Research ... for the sake of research or the good of humanity?

Tucked away in my Sydney university Alumni Magazine I found this little snippet. After four years, the good Professor Ralph Nanan and his research team at the Sydney Medical School Nepean could say that during pregnancy, the immune cells of the mother and her baby are highly synchronised. In other words, mothers program their babies’ immune system. 

WOW, whoever would have guessed? But when oh when are we going to see researchers take the big bold step of ensuring a really large cohort of women (and their preconception partners) achieve optimal nutritional and immune status prior to the start of their pregnancy and then maintain it? 

I don’t care about the mechanism, what I want to see is the application! It all starts here 

And while we’re on the subject of re-inventing the research wheel. Long-term EU funded research with 1000+ EU-based children has found ‘early nutrition programming’ can deliver significant health benefits later in life – including big reductions in obesity. But how many more studies do we need? More to the point, how can we stop the insidious rise and rise of the use of infant formula? Because if we don’t stop it, the developing nations like India and China will be hurtling down the path to Western levels of obesity in a fraction of the time that it took the western population to get there. Then they’ll be stuck with massive health care costs to treat obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and all the other co-morbidities.

Competitive eating? ... only in the USA!

When the national health budget exceeds $74 billion and it is proposed that the whole population will be overweight sometime in the next year or two, who would think to promote competitive eating as a spectator sport? Surely, celebrating gluttony would have to be a totally inappropriate tribute to the fattest population and the unhealthiest eating habits on the planet.

If you really want all the gory details of the competitors who munch their way at breakneck speed through any/all of a long list of mammoth proportions of foodstuffs of all persuasions, check out Byliner’s “Horsemen of the Esophagus” by Jason Fagone. Frankly, I could do no better than quote The Guardian UK, who in 2002 called it “a sport for our degraded times” and Ralph Nader sounded alarm bells citing four signs of societal decay - the fourth being “competitive eating.” 

Meanwhile, back in my hometown Sydney, our daily tabloid reported death of a pie-eater involved in just such a contest while watching recent State of Origin clash at his local pub. 

Mind you, the records assure us that gorging in front of an audience has a strong historical precedent, what has happened recently however has elevated it to new heights and taken it to millions as a spectator sport. Good heavens, it’s even on ESPN! Some proponents suggest it may rise to achieve Olympic status?

What hope is there? Salad anyone?

Fat as disease?

A recent article from Dr. Mercola poses a very vexed question. It’s one we might all well ask ... Cui bono? Who benefits? In categorizing obesity as a disease it opens the door for drug treatment and even, potentially, for vaccination - but as Mercola states so plainly - “obesity is no more a disease than smoking!”

The factors that have brought us to the worldwide obesity crisis are many in number, they may not yet be fully elucidated, but certainly include the following:

• epigenetic changes (trans-generational fatties)
• unhealthy gut microbiota courtesy of Caesarean sections
• unhealthy gut microbiota courtesy of formula feeding
• hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalance
• processed food
• refined food
• food containing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• over supply-under nutrition
• inappropriate advertising of unhealthy foods
• sedentary lifestyle
• loss of muscle mass
• chronic toxic burden
• unresolved stress

and on and on the list goes. The issues are many and varied and each individual will be affected by a different combination of them, so clearly the solution can’t be found in a drug or a vaccine, yet that’s the way the medical profession (in the US at least) is headed. In the same way, the mental health issues, with a similar long list of 21st century contributing factors as their root cause, are now categorised, medicalised and treated with expensive pharmaceuticals.

But back to the fat burden ... having recently seen an acquaintance who has lost 50Kg thanks to lap-banding surgery, I can tell you that nothing at all in her life has been solved. She looks terrible, feels nauseous all the time, and has not changed a single solitary one of the factors that have contributed to her lifetime of obesity and now to her long list of co-morbidities.

When will common sense prevail and true health promotion measures be applied by those who take the Hippocratic Oath?

The snake oil that is GM...

A keynote speech from environment secretary Owen Paterson, urging the widespread adoption of genetically modified (GM) science and crops in Europe, drew both praise and criticism.

Sounds to me like Owen Paterson needs to get his head out of the sand and look beyond the orthodox dogma and hype provided by the likes of Bayer and Monsanto. The Soil Association replied to his blinkered view in the plainest possible terms, saying “we need farming that helps poor African and Asian farmers produce food, not farming that helps Bayer, Syngenta and Monsanto produce profits”.

Friends of the Earth head of policy, research and science was equally dismissive of Paterson’s address. He stated clearly ... “Where GM crops are grown, they are exacerbating the very intensive farming practices that are part of the problem. Ministers musty urgently get behind a different approach to food and farming that delivers real sustainable solutions rather than peddling the snake oil that is GM!”

You can read more on the very contentious issue of GM crops in my previous posts:

GM - a threat to wheat exports

Monsanto - taking a backward step?

"Roundup" - leads to toxic overload

Whole Foods markets - leading the charge against GM

Does your fresh produce see the light of day?

Interesting study showing increased antioxidant activity in fruit and vegetables that are exposed to the normal Circadian rhythm of night and day - that means out of the dark cupboard and away from the cold refrigerator. Apparently this increased production in antioxidants happens around dawn and protects the fruit and vegetables from aphid attack at that time! Tested for their aphid-fighting chemicals (and their super-nutrition for humans) were cabbages, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes and blueberries. Yes I know, what happens before you put them in your fridge and what about the exposure to room temperature and natural light which inevitably means reduced shelf-life of fresh produce...

There’s one sure-fire way to ensure your fresh produce is as fresh as can be and choc-a-bloc with all those protective anti-oxidants and other nutritional factors! Start a kitchen garden! Everything you need to know from the ground up in Healthy Parents Healthy Baby and Healthy Parents Healthy Toddler. Getting kids involved is a wonderful way to teach them about the source of the things that they eat and to make sure they’re eating the widest possible variety of the healthiest possible things.

Bacteria are part of us!

Very interesting study showing that the ability of some individuals to encourage a stable and healthy population of bacteria in their guts, is in their genes! The researchers believe this knowledge could pave the way for better treatments for gut-related disorders that include obesity, autism and inflammatory bowel disease. I say here is yet another reason to make sure that your children express their genetic potential in positive ways. 

That simply means for a minimum period of four months before conception, both prospective parents need an abundance of all the helpful factors for such positive gene expression- fresh, whole, rainbow-hued food, purified water, chemical-free environment, stress-free lifestyle and a high potency, multi-strain probiotic with a comprehensive supplement containing all essential nutrients. Avoid anything that might be potentially toxic! 

And more news from the study ... it proved that the bacteria don‘t live in the lumen of the gut as was previously supposed, but in fact they inhabit the gut lining. Little pockets known as crypts, which are species specific, seem to act as a safe haven for the bacteria in the presence of a constantly changing, dynamic environment, which includes the passage of food, drink, digestive juices and more. 

The conclusion drawn from this elegant piece of research bears repeating. “Bacteria are living in very close proximity to our tissues and we can’t ignore microbial contributions to our biology or our health. They are part of us!”

Make yours clean, green and chemical-free

Food contaminants including dioxin, PCB, and BPA may increase the risks of obesity by worsening metabolic responses, warn researchers.

Yep, yet another confirmation of the benefits of organic, whole, fresh, grown on healthy soil together with a lifestyle and environment as free of toxicity as you can possibly make them! It’s that chemical cocktail that’s the real problem - small amounts of ubiquitous chemicals that alone may not present a health threat, are a lethal weapon when they all get together!

It’s not a difficult equation, in fact it’s common sense and I make no apologies for telling this story before. This particular study looked at the low dose chemical cocktail that can lead to the metabolic and endocrine changes responsible for glucose intolerance and oestrogen disturbance in adult females and altered cholesterol and lipid metabolism in adult males. Hardly surprising that this this same cocktail has the potential for profound adverse effects on the embryo and foetus. 

So get with the program! No matter how far away your pregnancy, your efforts to clean up your diet, lifestyle and environment will benefit you and your partner, but most importantly your children!  All you need to know right here ...

Infant formula found to be contaminated ... again!

NZ dairy giant, Fonterra - is in the hot seat and everyone is getting in on the act. We've previously had stories of Chinese-made formula containing unspeakable chemicals and the resulting deaths, but this time it's New Zealand's favourite high-yielding son under the gun. Various government ministers, particularly those worried about effects on trade now that China has banned a range of dairy imports from NZ, are calling for explanations. Most notable amongst the questions is why Fonterra took so long to make a public announcement and initiate product recalls. Seems like the whey concentrate powder, a component of formula for infants and toddlers amongst other milk products, was manufactured in May 2012, possible contamination with Clostridium botulism bacterium was identified in March 2013, with recalls initiated in August 2013! In immature immune systems, this bacteria has the potential to wreak havoc.

Without meaning to suggest that such contamination or the formula price hikes that are impoverishing Vietnamese families could be answers to a breast-feeding advocate’s prayers, I could however suggest that there exists a wonderful opportunity to offer women a supportive nutritional formula that can enhance quality and quantity of breast milk. Surely some of those mums currently using or planning to use infant formula, might be considering the assured safety and certainty of their home-brewed product!

Vitamin D - preventing diabetes

When the incidence of diabetes reaches epidemic proportions, when estimates suggest 552 million diabetics worldwide by 2030 and when diabetes healthcare expenditure for 2011 reached $465 billion dollars in US alone, we have to consider the possible involvement of some very fundamental lifestyle or environmental factor. Enter the sun, but also enter indoor activities and avoidance of sun exposure thanks to the risk of skin-cancer, melanoma or premature skin ageing!

But listen up to Professor Cedric Garland, from University California San Diego Department of Preventive Medicine, Primary Investigator of GrassrootsHealth D Action Project. Preliminary data just released indicates 80-90 percent reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with robust vitamin D supplementation (or appropriate sun exposure). While Dr. Garland says the results are truly amazing, he says we shouldn’t be surprised, as type 1 diabetes is virtually unknown at the equator.  But it now appears vitamin D is equally important in preventing type 2 diabetes.

As a public health measure, universally restoring vitamin D status would not only have a massively beneficial impact on the health status of entire populations, but could be implemented quickly, safely and cheaply. So let the sun shine on - every day. For a continuing appropriate relationship between your skin and the sun...

Ensure it’s a clear day without pollution

Minimize UVA while allowing UVB

10-15 minutes exposure/day between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm

Expose 40 percent of skin area

If this isn’t possible, use oral supplements of D3 to achieve 40-60ng/ml (100-150nMols/L)

RULE OF THUMB: For every 100IU ingested, there is increase of 1ng/ml

PREGNANCY DOSE: 4,000IU/day

BREASTFEEDING DOSE: 6,000IU/day

Reducing your risk of breast cancer

Women who eat oily fish once or twice a week can reduce their risk of breast cancer. British Medical Journal says that researchers made their assessment after studying 26 trials from around the world that involved more than 800,000 women. That’s a lot of women and a significant reduction of 5% for every 0.1g (100mg) of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) consumed. The oily fish were sardines, salmon and tuna.

Meanwhile I hear TV news reports of big increases in prophylactic breast removal a la Angelina Jolie. It truly saddens me to think that women have become so fearful and life-negating, believing that their genetic predisposition is also their entire destiny. Yet in 2002, the Journal of National Cancer Institute warned ... 'Without a healthy respect for the many factors that may influence disease incidence, we will continue to overestimate the risk conferred by BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations alone and, thus, miss opportunities to develop truly effective prevention strategies . . . based on a broad understanding of causative factors.'

Instead of the nay-saying and fear-mongering, what would it take for doctors to advise women differently, suggesting life-affirming beliefs along with attention to all the dietary and lifestyle factors that reduce the risk of cancer (not just of breast, but of all types)? That’s a rhetorical question of course. After all, you consult an oncologist and his armoury is limited to chemotherapy and radiation, go to a surgeon, he too has only one tool in his war chest. Time to think beyond the invasive medical solutions, oily fish are just a beginning ... regular doses of sunshine another simple step

Sugar is addictive

While the American Medical Association (AMA) moves to have obesity classified as a disease, thus paving the way for treatment via surgery, drugs and/or vaccination (!) the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition publishes a paper showing that refined carbohydrate foods (high glycemic, high sugar) stimulate the pleasure centre in the brain. 

According to the researchers “Compared with an iso-caloric low-GI meal, a high-glycemic index meal decreased plasma glucose, increased hunger, and selectively stimulated brain regions associated with reward and craving in the late postprandial period, which is a time with special significance to eating behavior at the next meal.”

The production of dopamine and opioid substances is akin to the way drugs such as cocaine work and just like the substances that we more commonly associate with addiction, so too refined carbohydrates are truly addictive. What’s more (but hardly surprising) those processed carbs act in exactly the same way as cocaine and heroin, producing tolerance and withdrawal. In other words, prolonged exposure requires more frequent and/or ever larger doses to satisfy the cravings! 

No wonder a staggering two thirds of Americans are now overweight and one in four is either diabetic or pre-diabetic. Add to that the fact that all those glucose-metabolism-impaired individuals are likely to experience a degree of cognitive decline and Professor Louise Dye’s contention that we are sitting on a ticking time bomb is a serious understatement.

Then the research showing that a maternal diet, high in fat and sugar is likely to increase the likelihood of offspring who abuse alcohol and drugs makes me more determined than ever to see Healthy Parents Healthy Baby education and program become readily accessible and widely available to all prospective parents.

Age and declining fertility ... the real story

I’ve been on this soap box before - now along comes a supporter, well at least in most respects. I just beg to differ with her take on alcohol during pregnancy. The studies are unanimous - there is no known safe level of consumption! FULL STOP. But that’s a digression from the real thrust of her article...

One of the real drivers behind the scare-mongering about declining fertility from thirty onwards is the very well-funded, extremely profitable but largely unsuccessful Assisted Reproductive Technology. Latest ART combined statistics (2010) for Australia and NZ show a success rate of just 18.1 percent. Do your sums people! That’s a failure rate of close to 82 percent. I bet you’d never buy a car or a TV if it failed to work 82 percent of the time.  

On the other hand, health promotion measures encompassing diet, lifestyle, environment and mental/emotional issues for both prospective parents for a minimum period of 4 months prior to conception can deliver better than 80 percent success rate, even when fertility issues are long-standing. Better still, the birth weight and the physical and mental health of the offspring are as good as you can get! The latter is an outcome that IVF will never be able to offer, bypassing as it does one of Nature’s simple, fail-safe mechanisms for ensuring healthiest possible reproduction.

Best way to approach compromised fertility? Take charge of your own and your partner's health - click here for details

Infant formula increases risk of obesity and diabetes

In a nutshell, the researchers showed that the monkey subjects who were fed infant formula were larger and had a very different gut microbiota from their breastfed counterparts. The researchers concluded by saying that "the choice of infant feeding had longterm health consequences." I've said it before, despite studies like this that keep on coming, the breastfeeding rates keep declining and the use of infant formula grows and grows.

And I don’t expect this to change anytime soon. As long as women’s personal, professional and social expectations are mismatched with reality, women will read these studies and look the other way. Instead, they'll choose to leave their baby with a grandparent or other carer, return to the work that they perceive as their “real” job and enjoy a life that is independent of the needs of a breastfeeding infant. But the blame lies everywhere, life partners, extended family and friends, employers and society all play a big part in this very vexed issue.

Chance of a big shift in attitude? About as likely as the global dairy herds being struck down by a milk-contaminating affliction or scandal? But then again ... there's the latest scare about Fonterra-supplied milk powder being contaminated with the bacteria that can cause botulism ...

But while we’re contemplating what such a shift might mean, a corollary study looks at improving the health of the gut microbiome to reduce the inflammation of diabetes .

A combination of probiotics and prebiotics may reduce levels of markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, suggest findings of a new study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.

Easiest and most effective way to improve the gut health of the whole family? Click here for more information

Eating habits last a lifetime - make them good ones!

Well fancy that! A junk food diet during pregnancy has been shown to permanently derange the child’s response to foods that are high in fat and sugar. Scientists say that such a diet adversely affects the developing pathways in the infant brain. A junk food diet causes enhanced expression of a gene encoding for production of a key opioid, leading to increased tolerance for the opioid. In a nutshell, this means that the babies of mothers eating a junk food diet will always need to eat more junk food to get the same “feel good” response, leading to a lifetime consuming more high-fat and high-sugar foods. That’s the bad news...

Conversely, pregnant mums have the ability to permanently and positively shape their child’s taste buds - it all depends on mums consuming the healthiest diet possible. Whole, fresh, organically grown, all the colours of the rainbow. But when you get it right, you can take real delight in seeing your children gobble up salads and vegetables, in watching them exhibit very sophisticated tastes when all the kids around are stuck on white bread and vegemite (or much worse). Just be prepared when dining out, to see kids’ menus scornfully cast aside.

Taste buds that are set on the right course during your pregnancy can lead to a lifelong passion for real, live, nourishing foodstuffs. From before your child's conception to that child's involvement in preparing great meals for the whole family -  all the details in Healthy Parents Healthy Baby and Healthy Parents Healthy Toddler.