In This Issue:

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com
Featured Q&A
Featured Home Remedy
Loneliness And Alzheimer's
Inflammation And Dementia
Grape Juice As A Red Wine Substitute
Selenium For Prostate Health
Vitamin D Fights Cancer
Suicide On The Rise
New Gene Test Predicts Cancer Outcome

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Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy

We are pleased to announce our new book, Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy. Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy is a how-to for consumers trying to work out which treatments, including diet, home remedies, dietary supplements and drugs, are best for what ails them. Click the link below to purchase a copy at a discount of $21.95 plus $5 shipping and handling!

Note: We are shipping single book orders Priority Mail with an expected transit time of 1-3 days from shipment, and orders for two or more books by FedEx Ground. Shipping and handling is $5 per book. We also include a FREE copy of Chocolate without Guilt, regularly $14.95, autographed by Terry, with orders for three of more copies of Best Choices shipped to the same address.

http://secure.peoplespharmacy.com/PPcart.asp?pg=products&specific=joppfog0

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This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com:

We are always told to eat a well-balanced diet. But what, exactly, does that mean? Does it really ensure we will get the vitamins we need to stay healthy? Our guest experts will clear up the confusion around vitamin E.
Read a short excerpt of the program or order it on CD by clicking the link below:

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/621_clearing_up_vitamin_confusion.asp

Our newspaper columns this week address understanding cholesterol test results, acid reducing drugs and hip fractures, turmeric for psoriasis, preventing the gassy effect of beans and cabbage, and an ingenious hiccup remedy:

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/editorial/hiccup_remedies_show_ingenuity.asp

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/do_tangelos_share_grapefruit_effect.asp

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/black_tea_is_more_healthful_without_milk.asp

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Featured Q&A

Q. I have read in your column that niacin lowers cholesterol. Does it lower the good cholesterol along with the bad?

A. No. Niacin has the advantage of lowering total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol while raising the good HDL cholesterol by as much as 20 percent.

Q. Since our retirement, my husband has been eager to share our household chores. Kindly help prevent World War III by settling this argument.

When he washes the dishes he refuses to use soap. As a former chemist and engineer he insists that soap will not kill bacteria and using just hot water will suffice. The dish washer is used as a drain board.

I might add that as a husband he is a precious pussy cat.

A. You are a lucky lady to have such a dedicated husband, but we suggest a change in his technique. Even if he is a retired chemist and engineer, his soapless dishwashing leaves a lot to be desired.

We consulted Dr. Chuck Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona. He is the world's leading expert on germs in places like bathrooms and kitchens. Dr. Gerba says that your hubby should "absolutely use detergent." It will help loosen and dissolve food and grease and make it harder for bacteria to grow. Your husband is right that most dish washing solutions do not kill germs, but new products are appearing that have antibacterial action.

Dr. Gerba points out a far greater hazard, however. The sponge can easily become contaminated with germs. In one survey he found that 20 percent of household dishrags carried Salmonella or other disease-producing bacteria. To reduce this risk throw the sponge or dishrag into a hot wash every few days. Another option is to put the damp sponge into the microwave for two minutes. That will kill all the nasties that might be living there.

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Featured Home Remedy

You answered a question about passing gas after eating onions, cabbage and the like. In Europe we drink fennel tea. You soak fennel seeds in very hot water for about five minutes and then drink the tea.

I learned also to add fennel and cumin seeds when I'm cooking with bean. It really helps!

You can read more home remedies on our website:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/home_remedies/index.asp

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Health Headlines:

Loneliness And Alzheimer's
Loneliness may have devastating health consequences for older people. A new study publishes in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests that social isolation may predispose senior citizens to develop dementia. More than 800 people who were at least 80 years old were recruited for this investigation. They were quizzed on loneliness and tested for confusion and memory loss at the beginning of the study. Over the next four years they were tested annually for cognitive function. The loneliest people were twice as likely to develop dementia over the course of the study. The researchers do not understand the mechanism behind this decline, but they speculate that loneliness may increase levels of stress hormones that could harm the brain.
[Archives of General Psychiatry, Feb. 2007]
http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/64/2/234

Inflammation And Dementia
Another study shows that inflammation may be the first step in the development of dementia. The scientists studied mice that were genetically modified to develop brain degeneration that mimics Alzheimer's disease. They found that inflammation preceded the appearance of characteristic tangles in the brain. Immunosuppressant drugs that are used to prevent organ transplant rejection extended the life of these mice and appeared to protect the brain from damage.
[Neuron, Feb. 2007]

Grape Juice As A Red Wine Substitute
Grape juice may be just as heart healthy as red wine. French scientists have found that Concord grape juice affect cells lining blood vessels in the same way that red wine does. They lead to the formation of nitric oxide, a natural vasodilator that helps keep blood vessels flexible. Concord grape juice has many of the same polyphenol compounds that are found in red wine. For people who cannot tolerate alcohol, grape juice may represent a heart healthy alternative.
[Cardiovascular Research, Jan. 15, 2007]

Selenium For Prostate Health
Selenium is a trace element that is found in many foods, including eggs, meat, fish and cereals. Although there have been some studies that have suggested a selenium deficiency may be linked to certain kinds of cancer, the relationship remains controversial. Now new research gives credence to the idea that selenium may have some anti-cancer potential, especially when combined with other nutrients. Researchers tested over 1500 men for selenium and then followed them for roughly eight years. Selenium by itself was not associated with less prostate cancer. But men who had high levels of both selenium and Vitamin E did have less prostate cancer, as did men who took multivitamins. Perhaps it is the combination of selenium and other nutrients that provides anti-cancer power.
[American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2007]
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/1/209

Vitamin D Fights Cancer
Two new meta-analyses using data from many smaller studies suggest that vitamin D may have powerful anti-cancer potential. One investigation pulled together results from two large studies including more than 1,700 women and concluded that those with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had the lowest risk of breast cancer. The scientists suggest that women could cut their chance of coming down with breast cancer in half by getting 2,000 International Units of vitamin D3 a day, and spending 10 or 15 minutes daily out in the sunshine when weather permits.
The other study considered the risk of colon cancer. Data from 1,400 people suggest that getting 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily would cut the likelihood of developing colon cancer by two thirds. These investigators suggest that a combination of diet, supplements and 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure would be best for getting this amount of vitamin D. The current RDA for vitamin D falls far below these levels, at just 400 IU per day.
[breast cancer: Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Feb. 2007 online; colon cancer: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Feb. 6, 2007 online]

Suicide On The Rise
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hints at a disturbing rise in suicide among teenagers. Between 2003 and 2004 the suicide rate for people under 20 rose 18 percent. Some experts have suggested that this alarming trend might be linked to FDA warnings about antidepressants. The agency has warned physicians that certain antidepressants may contribute to suicidal thoughts and behavior. Over the last two years, prescriptions for such drugs have declined. Other experts suggest that suicide prevention programs in schools have been curtailed due to lack of funding. They hypothesize that an increase in suicides might be explained by these cuts.
[Pediatrics, Feb. 2007]

New Gene Test Predicts Cancer Outcome
The FDA has just approved a new gene test that could help doctors determine which women with early breast cancer are least likely to suffer a recurrence. The MammaPrint test could help doctors and patients decide how aggressively an early breast tumor should be treated.