Health experts sent out the first warning flares nearly a year ago that various forms of bacteria were becoming resistant to old-school antibiotics, so you can't complain about this latest report in The Lancet Infectious Diseases (free report link) about the latest superbug -- the wide-spread infiltration of the NDM 1 gene that passes between various kinds of bacteria making them drug-resistant -- spreading from southern Asia to Europe catching you by surprise.

Or, maybe you can. According to Time.com's Wellness blog, news agencies reported panic about the study in some parts of the world. And, Sarah Boseley, award-winning health editor for the British newspaper the Guardian, predicted the death knell of antibiotics era the day after the study appeared.

Amid the gloom and doom, however, there are some positives to take away from this news. For one, our medical world just got a lot smaller. Considering how quickly this NDM 1 gene moved from Asia to Europe, more expert eyes will be watching, and that's a good thing.

What's more, there's an important role for laymen (that's you and me) to play in this fight to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and it's literally -- pun intended -- in our hands. Wash your hands before and after meals, going to the beach, playing with your pets and working out at the gym.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases August 11, 2010 Free Full Text Study/Registration Required

Time: Wellness August 16, 2010

Guardian.co.uk August 12, 2010

When the state of health in America has been discussed in this space, typically, it's been focused on "big picture" issues like the general decline in cancer rates. What I found particularly interesting and different about this recent Gallup study (a longitudinal sampling of 662 adults combining three independent surveys done in 2009), however, is how it puts a simple dollar value on a person's wellbeing (living a healthy lifestyle).

Researchers codified a patient's wellbeing based on five thriving "dimensions": Career, Community, Financial, Physical and Social. The more dimensions you have, the lower your risk of experiencing an increased disease burden. For example, thriving in all five dimensions lessened one's risk of new health burdens to 11 percent, while possessing none of them more than tripled their chances to 35.3 percent.

The same analogy applies, unfortunately, to individual health care costs too. The disease burden for the average patient thriving in no wellbeing dimensions paid nearly $7,400 annually, some 60 percent more than a person enjoying all five (about $3,000).

By the way, there is some good to be found in this report, especially if you're on the downside of these numbers but moving upward. The steepest bump in health savings/disease burden between dimensions is the nearly $1,700 difference between none (nearly $7,400) and one ($5,700).

Gallup Management Journal August 12, 2010

The most recent cover story in the September 2010 issue of Consumer Reports, entitled The 12 Most Dangerous Supplements, generated a firestorm of comments and controversy all over the MSM and the Internets, albeit at the tail end of what's usually a very slow news month in the middle of the summer.

If you're one of the growing number of folks who have subscribed to our daily health blog over the past few months, however, I wouldn't be surprised if you thought you'd already heard about some of these very same problems before. Fact is, you probably have…

A few months ago in this space, we discussed Reader's Digest's "crash-course" on vitamin safety, 5 Vitamin Truths and Lies. Unlike the aforementioned piece that clocked in at just under 1,500 words, Consumers Digest devoted eight full pages to supplements, providing guidance on a variety of topics.

Even though the Consumers Digest article was very thorough and detailed, I'm not sure how much more you'd learn about supplements that you already have, if you've been following our blog, even for a little while. Arguably, if you've been doing your homework, you may already have a pretty good understanding about what it takes to choose the right supplement for your health.

But this may be your first time reading our 14-month old health blog, or, perhaps, you're just getting around to looking. No matter… We've done the work for you. What follows are six detailed questions you should be asking every time you consider taking a supplement:

1. Has the supplement you're considering ever failed a quality test by an independent source, like ConsumerLab.com?

2. Has the company producing the supplement ever been the target of a regulatory agency like the FDA or FTC?

3. Does the product label of the supplement you're considering include testing data that guarantees its authenticity, purity and potency?

More...

The scientific world is getting a bit wiser about the effect emotions can have on your health for better and for worse. How you handle your emotions may also affect the way your body manages the healing process too.

Scientists monitored the progression of healing of 93 patients with diabetic foot ulcers (neuropathic or neuroischaemic) four times during a 24-week span, taking into account their coping skills, cortisol levels and the psychological stress they felt.

Patients with a controlling personality -- My-way-or-the-highway, who-cares-if-you're-right folks -- were the least likely to heal from their foot ulcers. Because this disease requires long-term patience and treatment to recover, researchers believe those who seek to control and speed up the process also experience additional frustration and distress that work against healing.

Depression also contributes to the problem, as patients fighting their emotions demonstrated less healing and overall improvement by the end of the study, one more reason to seek out safer, gentler ways, like meditation, to calm your mind and body.

Diabetologia, Vol. 53, No. 8, pp. 1590-1598, August 2010

Bloomberg Businessweek August 6, 2010

At the same time cancer rates keep dropping in America, medical experts are beginning to realize what they don't know about this second leading killer of Americans. But they're beginning to catch up, as evidenced by a recent joint report by a group of health agencies, including the International Agency for Research on Cancer and American Cancer Society, identifying 20 "new" causes of cancer, including one you wouldn't expect.

Some of these culprits should be very familiar to you -- formaldehyde, lead, chloroform and PCBs. Then, there's relative newbies, like atrazine and indium phosphide, a binary semiconductor made of indium and phosphorus used in the production of flat-screen TVs.

Probably, the most interesting cancer concern comes straight out of left field, isn't a chemical or substance at all, and it's not the RF energy emitted by mobile phones either.

Think shift work, changing 24/7 schedules that often plays havoc with a patient's circadian rhythms, often leaving them sleep-deprived and vulnerable to a slew of health problems.

International Agency for Research on Cancer Technical Publication No. 42 Free Full Text PDF

Environmental Health Perspectives July 13, 2010 Free PDF Supplement

ScienceDaily July 15, 2010

Chicago Tribune July 15, 2010

Call it another case of Murphy's Law, but just six months after the federal government announced a $30 million appropriation to study the health effects of Bisphenol A (BPA), a recent Environmental Working Group (EWG) report identified another very common source of this controversial, endocrine-disrupting chemical: The thermal paper used to print cash register receipts.

Lead researcher on the report and noted organic chemist, John C. Warner, fingered BPA several years ago, after assigning his University of Massachusetts students to retrieve, then analyze paper receipts generated by cash registers with the help of a mass spectrometer. Many bits of paper, but not all, contained BPA, and you couldn't tell with the naked eye which ones had it. Or not…

In this newest study, 40 percent of the 36 samples (they were collected from a wide range of American retail chains from Whole Foods to CVS, Walmart and McDonald's) contained levels of BPA ranging from 250-1,000 times more than the amounts measured in more well-known sources -- think baby bottles and canned foods. (Starbucks and Target were among a group of retailers who used BPA-free paper.)

The good news in this report is two-fold. For one, Appleton Papers, the leading American producer of thermal paper, eliminated BPA from its formulations in 2006. Most importantly, however, it isn't hard to get rid of BPA altogether. Some suggested tips from the EWG to avoid BPA exposure from paper receipts:

* If you need to save paper receipts, file them in separate envelopes.

* Keep your kids away from receipts.

* After handling paper receipts, wash your hands, but don't use alcohol-based cleaners that boost your body's absorption of BPA.

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Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews July 28, 2010 Free Full Text Study

Environmental Working Group/Kid-Safe Chemicals July 27, 2010

Washington Post July 27, 2010

You may recall a study I posted earlier this year about the link between sugary, sweet soft drinks, often laced with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and pancreatic cancer. Apparently, the connection between sugary substances and pancreatic cancer may be far deadlier than anyone imagined.

UCLA researchers made their alarming discovery after exposing separate sets of pancreatic tumor cells (extracted from patients, then cultured and grown in Petri dishes) to glucose and fructose, respectively, then used mass spectrometry to monitor how these sugars were used by cells.

Although fructose and glucose have a similar molecular structure, scientists learned both substances were metabolized by pancreatic cancer cells very differently. Fructose activates an important pathway that spurs cell division, thus speeding the growth of pancreatic cancer cells.

These results prompted researchers to suggest the federal government mandate a reduction of HFCS in American diets, while the near century-old Corn Refiners Association slammed the study for "several premature and potentially misleading conclusions."

Just a reminder, another recent study estimated the average American's daily intake of added sugars from eating processed foods alone amounts to 21 teaspoons of sugar and more than 350 calories. Hard to imagine all that extra sugar swimming around in our bodies not having some kind of harmful effect on our collective health.

Cancer Research, Vol. 70, No. 15, pp. 6368-6376, August 1, 2010

EurekAlert August 2, 2010

Yahoo News August 2, 2010

The poor excuse that passes for food safety in America has reached a new low when a study in the journal Pedatrics warns us about the problems with handling dry pet foods connected to Salmonella, the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness.

Of the 79 patients living in 21 states tracked in the study who suffered Salmonella-related infections, nearly half of them were children age 2 or younger. Even worse, just handling dry pet food -- presumably, from the bowl or off the floor -- and dirty food bowls, or touching pets that were carriers of salmonella were the problems. According to Dr. Casey Behravesh, a veterinarian working for the CDC and the lead researcher for the study, kids didn't increase their risk of getting sick merely by eating dry pet food.

The Pediatrics study couldn't be timed better, considering Procter & Gamble recalled varieties of its Iams and Eukanuba dry dog and cat foods in late July due to concerns about Salmonella contamination.

This problem underscores the need for thorough and frequent hand-washing by EVERYONE after handling pets and their foods, as well as placing and cleaning your pet's food bowls in the kitchen, according to the study.

FYI, after beginning her research, Dr. Behravesh, the mother of a 4-year-old child, relocated the feeding area for her pets -- a cat, dog and bird -- to a sunroom and away from her kitchen.

Pediatrics August 9, 2010

Yahoo News August 9, 2010

USA Today August 8, 2010

Chicago Tribune: ProblemSolver August 3, 2010

Considering the number of problems with all kinds of consumer products -- from supplements to Shrek glasses sold at McDonald's -- soaring, it was perfect timing that the General Services Administration announced its recent redesign of the USA.gov website and the launch of 18 mobile phone applications, including those tracking recalls, monitoring air quality and comparing healthy food choices.

The Office of Management and Budget had good reason to dive into the smartphone world: Recent surveys by Nielsen have found 21 percent of all Americans use smartphones, and by the end of 2011, roughly half of the folks who do will be connecting via a Blackberry, iPhone or Droid or models very similar to them.

The Recalls.gov website is particularly robust, with announcements divided into seven fields, ranging from cars and cosmetics to foods and environmental products.

The only downside about the USA.gov redesign I can see: Individual websites may be easy to access (they're programmed to mobile-friendly, low-bandwidth standards), but mobile apps aren't available from governmental agencies for all smartphones. For example, the Recalls.gov app is only available on Google's Droid, but not the iPhone. But, the FBI's Most Wanted listings and a BMI Calculator are only available as iPhone apps.

Image source: Recalls.gov

PC Magazine July 6, 2010

CNN.com July 6, 2010

Federal News Radio July 6, 2010

A theme we emphasize on this blog a lot: Working closely with your doctor BEFORE and WHILE you're taking a supplement to ensure your health isn't being harmed by any unexpected interactions. It's one of the important tenets of our Nutritional Supplement Quality -- The Facts, and a really smart thing for you to do. If your doctor is eager and willing to help, consider yourself among the lucky ones…

Based on observational research conducted by the FDA and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, cardiologists and specialists in training play the "don't ask, don't tell" game very effectively with patients when it comes to their use of supplements and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. How "well" did doctors play the game? Of the 78 patient interactions with 21 cardiologists that researchers observed, physicians failed to ask about OTC drugs and supplements 98 percent of the time.

This second revealing facet of the study may or may not surprise or upset you, however, as much as it did me. As doctors were consulting with their patients, a clinical pharmacist who remained silent during the encounter was observing both parties. After doctors left the room, the pharmacist asked patients about their supplement and OTC drug use. More than two-thirds of the patients monitored (54) took 45 OTC drugs and 86 supplements. By contrast, cardiologists asked patients about their use of both just seven times.

Should you be wary of any possible interaction with a supplement and your doctor hasn't discussed it with you, I urge you to do two things. First, use our extensive Health Information & Answer database to help you determine if there could be a problem with your treatment regimen.

Lastly, spend a little time "training" your doctor to be your trusted and attentive health advocate, if he or she isn't one already. Or, go look for one who will.

Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol. 153, No. 1, pp. 65-66, July 6, 2010

NutraIngredients-USA.com July 7, 2010

If you've been keeping up with our long series of posts here and on Facebook (check out exclusive content there you won't see in this space), you're beginning to appreciate how food safety encompasses so many things, from the way foods are grown and processed to how they're stored and prepared. And, just how confusing all of this can be for the average American trying to protect his or her health.

Take, for example, the push for more whole, natural, non-processed, organic, pesticide-free and preservative-free foods. Usually, fewer processes and preservatives are better, right? Not all the time, according to European research measuring the effect of low levels of acetic acid (an organic acid that gives vinegar its sour taste and smell) on four varieties of pork exposed at room temperature to Staphylococcus aureus, commonly implicated with food poisoning.

Smaller amounts of acetic acid, according to researchers, "stress" the way bacteria behave, causing them multiply, as demonstrated in the boiled and smoked hams. In those meats, bacteria grew in a few hours. Conversely, samples of Serrano ham (a dry-cured Spanish ham) repelled bacteria for a week before it began to multiply. What's more, bacteria applied to salami never survived at all.

Beyond the amount of acetic acid in those meats, researchers claim these results show bacteria can be affected by lots of variables, including the chemical composition of food as well as proper hygiene. Which may explain a thematic link to a study I posted last month about the unintended production of furan, a chemical less popular than its cousin acrylamide, that forms in fruit juices containing high fructose corn syrup that were treated with ultraviolet light.

ScienceDaily June 25, 2010

Getting the right amount of vitamin D every day is so important for everyone, from kids to the elderly, folks will turn to a supplement when they can't get enough of the right mix of foods in their diets and safe sunshine exposure.

Unfortunately, taking a supplement offers no guarantee that a patient will receive enough vitamin D to make a real difference in his or her health, according to an analysis of over-the-counter (OTC) supplements presented at last month's meeting of the America's Committee on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in San Antonio.

While comparing 10 brands of OTC supplements (from online and brick-mortar stores) with stated dosages ranging from 400-10,000 IU, scientists discovered actual amounts of vitamin D varied wildly from a low of 0.24 percent to 81.7 percent, averaging 33.5 percent across the board. With one ridiculous exception, the higher the labeled dosage, the greater the disparity in the actual amount of vitamin D. (One OTC supplement contained 0.24 percent of the 400 IU it was supposed to have.)

Just another reminder that you can't always count on a label to give you the straight scoop about the quality of a supplement, which is why we recommend that you do your homework, starting with CNCA’s Nutritional Supplement Quality -- The Facts.

MedPage Today June 7, 2010

Exercise is a wonderfully, dynamic tool that transforms the health of everyone and everything it touches, no matter how much (or how little) you use it. Anything and everything from a five-minute walk in the park that improves your state of mind to short-term, high-intensity interval training contributes to the greater good: A healthier life.

In light of the growing number of recent studies that have proven the value of exercise for cancer patients, a 13-member panel, led by associate professor Dr. Kathryn Schmitz of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has developed national guidelines to keep patients moving during and after their treatments.

Unfortunately, there's a dire exercise gap at work here that has everything to do with attitudes of doctors, not patients, says Dr. Schmitz. "We have to get doctors past the ideas that exercise is harmful to their cancer patients. There is still a prevailing attitude out there that patients shouldn't push themselves during treatment, but our message -- avoid inactivity -- is essential."

The panel suggests cancer survivors and patients strive to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week, the same recommended time allotment for everyone else. A reason some doctors may be hesitant about making such recommendations: An exercise program should be tailored to the individual patient's needs, accounting for the diagnosis, fitness level and variables specific to their disease that could affect their safety.

For example, a recent study led by Dr. Schmitz (published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine) demonstrated the value of gradual, supervised weight training for survivors of breast cancer-related lymphedema.

You'll also want to watch this short video interview with Dr. Schmitz discussing her Physical Activity and Lymphedema study at a research conference convened by the American Institute for Cancer Research late last year.

Penn Medicine May 28, 2010

Los Angeles Times: Booster Shots June 3, 2010

Living Beyond Breast Cancer May 28, 2010

American Institute for Cancer Research November 9, 2009

Have you been stalking the aisles of your local grocery store in search of healthy substitutes to the fatty ingredients that make your cakes, cookies and breads exceptionally delicious? There may be one on the way very soon in the form of a gel made from chia seeds, a plant species in the mint family that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

South American scientists replaced the eggs or oils with a chia gel (made by soaking chia seeds in water) at different levels (0, 25, 50 and 75 percent) as a fat substitute to determine how much could be used to prepare cakes without affecting their taste.

In comparison to cakes baked without it, 75 patients polled by researchers determined a 25 percent mixture of chia gel performed the best, based on color, texture and taste. Even better, the cakes cooked with chia gel contained 60 additional milligrams of omega-3 fats per 100 milligrams.

Chia seeds have found their way into cookies, cereals, nutritional supplements and bars produced in the U.S., and, yes, even Chia Pets, but not to the baking aisle at your corner grocery store. Not yet, anyway…

Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Vol. 110, No. 6, pp. 946-949, June 2010

Foodnavigator-USA.com June 11, 2010

With Father's Day coming fast, you may need more ammunition just to remind your kids that your brain works just as well as theirs do, and, even better in some cases. When that time comes -- and you know it will either tomorrow or down the road -- don't forget this study or to send a few kind thoughts my way for telling you about it.

Duke University researchers worked with two groups of adults (ages 18-35 and 66-76) to measure the differences and commonalities in the way both process new information and make risky decisions based on losing or gaining real money. You may or may not be surprised to learn that the assumption made about most older folks -- they make bad decisions because they're too gun-shy and risk-adverse -- is generally wrong.

Using path analysis to measure whether age had anything to do making good decisions, scientists determined "the numbers game" did have an effect on the processing speed and memory. Just not on the quality of the decisions patients made…

And, some older patients made better decisions than younger ones who had lower scores on cognitive tests. "If I took 20 younger adults and 20 older adults, all of whom were above average on these measures, then on average, you could not tell them apart based on decisions. On the whole, it is true, more older people process slowly and have poorer memory. But there are also older people who do as well as younger people," says lead researcher Dr. David Huettel.

You can bet, the next time I have an argument with one of my kids or extended family about making the right decision about anything, I'll send them a link to this blog post in nothing flat!

DukeHealth.org June 1, 2010