From Medscape:
July 16, 2010 (Bethesda, Maryland) — The US FDA has become the latest regulatory agency to say it will investigate a possible link between angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) and cancer, in a safety alert for human medical products issued yesterday [1]. The move follows a meta-analysis reported in Lancet Oncology last month, which found a modest, but significant, increased risk of primarily lung cancer associated with the use of these antihypertensive agents.

The week after this paper was published, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced it would review the possible risk of cancer in patients taking ARBs, based on this. But many hypertension doctors are unhappy about the meta-analysis, citing many flaws, as reported by heartwire ; they also fear it will stop patients from taking their much-needed medication.

In its safety alert, the FDA says it has "not concluded that ARBs increase the risk of cancer. The agency is reviewing information related to this safety concern and will update the public when additional information is available. FDA believes the benefits of ARBs continue to outweigh their potential risks.”

Your favorite sunscreen may not be all it’s advertised to be. EWG’s research team found that 92 percent of brand name sunscreens either don’t sufficiently protect skin from sun damage or contain hazardous chemicals — or both.

Ingredients matter - learn if your brand leaves you overexposed to damaging UVA rays, if it breaks down in the sun, or if it contains potential hormone-disrupting compounds. Find your sunscreen, and possibly better choices, in EWG’s sunscreens database.

I recommend getting enough sun and shade to develop a tan without getting a sunburn. If you can do this without sunscreen, excellent! If your skin complexion or time in the sun require a sunscreen to prevent burning, make sure it is mineral based and non-toxic. All these years of being told to apply cancer-causing sunscreen that block vitamin D formation (a potent anti-cancer hormone), all in an effort to prevent skin cancer, just didn’t make sense and has proven to be a failure. Please take advantage of this resource to choose a safe product. And FYI - the skin makes vitamin D when exposed to UVB rays.

EWG Sunscreen Guide - click here

Dietary intakes of folate and vitamin B6 reduce the risk for mortality from stroke and any cardiovascular disease in women and may reduce the risk for heart failure in men, according to a study conducted in Japan.

The findings were reported online April 15 in Stroke by Renzhe Cui, MD, from the Graduate School of Medicine at Osaka University, in Osaka, Japan, and colleagues.

"This study is the first to show that high dietary intakes of folate and vitamin B6 were associated with a reduced risk of heart failure mortality for men," the authors note.

For the full Medscape News article click here: Folate and Vitamin B6 Lower Cardiovascular Risk

Environmental Working Group website



Click here to download a printable guide

This is the most important information for the healing of our species and planet! It is a refreshing look at the economics of scarcity and the false belief systems that limit our society - it will change the way you think. Please take the time to watch this presentation.

If you would like to delve deeper, there are two excellent Zeitgeist movies at zeitgeistmovie.com

And if you’re wondering how we might be able to transition into a resource-based economy, watch the last section of this lecture.

Men who have sex at least twice a week can almost halve their risk of heart disease, according to new research.

For more info, click here.

Omega-3 fatty acids may prevent the transition from a subthreshold psychotic state to full-blown psychosis, new research suggests.

The study showed a 22.6% difference in risk of progression to psychosis in vulnerable young people taking a 12-week course of fish oil supplements compared with those taking a placebo. The benefits of the supplements were sustained up to 1 year. For the full article, click here: Fish Oil May Reduce Psychosis in High-Risk Individuals

Vitamin D and Omega-3 Fatty Acids (fish oil) play a beneficial role in so many aspects of health! Unless you’re going to the tanning bed in winter and eating lots of sardines or wild salmon, you should supplement.

In adults with asthma, low vitamin D levels are linked with lower lung function, increased propensity for bronchospasm, and reduced response to glucocorticoids.

Just another benefit of Vitamin D. For the full article, click here: Low Vitamin D Tied to Asthma Severity in Adults

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements have a beneficial vascular effect in type 2 diabetics, improving both large and small vessel function, German and US researchers report in a January 13th on-line issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

For the full article, click here: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Vascular Function in Diabetics

Lead is associated with high blood pressure and mercury with cardiovascular disease. Cadmium, which often is present in astounding amounts in children’s jewelry, is now linked to learning disabilities.

For the full article from Alliance for Natural Health, click here.

I recommend using speaker phone, or a headset that has a plastic tube or a ferrite bead to prevent transmission of radiation into the ear. Please keep your cell phones away from children’s heads and pregnant mothers’ bellies!

This is a 4 minute video from Medscape that concisely describes the benefits, mechanisms, and recommendations for fish oil. Fish oil has gone mainstream. Good food sources include canned sockeye salmon and canned sardines.

Click here to watch.

CT scans deliver far more radiation than has been believed and may contribute to 29,000 new cancers each year, along with 14,500 deaths, suggest two studies in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

For the full article at USA Today click here

Read the full Medscape article here: Radiation Exposure From Mammography Increases Breast Cancer Risk

The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine presents a 21-Day Vegan Kickstart that can help you improve your health in 2010. The program is designed for anyone who wants to explore and experience the health benefits of a vegan diet. The Kickstart gives participants an all-access pass to:

• Celebrity tips providing guidance and inspiration
• Daily e-tips that are designed to put Kickstart participants on the path to weight loss, better health, and greater well-being
• A 21-day meal plan and delicious, easy, and satisfying recipes sent every day that will help participants break cravings for unhealthy foods
• Weekly motivational nutrition webcasts
• Social support of other Kickstart participants through a message board where nutrition professionals answer health and diet questions

Please mute and ignore the commercial at the beginning of this segment

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued new breast cancer screening guidelines. The task force now recommends against routine mammography screening for women before 50 years of age and suggests that screening end at 74 years of age.

For full details read the Medscape article

Study Suggests Link Between Bone Weakness and Wearing a Cell Phone on the Hip

Read the full article on WebMD Health News

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public: A Summary of the February 2009 Summit. This publication summarizes the discussions of the Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public, which brought together more than 600 participants from many disciplines to examine the practice of integrative medicine, its scientific basis, and its potential for improving health.

Access the Publication
A free, electronic version of the Summit summary can be downloaded, and hardcopies of the publication can be purchased from www.iom.edu/integrativemedicine. A one-page Summit highlights document is also available.