Alternative Health Blog

One of a summer day’s simple delights—summer is coming, right?–is a slice of watermelon. OK, maybe two or three slices. Who knew that watermelon might one of the healthiest items at the picnic too?

If you are like most of us, you would consider watermelon healthy because it is a delicious way to hydrate, given that it is 92 percent water. But food scientists like Penelope Perkins-Veazie have discovered the juicy red fruit is loaded with antioxidants to fortify the body, especially carotenoids that can offset cell damage caused by chemicals and sun.

Watermelon is especially high in lycopene, which is more typically associated with cooked tomatoes. Lycopene first made the news as a protector against prostate cancer in men.

Seeing the potential for the picnic-favorite melon, Perkins-Veazie has drilled down even more into the nutrient power of watermelons with recent studies. One of her research projects analyzed mini-watermelons available at markets over two years. The fruit is about six inches in diameter and perfect for singles or couples.

Perkins-Veazie tested 15 different lines of mini-watermelon. She discovered a good number of them have even more lycopene than the larger melons we all remember from summers past.

But there is one catch to the lycopene bonanza. Don’t refrigerate the melon. Perkins-Veazie and fellow USDA researcher Julie Collins discovered that icing down a watermelon inhibits the antioxidants. Keeping your melon at room/air temperature optimized the power-nutrient content.

What's more, listen to this one: The food scientists discovered that room-temperature watermelons stored for two weeks after they are determined ripe to pick by growers contained 40 percent more lycopene and 50 to 140 percent more betacarotene than just-picked melons. Watermelons appear to get more nutrient-dense with some period of room-temperature storage.

Now there’s Alternative Health Blog news you can use. 

The researchers documented that lycopene continues to be manufactured in the melon. When you hear vegetarians or raw food enthusiasts talk about "live foods," this sort of lycopene and nutrient production is an example of what they mean.

One note: Mass-harvested melons from big growers are typically stored for two to three weeks at 55 degrees, which doesn’t quell the lycopene as much as the standard 37 to 41 degrees of a fridge but still is down from the optimum of 70 degrees or room temperature.

So, when possible, buy your watermelons from local or small growers, then keep them out for a while at home. Maybe look for mini-melons if you don’t have big crowd on hand. An important note: Only once you have cut melon should it go into the fridge.

That is, if you can resist eating an extra slice or two of a crisp watermelon on a warm summer night.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. 

For 16 years as a health columnist for two major newspapers I talked to hundreds of scientists about their research on dietary supplements. I make it a point to always ask the same question during our conversation: Do you take this stuff yourself?

In a story last summer about vitamin D deficiency in the Los Angeles Times, reporter Thomas H. Maugh II notes that “most researchers in the field now take 1,500 IUs [international units] per day” or nearly four time the federally recommended daily amount of vitamin D.

That is telling. And the vitamin D buzz hasn’t slowed in the last year. 

Researchers are gripping the central role of vitamin D before the rest of us—in their animal labs and from clinical trials and meta-analsyes with humans. They realize ‘D’ stands for “Defend” your body from heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other conditions.

Some examples: A study published in late 2008 shows a link between low body levels of vitamin D and increased risk for diabetes. Another 2008 study, published in the Annals for Internal Medicine by Harvard School of Public Health researcher Dr. Edward Giovannucci, evaluated more than 18,000 men. The analysis indicated men with vitamin D deficiency are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack as males with normal amounts of D.

Vitamin D researchers say the research isn’t conclusive enough to make a direct cause-and-effect between the vitamin and disease. Yet they do say that keeping an adequate amount in the bloodstream doesn’t seem unhealthy—and might turn out to be a health ace in the hole. Scientists speculate that low vitamin D levels might lead to calcium buildup in plaque on artery walls or perhaps adversely affect blood pressure or heart muscle contractions.

You probably know that 10 to 20 minutes of daily sunshine on the face and forearms can suffice for vitamin D intake as the body manufactures it through the sun exposure. In fact, 20 minutes of lunchtime exposure for a white adult on a sunny day can provide up to a natural 20,000 IU boost. Dark-skinned individuals have to stay in the sun longer for the same IU outcome. For the record, researchers say it is potentially toxic to take any more than 4,000 IU per day on a supplement basis.

So it might be wise to develop a plan that allows you some sun time without sun block, but not so much you burn or increase risk of skin aging or cancer. A morning walk with the dog or a post-lunch brisk jaunt without sunscreen can be adequate. You can also naturally increase vitamin D by eating oily or cold-water fish (salmon, anchovies, sardines, herring) and drinking milk (there are some studies pointing to milk from grass-fed cows being more nutritious and potentially higher in vitamin D content). Fill out your vitamin D intake with a supplement, keeping in mind the researchers in the know are not hesitant to reach 1,200 IU per day.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

It is not surprising that South Dakota State University is a leading research center for analyzing the health value of flax seed. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reports that North Dakota is the top state for flax production, followed by Montana, South Dakota and Minnesota.

What’s surprising is that a distinguished professor at South Dakota State, Chandradhar Dwivedi, so clearly points to flax meal as superior to flax oil for health purposes. You can buy high-quality flax meal (grinded flax seeds) for less than a dollar per pound. Go organic, maybe it sets you back three to four bucks for a bag that lasts for weeks, even months.

Flax oil, in contrast, is pricey—roughly a dollar or so per ounce—because it is more concentrated and extracting oil from flax seeds is a more costly proposition. It would benefit flax producers if flax oil were the optimal nutrition methodology.

What Dwivedi found is that flax meal offers something you can’t replicate in flax oil. In animal studies, Dwivedi shows evidence that both flax meal and flax oil can help prevent colon cancer cell growth. The next step was to compare flax meal and flax oil.

“I did research first on flaxseed oil, which has roughly 58 percent of [healthy] omega-3 fatty acids,” says Dwivedi, head of pharmaceutical sciences in the College of Pharmacy at South Dakota State.  “It prevented colon cancer development in mice.

“Then I got further into flax research and looked at flaxseed meal. Flaxseed meal has omega-3 fatty acids, just as in flaxseed oil, but at the same time it has a chemical known as lignan. Lignans also have been reported to be cancer chemopreventive. Flaxseed meal has lignan plus omega-3s. It's much better than flaxseed oil.”

Dwivedi has presented his findings at Flax Institute meeting. He says flax producer organizations are willing to fund the next wave of flax meal studies. The goal is to see whether the lignans in flax meal might not only prevent cancer but be used to treat it in patients already diagnosed with colon cancer.

Here’s insight into how scientific research and intution can intersect. Dwivedi originally started his flax research because his family cooked with mustard oil when Dwivedi growing up in northeastern India. As child in India, he remembers that most of the cooking was done with mustard oil.

It turned out in that area of India the rate of cardiovascular disease and cancer was much lower than even other areas of India. So Dwivedi and his family associated mustard with enhanced health. He applied the folk theory when he became a researcher, discovering omega-3 fats make up about a quarter of mustard oil.

Problem: The mustard we use as a condiment in the U.S. has been processed to remove the omega-3 fats. We are taking out the best part of the plant.

Dwivedi realized this limitation and looked for another plant source of omega-3s to protect the heart, colon and other major organs. He thinks he has found it in flax.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Here’s one reason why the Alternative Health Blog exists: A new federal report reveals that Americans spent $11 billion on doctors' bills and prescription drugs for allergies in 2005. Those are the last official numbers.

Note that was four years ago. The outlay of dollars is almost double the $6 billion spent in 2000. Do the math and the 2008 cost is probably going to top $15 billion.

It probably won’t surprise you that about two-thirds of the $11 billion in 2005 went to prescription drugs.

Important to note: Not all over-the-counter synthetic drug remedies “for treatment of allergic rhinitis” are even included in the statistics from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, though popular medications Claritin and Zyrtec are part of the numbers because they were prescription-only in 2005 and 2000.

On the other hand, lots of over-the-counter antihistamines aren’t counted. You know the brand names and maybe even popped a few now and then.

I will admit to doing just that back in the early 1990s while running from meeting to meeting as sports editor at the Chicago Tribune during the first three title years for pro basketball’s Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan. The capsules kept my nasal passages clear and seemed a small expense to eliminate the nuisance of a runny nose and scratchy throat. There were games to cover and raves to publish about Jordan’s spectacular feats.

Then my wife, smart woman and best friend, convinced me all that nose and throat activity was a signal from my body to my mind, as in, “hey, you, something’s not right here.” She referred me to a reflexologist, Larry Clemmons, who turned out to be a founder of national reflexology certification organizations and one gentle soul.

Larry set out a simple treatment plan. Give it six sessions over six weeks. He would work and manipulate my toes and feet as a sort of nerve panel for the body. “You might drain a lot in the day or two after your visit,” he said.

In other words, it might feel like I was getting worse instead of better. That turned out to be true, but only during the hours after the first two to three sessions.

“Just don’t take anything [antihistamines] to mask it,” said Larry.

Larry’s clinical work made me practically eject of my chair when he was working my toes. Reflexologists work on the premise that certain areas of the foot energetically relate to organs and body parts. The toes, especially the big ones, are connected with sinuses.

One other suggestion from Larry, who became a lifelong friend even though we live 2,000 miles apart these days: “Stop eating dairy products or drinking milk for now. You can reintroduce them later.”

The treatment worked. I tossed out my remaining packs of OTC remedies and stayed off milk (went to soy) for maybe a year. I didn’t worry much about cheese, though I don’t eat a lot of it anyway, always asking restaurants to easy on the cheese on pizzas and burritos. I did and still do eat plenty of yogurt, and when I went back to milk (for my cereal and occasional lattes being an Americano/no room kind of guy most of the time) I stuck to hormone-free and organic when possible.

I don’t miss those allergy capsules. The six weeks of treatments with Larry cost me a whole lot less than my drugstore bill would have been in the last two decades.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“Eat your greens” is undeniable health advice. But a study by Penn State scientists makes the credo, well, a bit nutty. That’s because the research shows pistachios can fight cholesterol in two distinct and powerful ways.

While nuts have been associated with heart health for more than a decade—despite the hard-to-shake reputation of being fatty foods—pistachios have overshadowed by more studied nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and even macadamia nuts (which have the highest fat content of all nuts). Peanuts have been widely studied, too, though you likely know that peanuts are technically legumes and not nuts.

Not surprisingly, most of the nut studies are funded by growers and food manufacturers. That’s the case with the Penn State research, too, also financially staked in part by the National Institutes of Health. Yet the nut research is published in peer-reviewed medical journals and scientifically performed. Basically, these studies set up the nuts for success and, thanks to the medicinal power of plant foods, the nuts prove to be significant health boosters. Walnuts have been widely associated with protecting against cancer, while almonds have gained acceptance as cardiovascular powerhouses.

Now pistachios arrive with serious scientific meddle. The Penn State researchers showed that pistachios not only lower LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) because the nut contains omega-3 fats that sweep away the unwanted LDL in the blood and arteries, but that a pistachio also contains a substance that controls an enzyme called stearoyl CoA desaturase that is vital to cholesterol buildup.

Not bad for a nut that for decades was best known for shells dyed red to gain attention.

The Penn State study used a controlled feeding approach in which the volunteer subjects eat only food provided by the researchers. All volunteers consumed a typical American diet for two weeks, which translated to 35 percent overall fat and 11 percent saturated fat of daily calories. Saturated fat is considered the primary culprit is leading cholesterol to clog arteries.

Then the study subjects tested three cholesterol-reduction diets for a month apiece, with two-week breaks in between the month-long diet trials.  The first month’s diet featured 25 percent overall and 8 percent saturated fat with no pistachios. The second month-long diet included enough pistachios to represent 10 percent of all calories consumed for the day/week/month. The third month-long diet upped the pistachio intake to 20 percent of daily calories. Half of the nuts were used for snacks while the other half were employed in meals and recipes.

As a result of adding pistachios, the second month-long diet was 30 percent total fat and 8 percent saturated fat, while the third diet was 34 percent total fat and 8 percent saturated fat. Note that pistachios added zero saturated fat.

The diet with the most pistachios—and, yes, the most fat—reduced LDL cholesterol levels by 12 percent more than the no-nut cholesterol-reduction diet. The diet with moderate pistachio intake (call it a daily handful) reduced cholesterol by nine percent compared to the control group.

Here’s where it gets interesting for pistachio lovers and growers alike. The Penn State researchers found the “fatty acid profile of pistachios” is not plentiful enough to reduce LDL that effectively, suggesting that the green nuts likely contain “phytosterols” that further act to unclog arteries and prevent blood clots that cause heart attacks.

Eat your greens, indeed. While snacking on pistachios is appealing, you might find that adding them to salads, smoothies (for a great flavor) or grinding them to coat your fish or chicken breast will add variety to your cholesterol busting.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  

Over the last couple of years turmeric has become a darling of nutrition researchers. One particularly important study showed the spice reduces inflammation in mice. Curry all around was the conclusion, since there is no toxic dose associated with turmeric. Asian cuisine basked in the healthy glow of the research.

Not to be outdone, the herb oregano is giving a similar boost to Italian foods and pizza sauce. A 2008 study completed by Swiss researchers (?!) shows that oregano is an ultimate inflammation fighter. The active ingredient, betacaryophyllin, helped seven out of every 10 mice to recover from inflamed paws.

The study was published here in the U.S. in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, marking a significant mainstream mile for the herb—and for betacaryophyllin, abbreviated as E-BCP, which is also plentiful in black pepper (“yes, I would like fresh-ground pepper on my salad”), rosemary and cinnamon (also found in research literature to be a regulator of bad cholesterol). Plus, basil, so those Italians clearly know how to stem inflammation too.

Reducing chronic inflammation is no small thing, as it is increasingly associated with leading to heart attacks and sits at the root of autoimmune disorders including diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis among others. One promising discovery is oregano and E-BCP could well work to prevent the immune system for overacting and attacking itself, which is at the core of autoimmune disorders.

And there’s more. The Swiss scientists reported that lab findings suggest that oregano could well hold off the bone degeneration associated with osteoporosis. While not part of this study, the researchers speculated that E-BCP could address inflammation of the bowel associated with Crohn’s disease.

The new research doesn’t surprise those of us who have discovered oil of oregano, especially as a cold and flu remedy. Natural-health conscious parents say five drops in a bit of water, then gargle with it, stops a sore throat in its tracks. The oil has a strong, bitter taste, so you might want to mask it for kids.

Health practitioners who work with essential oils will point to the triple-threat potency of oil of oregano, identifying it as antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. European herbal research consistently shows oregano as one of the most potent for immune-boosting properties.

The oil of oregano products are important to keep in mind because what might be labeled “oregano” in a dried herb products can actually be Spanish marjoram, which is clearly not oregano. You want to look for sourcing information to identify the herb as wild oregano, which is typically grown in the Mediterranean region. Essential oil, of course, distilled the plant down to a concentrated and therapeutic form. Be savvy about where and how you get your oregano and health rewards await.

And probably even better tasting pizza sauce. 

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

The Mediterranean diet has been long praised as heart-healthy, even with its fat content from olive oil, fish and nuts. Those omega-3 fats, of course, are healthy and far from the artery-clogging nature of saturated fats and trans fats. Another plus of the Mediterranean diet: Lots of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables.

A 2008 study broadens the health value of those omega-3 fats and antioxidants, along with  the fresh produce and whole grains—and don’t forget the feta—that are staples in countries such as Greece. Research published last year in the professional journal Thorax indicates the Med diet can help expectant moms protect their baby from asthma and allergies.

It adds a whole new perspective and tang to Greek salad.

Remember, too, that the Mediterranean diet only serves up eggs, milk and chicken in moderate amounts and even less red meat.

Scientists at the University of Crete in Greece followed 460 mother/child pairs from pregnancy through age 6. The moms were scored as high or low in Mediterranean diet quality. The better the Med diet quality, the smaller the risk that the new baby would suffer from allergies and asthma.

Some specific examples: Expectant mothers who consumed eight or more servings of vegetables each week were statistically less likely to bear children with chronic wheezing. The researchers found a similar pattern if the moms ate three or more fish servings per week.

Eating healthy while expecting is a logical step. This new research, while needing follow-up studies,  suggests that new moms can become even more strategic about the types of foods and meals they plan to eat.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

Chinese healers have long believed in the power of the body’s energy or chi (pronounced “chee”). You likely know that it is the object of acupuncture needles, to realign the chi. It’s not all together different than seeing the chiropractor for getting an adjustment for a sore neck or painful back.

Those acupuncture needles, while not anywhere near as unpleasant as you might think—if you have tried it, you know what I mean, patients often doze during acupuncture treatments—are not for everyone. And the treatments can add up on the cost side if your health insurance plan doesn’t cover the therapy.

All of those reasons are part of what the Chinese culture has long practiced the martial art of tai chi, to fortify the chi, feel more vibrant and whole, be stronger and achieve clarity of body, mind and spirit.

Here in the U.S., the most popular form of the ancient Chinese martial art is called tai chi chih. It is practice of slow, gentle movements that has gained a steady following, if not matching the monster numbers of yoga in this country. Researchers have noticed too. Northwestern University’s Timothy Hain, an associate professor of neurology, has conducted a number of studies showing that tai chi chih can improve balance in elderly volunteers, including those with limited mobility. Hain has turned his work with tai chi chih toward individuals with ringing in the ears and other hearing disorders.

UCLA researchers have made another strong case for taking up tai chi chih as a gentle yet effective addition to our exercise programs. That goes double if you are growing a bit older. The UCLA scientists, publishing their study in the July 2008 issue of the journal Sleep, showed that a regular practice of tai chi chih helped older volunteers to rest easier at night.

This is particularly attractive because it is documented that it becomes harder to get a good’s night sleep as we age. Research shows about half of all older adults struggle falling asleep or getting back to sleep a few times per week.

Two-thirds of the tai chi chih volunteers enjoyed improved sleep, while only one-third of a control participating in health education sessions rested better than before the study. Lead researcher Michael R. Irwin compared the effect of a tai chi chih practice to sedative drugs or cognitive behavioral therapy. Joining a tai chi chih class is considerably less expensive than cognitive therapy, while there are no side effects from medications. Many health clubs and community recreation programs are offering tai chi chih to get you started or you can browse the DVD offerings. In any case, you can learn to do it at home without many obstacles. Then it becomes about as inexpensive as it can get.

The level of tai chi chih participation in the study was three 45-minute classes per week. Irwin and his colleagues noted that people moved from “poor” sleepers to “good” sleepers during the 16 weeks of the study, a significant jump both statistically and in quality of life. Just ask anyone who struggles as a poor sleeper.

Whether you call it sweat or the more proper, “perspiration,” it appears getting a bit clammy while working out protects against exercise-induced asthma attacks.

A recent study by scientists at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego evaluated 56 otherwise healthy Marines who were challenged with such symptoms as wheezing, coughing or breathlessness during high-exertion spurts of physical activity. Those Marines who sweated more suffered fewer systems.

That’s the kind of opposites attraction you are looking for in life.

The study was published in this month’s issue of the medical journal Chest. The researchers suggested that the “same mechanisms” that generate a person’s sweat volume also dictates the amount of water secreted by the lungs’ airways. In contrast, the Marines who perspired less also experienced more problems and, likely, drier airways. A lack of moisture in the airways tends to constrict the passages and lead to breathing disruption during the workout.

Not surprisingly, sweating more during exercise also leads to greater saliva and teardrop production. As we all learned in school—gee, wasn’t health class fun?—sweating is a natural process and some of us perspire more than others. Like Michael Jordan, one of the coolest human beings in history, who would stand dripping at the free throw line during Chicago Bulls games. But the researchers were clear: Don’t purposefully overheat yourself during exercise (no rubber suits allowed); that can be dangerous.

While the 56 Marines in the study (whose bodies were voluntarily manipulated with medications to induce airway narrowing and heavier-than-normal sweating) are no doubt elite athletes, Dr. Warren Lockette, lead author of the study, has a first-hand look at how exercise-induced asthma can affect Olympians. He is medical adviser to the University of Michigan’s women’s swimming team (and, yes, he bumped into mega-gold medalist Michael Phelps regularly in Ann Arbor).

“It is unclear why so many elite athletes have exercise-induced asthma,” Lockette said as part of the study’s release. “It is possible that they manifest symptoms of exercise-induced asthma simply because their levels of exertion and breathing rate are so high compared with the average, competitive sportsman.”

In his work as chief researcher at the Naval Medical Center and formerly as a medical officer with the Navy SEALS, Lockette was keenly aware that some young recruits were blocked from becoming divers or special warfare operations participants because of exercise-induced asthma. It motivated him to look deeper at the problem, which is especially vexing for how it fells such highly conditioned individuals.

The study results confirmed some measures that Lockette already suggested for University of Michigan swimmers and others who train in Ann Arbor and with the Olympic program.

“We found that by controlling air quality during workouts, as well as by providing individualized attention to our athletes’ hydration and nutrition, we could reduce the limitations imposed by hyperreactive airways in many individuals,” said Lockette.

“It now appears that how much fluid your airways secrete could be a key determinant in protecting you from exercise-induced asthma,” he said. “So, if athletes sweat, drool, or cry, at least they won’t gasp.”

If you are wondering, yes, you can sweat profusely during a fitness swim. It might not seem like it, but laps in the pool can be a superior cardiovascular workout. Phelps, for instance, regularly exhorted Michigan football and basketball players about the quality of swimming workouts. Braylon Edwards, a star wide receiver for pro football’s Cleveland Browns and former Michigan standout, was persuaded enough to make swimming part of his off-season conditioning. He ran track drills in the water one day and swam the next.

That water-workout thing turned out sort of OK for Phelps. Let’s see if Edwards gets along as swimmingly is his chosen sport this fall.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

The U.S. census gathers more data than strictly population. For instance, we know from federal statistics that Americans spend about 84 percent of their life indoors. Office workers, on average, spend about 52 hours in their cubicles or work spaces.

Yikes.

Think about all that time in artificial light, less than optimal air conditions, germs during cold season, potential exposure to cleaning chemicals, well, you get the idea. It’s now wonder that research the majority of our country’s office workers are either not satisfied with their jobs and/or stressed out to the max.

A recent study suggests there might be one way to reverse the unhappy trend: Bring in some plants to those office spaces. Or at least let workers see some green out the window.

Tina Maria Cade, associate professor of horticulture at Texas State University, surveyed individuals who worked in parts of Texas and a number of Midwestern states. What she found is that people who worked in offices with live plants or window views (not necessarily sitting by a window) reported higher job satisfaction and quality of life than respondents who didn’t do their jobs among plants and with any plants, trees or grass out their windows (if, in fact, they had windows). The findings held no matter if a worker was a boss, assistant or team member.

This study is not the first to introduce live plants or out-the-window landscapes as both healthful for individuals and productive for companies. The University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, in particular, has pioneered this line of work.

The Texas State study nonetheless is the latest reminder, though, that nature heals us if we allow. Compliments of the Daily Health Blog or DHB, here are some other research citations to explain to the boss just why there are, oh, five new plants in the office or that a lunchtime walk might be good team-building:

• A 1984 study by a Texas A&M researcher who found hospital patients with courtyard rooms with views of plants and other greenery healed faster than people with less pleasant perspectives from the window. Besides shorter hospital stays, the courtyard patients received fewer negative notes on nurse reports and requested fewer pain-control drugs.

• A 1990 report from a NASA environmental psychologist, Yvonne Clearwater, who showed that even simulated views of nature in a room without windows can reduce stress and relieve boredom for people in confined settings (including astronauts).

• A 1993 paper by Rachel Kaplan, a professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, covered two experiments that recorded increased productivity by office workers who were afforded more scenic views from their windows. It concluded that simply having a window is not enough: “If all that can be seen are built elements, even if they do not obstruct the natural light or reduce access to the world beyond, the psychological benefits are not fostered. But the elements of nature that seem to make a strong difference need not be any more than a few trees, some landscaping or some signs of vegetation.”

Browse the aisles of your local health supplements store and you will likely see calcium and magnesium side-by-side and frequently in the same capsule. But sort of like twins with one sister being a movie star and the other, say, a graduate student in biology, calcium gets all of the pub while magnesium just keeps earning the good grades.

Two 2008 studies suggests that a sufficient dose of magnesium can lower blood pressure (confirming earlier research) and help prevent or dissolve gallstones. The hypertension study showed that magnesium-challenged individuals tend to develop more arterial thickness as they age, which is one big reason why blood pressure zooms upward. Get enough magnesium and those artery walls stay open and supple.

The gallstones study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, followed more than 42,000 men over 16 years. Those guys with a daily magnesium intake of more than 409 milligrams were 28 percent less likely to develop gallstones than males with daily magnesium intakes of less than 288 milligrams.

Taking a calcium-magneisum supplment is a good strategy, especially because taking it before bed can encourage a deeper, more restful sleep. But it always makes sense to add magnesium-rich foods to your diet. Some of the best choices include halibut, artichokes, bananas, figs, barley, brown rice (takeout nutrition), whole wheat flour (buckwheat flour is even higher in magnesium, take note make-from-scratch pancake lovers), almonds, Brazil nuts (also a protector against prostate cancer), cashews, pine nuts, black beans, navy beans, white beans, soybeans, cornmeal, spinach, pumpkin seeds, okra and tomato paste.

There’s a lot of recipes in there. Maybe it’s time for magnesium to play a starring role.

Over the last decade, scientists have speculated that our intestinal linings contain certain cells that are exactly the same molecular structure as brain cells. From there, the scientists make the logical and seemingly feasible assumption that our guts act as a second brain in the body, even dispensing orders and signals to other cells.

Gut instinct, indeed.

A study published last year in the American Journal of Gastroenterology gives credence to the “second-brain” nature of the gut—and, perhaps even more surprisingly, the study gives some major props to the healing power of hypnotherapy. Forget the hypnotist at the county fair. British researchers have shown that one 50-minute hypnosis session can significantly reduce the inflammation associated with ulcerative colitis in the colon and rectum, which is as disruptive to quality of life as it sounds with abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea.

In the study, admittedly small, the Brit researchers administered a 50-minute session of “gut-focused” hypnotherapy to 17 patients with ulcerative colitis. The hypnotherapy was designed to reduce inflammation and encourage relaxation. A control group of eight patients with colitis were allowed to listen to music of their choice as their “therapy.”

After the 50 minutes, the researchers measured a marker of inflammation, IL-6, through blood tests. The patients undergoing hypnotherapy dropped their IL-6 by more than 50 percent. Individuals in the control group enjoyed no change  in IL-6 measurements. Moreover, other chemical markets of inflammation were further reduced in the hypnotherapy group and unchanged among the control participants.

What impressed the researchers is that one “short” hypnotherapy session made such a big impact. While they didn’t speculate on just why or how hypnosis clears inflammation—the DHB is going the second-gut hypothesis—the scientists did strongly suggest the results dictate a larger clinical trial to see if hypnotherapy can benefit colitis patients even more over weeks or months.

Previous research shows that hypnosis can improve quality of life and symptoms for individuals with ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. The British scientists did suggest that perhaps hypnotherapy helps all three conditions because all three are subject to fluctuation and worsening of symptoms due to psychological stress. Hypnotherapy can potentially remedy those flare-ups without drugs.

We’ll just have to hope more researchers, um, follow their gut instincts on this one.

The pomegranate offers a healthy outlook for both you and food companies making juices and other products from the ancient fruit. The pomegranate grows wild from Iran to India, but is getting plenty of attention from California growers who have cultivated the plant.

Research on the “pom” first appeared from Israel, which is well regarded for its nutrition academics. Scientists from other countries have followed suit to offer encouraging study results about the deep red, seed-heavy fruit. Here are some of the most results to date about pure pomegranate juice and pomegranate extract:

-- Compounds in pomegranate extract have stopped or delayed formation of prostate cancer tumors in mice.

-- At least one study says pomegranate consumption can reduce risk for breast cancer.

-- Prevents LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) from oxidization, which is believed to be the first step of heart disease. Other research indicates pomegranate juice can thin the blood and prevent clots, similar to aspirin.

-- Another study connected eight daily ounces of pomegranate juice with increasing the amount of oxygen available to the heart muscle.

-- At least one study shows long-term consumption of pomegranate juice can help protect against erectile dysfunction.

Recent research, including a study published in the professional Journal of Inflammation last fall, provides more evidence that pomegranate extract can significantly reduce chronic inflammation. Scientists agree inflammation is an unfortunate mainstay of autoimmune disorders and osteoarthritis among others, but also is increasingly linked with heart disease. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, who first reported on the pomegranate fruit’s deterrent effect on inflammation and enzymes that otherwise break down cartilage in 2005, say new findings make an even stronger case.

The 2005 study was conducted on human tissue samples in the lab. The new study involved feeding the fruit extract orally to rabbits who were experiencing inflammatory conditions. When the Case Western scientists reported in 2005, they made it clear they did yet know if the pomegranate’s compound would make it past the gut and into the bloodstream.

The 2008 study proves ingestion produces the anti-inflammatory action, and that’s no small thing. Case Western scientists recorded that antioxidant levels were way up in blood samples taken after the rabbits drank pomegranate extract as compared to before the pomegranate extract. What’s more, the proteins associated with inflammation were substantially less in the “after” than the “before.”

One caveat: Some studies suggest that pomegranate juice might disrupt the action of certain medications, especially blood pressure drugs, similar to the widely reported blocking effect of grapefruit juice.

Nutritionists who advise clients to seek more whole and natural foods are always concerned about whether clients are adequately absorbing all the healthful substances in, say, fruits and veggies and grains. This study is another point in the plus column for the pomegranate but perhaps even more so for showing the fresh plant foods we consume are on a direct freeway to our bloodstreams and cells.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Gluten-free eating is becoming easier as natural groceries, some supermarket chains, bakeries and restaurants all strive to provide tasty options that don’t contain the central wheat ingredient. Some people go gluten-free on a natural health practitioner’s suggestion, feel better, say, less congested and more energetic, which in turn motivates them to learn new recipes that bypasses the gluten (spelt bread or rice pasta, anyone?).

In some treatment programs, the patient or client will go gluten-free for an extended period to discover whether it helps a condition, then add back small to moderate amounts of wheat foods into his or her diet. But for some recharged gluten-free eaters going back to wheat (and other grass-related grains with gluten, such as barley and rye) in pizzas, cookies, breads and pastas is a sickening choice.

Those folks, diagnosed or not, suffer from celiac disease. It is an autoimmune digestive disorder that disrupts the intestinal tract when gluten is part of the diet. The gluten specifically damages the surface of the small intestine, leading the body to struggle to absorb vital nutrients and vitamins.

A 2008 report from Dr. Jennifer Wider of the Society for Women’s Health Research states about two million American face the disease and it affects twice as many women as men. This ratio is common in the autoimmune disorder statistics and sometimes considerably more lopsided women compared to men.

It may seem like an easy condition to manage, but gluten is a protein found in many grains and is in a multitude of foods that include wheat, rye, barley or oats. When foods with gluten are digested, an immune reaction is triggered that damages the surface of the small intestine, resulting in the body’s inability to absorb needed vitamins and nutrients from food.

One major problem with celiac disease is the difficulty of diagnosing the condition. Symptoms vary by individual and a substantial number of doctors don’t contain wheat/gluten or even diet in general to adverse medical outcomes. That might change as mainstream medical schools, such as one at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, established centers for celiac research and treatment.

Nonetheless, the symptoms of diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain are huge drags on quality of life. And scientists are beginning to more directly link the consequences of other autoimmune diseases—lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, colitis and thyroid disease with some level of celiac intolerance.

It be worth a try for anyone with autoimmune problems to submit to a simple blood test that screens for the disease. Same goes for anyone who consistently endures intestinal symptoms. There are times when doctors must get a sample of intestinal tissue to confirm damage.

Shopping for gluten-free foods looks to get more consumer-friendly this summer. The Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to publish a a standard definition of “gluten-free” in August that will signal certain qualities and expectations.

For more info on celiac disease, check out the American Celiac Disease Alliace site (www.americanceliac.org) or the Celiac Sprue Association (www.csaceliacs.org).

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

John Lennon would like it. Give peace a chance and you might just be happier than most of the world. That is the message of new survey directed by Ronald Inglehart, a political scientist at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.

The World Values Survey, conducted regularly by a global network of political scientists and involving 350,000 respondents, named Denmark at the happiest country. Inglehart said the European nation’s happiness derives from democracy, social equity and a “peaceful atmosphere.”

Something tells me the television news is less dreary, too.

Not surprisingly, Zimbabwe, the African nation ripped apart by political and social struggles punctuated by violence, graded out as the least happy country. If you are wondering, the U.S. finished 16th happiest despite being the weathliest.

On the plus side, Inglehart reports that happiness by country and the world overall has increased in 45 of 52 nations in the last three decades.

Other countries ranking in the top 10 of happiness: Puerto Rico, Colombia, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Switzerland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada and Sweden.

There might be some surprises in there, but Inglehart said peace and democracy are important pillars of a society’s happiness. He also put in a positive word about the U.S.

"Though by no means the happiest country in the world, from a global perspective the United States looks pretty good," Inglehart said in an interview with Reuters. "The country is not only prosperous; it ranks relatively high in gender equality, tolerance of ethnic and social diversity and has high levels of political freedom."

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

Can dessert improve your blood pressure?

The answer is yes if the dessert is a bowl of berries and if you consider a bowl of berries to be dessert. Here at DHB, we would add a dollop of plain vanilla to the bowl, maybe with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Eating a half-cup of mixed berries after lunch and dinner helped volunteers in a 2008 Finnish study reduce their blood pressure readings by more than 7 points (mm HG, to be technical) in just eight weeks. No other lifestyle changes were manipulated.

What’s more, the berry eaters in the study increased their HDL or “good” high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by five percent. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Iris Erlund and colleagues at the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki used a variety of berries to maximize the “various polyphenols” found in berries and thought to help reduce blood pressure. The Finns used bilberries, lingonberries, black currants and strawberries. Feel free to substitute, raspberries, blueberries, blackberry and other local berries (loganberry, marionberry, huckleberry); just be sure that you are dishing up mixed berries.

Erlund also credited vitamin C in the berries as helping known down blood pressure readouts. So now it is documented that berries not only reduce blood pressure, but additionally lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol, fight cancer cells and help prevent or stall Alzheimer’s disease.

If you are interested, the researchers did incorporate pure berry juice and nectar into the consumption for the experiemental group, but be sure to keep your juice consumption to four to six ounces and always eat fresh berries at least once a day after lunch or dinner.

Erlund said she plans upcoming studies to determine which combination of berries are most therapeutic and made it clear that what researchers are learning about the healing power of berries is just in the early stages.

Just one question: Which way to the closest farmers market?

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.