Discover How to Harness the
Powerful Secrets of Our Past
Build the Strongest, Leanest
Healthiest Body Possible
We’re not talking about snowboards and ski gear. Though it’s not the “first” vitamin K, vitamin K2 is hardly the first loser. Do you know about this essential ingredient for good health? Read on!
Vitamin K, in all its forms, is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps to protect your cardiovascular system (among several heart-related benefits, K may help to keep calcium out of your arteries). K also plays a role in bone health, something our osteoporosis-riddled nation certainly needs to work on. You need vitamin K for proper blood clotting, too. So, you could say it’s important! Fortunately, K is uber-prevalent in healthy foods, so you don’t have to supplement if you’re following a sensible diet. K the First is present in plants, while K2 is found in fermented foods and… your gut. (Remember, you have your very own fermentation factory in your gastrointestinal tract!)
Think about it: heavy use of antibiotics and excessive consumption of carbohydrates destroy beneficial bacteria in your gut. Hmm…why on earth do we have such obscene rates of heart disease and osteoporosis? A K-deficit can even disrupt insulin function! It’s one more reason why switching to a healthy diet is so critical for Americans.
Posted By: Worker Bee
And it fits in a vase! (Sorry, John.) Echinacea, or purple coneflower, was widely panned after a rock-solid controlled study proved its inefficacy in 2005.
You can put away your Puffs: echinacea is the toast of the sniffle set again.
In a meta-analysis of fourteen studies and a whole bunch of people (okay, 1,630 for those who like numbers), scientists found that echinacea does, in fact, reduce both cold infection rates (by 58%) and duration (by 1.44 days).
More numbers:
There are three different parts to the echinacea plant (you know, leaf, stem, flower…) This does appear to make a difference in effectiveness. There are also three different species of echinacea, and there are three different substances in the plant that are thought to be the active ingredient.
There are 800 different echinacea products made from these three different parts and/or three different species and/or three different extracts, and they come in teas, drops, powders and pills. Good luck trying each one – my advice is to be a princess (or prince) and buy the best. You only get a cold a few times a year (I hope), so spend the extra cash and you’re likely to get a better product. Or check out online customer reviews at sites like Epinions.
The reason why echinacea does…and doesn’t…work:
There are over 200 different cold viruses. That’s why you always catch the common cold and that’s why there’s no cure. Echinacea seems to be less effective on induced colds (scientists use rhinovirus to induce a cold).
The great thing is that whether or not you take echinacea, your body will develop immunity to any cold virus that infects you. The not-so-great thing is that after you get your first one, you still have 199 or so to go. But, since the average person gets between 2 and 4 colds a year, by the time you’re about 50, there shouldn’t be many more to go. Instead, you can concentrate on building up immunity to every flu virus in existence. Isn’t that awesome?
Psst…and we all know what Mark would recommend: eat right, work out, reduce stress, and you’ll have a better immune system!
Want more?
What does echinacea tea taste like? I don’t know, but I bet it would be great in the Fuming Fuji mug! 
Technorati Tags: echinacea, cold remedies
Posted By: Sara
Here’s a compelling op-ed from a chemistry PhD about the problem with randomized clinical trials. RCTs are the gold standard for testing effectiveness and safety. The problem, however, is that a randomized clinical trial puts the substance in question in a bubble. Remove the substance from its context, this writer argues, and you aren’t going to get an accurate picture.
Hang on, all ye fans of the FDA. I’ll explain. Randomized clinical trials are essential for food and drugs. But the piece points out that the value is not so cut and dried when it comes to vitamin supplements.
Supplements, of course, have been all over the news lately. Recently a spate of stories came out condemning antioxidants. Another called vitamins into question. I’m used to drug companies funding studies and releasing statements about the dangers of vitamins, and Sara and Aaron addressed the whole issue in a scathing little parody at Healthbolt (for adult eyes and a sense of humor only). The FDA will begin requiring supplement manufacturers to test their products and prove that they contain what they say they contain. This is a good thing as far as I’m concerned, though it’ll be 2010 before everything takes full effect, and the policing will be an honor system not unlike the current setup Big Pharma enjoys. So it remains to be seen just how much good this will do in stopping bogus supplements…
At this point in the antioxidant debacle, though, I can tell you that I’m really tired of certain interests truckin’ out the same old scare, and I said as much in a flare at Technorati. Typically, a substance, such as a single antioxidant, is given to a group. Placebos are given, all is randomized, time passes. Sounds great, but it’s not. Thus far, the results from many RCTs have been dismally unconvincing, leading experts to assert that antioxidants are worthless despite loads of observational studies. I won’t regurgitate the whole op-ed here, but consider a worthy criticism of RCTs:
Frequently the supplement is given to an unhealthy population – even terminally diseased groups. Should we really expect miracles here? I’m interested in the etiology of disease and chronic health conditions. I think it’s obvious enough that a combination of risk factors, diet, genetics and environmental conditions are at play in most health issues. Can we reasonably expect a year of, say, vitamin E supplementation to offset 20 or 40 years of cumulative damage from a host of factors?
My advice? Take a broad spectrum of different antioxidants for prevention and overall health, not in a misguided attempt to cure a disease. Nutritional supplements are fundamentally different from drugs in their approach. The former supports prevention; the latter targets specific symptoms and eliminates or mitigates them. In the best cases, and only occasionally, drugs cure disease. In the worst cases, they merely mask pain or alleviate symptoms that indicate an unhealthy lifestyle.
To me, RCTs may be missing the big picture with antioxidants: synergy, baby.
Further reading:
Technorati Tags: antioxidants, studies, RCT, etiology
Posted By: Mark Sisson
WORKER BEES’ DAILY BITES
Aspirin and fish are two health topics that get plenty of coverage. Just when you read the latest studies that command you to shun all things pill and pisces, another round tells you to take the opposite tack. We’re dishing all the latest research. And for simultaneous comic relief and health insights, you’ll enjoy the link to a debunker who is taking on…the debunkers.
Aspirin: What a Pill
Plenty of authoritative medical studies and organizations recommend taking aspirin for various health issues ranging from heart disease to cancer. Other studies find fault with this OTC drug. Today, European scientists are calling for better investigation into the dangers of aspirin. One problem with OTC drugs is that they are often taken in excess of the recommended dosages. Our observation (certainly not original, but worth stating): OTC drugs are still drugs, and it’s vital to exercise caution and do your homework. Many hospital visits are due to overdoses and interactions from “harmless” OTC drugs.
Fish: Scientists Still Flip-Flopping
While fish consumption does present concerns (mercury! sustainable harvesting!) one thing is now conclusive: fish oil is a more effective source of essential fatty acids than olive oil, nuts and plant oils.
This is Laurelfan’s Flickr Photo. We enjoy wild-caught salmon, too!
But Who Will Debunk the Debunkers?
Anssi Manninen, that’s who (via Bodybuilding.com). This is a pretty interesting and entertaining piece calling nutritional “debunkers” on the their own apparently misguided advice.
Technorati Tags: OTC drug safety, aspirin, fish oil
Posted By: Worker Bee
Worker Bees’ Daily Bites:
What’s shakin’, Apples? I’m here to highlight the best links to get your week off to an informed and healthy start:
Do you trust Big Pharma? You shouldn’t. (I know we said we’d lay off those guys for a while, but this is pretty important news. Official laying-off begins now.)
Dairy Ads Pulled
Finally! Sara practically passed out from joy at this news. (She has researched the Big Moo and Blunder Tonic diet deception extensively.) Want to lose weight? Start here.
More Scams Debunked
Deer velvet is my personal favorite. Come on, gimme a break! This site is no-frills but nicely summarizes some popular supplement scams. I disagree with the last one. What do you think?
Buy Milk in the Dark
This milk advice is one of the most odd, but useful, health tips I’ve seen yet. Buying milk that’s been exposed to fluorescent light destroys precious nutrients. (As you’ll note from reading our assorted research into Big Moo, I think your best bet is to buy raw milk from a reputable local source, but this is not recommended by the federal government.)
Mother’s Milk Vs. Nestle
To say I’m bothered by the fact that Nestle pushes baby formula on new mothers in regions that lack potable water would be an understatement. Breast-feeding is the obvious choice for nourishing infants in impoverished areas where clean water and good food are scarce for mom, let alone baby, but apparently Nestle would rather turn a quick profit and shove sugary formula (deficient in EFAs) down newborns’ throats. Thousands of babies are dying as a result. Read about it here. I for one am boycotting Nestle. They make a LOT of products – they’re the biggest food company in the world. Fortunately, they don’t typically make healthy food, so it’s easy to avoid supporting them.
Technorati Tags: oxycontin, deer velvet, Nestle, baby formula, dairy ads
Posted By: Elliott
Weekly Newsletter
Daily updates via RSS 
(what is RSS?)
©2009 Mark's Daily Apple | Design By The Blog Studio
