Some Food Additives Raise Hyperactivity, Study Finds

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/health/research/06hyper.html?ex=1347508800&en=5a188f2e22742dd8&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink


This is good: "In response to the study, some pediatricians cautioned that a diet without artificial colors and preservatives might cause other problems for children." What "other problems" are they referring to? Do they mean it might cause problems for doctors and drug companies when the prescriptions for ritalin, adderall, prozac, zoloft and other "necessary" medications will be drastically reduced?

The ‘Poisonous Cocktail’ of Multiple Drugs

How do the elderly survive?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/health/18brod.html?ex=1347768000&en=b266560c94be0680&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Medication errors and the effects of polypharmacy are among the most common causes of serious illnesses, injuring or killing at least 1.5 million people a year with at least $3.5 billion a year in extra hospital costs.

And what about drugs that have been approved by the FDA that can cause serious harm? The Institute of Medicine found the FDA’s system of drug approval and regulation to be in poor condition. IOM filed a report last year in response to criticism over their failure to withdraw Merck’s prescription painkiller Vioxx for over 2 years when it was found to increase the risk of heart attack. Over one million prescriptions sold for Vioxx before the dangers were exposed:
140,000 cases of serious heart disease
55,000 deaths
Why did it take the FDA so long to take the drug off the market? Could it be that the pharmaceutical industry plays a role in the decision making process at the FDA or do they just exert a bit of influence?

Can we trust scientific studies?

There is a number of questions being raised about the credibility of scientific research findings.

NY Times MAGAZINE
Do We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?
By GARY TAUBES (NYT)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/magazine/16epidemiology-t.html?ex=1347595200&en=ce44128eb0042a76&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Much of what we’re told about diet, lifestyle and disease is based on epidemiologic studies. What if it is just bad science?

Most Science Studies Appear to Be Tainted By Sloppy Analysis
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118972683557627104.html
Cited: PLoS Med. 2005 August; 2(8): e124.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=16060722

How Much Fish Should Women Consume?

This just about sums it up. I would go a step further and advise pregnant women and women contemplating pregnancy to just completely avoid consuming tuna fish and reduce the consumption of farm raised fish to avoid unecessary exposure to mercury, PCBs and other contaminants. But they should make sure to get their Omega 3 Fatty Acids preferably by taking a contaminant free fish oil.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/242/popup/index.php?cl=4044852

Prevention: Older Bones See Benefit of Calcium and Vitamin D

A review of 29 randomized trials including more than 63,000 men and women older than 50 found that the risk for fracture could be reduced 12 percent with calcium and vitamin D supplements. The rate of bone loss was reduced by about 0.5 of 1 percent at the hip and 1.9 percent at the spine. Fracture risk was reduced by nearly one-quarter in studies in which people took their supplements conscientiously.
The review, published in the Aug. 25 issue of The Lancet, found that the effect was best with doses of 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 800 international units of vitamin D. The recommended dietary allowance for calcium in people over 50 is 1,200 milligrams, but the recommendation for vitamin D is 400 international units for people 50 to 70 and 600 for those 71 and older.
Adding vitamin D to calcium did not appear to offer increased protection. But the studies lacked enough figures on high doses of the vitamin. Still, the authors recommend that if vitamin D is to be used as an adjunct, it should be in doses that exceed 800 international units.
“For anyone over 50, especially postmenopausal women, you should see your family doctor and address with him the issue of taking calcium supplementation,” said Dr. Benjamin M. P. Tang, the lead author and a researcher at the University of Western Sydney in Australia. “It’s always better to have overall health assessed before undertaking supplements.”

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