YAKMEIN, aka NEW ORLEANS’S OLD SOBER: SURE HANGOVER CURE

Offering up a prayer (or death wish) for deliverance at the old porcelain altar

Old Sober originated in Korea and was imported to New Orleans by servicemen returning from the Korean War where they’d experienced the life-restoring properties of the ancient hangover cure.  The men knew it by its Korean name, Yakmein.

More recently, Allyson E Mitchell, PhD, the University of California, Davis, gave the imprimatur of science to Old Sober, saying that it works because salts, protein and other ingredients in the concoction replace some nutrients the body loses during the consumption of ethanol.

A steaming bowl of Yakmein  Photo Credit Gary Stevens

Yakmein is made with a salty beef- and soy sauce-base broth, a carbohydrate such as noodles; protein from beef, chicken or shrimp; onions or chopped green onions; and a sliced, hard-boiled egg.

Here are Mitchell’s suggestions for avoiding hangovers:

1.  Eat eggs.  They’re rich in cysteine, which helps remove acetyldehyde from the body.

2.  Drink broth.  The salts help replace sodium, potassium and other salts lost in the urine from the diuretic effects of alcohol.  Sports drinks might help.

3.  Don’t drink coffee.  It’s a diuretic and will add to the dehydration caused by the alcohol.

4. Take vitamin B1.  It prevents the buildup of glutarate, linked to the next morning’s headache.

5.  Slow down alcohol intake.  The body metabolizes about a half ounce of pure alcohol per hour, equivalent to one 12-ounce beer, five ounces of wine or one ounce of distilled spirits per hour.

6.  Eat fatty foods before drinking.  They slow down alcohol absorption.

7. Avoid congeners.  They’re created during the fermentation and aging processes and add to the suffering caused by a hangover.

Dark liquors, such as brandy, tequila, whiskey and red wine have much higher concentrations of congeners than do clear liquors, such as vodka and gin.

Source:   examiner, April 9, 2013     Paper presented at the National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, April 9, 2013

LOOK OUT, ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BACTERIA–SUPER ANTIBIOTIC’S ON ITS WAY!

Lechuguilla Cave in the Carlsbad Caverns, NM Photo credit Dave Bunnell via Wikimedia

How significant are antibiotic-resistant superbugs?  Significant enough for the World Economic Forum (WEF) to describe them as one of the greatest risks to human health.  The Forum estimates that antibiotic resistant infections cost the US health care system between $21,000,000.000 and $51,000,000,000 per year.  The infections account for the majority of the 99,000 annual deaths in hospital-related infections in North America.

Scientist/microbiologist/spelunker Hazel Barton of the University of Akron discovered a bacterium that has the potential to attack superbugs and eliminate the pandemic of antibiotic resistant bacteria, which include the deadly MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Barton found the rare strain at a depth of 1600 feet in the Lechuguilla Cave in the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and deposited it in a lab at Cubist Pharmaceuticals in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Unlike most pharmaceutical companies, Cubist hasn’t abandoned searching for new and effective antibiotics in the natural world.  Its current best seller, Cubicin, is an effective antibiotic against MRSA and should secure about 10% of the total antibiotics market for Cubist in 2014.

However, it’s in the character of bacteria such as MRSA to find ways to mutate and resist antibiotics.  To protect against that eventuality, Cubist will develop Barton’s find as a backup.

Source:  Smart Planet Daily, February 27^, 2013     

DRUGS TESTED ON LIVE TUMORS INSIDE OF BODY TAILORED TO INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS

Stacked slices of treated tumor  Image credit Presage Biosciences, Seattle

Presage Biosciences has launched clinical studies to determine the efficacy of new technology, which would permit the injection of several needles through the skin into a living tumor.

Each needle would contain a small amount, about 1/5 of a drop, of an anti-cancer drug.

The treatment would have an important advantage over current drug-delivery systems:  Because experimental cancer drugs have low chances of success and may have harmful side effects, it’s optimum to test them in small amounts.

Once the tumor is removed from the body, it’s sliced into thin sections (above) that can be stained for markers of individual drug activity, enabling doctors to see which drugs killed the cancer cells.

Once the “killer” drug is established, it can be given intravenously in larger doses to fight the cancer throughout the patient’s body.

Drug company Millennium is currently using the technology to test drug combinations on solid tumors in lab animals.

Source:   Smart Planet Daily, January 17, 2013    Technology Review, January 18, 2013        

3-D PRINTED BODY PARTS ROLLING OFF THE PRINTER

3-D printed ear for children born with microtia, a congenital deformity of the external ear  Photo credit Lindsay France, Cornell University Photography

Researchers at the Laboratory for Bioregenerative Medicine and Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College use 3-D printing and injectable gel molds to create an artificial ear that looks, feels and functions like a natural one.

Laboratory Director Dr Jason Spector says this method is “absolutely” the best option for reconstructive surgeons seeking to help children with microtia or children who’ve lost part of an ear to cancer or trauma.

“This approach really combines the cutting edge of imaging, simple biology and our bioengineering know-how,” Spector continued.  “What it does, essentially, is create an exact replica of the patient’s contralateral (other side) ear.”

Co-author of the study with Dr Spector, Dr Lawrence Bonassar speaks to the superiority of the 3-D method of reconstruction over the two current methods.  The first method involves implanting an artificial, Styrofoam-like material in the patient.

“There’s a big problem with these implants actually extruding through the skin after they’re implanted,” Bonassar said.  “That can be dangerous and painful.”

Of the second available option, harvesting rib cartilage from a rib and carving it into the shape of an ear, Bonassar said the process involves two long and painful surgeries.

An added plus for the new method is that it’s fast.  After the researchers have made a digital 3-D image of a patient’s ear, they convert the image into a solid ear using a 3-D printer to make a mold into which they inject a high-density, fast-growing gel that acts as a scaffold upon which cartilage can grow.

This part of the process takes only about a day and a half.  Then the ear is left in a nourishing cell culture for several days before being implanted in a person.

“The reason why cartilage tissue engineering lends itself to this type of approach is that cartilage is unique—it doesn’t require an immediate blood supply to survive,” Spector said.  “The use of our special collagen hydro-gel allows the cells to not only survive, but thrive, and lay down a cartilaginous matrix.”

Source:  Discovery News, February 20, 2013    Study published in PLOS ONE, February 20, 2012

MORE THAN 20 HOURS OF TV WEEKLY + LITTLE EXERCISE = LOW SPERM COUNT

Who knew?  A cheap, non-invasive form of male birth control

A team of researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed the results of the 2009 Rochester Young Men’s Study in which 189 men, ages 18 to 22, reported their levels of activity, inactivity and other factors, such as diet, smoking and stress, that could affect sperm count.

The results showed that the sperm count of men who watched more than 20 hours of TV during the week had a 44% lower sperm count than did men who watched little or no TV.

But men who exercised moderately or vigorously for 15 hours or more per week had a 73% higher sperm count than those men who exercised fewer than 5 hours per week.

Jorge Chavarro, senior author of the study and assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the school of public health, observed, “The majority of previous studies on physical activity and semen quality had focused on professional marathon runners and cyclists who reach physical activity levels that most people in the world cannot match.”

The Harvard research team suspects that sedentary lifestyles may warm the scrotum and affect semen concentrations.  Physical inactivity has also been linked to increased levels of oxidative stress, a condition that promotes the degradation of cells by rogue oxygen compounds.

Still other studies have linked low sperm counts to obesity and high-fat diets.

Source:   examiner.com, February 16, 2013      Study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, February 11, 2013

TOP 10 SOURCES OF CALORIES IN U.S. #DIET, ALL UNHEALTHY

For heaven’s sakes, at least sit down at a table while you polish off that saturated fat and white flour!

A panel of 13 nutrition experts, seated on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) and charged with developing federal nutrition standards, concluded that Americans get the majority of their calories from unhealthy sources.

We routinely ignore urgings to consume more dark green and orange vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

Instead, here’s where we invest our calorie quotas:

1.  Grain-based desserts—cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers and granola bars

2.  Yeast breads

3.  Chicken and chicken-mixed dishes

4.  Soda, energy drinks and sports drinks.

5.  Pizza

5.  Alcoholic beverages

7.  Pasta and pasta dishes

8.  Mexican mixed dishes

9.  Beef and beef-mixed dishes

10.  Dairy desserts

In its report, the committee devotes a full 12 pages explaining the importance of avoiding the above foods.

My Take on the list:  I suspect that the entrée foods on the list come from fast-food and/or chain restaurants, which rely heavily on both fried and processed (lots of added salt and sugar) menu foods.  I don’t believe that the chicken, for example, is broiled or baked without its skin.

Sources:  Harvard Medical School Healthbeat, January 17, 2013    Report of the DGAC on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010

 

HOW BROCCOLI AND OTHER #CRUCIFERS HELP REDUCE #CANCER RISK

Broccoli is a true nutrition powerhouse.  Like other cruciferous vegetables (see below), it’s high in vitamin C, folate, fiber, potassium, vitamin K and beta carotene.  One cup of raw, chopped broccoli delivers as much vitamin C as a medium-sized orange and only 30 calories.

Numerous studies have associated the unique phytochemicals (vegetable chemicals) in crucifers with a reduced risk of bladder, colon, lung and other cancers.

Most recently, an analysis of 13 existing studies from the US, Europe and China linked broccoli and other crucifers to a 15% reduced breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.

Broccoli is singled out as a particularly good source of sulforaphane, formed from the compound glucosinolate, when the vegetable is cut, chopped chewed and digested.  According to laboratory studies, sulforaphane may inhibit cancer growth, in part by boosting production of enzymes that detoxify carcinogens.  It also may inhibit other enzymes that cause the activation of carcinogens.

In addition, broccoli’s phytochemicals are thought to reduce the spread of cancer cells– necessary for metastasis—or cause cancer cells to self-destruct.

Other lab test show that crucifers inhibit tumor blood vessel formation, help protect cells from DNA damage, have antiviral and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.

My Take:  If like President George H W Bush, you aren’t a fan of broccoli, other cruciferous vegetables in the Brassica genus of plants include arugula, bok choy, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, horseradish, kale, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, watercress and wasabi.

Sources: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter,  2012     National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)       Study published in The Breast Journal, 2012 

EATING SMART=LIVING LONGER: 6 MORE TIPS TO INCREASE YOUR LONGEVITY

Seventeen years ago, AARP teemed up with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine the influence of dietary and lifestyle choices on the incidence of life-threatening diseases on over half a million people ages 50 and older.

What the collaboration yielded is an understanding of how specific foods affect our bodies, for good or for ill, and the knowledge of how to adjust our dietary choices to stay healthy and lose weight.

And here are the final 6 guidelines, part of what’s called the AARP New American Diet:

Include low-fat dairy foods.

Low-fat dairy products are a good source of two essential elements for strong bones that 30% of women are deficient in:  calcium and vitamin D.  And a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that persons with the highest daily intake of low-fat dairy lost 38% more weight than those with the lowest.

Still, moderation is the key.  The AARP-NIH study recommends consuming no more than three portions of low-fat dairy to maximize benefits to health.

Be wary of “diet” foods.

Doctors see many patients who are gaining weight on “diet” foods because the foods are loaded with sugar to compensate for the flavor lost when the fat’s removed.  And because the food is processed, the empty calories will short you on nutrients.

Instead of diet foods, eat small portions of higher-fat food.

Don’t eat out for two weeks.

Some experts maintain that restaurant portions can be three times larger than normal or recommended serving portions.

Fruits and vegetable servings should be the size of your fist.

Meat and poultry servings should be no larger than a deck of cards.

Fish servings should be the size of a checkbook.

After two weeks, you’ll have a better idea about what amount to eat of which foods and will be equipped to make better food choices when eating out.

        Study food labels.

 A US National Health Interview Study found that women who regularly read food labels are an average of 9 pounds lighter than people who don’t.

Snack often.

The secret to snacking is smart snacking and snacking placement.

A variety of data shows that people who snack mid-morning and mid afternoon lose more weight than those who eat three large meals.  Snacking keeps insulin levels steady, which may prevent hunger and overeating at lunch and dinner.

Healthy snacks include fruit, baby carrots, hummus or a handful of nuts.

Chew gum.

Chewing gum releases hormones that tell your brain that you’re full.  It can also break your habit of nibbling while you’re watching TV or preparing meals.

Choose sugar-free gum that doesn’t cause cavities.

SOURCE:  AARP the Magazine  December 2012/January  2012

EATING SMART=LIVING LONGER: 5 TIPS TO INCREASE YOUR #LONGEVITY

Bowl of oat cereal, fresh berries and fruit

Seventeen years ago, AARP teemed up with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine the influence of dietary and lifestyle choices on the incidence of life-threatening diseases on over half a million people ages 50 and older.

What the collaboration yielded is an understanding of how specific foods affect our bodies, for good or for ill, and the knowledge of how to adjust our dietary choices to stay healthy and lose weight.

And here are the first 5 guidelines, part of what’s called The AARP New American Diet:

Have breakfast every day.

A healthy, nutrient-dense breakfast includes protein, whole grains and fruits keeps your insulin level steady all morning and keeps you from overeating later in the day.

The National Weight Control Registry studied nearly 4,000 persons who had lost weight and kept off for up to 6 years.  Those who at a nutritious breakfast daily lost more weight and kept it off longer than those who didn’t eat breakfast.

Good choices would be an egg sandwich on whole wheat bread with strawberries or whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk and a banana.

Drink more water instead of sweetened or diet soft drinks.

Most of us don’t realize how many calories we take in through sodas, juices, alcoholic drinks and other beverages.   For two weeks, try drinking nothing but water and coffee and watch the weight come off.

Though diet drinks have no sugar, research shows that they may increase our cravings for sugar-sweetened, high calorie foods.   That’s bad.

Also, they disrupt our ability to properly estimate the amount of calories we consume, so we eat more than we ordinarily would.  That’s worse.

And the worst rap?  Researchers at University of Miami found that drinking more than two diet beverages a day is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, as well as with stroke and heart disease.

Include more broiled or baked fish in your diet.

Low calorie fish has the omega-3 fatty acids our bodies need for brain health and contains other important nutrients.  It may also lower your risk of getting certain cancers and improve rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

Eating red meat—and that means pork, too, and processed meats (hot dogs, bacon, sausage) increases that risk, so eat less of them.

Include whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta and brown rice in your diet.

Regularly consuming whole grains can cut your risk of heart disease, respiratory illness and some cancers, including breast and colon cancers—and can help you lose weight.

In a Penn State study, for 12 weeks, half of the participants ate whole grains, while the other half at refined grains, such as white bread and pasta.  The group eating whole grains lost significantly more visceral, or belly, fat, the kind linked to diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Fill up on fruits and vegetables

The AARP-NIH partnership shows that including fruits and vegetables into you daily diet will help you live longer.  These antioxidant rich foods will help you live longer, and, according to the Penn State study, help you lose weight when you aren’t even trying, probably because they’re mostly water & make you feel full.

Though potatoes are healthy, the recommendation is to not eat them for a few weeks until you’re ready to eat them without unhealthy toppings and without having been fried.

Coming up:  6 More Tips to Increase Your Longevity

SOURCE:  AARP the Magazine  December 2012/January  2012

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: 7 MORE HEART-HEALTHY TIPS FOR WOMEN

In 1999 the American Heart Association (AHA) published a set of guidelines for heart disease prevention in women and revised them in 2011.  What follows are the newer guidelines are based on clinical trials that examined the protective efficacy of lifestyle measures and drugs:

1.  Control your weight.  If your weight is gradually creeping up, cut calories and develop good exercise habits.  Losing and then sustaining weight loss may require more than the recommended 30 minutes of exercise most days.

2.  Consider low-dose aspirin.  In persons under 65, aspirin is more effective at reducing heart attacks in men and more effective at reducing strokes in women.  Women over 65 with other coronary risk factors, should consider low-dose aspirin therapy only if you have or are at high risk for cardiovascular disease—and only if you’ve consulted with your health care providers for potential side effects.

3.  Consider statin drugs if lifestyle changed don’t improve your cholesterol numbers enough.

4.  If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation, one drink per day.  Alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer and other cancers, so consider those risks along with the benefits of alcohol.  The National Cancer Institute considers any amount of alcohol too much for women.

5.  Ignore previous advice to take hormones to prevent heart attacks.  In 2002 the Women’s Health Initiative found that such hormone therapy actually increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots and breast cancer in older women, average age 63.

6.  Treat depression and reduce stress.  It’s not normal to feel unhappy most of the time.  Seek professional help.   Getting regular exercise is also helpful.

If a demanding job or life causes stress, you must find ways to reduce the stress.

7.  Know your family history.  A history of premature cardiovascular disease in your immediate family substantially raises your risks.  Though you can’t change family history, you can address your other risk factors and treat them aggressively.

You may want to assess your 10-year risk of having a heart attack based on your age, gender, cholesterol levels and blood pressure at the government’s National Cholesterol Education Program at  http://www.tinyurl.com/risktool

SOURCE:  University of CA, Berkeley Wellness Letter, Special Winter Issue, 2012    American Heart Association