Herbal Supplements May Pose Health Risk

In a new federal report released May 26th, 2010 by the Government Accountability Office, evidence of the dangers of food supplements is finally brought to light.

According to the report, AOL News natural supplements, now taken by at least a quarter of adult Americans, often contain trace amounts of lead, mercury, arsenic and potentially dangerous levels of pesticides.

This report comes out just in time for a key Senate hearing, set to begin in two weeks, that will decide whether to approve a food safety bill that could clamp down on regulation of such products.

Investigators tested 40 herbal supplements. Of those, 37 contained trace amounts of heavy metals, especially lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic. The content wasn't enough to exceed safety limits, but it does raise questions about the sterility of the supplement ingredients and the plants where they're produced.

"Consuming high levels of the contaminants for which we tested the 40 products can lead to severe health consequences, such as increased risk of cancer," the report reads, adding that the toxicity depends largely on one's dosage and individual health.

Sixteen of the supplements contained elevated levels of pesticides. Most of those chemicals aren't capped by legal restrictions because of insufficient scientific evidence about their risk to humans.

DON'T STOP READING HERE!

Now I'm not just talking about any and all supplements. The risky supplements I've warned my patients about for years are the cheap ones you find at Costco, Walgreens, and your supermarket. I've been carrying vitamin supplements in my office for 15 years and we only buy from manufacturers that can guarantee purity and also potency. The source of the supplement is key. Our manufacturers use sources from clean waters where the fish don't have mercury, land where the plants don't have pesticides, and they NEVER contain any coloring, sugar, or other artificial additives.

The reason for taking supplements is to improve your health. Don't risk damaging your health by purchasing the cheapest supplement you can find. You wouldn't apply this in other areas of your life and your health is by far the most important.

Our line of supplements includes multi vitamins, joint formulas, and some key nutrients to help control inflammation, sleep difficulties, cardiac health, intestinal health, allergies, and natural immunity particularly against colds and flu. We pride ourselves on providing only the safest products to our patients.

Dr. Harris Meyer

Body Focus Health Center

415-956-3226

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Is chocolate causing depression or are people eating chocolate because they feel depressed?

In this article by Susan Brady (http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/mental-health/how-can-chocolate-be-linked-to-depression-4211.html), she cites recent research done a UC Davis and UC San Diego suggesting that people who eat a lot of chocolate may be causing themselves to become depressed.

Harris Meyer, D.C.
Body Focus Health Center
580 Market St., Mezzanine Level
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-956-3226

How Can Chocolate Be Linked to Depression?

By Susan Brady
Published: Tuesday, 27 April 2010

"Depressed mood was significantly related to higher chocolate consumption," Dr. Natalie Rose of the University of California, Davis, and University of California, San Diego, and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Because the UC Davis and UC San Diego researchers were screening for general dietary intake, they could rule out caffeine, fats, and carbohydrates as possible factors in the depression

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The cost of medication for depression is staggering. It not only takes a HUGE toll on the American wallet but it can alter personalities and it poses an unacceptable health risk including homicide and suicide. We continue to be brainwashed by the pharmaceutical companies. Back in the 1960s cigarette ads were banned from TV. It's time for the same ruling on these drugs. You know that TV commercial with the sexy girl giving free cigarette samples? Their tag line is that it's time we see the tobacco companies free samples for what they really are. Well, the drug pushers in the pharmaceutical industry are even worse. The small excerpt from Susan Brady's article below says it all.

Harris Meyer, D.C.
Body Focus Health Center
580 Market St., Mezzanine Level
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-956-3226

Antidepressant Use Rises Among Americans

By Susan Brady
Published: Tuesday, 1 June 2010

Consumer Reports stated that their “survey shows that a combination of therapy and medication works best <for depression>,” however the marketing push by pharmaceutical companies has won over customers. That marketing push cost $300 million in 2009 for just Cymbalta and Pristiq alone. Television ads, print ads, discount coupons, free samples for doctors to dispense—these two drugs are known in most households in America whether they use them or not.

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Funny yet not. This IS the truth about drug company marketing!

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Want to feel better, look better and actually BE better by summer?

·         Remove trans fats from your diet- or at least minimize them.  They are mostly found in commercially baked foods and processed foods.

·         Increase water intake.  The recommendation is to take your body weight in pounds (lbs.) and drink half that amount in ounces.  (Example: a 150 pound person is to drink 75 ounces.)

·         Increase the amount of raw fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.  This will help with digestion and proper function of your GI tract. Try some new things to find your new favorites.

·         Reduce the amount of snack foods- chips, candy, soda, ice cream, cookies, cakes, etc.  Don’t worry- I didn’t say remove, I said reduce.

·         Think about posture.  Improving posture can improve almost all body functions and decreases the chance of injury.

·         Get physically active.  Start easy.  Walking is a great exercise to begin with.  Try to avoid high impact activities until you can build up to them.

·         Stretch every day.  Don’t overdo this one.  Just stretch until you can feel a little pull in the muscle.  It’s best to do this after warming up- after activity or just out of the shower.

·         Do something that challenges you mentally on a daily basis.  Sudoku, crossword puzzles, computer games, learning a new language.  Make it fun.

·         Take time for yourself.  Spend 15 to 30 minutes a day doing something for you.  It can be something from this list or anything else you decide.  Just be sure to do it for yourself.

By beginning to implement these things into (or out of) your life you will enhance your own wellness and enjoy the benefits of a happier and healthier lifestyle.

-Harris Meyer, DC

Body Focus Health Center

415-956-3226

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A few things you may not have known

The word “chiropractic” is taken from Greek, and means “done by hand”.

To date, much research has been done and much material published on the benefits and cost-effective nature of chiropractic treatment.

The number of Americans who seek chiropractic care has more than tripled in the last ten years, and continues to grow each year.

It is widely known by those who have visited a chiropractic doctor that the philosophy works, your body feels better, it heals better, and you are not cut, drugged, and off from work for 6 weeks to recuperate.

Dr. Meyer as a chiropractor believes in and practices the whole body approach to healing. Symptoms only tell us a small bit about what's happening with our health. If we choose only to alleviate the symptom or treat it as best we can, we are ignoring an opportunity to understand and improve our health as a whole.

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For all my pregnant patients and non-patients

I have been providing safe and effective care for pregnant women for many years as have many other chiropractors. When we think for just a minute about the health benefits we derive from adjustments at any age, it's not hard to understand why they can be SO valuable when another living being is developing inside your body. A compromised nervous system causes or allows errors and problems to arise. If there were ever a time to do everything in our power to prevent that, these nine months certainly qualify. The following article refers only to pain experienced during pregnancy, not the myriad of other health benefits produced by chiropractic care. Pain is certainly a motivator to seek chiro care, is unquestionably unpleasant, and can cause its own set of problems. For these reasons, I wanted to share the article.     -Harris Meyer, DC

Pregnancy, Back Pain & Chiropractic

By
Mark Studin DC, FASBE (C), DAAPM, DAAMLP
 

 
Back pain during pregnancy can be significant in terms of intensity and resulting disability. One study found that 35.5% of woman had at least moderate to severe back pain during 1 or more of their pregnancies. The pain scales of the pregnant woman (on the Owestry rating scale of 0-10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain imaginable) ranged from 5.86 to 9.21. [1]

  One of the problems with patients not seeking care during pregnancy is this can become a long-term chronic condition and inherently more difficult to resolve.

  One such study of concluded a retrospective review of 179 pregnant woman in 5 clinics regarding back pain during pregnancy and labor found that 85% reported relief of their low back pain as a direct result of chiropractic care. In an unrelated study, 25% had complete remission of their back pain, 50% reported feeling very well and 15% were feeling better. Only 10% reported no changes.[2]

  The average pain scale prior to chiropractic care was 7.58 and post chiropractic care was 4.25 in one study. A second study revealed the average pain scale before chiropractic care 5.9 and post chiropractic care 1.5 out of 10 on the Owestry scale.

  This author, having practiced chiropractic for 30 years and cared for 100’s of pregnant patients during that time has had similar results in the clinical setting. The primary reason those pregnant patients to seek chiropractic care have been that it is a drugless approach and it works. Beyond that, pregnant patients need not spend 9 months in pain so they can enjoy an active pregnancy and get the exercise needed to have a healthy full-term labor and delivery.

  This study along with many others concludes that a drug-free approach of chiropractic care is one of the best solutions for pregnant patients with back pain.

[1]Kent J. Stuber DC, MSc, Dean L. Smith DC, PhD, Chiropractic Treatment of Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of the Evidence, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Volume 31, Number 6, 2008
 

[2]Kent J. Stuber DC, MSc, Dean L. Smith DC, PhD, Chiropractic Treatment of Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of the Evidence, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Volume 31, Number 6, 2008

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