| The Monday Edition | December 24, 2007 |
Americans continue to buy drugs online—despite risks! - Issue 35
- Americans continue to buy drugs online—despite risks!
- Can Ch-ch-ch-chia seeds help control blood sugar?
- What you need to know about low-carb diets and prostate cancer…
- Here’s how to prevent dangerous falls and head injuries!
Dear Health-Conscious Friend,
The pharmaceutical drug industry is a real money maker. In 2006, the top 10 companies boasted annual revenues in excess of 40 billion dollars!
High drug prices are forcing some folks to search for cheaper alternatives—including online sources.
In today’s Monday Edition of Health News Weekly™, you’ll find out what people are buying from Internet drug sellers—and why this may be risky business.
You’ll also discover more natural remedies to help control your blood pressure… blood sugar… and possibly protect your prostate from abnormal cell growth.
Read on for more hints to help you feel better—starting right NOW!>
Founder & President
Health Resources
Americans Ignore FDA Warnings Against
Buying Risky Drugs Online
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation into foreign drugs mailed to the United States suggests many Americans may be buying drugs online to sidestep doctors’ prescriptions.
According to a November 1 agency press release, the FDA investigation found 88% of the 2,069 drug packages they examined appeared to be prescription medicines available in the United States.
The remaining products were either:
- dietary supplements
- medications with illegible labels, or
- drugs not available in the United States
About 53% of the products sampled have FDA-approved generic versions. The agency said typically the generic drugs are sold at lower costs than comparable drugs in Canada or Western Europe.
“The data lead us to believe that many people are buying drugs online not to save money but to bypass the need for a prescription from their doctor since these Web sites typically do not require the purchaser to have a prescription,” said Randall Lutter, Ph.D., FDA’s deputy commissioner for policy.
These data are based on surveys conducted from September 2006 to August 2007 in international mail and courier facilities nationwide.
At each city surveyed, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents stopped parcels thought to contain pharmaceuticals.
FDA then recorded data on the contents of these packages before handling them according to usual procedures.
FDA urges consumers to beware of unregulated Internet drug sellers. Many of their products might not contain the correct ingredients—and could even contain toxic substances.
Editor’s Choice
Death begins in the COLON!
Doctors and nutritionist agree: Death begins in the colon… and keeping your colon healthy is the #1 way to help prevent sickness and maintain health.
Fiber is essential for healthy colon function. It helps scrub away dangerous toxins… promotes regular easy elimination… and increases absorption of vital nutrients.
But it even does more than that. Fiber can help maintain healthy cholesterol and boost your energy levels.
Now there’s a superior natural solution that helps keep your colon healthy and helps you maintain health and energy well into your 90’s…Click here
Here’s How a Chia Pet® Could Help
Lower Your Blood Sugar!
The chia grain has become widely known as the seeds used to sprout “hair” on pottery figures.
But it turns out this same seed is surprisingly nutritious—and can help regulate blood sugar and risk factors for heart disease in diabetics!
According to a report in the journal Diabetes Care, Canadian researchers report that the chia seed was once revered by ancient Aztecs. They used it as a powerful food to help energize village runners.
Its nutritional value is clear when you consider that 3.5 ounces of the chia seeds, trademarked as Salba™ provide:
- Omega-3 fatty acids equal to 28 ounces of salmon!
- Calcium equal to 3 cups of milk!
- Iron from 5 cups of raw spinach!
- Vitamin C from 7 oranges!
Dr. Vladamir Vuksan and a team at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto have been trying to uncover the magic in this “super grain” from the plant called Salvia hispanica.
Vuksan and his research team tested Salba on 20 otherwise healthy diabetic patients for 12 weeks.
His team ground the Salba seeds into flour and baked it into bread, which was served to the diabetics. They also got more Salba powder to sprinkle on foods they ate at home.
Participants ate a total of four teaspoons of Salba each day. The subjects then had their blood measured for a variety of changes.
Researchers noted a slight drop in blood glucose. They also found that Salba:
- made blood thinner and less prone to developing harmful clots
- lowered levels of internal inflammation
- reduced blood pressure
According to study results, using Salba reduced systolic blood pressure by about 6.3 mmHg!
Dr. Amir Hanna, a diabetes specialist at St. Michael’s who reviewed the data from the study, was impressed with the results. “The interesting thing was the… reduction in blood pressure. Actually, some pills don’t lower blood pressure that much.”
No study participants experienced any harmful side effects from the grain. But Vuksan cautions that—because of Salba’s ability to thin blood—people using anticoagulants, blood thinners and other blood pressure medications should consult their doctors before taking it.
Fast Fact
How Much Should You Weigh?
Here’s a simple way to calculate your ideal weight. Take your height over five feet—or 60 inches—and multiply by five. Add 110 if you’re a woman, and 120 if you’re a man.
For example, suppose Ralph is 5’7″—that’s 67 inches. Seven times five is 35. Add 120 and you get 155 pounds. This is Ralph’s ideal weight. If Marsha is 5’7″, her ideal weight is 145.
You have “wiggle room” of about 5% with your ideal weight. But maintaining the weight described by the formula can help you avoid high blood pressure and other health problems associated with excess weight gain!
Low-Carb Diet May Slow Prostate Tumor Growth
A recent study found that a low-carbohydrate diet slowed prostate tumor growth in mice. If this finding is confirmed in human clinical trials—it could have huge implications for prostate cancer therapy.
Lead researcher Dr. Stephen Freedland, a urologist at Duke University Medical Center, said eating fewer carbohydrates may decrease insulin production—which may be linked to tumor growth.
Previous studies linked insulin and a substance called insulin-like growth factor (IGF) with the growth of prostate tumors in mice.
Freedland and his colleagues think that reducing levels of these substances might slow prostate tumor growth.
They compared tumor growth in mice eating either:
- a low-carbohydrate diet
- a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, or
- a Western diet high in fat and carbohydrates
The team found that mice who ate the low-carbohydrate diet had the smallest tumor size and longest survival.
Freedland said mice who ate a low-fat diet had large tumors and a shorter life span. Mice on the Western diet had the lowest survival rates and biggest tumors.
What’s more, although the low-carb and low-fat mice had lower insulin levels—only the low-carb mice had lower levels of IGF capable of stimulating tumor growth,” Freedland said.
Freedland is currently organizing a clinical trial to examine the impact of a low-carbohydrate diet on prostate tumor growth in men.
The study is published in the November 13 online edition of the journal Prostate.
Editor’s Choice
America’s single, deadliest deficiency…
Nine out of ten Americans are deficient in the #1 nutrient that clobbers inflammation.
This is dangerous because inflammation is a major cause of heart and brain problems… high blood pressure… joint pain… bone loss… digestive problems… blood sugar imbalances and a host of other health problems.
But the good news is: You can quickly help restore healthy levels of this essential nutrient and even REVERSE many of your health problems. How? Click here.
Health E-Hints
10 Tips for Preventing Head Injuries
In 2006, an estimated 1.1 million people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for head injuries. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), this doesn’t even account for injuries treated in doctors’ offices and urgent care centers.
To help prevent falls that can cause brain injury—the AANS offers these safety tips:
- Secure loose electrical cords and put away toys and other items that are lying around on floors, stairs, etc.
- Secure rugs and lift them periodically to inspect the backing for wear.
- Don’t walk on slippery, freshly washed floors and avoid floor waxes.
- Install grab bars and handrails if you are frail or elderly.
- Improve dim lighting in your home to decrease risk of falls.
- Install night lights in halls and bathrooms; keep a flashlight near your bed.
- Use stepstools or ladders only when absolutely necessary; check to ensure they are secure before using them.
- Check all stair railings and steps.
- Wear proper shoes with slip-resistant soles.
- Inspect and remove debris, snow or ice from walkways, driveways, porches and yards.
Just a few simple precautions can help protect you from dangerous falls—and the possibility of severe injuries!
Posted in Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, Bone Strength, Digestive Health, Heart Health, Inflammation, Joint Pain or Stiffness, Poor Diet, Protein Intake, Weight Loss.
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