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Lack of sleep tied to teen sports injuries

November 7, 2013 By Deborah

This is an interesting article pertaining to research involving adolescent athletes and sports injuries. It even took the researchers by surprise after looking at the results.

The study showed that the number of hours of sleep per night was significantly associated with the risk of injury in teen athletes. The athletes that slept 8 or more hours per night were 68% less likely to sustain a sports injury than those who slept less hours. The other factor was the grade level of these athletes. Those who were in a higher grade level were more than 2 times likely to have injuries.

The average age of these teen athletes was 15 years old. What they did not take into account was their Tanner Stage, or physical maturity. For instance, early maturing males have a rapid increase in height at age 12 and reach their most rapid gain in weight and muscle mass at age 14. Late maturing males don’t reach their rapid gain in height until age 16 which is 2 years later than average boys, and 4 years later than early maturing peers. Girls have their own maturity stages as well.

There is a certain maturity stage during rapid growth that makes teens more prone to injury due to their vast difference in hormone levels which effect strength, flexibility and size. Unbalanced competition between early and late-maturing teens in sports contributes to injuries even if their chronological age is the same. So irregardless of hours of sleep….it would be interesting to see out of those teens with injuries, how their physical maturity played a role (if at all).

Lack of sleep tied to teen sports injuries: “”

Enzymes To The Rescue

November 3, 2013 By Deborah

You may know that enzymes help in digesting things… but they do much more.

Enzymes are proteins that act as a catalyst by increasing rates of chemical reactions in the body. It’s true that when given with meals, they digest and help assimilate food into fatty acids, amino acids and glucose.

But what you may not know is that enzymes are very anti-inflammatory. They actually digest mucous and remove it from the body. They are helpful in many mucous producing illness such as asthma, chronic sinus problems, bronchitis and acute pneumonias or whenever mucous is a problem. Products such as Wobenzym, Macrozyme or UniZyme in high doses AWAY from meals help treat inflammation and digest mucous out of the body.

So if you have cold symptoms involving lots of mucous, consider taking digestive enzymes in the early morning, mid afternoon and before bed (or middle of the night if you wake up). This can be one more supplement to add to your arsenal of healthy ways to treat those nasty infections.

Reference: Gerber, M. Monthly Miracles: Enzyme Therapy. Townsend Letter- January 2013, p. 104.

The Future of Cancer Treatment-Nanoparticles

October 31, 2013 By Deborah

Nanotechnology was something we once thought as science fiction. But now after more than 3 decades of research, nano particles has moved into a scientific reality. Nanotechnology is the engineering of something so small that it is measured on a molecular scale. These particles are 100-10,000 times smaller than a human cell. One particle is about 1/80,000 the width of a human hair. These particles offer infinite possibilities for cancer treatments.

The difference between using nanoparticles for cancer treatment vs current chemotherapy is that current chemotherapy does not discriminate normal cells from cancer cells. Unfortunately, many healthy cells get destroyed and side effects for the patient are high. Nanoparticle only refers to the size of the particle. If these drugs can be compounded into nanoparticles, then they can deliver high concentrations of anti-cancer drugs more directly to cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. Nanoparticles enhance the staying power of chemotherapy by keeping the drug in the tumor for a lounger time with sustained release action.

Research suggests that nanoparticles hold promise for breast, prostate and bladder cancer treatments. This technology may become difficult to regulate as therapies with more functions become more complex. Also, there are safety concerns on whether nanoparticles are cleared from the system after use.

Nanomedicines have been in clinical use for many years and have treated hundreds of thousands of patients. Many new and different nano particle types are being tested in clinical trials. There is always risks in any new treatment approach. These delivery systems in cancer treatment have produced results that provide us with much optimism. There is some concern over the long-term toxicity effects which have not been fully studied. In the meantime, we will be hearing more about nanotechnology in the years to come.

Reference: Infinity Research Limited. “Nanoparticles offer ‘infinite’ possibilities for cancer treatment”. HemOnc Today, Volume 14-Number 9, May 10, 2013.

8 Ways to Reduce Breast Cancer

October 15, 2013 By Deborah

October is breast cancer awareness month so I thought I would review the proactive things women can do to reduce your risks.

1. Get enough sleep– Postmenopausal women who sleep less than 6 hours consistently are twice as likely to have more aggressive breast cancers than those who sleep longer. Healthy sleep allows our body’s DNA to repair at night. If that process is frequently disrupted, then DNA is not able to repair.

Also Melatonin, a brain hormone is secreted at night to help us get to sleep and stay asleep. When Melatonin is deficient due to lack of sleep, it raises the risk of breast cancer.

2. Lose weight– Breast cancer risk is increased by levels of estrogen, and fat tissue produces estrogen. Fat also raises insulin levels as well as inflammation which stimulates tumor growth. The link between obesity and breast cancer is well established. A study of more than 4000 women showed that being obese raised a women’s risk of reoccurance by 30% and her risk of death by 50% even after optimal treatments. The risk is also high for women in the overweight range.

3. Eat more cruciferous vegetables– Cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts and cauliflower have a 62% reduced risk of breast cancer mortality and a 35% reduced risk of reoccurrence. These vegetables contain high amounts of isothiocyanates, indoles and phytochemicals which have a protective effect against many cancers. These vegetables also contain Vitamin C, carotenoids and polyphenols which are important antioxidants.

A supplement known as Bioresponse DIM contains high amounts of Indols per capsule (the equivalent to a bushel of broccoli). I recommend 300 mg per day for additional support in preventing cancer.

4. Drink alcohol sparingly– This means no more than 1 drink per day according to the American Cancer Society. Review of over 40 studies found just 2 drinks a day may raise the risk of cancer by 21% and increases the risk of reoccurrence by 19%. The reason may be that alcohol raises circulating estrogen levels in postmenopausal women.

5. Get Moving– The latest research shows that any physical activity (gardening, housework, walking the dog, etc) protects against breast cancer. It’s never too late to start. Women who exercised at any intensity for 10-19 hours per week had a 30% reduced risk of breast cancer according to Lauren McCullough of the University of North Carolina. But don’t use exercise as an excuse to eat more and gain weight. Studies show that weight gain can squash the benefits of exercise and increase risks of cancer.

6. Avoid environmental estrogens– You may think that estrogens are only produced from a women’s body. But the fact is that the most potent dangerous estrogens come from our environment. We are exposed to thousands of chemicals a day and some of these imitate estrogens, referred to as xenoestrogens, or estrogen disrupters. They contribute to breast cancer risk by mutating genes, altering breast cells to absorb more estrogen and suppressing the immune system. Xenoestrogens include petroleum-based chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and chemicals that migrate throughout plastics. Things you can do are: eat organic, avoid cooking in plastics (especially BPA), use filtered water instead of tap water, use “natural” skin products and learn to read labels. If the ingredients look like some foreign language, it’s best to choose simple ingredients that you can understand.

7. Get an estrogen metabolite test– You may only find these tests offered at integrative practitioner offices. It is a urine test that lets you know how you are metabolizing (breaking down) estrogens. This is a useful test for postmenopausal women whether you are on hormones or not, because even in menopause our bodies continue to make estrogen. The goal is to shunt estrogens in healthy pathways in the liver. There are natural ways to do this depending on your test results. It is an excellent way to really personalize your goal of reducing cancer risk. Getting a thermogram is also a risk assessment tool in which to know if you are at higher risk for breast cancer.

8. Cleansing the body and mind– Eating sufficient fiber helps keep adequate levels of friendly bacteria, like Lactobaccilli in place. When the colon is working properly, then wastes and toxins can be eliminated. If you are constipated, these toxins as well as estrogens get recirculated in the bloodstream, causing inflammation and liver congestion.

What about stress? We know that stress effects our physiology. It increases the production of certain hormones, mainly Cortisol, which compromises the immune system and creates nutritional deficiencies. It is important to find ways to reduce stress, such as exercise, meditation, yoga, deep breathing, walks in nature, living with pets or counseling.

Reference: Derflinger, T. et al. “Better Breast Health for Life” . Published by The Breast Health Education Group, 2005.

Risk of Depression Starts in the Womb

October 12, 2013 By Deborah

“The development of an individual’s mental health did not start at birth but in the uterus,” according to Professor Carmine Pariante of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry.

This is not to be taken lightly. An estimated 1 in 10 people have depression in the U.S. We know that cortisol (stress hormone) effects the child’s development in the womb. We are now just learning to what degree. This article discusses a study showing that children whose mothers were depressed during pregnancy have an increased risk of depression in adulthood.

If depression can be treated during pregnancy, then women not only help themselves but the potential suffering of their child. Ideally, treatment for depression is initiated before a woman is pregnant.

There are many ways to treat depression. Talk to your health practitioner if you are struggling with symptoms.

BBC News – Depression risk ‘starts in the womb