Tag: Dr Jocelin’s Health Tip of the Week

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Low-Dose Aspirin Is Now Out of Favor with the Medical Establishment

A series of recent studies have caused the powers that be in the medical community to suddenly look with disfavor on the use of daily, low-dose aspirin for preventing heart disease.

Millions and millions and millions of people around the world have been taking daily, low-dose aspirin for decades because the medical community has told them that this will prevent heart attacks and strokes. After all, taking aspirin is easy to do (a whole lot easier than losing weight, exercising, and eating healthy), costs just pennies, and almost every doctor recommends it to their patients – especially their elderly patients. It is thought by the medical community that aspirin’s anti-inflammatory properties help delay the onset or progress of some diseases (especially heart disease) over a long period. In truth, however, this theory has not been proven. In fact, information on the use of aspirin to increase healthy independent lifespans in older persons is quite limited. The bottom line is that whether 5 years of daily low-dose aspirin therapy can extend disability-free life in healthy seniors is unclear.

This question was answered in five studies and one set of guidelines that were released in three devastating blows from September 2018 through March 2019.

First Blow: Aspirin Doesn’t Help, and It Does Increase Gastrointestinal Bleeding

The first blow was the large observational ASPREE Study (Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly), which was initiated in 2010 and involved participants in Australia and the US. It focused on the efficacy and safety of daily, low-dose aspirin in the elderly for the prevention of a range of disabilities, including heart disease, and the results were published last fall in The New England Journal of Medicine.

From 2010 through 2014, participants were enrolled who were 70 years of age or older (or ≥65 years of age among blacks and Hispanics in the United States) and did not have cardiovascular disease, dementia, or physical disability. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 100 mg per day of enteric-coated aspirin or placebo orally. The primary end point was a composite of death, dementia, or persistent physical disability. Secondary end points reported in this article included the individual components of the primary end point and major hemorrhage.  A total of 19,114 persons with a median age of 74 years were enrolled, of whom 9,525 were randomly assigned to receive aspirin and 9,589 to receive placebo.

The trial was terminated at a median of 4.7 years of follow-up after a determination was made that participants would receive no benefit with continued aspirin use, at least regarding the primary end point. The rate of the composite of death, dementia, or persistent physical disability was 21.5 events per 1,000 person-years in the aspirin group and a slightly – albeit statistically insignificant – lower figure of 21.2 per 1,000 person-years in the placebo group. Additionally, differences between the aspirin group and the placebo group once again favored the placebo group – at a statistically insignificant level – with regard to the secondary individual end points of death from any cause (12.7 events per 1,000 person-years in the aspirin group and 11.1 events per 1,000 person-years in the placebo group). But more statistically significant and shocking was the fact that the rate of major hemorrhage was 36% higher in the aspirin group than in the placebo group (3.8% vs. 2.8%).

To put it in simple terms, the study’s conclusion stated:

“Aspirin use in healthy elderly persons did not prolong disability-free survival over a period of 5 years but led to a higher rate of major hemorrhage than placebo.”

Second Blow: Aspirin Does Not Reduce Mortality and It Profoundly Increases Major Bleeding Events

The second mortal blow to the use of low-dose aspirin came on January 22, 2019, when the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a study that found that taking aspirin on a regular basis to prevent heart attacks and strokes can lead to an increased risk of almost 50% in major bleeding episodes.

The results showed that:

Aspirin use was associated with an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular events.  To put this in more easily understandable terms based on the criteria and study participants of 164,225 people, approximately 250 patients needed to be treated with aspirin for 5 years to prevent a single heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death.

Aspirin use was associated with a 43% increased risk of major bleeding events, compared to those who did not take it.

Approximately one in 200 people treated with aspirin had a major bleed.

No effect was seen with aspirin on new cancer diagnoses or deaths.

In a University news release, lead author, Dr Sean Zheng, Academic Clinical Fellow in Cardiology at King’s College London said: “This study demonstrates that there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine aspirin use in the prevention of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths in people without cardiovascular disease.

Third Blow: The Coup de Grace. 

And then on March 17, 2019, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association dealt the coup de grace.

The ACC/AHA Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines commissioned this guideline to consolidate existing recommendations and various recent scientific statements, expert consensus documents, and clinical practice guidelines into a single guidance document focused on the primary prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD)–including newly generated, specific recommendations for aspirin use. Those recommendations stated:

Low-dose aspirin (75-100 mg orally daily) MIGHT be considered for the primary prevention of ASCVD among select adults 40 to 70 years of age who are at higher ASCVD risk but not at increased bleeding risk.

Low-dose aspirin (75-100 mg orally daily) should not be administered on a routine basis for the primary prevention of ASCVD among adults >70 years of age.

Low-dose aspirin (75-100 mg orally daily) should not be administered for the primary prevention of ASCVD among adults of any age who are at increased risk of bleeding.

In other words, taking a low-dose aspirin every day to prevent a heart attack or stroke is no longer recommended for most older adults, according to the guidelines. After doctors have almost universally proclaimed for decades that a daily dose of 75 to 100 milligrams of aspirin could prevent cardiovascular problems, while at the same time presenting minimal risk, this represents a startling about face.

The Guidelines went on to state that whereas low-dose aspirin was no longer recommended, lifestyle changes were. Some of the key lifestyle recommendations include engaging in regular exercise (at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week); aiming for and maintaining a healthy weight; avoiding tobacco (including vaping or second-hand smoke); and eating healthier.

In a simultaneous statement, also published by the American College of Cardiology, Roger S. Blumenthal, MD, co-chair of the 2019 Guidelines, said, “The most important way to prevent cardiovascular disease … is by adopting heart healthy habits and to do so over one’s lifetime. More than 80 percent of all cardiovascular events are preventable through lifestyle changes, yet we often fall short in terms of implementing these strategies and controlling other risk factors.”

This is exactly what we advocate at Whitaker’s Natural Market – improve your diet and lifestyle, include supporting supplements, and eliminate chemicals and toxins from your home and personal use.  So be sure to realize that there are many reasons to improving your diet and lifestyle! 

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The Natural Health Benefits of Lipase

Lipase is a pancreatic enzyme essential to your digestive system. The word “lipase” comes from the Greek word “lipos” which means fat. So, it should be no surprise that its main function is to break down fats in your intestinal tract into smaller more digestible components. Specifically, it converts the triglyceride component found in ingested fats into monoglycerides and two fatty acids. Incomplete digestion of fat allows fat to coat food particles and therefore interferes with the breakdown of other food components such as protein and carbohydrates.

Normal digestion of dietary fat is accomplished by lipase and bile. The function of bile, which is produced in the liver and stored/released by the gallbladder, is to emulsify dietary fats to facilitate the work of the lipase. Large fat molecules offer relatively little surface area for lipase to work on. Bile breaks down the large fat molecule into tiny droplets which provides lipase with an enormously increased surface to work on.

Since lipase digests fat and unbinds fat-soluble vitamins, people who are deficient in lipase may have a tendency towards high cholesterol, high triglycerides, difficulty losing weight, and either diabetes or prediabetes. Lipase deficient people also have decreased cell permeability, meaning nutrients cannot easily get into cells and waste cannot easily get out. Lipase in the bloodstream modulates cell-wall permeability so that nutrients can more easily enter and wastes exit. Waste-eating enzymes (such as protease, which works on protein) may also be taken to help cleanse the blood of unwanted debris.

People with celiac disease suffer from a variety of symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, weight loss, and fatigue. These symptoms are caused by damage to the intestinal tract from gluten, a protein found in grains. One side effect of the disease is the inability to produce adequate digestive secretions from the pancreas. Some studies have shown that supplementing with lipase may help with this issue.

People diagnosed with cystic fibrosis tend to have insufficient pancreas function. Studies show that supplementing with pancreatic enzymes including lipase can often lead to improved digestion, especially of fats.

There are a number of studies that show that lipase can significantly increase the body’s ability to digest fat. One such study on people suffering from pancreatic diseases found that large servings of lipase helped stabilize fat digestion in up to 63% of participants. Other studies have shown that supplementing with lipase can help reduce lipid malabsorption and return fat digestion to optimal levels. As a result, supplementation with lipase can help control appetite and support healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels

The general function of most digestive enzymes is to help you extract the energy and nutrients from the foods you eat. Lipase assists in this regard by helping us avoid excessive fecal fat loss which occurs when our bodies are unable to break down fats properly and extract the nutrients needed from our food. Proper levels of lipase allow the body to extract vital nutrients and also allow the proper digestion of essential fatty acids.

There are a variety of conditions associated with digestive upset including abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, nausea, heartburn, gas, and loss of appetite. One study of hospital patients showed that supplementing with lipase helped reduce these symptoms. In fact, after eight weeks of use, many of the symptoms were significantly improved in the participants taking the lipase supplement.
 
As you can see, there are many benefits associated with this enzyme. Unfortunately, the modern diet is essentially an enzyme-deficient diet – that is, a diet high in cooked and processed foods which leads to a deficiency in natural enzymes, especially lipase as we noted earlier because it is in most foods we typically cook but is destroyed by exposure to heat. If you are like most people who cook these types of foods, you will more than likely benefit from supplementing with digestive enzymes such as lipase.

And even if you eat properly and reduce your intake of cooked and processed foods, studies have shown that as you age, your production of the pancreatic enzymes decreases. What this all means is that for optimal health, you need to be supplementing with digestive enzymes that include lipase. Insufficient live digestive enzymes in the diet force the pancreas to overwork and over stress resulting in long-term, non-acute enlargement of the pancreas. Using supplemental enzymes, with every meal is one of the simplest things you can do to improve the health of your pancreas, which would otherwise need to produce the required enzymes, as well as taking stress off your gallbladder and liver. 

Be sure on your next visit to Whitaker’s to check out our large selection of Digestive Enzymes especially Comfort Zone by Solgar, Digest Ultimate by Now Foods, and Super Enzymes by Now Foods!

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Organic, Non-GMO, or Local, Part 2

This week I promised to share about the history of GMOs from my class on Local, Non-GMO, and Organic two weeks ago.

GMO Timeline:
•Late 1800s to Early 1900s – we begin to destroy the topsoil and nutrients found in it.
•1920s – Dust Bowl – crops wiped out and famine
•Late 1920s – financial collapse
•1940s – World War 2
•Late 1940s to 1950s – Begin using nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from chemical petroleum based fertilizers left from the war
•Late 1950s to 1960s – plants are now weakened due to lack of full mineral support and susceptible to bugs!
•1970s – Vietnam War and Agent Orange (aka RoundUp)
•1970s – Heavy usage of Glyphosate (RoundUp and other brand names) begins

You can see by this timeline, that we did not fix the soil problem of lack of nutrients, composting, and replenishment.  Rather, we are creating a monoculture and wiping out biodiversity as well as creating superbugs, “super plants”, and “super weeds”.  

GMOs means that someone “owns” your seeds.  Cross-pollination of other fields means contaminating heirloom seeds.  Legally, they can then “own” that seed/field.  The big selling point of GMOs is that they increase yield, and we need them in order to “feed the world.”  The truth is that GMOs do not increase yield.  From a report from 400 scientist “GMOs have nothing to offer to feed the hungry world, eradicate poverty, or create sustainable agriculture.” 

And not only that, but more and more studies are showing dangers.  Dr Arpad Pusztai of Aberdeen Rowett Institute – Rats fed GMO showed precancerious cell growth in their digestive system, brains, livers, and testicals, partial atrophy of the liver, and damaged immune system. Then Monsanto did a 90 day study on rats fed GMO corn.  The rats developed such serious problems, they rewrote the study to hide the results. 

This only goes to show more and more the importance of eating Organic and non-GMO.  

Be sure to check out our ever expanding Organic selection on your next visit to Whitaker’s –  everything from your baking supplies, eggs, meat, and general grocery items.  

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Organic, Non-GMO, or Local, Part 1

I thought I would share a few highlight points from my class last night.  We looked at the three types of food we often see at your local stores – Local, Non-GMO, and Organic.

Local depends on who is defining it.  One large grocery chain defines it as 1,500 miles!  At Whitaker’s, we define it as anything within the state of Ohio…the closer the better.  Local also only references the area it is grown, produced, or manufactured.  Local does not equal non-GMO or Organic.  In fact, Amish farmers in general have some of the highest pesticide usage!

Non-GMO means that there are no genetically modified organisms in the item.  GMOs are the result of a laboratory process where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and artificially forced into the genes of an unrelated plant or animal.  They are known to cause gut inflammation, toxicity, cancer, ADHD, and much more!  So eliminating them is definitely a step in the right direction; however, non-GMO foods can still be sprayed or fertilized chemically. 

Organic is no GMOs, no usage of synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives), no irradiation, and no usage of sewage sludge. The usage of pesticides is known to cause inflammation, fertility issues, cancer, leukemia, thyroid issues, ADHD, birth defects, miscarriages, possibly Parkinson’s, and much more!  So going 100% Organic in your diet eliminates many of the dangers from our food chain, reduces inflammation, and protects your body from ongoing damage.

Be sure to check out our ever expanding Organic selection on your next visit to Whitaker’s –  everything from your baking supplies, eggs, meat, and general grocery items.  

Tune in next week as I share the history of the development of GMOs…and why going non-GMO is so important to preserving our farm land!

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Diet Soda Increases Stroke Risk

Many people drink diet sodas and other artificially sweetened drinks simply because they’ve been having them for years. It may have begun in an attempt to be healthier, avoid excessive sugar intake, and keep weight under control. Of course, now most of us know more about the considerable downside to artificial sweeteners, but plenty of people still haven’t broken their habit. However, if you’re an older woman, you just might have one more reason to leave those diet sodas and other artificially sweetened drinks on the grocery store shelves. New research suggests that these kinds of drinks are associated with a considerable rise in the likelihood of having a stroke.

The study, which was conducted at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, found that the risk of stroke is notably increased in women who consume artificially sweetened beverages on a regular basis. These results are based on an investigation that included 81,714 women who had undergone menopause. All the subjects ranged in age from 50 to 79 when they committed to participation in the Women’s Health Initiative at some point between 1993 and 1998.

The volunteers were followed for an average of 11.9 years, with the researchers keeping tabs on their overall health status. During the study period, the subjects completed a questionnaire on their eating habits that included reporting how often they consumed diet sodas and diet fruit beverages across a three-month span.

Just under two-thirds of the participants said they consumed diet soda or fruit drinks less than once a week or not at all. In fact, it was only approximately five percent of the women who reported “heavy” consumption of these artificially sweetened drinks, which was defined as two or more drinks per day. However, among this group with the most frequent consumption of diet drinks, the overall stroke risk was 23 percent higher than for those who drank them less than once a week.

When the investigators separated out types of stroke, they discovered that ischemic strokes, which are brought on by blood clots, were 31 percent more likely in frequent drinkers of artificially sweetened beverages. That may be due to blocked arteries, which often arise from an accumulation of clots that reduce the flow of blood. What’s more, other cardiovascular issues and health problems were also associated with the diet drinks. The subjects who said they consumed two diet drinks a day or more had a 29 percent higher risk of developing heart disease. In addition, they had a 16 percent elevated risk of early mortality from any cause.

When broken down into subgroups, some segments of this population of postmenopausal women were also shown to have a greater chance of problems linked to their consumption of artificially sweetened drinks. Perhaps not surprisingly, obese women—even when they had no history of diabetes or heart disease—have twice the risk of suffering from a stroke if they frequently consume diet drinks. Perhaps more surprising were differences found by race. Black women who have no history of diabetes or heart disease have a whopping four times greater risk of stroke if they are heavy consumers of diet drinks. And all of the findings held steady even after the investigators controlled for potentially influential factors such as age, blood pressure levels, and smoking habits.

While the study was missing specific information as to which kinds of artificial sweeteners were used in the various diet drinks consumed, it is probably safe to say that any artificial type of sugar substitute is likely risky. Also, we don’t necessarily know that men or younger women would experience the same rise in stroke risk from artificially sweetened drinks, but we do know that they add no nutritional value and are linked to other health issues including heart disease, cancer, and weight gain.

Ultimately, it is far better to avoid artificial sweeteners in all your drinks. Instead, choose soda sweetened with evaporated cane sugar.  Be sure to check out our soda selection all sweetened with evaporated cane sugar on your next visit to Whitaker’s,

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Excess Weight Can Increase Your Cancer Risk!

Carrying a lot of excess weight is undeniably unhealthy. It can increase the chance of developing numerous conditions including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. You may think of these problems as something that takes a very long time to develop, occurring during the senior years or maybe in middle age if you’re unlucky. But new research indicates you can throw that thinking out the window. In the case of obesity-related cancers, the risk is on the rise even in young adults.

The study, which took place at the Surveillance and Health Services Research Program of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, Georgia, found that several forms of cancer known to be associated with obesity have been increasing in people between the ages of 25 and 49. These results are based on an evaluation of data collected in the cancer registries of 25 states, representing 67 percent of the United States population. The researchers focused on 30 common types of cancer, of which 12 are known to be related to obesity and that were diagnosed between 1995 and 2014.

Among young adults ranging in age from 25 to 49, the rates of several of those obesity-related cancers increased during the study period. These included cancer of the colon, gallbladder, kidney, pancreas, thyroid, and uterus, as well as multiple myeloma (a cancer of the plasma cells in the blood).  The rate increases varied by cancer types (varying from a 1-6% increase per year!). What’s more, the average annual rate of cancer is rising more quickly among younger people than older ones, even if the overall rate is still lower. In other words, while the total risk of developing any one of these kinds of cancer is still relatively low in people in their 20s, 30s, or 40s, the risk is clearly climbing much faster than it should be. And when considered cumulatively, the risk of developing some form of obesity-related cancer in your youth can no longer be dismissed. Since these cancers are all known to have a common risk factor of obesity, it makes perfect sense why they would be on the rise in younger adults. That’s because the rate of obesity has been steadily increasing since the late 1970s in the United States. In the years covered by the study period, the rate of obesity in the United States went from roughly 15 percent in 1995 to nearly 28 percent in 2014 and 39.8 percent in 2016—rising considerably among those under 50.

Obviously, obesity is not the only risk factor for any of these kinds of cancer, but it is one that is very much within our control. Therefore, to lower your risk, it is essential to lose excess weight. Eating a healthy diet based on grass fed meats, fish, fruits, nuts, and vegetables can help you manage your weight and reduce the likelihood of developing cancer.  Weight loss can also decrease your likelihood of other health issues including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and more.  Along with a healthy diet, supplements such as Slim VX1, 7-Keto, Apple Cider Vinegar Capsules, Cascara Sagrada, Diet Support, and EGCg can also help with weight loss.  Be sure to check out our weight loss section on your next visit to Whitaker’s,

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Women Stress More Than Men; however, Stress for Both Can Lead to Health Issues!

A recent survey of 2000 women by Garnier Fructis found that the average woman doesn’t have enough hours in a day to complete her tasks. In fact, she needs 82 more minutes daily than are available to get everything done. Seven in 10 women said they always feel rushed when they leave their homes. A full 38 percent said they hadn’t had an afternoon to themselves in more than a month. If they were given more time in the day, about half the women said they’d use it to sleep, indicating they aren’t getting enough z’s. Thirty-six percent would use the time to read, and about a third would use it to exercise.

Although, according to some measures, men and women report similar stress levels, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Brain & Behavior reported that two times as many women experience severe stress and anxiety compared to men. A 2006 study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found 51 percent of women reporting high levels of stress compared to 43 percent of men, and women repeatedly score higher in annual APA stress studies.

According to research published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, women react more to stress than men do. The article noted, “Although there was no difference in the number of life events experienced in the previous two years, the women rated their life events as more negative and less controllable than the men. The results of this study suggest that women suffer more stress than men… “
Women tend to get anxious and depressed when exposed to stress, whereas men tend to act out by drinking or carousing, according to one study. Another study found that women experience nervousness, a desire to cry, and lack of energy. Men, on the other hand, develop insomnia, irritability, and anger—once again acting out, rather than internalizing stress reactions.  Perhaps because women are more likely to internalize, twice as many women suffer from depression compared to men.

Likewise, stress drives women to the doctor more than it does men, and women report higher rates of stress-related illnesses such as hypertension, depression, anxiety, and obesity. An American Psychological Association study found that 41-percent of women report stress headaches versus 30 percent of men. Thirty-two percent experience stress-related digestive issues, versus only 21 percent of men. But interestingly, men are more likely to die as a result of stress than women are. Dr. Beverly Thorn of the University of Alabama explains, “The really interesting gender difference is that women… present for treatment more frequently and have a greater number of stress-related disorders than men, but men die more frequently of stress-related illnesses — heart disease, cancer, and auto-immune disease.”

Biochemical reasons underlie the gender differences in stress reactions. In women, stress causes a significant amount of the hormone oxytocin to be released in the brain, but men release much less. Oxytocin modulates the pinch of stress to some degree, and women tend to react by doing what experts call “tending and befriending.” In other words, they reach out to friends or care for others. Many men on the other hand, explode, get angry, irritable, or try to numb out by drinking.

As we’ve written often, stress is a precursor to numerous illnesses and must be managed. Although women may suffer more stress than men, they’re also more likely to do something about it, which may be the real reason they tend to survive stress more readily. Experts recommend combatting stress by:

  • Practice Self Care. Exercise is a great stress buster, as is getting enough sleep and eating healthy food.
  • Get Help. When stress becomes a problem, seek support. It’s essential to get perspective on your situation and to develop coping strategies.
  • Take a Break. Even if only a long bath or a 30-minute reading respite.
  • Avoid Triggers. It might take working with a therapist to even figure out what the triggers are, but once you know what sets off your stress reaction, you can strategize about how to lessen contact.
  • And our personal favorite – Take Stress-Busting Supplements. Natural products containing herbs such as ashwagandha and St. John’s Wort can be extremely helpful in taking the edge off. You can find these and more in top quality formulas at Whitaker’s such as Adaptra, Adrenaplex, Mood Support, Calms Forte, Stress Release Essential Oil Blend, and more!  And don’t forget to take a good immune-building formula (such as Elderberry and Propolis) to ensure you stay healthy during stressful times.
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Did You Know that a To Do List Can Improve Your Sleep?!?

We all know that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our health, but unfortunately for many of us, it does not happen on a regular basis. For some people, the problem stems from staying up too late to watch television or scrolling through the latest posts on social media. In other cases, however, it has less to do with devices and more to do with having trouble freeing your mind of all of the things going on in your life. If that’s your issue, we have very good news for you. New research suggests that there’s a surprisingly simple solution that might improve your slumber every night.

The study, which took place at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, found that people who write up a to-do list before going to bed of all the tasks they need to accomplish in the near future tend to fall asleep more quickly than those who don’t create such a list. That’s it; it’s that simple. These results are based on an experiment conducted in a sleep lab with 57 healthy male and female subjects between the ages of 18 and 30.

They were randomly divided into two groups. One group was instructed to write down a list of everything they needed to get accomplished in the following day or so. The second group was instructed to write down all of the things they had gotten done over the previous few days. The investigation was designed this way in order to directly compare placing the focus on tasks that needed to be completed versus tasks that had been completed to see which might ease the mind more.

After their writing assignment was complete, the participants remained in the sleep lab for the night. A weeknight was chosen specifically so the researchers could prevent weekend schedules from wreaking havoc on sleeping habits, as well as because busier days often mean more unfinished tasks during the week.

The volunteers were given a strict bedtime of 10:30 the night of the testing and were not permitted to do any work or use technology after that hour. Each of the subjects was monitored overnight by polysomnography, a diagnostic evaluation that measures brain waves, heart rate, breathing, blood oxygen levels, eye movements, and leg motion to record pertinent information about sleep.

Those who created to-do lists fell asleep nine minutes faster than their counterparts who had instead listed their recently completed tasks. And the more precise the to-do lists they made, the faster the subjects dozed off. While nine minutes might not seem like it would make a world of difference in your nightly slumber, it is actually quite a bit faster than the half hour many pharmaceutical sleep aids typically take. And we certainly know that making a list is a lot safer than using medications such as Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata that are associated with side effects such as dizziness, diarrhea, burning sensations in the arms or legs, headaches, hallucinations, and death. A 2012 study at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California showed that even very infrequent use of sleeping pills can up the risk of death by 3.5 times.

The current study did have shortcomings, including its small size and the fact that it was strictly controlled in a sleep lab. The conditions just cannot mimic those of real life, especially when there is an enforced bedtime and no use of electronic devices whatsoever allowed. Unfortunately, not many people these days get to bed without time in front of their televisions, laptops, or cell phones.

And that brings up an important point about what we might need to do at bedtime in order to really promote better sleep. As hard as it may be, it’s essential to disconnect yourself from screen time before bed. Shut the television and do a final check of email and social media sites at least 30 minutes prior to hitting the sack. The light emitted from these devices prevents your body from releasing enough melatonin and also increases your feelings of alertness. And getting sufficient sleep is vital to your health, as lack of it has been linked to obesity, immune system difficulties, and diabetes.

Take a note from the current research and give the to-do list a try as well. In fact, you might want to mark that down on today’s to-do list so you don’t forget. While it’s nice to note everything we’ve already accomplished, it can actually be more of a relief to your brain to know that you’re aware of what needs to be done and ready to tackle the tasks the next day.

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Is Your Honey Real?

In natural healing circles, honey long has been used for its multiple benefits. Its flavonoids and antioxidants have been shown to be cancer and heart disease preventive; it helps reduce ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems; it’s antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal; it works as a cough suppressant; it heals wounds, it contains probiotics, it is a component of many skin crèmes, and it’s an anti-allergenic agent and one of many natural allergy remedies, based on the theory that because honey contains tiny traces of pollen, repeated exposure should help build up immunity to those pollens. But if you’ve been taking your daily dose of honey without receiving any of these benefits, the reason may not be that honey is useless. It may be that your honey isn’t actually honey.

That’s right. And the first clue is that an overwhelming proportion of the so-called honey sold in the US contains absolutely no pollen. The Food Safety News group conducted tests a few years back and found that more than 75 percent of the honey on retail store shelves was pollen free. In fact, 100 percent of the honey sold in drugstore chains like Walgreens and Rite-Aid contains no pollen, nor does any of the honey distributed in individual packets in restaurants. Supermarkets like Shop-Rite and Safeway didn’t fare much better in the study, nor did big box stores like Costco. In these stores, 76 percent of the honey on the shelves had no pollen, and while going organic increased the odds of getting the real thing, 30 percent of the organic honey tested had no pollen, either.

So what does this clue mean? Have bees found a way to produce honey without using pollen, then? Absolutely not. The reality has nothing to do with the bess and everything to do with greed. A lot of the honey sold in the US comes from Asia where it’s processed to remove the pollen and then cut with high-fructose corn syrup, sugar water, and artificial sweeteners to maximize profit. In fact, some so-called honey contains no trace of anything coming from bees, but rather, it’s a concocted blend of flavorings and sweeteners packaged and sold with a “honey” label. Even worse, the Food Safety News study found that much of the honey sold in the US contains dangerous contaminants such as traces of illegal antibiotics intended for animals and heavy metals.

So how can you be sure you’re getting real honey? Again, getting organic guarantees nothing. Your best bet is to buy from local producers who sell at locally owned stores. Local honey is better for you, anyway, as it contains an exact match to the local pollens that might be causing you allergy problems.

Be sure to pick up your jar of locally produced, non-heat treated, “real” honey on your next visit to Whitaker’s.  

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Elderberries

With Cold Season upon us, now is the time to stock up on your Elderberry Syrup or Dried Elderberries to make your own, but the real question is what benefits does Elderberry offer and why should I be taking it to boost my immune system?

Elderberries are

  • High in Vitamin C
  • High in dietary fiber
  • A good source of phenolic acids: These compounds are powerful antioxidants that can help reduce damage from oxidative stress in the body.
  • A good source of flavonols
  • Rich in anthocyanins: These compounds give the fruit its characteristic dark black-purple color and are a strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects.

While we all know that Elderberries can help reduce the severity and duration of a cold, but did you know that there are studies proving that?

One study of 60 people with influenza found that those who took 15 ml of elderberry syrup four times per day showed symptom improvement in two to four days, while the control group took seven to eight days to improve.  Another study of 64 people found that taking 175-mg elderberry extract lozenges for two days resulted in significant improvement in flu symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle aches and nasal congestion, after just 24 hours. Furthermore, a study of 312 air travelers taking capsules containing 300 mg of elderberry extract three times per day found that those who got sick experienced a shorter duration of illness and less severe symptoms.

Other research is showing that Elderberries are great for heart health, helping to fight cancer, could protect against UV radiation, and may even have antidepressant properties.

So make sure to pick up your bottle of Elderberry Syrup or a bag of Dried Elderberries on your next visit!