Science

The ABC’S of Health

By Dr. Jo Gjelsten

Science News

This month: what our scientists are up to. I begin, and go on and on with some studies. First one is a study from Hebrew Senior Life, which “found that dairy intake -- specifically milk and yogurt -- is associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD) in the hip, but not the spine.” ” Cream, on the other hand, may be associated with lower BMD overall.” But cream isn’t for everyone, just for me. Next:  For you bony gals, who need a little more meat on ‘yer bones, bone up on this:  “(A) New review by (the) International Osteoporosis Foundation examines role of nutrition in sarcopenia, (muscle wasting) with focus on protein, vitamins D and B, and (avoidance of) acid-based diet.  "The most obvious intervention against sarcopenia is exercise in the form of resistance training, (duh) "said Professor blahblah of the Service of Bone Diseases,  "However, adequate nutritional intake and an optimal dietary acid-base balance are also very important elements of any strategy to preserve muscle mass and strength during aging." The gist?  “The following important nutritional factors that have been shown to be beneficial “.  Beer. (ok not beer, but it happens to be good nutritional support for some of dem’ bones, ask Dr. Jo). Protein: “intake plays an integral part in muscle health. The authors propose an intake of 1.0-1.2 g/kg of body weight per day (Zzzz.) as optimal for skeletal muscle and bone health in elderly people without severely impaired renal function. (Those folks need a special low protein diet so do this with your local health care practitioner Petunia). They have to figure out how many kilograms you weigh and how much the protein you eat converts to in grams, Grammy. Not to mention that too much protein can make you acidic…ok too complicated for this here article here. Vitamin D:  D levels can be measured in a blood test, don’t guess. But if you’re always inside, you may be deficient Dolly so be a doll and ask your Doc. “ Avoiding dietary acid loads: whatever that means you’re saying..”Excess intake of acid-producing nutrients (meat and cereal grains) in combination with low intake of alkalizing fruits and vegetables may have negative effects on musculoskeletal health.”  By acid, they don’t mean LSD, but foods that produce acids, not necessarily acidic foods. Next up:  BOTOX NEWS: for you guys ‘n gals who do it, DON’T DO THIS, (as if):  Injecting Botox Into Stomach Does Not Promote Weight Loss.” People do this?! .“although stomach injection of BTA slows gastric emptying, (I’ll bet, who can eat after that?) it does not increase the feeling of fullness or lead to loss of body weight.”  Really? I actually got sick to my stomach at the thought of the injection itself. I may call this my Dr. Jo diet: Imagine some disgusting things before you bite into your fried chicken and you may thank me someday, or that day, or Tuesday for a hamburger today, for how much you didn’t wolf down. And speaking of fried chicken, Chickie, have you checked your prostate lately?  Next study: “Regular consumption of deep-fried foods such as French fries, fried chicken and doughnuts is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, and the effect appears to be slightly stronger with regard to more aggressive forms of the disease, according to a study”. Put down the drumstick and go up a hill after you’ve had your oatmeal with black raspberries Why?  Well first of all we were just reminded about the exercise benefit to muscles and bones, but there’s more:  “Black raspberries, in particular, have been shown in numerous previous studies to have chemo-preventive effects on tumors in the mouth, esophagus and colon, mostly in animal studies. (Yet, we are animals; well some are more animal than others.) Their high anthocyanin content has been linked to those benefits” according to the study. “Scientists say that these early findings will contribute to the further development of confectionaries, gums and other delivery devices for the prevention and possibly the treatment of conditions such as periodontal disease and oral cancers.” Good.  And, “Researchers are investigating whether it's the berry pigments themselves, or instead the products of their degradation, that actually promote health.”  Who cares?  And since we like all that color, let’s talk about the following study:  “The team (go team) found that “subjects with diets high in beta-carotene and lutein—found in dark green vegetables) had a lower ALS risk.  ALS is Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a terrible disease. So Momma said “eat your greens, stop eating candy and get outside” for a reason, and wasn’t unreasonable. Sugar, shugah? “Scientists in Madrid have uncovered a key mechanism that links obesity and diabetes with cancer:   “high sugar levels, which increase activity of a gene widely implicated in cancer progression.”  So to get outside and move…and here’s yet another reason it’s GOOD FOR YOU:  “Evidence is increasing from multiple scientific fields that exposure to the natural environment can improve human health. In a new study by the U.S. Forest Service, the presence of trees was associated with human health”.  Hug that tree. It helps to clean our air, but we also need to do more.  Dr. Jo has been yakkin’ for years about too much estrogen in our environment.  Now, the following:  “A test for hormone-disrupting pollutants has been approved as an international standard”.  "Endocrine disruptors" are chemicals that interfere with the action of hormones on cells.” Think cancer promoters folks. “ The new test uses a cell line,”  “which produces a glowing firefly protein called luciferase when exposed to estrogens or similar chemicals.” Oh how you glow! Or at least the environmental estrogens may with this test. But I see the light! Oh, it’s blue light!  For your skin, Stan!  Another piece of good news!  "Blue light is a potential non-toxic, non-antibiotic approach for treating skin and soft tissue infections, especially those caused by antibiotic resistant pathogens". Am I blue??…  And finally, some stinkin’ good news, maybe. This is an actual study; really. Hydrogen sulfide “may play a wide-ranging role in staving off aging, according to Molecular and Cellular Biology. In this article, a team (go team) from China (oh boy) explores the compound's plethora of potential anti-aging pathways. (Plethora of pathways Patricia..can’t help it.)  "it relaxes the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells, which is important to maintaining clean arteries as one ages” ,”It functions as an antioxidant. And, “it inhibits expression of pro-inflammatory factors, all of which "imply an important role in aging and age-associated diseases," according to the paper. “There are even suggestions, mostly in animal models, but also in human studies, that H₂S may be protective against cancer, according to the report. "Data available so far strongly suggest that H₂S may become the next potent agent for preventing and ameliorating the symptoms of aging and age-associated diseases," concludes Jiang. In the future, he says, people may take H₂S via food, or as an anti-aging supplement.”  “It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas that gives off the odor of rotten eggs”. Mmm., sounds yummy. Don’t they have a lot of this stuff in their air over there as seen on the news lately??!! I have to wonder if this stinkin’ study doesn’t stink. I may use it for my new Dr. Jo diet! But could it lend some credence to sulphur springs claims? We’ll have to see; or smell. So there you have it. I'm thinking a lot of folks already have it! That isn't to say you should breathe deeply after someone passes gas, but don’t light a match!  www.GoDrJo.com for more fun with Dr. Jo!