Senior Health: Alzheimer's disease works differently in patients with Down Syndrome ♦ Omega-3 supplements help with preclinical Alzheimer's disease ♦ Age-related cognitive decline tied to immune-system molecule

SSRI antidepressants taken for menopausal symptoms may boost bone fracture risk The class of antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), taken to curb menopausal symptoms, may boost bone fracture risk.

Alzheimer's disease works differently in patients with and without Down Syndrome A study revealed differences in the way brain inflammation -- considered a key component of AD-- is expressed in different subsets of patients, in particular people with Down syndrome (DS) and AD.

Omega-3 supplements, antioxidants may help with preclinical Alzheimer's disease Here's more evidence that fish oil supplementation and antioxidants might be beneficial for at least some people facing Alzheimer's disease: A new report describes the findings of a very small study in which people with mild clinical impairment, such as those in the very early stages of the disease, saw clearance of the hallmark amyloid-beta protein and reduced inflammation in neurological tissues.

Older patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries less likely to get surgery Older patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries are less likely to receive surgery compared with younger patients and they experience a significant lag between injury and surgery.

Age-related cognitive decline tied to immune-system molecule A blood-borne molecule that increases in abundance as we age blocks regeneration of brain cells and promotes cognitive decline. The molecule in question, known as beta-2 microglobulin, or B2M, is a component of a larger molecule called MHC I, which plays a major role in the adaptive immune system. A growing body of research indicates that the B2M-MHC I complex, which is present in all cells in the body except red blood cells and plasma cells, can act in the brain in ways not obviously related to immunity--guiding brain development, shaping nerve cell communication, and even affecting behavior

Senior Health: Omega-3 fatty acids enhance cognitive flexibility ♦ Proteins may slow memory loss ♦ How our gut changes through our lifetimes,

Omega-3 fatty acids enhance cognitive flexibility in at-risk older adults A study of older adults at risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease found that those who consumed more omega-3 fatty acids did better than their peers on tests of cognitive flexibility -- the ability to efficiently switch between tasks -- and had a bigger anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region known to contribute to cognitive flexibility

Hospital admissions strongly linked to disability for older adults in last year of life A close association between acute hospitalizations and the development and progression of disability among older adults at the end of life has been found by researchers. Their findings may have profound implications for medical decision-making for older people and those who care for them.

Proteins may slow memory loss in people with Alzheimer's Certain proteins may slow the devastating memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease, according to a groundbreaking new study. The researchers found evidence that an elevated presence of a protein called neuronal pentraxin-2 may slow cognitive decline and reduce brain atrophy in people with Alzheimer's disease.

How our gut changes through our lifetimes, and how this determines our overall health Scientists and clinicians have carried out the first detailed study of how our intestinal tract changes as we age, and how this determines our overall health.

Prenatal Health: Prenatal exposure to common air pollution ♦ Pregnant women not getting enough omega-3, critical ♦ Evidence against the fetal origins of cancer

New moms more satisfied after giving birth in a public hospital  Women who give birth in a public hospital are more confident parents compared to women who have babies privately. "We found that compared to women in a private hospital, women who birthed in the public sector had six times the odds of being telephoned by a care provider, 34 times the odds of being visited at home and five times the odds of visiting a GP within 10 days of being at home,"

Prenatal exposure to common air pollution linked to cognitive, behavioral impairment  A powerful relationship between prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and disturbances in parts of the brain that support information processing and behavioral control have been identified by researchers. The study showed reductions in nearly the entire white matter surface of the brain's left hemisphere -- loss associated with slower processing of information during intelligence testing and more severe behavioral problems, including ADHD and aggression

Pregnant women not getting enough omega-3, critical for infant development, research shows A research team studied the first 600 women in a cohort during and after their pregnancy to see whether they were consuming enough omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega 3-LCPUFA) to meet current recommendations. They found that in fact, most of these women were not.

Study provides evidence against the fetal origins of cancer, cardiovascular disease A study evaluated the relationship between nutritional conditions in early life and adult health, and found that famine exposure during the first pregnancy trimester was associated with increases in mortality from causes other than cancer or cardiovascular disease. This is the first study to quantify the possible long-term effects of nutrition deprivation at different stages of pregnancy and long-term mortality.

2/28/15 Health News: Secret Treaty Leads to Food Safety Labeling Concerns ♦ NC Salmonella Outbreak ♦ Oat breakfast cereals may contain mold-related toxin ♦ Plus More

Trans-Pacific Partnership could prevent clearer food – health advocates Australia’s Pacific free-trade deal could stand in the way of clear country-of-origin labelling being considered by the Abbott government in the wake of the hepatitis A outbreak linked to imported frozen berries Continue Reading

NC SALMONELLA OUTBREAK LINKED TO RE-COOKED PULLED PORK  A Salmonella outbreak in North Carolina this past fall that sickened dozens of people has been linked to re-cooked pulled pork served at a church conference. According to news reports published Friday, the problem was probably smoked Boston butt prepared overnight by a member of the Living Word Tabernacle Church in Bessemer City, NC, and then re-cooked the... Continue Reading

Oat breakfast cereals may contain a common mold-related toxin  Oats are often touted for boosting heart health, but scientists warn that the grain and its products might need closer monitoring for potential mold contamination. They report that some oat-based breakfast cereals in the US contain a mold-related toxin called ochratoxin A that's been linked to kidney cancer in animal studies Continue Reading

Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D may control brain serotonin, affecting behavior and psychiatric disorders  Although essential marine omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D have been shown to improve cognitive function and behavior in the context of certain brain disorders, the underlying mechanism has been unclear. In a new paper, serotonin is explained as the possible missing link tying together why vitamin D and marine omega-3 fatty acids might ameliorate the symptoms associated with a broad array of brain disorders.Continue Reading

Adults with disabilities screened for cancer less often  Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are much less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer, research shows. "As individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live longer, their risk of developing chronic conditions like cancer increases. Suboptimal screening may contribute to a greater cancer burden," Continue Reading

11/18/14 Health News: ARSENIC IN RICE ♦ Plant-based omega-3 fatty acid ♦ Carrots might be full of lead ♦ Race, Hospital, Insurance Status Effect Cancer Treatment

CONSUMER REPORTS RELEASES NEW GUIDELINES FOR ARSENIC IN RICE AND GRAINS

Consumer Reports (CR) today issued new consumption guidelines for inorganic arsenic (IA) in rice and other grains. While past reports on the subject by CR and others have been complex and academic, this one is consumer friendly. CR says its new guidelines were developed in response to consumer questions after its 2012 study found measurable... Continue Reading

Nothing fishy about health benefits of plant-based omega-3 fatty acid Increasing the amount of omega-3s in your diet, whether from fish or flax, will likely decrease your risk of getting heart disease, according to nutritionists. A substantial amount of evidence exists supporting the heart-health benefits of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA and DHA), marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids. However, much less evidence exists to demonstrate the positive effects of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. Continue Reading

Watch out, NYC, your backyard carrots might be pumped full of lead The study found five out of seven garden plots had unsafe levels of toxic metals in the soil. Gulp.Continue Reading

Race, Hospital, Insurance Status All Factors in How Lung Cancer Is Treated African Americans, Hispanics, and those who receive care at a community hospital are all significantly less likely than other patients to receive treatment for early stage non-small cell lung cancer, according to a report. The study is the largest to date looking at treatment received by patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer, an early stage of lung cancer that has not spread to the lymph nodes and is characterized by a small nodules in the lung tissue. Treatment during this early stage offers the best chance for long-term survival Continue Reading

Toxins in Your Fish Oil Tablets

Fatty predatory fish like sharks, swordfish, tilefish, and albacore tuna may be high in omega-3 fatty acids, but due to their position at the top of the food chain, these species may also accumulate toxic substances through what they eat. For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends limiting consumption of certain (predatory) fish species (e.g. albacore tuna, shark, king mackerel, tilefish and swordfish) due to high levels of toxic contaminants such as mercury, dioxin, PCBs and chlordane.

The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are thought to be beneficial in treating excessive triglycerides in your blood and it is beneficial in preventing heart disease..The Question is is there more benefit to taking fish oil  or there more risks from the contaminates ? Would it be better to get the Omega-3 from another source?

Contaminants

 Mercury is an element sometimes called quicksilver. It is Toxic. The burning of coal and gold mining release mercury The mercury that ends up in the atmosphere and may increase the amount of mercury in the oceans.Fish store the murcury in the form of methylmercury As mercury and methylmercury are fat soluble, they primarily accumulate in the viscera, although they are also found throughout the muscle tissue of fish.

Dioxin  is a member of the class of persistent organic pollutants that is produced through combustion, in the bleaching of paper/pulp or in the chemical manufacturing process. In regards to Agent Orange dioxin was a by-product of the deliberately accelerated production of the herbicide 2,4,5-T, one of the components of Agent Orange. Specifically the dioxin contaminating Agent Orange was 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo P Dioxin (TCDD)which is the most toxic of all the dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the International Agency for the Research on Cancer list TCDD as a known human carcinogen. Dioxin has been found to be an endocrine disruptor, it can cause acne-like eruption of blackheads, cysts, and pustules , certain cancers, and reproductive and developmental effects (at least in animals).

Dioxin is not absorbed by plants nor is it water soluble. It can attach to fine soil particles or sediment, which are then carried by water downstream and settle in the bottoms of ponds and lakes. It continues to adversely affect people who eat dioxin-contaminated fish, molluscs and fowl produced around point sources of dioxin. However, dioxin is toxic over a long period – a scale of many decades – and does not degrade readily.

PCBs  belong to a broad family of man-made organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. PCBs were domestically manufactured from 1929 until their manufacture was banned in 1979. They have a range of toxicity.  Due to their non-flammability, chemical stability, high boiling point, and electrical insulating properties, PCBs were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications  

Once in the environment, PCBs do not readily break down. Thay may remain for long periods of time cycling between air, water, and soil. PCBs can be carried long distances and in areas far away from where they were released into the environment. As a consequence, PCBs are found all over the world.

PCBs can accumulate in the leaves and above-ground parts of plants and food crops. They are also taken up into the bodies of small organisms and fish. As a result, people who ingest fish may be exposed to PCBs that have bioaccumulated in the fish they are ingesting.

PCBs have been demonstrated to cause cancer, as well as a variety of other adverse health effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system.

Chlordane is a compound used as a pesticide. This white solid was sold in the U.S. until 1983 as an insecticide for crops like corn and citrus, and on lawns and domestic gardens. Depending on the site of home treatment, the indoor air levels of chlordane can still exceed the Minimal Risks Levels (MRLs) for both cancer and chronic disease by orders of magnitude.

Chlordane is excreted slowly through feces, urine elimination, and through breast milk in nursing mothers. It is able to cross the placenta and become absorbed by developing fetuses in pregnant women. A breakdown product of chlordane, the metabolite oxychlordane, accumulates in blood and adipose tissue with age

Exposure to chlordane metabolites may be associated with testicular cancer. The incidence of tumor of the testis in men with the highest blood levels.  Prostate cancer has been associated with trans-nonachlor levels, a component of chlordane. Japanese workers who used chlordane over a long period of time had minor changes in liver function.

The non-cancer health effects of chlordane compounds, which include diabetes, insulin resistance, migraines, respiratory infections, immune-system activation, anxiety, depression, blurry vision, confusion, intractable seizures as well as permanent neurological damage probably affect more people than cancer. Recent results from 8 large epidemiological studies in the United States, using CDC's NHANES data, have consistently shown of all the chemicals found in the blood of Americans, heptachlor epoxides and oxychlordane have the highest associated risk with insulin resistance and diabetes.

Some fish oil products have more contaminated than others.Sense the FDA does not require that information on the label there is no way for the consumer.There are some fish oil products that reduce the amount of PCBs.