Food Honesty and
Lawsuits
Lipoic Acid and CoQ10
Updates
Aging Heart Support
Flu Vaccine May Not
Help
Ask Dr. J: Liquid
Vitamins
References
In The Health News
Diet and Disease
Recipe of the Month:
Almond-Apricot Tofu Dessert
Dear Friends,
I was pleased to see a small
news story on the two activists
in England who lost a libel suit
by McDonald’s after they
distributed leaflets accusing
the company back in 1984 of causing
rainforest destruction, starving
people in developing countries,
and selling products that cause
disease. The good news was that
the European Court of Human Rights
overturned their libel conviction,
which led me to breathe a sigh
of relief.
I certainly do not need a lawsuit
by McDonald’s because I
write honestly about the relationship
of fast foods to hypertension,
obesity, diabetes, heart disease,
and other human ailments. Aside
from ruling that they had inadequate
representation to take on the
McDonald’s legal behemoth,
the appeals court also noted that
there was a strong public interest
in having non-mainstream sources
contribute to open debate.
A few years ago, Oprah Winfrey
was sued for libel because she
said on her show that she would
not eat hamburgers again, after
hearing from a guest that the
cattle industry routinely fed
animal parts to cattle when raising
beef, increasing the risk of Mad
Cow disease. At the time, Oprah
said that this “just stopped
her cold from eating another hamburger.”
(I could give her a lot of other
reasons.) Cattle ranchers sued
her in Texas, in the middle of
cattle country, but even there
the jury found in favor of Oprah,
reaffirming the right of individuals
to speak out freely regardless
of the harm that might be done
to industry by honest exposure
of the truth about their products.
(One cattleman said he lost seven
million dollars as a result of
Oprah’s comments; he had,
of course, far more than that
to lose!)
When public figures, journalists,
authors, and interested parties
from the public decry the negative
effects of sugar, white flour,
meat, pesticides, artificial flavors,
colors, preservatives, genetically
engineered foods, synthetic hormones,
and other food additives, they
should not fear retaliation from
the industries. Most of the time
these industries do not want a
court case, because then they
would have the lack of quality
of their products exposed (it
was somewhat of a surprise when
Oprah was sued, as they would
have been smarter to let the comment
fade away).
The food industry is extremely
powerful, financially and politically,
but if scientific data shows that
what they are selling is doing
harm to human health or the environment,
the information should be available
to the public, not buried away
in scientific journals, limiting
it to the relatively few professionals
who have access to these sources
and understanding of what they
mean. Honest and complete labeling
of foods (food additives, trans
fats, sugar and fat content, salt
levels) is a start in the right
direction, so people can make
informed choices about their dietary
habits. The value of healthy foods
should be available right in the
market where people buy them.
Two of the most important antioxidant
supplements that help protect
the heart, the brain, and other
tissues are alpha-lipoic acid
and coenzyme Q10. Research continues
to expand our knowledge of these
two nutrients. While they are
not exactly vitamins, as they
are manufactured in the body,
with stress or aging the need
for them increases while the production
declines.
Aging is accelerated by oxidative
stress, DNA deterioration, mitochondrial
decline, inflammation, and sugar-protein
complexes called advanced glycation
endproducts (AGE), all of which
are increased by a number of chronic
health conditions, such as diabetes.
With the right diet, exercise,
and supplements, you can slow
down this process and preserve
physiological functions for many
extra years of vigorous activity.
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a
sulfur-containing molecule and
a potent antioxidant that is both
water and fat soluble It protects
against free radicals that are
related to both oxygen and nitrogen.
As part of the antioxidant network
of molecules, it helps to regenerate
other antioxidants, such as vitamins
C and E.
ALA is also a cofactor for enzymatic
functions involved in mitochondrial
energy production, amino acid
metabolism, and production of
both DNA and RNA in ways that
might reduce chronic inflammation.
Some laboratory tests suggest
more far-reaching benefits from
large amounts of ALA. Oxidative
damage to certain enzymes reduces
the elasticity of lung tissue,
associated with chronic obstructive
lung disease. ALA helps to preserve
the elastin protein.
In the normal course of producing
energy, mitochondria create oxygen
free radicals that damage the
mitochondria if they are not neutralized.
This damage from oxidation leads
to inefficiency of energy production
with age. High doses of ALA can
prevent some of this deterioration
by mopping up those free radicals.
Animal studies support this protective
role for ALA.
A recent scientific review shows
that cancer patients treated with
oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) who develop
neuropathy (a common side effect)
can be effectively treated with
supplements of ALA. Earlier researchers
used 600 mg of ALA intravenously
once a week for 3 to 5 weeks,
followed by 1800 mg daily orally
for up to six months total. The
neuropathy was significantly improved
in 53 percent of the patients.
Diabetic neuropathy is also helped
by high doses of ALA, and it helps
to reduce insulin resistance.
In a study of the effect of ALA
in diabetics, 1200 mg daily for
six weeks improved blood flow
in a marker of capillary circulation.
Poor microcirculation to the nerves
may be the root cause of the neuropathy.
ALA also inhibits the formation
of AGEs that damage tissues and
cause aging unrelated to oxidation.
Animal studies suggest that ALA
supplements may help with weight
control and appetite suppression.
ALA acts as a metal chelator
(reducing arsenic and mercury
toxicity), helps maintain brain
function, and reduces skin aging.
It is rapidly absorbed and metabolized,
so it is best to divide the daily
dose. Evidence suggests taking
at least 400 to 600 mg for prevention,
and higher doses for treatment.
As the heart ages, its ability
to respond to stress declines.
Supplements of ALA and coenzyme
Q10 work together to help preserve
heart function as aging occurs.
Australian researchers have shown
heart benefits from supplements
of ALA, coQ10, omega-3 oil, plus
exercise, and stress reduction.
These protect the mitochondrial
DNA and improve recovery from
stress.
CoQ10 is a fat-soluble antioxidant,
but it is also essential for mitochondrial
energy production and recycling
of other antioxidants, such as
vitamin E. Inside cells, enzymes
that are essential for digestion
of cellular debris depend on coQ10
for optimal function.
Statin drugs such as Lipitor
are widely used to lower cholesterol,
but they deplete coenzyme Q10
levels, leading to worsening of
congestive heart failure. A recent
study shows that supplements of
coenzyme Q10 are able to reverse
this effect and improve cardiac
function.
Doses of coenzyme Q10 range from
100-1200 mg, for prevention and
treatment. Recent studies suggest
that larger doses are beneficial
for preserving heart and brain
function. Because it is fat soluble,
it is important to take it either
mixed with oil-containing foods,
or in a well absorbed chewable
tablet or oil-based capsule.
It has been “common knowledge”
that flu vaccinations in susceptible
populations, such as the elderly,
can significantly reduce mortality
related to influenza infection.
However, a recent analysis of
mortality data surprisingly concluded
that flu vaccinations have not
led to a reduction in mortality,
in spite of a great increase in
the number of people being vaccinated.
Since 1980, the vaccination rate
in people over 65 jumped from
15 to 20 percent of this age group
to more than 65 percent in 2001.
Mortality related to the flu
also unexpectedly jumped during
this period. The authors tried
to reconcile the differences between
the observations and their data,
saying perhaps the population
studied was older, or the prevalence
of the flu virus was greater,
but they concluded that the observational
data significantly overestimated
the benefits of flu vaccination.
This makes it all the more important
to do what you can to protect
yourself from exposure by frequent
hand washing and the use of alcohol-based
hand sanitizers. You also need
to enhance your immunity with
good health practices, such as
exercising regularly, avoiding
sugar and trans fats in the diet,
and eating lots of fresh fruits
and vegetables, including garlic
and onions. Take supplements of
vitamins C and E, zinc, coenzyme
Q10, and proanthocyanidins, and
perhaps standardized echinacea
and elderberry extracts.
Q. I have been
told that supplement tablets do
not dissolve, and that I should
take liquid supplements instead.
What’s the truth?
—HR, Rhode Island via Email
Purveyors of liquid vitamins
generally put small amounts of
individual supplements in their
products and then tout how their
lower-doses are more valuable
than higher doses in pill form.
Unfortunately, research does not
back up these claims, and almost
all research on oral dietary supplements
use some sort of pill.
Vitamin manufacturers do vary
in the care with which they make
their products, and some pills
are compressed too much or they
might be mixed with unhealthy
additives, or coated with colors
and glazes that are undesirable.
The claims that the pills do
not break down, or that they are
passed through the intestinal
tract and excreted whole is just
not true as a rule. The majority
of health-oriented manufacturers
of high-quality dietary supplements
are carefully produced by good
manufacturing practices (GMP).
They have to be tested for disintegration
and dissolution, so it is untrue
that liquid supplements are better
for you, and they are generally
much more expensive than comparable
doses of ingredients as pills,
either capsules or tablets.
This is true for most supplements,
such as vitamins, minerals, amino
acids, fatty acids, flavonoids,
phytochemicals, herbs, and metabolic
cofactors, such as coenzyme Q10,
and alpha-lipoic acid. In some
cases, such as coQ10, the form
of the pill does make some difference
(it is fat soluble, so a pill
mixed with oil or lecithin is
better absorbed), but this is
unusual. The claims that liquid
vitamins are better and thus worth
their inflated prices are just
sales pitches. You would be better
off buying tablets or capsules
from health food or quality mail-order
sources.
Court Backs
Activists in ‘McLibel’
Case, Reuters, February 15, 2005.
Cattlemen Lose
Food Slander Case Against Oprah
Winfrey & Howard Lyman. Houston
Chronicle, Sept. 17, 2002
Cersosimo RJ,
Oxaliplatin-associated neuropathy:
a review. Ann Pharmacother. 2005
Jan;39(1):128-35.
Gedlicka C,
et al., Effective treatment of
oxaliplatin-induced cumulative
polyneuropathy with alpha-lipoic
acid. J Clin Oncol. 2002 Aug 1;20(15):3359-61.
Ziegler D,
et al., Treatment of symptomatic
diabetic polyneuropathy with the
antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid:
a meta-analysis. Diabet Med. 2004
Feb;21(2):114-21.
Haak E, et
al., Effects of alpha-lipoic acid
on microcirculation in patients
with peripheral diabetic neuropathy.
Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes.
2000;108(3):168-74.
Bitar MS, et
al., Alpha-lipoic acid mitigates
insulin resistance in Goto-Kakizaki
rats. Horm Metab Res. 2004 Aug;36(8):542-9.
Marracci GH,
et al., Alpha lipoic acid inhibits
human T-cell migration: implications
for multiple sclerosis. J Neurosci
Res. 2004 Nov 1;78(3):362-70.
Doggrell SA,
Alpha-lipoic acid, an anti-obesity
agent? Expert Opin Investig Drugs.
2004 Dec;13(12):1641-3.
Rosenfeldt
F, et al., Response of the senescent
heart to stress: clinical therapeutic
strategies and quest for mitochondrial
predictors of biological age.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Jun;1019:78-84.
Rosenfeldt
FL, et al., Coenzyme Q10 protects
the aging heart against stress:
studies in rats, human tissues,
and patients. Ann N Y Acad Sci.
2002 Apr;959:355-9.
Silver MA,
et al., Effect of atorvastatin
on left ventricular diastolic
function and ability of coenzyme
Q10 to reverse that dysfunction.
Am J Cardiol. 2004 Nov 15;94(10):1306-10.
Simonsen L,
et al., Impact of influenza vaccination
on seasonal mortality in the US
elderly population. Arch Intern
Med. 2005 Feb 14;165(3):265-72.
Asthma responds well to intravenous
supplements of magnesium. After
pooling results from five controlled
studies on 182 children in emergency
rooms for acute attacks of asthma,
researchers found that IV magnesium
improved both lung function and
symptom scores. The rate of hospitalization
was reduced by 70 percent in those
children treated with the magnesium.
(Cheuk DK, et al., A meta-analysis
on intravenous magnesium sulphate
for treating acute asthma. Arch
Dis Child. 2005 Jan;90(1):74-7.)
Magnesium treatment for asthma
is safe and inexpensive compared
to drugs or hospitalization.
a. In 27,017 post-menopausal
women, red meat protein increased
their risk of dying of heart disease,
while vegetable sources of protein,
such as beans, soyfoods, peanuts,
and nuts, decreased the risk (Kelemen
LE, Associations of dietary protein
with disease and mortality in
a prospective study of postmenopausal
women. Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Feb
1;161(3):239-49). Over 15 years,
those women who most often substituted
meat or dairy protein for carbohydrates
had an over 40 percent greater
risk of cardiac mortality, while
those who substituted vegetable
protein for carbohydrates had
a 30 percent reduction in heart
deaths.
b. A diet rich in vegetables
and high in fiber is as effective
as statin drugs in lowering cholesterol.
Emphasizing soy proteins, almonds,
oats, barley, eggplant and psyllium
seeds, the subjects had no problem
following the diet and they felt
more full. Statins lowered LDL-cholesterol
by 33 percent and the diet by
30 percent. (Jenkins DJ, et al.,
Direct comparison of a dietary
portfolio of cholesterol-lowering
foods with a statin in hypercholesterolemic
participants. Am J Clin Nutr.
2005 Feb;81(2):380-7.) The researchers
note that this treatment is good
“for those who do not tolerate
the drugs.”
This is a delicious, creamy dessert
with healthy ingredients. Soak
organic apricots (unsulfured)
in water until they are soft and
plump. Toast an equal amount of
unsalted, raw almonds on a tray
in the toaster oven. With the
same amount of silken tofu (a
creamy variety that blends easily),
combine these in the food processor,
and add a frozen banana broken
into chunks, a touch of cinnamon,
and freshly ground nutmeg. Add
some vanilla and blend all of
the ingredients until they are
smooth. You might need some of
the liquid from the apricots to
blend it if it is too thick, or
you may want to add some agar
(seaweed gelatin) dissolved in
the liquid to thicken it. You
can pour the mixture into a precooked
whole wheat or graham cracker
pie crust and chill it—no
cooking is necessary, or serve
it in individual dessert cups
with shredded coconut or almond
on top.
