Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 > " HSI - Jenny Thompson " > <HSIResearch > Positions of Power > Tue, 31 Aug 2004 08:13:44 -0400 > > Positions of Power > > Health Sciences Institute e-Alert > > August 31, 2004 > > ************************************************************ > > Dear Reader, > > I never tried yoga until recently when I began > taking hatha yoga > classes to address some back and neck problems. > " Hatha yoga " has > become a sort of generic term used to describe the > series of physical > positions that provide gentle stretching and > exercise. > > I've only had about four yoga sessions, but already > the pain has been > reduced, and I've also been feeling a little more > energized. So when I > came across a study that examined the effects of > yoga on fatigue and > mood among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, I was > intrigued, because > the management of MS symptoms has been an important > focus at HSI for > several years. > > And also – let's face it – just about everyone can > use a boost in the > mood and fatigue departments. > > --------------------------- > > Goodbye, fatigue > --------------------------- > > > In a recent issue of the journal Neurology, > researchers in the > Department of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science > University reported > on a study in which 57 MS patients were divided into > three groups: > > * One group attended a weekly class in Iyengar yoga; > a type of yoga > that emphasizes increased flexibility and strength > by correcting body > alignment and posture > > * One group received aerobic exercise on stationary > bicycles in a > weekly exercise class > > * One group didn't participate in a formal exercise > program > > Both before and after a six month trial period, > researchers used > " cognitive measures " to assess the subjects' > attention, alertness, > mood, anxiety level, fatigue and health-related > quality of life. > > The Oregon team found no clear changes in mood, > attention or alertness > in any of the three groups. But both of the two > exercise groups > reported a significant improvement in energy and > relief of fatigue, > compared to the non-exercising group. > > --------------------------- > > Help from the head > --------------------------- > > > I can't help but think that mood and other cognitive > factors might > have improved in the Neurology study if the sessions > had been two or > more times each week instead of only one, because > previous research > has clearly shown that exercise can help relieve > depression. > > In the March 2002 issue of Real Health > Breakthroughs, William Campbell > Douglass, M.D., wrote about a New York doctor - > Reuven Sandyk, M.D., > M.Sc. - who believes that many MS problems may be > associated with > calcification of the pineal gland, which contains > the brain's highest > concentration of serotonin, the neurotransmitter > that helps regulate > our sense of wellbeing. Dr. Sandyk theorizes that > the pineal > calcification may contribute to MS symptoms such as > fatigue, > depression, sleep disorders and carbohydrate > craving. > > In addition to exercise, Dr. Sandyk recommends these > natural ways to > prompt the body to produce more serotonin: > > * Try to spend a few minutes in the sun each day. > Even twenty minutes > may make a big difference. > > * Increase your intake of food sources of > L-tryptophan, an essential > amino acid that is a precursor of serotonin. These > foods include raw > milk, sunflower seeds, bananas, turkey, nuts, and > corn. > > * Supplements that may promote the production of > serotonin include > biotin, magnesium, and vitamins B-1, B- 3, B-6 and > B-12. > > --------------------------- > > On the bounce > --------------------------- > > > Unfortunately, patients with advanced MS may be too > incapacitated to > exercise. For some of them, rebounding may provide > an alternative. > > In " This week in the HSI Forum " (2/14/04), I told > you about a Forum > thread titled " Multiple Sclerosis " that contained a > posting from a > member named Oldbob regarding a keynote speaker at > his local annual MS > society meeting. Oldbob writes: " Amongst other > things, he was > expounding on the benefits of 'therapeutic' or > gentle rebounding. I > tried it at a booth the manufacturer had set up. The > immediate benefit > for me was in my lower spine which hurts due to > sitting around for > most of the time. " > > A member named Leppert posted follow up comments, > explaining that a > rebounder is a mini-trampoline, and she added, " I > have equilibrium > problems so use a security bar that I hang on to > when I gently bounce. > Even though I don't exercise vigorously...it does > get my pulse rate > up. " > > In addition to MS patients, people with arthritis, > diabetes, heart > disease and chronic fatigue may benefit from the > light aerobic > activity provided by rebounding. And for that > matter, all of these > conditions might be relieved to some extent through > yoga as well. > > If you've tried yoga and experienced obvious health > benefits, please > send along an e-mail and I'll share details with HSI > members in a > future e-Alert. > > ************************************************************ > > ...and another thing > > Can carbohydrate intake actually raise breast cancer > risk? > > That's what the headlines and TV sound bites claimed > earlier this > month. But before you back up the meat truck and > swear off all carbs, > there's a little detail hidden in the small print > that makes all the > difference. > > As reported in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & > Prevention, Harvard > researchers, working with a team of researchers in > Mexico, interviewed > 475 women who had been recently diagnosed with > breast cancer. Another > group of nearly 1,400 healthy women of the same age > range (20 to 75) > were also interviewed to gather dietary data and > information on breast > cancer risk factors. > > When the statistics from the two groups were > analyzed, researchers > found a significant association between breast > cancer risk and the > highest carbohydrate intake. And that's the > information that made > headlines. As usual the finer points get lost when > the basic > information is shoved out in the mainstream for > quick consumption. > > What the sound bites failed to mention was this > important detail: > " Among carbohydrate components, the strongest > associations were > observed for sucrose and fructose. " > > So the elevated risk was actually associated with > the highest intake > of the worst type of carbs: refined simple > carbohydrates (such as > pastry, soft drinks, cookies, etc.). In fact, women > who had the > highest intake of insoluble fiber (such as fruits, > vegetables and > whole grains) had a slightly decreased risk of > breast cancer. > > The effects of a diet that contains large amounts of > refined simple > carbs can be devastating. In the e-Alert " Complex > Made Simple " > (6/23/04), HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., > explained that refining > removes nutrients required for the metabolism of the > sugar. Without > those nutrients, " Your body must draw from body > stores of nutrients to > metabolize the sugar. And draw it will. Once those > stores are > overtaxed, disease sets in, or at least undesirable > symptoms that hit > wherever your body's weakest link happens to be. > This removal of > nutrients is the key to our demise, in my opinion. " > > As we've observed before, carbohydrate consumption > is not necessarily > unhealthy, but keeping your intake of refined simple > carbs to a > minimum is one of the best health choices you can > make. > > To Your Good Health, > > Jenny Thompson > Health Sciences Institute > > ************************************************************ > > Sources: > > " Randomized Controlled Trial of Yoga and Exercise in > Multiple > Sclerosis " Neurology, Vol. 62, No. 11, 6/8/04, > ncbi.nlm.nih.gov > " Carbohydrates and the Risk of Breast Cancer among > Mexican Women " > Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, Vol. > 13, August 2004, > cebp.aacrjournals.org > " Study Links High Carbohydrate Intake with Breast > Cancer " Natural > Products Industry Insider, 8/6/04, > naturalproductsinsider.com > " REAL Hope for MS: Simple Steps to Treat and Even > Prevent This Dreaded > Disease " William Campbell Douglass, M.D., Real > Health Breakthroughs, > March 2002, realhealthnews.com > > Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com, > L.L.C. The e-Alert may > not be posted on commercial sites without written > permission. > > ************************************************************ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.