Your Daily Dose of Health

Nanotech Exposed in Grocery Store Aisles

March 15, 2008 News | Comments (0) Tyler @ 10:33 am

Nanotech Exposed in Grocery Store Aisles

March 11, 2008

For Immediate Release
For more information contact:
Nick Berning, 202-222-0748
Ian Illuminato, 202-222-0735

Report finds Miller Light, Cadbury and other brands have toxic risks

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Untested nanotechnology is being used in more than 100 food products, food packaging and contact materials currently on the shelf, without warning or new FDA testing, according to a report released today by Friends of the Earth.

The report, Out of the Laboratory and onto Our Plates: Nanotechnology in Food and Agriculture, found nanomaterials in popular products and packaging including Miller Light beer, Cadbury Chocolate packaging and ToddlerHealth, a nutritional drink powder for infants sold extensively at health food stores including WholeFoods.

“Nanotech food was put on our plates without FDA testing for consumer safety,” said Ian Illuminato, Friends of the Earth Health and Environment Campaigner. “Consumers have a right to know if they are taste-testing a dangerous new technology.”

Existing regulations require no new testing or labeling for nanomaterials when they are created from existing approved chemicals, despite major differences in potential toxicity. The report reveals toxicity risks of nanomaterials such as organ damage and decreased immune system response.

“Nanotechnology can be very dangerous when used in food,” said report co-author Dr Rye Senjen. “Early scientific evidence indicates that some nanomaterials produce free radicals which destroy or mutate DNA and can cause damage to the liver and kidneys.”

Report co-author Georgia Miller, Friends of the Earth Australia Nanotechnology Project Coordinator, said many of the world’s largest food companies, including Heinz, Nestle, Unilever and Kraft are currently using and testing nanotechnology for food processing and packaging. Without increased federal oversight, these companies could begin sale of these products whenever they choose.

“There is no legal requirement for manufacturers to label their products that contain nanomaterials, or to conduct new safety tests,” said Miller. “This gives manufacturers the ability to force-feed untested technology to consumers without their consent.”

Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at the scale of atoms and molecules, is now used to manufacture nutritional supplements, flavor and colors additives, food packaging, cling wrap and containers, and chemicals used in agriculture.

“Friends of the Earth calls on the FDA to stop the sale of all nano food, packaging, and agricultural chemicals until strong scientific regulations are enacted to ensure consumer safety and until ingredients are labeled,” said Illuminato.

The report, released internationally today in the U.S., Europe and Australia details more than a hundred nano food, food packaging and food contact products now on sale internationally. The Australian government has already welcomed the report and announced that it will begin exploring regulation of nano food and nano agriculture as a result of the report. The full report can be found at www. foe. org.

Friends of the Earth is the U.S. voice of an influential, international network of grassroots groups in 70 countries. Since 1969, Friends of the Earth has been at the forefront of high-profile efforts to create a more healthy, just world. One of its current campaigns focuses on combating the spread of nanotechnology without regulation and oversight.

http://action. foe. org/pressRelease. jsp?press_release_KEY=343

Amendments to the ND bill-HB1064 in Colorado

March 8, 2008 Politics | Comments Off Tyler @ 7:33 pm

Amendments to HB1064

Amendments to HB1064 part 2

Repost: The Magic of Vanilla

Nutrients | Comments (0) Tyler @ 7:20 pm

vanilla Vanilla is one of the world’s most loved and tantalizing flavors. An incredibly versatile spice whose flavor and fragrance is an ingredient in more dishes than we could begin to list, adding a little vanilla can do wonders for most foods and beverages. Despite its ubiquity, though, vanilla is the second most expensive spice, after saffron. There are at least 150 known varieties of vanilla, but only two – Bourbon and Tahitian – are used commercially, most commonly as vanilla extract, that magical smelling liquid in the little brown bottles that is so cherished by home bakers.But vanilla is more than just an ingredient in baked goods; it’s been used for various purposes, from aromatherapy to herbal remedies, for centuries. Useful for calming both body and mind, vanilla can help us feel good. Here are some suggestions for making use of vanilla’s magic.* A tablespoon of vanilla extract added to a gallon of paint can help cut the smell.* Adding a vanilla bean or two to your furniture polish acts as both a natural insect repellant and air freshener. Bugs don’t like the smell and will stay clear, whereas you and your guests will enjoy the sweet smell of vanilla.* Vanilla’s sweetness relieves heat. Adding vanilla to a spicy recipe will soften the bite, while bringing out the sweetness and flavor of the peppers. Rubbing some vanilla on your tongue can even soothe the burn from taking a bite of something that’s too hot or spicy.* A few drops of vanilla can neutralize the acidity of tomato-based sauces.* Place a cotton ball soaked with vanilla on a saucer in your refrigerator to remove musty odors or overpowering food smells.* Soothe a teething baby by rubbing a little pure vanilla extract onto the child ‘s gums.http://www.farmersalmanac.com/natural_cures/a/the_magic_of_vanilla

Repost: Vitamin K linked to stronger bones for adolescents

March 6, 2008 Nutrients | Comments (1) Tyler @ 3:53 pm

Vitamin K linked to stronger bones for adolescentsBy Stephen Daniells3/5/2008- An adolescent’s vitamin K status could have important long-term implications on bone health, and a better status may protect them from osteoporosis later in life, suggests a new study.An improved status of the vitamin was found to improve bone mineral content and bone mass in the whole body, according to the study with 307 healthy children with an average age of 11.2 published in the British Journal of Nutrition.”As children grow the increase in bone mass may fail to keep up with the increase in height, or length of the bone, and as a consequence, this imbalance may result in fracture,” said lead author Marieke Summeren from University Medical Centre Utrecht.”But the main threat of a long-term shortage of K vitamins is that peak bone mass may be compromised, and as we age and begin to lose bone density, the risk of fracture in later life is increased.”Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass, which leads to an increase risk of fractures, especially the hips, spine and wrists. An estimated 75 million people suffer from osteoporosis in Europe, the USA and Japan.Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.Potential reduction of osteoporosis has traditionally been a two-pronged approach by either attempting to boost bone density in high-risk post-menopausal women by improved diet or supplements, or by maximising the build up of bone during the highly important pubescent years.About 35 per cent of a mature adult’s peak bone mass is built-up during puberty.The new study followed the children for years and correlated vitamin K status, measured as a ratio of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) to carboxylated osteocalcin (cOC), to bone mineral content (BMC) and markers of bone metabolism.Osteocalcin is a vitamin K-dependent protein and is essential for the body to utilise calcium in bone tissue. Without adequate vitamin K, the osteocalcin remains inactive, and thus not effective.Summeren and co-workers report that large variations were observed in the vitamin K status of the children, both at the start and end of the two-year study. Nonetheless, an improved vitamin K status over the time period, as was observed in 281 children, was associated with a significant increase in BMC.”There are two types of vitamin K from dietary sources. Vitamin K1 is found in leafy green vegetables, and Vitamin K2, also called menaquinones, are predominately found in fermented cheeses, curd, and the fermented soy called natto,” explained co-author Leon Schurgers from VitaK and Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of Maastricht.”Vitamin K1 is mostly used by the liver where it is involved in the synthesis of certain blood clotting factors. Vitamin K2 is also equally active outside the liver, in tissues including bone. Thus it is important to have good sources of both types of vitamin K!”The research adds to a growing body of science linking the vitamin to improved boned health, particularly in post-menopausal women. The Maastricht-based researchers previously reported that daily supplements of vitamin K2 maintained hipbone strength in postmenopausal women, while placebo led to weakening (Osteoporosis International, doi: 10.1007/s00198-007-0337-9).The double-blind, placebo controlled study followed 325 healthy women with no osteoporosis for three years and also found that vitamin K2 supplements boosted the women’s bone mineral content (BMC), compared to placebo.The new study also included researchers from VU University Medical Centre and the Danone Research Centre Daniel Carasso in France.Source: British Journal of NutritionPublished online ahead of print, doi:10.1017/S0007114508921760″Vitamin K status is associated with childhood bone mineral content”Authors: M.J.H. van Summeren, S.C.C.M. van Coeverden, L.J. Schurgers, L.A.J.L.M. Braam, F. Noirt, C.S.P.M. Uiterwaal, W. Kuis, C. Vermeer

Quote of the day; Choices

Quotes | Comments (0) Tyler @ 3:52 pm

“In my quiet moments, I think of the future with all of its wonderful possibilities and with all of its terrible temptations. I wonder what will happen to you in the next 10 years. Where will you be? What will you be doing? That will depend on the choices you make, some of which may seem unimportant at the time but which will have tremendous consequences.” Gordon B. Hinckley

Article in Denver Post about ND bill in Colorado

News | Comments (4) Tyler @ 3:51 pm


	Denver & the west ”Naturopathic doctors” face oversightAny state regulation is opposed by mainstream physicians, who say it lends too much credence to the field.By Tim HooverThe Denver PostArticle Last Updated: 03/05/2008 11:15:49 PM MSTNaturopathic doctor Rena A. Bloom works with natural remedies at Denver Naturopathic Clinic. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)Everything looked above board when Centennial residents Dave and Laura Flanagan took their 18-year-old son, Sean, who was dying of cancer and had six months to live, to see a “naturopathic doctor” in 2003.Laura Flanagan said a friend had told her about the man, Brian O’Connell, and when she went to his website, he seemed to be a legitimate health care provider.”It had a picture of him in a lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck,” Laura Flanagan said, adding that O’Connell had multiple diplomas and certificates on his office wall. As they later learned, he had no formal medical training, and he had naturopathic diplomas from correspondence schools.After undergoing treatment at Brian O’Connell’s hands, which involved passing vials of Sean’s blood under ultraviolet light and reinjecting it into his body, the teen was dead just 10 days later. O’Connell was later arrested for practicing medicine without a license in cases involving other patients, and then charged with negligent homicide in Sean’s death.He is serving a 13-year sentence, and his insurance company reached a financial settlement with the Flanagans.Supporters of a bill that would regulate “naturopaths” in Colorado say cases such as the Flanagans’ show the need for the state oversight.”I feel there may be other people like O’Connell out there now,” said Rep. Jeanne Labuda, D-Denver. “They’re going to end up doing serious harm to someone because they’re going to go beyond the scope of what they’re trained to do.”Efforts to regulate naturopaths have failed in Colorado before, but proponents say there is more support among lawmakers this year. The House Health and Human Services Committee is expected to vote on Labuda’s bill, House Bill 1064, today.Naturopathy emphasizes natural, non-pharmaceutical treatments to illnesses and rests on the belief that the treatments help the body heal itself. Typical treatments may involve dietary supplements and herbal medicationsJacob J. Schor works with patient Barbara Swain at the Denver Naturopathic Clinic. ( RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post )And vitamins, but the scope of treatments under naturopathy and those who call themselves naturopaths is much broader and not uniform.Fifteen states and the District of Columbia now regulate and/or license naturopaths, including Arizona, Kansas and Utah.Labuda’s bill would create a registration system for naturopaths who have received four-year degrees in naturopathic medicine and who have been licensed to practice in another state. Only a handful of schools that offer degrees in naturopathic medicine exist, and Labuda’s bill would essentially require Colorado to recognize the naturopathic medicine licenses issued in other states.The bill also would prohibit anyone who doesn’t have such a four-year degree from calling themselves a naturopath or a naturopathic doctor. Labuda said that would provide the public some protection because it would be easy to determine who is a credentialed naturopath.The Colorado Medical Society, which represents about 7,000 physicians, has resisted the effort, with some of its more stridently opposed members saying that naturopathy is not based on science and that naturopaths should not call themselves doctors.Even recognizing the licenses of other states elevates naturopathy to a level of respect it doesn’t deserve, some physicians say.”Many of the treatments they use are traditional but not scientific,” said Dr. Mark Johnson, director of the Jefferson County Health Department and a physician who testified against the bill for the medical society.In an attempted compromise, the bill specifically says that naturopaths could not call themselves “physicians,” but could use the term “doctor.” The medical society is still reviewing the current version of the bill.Degreed naturopaths say the opposition from the medical society is not surprising.”All of the alternative (health care) fields have run up against the medical society,” said Deidre Koloski, a degreed naturopath and president of the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians, which supports the bill.Koloski said degreed naturopaths are credentialed by colleges with federal accreditation and must pass a licensing test to practice.”What we are asking for would definitely prevent people from calling themselves naturopaths without training,” Koloski said.Non-degreed naturopaths oppose the bill, in some cases making the same arguments as the medical society.”Education and training of naturopathic physicians as primary care providers is substandard,” Boyd Landry, executive director of the Coalition for Natural Health, testified before the House Health and Human Services Committee.”After four years of medical school, graduates are ineligible for licensure and must enter residency programs that last from three to five years,” Landry said. “By comparison, would-be NP’s are eligible for licensure, and thus primary care provider status, after simply completing a four-year program.”Despite her experience, Laura Flanagan said she sees value in natural remedie but the field needs regulation.”You have to have a license to cut hair. You have to have a license to be a dog groomer. These people who are doing possibly life-threatening things to people are not regulated,” she said.Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com

Denver & the west ”Naturopathic doctors” face oversightAny state regulation is opposed by mainstream physicians, who say it lends too much credence to the field.By Tim HooverThe Denver PostArticle Last Updated: 03/05/2008 11:15:49 PM MSTNaturopathic doctor Rena A. Bloom works with natural remedies at Denver Naturopathic Clinic. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)Everything looked above board when Centennial residents Dave and Laura Flanagan took their 18-year-old son, Sean, who was dying of cancer and had six months to live, to see a “naturopathic doctor” in 2003.Laura Flanagan said a friend had told her about the man, Brian O’Connell, and when she went to his website, he seemed to be a legitimate health care provider.”It had a picture of him in a lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck,” Laura Flanagan said, adding that O’Connell had multiple diplomas and certificates on his office wall. As they later learned, he had no formal medical training, and he had naturopathic diplomas from correspondence schools.After undergoing treatment at Brian O’Connell’s hands, which involved passing vials of Sean’s blood under ultraviolet light and reinjecting it into his body, the teen was dead just 10 days later. O’Connell was later arrested for practicing medicine without a license in cases involving other patients, and then charged with negligent homicide in Sean’s death.He is serving a 13-year sentence, and his insurance company reached a financial settlement with the Flanagans.Supporters of a bill that would regulate “naturopaths” in Colorado say cases such as the Flanagans’ show the need for the state oversight.”I feel there may be other people like O’Connell out there now,” said Rep. Jeanne Labuda, D-Denver. “They’re going to end up doing serious harm to someone because they’re going to go beyond the scope of what they’re trained to do.”Efforts to regulate naturopaths have failed in Colorado before, but proponents say there is more support among lawmakers this year. The House Health and Human Services Committee is expected to vote on Labuda’s bill, House Bill 1064, today.Naturopathy emphasizes natural, non-pharmaceutical treatments to illnesses and rests on the belief that the treatments help the body heal itself. Typical treatments may involve dietary supplements and herbal medicationsJacob J. Schor works with patient Barbara Swain at the Denver Naturopathic Clinic. ( RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post )And vitamins, but the scope of treatments under naturopathy and those who call themselves naturopaths is much broader and not uniform.Fifteen states and the District of Columbia now regulate and/or license naturopaths, including Arizona, Kansas and Utah.Labuda’s bill would create a registration system for naturopaths who have received four-year degrees in naturopathic medicine and who have been licensed to practice in another state. Only a handful of schools that offer degrees in naturopathic medicine exist, and Labuda’s bill would essentially require Colorado to recognize the naturopathic medicine licenses issued in other states.The bill also would prohibit anyone who doesn’t have such a four-year degree from calling themselves a naturopath or a naturopathic doctor. Labuda said that would provide the public some protection because it would be easy to determine who is a credentialed naturopath.The Colorado Medical Society, which represents about 7,000 physicians, has resisted the effort, with some of its more stridently opposed members saying that naturopathy is not based on science and that naturopaths should not call themselves doctors.Even recognizing the licenses of other states elevates naturopathy to a level of respect it doesn’t deserve, some physicians say.”Many of the treatments they use are traditional but not scientific,” said Dr. Mark Johnson, director of the Jefferson County Health Department and a physician who testified against the bill for the medical society.In an attempted compromise, the bill specifically says that naturopaths could not call themselves “physicians,” but could use the term “doctor.” The medical society is still reviewing the current version of the bill.Degreed naturopaths say the opposition from the medical society is not surprising.”All of the alternative (health care) fields have run up against the medical society,” said Deidre Koloski, a degreed naturopath and president of the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians, which supports the bill.Koloski said degreed naturopaths are credentialed by colleges with federal accreditation and must pass a licensing test to practice.”What we are asking for would definitely prevent people from calling themselves naturopaths without training,” Koloski said.Non-degreed naturopaths oppose the bill, in some cases making the same arguments as the medical society.”Education and training of naturopathic physicians as primary care providers is substandard,” Boyd Landry, executive director of the Coalition for Natural Health, testified before the House Health and Human Services Committee.”After four years of medical school, graduates are ineligible for licensure and must enter residency programs that last from three to five years,” Landry said. “By comparison, would-be NP’s are eligible for licensure, and thus primary care provider status, after simply completing a four-year program.”Despite her experience, Laura Flanagan said she sees value in natural remedie but the field needs regulation.”You have to have a license to cut hair. You have to have a license to be a dog groomer. These people who are doing possibly life-threatening things to people are not regulated,” she said.Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com

Article from Rocky Mountain News about ND Bill in Colorado

Politics | Comments (5) Tyler @ 3:50 pm


Body:	Naturopathy – a healthy debate Holistic treatments’ supporters swear by it, while its detractors glare at it Joyzelle Davis, Rocky Mountain News Thursday, March 1, 2007 Audress Johnson needed to retool her strict vegetarian diet, but she said doctors provided no help. She went outside the traditional medical tent to a naturopath – an expert who specializes in vitamins, herbs and other holistic treatments. These healers don’t have degrees as doctors of medicine. “I wanted someone who had extensive nutritional training and wouldn’t give me the conventional ‘milk and fish oil cures everything,’ ” said Johnson, who is allergic to milk. Her naturopath added more leafy greens, nuts and supplements to her diet, restoring Johnson’s vigor and making the Littleton aerospace engineer the latest convert to the ranks who believe the profession needs official respect. But not everyone’s buying it. Medical doctors are concerned about the profession’s growing popularity, and now the legislature is weighing whether to make Colorado the 15th state to license and regulate naturopathic doctors. “They take medical practices from a gamut of backgrounds – ayurvedic, Chinese herbs, aromatherapy . . . Practically everything except Western medicine,” said Dr. Mark Johnson, executive director of the Jefferson County Health Department. “Their determination of what is good and safe medicine is very dangerous.” Naturopaths have long been regarded with skepticism by the health care system, but they’re becoming an increasingly popular alternative for patients who are frustrated with conventional treatments. More than 37 percent of U.S. Households use some form of alternative medicine, according to a report released last month by Thomson Medstat, led by individuals whose annual incomes exceed $100,000. Integrative medicare centers, where medical doctors practice alongside specialists in traditional Chinese medicine and other alternative therapies, have popped up at establishments such as University Hospital and HealthOne’s Swedish Medical Center. A bill to license naturopaths, sponsored by Rep. Jeanne Labuda, D-Denver, was passed by the House Health and Human Services Committee last month on a 9-2 vote and is now before the Appropriations Committee. To qualify under the bill, naturopaths will need a degree from a four-year graduate school and must pass a national exam. The Colorado Medical Society opposes the legislation, saying naturopathic medical schools don’t provide enough training and that some practices – such as an aversion to immunizations – might harm patients and community health. Naturopaths disagree, saying they often work closely with doctors in cases such as helping a chemotherapy patient manage side effects. They note that, during the 1960s and ’70s, doctors raised similar objections over chiropractors, who are now licensed in all 50 states. Proponents say the bill is necessary to protect patients from visiting doctors who went to “diploma mill” correspondence schools that don’t require an undergraduate degree or a grounding in basic science. “Naturopathic medicine is here to stay, and it’s our duty to protect the public,” said Rena Bloom, president of the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Only about 90 naturopaths in Colorado hold degrees from the four U.S. Schools accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, and they often hold licenses in other states, including Oregon. Hundreds more are self-taught or earned degrees elsewhere. Many of those naturopaths oppose the law, saying graduates of four-year programs are trying to artificially restrict the job market and that a license won’t guarantee public safety. “This isn’t about protecting the public, it’s about protecting the profession,” said Boyd Landry, head of the Washington-based trade group the Coalition for Natural Health. Passage by the entire state House and Senate isn’t guaranteed. The legislature balked at similar bills in the 1990s. But this time, the bill’s backers have the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies on their side, which, in late 2005, recommended licensing the profession. Most health insurers don’t pay for naturopathic therapies now, and that isn’t expected to change if naturopaths are licensed in the state. Some states, such as Washington and Connecticut, require insurance companies to cover naturopathic services. Alfred Gilchrist, executive director of the Colorado Medical Society, said his group supports the bill’s intent to protect public safety and would like to work with legislators to reach a middle ground, such as creating a registry of naturopaths in the state. In a nutshell What is naturopathy? A system of health care based on the philosophy that the human body has the power to heal itself by restoring its natural balance. Naturopathy encompasses practices including nutritional therapy, homeopathy and hydrotherapy. What the House bill would do: Limit the use of “naturopathic doctor” to grad- uates of accredited naturopathic medical schools who pass a national exam and pay a fee. Licensed doctors could perform common diagnostic procedures, radiography and minor office procedures such as stitching minor wounds. davisj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2514

Body:

Naturopathy – a healthy debate

Holistic treatments’ supporters swear by it, while its detractors glare at it

Joyzelle Davis, Rocky Mountain News
Thursday, March 1, 2007

Audress Johnson needed to retool her strict vegetarian diet, but she said doctors provided no help.

She went outside the traditional medical tent to a naturopath – an expert who specializes in vitamins, herbs and other holistic treatments. These healers don’t have degrees as doctors of medicine.

“I wanted someone who had extensive nutritional training and wouldn’t give me the conventional ‘milk and fish oil cures everything,’ ” said Johnson, who is allergic to milk.

Her naturopath added more leafy greens, nuts and supplements to her diet, restoring Johnson’s vigor and making the Littleton aerospace engineer the latest convert to the ranks who believe the profession needs official respect.
But not everyone’s buying it. Medical doctors are concerned about the profession’s growing popularity, and now the legislature is weighing whether to make Colorado the 15th state to license and regulate naturopathic doctors.

“They take medical practices from a gamut of backgrounds – ayurvedic, Chinese herbs, aromatherapy . . . Practically everything except Western medicine,” said Dr. Mark Johnson, executive director of the Jefferson County Health Department. “Their determination of what is good and safe medicine is very dangerous.”

Naturopaths have long been regarded with skepticism by the health care system, but they’re becoming an increasingly popular alternative for patients who are frustrated with conventional treatments.

More than 37 percent of U.S. Households use some form of alternative medicine, according to a report released last month by Thomson Medstat, led by individuals whose annual incomes exceed $100,000. Integrative medicare centers, where medical doctors practice alongside specialists in traditional Chinese medicine and other alternative therapies, have popped up at establishments such as University Hospital and HealthOne’s Swedish Medical Center.

A bill to license naturopaths, sponsored by Rep. Jeanne Labuda, D-Denver, was passed by the House Health and Human Services Committee last month on a 9-2 vote and is now before the Appropriations Committee.
To qualify under the bill, naturopaths will need a degree from a four-year graduate school and must pass a national exam.

The Colorado Medical Society opposes the legislation, saying naturopathic medical schools don’t provide enough training and that some practices – such as an aversion to immunizations – might harm patients and community health.

Naturopaths disagree, saying they often work closely with doctors in cases such as helping a chemotherapy patient manage side effects. They note that, during the 1960s and ’70s, doctors raised similar objections over chiropractors, who are now licensed in all 50 states.

Proponents say the bill is necessary to protect patients from visiting doctors who went to “diploma mill” correspondence schools that don’t require an undergraduate degree or a grounding in basic science.

“Naturopathic medicine is here to stay, and it’s our duty to protect the public,” said Rena Bloom, president of the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

Only about 90 naturopaths in Colorado hold degrees from the four U.S. Schools accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, and they often hold licenses in other states, including Oregon. Hundreds more are self-taught or earned degrees elsewhere.

Many of those naturopaths oppose the law, saying graduates of four-year programs are trying to artificially restrict the job market and that a license won’t guarantee public safety.

“This isn’t about protecting the public, it’s about protecting the profession,” said Boyd Landry, head of the Washington-based trade group the Coalition for Natural Health.

Passage by the entire state House and Senate isn’t guaranteed. The legislature balked at similar bills in the 1990s. But this time, the bill’s backers have the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies on their side, which, in late 2005, recommended licensing the profession.

Most health insurers don’t pay for naturopathic therapies now, and that isn’t expected to change if naturopaths are licensed in the state. Some states, such as Washington and Connecticut, require insurance companies to cover naturopathic services.

Alfred Gilchrist, executive director of the Colorado Medical Society, said his group supports the bill’s intent to protect public safety and would like to work with legislators to reach a middle ground, such as creating a registry of naturopaths in the state.

In a nutshell

What is naturopathy? A system of health care based on the philosophy that the human body has the power to heal itself by restoring its natural balance. Naturopathy encompasses practices including nutritional therapy, homeopathy and hydrotherapy.

What the House bill would do: Limit the use of “naturopathic doctor” to grad- uates of accredited naturopathic medical schools who pass a national exam and pay a fee. Licensed doctors could perform common diagnostic procedures, radiography and minor office procedures such as stitching minor wounds.

davisj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2514

Repost: Elderly muscles benefit from amino acid supplements

Uncategorized | Comments (0) Tyler @ 3:48 pm

Elderly muscles benefit from amino acid supplements

By Stephen Daniells

3/6/2008- Supplementing the diet of elderly people with the full set of essential amino acids can boost their lean body mass, strength and physical function, according to a new study.

The small study, with only 12 volunteers, challenges previous studies that showed no benefits, and highlights the potential benefits of amino acid supplements for this growing age group at risk of gradual decline in muscle mass, strength and function.

World population is expected to increase to 9.1bn by 2050 – up from 6.5bn in 2005; and 21 per cent of people will be over the age of 60 in 2050, compared to 10 per cent in 2000.

“Previous studies in elderly subjects have shown that provision of dietary supplements has not been effective in improving lean body mass. However, ingestion of nutritionally balanced supplements has often been found to reduce the caloric intake of the rest of the food eaten in the day by an amount equivalent to the calories supplied in the supplement,” explained the authors, led by Elisabet Borsheim from University of Texas Medical Branch.

“Therefore a dietary supplement in the elderly would be more appropriately considered as a dietary substitute.”

The study is published online ahead of print in the journal Clinical Nutrition.

Borsheim and co-workers recruited seven female and five male glucose-intolerant subjects with an average age of 67 and assigned them to receive a daily amino acid supplement (22 grams) between meals for 16 weeks. The supplement contained histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine, and arginine

“The composition of the mixture of essential amino acids (EAA) was designed to be maximally effective in stimulating muscle protein synthesis in the elderly,” explained the researchers.

After 12 weeks an increase in lean body mass (LBM) of 1.14 kg was recorded, while this decreased slightly to 0.6 kg after 16 weeks, compared to LBM measured at the start of the study (baseline).

Moreover, strength in the legs increased by an average of 22 per cent after 16 weeks, from a baseline value of 127.5 kg. Borsheim also notes an improvement in measures of walking speed, including the usual gait speed, timed 5-step test, and timed floor-transfer test.

“Generally, inclusion of a placebo group is preferred. However, we assumed that no improvement in lean body mass, muscle strength and physical function would have occurred over 16 weeks without intervention. Thus, the individual pre-intervention data were used as control,” stated the researchers.

“In summary, the results of the present study showed improvements of lean body mass, muscle strength and physical function in response to supplementation of the diet with EAA plus arginine in glucose intolerant elderly subjects,” they added.

“We propose that over a more prolonged time, exercise will amplify the beneficial effects of EAA supplementation on lean body mass, strength, and muscle function in both healthy and insulin-resistant elderly. This remains to be studied,” they concluded.

The other researchers were affiliated with Shriners Hospitals for Children (Texas) and Ajinomoto’s AminoScience Laboratories.

The study was funded by grants from the National Space Biological Research Institute (NSBRI), and Shriners, while Ajinomoto provided the amino acids.

State of the market

The latest estimate from Frost and Sullivan, a consultancy, valued the European amino acids market at US$1357.7m (€1063.8m) in 2005. The consultancy expects it to grow to around $1944.3m (€1523.4m) by 2012.

The world’s two leading amino acid suppliers are Kyowa Hakko and Ajinomoto.

Source: Clinical Nutrition (Elsevier)
Published online ahead of print 4 March 2008, doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2008.01.001
“Effect of amino acid supplementation on muscle mass, strength and physical function in elderly”
Authors: E. Borsheim, Q.-U.T. Bui, S. Tissier, H. Kobayashi, A.A. Ferrando, R.R. Wolfe

Covering all aspects of the wellness wheel

Nanotech Exposed in Grocery Store Aisles

Amendments to the ND bill-HB1064 in Colorado

Repost: The Magic of Vanilla

Repost: Vitamin K linked to stronger bones for adolescents

Quote of the day; Choices

Article in Denver Post about ND bill in Colorado

Article from Rocky Mountain News about ND Bill in Colorado

Repost: Elderly muscles benefit from amino acid supplements

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2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31