The great organic debate

Some things are inevitable; global warming, the sun rising every day and the routine argument that organic food has no real value, so here we go again. It’s not unlike the debate on alternative medicine, if you have found it valuable and it has worked for you then you will continue using it, despite what any scientific study tells you.

Homoeopathy is a case in point; it is frequently pointed out that it cannot be proved, but I know it works for me, and the Royal Family, so I consider that I know better because by taking the remedy Nux Vom after a rich meal I can sleep easy with a quiet digestive system. Am I an idiot? Possibly, but I am not stupid as to stop taking something that does me no harm and that I find effective and replace it with a chemical/pharmaceutical alternative.

This debate is up again because the Government’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) says that organically produced food is no better than the same food grown with the aid of chemicals. They asked the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to review all papers published over 50 years on the nutrient content or health impacts of organic food versus the products of mainstream farming.

Papers, you note, not human experience, and their chief researcher Alan Dangour said: “A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced crops and livestock, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance.”

Depends how you define relevant doesn’t it? The organic movement is about having access to natural, untreated food that and also being concerned about larger issues such as animal welfare and the environment. As the researchers did not look into the possibility of contamination of non-organic food by pesticide residues, or into the environmental impacts of the different growing methods, they have certainly upset the Soil Association, responsible for most organic certification.

It said the researchers had set such strict criteria for judging whether other people’s work was worth taking seriously that they had rejected a lot of findings in favour of organics. Even within the facts and figures taken into the review, there was evidence that organic food had more of a whole range of nutrients.

But the FSA stood firm and said the differences the Soil Association referred to were not big enough to be significant and they have been supported, in a way, by the views of biodynamic farmers who have said for some time that the organic standards for food don’t go far enough as even organic farmers are permitted to use certain chemical herbicides on their crops or use antibiotics on their animals. Obviously this will have some impact on their nutritional value and purity and buying organic food from a supermarket does not necessarily give you the information you need.

I am a firm believer in organic and biodynamic farming for my health, and taste buds, and truly the best way to get your produce is directly from those who grow it. Most places now have a regular farmers market, there are over 500 of them round the country, and by talking to the person on the stall you will soon find out exactly what kind of farm they run and how organic they are.

To find your nearest one, go to www.farmersmarkets.net

How divorce affects your health – Even after remarrriage

There is no doubt that divorce is a traumatic event, indeed on the life stressors scale it is the second highest event after death of a family member. What is new, to me at any rate, is material just published that shows that even after remarriage the divorce continues to impact on your health according to a joint University of Chicago study and John Hopkins study.

Divorcees and widowers who do not remarry or have another permanent relationship tend to have worse health than their peers. There have been studies before on the connection between health and marriage, but this is the first to examine both marital transitions and marital status on health.

We know that as we become adults we bring with us a baseline stock of health, based on our genetic inheritance and other factors. Our experiences will affect this stock for good or ill; for instance getting married tends to bring an immediate benefit in that generally it improves mental health, presumably with better nutrition and fewer takeaways, and women’s health improves from being more financially secure, though they obviously never met my ex.

As a marriage goes on the benefits are enhanced but divorce or widowhood undermines health because incomes drop, and stress develops over issues such as shared child care. If you want the statistics to impress your partner with then here they are:

** divorced or widowed people have 20 percent more chronic health conditions like diabetes and cancer than married people and 23 percent more difficulty with mobility such as trouble climbing stairs or walking short distances

** people who never married have 12 percent more mobility limitations and 13 percent more depressive symptoms and the same number of chronic health conditions as married people

** those who have remarried have 12 percent more chronic conditions and 19 percent more mobility limitations, but no more depressive symptoms, than those who are continuously married.

How we become less healthy is also dependent on the particular illness; for instance conditions such as depression, seem to respond both quickly and strongly to changes in current conditions, but diabetes and heart disease develop slowly over a substantial period and show the impact of past experiences. That is one of the reasons why health is undermined by divorce or widowhood, even when a person remarries.

So it seems the best plan is to stay married, and if divorced or widowed to be open to developing a new relationship, if only for the sake of your health.

New bone implants on the way

Throughout our lives our bones continue to break down, and be replaced with new material as part of our body’s natural cycle of growth. However, when whole bones need to be replaced after tumours, or accidents, then there has so far been no way to successfully grow replacement bones. It happened in fiction with J K Rowling’s description of Skele-Gro which magically re-grows bones in around 8 to 12 hours and is a very painful process. Many women with osteoporosis find that using a natural bone growth promoter like natural progesterone may take longer but certainly isn’t painful!

Not sure if the scientists at Imperial College London had this in mind, but it seems that there is a worldwide interest in producing bone-like materials derived from stem cells with stem cell technology. The research results were recently published in the journal Nature Materials and it is hoped will be able to be implanted into patients who have damaged or fractured bones, or who have had parts of diseased bones removed. The idea is that, ultimately, these bone-like materials could be inserted into cavities so that real bone could meld with it and repair the bone.

It is currently possible to grow small ‘nodules’ of what appear to be bone-like material in the laboratory from different types of bone cells and stem cells. It is these different types of material that the scientists from Imperial College London have been comparing and they have discovered significant differences between the quality of the bone-like material that these can form.

For example, they found that materials grown from bone cells from mouse skull and mouse bone marrow stem cells successfully mimicked many of the hallmarks of real bone, which include stiffness. However, they found that the material grown from mouse embryonic stem cells was much less stiff and less complex in its mineral composition when compared to the other materials.

So what we have here is a good starting point as Professor Molly Stevens, from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London, says: “Many patients who have had bone removed because of tumours or accidents live in real pain. By repairing bone defect sites in the body with bone-like material that best mimics the properties of their real bone we could improve their lives immeasurably. It brings us one step closer to developing materials that will have the highest chance of success when implanted into patients.”

Update on Alkalife

I mentioned a couple of issues ago that I was trying out a new supplement called Alkalife that changes the ph of water and is claimed to have a number of health benefits. Basically I have been helping to balance out the body’s acidity in order to get my blood circulating more easily and getting more oxygen to my organs.

I have been adding the required number of drops to my daily drinking water and I have to say I have noticed an improvement in my general wellbeing, health and alertness which others have also commented on. So, purely anecdotal but it seems to have worked for me and if you are curious to know more then visit their website at www.alkalife.co.uk

Why you need lemon in your Gin & Tonic

I have always been a great advocate of aromatherapy – when in the hands of a trained aromatherapist it can have profound health and psychological benefits. It stimulates the immune system, strengthens resistance to disease and helps to combat infections. Aromatherapy can lower blood pressure, reduces stress, combat insomnia and other helps to deal with emotions such as anxiety, mild depression, and grief.

And what has this to do with my G&T I can hear you ask? Well some splendid Japanese researchers at Tokyo University have given aromatherapy a much-needed seal of approval by proving that your favourite drink can calm your nerves after a stressful day – but only if you include a decent slice of lemon in it.

When we get nervous, stressed and anxious our genes go into overdrive and can cause high blood pressure, sleeplessness and depression. These genes are affected by Linalool, a chemical compound found in lemons, lavender and mangos. That also explains why lavender oil is so popular to help people relax and go to sleep more easily.

It is the citrus aroma in that G&T that our bodies that respond to and the researchers have proved that Linalool can reverse the effects of stress simply by us inhaling that aroma. So you don’t even need to drink it, just give it a good sniff!

Update on Maximum Calories – UK style

Well, it’s not nearly as serious as that Robbins Large Chocolate Oreo Shake at a whopping 2,600 calories but in summer apparently we tend to order iced coffee from our favourite java store and that is a problem. Just one a day can give a woman more than a quarter of her recommended 2000 calorie intake – and leaves no room at all for the odd chocolate or two. These drinks are creamy and often have syrup in them and they provide as many calories as an evening meal, except we have them as well as and not instead of.

Three chains were checked for calorie content: Starbucks, Caffe Nero and Costa Coffee. Beware: if you like a large berry mocha frappuccino with whipped cream from Starbucks you are consuming 561 calories – though you ought to get a reduction from the effort of saying that endlessly long name! If you want the caffeine without the calories then order a simple iced coffee as that is only 5 calories. Caffe Nero’s double chocolate or mocha frappe, though delicious, runs you 483 calories and you might be better heading for Costa. Personally I think they have the best blend of coffee, and their most calorie-laden drink is the massimo frescato but that is a mere (well, compared to the others) 332 calories.

Up to 80% saving on treatment abroad

It has become more common for people to seek medical, and dental, treatment abroad. Around 80,000 people did so last year, including a friend of mine who went to Poland for expensive dental work and the flight, treatment and hotel still cost far less than a couple of sessions with his regular dentist. The range of things on offer range from fertility treatments to knee and hip replacements – and all parts of the body, internal and external, that you can think of.

The idea of combining treatment with a holiday might sound attractive – certainly better food while you convalesce in a hotel on the beach – but how do you know where to look and what sort of value you will be getting? Fortunately there is online help from Treatment Abroad, who have just released their 2009 survey of prices available to medical travellers. They surveyed 180 clinics and medical tourism operators in 39 countries and found that patients can make savings of over 80% on some common medical treatments.

Yes, but when it comes to health the price is only one part of the equation and quality of treatment, surgical expertise, reputation, patient safety are also vital factors. So too is communication and it really is not a good idea to have treatment if the staff involved don’t speak excellent English and you can’t make yourself fully understood.

If you are waiting on an NHS appointment it can certainly seem attractive and a good use of your money; for example, varicose vein treatment in Poland is on average 84% cheaper than in the UK and if wrinkles are getting you down then a trip to Cuba for a forehead lift could save on average about 87%. Other procedures such as elective surgery, cosmetic or dental work don’t have the same high saving, but still cost around 55% less than in the UK.

Other factors influencing patients to leave the UK for treatment are concerns about post operative infection in UK hospitals, the length of NHS waiting lists and the comparative high cost of private healthcare in the UK.

You can get more information and a free comprehensive guide to medical tourism from http://www.treatmentabroad.com and I advise you to study it carefully and weigh up all your options before you come to a decision.

Deep vein thrombosis main risk not from air travel

We are all aware of the risks from DVT on long-haul flights, but it seems that it might have been overestimated according to researchers at the very wonderfully named German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. They have found that DVT is very unlikely in healthy travellers, so you could ditch those unattractive flight socks, but that there is another – and very real – risk. If you have had an accident where you have to wear a cast or splint then that can mean an increased risk of DVT in the leg and pelvic area.

Why is it a problem?

Blood clots have the ability to travel to the lungs, leading to pulmonary embolism, and if for any reason you are unable to move your legs regularly, then the blood flow through your veins is slower than usual. As a result, blood may clump together, forming a blood clot which can lead to DVT. Having a pulmonary embolism can reduce the supply of oxygen to the body’s cells, overstrain the heart and even cause heart failure.

Wearing a cast or splint increases the risk of DVT

You know that if you have to wear a cast or splint that you will usually suffer unbearable itching, but most people do not know that this also increases the risk of DVT. The advice from Professor Sawicki, lead researcher in the study, is that to prevent serious complications, it is important to get back on your feet and move around again as soon as possible and medically advised. If you really can’t move then your doctor may prescribe anticoagulants to reduce the blood’s ability to clot.

If you prefer a natural approach then there are a number of foods and supplements that are known to thin the blood. These include foods with high amounts of aspirin like substances called salicylates, omega-3 fatty acids, foods with natural antibiotic properties such as raisins, cherries, blueberries, grapes, strawberries and oranges and vitamin E supplements. You might also want to avoid foods that are high in vitamin K as that helps the blood to clot and so is counter-productive. These foods include spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, lettuce and peas.

But isn’t air travel the main risk?

Surprisingly, even in higher-risk groups, the risk of air-travel-related thrombosis is still well below half a percent. Research on millions of air travellers has revealed that only about 2 to 5 out of every 10,000 people who took a flight longer than 6 to 8 hours developed DVT that caused symptoms (at the most 0.05%). Even people who had a higher risk – for example, because they had large varicose veins or were very overweight – were not highly likely to develop deep vein thrombosis: only 20 out of every 10,000 travellers were affected (0.2%). Nor was there any evidence to show that people on short flights of less than 4 to 6 hours had an increased risk of thrombosis.

If you would rather be safe than sorry – and you did invest in those special compression flight socks – then the advice is that you will lower your risk by putting them on at least 2 hours before the flight and keep them on throughout the entire journey.

Natural help for RLS, anxiety and disturbed sleep

VitalCALM has been developed by Janice Wilson for the natural treatment of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and it is also suggested for reducing anxiety and improving sleep. She founded her company, Simply Vital, after having worked on drug development for the pharmaceutical industry and deciding she wanted to provide a more holistic approach in providing natural remedies as an alternative to drugs,

RLS is often not taken seriously enough by doctors but it affects 1.5 million people in the UK with women more likely to be affected by the condition, and it becomes more common with age. The uncomfortable sensations of RLS are usually triggered by inactivity, are often more noticeable in the evening and, for some, prevent them from sleeping.

Symptoms can be temporarily relieved by movement and recently GPs have been allowed to prescribe the same drugs used to treat Parkinson disease since low dopamine is implicated in RLSand sufferers know it can be quite debilitating. Symptoms can range from twitching legs when you are trying to relax or sleep, and creepy, often painful sensations that create an overwhelming urge to move. Sufferers report their greatest problems lie in an inability to relax and sit still, and disturbed sleep which has a knock on effect on how they feel during the day. It can also be a social embarrassment as sufferers are unable to control the restless kicking out that is associated with the condition.

If you have RLS you are most likely to be prescribed the same drugs as Parkinson’s, usually some form of dopamine, and these can have unpleasant side effects. Simply Vital have come up with a natural supplement using blue green algae extracts from Lake Klamath that contain two different molecules that should increase dopamine levels in the brain naturally as well as powerful antioxidants to treat RLS. It has been specifically developed to address severe imbalances in neurotransmitter status, which can lead to restlessness in both mind and body.

Boosting levels of dopamine has several beneficial effects as it has many important roles in the body. It is involved in the regulation of other hormones including insulin and is necessary to make us feel good, which is why when we have reduced levels of it we can suffer from fatigue, reduced sex drive, lack of motivation, obesity, addictions, anxiety and depression.

VitalCALM doesn’t have the usual disadvantage I have found in algae supplements, which are generally in powder form and feel like you are drinking a pond, as they come in a capsule form which is certainly easier to take – and rather more expensive. However if it can calm and relax the body so that RLS is no longer a problem, then it is probably well worth it.

If you want to know more, then visit their website at www.simplyvital.com

Honey triumphs for children’s coughs

Sometimes, old-fashioned is best, particularly when it’s natural and can benefit children. According to a study published in the US Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, a teaspoon of honey was better than cough medicine for children because it coated and soothed the irritated throat. It calmed the cough, and helped them sleep better and has none of the side effects or potential dangers of some of the commercial cough syrups. I love it when grandma’s old remedies are verified by research. This particular study used 105 kids with upper respiratory infections, some were given honey, others a honey-flavored cough medicine. All the kids got better but plain-old honey consistently scored higher than the drugs at combating the symptoms.

BUT there is just one caution, because of a very small risk of a rare form of botulism honey shouldn’t be given to children until they are over the age of one year.

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