Guest guest Posted May 12, 2004 Report Share Posted May 12, 2004 Wed, 12 May 2004 12:45:09 -0500 HSI - Jenny Thompson Rain on My Parade Rain on My Parade Health Sciences Institute e-Alert May 12, 2004 ************************************************************ Dear Reader, The other night a line of thundershowers stormed through my neck of the woods; lashing rain, high winds, thunder, lightning - the whole package. But for Marylanders who suffer from seasonal hay fever, it was a welcome relief. Here in Maryland, where trees and other plant life are abundant, pollen piles up quickly at this time of year whenever it's dry for a few days. So an extended period with no rain can be misery for those who are sensitive to high pollen counts. But while hay fever sufferers wait for the next good hard downpour, there's a dietary change they can make that may bring some relief. ----------------------------- EPIC revelations ----------------------------- Researchers in Heidelberg, Germany, used data collected from a large research project called the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) to analyze possible links between hay fever and the intake of fatty acids and antioxidants. Two years of dietary information was collected on more than 330 adults with hay fever and compared with the same information on about 1,330 adults without hay fever. The Heidelberg team found the following associations: * A high intake of oleic acid (found in red meat and olive oil) was associated with increased risk of hay fever * A high intake of beta-carotene was associated with increased risk of hay fever * A high intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA - an omega 3 fatty acid) was associated with reduced risk of hay fever * A high intake of vitamin E was associated with a reduced risk of hay fever When analyzed by groups, the increased risk associated with beta-carotene and the reduced risk associated with vitamin E were mainly observed among women and current- or ex-smokers. Previous studies on the association of nutrition and hay fever have shown that diets high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids are generally associated with a higher risk of hay fever symptoms. ----------------------------- Not dozing off ----------------------------- The most typical treatments for hay fever are decongestants, steroidal nasal sprays, and antihistamines. But in addition to making dietary changes, there are natural agents - such as the botanical butterbur - that may help relieve hay fever. In a 2002 Swiss study, 125 people with hay fever were randomly assigned to take either butterbur or 10 mg of the antihistamine cetirizine (better known as Zyrtec) each day. The daily butterbur dosage contained 32 mg of petasine, the active compound in butterbur. Using questionnaires to assess changes in symptoms, researchers found that both groups showed improvement after two weeks of treatment. In fact, the effects of the butterbur were almost identical to those of the prescription antihistamine. The only difference was in the side effects; FOUR TIMES as many people in the drug group reported fatigue or drowsiness. ----------------------------- Send in the pro ----------------------------- In the e-Alert " Herbal remedy fights hay fever without sleepy side effects " (1/30/02), I told you about Allerpro; another natural product to treat hay fever. Allerpro contains a clinically tested formula of Chinese herbs and fruit extracts, including the herb xanthium, which is a strong reliever of nasal and sinus congestion. Allerpro was first introduced to our members by HSI panelist Stephen Morrissey, O.M.D., who is a specialist in Oriental medicine. In Dr. Morrissey's experience, Allerpro is even more effective against hay fever than butterbur, and can also relieve allergy symptoms without causing drowsiness. You can find more information about Allerpro (as well as the details of a clinical trial) at the web site for Botanica BioScience: botanica-bioscience.com. In the meantime, let's just all pray for another good storm. To start receiving your own copy of the HSI e-Alert, visit: http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/freecopy.html Or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive their own copy of the HSI e-Alert. ************************************************************** ... and another thing I doubt that many HSI members have been diagnosed with the relatively rare Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) - a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by the destruction of the myelin sheaths that surround and protect the nerves. But I know at least one member is coping with GBS. Her name is Kathy, and her questions about GBS prompted instructive answers from HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., who has some excellent information for all of us about supplementing with vitamin B-12. In an e-mail, Kathy wrote: " I was diagnosed last Aug with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. I had never heard of it before and I really have no idea why I got it. I am still very tired and therefore the doctor did a blood test for B12 and found mine to be very low so he prescribed 1000 mg of B-12 per day. I found a timed released 1200 mg of B-12 and I am taking that with the hope it will help. I wondered if the low B-12 could be a cause or effect of the GBS? " Another question is how can I get more B-12 in my diet? Can age make B-12 harder to get out of your diet? I am only 52 years old and I know from my hospice volunteering that many older people, men it seems, get B-12 shots so is this another problem with aging? " In general, most of us absorb vitamins less effectively as we age. So B-12, like other nutrients, doesn't reach the system quite as well as it did when we were young pups. But according to Dr. Spreen, there are steps we can take to help B-12 do its best work. Here's Dr. Spreen's response to Kathy's questions: " Guillian-Barre is a mystifying nerve problem. You're VERY lucky to have your B-12 level come back low (with the range of normal used today the level has to be ridiculously low to be picked up by the test as abnormal). " I had many chances to recommend B-12 for shingles (for which it works well, since there are no 'cures' I was free to prescribe it without having to worry about not adhering to medical convention). However, I did not get an opportunity to try it for Guillain-Barre, which was too bad, because I think it should help (even with normal blood levels). B-12 works on the nerve sheath, which is irritated in GBS. " The daily dose is fine, and could be continued for a long time (I'm sure it's 1000 mcg, though, and not mg). However, I'd suggest a few changes: first, forget time-release form. It's hard enough for the body to absorb without putting it in a pill designed NOT to release it. In fact, any oral form cannot be counted on. I'd suggest the sub-lingual route, meaning under-the-tongue. " My other suggestion would be to use methyl-B-12, instead of cyano- or hydroxo-B-12. It's harder to find and more expensive, but worth every penny. " As for dietary sources, Dr. Spreen says that B-12 is only available in any reasonable amount in red meat, " no matter what the vegans say about legumes having enough. " To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute ************************************************************** To start receiving your own copy of the HSI e-Alert, visit: http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/freecopya.html Or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive their own copy of the HSI e-Alert. ************************************************************** Sources: " The Influence of the Dietary Intake of Fatty Acids and Antioxidants on Hay Fever in Adults " Allergy, Vol. 58, No. 12, December 2003, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov " Certain Dietary Supplements May Reduce Hayfever Risk " Darin Ingels, N.D., Healthnotes Newswire, 3/11/04, pccnaturalmarkets.com Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************ Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please visit here http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/questions.html ************************************************************ If you'd like to participate in the HSI Forum, search past e-Alerts and products or you're an HSI member and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.hsibaltimore.com ************************************************************ Movies - Buy advance tickets for 'Shrek 2' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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