You've probably heard from many nutritionists/dieticians/MDs or other experts that fasting and detoxes is unproven and can probably harm you. But in many cultures or religions, it's done regularly w/ no real harm.
But now, scientists at the University of Southern California are actually advocating fasting. They've demonstrated that fasting for 3 days resets your immune system and reboots the body. In fact, they are saying that it may be beneficial for cancer patients or those who have undergone chemotherapy.
‘There is no evidence at all that fasting would be dangerous while there is strong evidence that it is beneficial.’
Quite a drastic change in opinion by scientists. A lot of naturopathic doctors (NDs) have been taught that there can be some therapeutic advantages to fasting. It's good to see the science catching up to things I was taught long time ago.
Over the years, I've seen science validate many things that NDs do (ie. acupuncture) and advice to select patients to 'avoid gluten.' For some reason, naturopathic doctors and other medical solutions passed down through the generations don't get the credit it deserves. Sometimes things work and we have to wait for science to validate what we already know. And believe me, I'm as scientific of a naturopath as you will find.
Take a look at this National Post article regarding Fasting!
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
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"The care you want, the health you need."
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
The Importance of Quality Supplements - Unsafe Fish Oils in the News!
My patients know the importance of quality supplements and it's something I've talked about. You need to know that the supplements you're buying have the concentrations that they say they have on the bottle. Some studies have shown that you may not be getting what's on the label. You should know if the supplements you're taking have been made with good manufacturing practices (GMP) and have been tested for quality and for impurities.
In the case of a commonly used supplement like fish oils, one needs to know that there is zero to low levels of heavy metals (ie. mercury), polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs) and other impurities. Here at the clinic, we did not used to sell supplements. But with increasing demand from our patients, we now carry certain reputable brands that have been vetted for their good manufacturing practices and quality. As for fish oils which is now making the news, I have personally requested for the certificate of analysis which shows third party testing on the supplements we carry. Our patients can be confident of this and next time you're in, feel free to ask to see a copy of this report.
If you caught the news last night on the CBC, you would have heard about PCBs being found in a number of fish oil supplements. PCBs are known carcinogens and a lawsuit is underway naming certain companies and pharmacies in the United States.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
In the case of a commonly used supplement like fish oils, one needs to know that there is zero to low levels of heavy metals (ie. mercury), polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs) and other impurities. Here at the clinic, we did not used to sell supplements. But with increasing demand from our patients, we now carry certain reputable brands that have been vetted for their good manufacturing practices and quality. As for fish oils which is now making the news, I have personally requested for the certificate of analysis which shows third party testing on the supplements we carry. Our patients can be confident of this and next time you're in, feel free to ask to see a copy of this report.
If you caught the news last night on the CBC, you would have heard about PCBs being found in a number of fish oil supplements. PCBs are known carcinogens and a lawsuit is underway naming certain companies and pharmacies in the United States.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
A link between soft drinks & pancreatic cancer?
News of Coca Cola's strong growth overseas sent its share prices higher. That's the news from the business pages. On another front, there's a large Singaporean study showing that sugary soft drinks are now linked to pancreatic cancer, one of the more deadlier cancers out there.
Analysis of 60,000+ adults showed that those who drank two or more sugary soft drinks per week were at greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Notice that amount, two per week! Many people drink that much per day!
However, this link does not prove cause and effect. Rather it should be noted that many people who consume generous amounts of pop tend to also live an unhealthier lifestyle, be it from lack of activity, poor diets, smoking and drinking alcohol.
This is why I often tell patients that they need to make wholesale changes to their lifestyle to achieve good health. In fact, there's a study out there showing that it is often easier for patients to make wholesale changes than cutting out little things here and there. When patients have the proper motivation and someone that can guide them, better longer lasting results are seen with those that make big changes. I can definitely attest to that fact.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Analysis of 60,000+ adults showed that those who drank two or more sugary soft drinks per week were at greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Notice that amount, two per week! Many people drink that much per day!
However, this link does not prove cause and effect. Rather it should be noted that many people who consume generous amounts of pop tend to also live an unhealthier lifestyle, be it from lack of activity, poor diets, smoking and drinking alcohol.
This is why I often tell patients that they need to make wholesale changes to their lifestyle to achieve good health. In fact, there's a study out there showing that it is often easier for patients to make wholesale changes than cutting out little things here and there. When patients have the proper motivation and someone that can guide them, better longer lasting results are seen with those that make big changes. I can definitely attest to that fact.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Tanning Beds Now Considered Top Carcinogen
The latest reports by the World Health Organization published in the medical journal Lancet Oncology has cast quite a shadow on the tanning bed industry.
For those of you keen to read the full article, the Lancet report can be read at the website below, but you need to be a paid subscriber.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/issue/current
The CBC also has a good summary.
Key points to take away from the new report:
- The World Health Organization has now classified tanning beds as a top carcinogen, alongside things like cigarettes, asbestos, hepatitis B virus, mustard gas
- Risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75% when people start using tanning beds before 30 yrs of age
- People younger than 18 yrs old should not be using tanning beds......this is a common practice in Northern Europe (France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany)
- Tanning beds emit a higher concentration (up to 10x more) UV rays more than the mid-day sun
My Take on Things:
I certainly don't think that everyone should be panicking about this report. It seems a little over the top to classify tanning beds on the same level as asbestos and mustard gas. Dermatologists in France have been recommending for some time now that people not exceed 10 tanning sessions per year. This does sound like prudent advice because it's the Frequency and Length of time that one spends in a tanning bed that probably increases your risk. Extended exposure to UV rays also causes pre-mature aging.
For those averse to reading scientific journals, I would recommend this quick video clip produced by the Associated Press:
http://www.thestar.com/videozone/673365
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
For those of you keen to read the full article, the Lancet report can be read at the website below, but you need to be a paid subscriber.
http://www.thelancet.com/
The CBC also has a good summary.
Key points to take away from the new report:
- The World Health Organization has now classified tanning beds as a top carcinogen, alongside things like cigarettes, asbestos, hepatitis B virus, mustard gas
- Risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75% when people start using tanning beds before 30 yrs of age
- People younger than 18 yrs old should not be using tanning beds......this is a common practice in Northern Europe (France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany)
- Tanning beds emit a higher concentration (up to 10x more) UV rays more than the mid-day sun
My Take on Things:
I certainly don't think that everyone should be panicking about this report. It seems a little over the top to classify tanning beds on the same level as asbestos and mustard gas. Dermatologists in France have been recommending for some time now that people not exceed 10 tanning sessions per year. This does sound like prudent advice because it's the Frequency and Length of time that one spends in a tanning bed that probably increases your risk. Extended exposure to UV rays also causes pre-mature aging.
For those averse to reading scientific journals, I would recommend this quick video clip produced by the Associated Press:
http://www.thestar.com/
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
In the News: Tamiflu resistance, Hot dogs and cancer, Euthanasia & Quebec, Heart disease
Tamiflu resistant H1N1 virus?
Canada and many other countries are stockpiling the anti-retroviral drug Tamiflu - considered the first line anti-retroviral drug against H1N1. Though not a reason to worry, there are now reported cases of Tamiflu-resistant-H1N1 in both Quebec, Canada and in Japan. There's only been 5 reported cases thus far.
Hot dogs with cancer warning labels?
Cancer Project, a national cancer awareness group in the U.S.A is suing hot dog manufacturers in an effort to force them to issue warning labels on their products. It is already well known that processed meats that contain nitrates, such as cold cuts & hot dogs increase the risk of certain cancers (ie. colon cancer) with regular consumption.
Cardiovascular disease is Canada's #1 Killer
In Canada, rates of high blood pressure was up 77 per cent between 1994 and 2005, diabetes was up 45 per cent over the same period, and obesity rates rose 18 per cent.
Euthanasia - the debate?
The Quebec College of Physicians have suggested that euthanasia could be an acceptable form of treatment for some terminally ill patients with no hope of recovery. This would be quite a change. Switzerland is currently the only country in the world where foreigners can be assisted with euthanasia.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Canada and many other countries are stockpiling the anti-retroviral drug Tamiflu - considered the first line anti-retroviral drug against H1N1. Though not a reason to worry, there are now reported cases of Tamiflu-resistant-H1N1 in both Quebec, Canada and in Japan. There's only been 5 reported cases thus far.
Hot dogs with cancer warning labels?
Cancer Project, a national cancer awareness group in the U.S.A is suing hot dog manufacturers in an effort to force them to issue warning labels on their products. It is already well known that processed meats that contain nitrates, such as cold cuts & hot dogs increase the risk of certain cancers (ie. colon cancer) with regular consumption.
Cardiovascular disease is Canada's #1 Killer
In Canada, rates of high blood pressure was up 77 per cent between 1994 and 2005, diabetes was up 45 per cent over the same period, and obesity rates rose 18 per cent.
Euthanasia - the debate?
The Quebec College of Physicians have suggested that euthanasia could be an acceptable form of treatment for some terminally ill patients with no hope of recovery. This would be quite a change. Switzerland is currently the only country in the world where foreigners can be assisted with euthanasia.
In other countries like the Netherlands and Belgium, terminally ill residents are able to receive a doctor's assistance to die.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
In The News: Prostate Test Unnecessary & Red Meat Kills
PSA Testing Unnecessary?
The Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test is routinely touted to men and every year more and more men ask their medical doctors or naturopathic doctors to write them a script for the test. Recent research on the PSA test reveals that "a high proportion of cancers actually found by PSA testing would never have become clinically apparent in that individual's lifetime" and that means many men are unduly subjected to the possible complications of the treatment, namely incontinence and impotence. The researchers state believe that the risks of large-scale PSA testing outweighs the benefits because many prostate cancers are slow growing and many men die of other causes instead of the cancer.
I believe that the PSA test is still useful and health care practitioners need to use their clinical judgement as to when to prescribe the test. For example, an 80 year old man in most cases probably wouldn't benefit too much from getting this test.
Red Meat Kills
Half a million people were tracked in a study looking at intakes of red and processed meats. The results are not startling to health care practitioners knowledgeable in nutrition. Naturopathic doctors have long advocated that North Americans cut their consumption of red meats. Now the Canadian Cancer Society is recommending limiting red meat to 500 grams or 18 ounces per week to reduce the risk of cancer.
The study found that men and women who eat four ounces per day - the equivalent of a small steak or "Quarter-Pounder" from McDonalds - had a higher risk of dying from heart disease & cancer than those who ate less than one once of red meat per day. Men who were heavy meat eaters had a 22% increased risk of dying from cancer and 27% increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Women had a 20% increased risk of dying from cancer and 50% increase for heart disease.
Red meat includes bacon, beef, cold cuts, ham, hamburger, hot dogs, liver, pepperoni, pork, sausage and steak.
My recommendation to my patients stays the same, meat should be treated as a "side" rather than the main course. In many restaurants and households, we are often served "a steak with a side of veggies". Let's reverse that folks!!! Make vegetables the star of your dish.
Other Recommendations:
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
The Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test is routinely touted to men and every year more and more men ask their medical doctors or naturopathic doctors to write them a script for the test. Recent research on the PSA test reveals that "a high proportion of cancers actually found by PSA testing would never have become clinically apparent in that individual's lifetime" and that means many men are unduly subjected to the possible complications of the treatment, namely incontinence and impotence. The researchers state believe that the risks of large-scale PSA testing outweighs the benefits because many prostate cancers are slow growing and many men die of other causes instead of the cancer.
I believe that the PSA test is still useful and health care practitioners need to use their clinical judgement as to when to prescribe the test. For example, an 80 year old man in most cases probably wouldn't benefit too much from getting this test.
Red Meat Kills
Half a million people were tracked in a study looking at intakes of red and processed meats. The results are not startling to health care practitioners knowledgeable in nutrition. Naturopathic doctors have long advocated that North Americans cut their consumption of red meats. Now the Canadian Cancer Society is recommending limiting red meat to 500 grams or 18 ounces per week to reduce the risk of cancer.
The study found that men and women who eat four ounces per day - the equivalent of a small steak or "Quarter-Pounder" from McDonalds - had a higher risk of dying from heart disease & cancer than those who ate less than one once of red meat per day. Men who were heavy meat eaters had a 22% increased risk of dying from cancer and 27% increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Women had a 20% increased risk of dying from cancer and 50% increase for heart disease.
Red meat includes bacon, beef, cold cuts, ham, hamburger, hot dogs, liver, pepperoni, pork, sausage and steak.
My recommendation to my patients stays the same, meat should be treated as a "side" rather than the main course. In many restaurants and households, we are often served "a steak with a side of veggies". Let's reverse that folks!!! Make vegetables the star of your dish.
Other Recommendations:
- Select lean meat and alternatives
- Trim visible fat from meats
- Remove the skin from poultry
- Use cooking methods such as roasting, baking or poaching that require little or no added fat.
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Talcum / Baby Powder Increases Risk of Cancer
Talcum powder is commonly used on babies to prevent diaper rash, but there are now warnings that parents should immediately stop this practice as it increases the risk of ovarian cancer by as much as 40%. The findings by Harvard researchers & published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention show that using talc just once per week raised the risk of ovarian cancer by 36% and rose to 41% for those applying powder every day - a staggering increase in risk! It should be noted that the findings "apply only to talcum powder used around the private parts, not on the rest of the body."
An alternative for parents is to use cornstarch.
For those of you who have access to medical journals, you can read the detailed findings of the study here.
Yours in health,
Dr. Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
An alternative for parents is to use cornstarch.
For those of you who have access to medical journals, you can read the detailed findings of the study here.
Yours in health,
Dr. Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
What we know about the cervical cancer vaccine (Gardasil) - 2 years later
The US Centers for Disease Control & the CBC have new updates about the controversial cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil. At the time of widespread implementation by public health authorities, many health care practitioners voiced concerns about the rush to vaccinate young girls as they felt that there was too little data to warrant such a move. Two years worth of data have now been collected and the data looks promising. Of course, we'll know more when even longer time horizons are gathered and analyzed. In science and medicine, I've found that a clear picture for adverse effects and safety develops when you look at long term data. Also, the public should know that adverse reporting of vaccines & drugs is done on a voluntary basis. There is no system in place to actually follow-up with patients after they have received a vaccine or started on a new drug regiment. It is usually at the discretion of a health care practitioner to report to the ministry of health any side effects which they may have spotted. Therefore, as a caveat, such data does not give us a complete picture.
Nonetheless, I would say from a public health perspective that the number of adverse reactions reported is minimal, unless of course you're one of those people who incurred a severe reaction from this vaccine.
In the US, 2.2 million doses of Gardasil was distributed in 2006 and 11.3 million in 2007. In all, 7802 adverse events were reported between June 2006 and April 2008. Seven percent of those who reported adverse events had serious side effects - the worse being 31 reported cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome, a condition that usually results in temporary paralysis and is often triggered by a vaccine injection. Fifteen deaths were reported to the FDA, and ten were confirmed. However, the CDC says none of the ten were linked to the vaccine. The seven percent of serious side effects is apparently half the average of what is normally seen with vaccines. Of course, over the long term, these statistics can change, but the results are promising thus far.
Gardasil was designed to protect women from four strains of Human Papillomavirus - types 6, 11, 16 & 18 - which are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases. HPV is transmitted through sexual contact and is reported to infect up to half of all sexually active women between 18 and 22. Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer for young women.
Nonetheless, I would say from a public health perspective that the number of adverse reactions reported is minimal, unless of course you're one of those people who incurred a severe reaction from this vaccine.
In the US, 2.2 million doses of Gardasil was distributed in 2006 and 11.3 million in 2007. In all, 7802 adverse events were reported between June 2006 and April 2008. Seven percent of those who reported adverse events had serious side effects - the worse being 31 reported cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome, a condition that usually results in temporary paralysis and is often triggered by a vaccine injection. Fifteen deaths were reported to the FDA, and ten were confirmed. However, the CDC says none of the ten were linked to the vaccine. The seven percent of serious side effects is apparently half the average of what is normally seen with vaccines. Of course, over the long term, these statistics can change, but the results are promising thus far.
Gardasil was designed to protect women from four strains of Human Papillomavirus - types 6, 11, 16 & 18 - which are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases. HPV is transmitted through sexual contact and is reported to infect up to half of all sexually active women between 18 and 22. Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer for young women.
In the News: Banning food dyes; Autoimmune drug may increase cancer risk
Movement to Ban Controversial Food Dyes Gaining Steam in the US
A U.S consumer advocacy group is calling for the ban of artificial food dyes because of there link to serious behavioural and attention-deficit problems in children. The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal published a study last fall that uncovered a link between additives and hyperactivity in children. The researchers found children with no history of serious behavioural problems showed signs of hyperactivity after drinking fruit juice that contained various levels of additives over a period of several weeks.
Methotrexate (a common drug for Rheumatoid Arthritis) may Increase Cancer Risks
Methotrexate, an immuno-suppressive drug that's often prescribed to suffers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune conditions increases their risk of developing certain types of cancers:
Please don't go off your prescription medications without consulting your health care professional. One always has to do a risk reward analysis when considering options, but I can assure you that there are other options out there that may help you to decrease your dosage of drugs.
A U.S consumer advocacy group is calling for the ban of artificial food dyes because of there link to serious behavioural and attention-deficit problems in children. The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal published a study last fall that uncovered a link between additives and hyperactivity in children. The researchers found children with no history of serious behavioural problems showed signs of hyperactivity after drinking fruit juice that contained various levels of additives over a period of several weeks.
The organization singled out eight widely used synthetic dyes for elimination from food:
- Yellow 6 or sunset yellow
- Yellow 5 or tartrazine
- Orange B
- Red 3 or erythrosine
- Red 40, also known as allura red
- Blue 1 or brilliant blue
- Blue 2 or indigotine
- Green 3 or fast green
All of these dyes, with the exception of orange B, are permitted for use in Canada. Many of the dyes are derived from coal tar and have been linked to health problems in past scientific studies. The dyes can be found in a wide range of products including juices, ketchup, chips, chocolate bars, cereals, cheddar cheese, liqueurs, etc...
Unfortunately Canadian labeling standards do not require companies to list which dyes they use in their products - you'll often find products with information stating contains "colours" on the packaging.
In truth, I don't believe that we really need these dyes. They're used for marketing purposes and to make products more appealing to the eyes. Other safe alternatives to these dyes already exist, so why not use them?
Methotrexate (a common drug for Rheumatoid Arthritis) may Increase Cancer Risks
Methotrexate, an immuno-suppressive drug that's often prescribed to suffers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune conditions increases their risk of developing certain types of cancers:
- Five-fold increased risk of developing Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma compared to the general population.
- Three-fold increased risk of melanoma.
- Three-fold increased risk of lung cancer.
- Overall, RA patients taking methotrexate were twice as likely as those without the condition to develop cancer.
Please don't go off your prescription medications without consulting your health care professional. One always has to do a risk reward analysis when considering options, but I can assure you that there are other options out there that may help you to decrease your dosage of drugs.
Even One Drink a Day Increases your Risk of Breast Cancer
Heart disease has been a leading cause of death in the North American population and for the last decade or so, we've heard about the benefits that alcohol provides. Health professionals have been advocating drinking a glass or two or red wine for its heart healthy properties. Numerous studies have shown that alcohol itself benefits the cardiovascular system in moderate amounts. What has been lost in this information is that alcohol consumption affects cancer risks and heart disease risks in an inverse relationship - that is, moderate drinking lowers the incidence of heart disease, but increases the risk on developing cancer.
The latest research from the U.S National Cancer Institute shows that even moderate drinking increases the risk of a woman developing breast cancer.
The study found that the respondents who consumed:
- Less than one drink a day had a seven per cent increase in relative risk.
- One to two drinks a day had a 32 per cent increase.
- Three or more drinks a day had a 51 per cent increase.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): New Risks Revealed
Years ago, there was a debate about HRT. Should women be taking these hormones to help them combat menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and in some cases, to prevent osteoporosis? In 1991, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) - the biggest and most robust study of its kind - to investigate the potential benefits and risks of HRT. Five years after the start of the study, the NIH prematurely ended one arm of the study. It was found that those women taking combined estrogen and progestin pills had more health risks than benefits. Analysis of the data found that for every 10,000 women on HRT vs. placebo during a one year period:
Risks:
Yours in Health as always.
Risks:
- Seven more cases of coronary heart disease (37 on combined HRT versus 30 on placebo)
- Eight more cases of strokes (29 vs 21)
- Eighteen more cases (34 vs 16) and a twofold greater rate of total blood clots in the lungs and legs
- Eight more cases of invasive breast cancer (38 vs 30)
- 23 more cases of dementia (45 vs 22)
- Six fewer cases of colorectal cancer (10 vs 16)
- Five fewer cases of hip fractures (10 vs 15)
- did not increase or decrease the risk of coronary heart disease;
- did not increase risk of breast cancer;
- increased the risk of stroke similar to the findings reported from the WHI estrogen and progestin arm of the study; and
- decreased the risk of hip fracture, in women who have undergone hysterectomy.
- shows trend toward increased risk of probable dementia and mild cognitive impairment
- heart problems linked with the pills seem to fade after women stop taking them
- the health benefits of decreased hip fractures and colorectal cancers also faded after women stopped taking the pills
- however, surprising new cancer risks, in particular lung and breast tumours, seem to have caught scientists off guard. Those who'd taken the hormones and stopped were 24 percent more likely to develop any kind of cancer than women who'd taken the placebo. That amounts to three extra cases per year for every 1,000 women on hormone pills vs. placebo.
Yours in Health as always.
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