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Tue, 1 Apr 2003 13:40:01 -0500

HSI - Jenny Thompson

Gene Feed

 

GENE FEED

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

 

April 1, 2003

 

**************************************************************

 

Dear Reader,

 

The future of medicine is here, and guess what the cutting-

edge " drug " is?

 

Food.

 

And no - that's not an April Fool's joke.

 

-----------------------------

Tailor-made prevention

-----------------------------

 

Actually, the future of medicine has only just walked in the

door (so to speak). So it may be a while before you consult

a nutrigenomic specialist who might, for instance, write

a " prescription " for a high intake of oranges, carrots and

bilberries to help prevent the onset of age-related macular

degeneration.

 

Nutrigenomics is the relatively new science that attempts to

understand the effects that nutrients have on genes. As

scientists have known for many years, different people have

different genetic inclinations. One person may be

genetically inclined to become anemic, while another may be

inclined to develop a specific cancer. Current research is

taking that knowledge to the next step: addressing genetic

inclinations with nutrition.

 

At Tufts University in Boston, for instance, Dr. Joel Mason

is studying the impact of folate on genetic material,

especially as it applies to colon cancer. Folate has been

shown to help prevent colon cancer, but it may offer more

protection to those with a certain genetic makeup. The

question Dr. Mason is trying to answer is: How do we

determine the genetic type that requires higher folate

intake to be effective against colon cancer?

 

Other similar research is underway, such as a Columbia

University study I told you about last summer ( " Talking the

Talk, Walking the Walk " 8/19/02), that showed how elderly

people who had a variation in a gene known as apoE e-4 were

more likely (compared to those without the variation) to

develop Alzheimer's disease if their fat and caloric intake

was high.

 

In a report on the CBS show " Sunday Morning, " Dr. Jose

Ordovas (chief of the Tufts Nutrigenomics Lab) noted that

the goal is to learn what each of us as individuals needs to

feed our genes.

 

-----------------------------

Where and how

-----------------------------

 

The day when it will be common to have food " prescribed " by

a doctor with training in nutrigenomics is still some years

away. And I have to wonder if it will never be quite that

simple. I hope it will be, but as it is, doctors are not

generally inclined to view treatments from a nutritional

point of view. And how the pharmaceutical industry might

attempt to insinuate itself on a system that is not only

preventive, but also not focused on drugs is anyone's guess.

 

The CBS report featured several people who were taking

health matters into their own hands by sending away for kits

to collect DNA samples at home. These procedures are often

as simple as just lightly swabbing the inside of the mouth

with a Q-tip to sample saliva. The samples are returned to a

lab, and results are ready within a few days.

 

Two screening companies that emphasize health concerns were

highlighted in the CBS story: Healthcheck USA

(healthcheckusa.com - which can test for a variety of

different health problems), and Neo Gen Screening

(neogenscreening.com - a company that specializes in

screening infants). Another company - Myriad Genetic

Laboratories (myriad.com) - was not included in the report,

but appeared in the references in the online transcript of

the story. Myriad is worth a mention here because they

specialize in several different tests that determine genetic

predispositions for hereditary cancer.

 

To be honest, a search for additional companies on the

Internet was somewhat frustrating. It seems that the

business of DNA screening is currently focused on paternity

and genealogy tests. My guess is that as time goes by - and

as breakthroughs are made in the field of nutrigenomics -

we'll see more screening companies adding a greater range of

testing.

 

-----------------------------

In your own hands

-----------------------------

 

One of the appealing features of DNA home screening kits is

that you're in complete control of the tests. The results

are confidential, so how you proceed with any necessary

treatments is completely up to you. Nevertheless, it

wouldn't hurt to ask your doctor about this new diagnostic

tool that rightly puts an emphasis on individuality, rather

than the outmoded one-treatment-fits-all mindset of

mainstream medicine.

 

I've never taken one of these tests myself, and I don't know

anyone who has. If you've had an experience with this sort

of DNA screening, I'd be interested in hearing about your

experience with it - especially if you followed up on the

results with a dietary change or some other preventive

treatment.

 

**************************************************************

....and another thing

 

Last week I received an e-mail from an HSI member and long-

time e-Alert reader named George. He said, " Jenny I thought

you might get a kick out of this since you are always

telling us to watch what we eat. "

 

Here's a slightly condensed version of George's message. It

gave me a smile, and it seemed to be a good fit for an April

Fool's Day e-Alert.

 

" An elderly couple - happily married for 60 years - decided

to take a vacation. Although they were both nearly 90 years

old, they were in good health, largely due to the wife's

insistence on health foods and exercise for the past 10

years of their lives. Unfortunately their good health was of

no protection when their airplane crashed, sending them off

to heaven.

 

" Reaching the pearly gates, St. Peter escorted them to a

beautifully furnished mansion. They gasped in astonishment

when he said, 'Welcome to Heaven. This will be your home

from now on.'

 

" Then St. Peter took them to a clubhouse where a lavish

buffet lunch with every imaginable cuisine was laid out

before them - from seafood to steaks, to exotic desserts and

free flowing beverages. The man looked around and glanced

nervously at his wife. He said to St. Peter, 'Well, where

are the low-fat and low-cholesterol foods and the

decaffeinated tea?'

 

" St. Peter replied, 'You can eat and drink as much as you

like of whatever you like, and you will never get overweight

or sick. This is Heaven! "

 

" The man said, 'No gym to work out at?'

 

" 'Not unless you want to,' was the answer.

 

" 'No testing my blood sugar or blood pressure or...'

 

" 'Never again,' said St. Peter. 'All you do here is enjoy

yourself.'

 

" The man glared at his wife and said, 'You and your bran

muffins! We could have been here ten years ago!' "

 

Thanks for the smile, George.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

**************************************************************

Sources:

" Breaking the Code " Sunday Morning, CBS, 3/1/03, cbsnews.com

" Diet For Your Genes " CBS News, 2/27/03, cbsnews.com

 

Copyright ©1997-2003 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

click here http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/questions.shtml

 

**************************************************************

**************************************************************

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

 

**************************************************************

To learn more about HSI, call (203) 699-4416 or visit

http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/HSI/WHSIC313/home.cfm.

 

**************************************************************

 

 

 

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To , e-mail to: Gettingwell-

Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell

 

 

 

 

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