No More Needle Testing For Premature Babies Thanks To Irish Scientists

Scientists at Queen’s University Belfast have pioneered a new needle-free test to take the sting out of medicine testing in premature babies. The research will not only lead to greater accuracy in prescribing, but will also significantly reduce the trauma of such tests for newborn infants and their families. The latter alone ought to entitle them to a medal from grateful parents.

In the first published research project worldwide on this new approach to testing medicines in children, the findings were announced in leading US medical journal Pediatrics, though I would have thought a banner heading in the Lancet might be more appropriate. The study, which involves the use of blood spots obtained from a simple heel-prick, took place in the Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s.

Principal Investigator, Queen’s Professor of Pharmacy Practice James McElnay said: “This type of testing will obviously reduce the discomfort of medicine testing in these vulnerable patients. What is even more important, however, is that it will ensure maximum accuracy in calculating the most appropriate dose of a medicine for a sick child.

“Some 80 per cent of infants in intensive care in hospitals receive medicines which have not been appropriately tested or licensed for use in such young patients, and the dosage is usually calculated based on licensed doses for adults or older children. Sizable blood samples are then required to measure the concentrations of the drug in the infant’s bloodstream. Our work opens up opportunities for using the same approach to study other medicines which are used in this manner in children, and we are currently studying a number of these.”

It has always been a concern that there is so little known about the proper dosage for premature children and if this new development eradicates that uncertainty it is even more important.

The Queen’s study involved the antibiotic metronidazole. The research team used single drops of blood collected on blotting paper from premature infants who were receiving the medicine as part of their routine care. The ‘spots’ were dried, analysed in the University’s School of Pharmacy, and the results used to develop dosage guidance for doctors.

Science Fiction Solution for Eczema Sufferers?

The very best discoveries are usually in response to a personal need, and when that need is driven by the health and wellbeing of your own family then the need to find a solution becomes imperative. Graham Lea had that need because both his son and wife suffer from Eczema. In his wife’s case it become highly aggravated and their son suffered from it terribly as a baby and toddler.

As he describes it ‘The usual rounds of GP visits and Eczema clinics ended with a prescription for corticosteroids, emollients, and a pat on the head, thank you goodbye’ but happily as his wife is a qualified herbalist and also has a degree in chemistry they decided to do work on a solution on their own. People with eczema are very sensitive to what is worn next to the skin, particularly as many fabrics have can contain pesticides that become impregnated into clothing at source.

Graham Lea’s research led to the discovery of work done by the University of Minho in Portugal in association with leading dermatologist Dr A. Sousa Basto and through an associated company to a new range of products called SkintoSkin. These are made from 70% Cotton 10% Silver and 20% brown seaweed algae, which combination gives both a natural antibiotic and soothing effect and is a highly effective drug free natural tool to fight eczema. This is where the ‘science fiction’ element comes in as bio-functional textiles are a new discipline in the scientific field where materials are being created that exert a biological effect on human skin. The textiles of the future, and indeed with us now, will be woven with transporter molecules known as cyclodextrines, capable of absorbing substances from the skin and freeing therapeutic composites or cosmetics to the skin.

As textiles interact with the skin very intensively the micro-organisms of the skin can be influenced by them, and vice-versa. The current interest in bio-functional textiles is focused on their use for therapy and prevention in dermatology and they are breaking new and exciting ground with applications emerging to help chronic skin condition sufferers. The therapeutic effects are not diminished by washing; the wearer gets constant therapeutic effect while wearing them and all medical and durability results are clinically tested and proven.

As well as helping with eczema, research and development is going on to develop the textiles use for humidity management and body temperature control and gloves to help with contact dermatitis (currently undergoing clinical trials); anti-insect clothing; and an occlusive suit for occlusive treatment of psoriasis;

More information is available here: Skin To Skin
If you would like to know more then Graham is happy to discuss the range of children’s clothing with you and can take orders on 01268 733788 or email him at [email protected] – and they hope to have the products available on Amazon shortly.

Why Your ‘Healthy’ Shake or Smoothie Can Cause Inflammation

One of the most popular supplements in our society today is protein powder and there are endless varieties that you can buy. They certainly make for a simple and hopefully nutrient-packed breakfast but you really do need to be aware of what is in the powder that you are using. They come from a variety of different sources and a number of unique manufacturing processes and, unfortunately, 95% of commercial protein powders have toxic ingredients that could be slowly inflaming your body and depleting your cellular nutritional stores.

Dr David Jockers runs the Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Georgia and is a regular contributor to my women’s hormone health site. He specialises in nutrition and his advice is always straightforward and well researched. He certainly believes that protein supplements can be a great addition to a healthy diet because of their ability to provide essential and branched-chain amino acids in a highly absorbable form. However where he has doubts is that of the many different protein sources available only a few are of high quality. Most commercial protein powders use inferior protein sources and fill their products with artificial sweeteners and preservatives that are highly toxic.

The most common protein sources used in commercial powders include soy, egg, whey and wheat gluten. I have certainly mentioned before that soy does not suit everyone and can often be quite degraded in its manufacturing process and consuming large amounts of it can be detrimental if not from a pure, organic source. Soy and gluten-containing proteins (wheat, barley, rye, oat, kamut, and spelt) are highly allergenic and promote inflammatory reactions within the body.

Dr Jockers believes that soy protein is an anti-nutrient that should be avoided for several reasons. Soy contains phytic acids that bind and pull major minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc from the body. High processed soy consumption is linked with deficiencies in these major minerals and it also contains enzyme inhibitors that turn off natural enzymes needed to perform critical cell functions. Soy foods also contain goitrogenic substances that block thyroid hormone function.

If you’re protein shake or smoothie also contain milk then please ensure that it is organic as animals raised in conventional factory farms can be pumped full of hormones and antibiotics while eating genetically modified and often pesticide-laden grains. This combination causes massive amounts of toxic bioaccumulation within the animal tissue and animal byproducts which are then passed on to you.

The best and healthiest form of protein comes from organic whey protein concentrate as this form contains beta-glucans, lactoferrins, and immunoglobulins that enhance immune function. Additionally, organic whey contains all the branch chain amino acids and optimal ratios of essential amino acids and is one of the best food sources for boosting cellular anti-oxidants such as glutathione.

I am a devotee of protein shakes as I have never yet found a breakfast that suits me and I use organic oat or rice milk blended with a banana or soft fruit and the protein powder that I use is made from hemp and available from-Higher Nature. Hemp protein is one of the very few plant based complete protein sources and is a great source of sulfur containing amino acids methionine and cysteine, which are necessary for cellular detoxification and the production of vital enzymes. Additionally, it is rich in branched chain amino acids that are needed for muscle growth and repair. You can also get brown rice protein, considered to be the most hypo-allergenic protein, and this is especially important for anyone with chronic food allergies and leaky gut syndrome.

If you are buying a protein powder then please check the ingredients carefully for additives, including sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Scientists develop genetically modified cows to produce “human” breast milk

I debated with myself whether or not to comment on this, as it has certainly had widespread attention in the newspapers. It seems that I won the debate so here goes. The words ‘genetically modified’ never inspire me with confidence and attempting to give babies such a product truly worries me.

China Agricultural University Scientists have bred 300 cattle that have been given human genes to make their milk contain the same nutrients and fat content as breast milk. Professor Li, who led the research, and his team used cloning technology to introduce human genes into the DNA of Holstein dairy cows According to the Professor, the product could offer mothers an alternative to conventional infant formula. Why? There are already plenty of alternatives available to women who do not wish to, or cannot, breastfeed and it is already well established in the nutritional field that cow’s milk is not natural to babies, and indeed can be the cause of a basic allergic reaction in many.

Human milk differs from cows’ milk in several important ways. It contains high quantities of nutrients beneficial to a baby’s growth and immune system. It provides, without question, the best possible start in life for an infant’s health. Cows’ milk is much harder for a baby to digest, has less fat and fewer carbohydrates and contains no antibodies that protect against disease.

One variety of the GM cows produced milk containing lysozyme – an antimicrobial protein found in breast milk that protects babies from infection. They also created cows that produced human lactoferrin, a protein which boosts the immune system. A third human milk protein called alpha-lactalbumin was also expressed in the milk. Prof Li claims his team has boosted the milk’s fat content by a fifth and changed the levels of solids to make it close to the composition of human milk. The developers say it could help mothers who cannot breastfeed their babies and do not want to use formula but why they imagine giving an artificially altered milk is any better than a formula is something I have not yet got to grips with. The developers also claim ‘The milk tastes stronger than normal milk, and within ten years, people will be able to pick up these human-milk-like products at the supermarket.’ Alongside the other genetically modified products that will no doubt have crept into the marketplace, and some scientists in 20 years time will be getting a grant to investigate this is why these products are causing health problems in the consumer.

And just who is willing to take such a risk with their baby’s health? Or new product carry risks, and the risks are usually not apparent until the product has been in use in some time — would you gamble with your child’s health on that basis? Breast milk is promoted worldwide for the very good reason that it is perfectly suited to the babies health and growth and no cows’ milk is ever going to be able to match that.

So no, I don’t agree with genetically modified milk for babies and what about the poor old cows? In two experiments by the Chinese in which 42 GM calves were born, just 26 survived. Ten died soon after birth and six died within six months. A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals said: ‘Offspring of cloned animals often suffer health and welfare problems, so this would be a grave concern. Why do we need this milk – what is it giving us that we haven’t already got?’

Certainly China’s rules on GM food are more relaxed than those in Europe and the GM milk would not be allowed on sale in Britain unless it was approved by the European Union and passed stringent safety tests. However, some British scientists said the research could be of huge benefit. Prof Keith Campbell, a biologist at Nottingham University and a member of the team that cloned Dolly the sheep in 1996, (so not an unbiased commentator) said GM animals were not a threat to health unless scientists deliberately gave them a gene that made their milk toxic. ‘The modified milk could help boost sales of dairy products in Asia, where more than nine in ten people are lactose intolerant and cannot consume cows’ milk without suffering stomach upsets and cramps.’

What that it does for me is raise what I think is a very reasonable question, which is why is boosting dairy products a priority? If 9 out of 10 are lactose intolerant then why try to force to drink milk when it is not indigenous to their culture? It leads me to wonder just who is sponsoring this research and I suspect the dairy industry might have had a hand in writing a large cheque.

No More Overheated Nights

I do not want you to misunderstand me, I am talking about pillows, mattresses and disturbed sleep! As we spend around a third of our lives asleep it is crucial that you have the optimal conditions to get a good night’s rest. Lack of sleep is at the root of many health complaints and for many people sleeping uninterrupted throughout the night can present a challenge, with overheating one of the most common reasons for disturbances to our sleep cycle.

In case you think that overheating is something that only happens to women during the menopause, the statistics do not bear this out. At some point in their lives, most people will suffer from hot flushes, fevers and high temperatures not just from the menopause, but due to pregnancy, colds and flu or simply hot weather. Wouldn’t that be nice?! Apparently, nearly a third of the British adult population struggle to fall asleep because they are too hot in bed and an astonishing 80% of people turn over their pillows in the night to try and get cooler. Naturally this disturbs sleep and it may be helpful to know that there is help at hand in the form of a revolutionary cool gel pillow and mattress toppers which provide the best non-electrical personal cooling solution available.

With overheating is a problem that you then you may be interested to hear about The Personal Cooling Centre, which is the first Internet site designed specifically to provide products and advice to people suffering from overheating They have a range of products to suit different needs, along with discussion forums and hints and tips to help people find the right solution for them.

Two things that certainly can help are the Cool Pad pillow topper and the Cool Pad mattress topper that have been specifically designed to keep you cool at night using new, unique cool gel technology. Placing the toppers on your pillow or mattress can help relieve discomfort from overheating by dissipating heat away from the body, ensuring a cool, comfortable sleep. The products don’t require activation, but the pillow topper can be stored in the fridge to make it even cooler while the mattress topper is only 5mm thick, so is easy to fold and store.

These products are allergy-free, comfortable to lie on and are ready to use straight from the box and I can certainly recommend the pillow as I have been using one myself for several months now. You will find more information and details on how to buy the products at their website www.personalcooling.co.uk

Walnuts – The Healthiest Nut for Your Heart

You may have avoided eating nuts for fear of putting on weight, but a new scientific study gives walnuts a strong recommendation as they have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut.

A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as much antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other popular nut such as peanuts or almonds. Also, nuts in general have an unusual combination of nutritional benefits as they contain plenty of high-quality protein that can substitute for meat; vitamins and minerals; dietary fiber; and are dairy- and gluten-free.

Years of research by scientists worldwide link regular consumption of small amounts of nuts or peanut butter with decreased risk of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones, Type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

The researchers compared both the amount and quality of antioxidants found in nine different nuts: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, and pecans.

Walnuts not only had the highest levels of antioxidants but also the highest potency, of antioxidants. They are 2-15 times as potent as vitamin E, renowned for its powerful antioxidant effects that protect the body against damaging natural chemicals involved in causing disease.

Another reason that walnuts are so healthy is that are eaten raw, unlike other nuts which are heated which generally reduces the quality of the antioxidants, so you get the full effectiveness of those antioxidants.

If it is the dietary aspect that has kept you from eating nuts, and they are it is true high in fat and calories, but nuts contain healthful polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats rather than artery-clogging saturated fat. As for the calories, eating nuts does not appear to cause weight gain and even makes people feel full and less likely to overeat. In a 2009 U. S. study, nut consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of weight gain and obesity.

What’s the maximum healthy snack size to get your daily dose of antioxidants? Apparently it is seven, and think of the extra calories you will expend in cracking the shells!

New Device Uses Submarine Technology to Diagnose Stroke Quickly

I am avoiding all references to ‘up periscope’ but this is a wonderful example of the inventiveness of engineers in adapting new technology to different applications.

A medical device using submarine technology has been developed by retired U.S. Navy sonar experts for the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of strokes. This breakthrough was reported at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 36th Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago recently. Stroke is a leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the US as when a stroke occurs (when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks) this interrupts blood flow to an area of the brain. When this happens, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs and the faster it can be detected then the more positive is likely to be the outcome for the patient.

All it takes apparently is a laptop-based console and a headset for each type of stroke and brain trauma to be detected, identified and located in just one or two minutes . The device’s portability and speed of initial diagnosis means it can be used virtually anywhere and not just confined to hospital use. Initially both ambulance paramedics and the military have seen its advantages as it allows them to assess situations quickly and efficiently in order to provide patients with the best immediate treatment.

It has been developed from on decades of submarine warfare technology research and application by Kieran J. Murphy, M.D., FSIR, professor and vice chair, director of research and deputy chief of radiology at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The system is very simple in principle, yet it yields exceedingly rich data and the device’s basis in submarine technology means it works to measure a patient’s complex brain pulsations and to provide information on the type and location of an abnormality in many of the same ways as sonar works on submarines. Both use an array of sensors to measure movement and generate signals to be processed and analyzed, matching the signals to objects or conditions. As sonar sorts out whales and other objects from vessels, the device sorts out cerebral abnormalities such as aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs, an abnormal connection between veins and arteries), ischemic strokes and traumatic brain injury from normal variations in physiology.

Murphy said this technology could easily differentiate normal brain from life-threatening conditions, such as swelling and bleeding. “For example, when a physician suspects a stroke, time is of the essence, so doctors could use the system to determine treatment that needs to begin immediately and the device’s continuous monitoring capability — unique in neurodiagnostics — will allow immediate detection of changes in a patient’s condition.

Balancing Blooms to Help Your Moods Naturally

If your traditional gift of flowers and chocolates didn’t hit the spot for Mothering Sunday, then I have a much better idea that lasts throughout the year – and works for everyone, not just mothers.

I have always been a fan of Bach flower essences and indeed am never without Rescue Remedy to help in times of stress or crisis – and indeed it comes out of my bag to help others more often than myself! Now they have been beautifully repackaged into some very interesting combinations which bring emotional balance for a range of conditions that you are likely to encounter.

Each Balancing Blooms™ consists of individual Bach flower essences combined to perfectly deal with whichever situation you find yourself in. So, do you need to Get Up & Go! ™, Cheer Up! ™, Calmdown! ™ or do you need Peace™, Confidence!™ or Sensuality? Are things heading up to a Crisis!™, or do you just need to Let Go?

In the 1930s herbalist Edward Bach perceived that each flower has its own unique mood and created his range of 38 single Bach flower essences. Each of Balancing Blooms offers between five and seven different flower essences which Bach believed captured different moods. For instance, “Cheer Up! contains Gentian (happy), Gorse (hopeful), Sweet Chestnut (courageous), Cherry Plum (strong and confident), Mustard (cheerful), White Chestnut (calm) and Wild Rose (joyful) which Bach would have believed ideal for overcoming winter blues or at times when you need a positive lift.

Flower essences are a very gentle, but effective, treatment for mood and each of the different blends is specific to a particular condition. However, what I really love is that you can also combine them. For instance if you are busy and under stress then Crisis blend will deal with the immediate issue and then later you could add in some Calmdown or Peace, whichever feels more appropriate for your situation.

The flower essences contained in Balancing Blooms® are prepared according to the original written instructions of Edward Bach in the 1930s and wild flowers are hand picked in the English and Welsh countryside. The essences come in a handy 20ml bottle which fit into a pocket or bag and simple enough to use. Either by placing four drops directly on the tongue from the enclosed pipette, or by mixing with water. I found that the Cheer Up blend added to a bottle of water in a triple dose and then sipped through the day definitely helped lift my mood and Get Up and Go has sustained me through a week of the stress and preparation for a major production for the Community Quire that I belong to – I can no longer do 14 hour days like I used to without some (natural) help!

Balancing Blooms® is available from major chemists and health food stores or direct from the website at www.balancingblooms.com

What the Newspapers Don’t Tell You About Breast Cancer

I generally avoid items in the mainstream press, as they get a lot of coverage, but some things need an alternative response and the item that ran last Monday in the Daily Mail is certainly one of them.

It suggests that women at risk of breast cancer could be given daily dose of pills to ward off disease, and that recommendation comes from an expert review published in the journal Lancet Oncology. That recommends all women with a greater than 4 per cent above average risk of developing breast cancer in the next ten years should be offered preventative drugs and closer monitoring. At present there are 44,000 new cases of breast cancer every year but this new initiative would equate to one in ten women being offered drug treatment and could double the number of women over-50s advised to take preventative action. In reality this means the drug Tamoxifen which is already linked to serious health risks.

Of course any women at serious risk needs to take every precaution, but this new trend of ‘preventive’ health care which has also seen women prescribed HRT as a ‘preventive’ for symptoms of menopause is not one I can endorse. This sounds perilously like the policy that has seen the widespread prescription of statins to people who may be at risk of heart problems, but are certainly at risk of the side effects of being on a continuous drug regime for a condition they may not have.

Women with higher than average odds of breast tumours already have access to regular checks and some are given drugs to cut their chances of contracting the disease and in extreme cases are offer both mastectomies and hysterectomies. But these are extreme cases, and Tamoxifen in trials has shown that it may reduce the risk of the most common kind of breast cancer by around a third in women of the highest vulnerability. These women know the price they will pay for having breast cancer and that treatment may be appropriate for them but to extend out to less vulnerable women a drug that has raised doubts in many is not a good idea in my view

The known, serious side effects of tamoxifen are blood clots, strokes, uterine cancer, and cataracts and less serious side effects are similar to the symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and vaginal discharge. Tamoxifen is licensed in the U.S., but is not widely used, mainly due to concern about potential side-effects, and an inability to predict cancer risk accurately.

A more natural approach includes using natural hormones such as progesterone which counteracts and balances oestrogens potentially carcinogenic effect, going on an anti-cancer diet, having a healthy weight and taking more exercise. Tony Coope, a doctor who works with natural hormones in his practice had this comment to make:

“There are several problems with this approach, part of a trend in medicine that I think is very counter-productive. Firstly, there is the focus on intervening at this level with drugs which have known and serious side effects, when there are bio-identical alternatives that perform this function more efficiently, at lower cost, and without harmful side effects.

Secondly, it distracts us from exploring the root cause of the problem, which is at the level of the Unconscious, the storehouse of beliefs and attitudes that create our perception of the world we live in, and drive the mutations and expression of our genes.

As Dr Vincent Felitti of San Diego has commented, a person unfamiliar with fire would be initially tempted to treat the smoke, – the most visible aspect of the problem. Fortunately for us our fire departments have learned to distinguish cause and effect long ago; if they hadn’t, they would be using fans instead of water hoses.

Unfortunately in modern medicine it seems that we are still often investing in fans.”

If you wish to read articles by Dr Coope and others who work in the field of natural hormones then please visit my women’s health website at www.bio-hormone-health.com

Pain Control and Help for Nausea in Cancer Treatment Without Needles

I have often extolled the value of acupuncture having benefited hugely from it myself for back pain and seen its value with friends for pain control during childbirth. It has also been successfully tried for treating nausea in cancer patients, however, I know that needles are not the answer for everyone, however attracted they may be to try it out.

Just for them there is great news from the Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University in Sweden that shows that ‘simulated’ needles are apparently just as effective as ‘real’ acupuncture.

Cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy often suffer debilitating nausea and a trial of 277 patients found that when the group were randomly assigned traditional or placebo (without needles) acupuncture or just the standard medications for nausea the results surprised them.

Patients in both the acupuncture groups, real or simulated, suffered significantly less nausea than patients, who received only standard medications. Anna Enblom, researcher at the Osher Centre for Integrative Medicine at Karolinska Institutet commented: “The beneficial effects seem not to come from the traditional acupuncture method, but probably from the patients’ positive expectations and the extra care that the treatment entails.”

Which is indeed one of the standard arguments used against most ‘alternative’ therapies as it is perceived only as a placebo effect. However I would argue that the interaction, concern and care act physiologically as well as emotionally on the immune system and stimulates the patient’s own healing process.

This is borne out by the statistics of the research which show that of the patients who had had some form of acupuncture, only 37 felt nausea and seven per cent vomited, compared with 63 per cent and 15 per cent of the standard care group. The patients’ expectations seemed to be important for the effect: 81 per cent of those who expected to feel ill did so, in contrast to only 50 per cent of those who did not.

Dr Emblom makes an valuable observation here that I would love to see other doctors take on board: “It’s important to remember that the effects of the treatment are valuable to the patients, even if they can be said to have been caused by unspecific factors, such as the manner in which the patients were taken care of and their positive expectations.”

One of the constant refrains I have is that your attitude affects your health, and this study seems to confirm that it also affects your treatment and how you respond to it.

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