Thursday’s Thought Fuss

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WORKER BEES’ DAILY BITES

Drug-Eluting Stents Elude Trouble…for Now

An FDA panel is not really concerned that drug-eluting stents might cause serious blood clots. There are two kinds of stents: those that elute and those that do not. The latter are simple metal devices used to prop open arteries that are gunked up. The former release drugs and are far more popular. In fact, drug-eluting stents make up 90% of stents sold, which means about $6 billion a year in profits for the medical device industry.

So, the news* that they might kill more than they should (remember, the FDA accepts a relative number of “oops” when approving a drug) is not making Big Pharma happy. Over at the Motley Fool, they’re surmising that the FDA will probably let it all slide. Poor Pfizer just lost torcetrapib, so maybe it’s a little bit of a pity party. At any rate, ateriosclerosis, which stents address, is almost entirely preventable with a good diet and daily exercise. Something to think about. Apples?

Will I Miss Out If I Never Eat a Kumquat?

Junior Apple Jessica B. wants to know if we need variety in our diets, after all. Good question, Jess (can we call you Jess?). That does seem to be one of the hallowed tenets of friendly nutritionists everywhere. It’s right up there with 8 glasses of water daily and flail-away-at-the-cardio-machine.

What we want to know is: what do we really know? For all of human history, people ate locally, seasonally, and their variety was often limited. Evidence indicates that cave-dudes and cave-ettes didn’t really struggle much with things like obesity and diabetes. As long as they weren’t wiped out by the latest glacier or wild boar attack, people were reasonably healthy on diets that centered around one or two fiber sources, some type of greens (anything from kelp in Japan to moss in Siberia), and a protein source or two (fish in New Zealand, reindeer in Finland). What do you all think about the variety debate? Get thee to the forum!

Technorati Tags: variety, drug-eluting stents, FDA, Pfizer, pharmaceuticals, pharmacology, torcetrapib, ateriosclerosis

* UPDATE MAY/24/07: news article updates latest drug-eluting stent issue. We’ve replaced the old article with the most up-to-date news.

Posted By: Worker Bee

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The Sisson Spoof

It’s great that KFC has announced it will eliminate trans fats from all menu items. But until this unethical bucket-for-bypass is off the production line, I will continue to have less respect for KFC than I do for child-proof packaging. On the other hand, at least they don’t pretend to care, which is more than can be said about most fast-food chains. There’s no sprinkling of broccoli or lean grilled chicken to confuse the meal’s purpose: cheap fodder for the masses. When you can mock your customers and get away with it, you’ve entered into dealer-addict territory. I’m not sure where to lay the blame; at any rate, I’m more interested in a solution. What do we do?

Technorati Tags: KFC, bucket, trans fat, fast food, spoof

Posted By: Mark Sisson

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Free Daily Yoga Instruction

Yoga helps to build strength and power, increase flexibility, and some say, improve your ability to focus. It originated in India as spiritual practice, but in recent years has become a Western workout phenomenon. Now that yoga is a mainstream and popular exercise option books, television shows, videos and other resources abound in plenty. Though, some material stands above the rest.

Yoga Today offers a brand new one hour training session every single day – and it is all free! One of three trained yoga instructors will take you step-by-step through stretches and positions of varying difficulty always with some particular focus in mind. One day they will focus on increasing flexibility in your spinal column, and the next on strengthening your core. The videos are shot and displayed in high-definition, so the beautiful surroundings of Jackson, Wyoming, or their tranquil indoor sets, hardly lose any of their serenity. Beside the fact that this material is free, the greatest thing about it is that you can use it at anytime from the privacy of your own home. Check out this site if you would like something akin to having your own personal yoga instructor!

Posted By: Aaron

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The Buckler Brief

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT:

ALPHA LIPOIC ACID (ALA)

WHAT IT IS: Not to be confused with alpha linoleic acid, which is flaxseed’s famous precursor to Omega-3 fatty acids, alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant found in the body’s cells. It works in concurrence with several other antioxidants, including vitamin C and vitamin E.

Studies show: ALA, like other antioxidants, fights free radicals that ravage the body. When free radicals attack our cells, this is known as oxidative stress, which ALA prevents. But ALA goes a step further than other antioxidants.

This compound helps to regulate blood sugar and insulin. For this reason, ALA plays a vital role in energy, health and weight maintenance. Many diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, are linked to unhealthy blood sugar and insulin production levels.

ALA is also one of the only antioxidants that is both fat and water soluble, which is just one more reason why experts consider it to be such a valuable nutrient. Studies have shown that ALA both fights oxidative stress and helps improve the metabolism. Specifically, ALA has been shown to fight the destructive free radicals that contribute to aging.

In a recent study, ALA improved energy levels significantly. And ALA helps its buddies: at least two other antioxidants have been proven to work more effectively in conjunction with ALA.

WHY WE LIKE IT: We like ALA because of its potential for great energy improvement and age-fighting effects. ALA helps fight oxidation, is fat and water soluble, and improves the effectiveness of other antioxidants.

While the body does produce ALA within its cells, scientists have discovered a unique and wonderful side effect when an additional ALA supplement is taken – the ALA “free floats” to any area in the body suffering from oxidative stress, whether it be water, fat or blood. How cool is that? This is special because other antioxidants (like C and E) remain in particular cells, and often just the fatty section, at that.

Furthermore, ALA supports other antioxidants, increasing their effectiveness. And because high blood sugar and insulin irregularity are both problems for Americans, we believe ALA is crucial to managing your health. That’s why Mark includes a big dose of ALA in his world-class Damage Control Master Formula.

Posted By: Elliott

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The Fuming Fuji Says No to Sports Drinks

The Fuming Fuji is outraged at the marketing of toxic food, especially when it’s aimed at the small fry. This week, the Fuming Fuji has decided to have a serious problem with sports drinks.

But, Fuming Fuji, you ask, aren’t sports drinks really healthy, especially for child athletes?

The Fuming Fuji says no!

The claim: Sports drinks replace lost electrolytes…and other stuff.

The catch: Sports drinks are sugar water. Fuming Fuji admits sometimes they also have dye and flavorings.

The comeback: But don’t kids need energy drinks, especially if they play sports?

The conclusion: Yes, children who run frequent marathons should drink sports drinks. When I was a young seed, I scuttled uphill both ways in the snow to school every day, and sports drinks really got me through. But 1 in 3 children are obese. 1 in 3 will get diabetes. The Fuming Fuji says sports drinks are less useful than Paris Hilton.

The catchphrase: Diabetes will never be an Olympic sport.

Disclaimer: Mark Sisson and the Worker Bees do not necessarily endorse the views of the Fuming Fuji.

Technorati Tags: children’s health, sports drinks

Posted By: Worker Bee

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