Acupuncture
Shown to Relieve Migraines
Alternative treatment—even when fake—as effective as medical drugs
LONDON – Acupuncture, one of the most popular complementary treatments,
works as well as standard drugs for migraines, German researchers said in
early March.
They compared the effects of real and fake acupuncture with drug treatments
for migraine and found all equally effective.
“The main finding is that Chinese acupuncture is as effective as drug treatment
for the prophylaxis of migraine,” said Hans-Christoph Diener, a neurologist
at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. “Secondly, sham acupuncture
is as effective as traditional Chinese acupuncture,” he told reporters.
All of the more than 900 patients who had been randomly selected to receive
Chinese acupuncture, sham acupuncture or drugs reported similar improvements
and reductions in the number of migraine-free days. “This tells us that
Chinese acupuncture is not a very specific treatment,” said Diener.
Traditional Chinese acupuncture involves inserting fine needles at specific
energy meridians of the body to reduce pain. In the so-called sham procedure,
the needles were put in places that were not traditional acupuncture points.
The ancient Chinese therapy has been shown to relieve nausea, stress, and
arthritis pain in the knee and pelvic pain during pregnancy.
“What we showed is that acupuncture is effective but we need more research
to find out the biological effect behind it,” added Diener, who reported
his findings in The Lancet Neurology journal. Migraine affects about 15
percent of people in Britain alone. Symptoms can include intense throbbing
on one side of the head, distorted vision, nausea or vomiting and raised
sensitivity to light, sounds and smells.
An attack can last up to three days and prevent the sufferer from carrying
out normal, everyday activities. Although anyone can get a migraine, it
is most common between the ages of 20 and 50 and most sufferers are women.
Over-the-counter and prescription drugs can help to relieve the pain and
reduce inflammation. Many patients also try other therapies such as acupressure,
homeopathy, osteopathy and physiotherapy.
“The most important result is that all three treatments were effective and
that improvement in the number of migraine days was closely similar in all
treatment groups,” Diener said in the study. “The decision whether acupuncture
should be used in migraine prevention remains with the treating physician,”
he added.
Driving
under the influence of sleeping pills
Ambien among top 10 drugs found in impaired drivers
There’s a growing hazard on the roadway, the kind of motorist who smashes
into parked cars, plows over sidewalks and drives in the wrong direction,
all while oblivious to the destruction left behind. These drivers aren’t
drunk or stoned — they’re under the influence of Ambien, the nation’s most
popular prescription sleeping pill.
Ambien is regularly popping up as a factor in traffic arrests, sometimes
involving drivers who don’t even remember getting behind the wheel, according
to a report in The New York Times in early March.
In some state toxicology laboratories, Ambien shows up in the top 10 list
of drugs found in impaired drivers. In Wisconsin, Ambien was detected in
the bloodstreams of 187 arrested drivers from 1999 to 2004, the newspaper
reported. As more insomniacs turn to the drug — there were 26.5 million
prescriptions filled last year in the United States — Ambien-related arrests
and accidents are expected to rise.
In Washington State, for example, officials counted 78 impaired-driving
arrests in which Ambien was a factor last year, up from 56 in 2004. Some
of Washington’s zombie-like drivers said they took the sleeping pill while
behind the wheel so that it would kick in by bedtime. “Wow, that’s a really
bad idea,” said sleep specialist Dr. Brooke Judd, an assistant professor
of medicine and psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School. “These newer sleep
medications have a rapid onset so people can get to sleep quickly. You shouldn’t
take them until you are really ready to go to bed.”
Judd also warns sleeping-pill users to get at least eight hours of shut-eye.
That’s how long the sedative effect can last. An early-riser who hits the
road might still be too groggy to drive, she said. Several cases also involved
drivers using alcohol with Ambien — a combination that magnifies the drowsy
effects of the drug.
A spokeswoman for the Food & Drug Administration told the newspaper
that the agency is aware of reports of people driving while sleepwalking,
but said the drug’s current label warnings, which say it should not be used
with alcohol and in some cases could cause sleepwalking or hallucinations,
were adequate. Users are advised not to drive or operate machinery while
taking the drug.
The pills, intended to help short-term insomnia, have been on the market
for 13 years and are said to be safe, according to Ambien’s maker, Sanofi-Aventis.
But there are reports of “hangover” effects such as grogginess as well as
some risks of abuse and dependence. Some patients have also reported an
amnesia effect where they may sleepwalk, or sleeptalk without remembering
it.
Laura J. Liddicoat, the forensic toxicology supervisor at Wisconsin’s state
laboratory, presented six cases of Ambien drivers at a meeting of the American
Academy of Forensic Scientists, including a man who crashed into two cars
and drove over a curb. This was all news to him when confronted by the police.
Skip the sushi
- it may be bad for you
Mercury levels dangerously high in some fish, California group warns
LOS ANGELES – Sushi is more popular than ever before but eating it “has
become the new Russian roulette” in terms of safety, a group campaigning
against mercury in fish said in early March. Eli Saddler of gotmercury.org,
a campaign of California-based Sea Turtle Restoration Project, went to six
top sushi restaurants in Los Angeles to test mercury levels in the fish
they serve.
“The level of mercury in tuna these restaurants serve is so high they should
be keeping this food off their lists,” Saddler said. “Eating sushi has become
the new Russian roulette.” Gotmercury.org proposes to take the study to
various cities across the United States and educate sushi consumers on the
risks of mercury intake, which can permanently damage the nervous system
in fetuses and may cause temporary memory loss in adults.
Tuna samples from six popular sushi restaurants in Los Angeles were taken
to a Southern California lab for testing. They returned an average mercury
level of 0.721 parts per million, about 88 percent higher than the reported
Food and Drug Administration level of 0.383 ppm for all fresh and frozen
tuna. A couple of samples had mercury levels the FDA has declared ”unsafe
for anyone to eat,” Saddler said. Big-eyed tuna and blue and yellow-finned
tuna are the most popular varieties used in sushi restaurants. Older and
bigger fish are considered best suited for sushi but Saddler said it was
not widely known that fish with longer lives carry more mercury than others.
Studies show seafood like shrimp and salmon with short life spans pose almost
no risk of carrying mercury. Nobi Kusuhara, owner of Sushi Sasabune in Los
Angeles said even though the mercury level in the samples was higher than
he expected, sushi is still healthy to eat. “Even in Japan we have warnings
out like FDA has issued here,” Kusuhara said. “As long as restaurants warn
pregnant women and people to eat smaller fish, it is definitely safer and
healthier than beef or chicken.”
Businesses with more than 10 employees are bound under California law to
post a mercury-in-seafood warning if they serve or sell any seafood. But
Saddler said that, of the six restaurants checked, only one had an explicit
sign posted on the door. “There are cheap and easy ways to test fish, so
it should be done in the United States to protect sushi consumers,” Saddler
said.
SKIP
THE WHOLE MILK. PASS ON SODA.
DRINK BEER?
Nutrition experts stir controversy with new
beverage guidelines
Some prominent nutrition experts put out new guidelines in March urging
Americans to cut back on calorie-rich sodas while allowing more leeway for
alcohol and lots of room for tea and coffee – up to 40 ounces a day.
That’s more than three tall cups at Starbucks, although that might bust
suggested limits on caffeine. They also allow men three times as much beer
as sugary soda. The report was paid for by the corporate parent of Lipton
Tea, which is now using the scientists’ advice to advertise tea’s benefits.
The nutritionists say they didn’t know the extent of Lipton’s marketing
campaign, and the company didn’t play a role in the recommendations, which
generally urge people to drink more water. But beverage industry spokesmen
and other nutritionists found fault with several of the guidelines. For
example, whole milk is out, but moderate alcohol is OK.
In fact, the scientists say men can drink as much as 24 ounces of beer a
day – more than the 16 ounces of low-fat milk or soy drinks they suggest,
and three times their recommended limit for fruit juice. The beverage industry
also seized on the accompanying marketing campaign by Lipton, a part of
Unilever Health Institute, which gave about $40,000 to finance the report.
The company plans full-page ads in USA Today featuring the guidelines with
a coupon for $2 off tea.
Among the scientists who wrote the guidelines is Dr. Walter Willett, chairman
of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and a widely quoted
expert on numerous nutritional topics. He said he was unaware of the details
of the marketing effort and wished it had not included such blatant promotion.
“This was sort of a new experience,” he said of working with a private sponsor,
whose $4,000 share of the fees he turned over to charity. Willett said the
company had no role in what the scientists recommended.
“This was done with complete freedom to come to whatever conclusions we
came to,” he said. The guidelines were published in the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition. In general, they urge Americans to drink water and
limit both sugar-sweetened and naturally sweetened drinks. Unsweetened tea
and coffee are seen as acceptable substitutes for water.
Americans should limit beverages to 10 percent to 14 percent of their total
calories — half what they comprise now, the group advised. The panel of
six scientists was assembled by Barry Popkin at the University of North
Carolina in Chapel Hill, a longtime advocate of curbs on soda. He said he
did so because federal dietary guidelines, including the food pyramid, focus
on food and miss a significant contributor of calories.
One of every five calories in the average American’s diet is liquid, something
that doesn’t produce the sense of fullness that food does. The portion of
daily calories coming from sugar-sweetened drinks has roughly doubled over
two decades, contributing to the nation’s obesity problem, the report contends.
“We were quite dissatisfied” that federal guidelines and other advice focus
on foods and general topics like dairy products, but don’t spell out how
much people should consume of each type of beverage, Popkin said. In their
guidelines, the nutritionists recommend 20 to 50 ounces of water a day.
If other beverages are preferred, they recommend these daily limits for
adults:
• Unsweetened tea or coffee, up to 40 ounces.
• Low-fat or skim milk and soy beverages, up to 16 ounces.
• Diet soda and other non-caloric sweet drinks, up to 32 ounces.
• Beverages with some nutrients, such as juice, up to 8 ounces.
• Alcoholic beverages, one drink a day for women and two for men. A drink
equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces spirits.
• Sugar-sweetened drinks like soda, no more than 8 ounces. (Standard soft
drink cans are 12 ounces.)
Forego the fruit smoothies, too.
“Fruit smoothies are usually high-calorie versions of fruit drinks and,
therefore, are not recommended,” the report says. Likewise for whole milk,
which contains high amounts of fat.
Besides Popkin and Willett, other members of the group were Dr. George Bray
of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.; Balz Frei,
an Oregon State University biochemist; Dr. Benjamin Caballero, an obesity
researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Lawrence
E. Armstrong, a physiologist at the University of Connecticut. Frei is a
scientific adviser to Unilever.
The American Beverage Association says the report “has many factual shortcomings
that are at odds with the USDA Dietary Guidelines — including the misguided
suggestion that it’s healthier to drink more alcohol than sweetened beverages
and, in some scenarios, drink more tea than water.” “It also has a minuscule
role for skim milk or low-fat milk in the diet,” the association’s statement
says. “And there is no credible scientific rationale for limiting diet soft
drinks to four servings per day.” Lisa Kadic, a dietitian and longtime consultant
to the food and beverage industry, took issue with the report’s contention
that studies suggest some alcohol in moderation has health benefits. “It
did look like alcohol was being positioned as a better choice than (non-diet)
soft drinks,” she said.
While many studies have suggested some benefits from moderate alcohol, such
advice has long been contentious because of alcohol’s risks. An expert on
nutrition and food policy who had no role in the report, New York University
biologist Marion Nestle, said the panel’s recommendations generally make
good sense. “If I were advising someone to lose weight, I’d start with soft
drinks and juice drinks. Get rid of them,” she said.
DEAR
DR. MIRKIN: 
Should I seek out the special margarines
that contain sterols?
Researchers at McGill University in Canada report that eating plant sterols
and exercising lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, body fat and weight,
but you don’t have to eat special plant sterol margarine.You can get plenty
of plant sterols in nuts, seeds, vegetables and beans. In this study, middle-aged
men ate margarine containing sterols four times a day and used stair-stepping
machines and stationary bicycles three times a week for eight weeks (American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dec 2005). Down went the total cholesterol,
bad low-density cholesterol and triglycerides, and up went the good HDL
cholesterol.
Fifty percent of deaths in North America are caused by heart attacks and
strokes. Most people can prevent these catastrophes by exercising, eating
lots of plants (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other seeds),
avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthful weight.
This health info is provided with the permission of Dr. Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Dr. Mirkin has practiced medicine for more than 40 years and is board-certified
in four specialties: Allergy and Immunology, Sports Medicine, Pediatrics
and Pediatric Immunology. Visit www.drmirkin.com
French fry lovers may have
higher 
diabetes
risk
Potatoes trigger rapid surge in blood
sugar that may damage cells
Holding that side of fries might help thwart Type 2 diabetes, new research
suggests.
In a long-term study of nearly 85,000 U.S. women, researchers at Harvard
University found that those with the highest potato intake had a modestly
elevated risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
The link was strongest among obese women, who are already at increased risk
of the disease, suggesting that heavy potato consumption may pose a particular
problem for them, the researchers point out. The findings are published
in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Though potatoes have healthful attributes, they also have a high glycemic
index (GI) — meaning they cause a rapid, strong rise in blood sugar. Over
time, these surges may damage the pancreatic cells that produce the hormone
insulin, which is needed to metabolize blood sugar.
Overweight or sedentary adults may be particularly vulnerable to the effects
of high-GI foods because they often have underlying insulin resistance –
a precursor to diabetes in which body cells lose their sensitivity to insulin.
So it would make sense for these individuals to lay off the french fries,
Thomas L. Halton, the lead author of the new study, told reporters.
He and his colleagues found that women with the highest potato intake were
14 percent more likely than those with the lowest intake to develop diabetes
over 20 years. And women who ate the most french fries, specifically, had
a 21 percent greater risk of diabetes than those who ate the fewest.
Overall diet and other lifestyle habits did not explain the link, and potatoes
seemed to be more problematic when a woman ate them instead of whole grains.
Whole grains – as well as many high-fiber vegetables, fruits and legumes
– have a lower GI than potatoes and white-flour products. So eating those
foods in place of potatoes, Halton’s team concludes, could potentially cut
diabetes risk.
This Month’s “Superfood”
Salmon
It is an excellent source of high-quality protein; contains all essential amino acids, vitamins A, D, B6 and B2, as well as niacin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus in appreciable amounts. Salmon’s fats are predominantly unsaturated; furthermore, evidence indicates these unsaturated fats help avoid development of artery disease. Recent studies suggest salmon be consumed by adults up to four times a week.
BAKED SALMON FILLETS DIJON
Even non-salmon lovers will enjoy this dish!
INGREDIENTS:
4 (4 oz) salmon fillets
3 Tbsp prepared Dijon-style mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
TO MAKE:
Preheat oven to 400º. Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil.
Place salmon skin-side down on foil. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the
top of each fillet, and season with salt and pepper. Top with bread crumbs,
then drizzle with melted butter. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes,
or until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Makes four servings.
Nutrition Info Per Serving: Calories 332; Total Fat 22.3g; Cholesterol
107mg; Sodium 658mg; Total Carbs 6.6g; Dietary Fiber 0.5g; Protein 25.8g
