Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Sufficient Vitamin D Levels Slows Disease Progression and Death in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

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A recent study carried out at Mayo Clinic and published online in the journal Blood concluded that patients with low levels of vitamin D progressed faster and were twice as likely to die after being diagnosed with leukemia than those with adequate levels. These associations continued even when other prognostic factors associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were controlled.

Three hundred ninety CLL patients were enrolled in a prospective, observational study and at admission checked their blood levels of 25-hydroxyl-vitamin D. They found 30% to have insufficient levels (less than 25 nanograms per milliliter). After a median of 3 years follow up, those with deficient vitamin D levels were 66% more likely to to progress and require chemotherapy and also had a two fold increased risk of death.

To confirm these findings the researchers studied another group of 153 untreated CLL patients who had been followed for 19 years and found about 40 % of those were vitamin D deficient at the time of diagnosis. These patients were again significantly more likely to have their disease progress and to have died.

Further research is planned to determine if vitamin D replacement in CLL patients with low levels will reverse the more rapid progression associated with the insufficiency.
More information is available at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/11/101104094038.htm

Ovarian Cancer Risk Increased With Estrogen Replacement Therap

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

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In a new study reported online last week in Cancer Research researchers at the University of Colorado reported that menopausal estrogen (E2) replacement therapy increased the risk of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive epithelial ovarian cancer and increases the likelihood of metastasizing to the lymph nodes. Using a mouse model to determine the effect of E2 on tumor risk the researchers found E2 “significantly increased the size, induced progesterone receptors and promoted node metastasis.” More information is available at: Spillman et al (2010) Tissue-Specific Pathways for Estrogen-Regulation of Ovarian Cancer Growth and Metastasis. Cancer Res0008-5472Can-10-1238: Online First October 18, dot:10.1158/0008-5427.CAN-10-1238
http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/recent

Father Mark Earlix and Reverend Brian Johnson to Be Interviewed on Faith, Spirituality and Healing

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

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Dr Carl O. Helvie, Host, Holistic Health Show will interview Mark Earlix and Reverend Brian Johnson on Saturday at 12 noon PST (3 p.m. EST) on BBS Radio (www.bbsradio.com) Station 1

Father Mark Earlix is a nationally known teacher, healer-intuitive, author and ordained priest. Using his gift of healing he has helped or taught thousands of people over the past 40 years how to transform their lives. During this time he has continued to study and was initiated into two Gnostic schools. He says his gift of healing is available to all and he teaches or uses his unique techniques in experiential workshops, his writing. and individual appointments.

Mark has appeared on numerous TV and radio stations across the country and has been on the Board of Directors for the Mind, Body, and Spirit Foundation. He has presented nationally at such organizations as Whole Life Expo, Association for Research and Enlightenment, Mind Body Spirit Conference, Unity Churches, The Himalayan Institute, Whole Health Expos, R.C.P. Relapse Prevention Center, B’nai B’rith, Infinity Foundation, Borders Books, and Barnes and Noble. He also teaches in the DEAF community in Illinois.

Mark has published Creator (a guide to self-awareness and spiritual empowerment) and Take My Life that was just published. He also has two meditations tapes produced in alliance with Nightingale Conant and three spiritual exercise tapes published in the Phoenix area. He is finishing his third book Intuition that should be published in 2011. More information is available at: www.markearlix.com

Rev Brian David Johnson, D.Div. grew up on a farm on Iowa where he developed a deep love for the aging population. He completed a B.S. in Institutional Management from Iowa State University and spent almost 23 years in positions with management responsibility with the most recent being the United States Postal Service. During his years with the postal service he obtained a Masters in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix and Executive training with the USPS in preparation for successful planning for an Executive position.

In 2000 he was in a serious automobile accident that required reconstructive surgery of his spine. Through numerous surgeries and challenging rehabilitation he moved from a path of management to spiritual discovery and healing. He thereafter received his Doctorate of Divinity from the American Institute of Holistic Theology and became an ordained minister from the United Christian Fellowship. He also became certified in administration and instructs the Pilgrimage Healing Process and also certified as a chaplain with the International Federation of Christian Chaplains. Currently he practices a one on one healing ministry and works with business partners developing an Internet business focus on aging that is scheduled to launch in 2011.

A Variety of Fruit and Vegetables May Reduce Risk of Squamous Cell Lung Cancer in Smokers

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

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A study in the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention Journal concluded that adding a variety of vegetables to your diet may decrease the risk of getting lung cancer and adding a variety of fruit and vegetables may decrease the chances of both smokers and non-smokers getting squamous cell lung cancers. Even though quitting smoking is the best preventive method for reducing the risk of lung cancer eating a variety of fruit and vegetables may also reduce that risk.
Information was obtained from 452,187 individuals who completed the information and 1,613 of these were diagnosed with lung cancer. Data included information on 14 commonly eaten fruits and 26 commonly eaten vegetables that were fresh, canned or dried. Unlike previous studies that focused on quantity of fruit and vegetables and this study expanded to variety of these. For additional information see the original article.

Lycopene and Lung Cancer

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

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A study presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research concluded that a low intake of lycopene in the diet may be a risk factor for lung cancer. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and is most readily found in tomatoes.

In the study, researchers collected blood samples from 93 patients with non-small cell lung cancer and matched with 102 controls. The blood samples were tested for levels of micronutrients that included retinol, lycopene, and Beta-carotene. The found significant differences in the two groups in the level of lycopene, that is, there was much lower levels in the lung cancer patients.
After adjusting for age, race, gender, drinking and smoking habits, use of vitamin supplements, exposure at work, and the season, they found that the lung cancer group who had the lowest levels of lycopene had an almost a threefold increased risk of lung cancer than the group with the highest level of lycopene. In addition, when evaluating current smokers they found that those with the lowest levels of lycopene had four times the risk of lung cancer than those with the highest levels. The researchers concluded that although their results are preliminary they add to the growing body of research that shows a relationship between lycopene and cancer risks.

Three Doctors Discuss Natural Ways to Deal with Seasonal Allergies

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

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Guests of Dr Carl O Helvie, Host, the Holistic Health Show on Saturday will be Dr Murray Grossan, Dr Stephen Morrissey, and Dr Bianca Garilli.

Dr Grossan, is Board Certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery and is currently at Cedars-Sinai Medical Towers in Los Angeles. He completed Medical School at the University of Georgia in 1949 and completed his Residency in the early 1950′s at NYU-Bellevue (At that time, I was a Staff and later Head Nurse at Bellevue although we did not know each other at the time). He has held various positions in his field of practice including Medical Examiner, and medical staff at different hospitals, and served as consultant to the Los Angeles District Attorney, U.S. Department of Labor, Freemont Insurance, Los Angeles City and others, and was awarded a Certificate of Merit for the Scientific Exhibit “Nasal Mucocilliary Flow” by the American Medical Association. Dr Grossan is author of numerous articles in professional journals in the areas of nasal function, throat scuba diving, tinnitus, headache, and temperomandibular joint disease and has published an ebook and most recently a book titled Free Yourself from Sinus and Allergy Problems Permanently
He is also the inventor of the Grossan Hydropulse System
that effectively cleanses and cleans your sinuses without drugs. More information is available at www.ent-consult.com

My second guest, Dr Steven Morrissey has a doctorate in Oriental Medicine and more than 25 years of clinical experience with herbal medicines, homeopathy, and nutrition. He has made over 30 trips to China where he established two joint venture companies to undertake research on safety, efficacy and the quality of botanical medicines and GMP botanical manufacturing. Additionally, he has established comprehensive supply chain management practices for medicinal plants, undertaking numerous research collaborations with Universities and Institutes, and has developed more than 40 professional and consumer health products, including Plantiva (R) brands Aller Dx, Immune Dx, and Vira Dx for Allergy and Immune Response and Recovery.
DR Morrissey has taught TCM pathology and was the Chair of Oriental Medicine at Bastyr University in Seattle in the early 1990′s. He served on the board of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and was Chair of AHPA’s Botanical Extract Committee while it developed its white paper on the Standardization of Botanicals. More information is available at www.plantiva.com

My third guest is Dr Bianca Garilli, a naturopathic physician practicing in Orange County, California at the University of California, Irvine (Susan Samuell Center for Integrative Medicine) and in Mission Viejo. She specializes in adults with chronic conditions and children with autism and ADHD/ADD. She received her Naturopathic Medical Degree at Bastyr University and prior to that time was a United States Marine serving 5 years in the Intelligence Field as an Arabic and Spanish linguist. She then received a baccalaureate degree in biology before attend Bastyr University.
Dr Garilli is the founder of the Allergy Elimination diet eclinic
(www.allergyeliminationdiet.com) as well as the author of the Allergy Elimination Diet ebook. She is also the creator of the 6 Week Wellness and Weight Loss Course that is run several times a year (www.ocnmp.com) and co-creator of the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine’s Live Longer, Live Better program.

Fructose Associated with Growth of Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Friday, August 13th, 2010

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In a study that appeared in the August 1 issue of Cancer Research, a peer-reviewed journal, researchers reported that pancreatic cancer cells use sugar fructose to activate a cellular pathway that drives cell division and helps the cancer cells grow more quickly. They stated “In this study, we show that cancer cells can use fructose just as readily as glucose to fuel their growth.”

The researchers used pancreatic cells from patients and cultured and grew them in petri dishes. Then they added glucose to one set of cells and fructose to another. They were able to determine what the sugars were being used for by following the carbon-labeled sugars in the cells using mass spectrometry. They found that even though the glucose and fructose sugars are similar in structure they were metabolized in very different ways. The pancreatic cancer cells used the fructose in the transketolase-driven non-oxidative pentose phoshate pathway to generate nucleic acids that are the building blocks of RNA and DNA needed by the cancer cells to divide and proliferate.

The researchers quoted an article that stated between 1970 and 1990 the consumption of fructose in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) increased over 1,000 percent in the United States. It is added to foods and beverages and is the sole sweetener used in American soft drinks. They believe there should be a federal effort to reduce the use of fructose in the United States.

Dr Allan Stillerman, Dr Teerawong Kasiolarn, and Mr Dan Chapman to Discuss Natural Solutions for Seasonal Allergies

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

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Guests for the upcoming Holistic Health Show left to right are: Dr Allan Stillerman, Dr Terrawong Kasiolarn, and Mr Dan Chapman.

Dr Stillerman grew up in South Africa and graduated from the University of Witwatersrand Medical School in Johannesburg and came to the United States in 1977 where he completed his internship and residency in pediatrics, and fellowships in allergy and clinical immunology, pediatric pulmonary disease and pediatric clinical pharmacology. He joined the Allergy & Asthma Specialists, P.A. in 1998. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, and Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.
He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology; a Fellow in the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, a member of the American Thoracic society; and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine, U of Minnesota, and Department of Medicine: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care and frequently instructs medical students and residents on clinical management of asthma and allergy diseases. He also lectures extensively both regionally and nationally in the fields of asthma, food allergy, anaphylaxis and allergic rhino-conjunctivitis. He serves on an advisory board of pharmaceutical companies on these conditions.
Dr Stillerman conducts research at the Clinical Research Institute, Inc of Minneapolis and Plymouth as a Principal Investigator in the fields of asthma and clinical rhino-conjunctivitis. He is a medical advisor to the Board of Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy Association of Minnesota and has testified in the Minnesota Senate and House of Representative.
Dr Stillerman received the Minnesota-St Paul Magazine Top Doctor Award in the field of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. More information is available at http://www.allergy-asthma-docs.com/allanstillermanmd.cfmle at:

Dr Kasiolarn is a Certified Naturopathic Physician with additional certifications in Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine. He received his baccalaureate degree with honors in biochemistry from Arizona State University and his doctorate in naturopathic medicine and masters in acupuncture in 2005 from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. He is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP).
Currently he is on the staff of the NOVA Medical and Urgent Care Center (www.novamedgroup.com)
in virginia. Prior to working at NOVA, Teerawong served as the naturopathic resident at the University of Bridge[port College of Naturopathic Medicine in Connecticut, Yale Prevention Research Center, and the Integrative Medical Center at Griffin Hospital, a teaching facility affiliated with Yale University. He continues to integrate conventional and naturopathic medicine for acute and chronic illnesses and provides frequent talks about health promotion and natural treatments to the general public at the Integrative Medical Center.

Mr Daniel Chapman is Founder and CEO of Redd Remedies with origins dating back to 1961 when his family opened their first Sunrise Health Food store in Roseland, Illinois. Redd Remedies has evolved as a leading natural health supplement provider and an advocate for a holistic approach to wellness. Today they have six retail outlets and a nationwide distribution. Redd Remedies is a sponsor of the nonprofit American Botanical Council and is distributed to independent health food stores nationwide.
Recently Redd Remedies®, a leading, all-natural health supplements and aromatherapy products provider, earned the Best of Expo 2010 Gold Award in the Vitamins/Supplements Category at the Natural Products Expo West (NPEW) tradeshow in Anaheim, CA. for their Adult Sinus Support™ and Seasonal Sinus Support™Aromatherapy Inhaler.
More information is available at www.reddremedies.com

Seasonal Allergies-Avoiding Pollen

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

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Some suggestions for avoiding pollen offered by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology include:

1)Keep your windows closed to prevent pollens from entering your home.
2) Minimize outside activities early in the morning when pollen is
usually emitted-between 5-10 a.m.
3) Keep your car windows closed when traveling.
4) Stay indoors as much as possible when the pollen count is high,
and on windy days when pollen may be more abundant in the air
5) Vacation in more pollen-free areas during the height of the
pollen season.
6) Avoid mowing the lawn and avoid freshly cut grass
7) Machine dry bedding and clothing instead of hanging outside
where pollen may attach to it.

DNA and Key Enzymes Damaged by Smokeless Tobacco

Friday, June 25th, 2010

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In a report in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology researchers concluded that smokeless tobacco not only has adverse affects on the mouth but also affects the normal functioning of a key family of enzymes found in most organs of the body and DNA. Functions of these enzymes include production of hormones including estrogen and testosterone, production of cholesterol and vitamin D, assisting with breakdown of prescription drugs and potentially toxic substances. The smokeless tobacco also damages genetic material in the liver, kidney and lungs. These conclusions were a result of changes observed in enzymes and genetic material in laboratory rats using extracts of smokeless tobacco.