Dr. John's Health Matters
Welcome to Dr. John's Health Matters blog.
The articles posted here are from various sources who are duly acknowledged. I would appreciate being immediately notified, if any copywritten material needs to be removed. This blog is not intended to replace the qualified advice of a licensed health practitioner. Readers should exercise their own judgment. Enjoy, subscribe, participate and tell others :)
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Posts tagged "zinc"
Tuesday, Sep 1st, 2009 ↓Antioxidants Not Associated With Increased Melanoma Risk →
Sept 1. 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Antioxidant supplements do not appear to be associated with an increased risk of melanoma, according to a new report.
A recent randomized trial of antioxidants for cancer prevention found that daily supplementation with nutritionally appropriate doses of vitamins C and E, beta carotene, selenium and zinc appeared to increase the risk of melanoma in women four-fold, according to background information in the article. Because an estimated 48 percent to 55 percent of U.S. adults use vitamin or mineral supplements regularly, the potential harmful effects of these nutrients is alarming, the authors note.
Maryam M. Asgari, M.D., M.P.H., of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, and colleagues examined the association between antioxidants and melanoma among 69,671 women and men who were participating in the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) study, designed to examine supplement use and cancer risk. At the beginning of the study, between 2000 and 2002, participants completed a 24-page questionnaire about lifestyle factors, health history, diet, supplement use and other cancer risk factors.
Intake of multivitamins and supplements during the previous 10 years, including selenium and beta carotene, was not associated with melanoma risk in either women or men. The researchers also examined the risk of melanoma associated with long-term use of supplemental beta carotene and selenium at doses comparable to the previous study and found no association.
“Consistent with the present results, case-control studies examining serologic [blood] levels of beta carotene, vitamin E and selenium did not find any association with subsequent risk of melanoma,” the authors write. “Moreover, the Nurses’ Health Study reported no association between intake of vitamins A, C and E and melanoma risk in 162,000 women during more than 1.6 million person-years of follow-up.”
For full article, see link above.
Tags: antioxidant supplement vitamin mineral C e beta carotene selenium zinc cancer risk nutrient melanoma lifestyle multivitamin
Tags: AMD age-related macular degeneration elderly aging eyesight seeing exercise prevention diet nutrition omega-fatty acids fish salmon blindness antioxidant zinc atherosclerosis alzheimer's flaxseed oil inflammation
Got Zinc? New Zinc Research Suggests Novel Therapeutic Targets →
July 30, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Everyone knows that vitamins “from A to zinc” are important for good health. Now, a new research study in the August 2009 print issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that zinc may be pointing the way to new therapeutic targets for fighting infections. Specifically, scientists from Florida found that zinc not only supports healthy immune function, but increases activation of the cells (T cells) responsible for destroying viruses and bacteria.
“It has been shown that zinc supplementation significantly reduces the duration and severity of childhood diarrhea, lower respiratory infections, and incidence of malaria in zinc-deficient children,” said report co-author, Robert Cousins, Ph.D., who also is the director of the Center for Nutritional Sciences within the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida. “Age-related declines in immune function have also been related to zinc deficiency in the elderly.”
For full article see link above.
Tags: zinc supplement diarrhea respiratory infection malaria deficient immunity prevention virus baceria t cell
FDA: Mercury Fillings Not Harmful →
July 28, 2009 (Therapytimes.com) — The mercury used in dental amalgam fillings is not at a level high enough to cause harm in patients, according to the FDA, which today issued its final regulation on the controversial tooth filling material.
However, the agency tightened its controls on mercury fillings, classifying the encapsulated amalgams now commonly sold to dentists as Class II devices, deemed a moderate risk, instead of the lower risk Class I devices.
Dental amalgams, the silver-colored material used to fill teeth after removal of a cavity, include liquid mercury and a powder that contains silver, tin, copper, zinc, and other metals. When the fillings are placed in the teeth or removed, or during chewing, mercury vapor is released, according to the FDA. At high levels, mercury can cause adverse health effects to the brain and kidneys.
A representative from an organization that opposes mercury fillings called the new ruling “an outrage,” while the American Dental Association issued a statement agreeing with the decision.
For full article see link above.
Tags: mercury filling teeth tooth dental amalgam cavity silver tin copper zinc brain kidney
Some Zicam Cold Remedies Are Risky →
June 17, 2009 (Medscape.com)— The FDA today advised people not to use Zicam intranasal products that contain zinc, because of the risk of anosmia (loss of the sense of smell), which may be long-lasting or permanent.
The FDA’s warning only applies to the following Zicam products:
* Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel
* Zicam Cold Remedy Gel Swabs
* Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size
“Consumers should stop using these products immediately and should discard or return them,” Deborah Autor, director of the FDA’s Office of Compliance, said at a news conference. Autor notes that Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size is no longer on the market, but consumers shouldn’t use the product if they still have it at home.
For full medical article see link above.
Common Irregular Heartbeats are Completely Normalized by Taurine and Arginine →
(NaturalNews) June 4 09— Irregular heartbeats, technically known as cardiac arrhythmias, put more than 850,000 people in the hospital every year in the U.S. That number is expected to increase as the population ages. Many others are treated on an outpatient basis for frightening erratic heartbeats that can feel like the heart is doing flutters and flip-flops. Drugs are often prescribed but don’t always work, and patients are started down a path that can end up with heart surgery. The good news is that recent research has identified two natural, easily obtained substances that can restore heartbeats to normal. Researchers at George Eby Research Institute in Austin, Texas searched for nutrient deficiencies that could cause irregular heartbeats such as premature contractions, atrial fibrillation, and sinus pauses. They found a wealth of literature supporting the amino acids taurine and arginine as common nutrients deficient in people with irregular heartbeats.
For full article see link above.
Zinc Intake Slightly Lowers Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Women →
April 9, 2009 — Higher zinc intake may be associated with a slightly lower risk for type 2 diabetes in women, according to the results of an analysis from the Nurses’ Health Study reported in the April issue of Diabetes Care.
For full medical article, see link above.
Zinc Intake Linked to Slightly Lower Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Women →
April 9, 2009 (Medical News) — Higher zinc intake may be associated with a slightly lower risk for type 2 diabetes in women, according to the results of an analysis from the Nurses’ Health Study reported in the April issue of Diabetes Care.
For full medical article, see link above.
Omega-3, vit C, and zinc may ease childhood asthma →
apr 07 09 (NutraIngredients.com) — A combination supplement containing omega-3, vitamin C and zinc may improve symptoms of asthma, a condition on the rise, suggests a new study from Egypt.
The trio of nutrients were associated with improvements in asthma measures, lung function, and markers of inflammation in the lungs, according to findings of a randomised, double blind, placebo-self-controlled crossover trial published in Acta Pædiatrica.
For full article, see link above.
Universal Vaccine for the Flu? Look No Further Than Vitamin C and Zinc →
Feb 23 09 (NaturalNews) The mainstream media is ablaze today with talk of an important new discovery that could lead to a “universal vaccine” that ends all colds for a lifetime. This universal vaccine, researchers say, would target a common configuration of proteins that occurs in virtually all cases of influenza, including H5N1 (bird flu), the Spanish flu strain and even the common cold.
It all sounds promising until you realize the reality of the situation. First, this “universal vaccine” concept is remarkably naive in ignoring the astounding ability of viruses to generate immunity to vaccines due to clever mutations. In fact, the action of influenza in the wild right now demonstrates this quite well: Each year’s flu shot vaccine is essentially useless against the current influenza strains actually circulating among the population. They only protect people against last year’s flu. And that’s not very useful.
For full article, see link above.
