Dr Beecher’s September 2011 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter

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“Failure is not the only punishment for laziness; there is also the success of others.” ~ Jules Renard

HOT new debate about heart disease nutrition advice…

New Research Brings SALTY NEWS!!!

High dietary salt intake is a

proven cause of increased risk of

heart attack… or maybe it isn’t after all?

Also in this issue:

• Popular smoking cessation drug increases risk of hospitalization due to serious cardiovascular event by 72%
• Sleeping longer helps athletes reach peek performance
• This amino acid may help fight diabetes

And don’t miss the story:  How NFL veterans team up with wounded warriors to climb the 4^th tallest mountain in the world!

Houston – So much news this month, so little time!  Let’s jump right into “the good stuff.” It was accepted for years that eating eggs was bad for your heart.  Then, researchers weren’t so sure.

Similarly, sunscreen was the standard for preventing skin cancer, until research surfaced that sunscreen may actually INCREASE your risk.

Truth is: This type of contradiction happens all the time in medical science.  That’s why it is no surprise that, within a few years, a decent percentage of FDA approved drugs are either taken off the market or given “black box” warnings because they are dangerous.

So, what’s the latest in the “it’s bad for you… wait it’s good for you” saga?

SALT!

That’s right.  For years, salt has been one of the deadly sins for increasing your risk of heart disease.

Research shows increased salt intake leads to elevated blood pressure.  High blood pressure has been positively correlated with developing heart disease.  So, increased salt consumption must increase your risk of heart disease.

Makes sense – but not everything that “makes sense” is actually fact.  That’s one of the reasons researchers do studies.

Case in point: Not too long ago, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that the U.S. could prevent 44,000 deaths annually if Americans reduced their salt intake by 3 grams per day.

Then, in July 2011, a review of seven real-life interventions to reduce salt consumption found almost the complete opposite.

A headline in Scientific America boasted, “It’s Time to End the War on Salt.”  It continued, “For every study that suggests that salt is unhealthy, another does not.”

A recent meta-analysis of seven studies involving more than 6,000 subjects found no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk for heart attacks, strokes or death.  Another study found that, in fact, the less sodium study subjects excreted in their urine, the higher their risk of heart disease.

According to the Weston A. Price Foundation: “Salt, of course, is vital to health. There’s a reason we have a salt taste in our mouths and a reason that foods taste better with salt. The desire for salt is not some cruel joke imposed by a capricious god, but acts to ensure that we eat our food with salt … The campaign against salt is a perfect example of the law of unintended consequences. Researchers, politicians, medical professionals and journalists push their no-salt agenda as a surefire way to limit disease when all the evidence points to the opposite — increased health problems in young and old, diminished brain function, increased confusion, and a boon to the food processing and medical industries.”

How can this be? The first thing to understand is that science does not always come up with an answer.  Many times, it raises more questions.

For example, a new paper published in Archives of Internal Medicine shows it might not be the level of SODIUM that causes all the problems.  Instead, it might be the POTASIUM/SODIUM ratio.

This paper, led by Quanhe Yang of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found no significant link between sodium intake alone and risk of heart disease or heart-related death. But, when the researchers looked at the ratio of sodium to potassium intake, they found a strong effect. Participants with the worst ratios — the highest sodium and the lowest potassium — had twice the risk of death from heart disease and a nearly 50% higher risk of death from any cause, compared with people who had the highest potassium and the lowest sodium intake.

What’s the take-home message in all this?

First is the understanding that science doesn’t know everything. Commonly accepted “truths” are often shown to be incorrect or partially incorrect.

That’s why doctors and patients should use a combination of the best research and clinical experience.

Should you read one research summary that didn’t find salt to be harmful and start eating a pound of salt a day?

Hardly.  The best course of action is PROBABLY to stay away from processed foods that are loaded with sodium… and make sure you eat foods that contain potassium.

What’s that?  You want a list?  Check out the list below: J

This Amino Acid May Help Diabetes

According to a study by the Joslin Diabetes Center, the amino acid “leucine” may help people with pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

The press release states, “In an animal study, published in the journal PloS One, mice who had been on a high-fat diet and who also received twice the usual intake of leucine, an amino acid found in protein, showed reductions in their pre-diabetic conditions with lower blood sugars and less fat in their livers, two of the conditions of medical problems associated with insulin resistance that make up what is known as metabolic syndrome.

“Researchers said the high-fat diet with leucine did not change how fat the animals got – but they were able to handle glucose better.”

And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your lifelong good health.

Inspirational Story Of The Month –

(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)

NFL Veterans Team Up With Wounded Warriors

To Climb The 4th Tallest Mountain In The World!

It’s one of the oldest questions – and the most common answers…

“Hey – why would you risk your life climbing that mountain?”

“Because, it’s there!”

Well, in this case, three National Football League veterans have a much better reason.

NFL great TEDDY BRUSCHI, now an ESPN analyst, former Tennessee Titans Coach JEFF FISHER, and former Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams player, CHAD LEWIS, are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

They are climbing the 4th tallest mountain in the world with Ben Lunak. But, Lunak didn’t play in the NFL.

You see, Ben Lunak is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to represent the Wounded Warrior Project. In 2006, Lunak was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq.  His leg was amputated below the knee. Lunak is one of four injured soldiers chosen by the organization to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Its goal is to show other vets who have suffered a traumatic injury that life can be great again.

“They are going to see us doing this big climb. I see that my life is not over, I can still carry on and do whatever I want to do, and that is basically what it is about,” Lunak said. “The biggest obstacle is going to be the mental thing and, if I stay strong mentally, the body will follow.”

Lunak learned to walk again using a prosthetic leg and is now very active.

The event is called “Believe in Heroes” and is organized by the Wounded Warrior Project. It will take the climbers five days to reach the summit of just over 19,000 feet.

But, Ben is not alone in his sacrifice both in war for his country and now for others wounded in battle. Among the group of wounded warriors making the climb is Bryan Wagner, who also gave a leg in service to his country. Another climber, Mike Wilson, struggles daily with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury (TBI). And, Nancy Schiliro gave an eye in service to her country.

“We all have our own injuries of war, and we are showing that no matter how you are affected, you are still able to overcome and conquer whatever you want to do,” Lunak said.

These warriors recently completed a three-day training session at Under Armour’s IMG Training Academy in Florida; participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands, NM; and climbed Quandary Peak in Golden, CO.

The purpose of the climb is to alert the general public to the great sacrifices and struggles faced by the amazing men and women injured serving the United States of America.

For further information and to see results of the climb, go to www.believeinheroes.org

We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better!  We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger!  Don’t be a stranger.  You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!

Did You Know?

Among the many natural ways to treat infection, tea tree oil is one of the very best. Tea tree oil is an essential oil taken from the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. It has a wide variety of uses with strong antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. The aborigines in Australia used tea tree leaves to heal skin infections, wounds, and burns by crushing the leaves and holding them in place with a mud pack. Tea tree oil effectively treats a variety of conditions. If you choose to try Tea Tree oil, it is good practice to do a patch test on your skin first, as undiluted tea tree oil can irritate the skin. If the skin is sensitive, then it is necessary to dilute it. A good tea tree oil solution can be made by mixing 5 parts of tea tree oil with 95 parts of water. Please note: tea tree oil should never be taken internally, even in small amounts.

Here are just some of the many ways to effectively use tea tree oil:  Acne – Tea tree oil kills the skin dwelling bacteria that cause acne. Dilute the tea tree oil as directed above and apply to lesions. Another way to apply it is by diluting it with aloe vera gel. To begin with, mix one or two drops to one ounce of the gel.  Athlete’s Foot – Every morning and evening, saturate a cotton ball with tea tree oil (you may need to dilute it) and apply to the affected and surrounding areas. Also, you may want to apply a tea tree oil enriched moisturizer. Tea tree oil is also very effective when treating nail fungal infections. Insect Bites – Apply full strength to the bite area. Tea tree oil is also an effective insect repellent. Wound Healing – Moderately apply tea tree oil (at a strength of 70% to 100%) on the wound at least twice daily.

Lastly, putting a few drops of tea tree oil in bathwater has a relaxing and rejuvenating effect. It will also soothe sore muscles and eliminate persistent body odor.

Tip Of The Month

Attention All Athletes: Sleep More!!

If you are an athlete – no matter what level – you are going to want to check out this important information. Here is why… Everyone knows quality sleep is important. Every year more information surfaces that shows it is even more important than many experts first thought. There are many research studies about amounts of sleep and how sleeping too much or too little affects your health. Now, there is another study showing just how important sleep may be for peak athletic performance. Research published in the journal Sleep suggests that sleeping longer can dramatically improve physical performance. Members of Stanford University’s male basketball team increased their sleep to 10 hours a night for around 6 weeks. Results? Their shooting accuracy improved by 9%, sprinting times improved, and fatigue levels decreased. When it comes to athletes and high level sports, 9% can be enormous. Top athletes are often separated by minute fractions of a percentage. For example, the difference between winners and losers in Olympic sprinting is often measured in thousandths of a second. The study at Stanford University found that getting enough sleep and rest was as important as training and diet for elite athletes. It should be noted that in the study, the players also stopped drinking coffee and alcohol. Obviously, altering all three factors (sleep, coffee and alcohol) seems to have had a major impact.  One has to wonder how much of an impact just changing sleep would have?

Popular Smoking Cessation Drug Increases Risk Of Serious Cardiovascular Event By 72%…

A new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of East Anglia, in the United Kingdom, shows the use of varenicline – marketed by Pfizer under the brand name Chantix™ – is associated with a 72 percent increased risk of hospitalization due to a serious adverse cardiovascular (CV) event, such as heart attack or arrhythmia. The study was published in the July 4^th issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. According to a press release on reporting the results of the study: “We have known for many years that Chantix is one of the most harmful prescription drugs on the U.S. market, based on the number of serious adverse effects reported to the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration),” said Curt D. Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest Baptist, lead investigator on the study, and a nationally-recognized leader in drug safety research. “It causes loss of consciousness, visual disturbances, suicides, violence, depression and worsening of diabetes. To this list we now can add serious cardiovascular events.” According to the press release, the drug already has a black box warning from the FDA due to other harmful side effects. “People should be concerned,” said Sonal Singh, M.D., M.P.H., lead author on the study from Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. “They don’t need Chantix to quit and this is another reason to consider avoiding Chantix altogether.” Researchers added, “The sum of all serious adverse effects of Chantix clearly outweigh the most positive effect of the drug in my view,” Furberg said. “The time has come for the FDA to withdraw the drug from the market.”

Remember, we’re always here to help you, your family,

and your friends live pain free!

This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice.  Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please let us know.