I will preface this newsletter with a comment on spinach.
The current high profile problem is a consequence of the industrialization of agriculture. Using antibiotics in cattle feed, so that they can survive in congested pens, wading in their own feces, where they can be fattened quickly and efficiently, led to the rise of the nastily mutated bacteria which is so lethal and periodically kills otherwise healthy people. Megafarm/factories make the spread of disease, like this e coli, nearly impossible to stop. In such a huge and risky mass of bacteria, animals, plants and people, even a rare “glitch” in the system means some people will die. Is that an acceptable risk?

I urge you to learn more, for the sake of your own health, and to take educated action. Read the OMNIVORE”S DILEMMA by Michael Pollan. As a nearly 40 year veteran of the organic foods movement, I was enlightened and shocked by how little the term “organic” has come to mean in recent years. Eat locally. Support your local growers, especially those who practice organic and “beyond organic” farming.

Best, Michael Carlston, M.D.
707-545-1554

A federal report, reviewing published studies of the health effects of mercury dental fillings, concluded there was no evidence of ill effects.

This was strange to me, as several well-done studies do raise some concerns. My opinion has been that the science on this issue is unclear and needs further better investigations of more long-term and subtle health effects to be able to draw responsible conclusions.

The FDA’s own outside review panel immediately called “not so fast”. The panel determined that the repor’ts conclusions were not objective and unwarranted, given the present state of research in the matter. Unfortunately, this unbiased review did not receive press attention comparable to the initial mercury-supporting pronouncement.

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Data from the Health Professions Follow-up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study show that taking 400 iu of vitamin D a day is associated with a 50% reduction in the rate of pancreatic cancer. Although there has been evidence of vitamin D’s cancer preventing abilities for 60 years, as investigators really start to look carefully, we are learning how potent it is.

A study of breast fed infants in Iowa found that 78% of them were vitamin D deficient during the winter, with severe deficiency unfortunately common. Investigators recommended that all infants, therefore, receive vitamin D supplementation. However, only one infant was deficient in the summer, and that child had dark skin (a risk for D deficiency, as there is less skin production of D in those with dark skin). In my view, it would be best to consider each circumstance individually (sun exposure, how close to the equator, time of year, etc.) but recognize that D deficiency may be an issue.

Your skin can make significant amounts of vitamin D, but there is tremendous variability. Some researchers believe that people living far enough North will produce ZERO vitamin D if they lay outside naked all day. Blood tests for vitamin D are thankfully (and unusually for most vitamins) reliable. I recommend having your blood levels tested periodically.

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One of the very first links discovered between dietary patterns and health was that people who do not eat breakfast are sicker. A recent study of teens found that those who routinely did not eat breakfast had a high likelihood of developing obesity. Their risk was equivalent to that of people with a family history of type 2 (obesity-caused) diabetes. Fully 1/3 of the teens who skipped breakfast and had a family history of type 2 diabetes were obese.

The “why” is complex. These adolescents were more likely to eat junk food for lunch, exercise less and eat less in the way of fruits and veggies - all known risk factors for obesity. It may well be true that the fast-feast cycle they create by not eating and then catching up, makes their bodies store the calories they take in as fat.

Whatever. It is a good idea to eat breakfast.

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Selenium is well known as a prostate and breast cancer preventive. Now it appears that it may also prevent another very common cancer, bladder cancer. A particularly convincing finding in nutritional studies is a direct correlation between blood levels of a nutrient and the risk of disease. In that sense, this one hit the jackpot.

Controlling for other known risk factors, investigators found that every 10 microgram/liter increment rise in selenium was associated with a 14% reduction in bladder cancer risk. In the group with the highest levels, they found that the risk of bladder cancer was lowered by 70%.

Remember that, like anything else that can help, selenium can also cause harm. Very high doses can be toxic. Eating a couple of Brazil nuts a day or taking a multiple vitamin with 200 mcg of selenium should be enough.

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Since 2000 Americans have increased their consumption of sleeping pills by 60%. As 10% of Americans report ongoing sleep trouble (17% at some time in the last year), and there are a number of new/highly marketed sleeping pills available, this is not shocking - disturbing yes, shocking no. Most medications for this problem have significant short and/or long-term adverse effects.

After new drugs are approved, we usually discover other long-term adverse effects that were not recognized in earlier testing. 10-20% of the time one of those newly discovered adverse effects, is a lethal one. At the same time, new data from the NIH show that 1.6 million Americans use some form of alternative medicine to treat their sleep trouble. So, I am anxious (although not yet losing sleep) over this.

A recent study of behavioral intervention for sleep found that it worked better than prescription sleeping pills. Sleep hygiene, relaxation techniques, problem-focused education and sleep-promoting behaviors led to a significantly superior outcome (27% increase in deep sleep versus 20% decrease in medicated and 13% decrease in placebo groups). By six months, sleep duration and sleep efficiency continued to improve in the behavior intervention group, compared to sleeping pill treated patients.

It is important to note that there are other interventions not considered in this investigation. Most striking to me is recent work around the impact of light wavelength on sleepiness/wakefulness. Blue light (like that streaming from your TV and computer screens) has a powerfully stimulating effect.

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