Here Is Another Reason To Use Nexium Sparingly

Prolonged use of drugs to treat heartburn, ulcers and acid reflux may lead to serious kidney damage, including kidney failure. This was the message of a groundbreaking study performed at Washington University. This study investigated the long term complications from the use of proton pump inhibitors.

More than 15 million Americans have prescriptions for this type of drug. The medications are sold under the brand names of  Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium and Protonix. In general these medications have been considered to be safe for long term use. The most frequent complication has been bone fractures, but there is new evidence that proton pump inhibitors may have adverse effects on your heart, digestion and even on your mental status.

The authors of the study stated that larger clinical studies are needed to determine the rate of kidney failure in patients on long term proton pump inhibitors. Never the less, the evidence is convincing that a problem does exist. At this time they urge caution when using any of these medications long term and suggest that everyone explore the possibility of using a different type of drug for their symptoms..

Good News For Drinkers

When it comes to alcohol a little bit goes a long way. This was the good news according to a large study of 700,000 people. The results demonstrated that light to moderate  consumption of alcohol is associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

It is not clear why this is so. It also appears that heavier alcohol consumption was not beneficial.

Here is another reason to enjoy your nightly drink. Just remember to limit it to only one drink.

The Danger Of Unnecessarily Taking An Antibiotic

How many times have you been prescribed an antibiotic that may not have been necessary? Of course you don't know because you are not a physician. In fact your physician may not have been aware that the antibiotic he has prescribed was not medically necessary. Or perhaps it was prescribed because of an expectation on your part that you wanted a pill to make you feel better.

This happens more than you might suspect. In fact a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association states that about 1/3 of all the antibiotic prescriptions in the sampling reviewed were unnecessary and not appropriate. This decision was based upon accepted medical guidelines for treatment.

 Will taking an antibiotic for the flu or for allergy help?. Of course not. Does this really matter? Of course it does. For one thing there are potential serious complications from any medication. Another reason it matters is that overuse of antibiotics increases the development of drug resistant bacteria. Some day you may really need that antibiotic and it may not work. In fact it may be difficult to find an antibiotic that will be effective against the bacteria that are causing your symptoms.

So think carefully before you pop that antibiotic pill. It may hurt more than it may help.

Do You Need Supplements?

In preceding posts we discussed the need and the rationale for supplementation. We pointed out that the retina has a very high metabolic rate and is very susceptible to oxidative stress. We also pointed out that most adults eating the Standard American Diet (SAD are deficient in the nutrients needed to neutralize the free radicals produced by oxidation. A reasonable question to ask  is whether there is any hard data that that proves the effectiveness of micronutrients in reducing the incidence of macular degeneration. The answer is yes.

There have been two Age-Related Eye Disease Studies know as AREDS1 and AREDS2. These studies were designed to study the effect of diet and nutrition on the progression of age-related macular degeneration in patients who already have the disease.

What did we learn from these studies on the 3640 patients who qualified for the AMD study? In our opinion the most important finding was those patients who ate the Standard American Diet high in red meat, processed meats, high-fat dairy products, fried foods, refined grains and eggs were at a significant increased risk for developing AMD compared to those patients who ate the Asian diet high in the consumption of vegetables, legumes, fruit, whole grains, tomatoes and seafood.

The conclusion of the studies was that a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fish was sufficient to delay the onset of AMD. Dietary supplements should be given to patients who have a high genetic risk for developing macular degeneration and to those who do not eat an adequate diet.

We are frequently asked whether the AREDS formulation should be taken for general eye health if there are no anatomic risk factors for developing AMD. The answer to this an emphatic no. Pills are not a substitude for a healthy diet

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Female Obesity

We know that there is an obesity epidemic in this country, We also know that obesity does not discriminate. It occurs in men, women and children of all ages. Nevertheless, here are some numbers to think about.

 Almost 10% of American women are now in the highest category of obesity.

What does that mean? Well for example a woman 5'4" tall would weigh more than 233 pounds if she were in this category!

What about the remainder of women?

Well the bad news is that overall 40% of all women are obese! This means that they have a body mass index of 30 or higher.

We ask why this is  happening in a country that has some of the finest medical care in the world

What do you think?

For more information ho to our website trienergeticsblog.com

Preventing Age Related Macular Degeneration

This is such an important topic that we are posting information that we presented in earlier posts. This information may help preserve your vision.

Age related macular degeneration affects an estimated 30 million people worldwide at an estimated cause of $300 billion dollars. The cause of this problem has been debated for years without  total agreement. Currently our understanding is that a number of factors are involved. First of all there is a genetic predisposition to develop macular degeneration. If someone in your immediate family has macular degeneration, your risk for developing it is about 70%. This is a higher rate of genetic predisposition than many other diseases.

Secondly, oxidative stress is a contributing factor. We have written extensively about oxidative stress in our book Live Longer Live Healthier. The retina is an organ that consumes large amounts of oxygen, a feature that makes it especially vulnerable to damage from free radicals that are produced as a by product of the cellular metabolism. To learn more about how free radicals are generated by your own body read the chapter on this subject in our book.

The third factor that contributes to the development of macular degeneration is environmental. Smoking is definitely a major causative factor. A poor diet is another. As we get older our metabolism tends to slow down and for most people less food is consumed. The aging body also has a reduced ability to absorb micronutrients from the gut contributing to nutrient deficiencies.

This problem is so severe that an estimated 5 to 10 % of adults over the age of 65 are clinically malnourished.  In another study it was found that 35% of patients in long term facilities were considered to be malnourished despite having access to proper nutrition. Furthermore a comprehensive nutritional survey in 2009 found that in patients over the age of 50, almost 50% did not meet their recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin C and 90% did not meet the RDA for betacarotene, lutein or zeaxanthin.

A large study on nutrition and macular degeneration performed in Rotterdam concluded that a healthy diet rich in green leafy vegetables and fish was sufficient to prevent or delay the onset of macular degeneration. Unfortunately most older adults do not eat enough of the foods necessary to meet these criteria; therefore there is the need to supplement with the necessary micronutrients. 

Lose Weight And Improve Your Health By Eating Pulses

As Bernie Sanders would say this is "huge". The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations haas declared 2016 as the International Year of the Pulses The aim of this campaign is to increase awareness of the nutritional value of Pulses as part of our diet,

So what are Pulses. They are the seeds of plants in the legume family and include beans, lentils, chickpeas and dry beans. They are rich in protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins as well as phytochemicals. Studies have linked regular consumption of these foods to improved blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and better blood sugar control

Pulses are a nutritional bargain because they pack so much nutrition and so few calories in a small package. They are a financial bargain because they are relatively inexpensive. If you are one of those who will just not eat beans of any kind, you should reconsider and give one of the pulses another try.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net