature technology is what you have been looking for to help improve your nutrition and the health of yourself and your family.
Vitamin D + Calcium = “The Sunshine Vitamin” — Nature Technology Is The New Delivery System For Your Sunshine
Experts are estimating that between 70 and 90% of North Americans have Vitamin D deficiency. Without enough Vitamin D, there is less calcium circulating in the blood. As a result, the body ultimately begins taking calcium it needs from the bones which in turn makes them brittle. Vitamin D with Calcium provides a positive health benefit to people of all ages.
Vitamin D + Calcium = "The Sunshine Vitamin"
Known as the “sunshine vitamin”, the body activates Vitamin D through reactions driven by skin’s exposure to the sun. The nutrient is actually only found in select food sources such as cod liver oil, salmon, tuna fish, eggs and liver. The avoidance of sun exposure due to skin cancer puts people at risk for Vitamin D deficiency.
When applied as a supplement with the Vitamin D, Calcium helps promote healthy bone growth and maintenance. By combining Calcium with our cutting edge delivery system, Nature MD provides the natural benefits without the burden of ingestion. Through the process of real absorption, the Calcium and the Vitamin D are allowed to take full effect and to work as needed. The Vitamin D/Calcium Topical Patch is a safe, effective and inexpensive alternative to the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays.
The Vitamin D council states that 20-30 minutes of summer sun exposure allows the skin to produce approximately 10,000iu of Vitamin D. Several factors make relying on sun exposure for Vitamin D production challenging. The amount can change depending on geographic location, season, time of day, pollution and age. With all of these considerations it becomes clear that transitioning to a new and improved supplementation of Vitamin D needs makes sense. This is where out cutting edge Nature Technology comes into play, providing you with the Vitamin D and Calcium your body needs without the risk.
Some of the most devastating and widespread diseases in existence today are linked with Vitamin D deficiency. Diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and osteoporosis. In just the first three months of 2010, a study of 520,000 subjects of Western Europe with the highest level of serum Vitamin D showed 40% decrease in colorectal cancer compared to the lowest levels.
Another study clinically validated bone health when Vitamin D is taken in conjunction with calcium. When women aged 65-71 received 800iu of daily vitaminD-3 and 1000mg of calcium for three years, results showed positive effects in the skeleton of ambulatory, postmenopausal women as compared to a no supplement or placebo control group. Vitamin D is not a miracle fix for all disease, but rather an indispensable part of overall health and wellbeing. Nature MD is focused on providing you with a safe and secure delivery system for your body’s Vitamin D and Calcium needs.
With Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Weakened, Fatty Muscles, Vitamin D Topical Patches Are An Effective Tool For Maintaining Strength And Physical Health
Nature MD provides a possible answer for the Vitamin D Deficiency that plagues the American public. Employing Topical Patch Technology, NatureMD’s Vitamin D patch is an effective delivery method to counter Vitamin D deficiencies and address this growing problem.
Recent research published in March 2010 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology has found that an astonishing 59% of study subjects have too little Vitamin D in their blood. Nearly a quarter of the group exhibited serious Vitamin D deficiencies. It is the first study to show a clear link between Vitamin D It is the first study to show a clear link between Vitamin D deficiencies and the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue. Fatty muscle tissue can become a negative factor in muscle strength and overall health. Since it is linked to increased body fat, it may affect many different parts of the body. Abnormal levels of Vitamin D are associated with cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders.
The Vitamin D Topical Patch offers the healthy benefits of Vitamin D without the dangers of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Since adequate sunlight exposure is not always easy or safe, the Vitamin D Topical Patch allows you to overcome the Vitamin D deficiency that plagues a large segment of the population and leads to health problems. For decades, physicians have been promoting the healthy benefits of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Fatty, Weakened Muscles
Vitamin D is essential for muscle strength. Studies in the elderly have shown bedridden patients quickly gain strength when given Vitamin D. Further studies have linked low levels of Vitamin D to increased visceral fat in a young people. This is another reason why weight loss and keeping off the added pounds is so essential. In a current study, an inverse relationship between Vitamin D and muscle fat has been found. The lower the levels of Vitamin D, the more fat in subjects’ muscles.
While more study is required, it is clear that higher levels of Vitamin D could help reduce body fat. Employing Topical Patch Technology, NatureMD’s Vitamin D patch is a viable and safe method to counter Vitamin D deficiencies and address this growing problem.
Nutrient Absorption in the Digestive System Part 1
Dealing With Digestion – by Brian Ellis
With digestive ailments growing and estimates suggesting that more than 70 percent of the immune system Is In the colon, there is now more reason than ever to supplement digestion. Taking this message public and expanding options will help assure this market grows to meet the need.
It is fair to say that no one wants to live with the discomfort and distress of a digestive ailment. The crippling reality of a poorly functioning digestive system is one that cannot be ignored for long and can eventually develop into symptoms that necessitate serious alterations to one’s daily plans. Yet, even in the face of this truth, a large portion of Americans are allowing the initial warning signs of gut discomfort to progress into serious ailments without properly addressing the root causes.
“It is estimated that over 100 million Americans suffer from some sort of digestive-related disease,” explained Lorraine Niba, PhD, regional marketing manager-Americas for FrieslandCampina Domo (Paramus, NJ). “The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), for instance, Is very high in the United States. This is because, traditionally, Western diets have been high in processed foods, and very low in fiber and other fermentable ingredients.”
Diets are so low in fiber, in fact, that according to Pashen Black, Tate & Lyle’s (Decatur, IL) marketing communication manager, “Consumers typically consume 12-159 fiber per day, which is half of the recommended daily amount of fiber they should have in their diets.”
With such a disproportionate skew in numbers, it becomes clear how supplementation is necessary for most people to maintain digestive wellness. This is a message that is starting to grow in mainstream awareness thanks in part to the promotions of commercial products catering to these concerns.
Tate & Lyle’s market research has examined this trend of growing consumer awareness directly. According to the company, 65 percent of consumers are thinking about eating healthier than they did two years ago, and 61 percent believe digestive health is the most important health concern.
This increased public attention has opened the proverbial floodgates for ingredients that address the underlying causes of poor digestion, which is good news for manufacturers who now have a number of options available for entry into this market.
Proliferating Probiotics
Probiotics, an unquestionable category leader, have been among the top benefactors of the growing incorporation of digestive wellness ingredients, as they can now be found in everything from juice, cheese and chocolate to even gum. However, one of probiotics’ strongest and most established ties is with the supplement industry, generating supplement sales of $2 billion in the US in 2008 alone, according to Euromonitor International’s estimates.
“The fact that probiotics offer both digestive relief and immune system benefits makes them a good option for dietary supplement consumers looking for both therapeutic and long-term benefits from one safe, natural supplement,” said Tim Gamble, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Nutraceutix, Inc. (Redmond, WA). “Not all probiotic dietary supplements are the same, however, and it is important for consumers to seek quality dietary supplement forms that offer superior shelf-life and provide advanced, significantly more effective stomach acid protection and optimal intestinal release.”
To achieve this desired effect, Nutraceutix developed its BIO-tract@ delivery system, which has been proven to protect the majority of a supplement’s probiotics from gastric acid, ensuring that a significantly higher percentage of organisms reach the intestines alive. According to the company, it is the first and only technology in the nutritional supplement industry that provides controlled release for probiotics.
Also deeply rooted in this category is Minneapolis, MN-based UAS Laboratories, which recently celebrated 30 years of manufacturing probiotics. Made with the DDS-1 strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus, UAS’s bacterium offers probiotic qualities like production of enzymes, vitamins and a natural antibiotic that controls growth of harmful bacteria. “The strain has been used by millions of people for over 30 years and has proven its value, It said Connie Falkenstein, RD, MS, MPH and director of marketing and education for the company. “‘It is supported by more than 200 studiesboth university and clinical.”
Prebiotic Benefits
Still overshadowed by probiotics but beginning to establish its own industry presence are the non-digestible carbohydrate particles known as prebiotics. The colonic bacteria ferment prebiotics to produce short-chain fatty acids, which have many digestive health benefits, explained FrieslandCampina Domo’s Niba, such as reducing the pH of the colon, making it inhospitable to pathogenic, harmful bacteria. Also, added Niba, studies are indicating that fermentation of certain prebiotics in the colon enhances the absorption of calcium, due to the lowered pH in the colon, which helps to solubilize the bound calcium.
FrieslandCampina Domo manufacturers and markets a prebiotic ingredient known as Vivinal GOS, a preblotic galacto-oligosaccharide, which promotes digestive health and helps to support immune health. “Vivinal GOS stands apart from other products in the market because its monomeric structure is closest to the oligosaccharides found in mother’s milk,” said Niba. “It is therefore highly prebiotic and effective.
“Launched in the US about two years ago, Vivinal GOS has been very successful in this market, as well as worldwide,” she continued. “It is currently used even in infant products, a category reputed for its stringent standards.”
Tate & Lyle also features an ingredient with prebiotics, in this case prebiotic fiber, known as PromitorTM Soluble Corn Fiber. The company has backed its ingredient with both market and clinical research. Regarding the former, the market research has led the company to categories and products featuring fiber that are prime for growth, one of the most promising being baked goods. Sixty-two percent of consumers surveyed by Tate & Lyle said they find bread with a label claim of “for healthy digestion of appealing, and nearly 60 percent believe an to excellent source of fiber” is appealing. Other products where the addition of fiber has been shown to be promising include yogurt, powdered soft drinks, bottled water, energy drinks and meal replacement beverages.
On the clinical side, Promitor has been shown to help stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the large intestine while also minimizing the growth of undesirable bacteria. In a recent study, well-known scientists at leading universities found that products manufactured with the ingredient may produce lower glycemic and insulin responses. According to the company, the lower responses may help to prevent the roller coaster of sugar spikes and crashes, which could lead to improved weight management and better blood glucose control.
“Enriching foods with a fiber like Promitor can help consumers meet their fiber intake and digestive health goals without altering the familiar taste and texture of their favorite foods,” said Black. “It’s also well tolerated with minimal to no gastrointestinal side effects.”
The Enzymatic Effect
Not to be forgotten in the mix of digestive health supplementation are the catalysts for the body’s biochemical reactions, enzymes. At each stage of digestion, there are enzymes that break down food into component parts that are eventually used for energy production and structural repair and replacement.
“The reality is that supplemental enzyme use is one of the few dietary supplements in which you can actually feel a difference, and rather quickly, to said Mike Smith,, vice president, Specialty Enzymes and Biochemicals Co. (Chino, CA), manufacturer of enzyme blends for general digestion and condition specific categories, including DigeSEB®, DalrySEB® and SEB®-Gluten Relief.
The typical American diet can explain much of the reason why enzyme supplementation is essential. ‘.’The body’s ability to produce sufficient amounts of the right digestive enzymes can be negatively impacted by junk food, fatty snacks, large meals, stress,, illness and aging,” said Nena Dockery, scientific and regulatory affairs manager with National Enzyme Company (NEC, Forsyth, MO). “It’s also possible that many of the thousands of untested additives now used in processed foods may irritate the digestive process.”
NEC has developed several unique proprietary blends within the BioCore® line to provide general digestive support that is appropriate for digestively healthy individuals, as well as to pinpoint specific digestive challenges such as dairy intolerance or gluten sensitivity.
“The enzymes in the BioCore line were selected to work alongside the body’s own endogenous digestive enzymes and to directly compensate for deficient or missing enzymes,” said Dockery. “Their main purpose is to ensure complete food breakdown and bioaccessibility of nutrients. The body simply doesn’t have to work as hard or inefficiently to achieve complete digestion.”
Nutrient Absorption in the Digestive System Part 2
Growing the Market
To further promote the expansion of the digestive wellness category, there are certain key areas that manufacturers should keep in mind when developing their finished products. One such area is with package labeling. While most supplements include adequate labeling of the unit measurements of probiotics and enzymes-particularly important due to the lack of a recommended daily value for both-the packaging of functional foods and beverage applications have traditionally not featured the same clear indications. This has proven particularly true with probiotics, which have made great strides in both of these functional markets.
While clearer indications would help solve some of the confusion at market level, one concern at the manufacturing stage is during the formulation of the product. “It is not always good enough to just throw some ingredients into a capsule based on some mathematical formula conceived long before the product ever reaches stores. Quality, viability and potential efficacy have to be delivered all the way to the consumer,” said Nutraceutix’s Gamble. “It is not easy to do so, particularly in the case of probiotics, and unfortunately many inexpertly produced products fail long before they ever reach the consumer.”
The concern of efficacy is one that FrieslandCampina Domo’s Niba sees as the greatest challenge facing manufacturers looking to gain entry into this market. “Because the science in this area is relatively new, many of the benefits have not been completely proven in humans. There are still concerns about the dose and amount of a prebiotic or probiotic needed for fermentation that would produce a significant effect,” she said. “Manufacturers therefore should seek out ingredients with proven effectiveness, and with supporting science.”
One thing manufacturers should not do, according to Troy Aupperle, president of Enzymology Research Center, Inc. (Miltona, MN), is produce a product simply to join in the digestive craze. “As with all emerging markets the competition tends to increase dramatically as everyone ‘joins’ in the momentum,” he said. “Being able to clearly distinguish the difference between your products and the competition should be your No. 1 priority. If you are unable to do this, then I would stay clear of this market.”
To help manufacturers overcome the challenges of distinguishing their products, Aupperle recommends they target specific categories and/or focus on narrowed demographic profiles. This, he said, will give them better assurance that their new products will meet with success.
Things to Digest
As with many markets in the supplement industry, the success of digestive wellness has and will continue to depend heavily on research, and in this regard there is good reason to be optimistic. The National Institutes of Health has announced that it will be expanding the Human Microbiome Project by awarding more than $42 million to researchers in the exploration of how trillions of microscopic organisms living in or on our bodies affect our health, including the gut microbiome. The Human Microbiome Project is a $140 million, five-year effort that will produce a resource for researchers who are seeking to use information about the microbiome to improve human health.
With this as well as other signs indicating the continued growth for the digestive wellness category, one market that seems particularly promising is in the area of children’s products. The market research of Tate & Lyle found that 67 percent of American parents believe fiber is an important component of their children’s health, and that 35 percent of American parents believe the benefits of consuming products with fiber help their children with digestion.
While advancements in delivery are opening up new ways to supplement children’s digestive needs, such as gummy and other chewable formats, they have also helped make it possible for combination products that target the gut more efficaciously. One such category of supplements that will likely see an increased usage in the year ahead is enzymes and probiotics in a single dosage form. The combinations will emphasize, according to Specialty Enzymes and Biochemicals’ Smith, condition-specific areas like digestion for patients undergoing chemotherapy, HIV, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, wasting disease, senior nutrition, and dairy and gluten intolerance.
This is all part of the shift away from the temporary solutions of pharmaceuticals and toward natural alternatives that give the gut what it needs to thrive long-term. This is why Terese Mansell, president of NEC, suggested manufacturers offer products that provide more than just a temporary fix. “Digestive wellness is key to overall wellness and consumers are demanding products that will strengthen and support digestive functions long-term,” she said. “As more science points to nutrition as the foundation for health, this category will continue to grow and expand.” NIE
Resources:
- Hudson, Ewa. Digestive Health Trends Leading the Sales of Functional Food and Supplements. Euromonitor International. November 2009.
- National Institutes of Health News: www.nih.gov/news/health/jun2009/nhgri-23.htm
Resveratrol Article in the Wall Street Journal
ACHES & CLAIMS – By Laura Johannes
Toast to Your Health With a Supplement
By LAURA JOHANNES
We've got 750mg of Resveratrol and you can too, just click the image!
Red wine has long been touted as a health elixir. Now wine’s purported health-giving ingredient, resveratrol, is available in daily supplements, beverages and even a new nutritional bar claimed by sellers to help you live longer and help prevent cancer and other diseases. Until recently, the evidence for resveratrol has been animal data, but preliminary human testing has yielded intriguing results.
Resveratrol is a substance found in grapes and other plants. Many of the supplements on the market extract it from the Japanese knotweed plant, which is a plentiful and inexpensive source. Switzerland’s Royal DSM NV sells a synthetic version called resVida, which is found in supplements, a nonalcoholic fruit-flavored beverage and the new Winetime chocolate-fruit bar.
Resveratrol has found been found in animal studies to prevent or slow progression of illnesses from cancer to cardiovascular disease—and even to extend the life span of some organisms. Since 2008, at least five human studies have been presented at scientific meetings showing human benefits, ranging from improved blood flow to the heart to better control of diabetes.
The newest results are exciting, but some scientists say it is too early for the public to begin taking supplements, which contain as much resveratrol in one pill as dozens or hundreds of bottles of wine, depending on the dose. The proper dose for humans isn’t yet known—and more isn’t necessarily better.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington found that lower doses of resveratrol protected rats’ hearts from artificially induced heart attacks while high doses actually made the attacks worse.
While some safety studies have been conducted on humans, it is too early to know if there are long-term side effects of high doses, says S. Jay Olshansky, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “I cannot emphasize enough: Do not experiment on your own body,” he says.
Joseph C. Maroon, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center who has written a book on resveratrol, agrees that more studies are needed but doesn’t think it’s unreasonable to take a moderate dose of resveratrol. “I don’t see any significant downside,” he says.
Dr. Maroon says animal data suggest 50 to 1,000 milligrams a day is an effective dose; he takes 300 milligrams daily—which he says contains the amount of resveratrol in some 150 bottles of wine.
No one knows exactly how resveratrol works, but scientists believe it activates a wide range of genes, creating a cascade-like effect on a variety of body functions. Human data include a 100-person placebo-controlled study by Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc. that found lowered blood-glucose levels in diabetics who took the GlaxoSmithKline unit’s proprietary formulation, SRT501, not yet on the market.
A 19-person study presented earlier this month at a British scientific conference, sponsored by Royal DSM, found that “flow mediated dilation,” a measure of cardiovascular health, increased an hour after taking resVida. At an American College of Sports Medicine conference last year, Dr. Maroon and colleagues reported that a three-month study of 51 people found a resveratrol-containing supplement not currently on the market increased endurance on a stationary bicycle compared with a placebo, and also increased verbal memory scores on a standardized test.
And in a report published earlier this month in the journal Optometry, researchers found that five months’ therapy with a Longevinex, a supplement sold by Resveratrol Partners LLC of Las Vegas, resulted in significant improvement of vision of an 80-year-old man who was having difficulty with night driving. The visual measures were subjective but researchers also found a significant decrease in lipofuscin, a granular substance that builds up in aging tissues and is linked to vision decline, says researcher Stuart Richer, chief of optometry at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Chicago. Resveratrol Partners provided the supplements taken by the patient, says Dr. Richer, and he has agreed to conduct a company-funded 24-person follow-up study.
One person isn’t enough to prove resveratrol can help age-related vision decline, says Dr. Richer, but “we want to do this in a controlled situation with many patients.”
Email aches@wsj.com
Remedies for Hot Flashes
LATIMES.COM/HEALTH
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY – Remedies for Hot Flashes
by JOE GRAEDON AND TERESA GRAEDON
Hot flashes have you flustered? Click the image above to find relief!
What is a safe home remedy for severe night sweats and hot flashes? I am burning up.
There are enough alternatives that you should be able to tailor something that will work for you. Keep your bedroom cool. Exercise regularly: Research shows that active women have less trouble with hot flashes. Herb products such as Pycnogenol (pine bark extract), Remifemin (black cohosh extract) or St. John’s wort (hypericum extract) may help (Menopause, February).
I take atenolol for high blood pressure. I would like to take something to help me lose weight, and I have seen that I can buy Meridia online.
I read that it should not be taken if you have high blood pressure. Since I take atenolol, my blood pressure is under control. Does that mean it would be safe for me to take this weight-loss pill?
Meridia (sibutramine) is a prescription diet pill. It should be taken only under careful medical supervision, as there are a number of potentially serious side effects and drug interactions to watch out for.
Although there are websites that offer to sell Meridia without a prescription, this is a dangerous plan. Sites that sell controlled substances without requiring bona fide prescriptions might have few scruples about selling counterfeit drugs.
The Food and Drug Administration notified doctors in November that it is evaluating whether Meridia puts patients at higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. Your doctor will know if your blood pressure is controlled enough for this risk.
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedonis an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition.
www.peoplespharmacy.com
Swine flu cases top 57 million
Swine flu cases top 57 million
by Thomas H. Maugh II
Put flu symptoms to bed, click the image above to find out how!
An estimated 57 million Americans have contracted pandemic H1N1 influenza since the outbreak began last April, about 257,000 have been hospitalized with complications from it, and nearly 12,000 have died, according to estimates released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The total number of infected represents an increase of about 7 million cases since the last estimate was released in December, a modest gain that correlates with other data suggesting the swine flu pandemic has been waning.
Most cases in all categories have involved children and adults younger than 65, a sharp change from normal flu seasons, in which the elderly suffer disproportionately.
Although the death total is much lower than the estimated 35,000 U.S. deaths in a normal flu season, the numbers among people younger than 65 are much higher than normal.
Virtually all cases of influenza that were tested have been caused by the H1N1 virus rather than by seasonal flu viruses, a finding that leads some experts to predict – rather hopefully – that the country will not see a regular flu season this year.
Nonetheless, the CDC report says, “flu activity, caused by either 2009 H1N1 or seasonal flu viruses, may rise and fall, but it is expected to continue for several more months.”
thomas.maugh@latimes.com