Blueberries and Blood Pressure

In the July 2015 issue of the Natural Medicine Journal, author Jacob Schor discusses a trial involving blueberry powder consumption and blood pressure. The trial was originally published in the January 2015 epublication of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The trial involved 48 post menopausal women with pre-hypertension (120-139/80-89) and stage 1 hypertension (140-159/90-99). Half of the women dosed 11 g of freeze dried blueberry powder 2 times per day (mixed with 1 cup of water, at least 6 hours apart) and the other half dosed 11 g of placebo powder 2 times per day. After 8 weeks, the participants who took the freeze dried blueberry powder had a significant decrease in their systolic (upper number, 5.1% lower) and diastolic (lower number, 6.3% lower) blood pressure in comparison  to the placebo group (who showed no change in any measurements after 8 weeks).  Whether it is blueberry powder or fresh blueberries, this trial provides good reason to aim to integrate some form of blueberries into our daily routine as another way to support our overall heart health. 

The Use of Bleach and the Frequency of Infections in Children

In the July 2015 issue of the Natural Medicine Journal, author Sarah Bedell Cook discusses the findings of the Health Effects of Indoor Pollutants:  Integrating Microbial, Toxicological, and Epidemiological Approaches (HITEA) project. This project evaluated over 9000 children, between the ages of 6-12 years, attending schools in Spain, the Netherlands, and Finland. The study looked at the frequency of infections and the use of bleach as a home cleaning disinfectant. The study found that the children exposed to bleach at least 1 time per week had a higher frequency of infections.  Specifically in the Netherlands, a significantly increased risk for influenza (27% higher) was seen, in Finland, a significantly increased risk for tonsillitis (141% higher) and sinusitis (118% higher) was seen, and in Spain, a significantly increased risk for all infections (28% higher) was seen. The information gathered from this project provides another great reason to shift to natural based cleaners. There are a number of products available for purchase and we can also make our own cleaners with vinegar, baking soda, essential oils. 

CAND Conference

I recently attended the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND) Health Fusion conference.  There were many great and informative sessions offered.  Here is some of the interesting information that was passed along:

From Walter Crinnion's session, The Lost Male Room:
- Phthalates (found in food packaging, flooring, toys, shower curtains, body care products etc) have testosterone and estrogen lowering effects - the higher levels of phthalates we have in our urine, the lower levels of estrogen and testosterone we have.
- As well exhaust from vehicles and cigarette smoke also impact our reproductive hormone levels as do perfluorocarbons (found in scotchguard and Teflon) and pesticides.
- Ways to reduce our exposure to these environmental toxins and manage these impacts on our hormones include: avoiding food that is wrapped/cooked/heated in plastic, avoiding Teflon coated cookware, aiming to use non toxic/fragrance free body care products, using a high quality pleated electrostatic air filter on our furnace, using a high quality air filter especially in our bedroom while we are sleeping, eating certified organic food when possible.

From Mary Bove's session, Women's Wellness and Insomnia:
- When we are dealing with insomnia, we need to ensure we have a well established sleep routine which includes not watching any over stimulating shows (including the news) in the evening.
- We also need to build in wind down/relaxation time before going to bed - this can start as early as 6 PM.
- For some people, blood sugar imbalance contributes to insomnia - aiming to eat within 30 minutes of waking in the morning can help set a more balanced blood sugar level for the day which can have a positive impact on sleep.  
- One of the primary causes of insomnia can be chronic pain and inflammation.
- Ways we can help to reduce the level of inflammation in our body include:  reducing our intake of sugar and caffeine, ensuring that we are consuming enough calories each day, working to ensure healthy digestive function, reducing our environmental toxic load, addressing any chronic infections, and managing our stress levels.

From Nigel Plummer's session, Perinatal and Childhood Intervention:
- Low birth weight babies have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular/heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity - working with supportive supplements can help to decrease these risks.
- Leptin, which helps to manage healthy weight balance, is found in high amounts in breast milk - extended breastfeeding lowers children's lifetime risk of developing obesity.  
- Folic acid, when taken for 1 year prior to getting pregnant, significantly reduces the risk of premature delivery.
- Low vitamin C levels and low vitamin B6 levels are associated with an increased risk of premature delivery.
- Low vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia.
- Well balanced vitamin D levels are associated with a decreased risk of baby developing asthma.
- Daily multivitamin use is associated with a lower risk of having a low birth weight baby.
- Dosing of a probiotic in the third trimester and for the first 6 months of children's life is associated with a significantly reduced risk of children developing asthma and eczema.

Happy Almost Summer!

Similar to last year, I started a number of seeds indoors earlier this year.  Instead of planting seeds for perennial planting, I decided to start seeds for annual/potted plants.  I like to use certified organic seeds for planting and there is a great greenhouse in Winnipeg called Sage Garden Greenhouse that has a huge selection of certified organic seeds that I was able to order online (here is a link to their website -  http://www.sagegarden.ca).

Here are some certified organic seed garlic and tulips that I picked up at Sage Garden Greenhouse and planted in the fall!

I used both a seed warming mat and lights to help my seedlings grow this year.  Here is my seedling supervisor!

Some of the seeds would sprout, but I couldn't get them to survive, especially poppies, so I direct seeded some poppy seeds (and bachelor buttons and zinnias) directly into some outdoor pots in early April and I am so pleased that they are growing so well!

I also had a tough time getting the chamomile and lavender seeds to sprout indoors, but I did get one chamomile plant (and I have a few small plants growing that I direct seeded into the outdoor pots - the chamomile is the tall green plant to the left in the green planter, it is beside sage that was easier to grow from seed) and 3 lavender plants (the lavender is in the blue pot below)!

I also started lemon balm (in the top picture below) and calendula (in the bottom picture below) both of which were also easier to start from seed indoors.  

This year was another good learning opportunity for gardening.  I am excited with all the plants that are growing outdoors now and look forward to watching them over the summer.

Bisphenol A and Blood Pressure

An article by Jessica Tran in the March 2015 issue of the Natural Medicine Journal discusses a trial looking at bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and blood pressure. The trial involved 60 volunteers who either drank 2 servings of soy milk from glass bottles or from BPA lined cans. The volunteers consumed the drinks on 3 separate occasions and fasted for 8 hours prior to drinking the soy milk and had no other food or drink for 2 hours after. Their urinary BPA concentration and blood pressure were measured each time 2 hours after the volunteers drank the soy milk.  The volunteers who drank from the BPA lined cans were found to have a 1600% increase in urinary BPA concentration and a 4.5 mmHg increase in blood pressure compared to the volunteers who drank from the glass bottles.  Even though this isn't a huge increase in blood pressure, it can still be significant for many of us.  This trial provides another valuable reason to aim to limit our exposure to BPA (and an additional strategy to manage our blood pressure).  Ways to do this include: storing food and drinks in glass or stainless steel containers, limiting our consumption of food from BPA lined cans, limiting our exposure to cash register receipts (which contain BPA).  

Chondroitin/Glucosamine and Osteoarthritis

In the April 2015 issue of the Natural Medicine Journal, author Sarah Bedell Cook discusses the impact that chondroitin and glucosamine can have on osteoarthritis symptoms in comparison to commonly prescribed medications (specifically cyclooxygenase 2, or COX-2, selective inhibitors) like Celebrex. The article focuses on the MOVES trial which involved 606 participants (who were primarily white women, mean age 63 years old). All the participants had osteoarthritis of the knee and experienced moderate to severe pain.   The participants either took 400 mg of chondroitin sulfate and 500 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride 3 times per day or 200 mg of Celebrex 1 time per day for 6 months. The participants were evaluated at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months for change in pain score as measured by the WOMAC index (as well as stiffness, joint swelling, and acetaminophen use). Celebrex was more effective at reducing pain score at the 1, 2, and 4 month follow-up, but at the 6 month follow-up, the chondroitin/glucosamine combination was found to be as effective as Celebrex in reducing pain score. There have been other studies that have not shown pain improvement with chondroitin/glucosamine, but this study does provide encouraging information that taking chondroitin/glucosamine at a therapeutic dosage (approximately 3000 mg per day) for an extended period of time (6 months) does have the potential to reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis. Some additional interesting points that Bedell Cook brings up in the article include that chondroitin has been shown to be more effective than glucosamine at reducing pain in previous studies and that glucosamine sulfate, rather than hydrochloride (which is what is used in the MOVES trial), has shown to be the more effective pain reducing form. This extra info can help to fine tune our choices around which of these supplements/which forms of these supplements are the best to integrate for osteoarthritis support. 

Additional Testing to Consider

It is important to have a yearly physical and blood work done - it serves as a marker of how our system is doing each year and provides an insight into what is happening, internally, for our body.  It is also helpful to request a personal copy of any blood work results, or diagnostic imaging results, so we can be informed about our own health.

There are a number of non health care covered tests we can also consider to gain further insight into what is happening for our selves, health wise.  Some additional tests include:  

- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) breath test to determine if we are positive for hydrogen and/or methane based SIBO

- Urine element analysis which provides insight into essential and toxic element (heavy metals) levels

- Urine environmental pollutants analysis which provides insight into phthalate, paraben, volatile organic compound (VOCs) levels

- Reproductive hormone salivary testing which provides insight into estradiol (estrogen), progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol levels 

- 4 point cortisol salivary testing which provides insight into adrenal function throughout the day

- Genomic testing which provides insight into whether we carry variants of genes that make certain foods more difficult for us to manage and increase our risk of developing nutrition related chronic diseases/concerns 

- IgG food sensitivity testing which provides insight into whether there are foods that place extra stress on our immune system and overall health in general

- Organic Acid testing which provides insight into yeast/fungal and bacterial overgrowth, as well nutrient deficiencies, mitochondrial function, and brain neurotransmitter balance

- Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis which provides insight into how the digestive tract is functioning, yeast and parasite overgrowth, and beneficial bacteria balance