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Sandy Shares Her Thoughts on Ways to Prevent Diabetes

Dr. G. Pepper — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:12:07 +0000

Occasionally, at Metabolism.com, we publish articles sent to us by our members. Here is a contribution by Sandy Harris explaining why maple syrup may possess surprising health benefits. Among the benefits Sandy highlights is a possible link to prevention of diabetes. Metabolism.com welcomes your thoughts on these issues so feel free to post a comment at the bottom of her article.

Sandy writes:

Little Known Ways to Prevent Diabetes with Maple Syrup by Sandy Harris; Guest Writer for Metabolism.com

Are you looking for a natural solution to reduce the risk of diabetes and slow down the growth of cancer cells?
Your search is probably over because recent studies have shown that maple syrup holds the key to these problems.US researchers have found that maple syrup has the ability to substantially decrease the risk of diabetes. The syrup also showed great potential in slowing down the growth of cancerous cells. Maple syrup has thirteen active antioxidant substances.
These antioxidants were previously unknown but were discovered only recently. Because of these antioxidants, researchers have firmed up that maple syrup has a great potential in fighting cancer growth, diabetes, and infections.

Maple Syrup as an Anti Diabetic Food

Considerable amounts of the phytohormone, abscisic acid, are found in maple syrup. This acid is a powerful defense against diabetes and metabolic syndrome, because it encourages the release of insulin through pancreatic cells and enhances fat cells’ sensitivity to insulin. Seeram revealed the results of his tests on Canadian maple syrup during the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco.

Maple Syrup as Your Best Chance against Cancer

A recent study by researchers in Quebec showed that maple syrup has the ability to slow down the growth of cancerous cells. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Medicinal Food. The study was an attempt to test the capability of maple syrup in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.
The researchers proved that maple syrup is effective against cancer. More specifically, the syrup can significantly slow down cancer growth in the brain, lungs, and prostate. However, the effect of maple syrup on breast cancer cells was less significant.
Better Than Other Anti Cancer Foods
Maple syrup can serve as your tasty alternative in fighting cancer and diabetes. There are many anti cancer foods today like blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, and carrots. However, recent studies have shown that maple syrup is more effective against cancer compared to other anti cancer foods. Laboratory testing results also show that the syrup is more potent compared to the maple sap
.It is also ideal to use the pure dark syrup rather than the lighter syrup. Dark syrup has high color oxidation. This is the reason why darker maple syrup should be preferred. So if you want a better alternative to fight cancer and diabetes, then your favorite maple syrup is a good option.
Reference: Journal of medicinal food. 01/02/2010; ISSN: 1557-7600, OI: 10.1089/jmf.2009.0029
About the Author – Sandy Harris writes for the diabetic appetizer recipes blog , her personal hobby blog focused on tips to prevent, cure and manage diabetes using healthy snacks and recipes.

Disclaimer for Metabolism.com:
The author’s views do not necessarily reflect the views of Metabolism.com, and this website is not responsible for the research or accuracy of the statements in this article.

Dr. Oz, What Exactly Don’t You Know?

Dr. G. Pepper — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:28:09 +0000

For a relatively small South Florida town, Jupiter has attracted a few national news stories. Recently there was the disturbed man who gunned down 4 members of his own family, and Tiger Woods is building his mother a house here. Bringing Dr. Oz to Jupiter is the recently confirmed pediatric brain tumor cluster just West of here. This has stirred up a lot of media attention and later this week Dr. Oz is doing a special on the cancer cluster.

What type of doctor is Dr. Oz? He is a heart surgeon. His training is in using a knife to cut the chest open and in sewing arteries together to heal the diseased heart. Why is he talking to the nation about a brain cancer cluster in South Florida? Why does he have a show where he lectures on everything from swine flu to diarrhea? This situation reminds me of a soap opera where the show’s doctor delivers a baby, removes someone’s brain cancer, and treats someone else for AIDS, all in the same episode. Sorry folks….that’s not the way the real world of medicine works.

O.K…so call me jealous. That doesn’t change the fact that our nation deserves real experts dealing out the facts, not some handsome Oprah pet doc pretending to be G-d’s gift to the medical world.

Operating on the heart requires constant practice and intense focus on only what lies underneath that knife. It shouldn’t come as a surprise therefore, that the last cardiac surgeon I would want operating on my heart is Dr. Oz.

Dr. Gary Pepper, Editor-in-Chief, Metabolism.com

Radiation Poisoning Remains a Concern in 2010…… by BethEllen DiLuglio

Clinical Nutritionist — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:13:33 +0000

As a clinical nutritionist and author, it can be difficult to prioritize issues and actions. For several years, my number one concern is the fact that radioactive elements, known to cause childhood and adult cancer, osteoporosis, anemia and immune deficiency, are regularly released into our air and water. I first learned of this iniquity in 1997 when I became involved in the RPHP “Tooth Fairy Project” at the suggestion of Dr. Ernest Sternglass. Dr. Sternglass is an author, director of RPHP and professor emeritus of Radiological Physics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Tooth Fairy Project.

The study basically measures radioactive Strontium 90 (Sr90) in children’s teeth and in drinking water supplies. Strontium is an essential nutrient important to bone structure and health. The radioactive form, Sr90, can be taken up into teeth and bones where it basically radiates the bone marrow. This constant bombardment damages red blood cells and white blood cells (the foundation of our immune system!). Its breakdown products can also travel to other organs such as the brain, pancreas, breast and prostate. The resulting anemia, immune deficiency, osteoporosis, leukemia and other types of cancer can be easily predicted.

The cancer causing effects of radioactive nutrients is well known, and led the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to recommend that counties close to a nuclear power plant stock Potassium Iodide to be taken as a protective measure in the event of a nuclear accident. Saturating the thyroid with the natural element should prevent the radioactive iodine from doing as much damage.

Dr. Sternglass discussed the health effects of low level radiation in his article about childhood cancer in the June 1963 issue of the journal Science. CLICK HERE to link to the article abstract. Dr. Sternglass presented his paper and findings to President John F. Kennedy and Congress in 1963. Awareness that Strontium 90 could cause cancer and other health anomalies contributed to a partial Nuclear Bomb Test Treaty between the USA and USSR.

I do hope that they stop releasing these harmful radioactive elements, but until they do, I recommend a few things to reduce your exposure.

First and foremost try to remove the Sr90. Dr. Sternglass told me that REVERSE OSMOSIS and DISTILLATION will both remove Sr90 from drinking water. To replace any minerals, be sure to eat lots of mineral rich foods (grown from healthy, nutrient rich soil). I use Willard Water with Lignite for a trace mineral source.

Secondly, consume lots of antioxidants from FOOD SOURCES such as fresh, vine-ripened fruits and vegetables to protect against free radical damage from the radiation. Antioxidant superstars include pinto beans, blueberries, prunes, raisins, cranberries, pomegranates, kiwi fruit, red bell pepper, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli just to name a few! CLICK HERE for a list of 277 foods analyzed by the USDA. See, they are paying attention! You can also get a pamphlet from the AICR on antioxidants. CLICK HERE to see the PDF or visit AICR.ORG. Ingestion of seaweed such as kelp appears to be protective as well.

If you are not eating the MINIMUM 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day or are still working toward the RECOMMENDED 9-12 servings per day, consider a personalized NUTRITION CONSULTATION with me!

Beth Ellen DiLuglio, MS, RD, CNSD, CCN, LD/N

Gastric Banding Can Beat Diabetes. Cancer Too?

Dr. G. Pepper — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:51:55 +0000

On-going research continues to confirm that weight loss surgery can reverse Type 2 (adult onset, obesity related) diabetes. A recent study conducted at NYU medical center of approximately 100 Type 2 diabetics who underwent gastric banding showed almost half had a return of normal glucose levels without needing anti-diabetic medication and the other half were able to significantly reduce the amount of medication they needed to control diabetes. The dramatic reduction in medication requirement in these post-operative diabetics was mirrored by substantial reductions in their weight.

In a separate study conducted in Sweden, researchers compared the occurrence of cancer in obese men and women who underwent gastric surgery for weight loss versus a similar group treated with diet alone. As expected the surgery group lost considerably more weight than the group treated with diet only. After 4 years it was found that women who underwent weight loss surgery had significantly lower incidence of cancer than the diet only group. There was no similar benefit in the men.

Obese women are known to have an increased risk of certain cancers compared to normal weight women. In particular, uterine and breast cancer are more commen in overweight women. Adipose tissue (fat cells) increases estrogen levels in the blood by converting other naturally occuring hormones to estrogen. It is thought that the excess estrogen is responsible for the increased cancer risk in obese women. In the Swedish study of women after gastric weight loss surgery, the reduction in cancer was most obvious for skin and blood cell cancers. This is not what would be expected if the cancer prevention was due to weight loss effects on lowering estrogen. The reason for the cancer reduction after gastric surgery in obese women is still under investigation.

Gary Pepper, M.D. , Editor-in-Chief, metabolism.com

Multiple Vitamins, Multiple Questions

Brian RD — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:22:17 +0000

What’s the point of it all? No, not life. Your daily multivitamin.

Over half of us take a multivitamin regularly for the purpose of improving our health. A slew of recent studies question whether they are doing us any good-or maybe even harm.

How Might Multi’s Help?

Here are some of the theories of how multivitamins may be beneficial:

1. Extra nutrients

2. A “safetey net” for nutrients that we may not get enough of

3. Reducing risk of chronic disease

The question remains: are these theories justified?

Most of the recent research says no. Let’s take a look at two of these recent studies to learn more.

Do They Work?

A recent paper published in the Archives of Internal Medicine set out to answer this very question. They took a look at the results from 12 studies that were previously published.

What they found was fairly inconsistent. Looking at the 12 studies individually, the results were all over the map. Some showed that multivitamins help prevent heart disease in men but not women, another would show the opposite. One study would show that women lived longer with a multivitamin while another would show no difference.

Combining the data was no help. The effect that a multivitamin had on reducing chronic disease risk or longevity was too small to conclude that it was anything more than chance. The authors concluded:

“Evidence is insufficient to prove the presenceor absence of benefits from use of multivitamin and mineralsupplements to prevent cancer and chronic disease”.

In other words: we’re not sure.

Why Don’t Multivitamins Work?

Another study, this one published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked primarily at who tends to use multivitamins. Although about 50% of Americans take a multi, that 50% is far from evenly distributed among the population. In fact, the 50% that tends to use them are the ones that need the extra nutrient boost the least.

Multivitamin users tend to be affluent, non-Hispanic white, have a lower BMI, and engage in a higher level of physical activity-the exact group that tends to get enough vitamins and minerals from foods. The authors of the study suggested that taking a multivitamin may actually be harmful to this group as they may be getting toxic amounts of vitamins from the combination of healthy diet and the multivitamin.

This may explain why multivitamins don’t fight disease or increase lifespan: the people who take them have already “maxed out” their benefit from vitamins and minerals. However, it would be interesting to see how a multivitamin would affect a group that ate poorly. It may be unlikely that a multivitamin could partially compensate for poor eating habits, but it’s a possibility.

Take Home Message

As of today, the research is far from conclusive on the effect of a multivitamin on health. Don’t hold your breath: the studies currently being done on multivitamin use are mostly observational. This means that even if they do find an effect, the results may not be reliable. In the future, we may see studies that are more reliable (called randomized control trials). Regardless of the type of study, because the multivitamin research tends to look at diseases that take years to develop and have a laundry list of risk factors, the final word on multivitamins may not happen during our lifetime.

In the meantime, I would recommend that unless you have a stellar diet, taking a multi is not going to hurt you and may actually be beneficial. Also, they are a great supplement for the recession (some are as low as $.10 a pill) and provide nutrients that Americans tend to not get enough of like Vitamin D, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium.

If you take a multivitamin, you may be wasting your money, but at least it’s not much.

Here are the full-text links to the multivitamin studies:

Archives of Internal Medicine Article

AJCN Article

After years of research, Brian has set his sights on helping those with lower back pain. He serves on the Medical Nutrition Committee for The American Society for Nutrition and is a professional member of numerous research organizations including the International Association for The Study of Pain, American Chronic Pain Society, and The American Dietetic Association. He recently created a research-based lower back pain treatment program called The Back Pain Diet which is available from his website www.backpaindiet.com

The Power of Food – Excerpt from “Definitive Guide to Cancer” **

Gary Pepper M.D. — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:14:17 +0000

As a nation, we are obsessed with food. Fast-food restaurants and their billboards clutter our city streets. Volumes have been written on the topic of food. Newsstands are littered with magazines about it, and there is even an entire television network devoted just to food. We savor it, discuss it, and even plan our lives around it. And we consume a lot of it. In the process, we’ve also managed to supersize our health risks dramatically over the past few decades.

The kind of food eaten has nearly as big an impact on health as the amount — and sometimes more. In fact, much of the malnutrition in the world can be attributed to unhealthy food or consumption of “empty calories” (highly processed foods lacking important vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients). Though it may seem surprising, many obese individuals are actually significantly malnourished.

But foods have both the power to harm and the power to heal. Understanding both sides of the equation is important. Rather than allowing food to have power over you, you can create a winning partnership with it. Proactive cancer prevention shifts the energy, placing emphasis on healthful fresh and whole foods packed with essential nutrients, turning calories into cancer-fighting fuel.

Utilizing foods as powerful tools for cancer prevention requires that you look beyond one of your most basic senses — taste. You need to evaluate food not just on its quick-fix satisfaction factor, but on its nutrient value as well. And as you get accustomed to healthier foods, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you come to appreciate their flavors more than old, unhealthy standbys — and not just because you know they’re good for you!

Sometimes what we ingest has clear ramifications. If you drink coffee daily, think back to a time when you tried to give it up or had to do without. Remember the headache? Have you ever experienced heartburn after too many pieces of pepperoni pizza or constipation after eating too much cheese? The good news is that this dynamic works both ways. You can prevent ill effects by avoiding certain foods, and even better, you can enhance your health by making certain food choices.

Some foods contain significant nutrients that help keep your body healthy and operating at peak capacity. Eating a healthy diet will give you the fuel you need to maintain an active pace and prevent illnesses, including cancer. While it is true that different people have different dietary needs and that what is healthy for one person may not work as well for another, there are some common denominators. Here are just a few examples of cancer-fighting foods:

- Tomatoes contain the powerful antioxidant lycopene, which supports a strong immune system.
- Whole grains contain lignans that positively influence hormonal activity.
- Citrus fruits contain flavonoids that enhance immunity.
- Soy contains certain sterols that can reduce the development of some cancer cells.
- Broccoli contains sulforaphane and other compounds that stimulate detoxification and immunity.
- Cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts, contain indole-3-carbinol, which has been shown to have anticancer properties.
- The peel of an apple contains phenolic compounds that help prevent unhealthy cells from dividing and spreading.
- Kale is high in vitamins A and C, as well as fiber, which are all perfect nutrients to help prevent cancer.
- Garlic contains several key compounds that inhibit the activity of cancer cells and help with detoxification.

Many of these foods share a common characteristic: they are colorful. At mealtime, look closely at your plate. If it is primarily white or beige, you need to add some color. Fruits and vegetables will add that color, as well as a healthy dose of potent anticancer nutrients.

** Sponsored Post.

The above is an excerpt from the book Definitive Guide to Cancer by Lise Alschuler, ND and Karolyn A. Gazella

You can purchase a copy at Amazon.com by clicking here.

Published by Celestial Arts; June 2007;$39.95US; 978-1-58761-280-0
Copyright © 2007 DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CANCER: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR TREATMENT AND HEALING by Lisa Alschuler and Karolyn A. Gazella, published by Celestial Arts