by Wendy on June 19, 2009
The latest issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter hit my doorstep this week and there’s an interesting article, “Rooting for Fruit,” about using our fruit bowls as a medicine chest. Of particular interest to me was the explanation for why cranberries can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) if consumed regularly.
First some background: Menopausal women are at greater risk of developing a UTI due to the changes that occur in the bladder as a result of declining estrogen levels. Half the cases of UTIs are caused by a (P-type E. coli) bacteria, which have little hairy tips called fimbriae. These attach themselves to the bladder so that they multiply and cause an infection.
According to Amy Howell of Rutgers University, the expert source for the Nutrition Action Newsletter article, Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins, which prevent bacteria from sticking to the surfaces of cells on the bladder wall. “So you can avoid infections by stopping the bacteria from sticking to cells in the bladder and instead just wash them out in the urine.” However, she added that “once the bacteria stick to the bladder wall and start multiplying, patients need antibiotics.”
Apparently, you need to drink one to two glasses of a cranberry juice cocktail daily for it to have any preventative effect. Dried cranberries and even cranberry sauce work just as well, Howell explained, but not cranberry pills “since you don’t know how much proanthocyanidin is in them or whether they’re rendered inactive by improper storage or processing.”
You’ll need to choose a brand that contains as much cranberry juice as other juices that it is mixed with.
I have been a subscriber to the Nutrition Action Newsletter for years and highly recommend it. It is published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent non-profit consumer health group. They advocate honest food labeling and advertising, safer and more nutritious foods, and they accept no government or industry funding!
by Wendy on June 16, 2009
by Wendy on June 11, 2009
After writing about the possible connection between hormones and heartburn (or gastric reflux) earlier this week, I discovered another research report, involving nearly 40,000 patients, that concluded that even short-term use of popular acid-reducing drugs such as Prevacid, Zantac and Tagament may raise the risk of hip fractures. The increased risks appeared two years after patients started taking prescription or over-the-counter anti-reflux medications. Other brands in this category of drugs include; Nexium, Prilosec, Protonix and Aciphex. [click to continue…]
by Wendy on June 8, 2009
If TV commercials for pharmaceuticals are a true reflection of what ails our population, then I have to conclude that a good percentage of people - men and women - suffer from Gerd, often called acid reflux or heartburn. It has been commonly believed that lifestyle factors such as BMI (body mass index), diet, smoking status, alcohol consumption and the use of certain medications are the culprits. But recent research has shown that if a post-menopausal women is complaining of Gerd-like symptoms, it’s very possible that her use of hormone therapies, or raloxifene (prescribed for osteoporosis prevention) or even over-the-counter soy estrogen products are to blame. [click to continue…]
by Wendy on June 2, 2009
Your claims of brain fog, senior moments, or whatever you want to call the small but frequent memory lapses you experience during the menopause transition are real, according to the findings of a new study just published in Neurology journal.
Researchers spent four years investigating the effects of the menopause transition and hormone use on three areas of cognitive function; processing speed, verbal memory and working memory. They concluded that mid-life women, particularly those in the late-perimenopause stage (they haven’t have a period in three to 11 months) were not able to learn as well as they had during pre-menopause. The good news is that their test scores eventually improved and rebounded to pre-menopause levels once they hit post-menopause (no period for 12 months), indicating that “menopause related cognitive difficulties may be time-limited.” [click to continue…]
by Wendy on May 28, 2009
Exercise makes women around the time of menopause feel better, even when they don’t lose weight and even when they devote less time to it than is generally recommended. That’s what researchers concluded at the end of a six-month controlled study that measured the effect of 50 percent, 100 percent and 150 percent of the physical activity recommendation on 430 sedentary postmenopausal women.
“Our results indicate that improved quality of life can be added to the list of exercise benefits and that these improvements are dose dependent and independent of weight loss, at least among people similar to this study’s sample,” Corby K. Martin, PhD, from Louisiana State University System, in Baton Rouge, and colleagues write.
The study was published in Archives of Internal Medicine, a bi-weekly, international peer-reviewed journal.
by Wendy on May 28, 2009
A writer for PREVENTION MAGAZINE, told me in an email that she is looking for women who have not yet been treated for their perimenopause/menopause symptoms and would like to get help from an expert as part of a hormone health makeover for a story she is writing. (The makeover would involve only natural and alternative remedies - NO HRT).
She’s specifically looking for women whose main menopause symptom(s) are:
• hot flashes/night sweats
• trouble sleeping
• low libido
• difficulty concentrating/poor memory
If you are interested in being profiled in the article, please email elumiere@nyc.rr.com directly with your name, age, hometown, and a brief description of your main hormonal complaint.
Please note that you must live in or close to New York City (nearby NJ or CT is okay) and be willing to let the magazine publish your name, age, and photo. Candidates also might be asked to appear in a photo shoot in NYC at the end of their hormonal health makeover.
by Wendy on May 21, 2009
Not too long ago, I wrote about a recent study that concluded that simply consuming less calories is more important than the type of diet you choose when trying to lose weight. Portion control is a key factor in any weight loss program, but it can be tricky. Dietitians recommend portions the size of our palm, or a hockey puck. But whose palm? (Your husband’s if you’re real hungry) And just how big is a hockey puck anyway?
So you might be interested in a new weight management tool that I found online. It’s called the Northstar Portion System, a series of 11 containers with lids in various sizes that will help you measure healthy portion sizes for everything you eat and drink. The System also includes eight laminated cards for comparison of hard to measure foods such as a muffin, burger or baked good. There’s a helpful guidebook and a daily guide to keep track of how many portions you eat from each food group. It costs $34.95. [click to continue…]
by Wendy on May 13, 2009
I was excited to read that a recent study has found that a tart-cherry enriched diet can reduce belly fat. That’s certainly good news; eat something sweet and delicious and lose fat at the same time! Is this for real?
I searched the internet to find more details about the report and lo and behold I found that tart cherries also may lower the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease by lowering total cholesterol levels, triglycerides, insulin and fasting glucose levels after 90 days.
But that’s not all. According to the report, “cherry-fed groups had lower levels of a plasma marker of oxidative damage and increased blood antioxidant capacity - not surprising since cherries are one of the richest sources of antioxidants. Additionally, the cherry-enriched diets reduced “fatty liver” or the accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol in the liver.”
Can you guess who funded this study? The Cherry Marketing Institute, of course, and their public relations firm, not the research facility, is the contact for information.
This is yet another example of a research study reaching a conclusion that the funder is seeking.
by Brandith Irwin M.D. on May 7, 2009
Is there anything that can prevent wrinkles??? The answer to this is YES! But first, understanding what causes them is important. There are 3 kinds.
- Wrinkles caused by overactive facial muscles (think frown lines).
- Wrinkles caused by loss of volume - mostly fat pads in our faces, and our bones (think what happens when you pull your skin up at the ears).
- And lastly, wrinkles caused by damage to the structure of our skin itself primarily the collagen and elastic fibers (think the thinning of the skin). These type of wrinkles are mostly due to sun damage but some to intrinsic aging and hormone changes. [click to continue…]
Sleep disturbances, weight gain and creeping blood pressure are common complaints of women in mid-life. I’ve learned through experience and research that there’s a connection between 
