Week In Review

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Friday, July 29 2005

So much has been happening this month in our industry it's been hard to keep up with the news...

For example, on July 19 the USA Senate confirmed the nomination of Lester M. Crawford as the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration by a vote of 78 to 16.

He was nominated for the post by President Bush in February, but the nomination was put on hold because several senators were unsatisfied with his explanation of why a "morning after pill" has not been approved for use without a prescription. The FDA is expected to decide by Sept. 1/05 whether the pill could be sold without a prescription. We'll bring you more info on this controversial subject in September.

In other news, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has filed a petition to place warning labels on soft drinks that contain caloric sweeteners. They want a series of rotating health notices on containers of all non-diet soft drinks - carbonated and non-carbonated - containing more than 13 grams of refined sugar per 12 oz.

And the glycemic index (GI) is being embraced in some areas of the world as a tool to help control appetite, weight, obesity, diabetes and other health concerns but it's not being too warmly received by American scientists, according to panelists at a session held during the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo.

There's more... much more.

More on the way. Stay tuned... and stay healthy!

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Pfizer Drug Giant Warned By FDA

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Wednesday, July 27 2005

FDA regulators warned Pfizer Inc. about "misleading promotion" of its antibiotic drug Zyvox in a professional journal, according to a letter released Tuesday, July 26, 2005.

The advertisement does not include information about Zyvox's risks, implies it is superior without supporting evidence, and claims it can treat more infections than for which it was approved, the Food and Drug Administration letter said.

The agency called on the drugmaker to halt the advertisement and take the extra step of sending out new, more accurate promotions.

"Because the violations ... are serious, we request, further, that your submission include a comprehensive plan of action to disseminate truthful, nonmisleading and complete corrective messages," the letter said.

Patients using the drug can experience blood disorders like anemia and a build-up of lactic acid in the cells and blood -- but those risks were not included in the ad, the FDA said.

Source: CNN Money, Reuters News Release - FDA warns Pfizer about drug ad: Regulators warn the drugmaker about "misleading promotion" of its antibiotic drug Zyvox. July 26, 2005: 11:36 AM EDT

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora The Explorer, and Kids Nutrition

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Wednesday, July 27 2005

Nickelodeon, the children's television programmer, has licensed several of its characters - including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer - to several fresh produce distributors that will begin introducing a range of fruits and vegetable packages featuring the Nickelodeon characters in supermarkets next month.

Starting this fall, Grimmway Farms, Inc., Arvin, CA, will produce 1.6-oz single serving to 5-lb bags of baby cut and peeled carrots in pkgs featuring SpongeBob, Dora, and Sportacus & Stephanie. Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, CA will feature SpongeBob on its bags of spinach. And LGS Specialty Sales, NY, distributors of oranges, tangerines and clementines, will feature SpongeBob, Dora, Blue's Clues and The Backyardigans characters on its bags of fruit. Upcoming deals also include using Nickelodeon characters on cartons of low fat milk.

"Nickelodeon recognizes the importance of health and wellness for kids and is proud of the efforts the network is making to encourage kids to eat right and make healthy food choices," said Sherice Torres, vice-president, Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products. "We're thrilled to be able to add to the fun of eating fruits and vegetables."

The network also plans to unveil a series of public service announcements that focus on the importance of starting the day by eating a balanced breakfast.

According to "Kids Food and Eating Behaviors," a research study conducted by Nickelodeon and Cogent Research, only 50% of kids in the USA eat breakfast everyday and only 39% of kids eat 3 meals per day on a daily basis.

On-air, the network has committed $20 million and 10% of its air time to health and wellness messaging.

I think they need to hear about Goji Juice :-)

Source:
Food Business News July 26, 2005

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Weightloss News - Is It The Low-Carbs ...Or Is It The Protein That Helps?

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Wednesday, July 27 2005

In a new study, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, David Weigle from the University of Washington School of Medicine and colleagues set out the test the hypothesis that increasing protein while maintaining carbohydrate intake decreases the appetite, leads to the consumption of fewer calories and results in weight loss.

For Weigle’s study, 19 subjects followed three different diets, one after the other. For the first two weeks, they followed a weight-maintaining diet where protein accounted for 15 percent of calories, fat 35 percent and carbohydrate 50 percent.

For the second two weeks, they followed an isocaloric diet that was 30 percent protein, 20 percent fat and 50 percent carbohydrate.

Finally, for 12 weeks they followed a diet where there was no restriction on calories but the proportions, again, were 30 percent protein, 20 percent fat and 50 percent carbohydrate.

Their appetite, caloric intake, body weight, and fat mass were measured throughout, and at the end of each phase blood samples were taken to measure insulin, leptin (the hormone responsible for satiety) and ghrelin (the hunger hormone).

Weigle’s team found that satiety was 'markedly increased' with the isocaloric diet but leptin was unchanged.

With the ad libitum high protein diet, the participants’ average spontaneous calorie intake decreased by between 376 and 504 per day, their body weight decreased by between 4.4 and 5.4 kg and their fat mass decreased by 3.3 to 4.1 kg. Leptin levels 'significantly decreased' during this phase and ghrelin increased.

As carbohydrate remained at 50 percent during all three phases, the effects of the ad libitum diet would appear to be due to the high protein intake.

Astrup cited other research indicating that the high protein content of weight loss approaches like the Atkin’s Diet and The South Beach Diet may actually be due to the satiating effects of their high protein content (30 to 40 percent of calories consumed) rather than the low-carbohydrate design.

As to the reason that protein is more satiating than fat, the mechanism has not yet been discovered.

According to NutraIngriedients, "It seems unlikely that policy-makers will jump into bed with the likes of Atkins or South Beach unless protein’s satiety mechanism is first unlocked, and the tactic is proven to be safe – irrefutably so."

Source: NutraIngredients

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Are We Unintentionally Killing Our Kids With Fluoride?

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Tuesday, July 26 2005

Fluoride in tap water can cause bone cancer in boys, a disturbing new study indicates, although there is no evidence yet of a link for girls.

New American research suggests that boys exposed to fluoride between the ages of five and 10 will suffer an increased rate of osteosarcoma - bone cancer - between the ages of 10 and 19.

The Harvard study's findings are consistent with the U.S. National Toxicology Program's congressionally-mandated fluoride/cancer study in rats; the National Cancer Institute's 1990 analysis of osteosarcoma rates among young males in fluoridated versus unfluoridated areas in the U.S., and the New Jersey Department of Health's 1992 analysis of osteosarcoma rates among young males in fluoridated versus unfluoridated areas of Central New Jersey.

The new clinical study comes on the heals of the UK announcing it would be adding fluoride into all public water supplies in England and Wales, with the aim of reducing tooth decay among children in "deprived" areas (reference the UK Water Bill 2003 --- water providers will be obliged to add fluoride to their supplies).

Adding fluoride to public water systems in the USA and Canada have been standard practice, ever since the original 1930s study came out pointing to the "benefits" of fluoride.

Few people are aware that this original study was funded by the aluminum industry. Why is this an important fact? Because fluoride is a by-product of the aluminum manufacturing process...

Hydrofluosilic acid and other fluorosilicates are not naturally occurring. They are waste products derived from the industrial manufacture of aluminium, zinc, uranium, aerosols, insecticides, fertilizers, plastics, lubricants and pharmaceuticals. Do you smell BIG MONEY in any of these industries?

Until this "research" gave the government free license to begin adding it to our drinking water, fluoride was a regulated substance that could only legally be sold as an insecticide and a RAT POISON!

One chemical company selling fluoride to water suppliers describes it as "a colourless to straw yellow, transparent, fuming, corrosive liquid with a pungent odour and irritating action on the skin."

Dental disease increases six-fold by fluoridation, according to the Institute of Science In Society (ISIS).

The American Journal of Diseases of Children states: "With few exceptions the biochemistry of fluorine (fluoride) emphasise its toxic features. The production of endemic dental fluorosis in human beings by drinking water is an outstanding example of the toxic effect of the excessive intake of the element."

The ISIS News Release on the subject provides some alarming statistics relating to fluoride...

Since 1990, 54 US and Canadian cities have rejected hydrofloursilic acid, but some 60% of the US remains fluoridated. In these areas there has been a dramatic increase of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in young males aged between 9-19. A National Cancer Institute Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program recorded an increase of 79% of osteosarcomas in young men living in fluoridated areas of Iowa and Seattle. But in the unfluoridated areas the incidence of bone cancer decreased by 4%.

In New Jersey, rates of osteosarcoma was three to seven times higher among males aged between 10-19 than in unfluoridated regions. This evidence is supported by the US National Toxicology Program, which recorded a statically significant dose-related increase of osteosarcoma in young male rats ingesting fluoride. A paper published in Science in the 1980’s stated that fluoride directly affects bone cells by increasing proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity. It also enhances growth and mineralisation of embryonic bone.

Five major epidemiological studies from France, the UK and the US show higher rates of hip fractures in fluoridated regions. The US has the highest number of hip and other bone fractures and the longest history of fluoride use. In 1997, the EPA scientists went on record against the practice of adding fluoride to drinking water.

The recent Associated Press Release on the subject points out that about 10 per cent of the UK population, six million people, receive fluoridated water, mainly in the Midlands and north-east, and the government plans to extend this, with Manchester expected to be next.

About 170 million Americans live in areas with fluoridated water.

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway , Switzerland, West Germany, Netherlands and Italy have all banned the addition of hydrofluorosilic acid to drinking water. So have Japan and India, where fluoride occurs naturally and skeletal fluorosis (thickening of bones) is prevalent.

Now, think about this for a minute...

One of the biggest problems being faced in the Western world today is obesity. Could it be possible fluoride in our water systems might be partially to blame?

At least one specialist believes this to be true. Dr. Barry Durrant-Peatfield, a thyroid specialist, believes that fluoride is partially to blame for the high incidence of under active thyroid problems in Birmingham. He says, "There is no doubt that fluoride is enzyme disruptive and one thing it affects is thyroid hormones." This is because fluoride interferes with the uptake of iodine crucial for the regulation of hormones. Dr Peatfield was suspended by the GMC (General Medical Council) because he made natural thyroid treatments available to his patients. He was subsequently reinstated.

"Doctors are concerned that pregnant mothers ingesting fluoride from drinking water are pre-disposing their offspring to obesity," states the ISIS press release.

The increased cancer risks, identified in the newly available study conducted at the Harvard School of Dental Health, were found at fluoride exposure levels common in both the US and Britain. It was the first examination of the link between exposure to the chemical at the critical period of a child's development and the age of onset of bone cancer.

Although osteosarcoma is rare, accounting for only about 3 per cent of childhood cancers, it is especially dangerous. The mortality rate in the first five years is about 50 per cent, and nearly all survivors have limbs amputated, usually legs.

And here's the real kicker. There are studies that contend fluoridation doesn't decrease childhood cavities.

So why in the world is it even added to public water supplies in the first place?

Half of all fluoride ingested is stored in the body, accumulating in calcifying tissue such as teeth and bones and in the pineal gland in the brain, although more than 90 per cent is taken into the bones, according to the Associated Press article.

Our son who just reached 5-years-old last week, is not allowed to use fluoridated tooth paste. He is allowed to use Dr. Mindell's toothpaste, or a children's toothpaste from another company we are affiliated with --- made from all-natural ingredients and neither of which contain ANY harmful chemicals such as fluoride. Plus we live in an area without public water. Our water comes from our own well and we also use a purifyer for our drinking water.

Sidenote: The National Cancer Institute states on its Web site: "Many studies, in both humans and animals, have shown no association between fluoridated water and risk for cancer." And in the UK a Department of Health spokesman said that the latest evaluation of research in the UK had identified no ill effects of fluoride.


Sources:

ISIS Article - No to Fluoridation

Associated Press Release - Fluoride water 'causes cancer' (at The Guardian)

HEALTH EFFECTS: Fluoride & Osteosarcoma (Bone Cancer)

TIMELINE: Fluoride & Osteosarcoma (Bone Cancer)

HEALTH EFFECTS: Fluoride's Mutagenicity (Genotoxicity)

Environmental Working Group - Fluoride & Bone Cancer

EWG - Professor at Harvard Is Being Investigated: Fluoride-Cancer Link May Have Been Hidden

Fluoride Linked to Bone Cancer, Again

Study by Fluoridation Proponent Reveals Fluoridation Doesn't Decrease Childhood Cavities

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Why Use Pharmaceutical Grade Bottles For Supplements?

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Monday, July 25 2005

The next time you grab that soft squeezable bottle of water, soft drink, juice... or even liquid supplement, keep in mind that plastic softeners (also known as phthalates) are used to make that bottle soft.

The European Parliament has voted to permanently ban the use of plastic softeners used in children’s toys. A total ban extends to three phthalates, DEHP, DBP and BBP, which have been classified as reprotoxic and linked with cancer, as reported recently in "Chemistry & Industry Magazine."

If you visit PlasticsInfo.org, you will find an article with the following quote regarding an article published by Consumer Reports as far back as June 1998 which reads:

"While generally confirming the safety of plastic food packaging, Consumer Reports erroneously implied that a material used in some plastic film (DEHA) is a human health problem. It isn't. In fact, the FDA permits its use as a food packaging plasticizer for all types of food."

The article was written to "set the record straight" regarding the safety of plastics.

At SFGate.com, another article states, "In the past, scientists have documented tobacco smoke, radon gas, lead particles, mold, asbestos and some pesticides as potential contributors to cancer, respiratory disease and other ailments. But exotic chemicals are now emerging as potential hazards, including those in plastic softeners, flame retardants and so-called surfactants in detergents and cosmetics."

"When we are able to measure phthalates in the blood, it indicates there's been an exposure. But, unfortunately, we're not able to tell you at this time what the risk is from that exposure," said George Alexeeff, deputy director for Scientific Affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency. "There is a great deal of information on lead, for example, because studies have examined the relationship between blood levels in both adults and children and health effects. But that information is not available for some of the newer compounds that the CDC has been measuring in blood."

Meanwhile, over at ithyroid.com you can find this article that states, "Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics flexible and they have been implicated in causing premature breast development in girls, which is a condition called thelarche. There has been an epidemic of thelarche on the island of Puerto Rico for the last two decades where affected girls begin breast development between the ages of 6 and 24 months. Researchers have finally concluded that the cause is phthalates. There is some indication that phthalates may also affect thyroid function."

The above article makes several references to DEHP and a government research panel which they claim confirmed, "DEHP could leach from continuously used tubing in sufficient amount to possibly affect the development of the male infant’s reproductive system."

Then the UK Guardian reported on June 20, 2005 "Last month, scientists in America confirmed this fear with evidence that a class of chemicals known as phthalates - used to make plastics more pliable - may harm the development of unborn baby boys. Researchers had known for some time that high levels of these chemicals were harmful, but the latest study suggests that even normal levels - those commonly found in toys, plastic bags and clingfilm - could disrupt the development of male reproductive organs."

The clinical study referenced above was published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Some pretty scary information was presented in the UK Guardian article regarding the harmful effects of chemicals such as phthalates - which they lump into a category called endocrine disrupters.

For example... "The link between these chemicals and detrimental effects in wildlife is well-established: pseudo-hermaphrodite polar bears with penis-like stumps, panthers with atrophied testicles and male trout with eggs growing in their testes have all been documented as the probable result of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment. ...Scientists have long suspected that the presence of these chemicals is also responsible for the high prevalence of fertility problems in European men, and for the rise in the number of breast and testicular cancers."

And as recently as July 21, 2005 and article was published in USAToday that reported although overall U.S. bodies have less dangerous chemicals, "Exposure to common plasticizers called phthalates is extremely widespread in the population. While there is limited research on their effects in humans, studies in mice and rats have shown that they can feminize male pups."

There's more to this subject --- a whole lot more --- but we'll save it for a feature article in our main articles section.

For now --- the bottom line is this:

We use pharmaceutical grade bottles for our supplements to prevent any possibility of leaching.

Don't you wish the other manufacturers out there would care as much about your health to do the same?




Sources:
Chemistry & Industry - Plasticiser ban to be permanent
PlasticsInfo.org - Setting The Record Straight
SFGate.com - Homes may be hazardous to your health.
ithyroid.com - Phthalates
UK Guardian - Call to regulate gender-bending chemicals
USAToday - U.S. bodies have less dangerous chemicals

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Fun Facts: How Do You Get Better Bubbles In Chocolate?

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Monday, July 25 2005

How do you get better bubbles in chocolate?

Apparently --- aerating the chocolate with laughing gas works best.

Seriously... chocolate makers pump gases, like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, under pressure into liquid chocolate to introduce bubbles into the formulation, according to a recent news article at FoodNavigator.

Together with number one food maker Nestle, scientists at the University of Reading investigated the impact of four different gases – carbon dioxide, argon, nitrous oxide and nitrogen – on the bubble dispersion and taste of chocolate.

A panel of 20 non-expert testers said that chocolate aerated using laughing gas had larger bubbles and the most intense cocoa flavour.

The researchers, at Reading’s School of Food Biosciences, suggest that the increase in flavour intensity could be due to the “bubble hold up” , which is much higher using nitrous oxide than when using argon or nitrogen.

The testers also found that the nitrous oxide chocolate melted rapidly in the mouth.

By contrast, the argon and nitrogen samples, which produced smaller bubbles, were perceived as harder, creamier and less aerated, with a slow meltdown.

Full results for the ‘laughing gas’ chocolate will be presented at the Institute of Food Technologist’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans on 15th July 2005.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Women and Infertility - New Study

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Monday, July 25 2005

Press Release from the Office of Communications and Public Liaison at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)


"New research suggests that medications commonly referred to as fertility drugs may be ineffective for women who lack a gene called the estrogen receptor beta. The study showed that fertility drugs did not improve ovulation rates in mice that were genetically engineered to lack estrogen receptor beta.

The estrogen receptor beta is one of two estrogen receptor proteins which mediate the effects of estrogen hormones and are present throughout the female reproductive tissues.

These new data indicate that this receptor plays a critical role in ovulation, and suggests that women who do not have this receptor may benefit more from alternative infertility treatments.

The findings are reported in Endocrinology, published in August 2005."

To read the entire release, visit:
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/news/infertility.htm

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Codex Update - Enter The IADSA

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Friday, July 22 2005

I just found out about this little piece of news on the NutraIngredients website. Copy follows:

---

IADSA offers helping hand to lawmakers on supplement regs

21/07/2005 - An international group of supplement industry associations says it will increase support for countries currently developing new regulations for food supplements, in order to maximize opportunities offered by the recent Codex decision, reports Dominique Patton.

Earlier this month the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted guidelines, first discussed more than 10 years previously, on vitamin and mineral supplements.
They were hailed by industry leaders as significant progress as they result in global recognition of supplements as a food category, and also clear the way for setting maximum levels of vitamins and minerals based on upper safe levels.

The International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA), whose 52 member associations represent the majority of the world’s US$60 billion dietary supplement market, says these guidelines have been a priority for the organisation since its creation in 1998.

And they are set to have significant impact on those governments considering change to their national regulations, estimated to account for more than half the world’s population.

“The programme will not only provide governments with support in developing and implementing regulations but also offer a quality guidance system,” said IADSA chairman Randy Dennin. “It will be available through all our member associations worldwide.”

The programme will be based on six key elements: principles of regulation; classification and definitions; role and safety of ingredients; claims; quality; and distribution.

---

Who are the IADSA? There are at present more than 9,500 companies who are part of the IADSA member associations. Click here to learn more.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Hormone That Controls Appetite Linked To Memory And Learning

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Friday, July 22 2005

Researchers from Dundee University have found a link between the hormone leptin, thought to control appetite, and the brain's memory and learning process.

The Scottish scientists involved in the research note that there is already much evidence to show how the hormone leptin signals information regarding the status of fat stores to specific receptors located in the hypothalamus region of the brain. According to them, this controls our desire to eat, and therefore, our body weight.

But leptin and its receptor are widely expressed in many brain regions outside the hypothalamus and evidence is accumulating that it has other neuronal functions that are unrelated to its effects on energy homeostasis.

This includes research showing that leptin has a significant influence on learning and memory processes in the hippocampus region.

Jenni Harvey, one of the Dundee researchers, told the BBC: "Leptin enhances the level of communication between brain cells in the hippocampus in a process known as long-term potentiation (LTP). Defects in either leptin or genes that regulate leptin result in obesity and also cause impairments in LTP."

Previous studies have found that people who are obese throughout life are more likely to lose brain tissue, and scientists have already predicted that the current obesity epidemic will give rise to a major increase in dementia.

Earlier this year California based Kaiser Permanente, a health care delivery organization, cautioned that developed countries may face an explosion in age-related dementia in the next 20 years if they fail to contain the present obesity crisis.

In a longitudinal population-based study conducted over a 27-year period and published in May 2005 in the online version of the British Medical Journal, researchers concluded that being overweight or obese in middle age considerably increases risk of dementia in later life.

According to the May 2005 research, the initial onset of dementia may also affect appetite and cause weight loss.

In my humble opinion, I feel a whole lot better knowing I have 4 master molecules going to work inside my body everyday. They're my "little generals" organizing and instructing my cells and hormones to do what they were intended to do.

Sources:

Hunger hormone also involved in memory and learning
Overweight countries face dementia epidemic
Obesity in middle age and future risk of dementia: a 27 year longitudinal population based study
BBC - Hunger hormone linked to memory

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Fun Facts: Kids - Healthy Growing and Healthy Weight

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Wednesday, July 20 2005

Kids need 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity a day to maintain a healthy weight and to grow normally. School PE classes and athletic teams count, as do club sports like Little League and soccer.

However, the best way to help kids move toward a healthy weight is the FUN way – active play with friends and family. Actually, playing your way to fitness is perfect for all ages.

According C. Wyatt Runyan, "We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing."

Great advice for the kid in us all.

Source: Deaconess Billings Clinic

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Viagra And Blindness

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Wednesday, July 20 2005

Know anyone taking Viagra?

This drug has received more than 100 clinical trials - it's the wildly popular erectile dysfunction drug that has achieved cultural icon status in less than a decade.

According to a Washington Post article, NONE of those 100+ trials picked up on a rare but severe side effect of the drug: Men who have diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol may experience sudden partial blindness.

This past spring the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology carried a report that examined seven men, aged 50 to 70, who developed this side effect - known as nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) - within 36 hours of taking Viagra. In some cases, vision wasn't completely restored.

In addition, the Post reports that the FDA has received more than 35 complaints from Viagra users who suffered sudden and permanent loss of sight in one eye. CBS News claims that number may be much higher: perhaps more than 100 cases.

As a result of this surprising development the FDA has "approved updated labeling" for Viagra and other ED drugs. This note appeared in last week's FDA News Digest:

"FDA urges patients taking these drugs who experience sudden vision loss or decreased vision in one or both eyes to stop taking the drug and contact a medical professional right away."

If everything suddenly goes dark or blurry or blue, just read (or attempt to read) the information sheet that came with the medication; printed in microscopic typeface, and then try to find the phone to call your doctor.

It's hard to say what treatment a doctor might suggest for this unique condition, but you can bet he probably won't be aware that an FDA safety officer informed her superiors of the blindness danger more than a YEAR before the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology study was published (according to the Post).

The editor of HSI e-Alert is not impressed by the speed at which this information gets presented to the public: "In the bureaucratic mind, information isn't power, regulation is power. FDA officials can't just issue a well-publicized statement when they detect an obvious danger. They have to sit on the information while the wheels of bureaucracy slowly grind out a requirement for a warning on the drug's information sheet.

If you know any men who use Viagra, Levitra or Cialis, give them the news that will eventually be mentioned somewhere on drug information sheets: When these medications are taken by those with diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol, there's a chance that everything might go dim. Permanently."

Now, if they're taking some form of stimulant specifically for sexual disfunction, let them know there are SAFE all-natural alternatives. One in particular we carry here at BLV. Ask us for details if you're interested.

Meanwhile, keep informed, stay safe and be healthy.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

On The Subject of Ribose - Good or Bad?

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Wednesday, July 20 2005

July 13, 2005 the Associated Press article came out written by their Medical Writer, Lindsey Tanner, with the bold headline "Study: What's Good Often Turns Out Bad"

The opening quote:

"New research highlights a frustrating fact about science: What was good for you yesterday frequently will turn out to be not so great tomorrow."

Now at first, I was expecting yet another article with a negative slant towards vitamins and natural health and well being research, etc... since much of todays media seems to enjoy bashing all the positive research in this area --- but what I found was something pleasantly different, and totally in line with what I've been talking about in previous special subscriber-only editions of BLV Health Watch.

The study being referred to in the article was conducted by Dr. John Ioannidis, a researcher at the University of Ioannina in Greece.

In a review of major studies published in three influential medical journals between 1990 and 2003, including 45 highly publicized studies that initially claimed a drug or other treatment worked, nearly one-third of the original results did not hold up, according to the report in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Contradicted and potentially exaggerated findings are not uncommon in the most visible and most influential original clinical research," said study author, Dr. Ioannidis.

According to the Associated Press article, Ioannidis examined research in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and Lancet — prominent journals whose weekly studies help feed a growing public appetite for medical news.

Editors at the New England Journal of Medicine added in a statement: "A single study is not the final word, and that is an important message."

Quoted from the AP article:

The refuted studies dealt with a wide range of drugs and treatments. Hormone pills were once thought to protect menopausal women from heart disease but later were shown to do the opposite, and Vitamin E pills have not been shown to prevent heart attacks, contrary to initial results.

Contradictions also included a study that found nitric oxide does not improve survival in patients with respiratory failure, despite earlier claims. And a study suggested an antibody treatment did not improve survival in certain sepsis patients; a smaller previous study found the opposite.

Ioannidis acknowledged an important but not very reassuring caveat: "There's no proof that the subsequent studies ... were necessarily correct." But he noted that in all 14 cases in which results were contradicted or softened, the subsequent studies were either larger or better designed. Also, none of the contradicted treatments is currently recommended by medical guidelines.

Not by accident, this week's JAMA also includes a study contradicting previous thinking that stomach-lying helped improve breathing in children hospitalized with acute lung injuries. The new study found they did no better than patients lying on their backs.

DeAngelis said she included the study with Ioannidis' report to highlight the issue. She said the media can complicate matters with misleading or exaggerated headlines about studies.

Ioannidis said scientists and editors should avoid "giving selective attention only to the most promising or exciting results" and should make the public more aware of the limitations of science.

"The general public should not panic" about refuted studies, he said. "We all need to start thinking more critically."

This leads directly into a request we got from one of our readers to review information on Riose.

Our subscriber had found one study on the subject, titled, "Research: Benefit of Ribose in a Patient With Fibromyalgia"

Here's a quick overview of what the study was about...

Abstract

Ribose was added to the existing treatment regimen of a woman with fibromyalgia, resulting in a decrease in symptoms. It has been postulated that patients with fibromyalgia may have an alteration in muscle adenine nucleotide metabolism, leading to depleted energy reserves and an imbalance in cellular adenosine-triphosphate:adenosine 5'-diphosphate:adenosine 5'-monophosphate (ATP:ADP:AMP) ratios with an abnormal energy charge. As a key component in adenine nucleotide synthesis, ribose supplementation may be useful in such patients.

I hunted for additional studies on the subject and I wasn't very impressed by the data I did manage to find. Not to be overly negative, I did find plenty of info on the subject from various websites refuting any benefits --- specifically as they relate to energy and/or athletic performance benefits. One such website (note - the info on this site is a bit old) stated:

"The only research that supports a ribose supplement comes from research on patients with heart conditions who lack the ability to synthesis ribose in the first place.
The bottom line on Ribose is that there is still a great deal of research to be done before any claims of athletic performance benefits can be made unequivocally. You'd be wise to save your money and put in some time at the gym rather than relying on this supplement just yet."

What is ribose?

According to one educational site, ribose is a type of 5-carbon sugar, an aldopentose found in riboflavin and ribonucleic acid (RNA) as well as in free ribonucleosides and ribonucleotides. Ribose is a simple carbohydrate that plays a role in high-energy phosphate and nucleic acid synthesis.

Needless to say, there are many sites out there selling ribose. Sometimes all it takes is one positive study (regardless of how thorough the study was) and there's a rush to get it to market.

Here at BLV, we're not convinced on the benefits of ribose supplements at this time.

Hope this answers the questions our reader had on this subject. Sorry --- it probably was not the answer you were hoping to hear.


Sources:

Copy of Associated Press Article
Journal of Medical Association (JAMA) Website
Original Ribose Fibromyalgea Study
Ribose Claims - More Research Needed
What Is Ribose?

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Are Your Favorite Supplements in the EU About To Disappear?

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 14 2005

On July 5, 2005 we got the word that Codex adopted international guidelines for vitamins and minerals. Just one short week later the bad news came out for the UK’s "Health Food Manufacturers Association" (HFMA) and other groups such as the "Consumers for Health Choice" who have been protesting - to no avail - another law affecting the supplement industry.

"The European food supplements directive is valid, decided a European court ruling today, ending months of uncertainty for much of the region's supplements industry, and disappointing those behind a major effort to overturn the law."

The HFMA and the National Association of Health food Stores (NAHS), responsible for the joint case against the Commission, say the directive threatens up to 5,000 commonly consumed products on sale in the UK because they contain more than 200 nutrients not on the directive's "positive" list of permitted substances.

The trade bodies have today asked the British Prime Minister to intervene in Europe following their defeat.

How will this affect your access to supplements?

For those supplements already on the "approved" list, you might actually see lower prices and more competition because it opens the door for companies supplying supplements on this list to import to your region.

For supplements that are not listed ...you might have to kiss them goodbye after August 1 when the law goes into effect.

...or wait a great deal of time and expect dramatically higher prices while those ingredients go through the process (and expensive testing) to get on the approved list...

Oh --- and don't expect all of the supplements not yet approved to go through the process to get on the list. It's an expensive process. So expensive that the UK released funding to support more supplement dossiers in June.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it wanted to encourage further dossier submission, by giving derogation to all dossiers submitted in the UK or another member state, and supporting the scientific work, in order to protect consumer choice in the UK.

At that time, only 29 dossiers had been submitted to the FSA. A major barrier to their submission was cost, which can go up to €350,000 for the more complex materials, which have little readily available data.

The funding helped push up the number of submissions but the deadline to submit and get on the list was July 12 --- oddly enough, that's the same date that was given for the final court ruling to come out which determined whether or not the directive would go through at all.

In a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research at the end of May this year, Prime Minister Tony Blair said that the rules implied by the supplements directive were "wholly out of proportion to the risks run."

In fact, earlier in April the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice, although not legally binding, stated the European Union's food supplement directive, set to enter into force in August, infringes basic principles of European law and should be rewritten which pushed the directive back into court.

Both Tony Blair's and the senior judge's position on the matter gave quite a bit of hope to groups like the CHC, NAHS and HFMA that the directive would not go through.

But --- the decision has been handed down.

The directive will roll forward with an August 1 entry into law for the EU.

USA and Canadian residents... if you think this won't affect us, well... you just might change your mind when you know more about CODEX and realize it is coming from the World Health Organization, a standard both our countries tend to follow.

If you're a regular reader of BLV Health Watch, you've read past updates I've posted on this subject. If you are new to our newsletter, you can search our archives through this link:

http://www.bestliquidvitamins.com/news/news-archive.html

I'll try to keep you informed as this story unfolds.

Meanwhile, any feedback our European friends can send our way as to what DOES happen on August 1 ...and in the weeks/months following... would be greatly appreciated. We would like to hear how this directly affects our loyal readers living in the EU.

Sidenote: What is really sad about all of this in my humble opinion is that science has really only begun to study the many benefits that can be derived from plant life on our planet. Many mysteries and wonderful health benefits are being discovered on a regular basis only in recent years --- and I'm certain there are many more to come. Will this directive and/or CODEX prevent access to future incredible discoveries for "we, the people?" If it does, I have a feeling the boomers might have quite a lot to say about it.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

FDA Warning - Unpasteurized Florida Orange Juice

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 14 2005

This report came from Food Quality News:

The discovery of potential Salmonella Typhimurium contamination in an orange juice product has compounded worries over falling juice sales.

The FDA has warned consumers against drinking certain unpasteurized orange juice products because of potential Salmonella Typhimurium contamination.

Products distributed under a variety of brand names by Florida-based Orchid Island Juice Company have been associated with an outbreak of human disease caused by this organism.

"FDA is working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our state partners to identify the source of the problem and its scope," said Dr Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

The FDA says that there have been 15 reported cases to date of a matching strain of illness directly linked to a history of consumption of Orchid Island Juice from mid-May to June in Michigan, Ohio and Massachusetts.

In addition, at least 16 other states have reported cases of Salmonella Typhimurium infection that match this specific strain. Further investigations are underway to determine if these infections are also related to these products or not.

The unpasteurized juice in question comes in a variety of containers distributed to retail stores and restaurants under various brand names. The products are identified on the labels as freshly squeezed or fresh orange juice.

The following labels are involved: Nino Salvaggio's, Westborn Market, and Natalie's Orchid Island Juice. Orchid Island Juice bottles products under other brand names that have not yet been provided to FDA by the company.

Salmonella Typhimurium is a germ that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Otherwise healthy individuals may suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Long- term complications can include severe arthritis.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Fun Facts - Quotes Relating To Health And Wellness

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 14 2005

Quote: "A society that views food as taste-bud entertainment rather than a basic of well-being was always bound to run into health problems. But with obesity now afflicting 300m people, and diabetes set to reach similar numbers within two decades, the problems borne of food abuse are emerging as more than a glitch. They amount to a profound loss of direction in our understanding of both food and medicine." ~ From FoodQuality News

Quote: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food," said Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine two-and-a-half thousand years ago. (Sidenote - and where did the hypocratic oath come from?)

Quote: "Physics abides by the laws of Newton. What goes up always comes down. Dieting has a law you might call the Fig Newton. If weight goes up and goes back down, it usually goes up again." ~ Dallas Morning News article.

Quote: "The work is not over when the thin lady sings," says Thomas Wadden, director of the weight and eating-disorders program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Quote: "No generation in history has affected this nation like the boomers — 76 million babies born between 1946 and 1964." ~ Liz Taylor, The Seattle Times

Quote: "The time has come for medicine to return to its roots, and to give everyone the means and the information to eat their way to better health." ~ Jess Halliday, editor of NutraIngredients-USA

Quote: "Washing your hands kills germs and prevents illness. What kind of soap you use is less important than the actual washing." ~ Anon

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Diet Vs. Drugs - What (Or Who) Is Winning The Cancer War?

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 14 2005

I'll probably get in trouble for publishing this article on our site ...so don't expect it to stay here for long, okay? If I'm told to remove it by any regulating bodies, I will comply.

I just feel the information is important enough for all our readers to know about it --- plus, who knows, it may help some of you out there currently battling the disease.

Before you read further, please pay particular notice of our disclaimer:

DO NOT take this information as a medical advice. It is definitely NOT intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are suffering from any health challenge be sure to work closely with your qualified health care practitioner/s. ALSO NOTE ...Statements on this site have not been evaluated by the FDA. We are presenting this information for educational purposes only and where possible have also supplied links and/or descriptions to all our sources.

When it comes to cancer, let's begin with a few disturbing statistics reported earlier this year in The Seattle Times which they apparently retrieved from the American Cancer Society:

"Cancer is now the No. 1 killer in America, causing 570,000 deaths each year, according to the American Cancer Society. One in two American men, and one in three women, will get cancer in their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute." ~ Article Dated May 15, 2005

Also according to the article, cancer cells differ from healthy ones in subtle ways, enabling them to escape surveillance of the immune system.

Scientists have long been studying the protective influence of foods such as broccoli and red wine and a recent study claims to have pinpointed the benefits to particular compounds – in these two instances sulphoraphane and resveratrol respectively.

According to an article today in NutraIngredients:

"Andrew Mesecar, lead author of a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and associate professor of pharmaceutical biotechnology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said: 'They do that by signaling our bodies to ramp up the production of proteins capable of preventing damage to our DNA.'

But until now, the precise means of communication has been a mystery. According to Mesecar and his colleagues, it is all down to two key proteins. The first, called Keap1, senses the presence of ingested dietary compounds as they link with its cysteine residues (one of the amino acids that make up proteins). Keap1 then binds itself onto the second protein, Nrf2, the messenger that turns on the genes for protective proteins which avert DNA damage, and prevents it from doing its job.

The researchers found that when humans ingest cancer-preventing food compounds, however, they modify Keap 1’s cysteines. This alteration allows for the release of higher levels of Nrf2, and more protective proteins are produced.

'One way of preventing cancer may be to eat certain foods rich in cancer-preventing compounds,' said Mesecar."

This is great news for the masses when you think about it. Imagine the tremendous positive impact a few minor changes in our diet could have for us all, but particularly for those currently battling the big "C" right now.

That would be a dramatic difference from the conventional cancer-fighting tools of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy — sometimes known as "slash, burn and poison."

And yet, that's not where this article ends.

And I quote further from the article directly above:

"'An alternative is identifying how these compounds work and replicating their modes of action with drugs.'

As one cysteine in particular was likely to be altered, Mesecar said that by targeting this drug makers may be able to replicate the effect that natural food compounds have in the body."

What's interesting to note is how exciting clinical studies exploring health benefits from whole foods suddenly captures the attention of the drug industry who ruthlessly move in to find a way to isolate and "bottle" it so they can make huge profits from a natural occurring whole food phenomenom.

You might find it interesting to know that drug companies cannot patent a natural compound. They have to synthetically produce something similar to it in order to be able to patent it and make profits.

Keeping this in mind, I refer back to the Seattle Times article when I make special note of one particular quote:

"Seventeen cancer vaccines are now in the final stage of clinical testing, according to a survey by Arrowhead Publishers, a market research firm; targets include cancers of the skin, prostate, colon, breast and pancreas. Assuming some earn FDA approval, it forecasts a $6 billion cancer-vaccine market emerging by 2010. Over time, cancer vaccines could rival the U.S. market for chemotherapy, estimated at about $10 billion a year, according to health-care consulting company Broadlane."

In fact, a July 12, 2005 New York Times article reported that the new generation of drugs to treat existing cancer, such as Avastin, Erbitux, Gleevec, Herceptin, Rituxan, Tarceva cost as much as $100,000 for a few months’ supply – an expense that is causing concern amongst patients and doctors alike.

Meanwhile, how much does a batch of fresh broccoli cost?

If you are battling cancer, would it hurt so much to add it to your diet?

I'm betting it wouldn't hurt your pocket book nearly as much as the alternatives being offered up by drug industry giants et al.

I'm not saying to ignore the other aids prescribed by your doctor. Again, read the disclaimer.

Like I said at the beginning of this article, I'll probably get in trouble for posting it --- but jeepers! --- isn't it about time we heard more from the natural sciences arena and a little less from the "drug" company sciences arena for a change?

I mean, when you think about how successful the drug industry has been thus far...

Quote: "The American Cancer Society estimates that around 1.3 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2005. Although the prognosis varies depending on the type, overall only around half will survive the disease."

But I'm not suppose to talk about the possibilities nature serves up to us all when it comes to any specific disease.

My apologies if I've offended anyone by this article. That was not my intent.

Be well, and stay well. We appreciate you!

---

Sources:

Seattle Times Article - Sunday, May 15, 2005
NutraIngredients - 7/12/2005
Original Clinical Study Referenced In This Article - Published online before print July 8, 2005
University of Illinois - where the study was done
The New York Times Online Subscription Website (sorry, original article direct link not available)

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Phenylpropanolamine Update - Read Drug Labels Carefully

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Friday, July 8 2005

I don't mean to scare anyone with this article, but one of our readers wanted us to get the word out and we believe that the possibility exists that the potentially harmful ingredient phenylpropanolamine may still be in use by some firms, particularly in pet medications.

Also, with the proliferation of weight loss products flooding the markets these days, you never really know for certain what ingredients they may contain and which companies might be using this particular ingredient in their formulations without carefully reading the label.

What is phenylpropanolamine?

Phenylpropanolamine was(?) an ingredient used in prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drug products such as nasal decongestants to relieve stuffy nose or sinus congestion, cough/cold products and in OTC weight control drug products to control appetite.

A quick google search will turn up some sites selling discount vet and pet medications containing it. In veterinary medicine, it is used A LOT for the control of urinary incontinence in the female dog

As the FDA does not track and monitor over the counter products, it's unknown if the ingredient is still in use by some pharmaceutical and/or drug manufacturers ...or even if some products are still in circulation containing the ingredient.

Why be concerned about phenylpropanolamine?

An interesting statement was made under the frequently asked questions on the FDA site about this ingredient which I personally felt was a bit alarming:

If a patient brings me, a pharmacist, a prescription containing phenylpropanolamine, should I fill it? FDA has not said that such prescriptions should not be filled. However, you should make sure that both the prescriber and the consumer are aware that the drug contains phenylpropanolamine and have discussed the risks and benefits of taking the product as prescribed.

On November 6, 2000 the FDA announced that they had asked firms that market pharmaceutical or drug products containing phenylpropanolamine (fen-el-pro-pa-nol-a-mine) to voluntarily discontinue marketing them. They also alerted consumers to the risks associated with the use of products containing phenylpropanolamine.

Quoted from the FDA site:

"On May 11, 2000, FDA received results of a study conducted by scientists at Yale University School of Medicine that showed an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding of the brain) in people who were taking phenylpropanolamine. Phenylpropanolamine has been used for many years and a very small number of people taking the drug have had strokes. The Yale study helped show that the number of people having strokes when taking phenylpropanolamine was greater than the number of people having strokes who were not taking phenylpropanolamine. Although the risk of hemorrhagic stroke is very low, FDA has significant concerns because of the seriousness of a stroke and the inability to predict who is at risk. Because of continued reports to the FDA of hemorrhagic stroke associated with phenylpropanolamine and the results of the Yale study, we now feel that the risks of using phenylpropanolamine outweigh the benefits and recommend that consumers no longer use products containing phenylpropanolamine."

The Yale University study showed that the risk of hemorrhagic stroke was found mostly in women; however, men may also be at risk.

According to the Urban Legends website, forwarded emails warning that non-prescription medicines containing phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride may have adverse health effects were accurate at the time they were issued but are now mostly outdated. These emails usually contain A VERY LONG list of over-the-counter medications --- everything from cold capsules, weight loss aids, sinus and allergy medications... to children's cold and cough medicines.

Most of these products no longer contain the offending ingredient, however we believe it is always best to be informed, make sense?

In fact, on one vetrinary site (which we won't mention here) we unearthed the following information:

"Phenylpropanolamine is still available from some compounding pharmacies. I know of at least two in our area that still have the powder to make this medication and I believe that it may remain available through compounding
pharmacies."

Also, although it is supposedly not available in the USA - recommended to be taken off the market in November 2000, and a withdrawal notice went out in June 2001 for Canada, this doesn't necessarily mean it isn't widely used elsewhere.

As recently as April 2003, the Legal News Watch posted an article summary from the Star Leger on PPA claiming, "Novartis and Wyeth continue to claim there was no reliable scientific evidence to link PPA to strokes and that their products were safe. But internal memos introduced last month as evidence in the lawsuits indicate the companies were aware of the health risks for years."

According to MedLine, phenylpropanolamine has caused serious side effects (even death) when too much was taken. In the year 2000, the PPA Legal Network reported, "PPA (Phenylpropanolamine), a product found in many diet drugs and cough medicines is believed responsible for 200 to 500 strokes each year."

Phenylpropanolamine was available in the following dosage forms:

- Oral
- Capsules
- Extended-release capsules
- Tablets
- Extended-release tablets

Our advice - to fully understand their potential side-effects read medication labels carefully, heed all warning labels/inserts and make sure you discuss your prescription and/or over-the-counter products with your pharmacist and health care professional.

Oh - and watch out for some of those scammy weight loss products. Some "magic pills" floating around out there definitely aren't worth the risk.

Thank you Beverly, for inspiring this article. We appreciate hearing from our readers here at BLV!


Sources:
MedlinePlus Drug Information
FDA Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Information Page
FDA Public Health Advisory
FDA Questions and Answers - Safety of Phenylpropanolamine
Google Search - Phenylpropanolamine
Yale University report - "Phenylpropanolamine & Risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke: Final Report of the Hemorrhagic Stroke Project."
Health Canada issues health advisory regarding phenylpropanolamine (PPA)
Urban Legends site info on PPA - includes sample email in circulation
Legal News Watch April 2003 Article Summary
PPA Legal Network article
The New England Journal of Medicine - Phenylpropanolamine and the Risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

High Carb Diets And Cataracts

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 7 2005

New research suggests the higher the carbohydrate intake, the greater the risk an elder woman will develop cataracts.

Scientists working for the Agricultural Research Service, the US government’s scientific agency, tracked 471 women aged between 53 to 73 years during a 14 year period.

They found that women in the study whose average carbohydrate intake was between 200 and 268 grammes per day were 2.5 times more likely to get cortical cataracts than the women whose intake was between 101 and 185 grams per day.

The recommended dietary allowance for daily carbohydrate intake for adults and children is 130 grams, which is based on how much glucose the brain needs.

The UN’s World Health Organisation estimates between 16 to 20 million people worldwide are currently blind as a result of cataracts, the leading cause of blindness in the world.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Fun Facts - Carotenoids

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 7 2005

Widely used as food colourings, carotenoids are organic pigments naturally occurring in plants. Their colour, ranging from pale yellow, through bright orange, to deep red, is directly linked to their structure: the double carbon-carbon bonds interact with each other in a process called conjugation.

According to FoodNavigator, most of the carotenoids on the market are currently produced by chemical synthesis and partly by extraction from plant material. Fermentation does not yet play a role, although this method is expected to play a more important role in the future.

One of the most well-known carotenoids is the one that gives this group its name, carotene, found in carrots and responsible for their bright orange colour.

A natural colourant used in a range of foods from ice cream to cheese, carotene, also a provitamin, is one of the two subgroups of the carotenoids. The other sub-group is xanthophylls.

For many years, beta-carotene has been used as a food colouring, but growing knowledge about the health promoting antioxidative properties of carotenoids is pushing growth and applications for a range of these colourants, from lycopene to astaxanthin.

Did you know that the tiny goji berry might just be the richest source for carotenoids on the planet?

One more reason to drink delicious and nutritious Himalayan Goji Juice everyday --- more than 2 pounds of rich goji berries in every bottle of this 100% pure juice product. Experience the difference! Get your Goji Juice now.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

When Is Organic Truly Organic?

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 7 2005

A district court ruling in Maine banning all synthetic ingredients in products labeled organic could change things for the food industry.

At present regulations allow dairy farmers who want to go organic to feed their cows 20% conventional feed and 80% organic feed in the first nine months of the transitional year.

And for a product to be labeled 'organic', it must contain over 95% organic materials. A 'made with organic' product must contain over 70%.

The new ruling in Maine however means that an 'organic' product must be 100 per cent from organic sources.

Will it mean no more sugar that has been produced synthetically appearing in 'organic' products?

The ruling came after a Maine grower of organic blueberries, Arthur Harvey, contended that current regulations violated the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990.

This year, retail sales of organic foods are expected to exceed $15 billion, with more than $32 billion projected by 2009. These projections may change with the new ruling in place.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

More Food Recalls In Europe - Aflatoxins Top The List

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 7 2005

Risk continues in the European food chain with member states recalling over fifty products due to food pathogens and illegal colours in seven days.

Aflatoxins, food pathogens, harmful Sudan red colours all dogged European food supplies last week, according to data from Europe's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).

Again, potentially carcinogenic aflatoxins dominate the information warnings.

Mycotoxins, to which aflatoxins belong, are naturally-occurring toxins produced by certain fungi that can grow on various foods such as cereals, nuts, dried fruits, apples and legumes under certain environmental conditions.

Aflatoxins have been shown to cause cancer in animals and aflatoxin B1, the most toxic, can cause cancer in humans.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Not As Common As Salmonella But Listeria Monocytogenes Is Serious

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 7 2005

Although infections caused by Listeria monocytogenes are not as common as for salmonella, they can cause anything from diarrhoea to blood poisoning or meningitis, just as the bacterium can lead to miscarriages or cause disease in foetuses and newborns.

Food makers are required to test each food batch where the harmful pathogen Listeria monocytogenes may be present, such as soft cheese and processed meat products, and in particular those kept refrigerated for a long time where the pathogen can grow at low temperatures.

Cooking kills most of the Listeria monocytogenes cells that can grow at refrigeration temperature, but ready-to-eat products, such as fermented sausages, and smoked fish, are not always cooked by consumers before consumption.

Ready-to-eat foods, including frankfurters, pâté, smoked salmon and fermented raw meat sausages, have been identified as a high risk food group as they are intended by the producer or manufacturer for direct human consumption, without the need for cooking or other processing methods usually associated with eliminating or reducing bacteria to levels acceptable for human consumption.

Commonly affected dairy products include soft cheeses, such as brie, camembert and roulade, semi-soft farmhouse cheeses and unpasteurised milk.

Prepared salads, such as coleslaw, are also foods that can support the growth of the pathogen.

“The infectious dose associated with L. monocytogenes is uncertain, however it is estimated that exposure to less than 1,000 cells may cause serious infection. This is very low when compared to salmonella, another foodborne bacterial infection, where an individual must ingest over 100,000 cells of the bacteria to cause infection,” comments Professor Albert Flynn, chairman of the FSAI’s scientific committee in Ireland.

The average incubation period for a listeria infection is three to four weeks but can also range from one to ten weeks. As such the bacteria can be present in the body for a period of weeks before infection becomes apparent, making it difficult to trace back to a particular food.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Animal Feed Staple Might Evolve to Super Food of the Future

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 7 2005

South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) announced this week that it will collaborate with eight other African research organisations in a $17m project to develop a more nutritious sorghum cereal, reports the country's Business Day publication.

Africa grows more than 50% of the world's sorghum, adapted to harsh climatic conditions, which is the dietary staple for more than a half billion poor people worldwide.

But it lacks important vitamins and minerals. According to the CSIR, the new research aims to boost levels of vitamins A and E, iron, zinc, and essential amino acids.

In the West, amid recent high prices for corn and wheat, the resilient sorghum grain has been the focus of research to tease out new functionalities from this cheap, easy to grow food crop.

Used principally for animal feed by 'developed' countries, in a recent ARS (US government) study, food scientist Scott Bean at ARS in Manhattan, Kansas, investigated the kernels of food-grade sorghum, aiming to bring the gluten-free grain into mainstream food products such as breads, biscuits, pizza crusts and noodles.

"We are working on identifying the chemical reasons behind why certain sorghum hybrids are of much better quality – crumb grain, texture of bread – than others," said Scott Bean, lead researcher on the project.

We already know most experts believe the goji berry is possibly the most nutritionally dense food on our planet. It will be interesting to see how the new sorghum of the future measures up.

Stay tuned!

Source: FoodNavigator/Europe

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

Allergen-Free Apples?

-- Posted by kmyers001 on Thursday, July 7 2005

According to the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations, an estimated 4% of adults and 8% of children in the EU – the total population tops 380 million - suffer from food allergies.

A small percentage of these have a reaction to fruit commonly in the form of ‘oral allergy syndrome’ ...

"It has previously been proven that apple allergy is caused by one or more proteins in apple (the so-called Mal d1- till Mal d4-proteins). Mal d1 is the most important allergen in apple. People who are allergic to the Mal d1 protein feel itching, prickling and a swelling of the lips, tongue and throat after eating a fresh apple."

New research is now underway as a result of a thesis presented by Zhongshan Gao at at Wageningen University in Norway that may bring allergen-free apples ...as well as some other allergen-free fruits into our future.

---

Author: K. Myers (aka kmyers001)
Click Here To Visit Website

---

NEW! Add Our News Feed To Your Website (or myYahoo Page) Today! Keep totally up to date with changes to our website, including the latest and hottest news items with a BLV Health News feed! Simply use the following RSS URL feed for importing to your myYahoo page and/or to your website: http://bestliquidvitamins.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Finally The World's Most Powerful Anti-Aging Food Is Here! Hear what others are saying about Goji Juice! Testimonials Part 1 Testimonials Part 2 Delicious! Nutritious! Himalayan Goji Juice It Doesn't Get Any Better! * 19 amino acids, * B-Complex Vitamins, * more Vitamin C than oranges, * Vitamin E (rare in fruit!), * 4 unique polysaccharides, * richest source of carotenoids, * richer than carrots in beta-carotene, * 21 trace minerals including germainium, * more protein than even whole wheat, * known as the happy berry for mood, * and much much much more! BUY NOW Himalayan Goji Juice is 100% juice - more than two pounds of the most potent goji berries in every bottle - no sugar added!

Currently available in 11 countries! Soon available in more than 40 different countries. Click here for full details. If you would like to help us share this amazing product with the world, click here. 90 Day Empty Bottle Money Back Guarantee! The World's Most Powerful Anti-Aging Food Himalayan Goji Juice Helps You Lose Weight Too! Click Here For More Goji Details!