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September 1999 Newsletter
Teenage Health
Most of the problems teens worry about are related to their psychological
health and the behavior of their peers. Poor psychological health can
lead to increased risk behaviors.
To get a handle on behavior disorders, millions of children are placed
on methylphenidate (Ritalin) to control "hyperactivity." Children can
be "hyperactive" for a variety of physical reasons.
Copper can be a hyper-irritant to the brain, while zinc is necessary
for over 200 enzyme reactions, many of which are required for brain
function. Adequate zinc status keeps the zinc-to-copper ratio in balance.
If copper is the cause, a combination of zinc and vitamin B6-in the
appropriate ratio and dosage-can result in a dramatic improvement in
"hyperactivity." In fact, recent evidence suggests that physical aggression
in young males is linked to an increased blood copper-to-zinc ratio.
It is important to identify any foods or chemicals that trigger allergies
in young people. When the offending foods or chemicals are eliminated
from the diet or environment, behavior may improve remarkably.
Professor Joseph Egger, at the University of London School of Medicine,
reported on two double-blind studies where he found that up to 60% of
children labeled as "hyperactive" could be successfully treated when
allergy-provoking foods were identified and eliminated from their diet.
Iron deficiency and anemia can result in a wide range of learning
disorders. One study has shown that increasing vitamin C intake with
each meal promotes the absorption of iron and raises iron status. When
this happens, learning ability improves and antisocial and disruptive
behavior decreases.
Children, and particularly adolescents who show signs of anxiety,
may be deficient in thiamin (vitamin B1). In 1980, Dr. Derrick Lonsdale
and colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation published a landmark
study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They discovered
a link between the degree of anxiety and disruptive behavior in males,
and a thiamin deficiency.
In the second phase of the study, the children and adolescents were
given a high potency (100 mg) thiamin supplement each day for one month.
At the end of the month, 17 out of 20 children showed no evidence of
any anxiety disorder.
Over a dozen nutritional and botanical therapies for the treatment
of depression can be found in Anorexia and Bulimia, by A.G. Schauss
and C. Costin. Natural antidepressant remedies include St. John's wort
extract, L-tyrosine, magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, vitamin
B12, vitamin C, zinc, 5-hydroxy-tryptophan, and inositol.
Reference: Walsh, W.J., et al. Elevated blood copper/zinc ratios in
assaultive young males Physiol Beh 62:327-9, 1997.
MSM and joint degeneration
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a non-metallic organic compound contained
in most foods and is available in supplement form.
Sulfur is as basic to life as water and protein, yet its value is
commonly overlooked. It is an important element in more than 150 compounds
in the body-tissues, enzymes, hormones, antibodies, and antioxidants.
Sulfur is stored in every cell of the body, particularly in the hair,
nails, and connective tissue of joins and skin, where it is an important
structural protein component.
Because sulfur bonds are essentially structural features in all connective
tissues, sulfurous compounds such as MSM and chondroitin have tremendous
potential to benefit people with joint-cartilage degeneration conditions.
MSM's high sulfur content may also prove helpful in treating similar
diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, systemic lupus
erythematosus, and temporal mandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ).
One double-blind study, conducted by UCLA School of Medicine professor
Ronald Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D., followed patients with degenerative arthritis
or joint disease. The patients who took MSM daily for six weeks reported
an 80% reduction in pain.
Sulfur is not easy to obtain from diet alone, particularly for vegetarians
and especially lacto-ovo vegetarians, who may not get enough dietary
protein. When amino acids and, particularly, vitamin C are present,
the body metabolizes MSM to sulfur. MSM is available in capsules and
powder for oral intake. So far, there have been no reports of toxicity,
despite the fact that high doses are often taken.
Reference: Lawrence, R.M. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM): a double-blind
study of its use in degenerative arthritis. Int J of Anti-Aging Med
1998; July:1(1):50.
Aloe Vera-Two Plants In One
Aloe gel is perhaps the most widely recognized herbal remedy in the U.S.
today.
In the mid-1930s, researchers enthusiastically reported aloe's quick
and complete healing of skin burns caused by X-rays and ultraviolet and
gamma rays.
Two products in current use are derived from aloe leaves. The clear
gel that forms naturally in the hollow interior of the leaf is the familiar
product used to relieve burns and wounds, whereas specialized resin canal
cells in the thick leaf epidermis produce a bitter yellow juice that is
the source of the laxative aloe. Although they share certain components,
these two products are distinctly different.
The gel comprises more than seventy-five compounds, including polysaccharides,
enzymes, antibiotic agents, amino acids, and minerals. One enzyme found
in aloe gel has been suggested as the primary component responsible for
the gel's ability to heal burns.
A review of the medical literature by a group at the University of Texas
in Galveston concluded that aloe gel clearly promotes wound healing and
prevents progressive skin damage caused by burns and frostbite.
Aloe pared from the bitter yellow juice of the leaf and its derivatives
are used extensively today as active ingredients in commercial laxative
preparations, most often in combination with other botanical laxatives
such as cascara sagrada bark and senna leaves or pods. Product quality
varies greatly from brand to brand; read the label. Ingredient lists are
arranged in descending order according to quantity. If aloe is listed
in the middle or last, you have reason to suspect that the product is
not of high quality.
Reference: Lawrence, R.M. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM): a double-blind
study of its use in degenerative arthritis. Int J of Anti-Aging Med 1998;
July:1(1):50
Easing Kids' Bowel Problems
Intestinal problems are a common childhood occurrence. Observant parents
and health care practitioners will learn much about a child's overall
health from his bowel functionings. Balancing gastrointestinal function
at an early age can decrease the likelihood of later bowel-related disorders
such as chronic constipation, gastritis, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Diarrhea is one of the major causes of childhood deaths worldwide, killing
more than 1 million children each year. In the Western world, however,
diarrhea doesn't pose a serious threat. Each year, the average child has
one to two episodes of diarrhea.
Dehydration is the most serious consequence of diarrhea. Infants and
toddlers are at particular risk for dehydration because smaller bodies
can't afford to lose much fluid.
Diarrhea represents the body's attempt to rid itself of infectious agents,
foods, or toxic substances. Because this is a healing reaction, it's best
not to use drugs that interfere with the process, but rather to replace
fluids, provide adequate nourishment. and support the elimination process
with natural medicines.
Lactobacillus, found in yogurt and available in capsules, encourages
recovery from diarrhea by replacing normal intestinal bacteria and therefore
improving defenses against infection.
Many holistic practitioners find that a tea made from peppermint and
fennel can help slow diarrhea and reduce gas. Other botanicals, notably
the leaves of blackberry, strawberry, and raspberry can ease diarrhea.
Constipation can come on acutely as the result of dietary indiscretion,
illness, medication, change in environment, or emotional stress. Unrecognized
or untreated, the tendency toward constipation in childhood can become
a chronic condition.
A nutritionally sound diet produces the healthier bowel pattern of one
to three movements per day. Children should also be able to pass stool
without straining, pain, or fear and without causing the tissue around
the anus to bleed.
As for fiber, an estimated 55-90% of children fail to meet minimum fiber
intake recommendations established by the American Health Foundation.
Making simple changes-replacing simple carbohydrates with foods such as
fruit-topped oatmeal for breakfast and steamed vegetables on rice for
dinner-can go a long way toward correcting constipation.
Studies also show that specific nutrients can modulate constipation.
For example, B-complex vitamin supplementation can increase regularity.
Reference: Saldanha, L. Fiber in the diet of U.S. children: results
of national surveys. Pediatr 1995; 96Supp:994-7.
Relaxing Naturally
In our anxious and fast-paced world, plants with the ability to safely
bring quietude are in increasing demand.
Kava kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant whose natural habitat are tropical
Pacific Islands. According to Pacific Island culture, kava drinking is
a channel for inspiration.
Kava pyrones or kava lactones are the plant constituents which give
kava anti-anxiety properties.
A 1997 study at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Freiburg,
Germany, suggests that certain kava lactose affect the flow of ions in
parts of the brain. Kava lactose also seem to have a direct effect on
muscles, decreasing contractility and causing them to relax.
Because long-term use of the plant can result in some side effects,
the plant is best used for temporary situations.
If used appropriately, kava can be a soothing and therapeutic herb and
may become a significant substitute for several drug therapies that have
unwanted side effects.
Reference: Volz, H.P. "Kava-kava extract WS 1490 versus placebo in
anxiety disorders-a randomized placebo-controlled 25-week outpatient trial,"
Pharmaco-psychiatry 30(1):1-5; January, 1997
Organic Soil Deters Pests
Two remarkable studies conducted by Ohio State University entomologist
Larry Phelan, Ph.D. and his colleagues have shown that corn borer moths
lay 18 times more eggs on sweet corn plants grown in chemically farmed
soils than on corn grown in organically managed soils.
As Dr. Phelan explains, when necessary minerals are available in the
right balance in soil, plant roots can absorb exactly what they need for
photosynthesis and more quickly convert simple sugars and amino acids
into the more complex starches and proteins needed to grow leaves, flowers,
and seeds. Plants growing in chemical soils, however, often lack that
good mineral balance.
Dr. Phelan further explains that many pest insects are not as attracted
to the complex starches and proteins in plants that have a good mineral
balance. The insects prefer a diet rich in the simple sugars and amino
acids that are present when the mineral supply is out of balance. Organically
grown plants can easily absorb the right balance of minerals, and so contain
more starches and proteins and therefore are less attractive to pests.
Bob Rodale, in one of his last Organic Gardening editorials, wrote:
"Think of chemical gardening as treatment-focused and organic gardening
as a preventive system. The chemical method offers people powerful ways
to kill intruders after they appear. But experienced organic growers handle
their soil and plants in a way that prevents many of these problems from
happening in the first place."
Reference: Environmental Entomology, vol. 25, 1996.
Health Tip
According to a study that appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of
Diabetics and Its Complications, insufficient levels of vitamin C may
contribute to the development of heart disease in diabetics who suffer
from kidney disease.
Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA have found
that the kidneys filter vitamin C at a faster rate in patients with diabetic
nephropathy. As a result, these patients are more susceptible to cardiovascular
disease, a major cause of death in patients with any degree of kidney
malfunction.
HSR, November, 1998.
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