Irresistible

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" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <HSIResearch

HSI e-Alert - Irresistible

Mon, 19 Sep 2005 07:00:00 -0400

 

 

 

HSI e-Alert - Irresistible

 

 

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

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September 19, 2005

 

 

 

Dear Reader,

 

Have you or a loved one developed football moderation resistance?

 

It starts out fairly benign. You watch a game or two and get caught up

in the excitement. Maybe you begin to admire certain players and find

yourself elated when they do well, or down in the dumps when they have

a poor outing. At some point you may begin to think of a team as

" your " team, and start planning your weekends around kickoff time. You

probably don't even notice these symptoms progressing until it's too

late: You've purchased season tickets and you openly admit that a

resistance to football moderation has developed into full-blown

Football Fever.

 

I can tell you from my own experience there's no cure. (Not that I

would want one if there were.)

 

In much the same way, a poor diet and lack of exercise can sneak up on

you and prompt insulin resistance in an otherwise healthy person. And

as most HSI members are aware, this resistance often develops into

type 2 diabetes.

 

Unfortunately, there are thousands of people who are becoming insulin

resistant but have no idea they may be considered pre-diabetic. But

for those who recognize the warning signs and decide to turn things

around by correcting their diets and exercising regularly, there's a

mineral that may significantly help their cause. And it even has the

blessing of the FDA.

 

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From one small study mighty oaks may grow

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Did I just use the word " blessing " in the same sentence with " FDA " ?

 

That might be overstating it a little. But last month, FDA officials

announced they would allow a supplement company called Nutrition 21 to

use a qualified health claim for chromium picolinate (CP). The claim:

" One small study suggests that chromium picolinate may reduce the risk

of insulin resistance, and therefore possibly may reduce the risk of

Type II diabetes. "

 

Does that sound like faint praise? That's nothing. The FDA added a

caveat that a link between CP intake and reduced risk of insulin

resistance or type 2 diabetes is " highly uncertain. "

 

Natural Products Insider reports that a co-author of the study -

William Cefalu, M.D. of Louisiana State University - put it another

way, noting that research has shown that " 200-1,000 mcg of chromium as

chromium picolinate may play an important role in carbohydrate

metabolism. "

 

Not only that, but chromium deficiency has also been linked to

elevated heart attack risk. In the e-Alert " Getting Clipped " (8/1/05),

I told you about a study of more than 1,400 men in which subjects with

the lowest levels of chromium were 35 percent more likely to suffer a

heart attack compared to subjects with the highest levels.

 

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Add a dash of biotin

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Chromium is a trace mineral that's a component of insulin and is

required for proper metabolism of glucose, carbohydrates and fats.

Picolinic acid (which is naturally produced in the body) is believed

to improve absorption of trace metal ions. Studies indicate that

absorption of minerals is enhanced when the minerals are in picolinate

form.

 

Nutrition 21 owns the patent on chromium picolinate, and the company

has developed a product called Diachrome that contains CP and biotin,

a member of the B vitamin complex that's been shown to help metabolize

fats, proteins and carbohydrates. According to the Linus Pauling

Institute (LPI), biotin research on rats indicates that this vitamin

may stimulate insulin secretion in the pancreas. And one study - cited

on the LPI web site - showed that a group of 43 type 2 diabetics had

significantly lower biotin levels compared to non-diabetic subjects.

 

I suspect that the " one small study " mentioned by the FDA is a study I

told you about in the e-Alert " Mineral Rights " (6/16/04). For 30 days,

half of a group of 24 type 2 diabetics took a daily dose of 600 mcg of

CP and 2 mg of biotin, while the other half took a placebo. All of the

subjects had previously taken antidiabetic drugs, but still had

difficulty managing sugar levels.

 

The CP/biotin formula produced these results:

 

* Fasting blood glucose was reduced, on average, by more than 26 mg/dL

* More than 70 percent of the supplement group experienced

significant drops in fasting blood glucose

* LDL cholesterol levels decreased by more than 10 mg/dL on average

 

LDL increased in the placebo group, and less than 30 percent of the

placebo subjects recorded appreciable drops in fasting blood glucose.

 

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Sources from the buffet

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Chromium is fairly easy to incorporate in the diet: Broccoli is

particularly rich in chromium, as is turkey meat, liver (and other

organ meats), seafood, whole grains, oysters, eggs and cheese.

 

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for chromium is 25 mcg per day

for women and 35 mcg per day for men. For most people, however, a

daily supplement of 600 mcg is well tolerated. As always, consult with

your doctor or a healthcare professional before beginning any new

supplement regimen.

 

 

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....and another thing

 

Here's a newsflash: If you treat people respectfully, they'll respond

favorably.

 

More specifically: If doctors treat patients with respect and dignity,

patients will respond in ways that may actually have a positive impact

on their health.

 

Researchers at Johns Hopkins accessed data from the Commonwealth Fund

2001 Health Care Quality Survey in which more than 5,500 people

throughout the U.S. answered questions about their experiences with

doctors.

 

On the surface the results are not surprising. Patients reported that

when treated with dignity during a doctor visit, they were likely to

rate the visit with a high level of satisfaction. More importantly,

patients responded to dignified care by adhering to suggested therapy

and making a better effort with preventive measures.

 

Here's what surprised me: Just over 75 percent said they'd been

treated with " a great deal of respect and dignity, " and approximately

the same percentage said their doctors involved them in the

decision-making concerning their healthcare.

 

I wouldn't have expected those numbers to be quite so high. On the

other hand, there are still one out of four patients who feel their

treatment isn't dignified. That means that millions of people every

week receive treatment that doesn't inspire them to stick to a

suggested health regimen.

 

I think it's safe to say that many in that 25 percent were probably

patients who were treated dismissively when they inquired about

alternative healthcare and then left their doctor's office with a

prescription for a statin drug or an antidepressant or a COX-2

inhibitor that they had no intention of filling.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

 

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Sources:

 

" FDA Approves Qualified Health Claim for Chromium " Natural Products

Insider, 8/31/05, naturalproductsinsider.com

" Patients Treated with Respect More Likely to Follow Medical Advice "

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Press Release, 9/1/05, eurekalert.org

 

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