Guest guest Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 > " HSI - Jenny Thompson " > <HSIResearch > Big Bully > Wed, 21 Jul 2004 08:26:11 -0400 > > Big Bully > > Health Sciences Institute e-Alert > > Wednesday July 21, 2004 > > ************************************************************** > > Dear Reader, > > Only a very small percentage of older adults in the > U.S. are doing > enough to keep their muscles strong, according to a > report from the > Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). > > This is a critical lapse for many reasons, but here > are two good > ones: 1) The moderate amount of exercise required to > maintain > muscles will yield other important health benefits. > And 2) Keeping > muscles strong is relatively easy. > > And now it may be even easier. According to a new > study that > appears in a recent issue of the journal Nutrition, > key nutrients > have been shown to help develop muscle mass and > support > physical functioning as we age. > > ------- > Getting a grip > ------- > > Because age-related muscle loss is associated with > osteoporosis > and an increased risk of falls, researchers at the > Vanderbilt > University Medical Center wanted to find out if an > intake of three > nutrients might provide a simple way to help prevent > muscle loss. > > The Vanderbilt researchers recruited a group of 50 > women whose > average age was about 77. Over a 12-week period, a > " treatment > group " of 27 women received a daily supplement > containing 1.5 > grams of lysine, 2 grams of > beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, and > 5 grams of arginine. (I'll tell you more about these > three nutrients > in a moment.) A second group of 23 women received a > placebo. > > Before and after the trial period, several > measurements were taken > to determine potential changes in muscle mass: > > * Whole-body protein synthesis and loss (estimated > with a > specially designed blood test) > * Limb, hip and abdomen circumference > * Leg and handgrip strength > * Physical functionality > * Levels of hormones that affect proteins > * Percentage of lean body mass and body fat > > The hormone levels of both groups remained the same, > but the > treatment group improved in all other categories > compared to the > placebo group. The treatment group also had a > significant increase > in the average circumference of limbs, and their > protein synthesis > increased approximately 20 percent, compared to > placebo subjects. > > Researchers concluded that a daily supplement of > these three > nutrients may play an important role in muscle > health, while > improving functionality, protein synthesis and > strength in older > women. > > ------ > The multi-tasker > ------ > > According to Healthnotes Newswire, the average > person over the > age of 70 may experience muscle loss as high as 15 > percent per > decade. So a 12-week trial can't begin to show an > accurate picture > of the long-term benefits of these nutrients. > Nevertheless, the > results of the Vanderbilt research provide a basis > to consider > supplementing with the nutrients studied, especially > for older > people who may be incapacitated in some way that > prohibits > exercise. > > In the e-Alert " Five Stars " (8/26/03), I told you > about arginine > (also known as L-arginine), which is a remarkable > amino acid, > known to play a role in blood vessel dilation, > reduction of > inflammation, repair of skin and connective tissue, > and thymus > gland regulation. Arginine has also been shown to > facilitate muscle > metabolism by reducing body fat while increasing > muscle mass. > > Dietary sources of arginine include diary products, > meat, poultry > and fish, as well as nuts, rice, whole-wheat, soy > and raisins. > > ------ > Plus two... > ------ > > In the Health e-Tips e-letter " Keeping Your Extra > Parts " (5/13/04), > Amanda Ross explained that lysine – an essential > amino acid – has > been used to increase calcium absorption and may > help prevent > osteoporosis. In supplement form, high doses of > lysine may raise > cholesterol levels and increase the risk of > gallstones, so lysine > supplementation should be monitored by a > nutritionally oriented > physician. Dietary sources of lysine include meat, > fish, dairy > products, legumes and brewer's yeast. > > The third nutrient in the Vanderbilt study is > beta-hydroxy-beta- > methylbutyrate (HMB), a derivative of the amino acid > leucine. > HMB is not widely studied in humans, but animal > tests show that it > may improve the growth of lean muscle tissue by > slowing protein > breakdown. The dietary sources of HMB are limited to > small > amounts in citrus fruits, catfish and alfalfa. > > ------ > > Up off the duff > ------ > > So... let's say you check with your doctor about > these three > nutrients, he gives you the green light to monitor > supplementation, > and in time they begin strengthening your muscles. > That's great. > But for older people who are able, exercise is still > the most > effective way to support muscle strength. And more > specifically, > exercise that incorporates weight training or > resistance training will > yield the best results, including: > > * Reducing the risk of falls and fractures > * Increasing endurance > * Promoting healthy bone density > * Improving insulin sensitivity > > The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has published > a free > guidebook for starting an exercise program, which is > available on > their web site: nia.nih.gov/exercisebook. The book > provides a > section on diet advice that offers the outdated and > misguided > USDA food pyramid as a dietary guideline, but other > than that, > you'll find useful tips for starting and staying > with a strength > exercise regimen. > > ************************************************************** > ...and another thing > > There's no other word to describe it except for > outrage. > > Last week, a U.S. district court stopped the sale of > three very > popular natural therapies: BeneFin, SkinAnswer and > MGN-3. > > Upon hearing that, one would assume these products > must have > been responsible for countless deaths and had swarms > of customers > shouting for their recall. > > In fact, none of these products were proven to be > harmful or > ineffective nor was the action based on customer > complaints. The > FDA accused LaneLabs (their manufacturer) of making > claims that > qualified the products as unapproved new drugs, > requiring formal > FDA approval. After a lengthy legal process, the > court agreed and > ordered LaneLabs to cease production and sale of the > products. > > That action alone would have been sufficient in > order to stop the > marketing practices the FDA objected to. But the > judge took it > much further, dealing an essentially fatal blow. He > also ordered > LaneLabs to destroy the remaining inventory of all > three products, > except for an amount of BeneFin needed to complete a > National > Cancer Institute study. In addition, LaneLabs may be > ordered to > reimburse all of the customers who purchased these > products since > 1999. It's important to note that this isn't limited > to customers who > requested their money back. It's EVERYONE that > bought one of > these three products in the last four years. > > Given that the FDA complaint concerned only > marketing practices > – not efficacy or safety – these court orders border > on the insane. > And they should act as a loud wake up call for the > entire industry. > > The court probably feels contently smug, knowing it > has punished > LaneLabs, and possibly put this innovative > manufacturer out of > business. But ultimately it is the consumer being > punished by > losing access to these products, which have all been > proven to be > useful. So, in order to protect us from marketing > language, the > court is willing to take away our protection from > serious illnesses. > > Throughout the years, we have recommended many > LaneLabs > products, including the targets in this action. In > each case, we > believed the therapies to be beneficial and safe, > and we received > encouraging testimonials from members who tried them > and were > happy with the results. We continue to stand behind > our belief that > LaneLabs is a revolutionary company that could have > – and may > still – change the face of American medicine. > > In the meantime, with BeneFin, SkinAnswer and MGN-3 > now > unavailable to you, we will ask our HSI panelists > and researchers > to continue looking for natural and effective > therapies that deliver > the same safe alternatives to mainstream medicine > that these > products provided. As we discover them, we'll tell > you about them > in upcoming e-Alerts and HSI Members Alerts. > > But our hope is that LaneLabs' products will soon be > readily > available again to those who need them most, here in > the land of > the free. > > To Your Good Health, > > Jenny Thompson > Health Sciences Institute > >************************************************************** > > Sources: > " Effect of Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate, > Arginine, and > Lysine Supplementation on Strength, Functionality, > Body > Composition, and Protein Metabolism in Elderly > Women " > Nutrition, Vol. 20, No. 5, May 2004, > ncbi.nlm.nih.gov > " Battle Age-Related Muscle Loss with Amino Acid > Combination " > Kimberly Beauchamp, ND, Healthnotes Newswire, > 6/24/04, > pccnaturalmarkets.com > " Strength Training Among Adults Aged >65 Years " > Morbidity and > Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control > and > Prevention, Vol. 53, No. 2, 1/23/04, cdc.gov > " Strength Training Urged for Elderly " Merritt > McKinney, Reuters > Health, 1/23/04, story.news. > " Growing Older, Staying Strong: Preventing > Sarcopenia Through > Strength Training " International Longevity Center - > USA, Issue > Brief, September-October, 2003, ilcusa.org > " Judge Halts Sale of Herbal Remedies " Susan > Star-Ledger, > 7/13/04, nj.com > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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