Article Content:
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is one of the 13 vitamins our body must have for good health and wellness. It is not only essential for the production of red blood cells but also supports the protection of a healthy nervous system.  It is also an essential element in the construction of our DNA. B12 deficiency damages the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and nerves of the eye. 

In 1934, Whipple, Murphy, and Minot shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their life saving discovery found in liver.  The disorder was referred to as “pernicious anemia” because before this discovery, death was inevitable.  In 1948, the substance in the liver was isolated and named cobalamin (vitamin B12).



B12 deficiency is more common than we hear about and reported to affect 25% of the U.S. population.  It strikes up to 15% (5.9 million) older adults > age 64.  The CDC now reports that one out of every 31 Americans above the age of 50 are B12 deficient.  It’s interesting to know that this report underestimates the incidence by using a cut-off range far too low.  The incidence of B12 deficiency in infants and children is unknown, which is very concerning.

Causes of B12 Deficiency

Methylcobalamin – Most Absorbable Form of B-12
The most absorbable form of B-12 is in the form of methylcobalamin. Evidence indicates methylcobalamin has some metabolic and therapeutic applications not shared by the other forms of vitamin B12. Methylcobalamin is the active form of vitamin B12 that acts as a co-factor for methionine synthase in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, thus lowering blood levels of homocysteine.

B-12 works best in a comprehensive formula with other B Vitamins. They have a greater synergistic effect together than individually. This is why I recommend and personally use which was created to bypass the digestive tract, providing an infusion of B vitamins directly into the bloodstream. Methylcobalamin B-12 Select nutritionally supports a healthy nervous system and cardiovascular performance.

I also recommend reading the book Could it Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses (Second Edition) by Sally M. Pacholok, R.N., B.S.N., and Jeffrey J. Stuart, D.O.

References
(most information compiled from http://b12awareness.org/)

———————

Article Content:
Did you know that Researchers estimate that half of the world’s population is chronically dehydrated? And in America that level rises to 75 percent of the population? These are very eye-opening statistics when we consider that so many people are sipping on sodas, tea and coffee almost all day long. However, without the adequate hydration of pure and clean water your body’s biochemical and electrical processes quickly begin to break down.

Even with all the beverages available to most people, I still see dehydration at an alarming rate. Dehydration impairs your ability to think, drive, and perform crucial tasks. With age, many confuse thirst with hunger causing overeating and thus more dehydration.



Water helps to ensure adequate electrical functioning so your brain and nervous system function properly. Researchers estimate that your brain gives off about the same amount of electricity as a 60 watt light bulb. So, there’s some truth to the image of a light bulb going on when someone has a good idea. (Ten Surprising Reasons to Drink Water)

Are You Dehydrated?
Did you know that dehydration is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization for people over 65?

Why do people lack hydration? This may be due to several things such as a poor thirst mechanism as we age, dissatisfaction with the taste of water, the over consumption of caffeine and alcohol, climate controlled environments (both heated and air conditioned), and even excessive exercise. With water loss at 2% of body weight, individuals experience impaired physiological and mental performance.

The good news is that double blind placebo studies clearly demonstrate that the Silica Hydride in MegaHydrate dramatically increases total body water in just four weeks!

Know the Symptoms of Dehydration
The signs and symptoms of dehydration range from minor to severe.

What is MegaHydrate = Silica Hydride
MegaHydrate is a food grade dietary supplement that is rich in antioxidants. MegaHydrate is safe, and has been tested and shown to have no known side effects. Many individuals that use MegaHydrate experience significant increases in hydration at the cellular level as confirmed by laboratory testing. MegaHydrate delivers billions of negatively-charged Hydrogen ions to the cells of the body by simply taking it with water.

MegaHydrate contains the active ingredient Silica Hydride, a compound known to positively affect the “zeta potential” of blood cells. Zeta potential (x) is the electric potential, or charge, that exists in a hydrated particle and the surrounding solution. Zeta potential is an important and useful indicator that this charge can be used to predict and control the stability of colloidal suspensions. The greater the zeta potential, the more likely the suspension will be stable because the charged particles repel one another and thus overcome the natural tendency to aggregate. Zeta potential is an electrical charge that describes how far apart cells are. Greater zeta potential indicates more space between cells. Increased zeta potential has many positive health benefits. More zeta potential means more surface area for cells. Toxins, viral matter, fungi, and bacteria trapped between cells can be expunged more readily. More importantly, water enters cells more easily. Water is arguably the most vital component of anti-aging, life extension, and the removal of free radicals and waste.

MegaHydrate = Powerful Antioxidant
Scientific evidence proves that MegaHydrate is hundreds of times more powerful as an antioxidant than either Green Tea Extract or Grape Seed Extract and the more recognized plant-based antioxidant sources such as Vitamin E and Vitamin C. More importantly, because MegaHydrate is so pure, you get far more Hydrogen ions from a daily supplement of MegaHydrate than from eating pounds of raw fruits and vegetables.

One daily dose of MegaHydrate has more antioxidant power than hundreds of glasses of fresh vegetable and fruit juices, broccoli, brussel sprouts, leafy greens, and other foods rich in antioxidants to prevent free radical damage.

MegaHydrate provides natural pain relief from headaches, sore muscles, and inflammation of the joints. Studies show that MegaHydrate increases energy production (adenosine triphosphate or ATP) by up to 4 times. People with fibromyalgia and other conditions associated with energy production and hydration usually find substantial pain relief.

MegaHydrate = Anti-Aging
Humans must have Hydrogen to survive. It is the key to long life and anti-aging. However, due to mass food production, mineral deficient soil, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, over-processing of foods, chemical preservatives, and drinking over-chlorinated and over-fluoridated water, people do not get enough Hydrogen ions daily. Body cells become damaged, hydration levels decrease and cells age. In summary, MegaHydrate challenges the symptoms of dehydration and minimizes the process of aging. Many people also report increases in energy.

MegaHydrate also is the key that unlocks the potential of water as the medium for nutrient replenishment and waste removal at the cellular level.

I have many people who ask me about what anti-aging strategies they can use and MegaHydrate is one of the first products that I recommend.  When one is sufficiently hydrated the skin looks younger, wrinkles are not as pronounced and one has boundless energy – all of these are very noticeable anti-aging properties from just the simple task of keeping your body hydrated!   

“You are not sick, you are thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medication.” Dr. F. Batmaghelidj, MD and author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water.

More MegaHydrate Information

1. Journal of Medicinal Food – Volume 5, Issue Number 1, 2002. Antioxidant Capability and Efficacy of Mega-H Silica Hydride, an Antioxidant Dietary Supplement, by In Vitro Cellular Analysis Using Photosensitization and Fluorescence Detection. (click to download)

2. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy – Volume 28, Issue 11, 2003. Synthesis of a Novel Anionic Hydride Organosiloxane Presenting Biochemical Properties. (click to download)

3. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy – Volume 29, Issue 5, 2004. Non-toxic Hydride Energy Source for Biochemical and Industrial venues: ORP and NAD+ reduction analyses. (click to download)

4. Journal of Medicinal Food- Volume 6, Issue Number 3, 2003. Evaluation of Hydroxyl Radical-Scavenging Abilities of Silica Hydride, an Antioxidant Compound, by a Fe+2-EDTA Induced 2-hydroxyterephthalate Fluorometric Analysis. (click to download)

5. Free Radical Biology and Medicine – Volume 35, Issue 9, 2003. Antioxidant capacity of silica hydride: a combinatorial photosensitization and fluorescence detection assay. (click to download)

6. http://mcyoung.com/zynergy.pdf

———————

Article Content:
The WSJ’s In the Lab column today focuses on what scientists are learning from people with a key trait in common with Rafael Nadal, Barack Obama and Bill Gates — that is to say, left-handers.

Researchers cited in the article are mostly interested in disorders related to brain development such as dyslexia, schizophrenia and ADHD, all of which are more common in lefties.

A WSJ video looks at other aspects of what we know about left-handedness. Among those myths that have been debunked: lefties aren’t more accident-prone, nor do they die earlier, than righties.

But are they smarter or more creative than right-handed people?

Watch the video below and tell us what you think:

———————

Article Content:

Breast-Cancer Developments: Research presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium found that a genetic test called Oncotype DX can help pinpoint the patients with ductal carcinoma in situ, a very early form of breast cancer, who stand to benefit from post-surgical radiation treatment, the WSJ reports. Meantime, a separate study found that partial radiation therapy known as brachytherapy may be associated with an increased risk of a subsequent mastectomy compared to women who had standard radiation treatment.

Medicare Extension: The deadline for enrolling in a Medicare prescription-drug or private health plan will be extended by two days for people who contact Medicare or other organizations for information by the end of business today, Kaiser Health News reports. Seniors can contact State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselors, Medicare itself, the National Council on Aging, local aging agencies and the Medicare Rights Center and leave a message, and they’ll be called back to enroll.

Weighing Plan B’s Availability: The FDA is weighing whether to permit Teva’s Plan B emergency contraceptive pill to be sold in store aisles rather than from behind the counter, permitting teens younger than 17 to buy it without a prescription, the WSJ reports. When used up to three days after intercourse, Plan B is designed to prevent the implantation of a potentially fertilized egg. A Teva executive tells the WSJ the company is “very hopeful” its over-the-counter application will be approved by today.

HCG Diet Warnings: The FDA and FTC have warned companies making homeopathic human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) diet products that their marketing tactics and claims are illegal, NPR’s Shots blog reports. The FDA says that it’s the diets consisting of as few as 500 calories per day that produce weight loss, not the HCG products themselves.

Image: iStockphoto

———————

Article Content:

We already know that the night shift may be hazardous to your health. And now, a new study finds that mixing up night shifts with day and evening work hours is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

Published in PLoS Medicine, the analysis covers more than 177,000 women participating in two studies — the Nurse’s Health Study I and II. It found that diabetes risk increased with longer stints working rotating night shifts: women who worked on that schedule for three to nine years saw a 20% increased risk of the disease, while women reporting rotating night shifts for 10 to 19 years had a higher 40% risk and those for 20 years or more, a 58% higher risk than women who only worked days or evenings.

Some — but not all — of the additional risk can be pinned on increased weight. As An Pan, lead author of the study and a research fellow in the Harvard School of Public Health’s department of nutrition, tells the Health Blog via email, such an irregular schedule “is usually related to some unfavorable changes in health behaviors,” including physical inactivity and irregular meals.

But even after controlling for weight, women who worked rotating night shifts had a 24% higher risk of type 2 diabetes than their counterparts with more regular work schedules.

The study can’t say why, but “we know that a wide range of biological processes are regulated by the circadian rhythms, including sleep-wake cycles, body temperature, energy metabolism, cell cycle and hormone secretion,” Pan explains. Disrupting the body’s natural clock has been shown to raise blood sugar and insulin levels, to lift blood pressure and to affect sleep quality, she says. (Read this In the Lab column on research into circadian clock disruption and your health.)

This type of study can’t actually show that rotating night shift work causes diabetes; it can only show an association. And the research has to be confirmed in men and — because almost all the study participants are white Caucasians — in other ethnic groups, the study authors said.

Image: iStockphoto

———————

Article Content:

The environmental risk factors for breast cancer supported by “consistent scientific evidence,” according to a new report by the Institute of Medicine and commissioned by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, will sound pretty familiar to anyone who has been paying attention to breast-cancer prevention.

In that corner: unnecessary medical radiation, combination hormone therapy for menopause, excess alcohol consumption, being overweight, lack of exercise and tobacco use.

Not to worry about, according to the report: hair dye for personal use and non-ionizing radiation from mobile phones and microwave ovens.

And then there’s a big middle category of exposures for which there is “less persuasive” evidence but still some suggestion of an association with higher risk: secondhand smoke, nighttime shift work and exposure to chemicals including benzene, ethylene oxide and 1,3-butadiene, via some workplaces or through breathing car exhaust and gas fumes.

The controversial chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), which is found in some hard plastic bottles and can linings, is among the “biologically plausible hazards,” meaning “scientists can see a clear mechanism in animals by which the agents might cause breast cancer,” but there isn’t enough evidence to support a link in humans.

Even with the exposures for which there’s strong evidence of extra risk, it’s “difficult to judge what any individual woman’s change in risk might be,” the report says.

If it seems like you’ve heard this all before, it may be because the report involved no new research, but instead reviewed existing studies. The report also looked at why it’s difficult to study possible links between environmental factors and breast cancer. For example, something might have an effect decades later, during early life, but could be harmless during adulthood, making it necessary to study exposures across the entire life course. That kind of research is hard to do.

The report recommended future directions for breast-cancer research, including studying mechanisms of action behind some of those possible risks such as shift work and BPA and looking at the effects of multiple exposures that occur together.

Last year the President’s Cancer Panel issued a more strongly worded report saying that environmental exposures have a “grossly underestimated” impact on cancer. In a statement, Laura Anderko, an associate professor at Georgetown University Medical Center, compared this new report unfavorably to that one’s “strong call to action on chemical policy reform,” saying she was “deeply disappointed by the summary (with its heavy emphasis on individual responsibility) and conservative approach.”

Image: Associated Press

———————

Article Content:

It’s no secret that reversing the childhood obesity epidemic in the U.S. will be a long slog. While obesity rates among children and teens appear to have leveled off in recent years, nearly a third remain overweight, and about 17% are obese.

And while many cities and towns have programs and events to attack childhood obesity, few really know whether they’re making a difference.

One program that has been tracking its impact reports new signs of progress. Earlier this year, the WSJ profiled the Let’s Go! program in Portland, Maine, which has rallied schools and other sites in the state to get more families to adopt its daily 5-2-1-0 message:  every day, eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables, get two hours or less of screen time, get at least one hour of exercise and consume zero sugary drinks.

New data from an independent telephone survey of about 800 parents in the greater Portland area show some steady improvements in healthy behavior. In 2011, 31% of children had adopted at least three of the 5-2-1-0 behaviors, compared with 22% in 2007.

Specifically, in 2011, 26% of parents reported that their children ate the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables, compared with 16% in 2007. In addition, 45% of parents said their child’s daily recreational screen time was 2 hours or less, compared with 38% in 2007.

The improvements in those two behaviors are significant, says Victoria Rogers, a founder and the director of Let’s Go! and a pediatrician at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland. And there are other improvements too, she notes: Parents who encountered the Let’s Go! program in six or more settings say their children are drinking more water.

Regular exposure to the healthy messages — which appear in schools, on TV, on buses, and elsewhere — is helping moms and dads get healthier too, the program notes. The data show they’re more likely to eat breakfast, share a meal with their families, and consume five or more fruits and vegetables a day.

Still, there’s much work to be done, Rogers says: more than half of the children still get too much screen time. And one in three still has a computer or TV in his or her bedroom.

Image: iStockphoto

———————

Article Content:

The good news for Teva: the FDA agreed with the pharma company that Plan B One-Step, a pill intended to prevent potential implantation of a fertilized egg, should be sold over the counter and without a prescription to teens younger than 17.

The bad news for Teva, as the WSJ reports: HHS head Kathleen Sebelius didn’t agree, and overruled the agency’s recommendation. So Plan B will continue to be sold from behind pharmacy counters, and those under 17 will need a prescription.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a statement that she “reviewed and thoughtfully considered the data, clinical information, and analysis” and agreed with the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research that “there is adequate and reasonable, well-supported, and science-based evidence that Plan B One-Step is safe and effective and should be approved for nonprescription use for all females of child-bearing potential.”

But Hamburg said that this morning she received a memo from Sebelius stating that she disagreed with the FDA’s determination, and instructing the agency to tell Teva its request would be denied.

In a separate statement, Sebelius said that about 10% of girls are physically able to bear children by about 11 years of age. And her letter to the FDA states that data on the drug don’t cover these youngest potential purchasers.

The WSJ, citing an FDA spokeswoman, says the agency couldn’t find another example of the HHS secretary overruling the FDA.

Readers, who do you think was right — Sebelius or Hamburg?

Image: iStockphoto

———————

Article Content:

Drugs for Late-Stage Breast Cancer: Research presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and published online by the New England Journal of Medicine shows that adding two drugs to standard therapy for metastatic breast cancer can halt tumor growth for several months, the WSJ reports. One study found that adding Roche’s pertuzumab to Herceptin and chemotherapy stopped tumor growth for an additional 6.1 months in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, while a separate study of Novartis’s Afinitor found the drug stopped tumor growth for an additional 4.2 months when added to another drug, a form of hormone therapy. Experts said it’s too soon to know if the drugs will actually improve survival.

Paving the Way For Health Apps: General Electric and Microsoft plan to announce a health IT venture today to create a platform for developing software applications for health-care providers that address quality and cost, the New York Times’s Bits blog reports. The new company, which aims to have about 750 employees and will be located near Microsoft headquarters in Washington state, will include existing products from the two companies including Microsoft’s Amalga and G.E.’s Qualibria software, Bits says.

Unanimous Recommendation: An outside FDA advisory panel unanimously recommended the agency approve Pfizer’s drug axitinib to treat advanced kidney cancer after research showed it halted tumor growth for two months longer than an existing drug, the WSJ reports. The drug hasn’t been shown to improve survival.

Norovirus Vaccine?: A small study of an experimental vaccine against norovirus, which causes diarrhea and vomiting, showed the vaccine outperformed a placebo, WebMD reports. Results from the 90-person analysis were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers say more studies are needed to answer questions such as how long the vaccine’s benefits will last and whether it will protect against multiple strains of the virus, WebMD says.

Correction: An earlier version of this post didn’t make clear that pertuzumab stopped tumor growth for an additional 6.1 months and that Afinitor stopped tumor growth for an additional 4.2 months.

Image: iStockphoto

———————

Article Content:

We’ve written about some of the most common consumer questions about the newly launched generic version of Pfizer’s cholesterol-lowering Lipitor.

One remaining question is how much money will be saved from the generic iterations of the name-brand blockbuster — the U.S. sales of which were .8 billion in the year ended Sept. 30, according to IMS Health.

A group of researchers takes a stab at that issue in a perspective piece published online by the New England Journal of Medicine. Their conclusion: “the overall cost savings from the availability of generic atorvastatin are projected to reach .5 billion annually by 2014, equivalent to 23% of total expenditures on statins in that year.” (The aging population could mean another million of cost savings annually by 2014, they note.)

To make their calculations, they looked at what happened after Merck’s Zocor lost patent protection in 2006, and also considered how the aging of the population would drive future demand for statin drugs. They predict that generic atorvastatin will “dominate the statin market as a result of patients’ switching to it from simvastatin [generic Zocor] and from [AstraZeneca's] Crestor, and it will have an estimated market share of 44% by 3 years after market entry.”

The researchers, from institutions including the Western University of Health Sciences and Yale University, project that the price of generic atorvastatin will be 82% of the pre-generic Lipitor at the time of market entry and 49% of the brand-name after the first six months.

However, these projections come with an asterisk: they “estimate what would happen with the rapid availability and timely uptake of generic atorvastatin.” The researchers say “aggressive business tactics” used by Pfizer to keep people using name-brand Lipitor, including deals with pharmacy-benefit managers and discounts to patients, may prevent switches to the generic.

“In order  to capitalize on this opportunity for cost savings from the expiration of Lipitor’s patent, there must be a rapid, concerted effort by many players in the health-care system to facilitate awareness of and access to the generic,” they write.



Image: iStockphoto

———————